Article
Genetics & Heredity
Helena Teixeira, Tobias van Elst, Malcolm S. Ramsay, Romule Rakotondravony, Jordi Salmona, Anne D. Yoder, Ute Radespiel
Summary: The occurrence of natural hybridization is rare among the endemic lemurs of Madagascar, but recent findings revealed the presence of a hybrid individual that may be a result of crossing between Microcebus murinus and Microcebus ravelobensis. The genetic analysis suggests low levels of gene flow between these two species, allowing occasional hybridization. Despite incomplete reproductive isolation, species boundaries are maintained.
Article
Immunology
Stephanie G. Trouche, Allal Boutajangout, Ayodeji Asuni, Pascaline Fontes, Einar M. Sigurdsson, Jean-Michel Verdier, Nadine Mestre-Frances
Summary: Non-human primates have translational value for evaluating new therapeutic approaches, especially in aging primates with Alzheimer's disease-like pathology. In a study using aged mouse lemurs, immunization with an A beta derivative vaccine resulted in a reduction in intraneuronal A beta and microgliosis, without causing microhemorrhages. The vaccinated primates also showed cognitive improvement, possibly linked to A beta clearance. The A beta derivative vaccine appeared to be safe and had no detrimental effects on the general health of the animals.
BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Travis S. Steffens, Malcolm S. Ramsay, Bertrand Andriatsitohaina, Alexandria E. Cosby, Shawn M. Lehman, Romule Rakotondravony, Mamy Razafitsalama, Helena Teixeira, Ute Radespiel
Summary: This study found that the red-bellied mouse lemur preferred continuous forest habitat, while the brown mouse lemur preferred fragmented forest habitat. These preferences are likely related to their species-specific ecological requirements.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Daniel Schmidtke
Summary: The ability to associate memorized objects with their location in space declines during normal aging and can be affected by neurodegenerative diseases. This study investigates object-location paired-associates learning in grey mouse lemurs, finding that old adults show a significant decline in performance compared to young adults.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Blandine Chazarin, Margaux Benhaim-Delarbre, Charlotte Brun, Aude Anzeraey, Fabrice Bertile, Jeremy Terrien
Summary: This study analyzed the liver proteome of grey mouse lemurs during winter to understand how they adapt to environmental energetic constraints. The results showed profound hepatic changes related to fat accumulation and reduced glucose utilization. However, no major regulation was seen in insulin signaling pathways. The study also found that fat mobilization may be linked to the reactivation of the reproductive system while enhanced liver detoxification may anticipate the return to summer food intake levels.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Clara Hozer, Martine Perret
Summary: Gray mouse lemurs are the only known highly seasonal primates with photorefractoriness. This study found that female mouse lemurs recovered photosensitivity to short-day photoperiods in 4 weeks, while males took 8 weeks to recover photosensitivity to long-day photoperiods. Additionally, body mass and reproductive functions showed distinct and sex-specific responses to photoperiod in mouse lemurs.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Daiki Watanabe, Tsukasa Yoshida, Yuya Watanabe, Misaka Kimura, Yosuke Yamada
Summary: The calibrated energy intake was negatively associated with mortality risk among older adults, but the uncalibrated energy intake showed no significant association. After adjusting for body mass index, the association between calibrated energy intake and mortality risk was not significant.
JOURNAL OF CACHEXIA SARCOPENIA AND MUSCLE
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Tatiane Lopes De Pontes, F. Pinheiro Amador Dos Santos Pessanha, R. C. Freire Junior, K. Pfrimer, N. M. Da Cruz Alves, P. G. Fassini, O. L. S. Almeida, J. C. Moriguti, N. K. Da Costa Lima, J. L. Ferreira Santos, E. Ferriolli
Summary: This study found that higher total energy expenditure in older adults was associated with better performance in gait speed tests, 6-minute walk tests, and handgrip strength. Multivariate analysis adjusted for sex and fat-free mass showed an association between total energy expenditure and the 6-minute walk test, as well as the number of sedentary events. Therefore, in clinical practice, older individuals with lower gait speed, worse performance in the 6-minute walk test, and lower handgrip strength may benefit from increasing their total energy expenditure to prevent potential issues related to low energy expenditure.
JOURNAL OF NUTRITION HEALTH & AGING
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Chun Lum Andy Ho, Claudia Fichtel, Daniel Huber
Summary: The gray mouse lemur is considered an ideal model system for studying early primate physiology and behavior, sharing similar ecological niches and anatomical traits with early euprimates. Studies have shown that mouse lemurs have cognitive abilities and cortical functional organization comparable to haplorhines. Their small brain size provides actual lower limits for miniaturization of functional brain circuits within the primate clade.
CURRENT OPINION IN NEUROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Physiology
Sanjoy K. Deb, Eimear Dolan, Catherine Hambly, John R. Speakman, Olav Eftedal, Mohammed Gulrez Zariwala, Ingrid Eftedal
Summary: Commercial saturation divers exhibit high daily energy expenditure during diving operations, leading to a negative energy balance, potentially influenced by time spent underwater.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Lance A. Durden, Sharon E. Kessler, Ute Radespiel, Alida F. Hasiniaina, Alexandr A. Stekolnikov, Kayleigh Chalkowski, Sarah Zohdy
Summary: During 2010-2011, a study in Ankarafantsika National Park, Madagascar collected eight species of ectoparasites from 225 gray mouse lemurs, with the ixodid tick Haemaphysalis lemuris being the most common. Tick infestation was significantly higher in August compared to October, while louse infestation was higher in October. Male lemurs had more lice than females, but reproductive status did not predict tick infestation.
JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Jennifer Wittkowski, Rebecca G. Fritz, Martin Meier, Daniel Schmidtke
Summary: The grey mouse lemur is considered a valuable model for studying brain ageing and neurodegenerative diseases. This study found a correlation between age and performance in a visuo-spatial attention task, suggesting age-related deficits in learning may be linked to atrophy of occipital structures.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mattia L. DiFrancesco, Manon Marrot, Eleonora Torre, Pietro Mesirca, Romain Davaze, Corinne Lautier, Pascaline Fontes, Joel Cuoq, Anne Fernandez, Ned Lamb, Fabien Pifferi, Nadine Mestre-Frances, Matteo E. Mangoni, Angelo G. Torrente
Summary: Microcebus murinus, or gray mouse lemur (GML), is a small primate that can serve as an emerging model for studying neurodegenerative diseases and the effects of aging on cardiac activity. It exhibits characteristics that are similar to both mice and rats in terms of heart rate and pacemaker activity, and it replicates some of the cardiac deficiencies observed in old humans.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Oana A. Tatucu-Babet, Kay Nguo, Kate J. Lambell, Lorena Romero, Carrie P. Earthman, Emma J. Ridley
Summary: This scoping review aims to summarize the available literature on measuring total energy expenditure (TEE) using doubly labelled water (DLW) in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and acute care settings. The review found that DLW technique can be used in medically stable ICU and acute care patients, but careful considerations need to be given to protocol design and various factors.
CLINICAL NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Caterina Marques Gomila, Frederik Kiene, Annette Klein, Sharon E. E. Kessler, Sarah Zohdy, Romule Rakotondravony, Lance A. A. Durden, Ute Radespiel
Summary: This study investigated the yearly variations in ectoparasite infestations of two small primates and analyzed the potential effects of environmental and host-related factors. The results showed significant monthly and yearly variations in infestation rates and species richness of ectoparasites, with impacts of habitat, temperature, rainfall, species, sex, and body mass. This study highlights the importance of broad ecological long-term studies on primate-parasite interactions.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Baojun Sun, Caroline M. Williams, Teng Li, John R. Speakman, Zengguang Jin, Hongliang Lu, Laigao Luo, Weiguo Du
Summary: Patterns in the functional diversity of organisms at large spatial scales can provide insight into their responses to future climate change. However, linking these patterns to underlying physiological mechanisms at the individual level remains a challenge. This study investigated the thermal acclimation of three lizard species in China and found that temperate species had a better acclimation response at the whole organism level compared to tropical species. Two different mechanisms of thermal acclimatization were observed in the temperate species, suggesting that they may represent general strategies used by ectotherms with distinct ecological costs and benefits. The findings suggest that tropical species are more vulnerable to climate change due to the lack of these thermal acclimatization mechanisms.
ECOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS
(2022)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Ge Li, Ling Zhong, Lanwen Han, Yonghui Wang, Bo Li, Dongmei Wang, Yanglu Zhao, Yu Li, Qian Zhang, Lu Qi, John R. Speakman, Steven M. Willi, Ming Li, Shan Gao
Summary: This study investigated the effects of adiponectin-related genetic variations and gene-diet interactions on metabolic disorders in children. The results showed significant associations between certain genetic variants and metabolic risks in normal-weight children, as well as a gene-diet interaction effect on metabolic health in this group. These findings suggest a potential long-term impact of gene-diet interactions on cardiometabolic disorders in childhood.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBESITY
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
J. L. Marumo, D. Lusseau, J. R. Speakman, M. Mackie, C. Hambly
Summary: This study investigated the effects of environmental factors on the average daily milk yield and day-to-day variation in milk yield of barn-housed Scottish dairy cows. The results showed that multiparous cows had higher initial milk yield and total lactation milk yield, while primiparous cows had the greatest incline slope and persistency. The temperature had minimal effect on milk yield, but as the temperature increased, the variation in milk yield decreased for both primiparous and multiparous cows.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2022)
Letter
Nutrition & Dietetics
Kevin D. Hall, I. Sadaf Farooqi, Jeffery M. Friedman, Samuel Klein, Ruth J. F. Loos, David J. Mangelsdorf, Stephen O'Rahilly, Eric Ravussin, Leanne M. Redman, Donna H. Ryan, John R. Speakman, Deirdre K. Tobias
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Ahmad A. Albalawi, Catherine Hambly, John R. Speakman
Summary: This study investigated the association between consumption of different types of meals and BMI or percent body fat. The results showed that individuals with higher BMI and percent body fat were more likely to consume takeaway and delivery meals, while those with lower BMI and percent body fat were more likely to consume homecooked meals. Consumption of fast-food/cafe meals was not consistently associated with BMI or percent body fat. The direction of causality cannot be determined from this cross-sectional study.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Physiology
Elzbieta Krol, Frances Turner, Davina Derous, Sharon E. Mitchell, Samuel A. M. Martin, Alex Douglas, John R. Speakman
Summary: Peak lactation is limited by the capacity of lactating females to dissipate body heat, and manipulations that enhance heat dissipation, such as shaving, can increase peak milk production. Shaving-induced increases in milk production were paradoxically linked to reduced expression of some milk synthesis-related genes. Shaved mice were also more likely to wean their young faster and experience earlier involution of the mammary gland compared to unshaved mice.
JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY B-BIOCHEMICAL SYSTEMS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Katherine A. Kentistou, Jian'an Luan, Laura B. L. Wittemans, Catherine Hambly, Lucija Klaric, Zoltan Kutalik, John R. Speakman, Nicholas J. Wareham, Timothy J. Kendall, Claudia Langenberg, James F. Wilson, Peter K. Joshi, Nicholas M. Morton
Summary: Our understanding of the genetic contribution to human adiposity is incomplete, as few studies measure adiposity directly. In this study, the authors used whole-body imaging adiposity phenotypes in large biobanks to enhance their ability to discover genes driving human adiposity, and investigated one such gene using a mouse model.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Anja Biltoft-Jensen, Karin Hess Ygil, Lenette Knudsen, Jeppe Matthiessen, Sisse Fagt, Ellen Trolle, Trine Holmgaard Nielsen, Diane McIntosh Hansen, Cecilie Loe Licht, Maurice Martens, Catherine Hambly, John R. Speakman, Tue Christensen
Summary: The European Food Safety Authority recommends the use of the 2 x 24 h diet recall and physical activity measurements for national dietary surveys. Denmark has been using 7 d food diaries with PA questionnaires and measurements. The study shows that the 2 x 24 h diet recall performs better than the 7 d food diaries method.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF NUTRITION
(2023)
Article
Physiology
Daniel G. Ellis, John Speakman, Catherine Hambly, James P. Morton, Graeme L. Close, Tim F. Donovan
Summary: This study examined the total daily energy expenditure (TEE) of elite tennis players during high-level competition. Results showed that tennis is a highly energetically demanding sport with variability in TEE between individuals. Therefore, individual differences in energy requirements should be considered when developing nutritional strategies.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPORTS PHYSIOLOGY AND PERFORMANCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Sarah Wanless, Steve D. Albon, Francis Daunt, Blanca Sarzo, Mark A. Newell, Carrie Gunn, John R. Speakman, Michael P. Harris
Summary: Climate warming can reduce food resources for animal populations, especially for species that exhibit parental care. The extent to which variation in parental effort can buffer demographic rates against environmental change is a key issue.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Lu Wang, Davina Derous, Xiahe Huang, Sharon E. Mitchell, Alex Douglas, David Lusseau, Yingchun Wang, John R. Speakman
Summary: Calorie restriction extends life span by modulating aging-related mechanisms. Metabolic pathways such as glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and fatty acid degradation are significantly stimulated, while main signaling pathways and pathways in cancer are not significantly affected. Moreover, the metabolism of xenobiotics is altered by calorie restriction.
JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY SERIES A-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND MEDICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
John R. Speakman, Jasper M. A. de Jong, Srishti Sinha, Klaas R. Westerterp, Yosuke Yamada, Hiroyuki Sagayama, Philip N. Ainslie, Liam J. Anderson, Lenore Arab, Kweku Bedu-Addo, Stephane Blanc, Alberto G. Bonomi, Pascal Bovet, Soren Brage, Maciej S. Buchowski, Nancy F. Butte, Stefan G. J. A. Camps, Jamie A. Cooper, Richard Cooper, Sai Krupa Das, Peter S. W. Davies, Lara R. Dugas, Ulf Ekelund, Sonja Entringer, Terrence Forrester, Barry W. Fudge, Melanie Gillingham, Santu Ghosh, Annelies H. Goris, Michael Gurven, Lewis G. Halsey, Catherine Hambly, Hinke H. Haisma, Daniel Hoffman, Sumei Hu, Annemiek M. Joosen, Jennifer L. Kaplan, Peter Katzmarzyk, William E. Kraus, Robert F. Kushner, William R. Leonard, Marie Loef, Corby K. Martin, Eric Matsiko, Anine C. Medin, Erwin P. Meijer, Marian L. Neuhouser, Theresa A. Nicklas, Robert M. Ojiambo, Kirsi H. Pietilaeinen, Jacob Plange-Rhule, Guy Plasqui, Ross L. Prentice, Susan B. Racette, David A. Raichlen, Eric Ravussin, Leanne M. Redman, Susan B. Roberts, Michael C. Rudolph, Luis B. Sardinha, Albertine J. Schuit, Analiza M. Silva, Eric Stice, Samuel S. Urlacher, Giulio Valenti, Ludo M. Van Etten, Edgar A. Van Mil, Brian M. Wood, Jack A. Yanovski, Tsukasa Yoshida, Xueying Zhang, Alexia J. Murphy-Alford, Cornelia U. Loechl, Anura Kurpad, Amy H. Luke, Herman Pontzer, Matthew S. Rodeheffer, Jennifer Rood, Dale A. Schoeller, William W. Wong
Summary: Obesity is caused by prolonged positive energy balance, and the contribution of reduced activity levels to energy expenditure is still debated. Our study shows that total energy expenditure (TEE) adjusted for body composition and age has declined since the late 1980s, while adjusted activity energy expenditure has increased over time in both sexes. The decline in adjusted basal energy expenditure (BEE) is identified as a previously unrecognized factor. These findings suggest that the increasing obesity in the United States/Europe is not likely fueled by reduced physical activity leading to lowered TEE.
Editorial Material
Biology
David B. Allison, Thorkild I. A. Sorensen, Kevin D. Hall, John R. Speakman
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biology
John R. Speakman, Kevin D. Hall
Summary: Body weight and fatness are regulated phenomena, and several theoretical models, such as the set-point, dynamic equilibrium, adiposity force, and control theory, have been proposed to explain this. Further experiments are needed to test the differences between these models.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Deng Bao Yang, Lin Gao, Xin Yu Liu, Yan Chao Xu, C. Hambly, De Hua Wang, John R. Speakman
Summary: The objective of this study was to assess the impact of diet and obesity on glucose homeostasis. Laboratory voles exposed to long photoperiod were resistant to high-fat diet-induced obesity but exhibited impaired glucose tolerance. This model provides insights into the relationship between diet, obesity, and metabolic health.
MOLECULAR METABOLISM
(2023)