Oestrus in the Julia Creek dunnart (Sminthopsis douglasi) is associated with wheel running behaviour but not necessarily changes in body weight, food consumption or pouch morphology

Pollock, Kate; Booth, Rebecca K.; Wilson, Robbie S.; Keeley, Tamara; Grogan, Kathleen E.; Kennerley, Peter R.; Johnston, Stephen D.

doi:10.1016/j.anireprosci.2009.03.005

Cited by 18 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Oestrous cycling of females was determined by monitoring changes in vaginal epithelial cells in smears of the urogenital sinus (Nalbandov, 1976;Pollock et al, 2010). The presence of a large number of cornified epithelial cells in the urine, as well as a sharp increase in body mass, indicated the peak of oestrous (Woolley, 1990;Selwood and Woolley, 1991;Czarny et al, 2009;McAllan et al 2012).…”

Section: Animal Husbandrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Uterine epithelial cell changes during pregnancy in a marsupial (Sminthopsis crassicaudata; Dasyuridae)

Laird

Thompson

Murphy

et al. 2014

Journal of Morphology

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Formation of a placenta requires intimate contact between the embryonic and maternal uterine epithelia in early pregnancy. Contact is accompanied by a characteristic suite of changes to the plasma membranes of uterine epithelial cells, termed the plasma membrane transformation. The plasma membrane transformation occurs in eutherian mammals and in viviparous (live-bearing) squamate reptiles, and may be fundamental to the evolution of viviparity in amniotes. Marsupials provide an excellent opportunity to test the generality of this phenomenon. Here, we present the first detailed study of the plasma membrane transformation in a marsupial. We combine electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry to describe morphological and molecular features of uterine epithelial cells during pregnancy in the fat-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata; Dasyuridae). Cell morphology changes dramatically in S. crassicaudata during pregnancy. Apical microvilli are replaced by irregular blunt projections, then by spiky projections postimplantation. Cell surfaces flatten and ciliated cells are lost. Junctional complexes between adjacent cells increase in depth, then decrease just before implantation, which is consistent with junctional protein localization in this region of the cell membrane. The uterine cellular changes in S. crassicaudata are consistent with a plasma membrane transformation, and support the idea that this phenomenon is fundamental to the evolution of viviparity in amniote vertebrates.

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Section: Animal Husbandrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Uterine epithelial cell changes during pregnancy in a marsupial (Sminthopsis crassicaudata; Dasyuridae)

Laird

Thompson

Murphy

et al. 2014

Journal of Morphology

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“…Increased activity levels and/or locomotion during oestrus have been observed in domesticated water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and dairy cows (Bos taurus; Williams et al 1986;Schofield et al 1991;Arney et al 1994;Maatje et al 1997), in laboratory animals such as the golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus; Richards 1966) and in a variety of captive wildlife species, such as female giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca; Owen et al 2016) and a female Malaysian sun bear (Helarctos malayanus; Rog et al 2015). Increased activity has also been reported in marsupials, with the stripe-faced dunnart (Sminthopsis macroura; Francis and Coleman 1990), the Julia Creek dunnart (Pollock et al 2010) and the female common wombat (Vombatus ursinus; Peters and Rose 1979) exhibiting periods of increased activity either before the onset of or during oestrus. However, in a previous study on the SHNW, no such relationship was found (Hogan et al 2010c).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…Consequently, rather than primarily focusing on observing specific reproductive behaviours of SHNWs, which are infrequent and hard to detect, it is possible that changes in general behaviours may be used to identify the reproductive status of female SHNWs, as have been used in other captive marsupials. For example, the female Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) undergoes periods of decreased appetite during oestrus (Keeley et al 2012) and the female Julia Creek dunnart (Sminthopsis douglasi) exhibits periods of increased activity when in oestrus, as detected by increased wheel running behaviour (Pollock et al 2010). As a result, changes in these or similar behaviours may be used as valuable tools for identifying the optimum timing for mate introductions for captive breeding programs or for enhanced breeding technology, such as AI.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As the application of behavioural monitoring and faecal or urinary hormone analysis has proven beneficial for the development of ex situ breeding programs in other marsupial species (Power et al 2009;Pollock et al 2010;Lambert et al 2011;Keeley et al 2012), the aim of the present study was to identify changes in general and/or reproductive behaviours in the SHNW that could be mapped and validated against changes in urinary progesterone profiles in an attempt to elucidate non-invasive measures that could be used in the reproductive management of this species or serve as a model for other marsupial species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reproductive biology of captive female southern hairy-nosed wombats (Lasiorhinus latifrons). Part 2: oestrous behaviour

Swinbourne

Phillips

Janssen

et al. 2018

Reprod. Fertil. Dev.

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The poor captive breeding success of southern hairy-nosed wombats (SHNWs; Lasiorhinus latifrons) has been attributed to the difficulty in accurately characterising oestrous behaviour and their relationship to circulating reproductive hormones. Over two wombat breeding seasons, the use of infrared cameras for 24-h remote behavioural monitoring and the analysis of urine samples collected from seven captive females, were investigated to determine the relationship between behaviour and changes in urinary progesterone metabolites (P4M). Urinary P4M was divided into two concentrations: (1) ≤ baseline P4M values and (2)>baseline P4M values and evaluated against urine volume (mL) and the duration (s) and frequency of 23 behaviours recorded for 8 days surrounding D0 of the luteal phase (D0: a sustained increase in P4M for three or more consecutive days). When P4M was ≤ baseline, the duration of urination and volume both decreased, whereas the duration and frequency of both pacing and rump bites by the female towards the male increased. These results suggest that there were detectable behavioural changes that can be mapped to the changes in the SHNW oestrous cycle, which may be used as behavioural indicators to identify the reproductive status of females.

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“…Oestrous cycling of females was determined by monitoring changes in vaginal epithelial cells in smears of the urogenital sinus (Pollock et al, 2010;McAllan et al, 2012). The peak of oestrous was determined by the detection of a large number of cornified epithelial cells in the urine, and a sharp increase in body mass (Woolley, 1990;Selwood and Woolley, 1991;Czarny et al, 2009;McAllan et al, 2012).…”

Section: Animal Husbandrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Uterine focal adhesion dynamics during pregnancy in a marsupial (Sminthopsis crassicaudata; Dasyuridae)

Laird

Turancova

McAllan

et al. 2017

The Anatomical Record

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Alterations to the basal attachment points between the epithelium of the uterus and the underlying tissue in early pregnancy affect how easily the epithelium can be invaded by the implanting embryo. Attachment points- focal adhesions- disassemble to facilitate highly invasive implantation in rats, but species with less invasive implantation, including marsupials, may require different basal alterations for successful pregnancy. Here we used immunofluorescence microscopy and Western blotting to conduct the first study of basal plasma membrane dynamics in the uterus during marsupial pregnancy. We describe localisation patterns of two key anchoring molecules, talin and paxillin, throughout pregnancy in the fat-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata; Dasyuridae). Basal staining of both molecules occurs in early pregnancy, as it does in the rat. However, unlike rats, there is strong basal localisation of talin and paxillin just before implantation in S. crassicaudata, indicating that focal adhesions do not disassemble during pregnancy in this species, and that molecular reinforcement of the epithelium may be a maternal strategy to regulate invasion. Additionally, talin and paxillin do not co-localise at all stages of pregnancy as they do in the rat. Different localisation patterns among mammalian species demonstrate that not all early pregnancy changes are ubiquitous in mammalian pregnancy, as changes to the basal plasma membrane of the epithelium, in particular, may instead be dependent on mode of implantation. Anat Rec, 300:1150-1159, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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Oestrus in the Julia Creek dunnart (Sminthopsis douglasi) is associated with wheel running behaviour but not necessarily changes in body weight, food consumption or pouch morphology

Cited by 18 publications

References 30 publications

Uterine epithelial cell changes during pregnancy in a marsupial (Sminthopsis crassicaudata; Dasyuridae)

Uterine epithelial cell changes during pregnancy in a marsupial (Sminthopsis crassicaudata; Dasyuridae)

Reproductive biology of captive female southern hairy-nosed wombats (Lasiorhinus latifrons). Part 2: oestrous behaviour

Uterine focal adhesion dynamics during pregnancy in a marsupial (Sminthopsis crassicaudata; Dasyuridae)

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