2. Behavioral Biology TALKS - Deutsche Zoologische Gesellschaft

influence of 6-MBOA on the reproductive system of Djungarian hamsters (Phodopus
sungorus), several experiments have been conducted. We first examined whether 6-
MBOA could counteract the delay in puberty seen in hamsters exposed to a short
photoperiod soon after birth. The development of testes (palpation) and ovaries
(vaginal smears) as well as final gonadal weights were examined as indicators for
reproductive competence, however, no influence of 6-MBOA was found. Neither
different dosages and routes of application nor variations of the treatment time
showed an effect of 6-MBOA. The assumption that the photoperiodic signal possibly
overruled the effect of 6-MBOA was tested by treating photorefractory male and
female hamsters. Again, no effect of 6-MBOA was found and we conclude that
Djungarian hamsters do not rely on secondary plant metabolites, at least not on 6-
MBOA, to time their reproductive activity.
����177 Miriam Götting
Protein expression under changing oxygen availability in three-spined stickleback
Authors: Miriam Götting 1 , Jessica Tiedke 1 , Julia Chuttke 1 , Thorsten Burmester 1 ,
Christine Vogel 1
Affiliation: 1 University of Hamburg, Biocenter Grindel and Zoological Museum
Hypoxia is an increasing threat in aquatic ecosystems and an important stressor in
the environment of fish. Acute and chronic hypoxia is caused by natural and
anthropogenic factors, such as eutrophication, climate- and season-dependent
increase of water temperature and pollution. Organisms living in aquatic
environments face changes in oxygen availability periodically, and they must
continuously adjust their behavioural and physiological responses to these variations.
At the cellular level, mRNA and protein expression as well as enzyme activities are
modified accordingly. In particular, during the restoration of normal oxygen levels in
tissues, there is an increase in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which
are main effectors of cellular damage (e.g. through lipid peroxidation).
We analysed the metabolic consequences of changes in oxygen availability in brain,
gill and liver of the three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus L. by measuring
the activities of key enzymes from energy production pathways. In addition, we
estimated ROS production, the activities of antioxidant enzymes, and the level of lipid
peroxidation in these tissues. Furthermore, we estimated global protein expression
changes through 2D-PAGE analysis, and quantified expression changes in several
hundreds of proteins via nano-LC tandem mass spectrometry.
����178 Wencke Reiher
Peptidomics of the agriculturally damaging larval stage of the cabbage root fly Delia
radicum
Authors: Judith Zoephel 1 , Wencke Reiher 1 , Karl-Heinz Rexer 1 , Jörg Kahnt 1 , Christian
Wegener 1
Affiliation: 1 Dept. Neurobiology and Genetics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg
The larvae of the cabbage root fly Delia radicum (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) induce
serious damage to cultivated crops of the family Brassicaceae (e.g. rapeseed, cabbage
200