Mentor/s
Dr. Emily J Levy
Participation Type
Poster
Abstract
Climate change threatens species that cannot adapt to increasing temperatures. Understanding the physiological responses of endotherms to heat can help predict how species will fare in the face of global warming. However, we know relatively little about the physiological response to heat in endotherms, particularly in the brain. This study tests the impact of simulated heat waves on brain gene expression in tree swallow nestlings (Tachycineta bicolor). Tree swallows are altricial, endothermic songbirds common across a wide range of latitudes. We hypothesize that, within the hippocampus, a simulated heat wave will activate the immune system and self-maintenance mechanisms, increasing the expression of genes involved in these processes. Further, as ectoparasites can tax the immune system, we hypothesize that ectoparasite presence will correlate with higher expression of immune response genes. When nestlings were 12 days old, nest temperatures were experimentally increased by 4.4°C for 4 hours. After the trial, we extracted the hippocampi and measured the expression of genes associated with immune system activation and self-maintenance: pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNFa and IL1b), a cytokine receptor (IL6R), a heat shock protein (HSP90AA1), and a glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1). Preliminary analyses suggest that the heat treatment did not affect gene expression, but that parasite presence was somewhat correlated with HSP expression. We also found strong, positive correlations among all genes of interest, indicating these genes are co-regulated. Better understanding the neurophysiological response to heat can inform us on the adaptability of endotherms in the face of climate change, with potential application to conservation efforts.
College and Major available
Neuroscience
Academic Level
Undergraduate student
Location
Digital Commons & West Campus West Building University Commons
Start Day/Time
4-25-2025 12:00 PM
End Day/Time
4-25-2025 2:00 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Hot heads and hitchhikers: Hippocampal gene expression as a function of simulated heat waves and ectoparasites in nestling tree swallows
Digital Commons & West Campus West Building University Commons
Climate change threatens species that cannot adapt to increasing temperatures. Understanding the physiological responses of endotherms to heat can help predict how species will fare in the face of global warming. However, we know relatively little about the physiological response to heat in endotherms, particularly in the brain. This study tests the impact of simulated heat waves on brain gene expression in tree swallow nestlings (Tachycineta bicolor). Tree swallows are altricial, endothermic songbirds common across a wide range of latitudes. We hypothesize that, within the hippocampus, a simulated heat wave will activate the immune system and self-maintenance mechanisms, increasing the expression of genes involved in these processes. Further, as ectoparasites can tax the immune system, we hypothesize that ectoparasite presence will correlate with higher expression of immune response genes. When nestlings were 12 days old, nest temperatures were experimentally increased by 4.4°C for 4 hours. After the trial, we extracted the hippocampi and measured the expression of genes associated with immune system activation and self-maintenance: pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNFa and IL1b), a cytokine receptor (IL6R), a heat shock protein (HSP90AA1), and a glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1). Preliminary analyses suggest that the heat treatment did not affect gene expression, but that parasite presence was somewhat correlated with HSP expression. We also found strong, positive correlations among all genes of interest, indicating these genes are co-regulated. Better understanding the neurophysiological response to heat can inform us on the adaptability of endotherms in the face of climate change, with potential application to conservation efforts.
Students' Information
Cassandra Vallon, neuroscience, graduating spring 2026
Vitalina Pivtork, neuroscience, graduating spring 2025