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Introduction
Rita Hargitai currently works at the Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University. Rita does research in Ecology. Their most recent publication is 'Effects of food limitation on the intensity of blue-green and brown eggshell coloration: an experimental study with the canary'.
Publications
Publications (50)
Tools for radiation exposure reconstruction are required to support the medical management of radiation victims in radiological or nuclear incidents. Different biological and physical dosimetry assays can be used for various exposure scenarios to estimate the dose of ionizing radiation a person has absorbed. Regular validation of the techniques thr...
Early and high-throughput individual dose estimates are essential following large-scale radiation exposure events. In the context of the Running the European Network for Biodosimetry and Physical Dosimetry (RENEB) 2021 exercise, gene expression assays were conducted and their corresponding performance for dose-assessment is presented in this public...
After large-scale radiation accidents where many individuals are suspected to be exposed to ionizing radiation, biological and physical retrospective dosimetry assays are important tools to aid clinical decision making by categorizing individuals into unexposed/minimally, moderately or highly exposed groups. Quality-controlled inter-laboratory comp...
Environmental challenges, such as fluctuations in food availability, could influence reproductive investment. If resource availability is poor, individuals need to decide in which life‐history process they invest more energy and vital compounds, which determine the cost of reproduction. In resource allocation, the physiological pathways have import...
Ionizing radiation (IR)-induced bystander effects contribute to biological responses to radiation, and extracellular vesicles (EVs) play important roles in mediating these effects. In this study we investigated the role of bone marrow (BM)-derived EVs in the bystander transfer of radiation damage. Mice were irradiated with 0.1Gy, 0.25Gy and 2Gy, EV...
Purpose:
Biological and/or physical assays for retrospective dosimetry are valuable tools to recover the exposure situation and to aid medical decision making. To further validate and improve such biological and physical assays, in 2019, EURADOS Working Group 10 and RENEB performed a field exercise in Lund, Sweden, to simulate various real-life ex...
Large-scale radiation emergency scenarios involving protracted low dose rate radiation exposure (e.g. a hidden radioactive source in a train) necessitate the development of high throughput methods for providing rapid individual dose estimates. During the RENEB (Running the European Network of Biodosimetry) 2019 exercise, four EDTA-blood samples wer...
Radiation-induced bystander effect is a biological response in nonirradiated cells receiving signals from cells exposed to ionising radiation. The aim of this in vivo study was to analyse whether extracellular vesicles (EVs) originating from irradiated mice could induce modifications in the redox status and expression of radiation-response genes in...
Objectives:
Ionising radiation-induced alterations affecting intercellular communication in the bone marrow (BM) contribute to the development of haematological pathologies. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are membrane-coated particles released by cells, have important roles in intercellular signalling in the BM. Our objective was to investiga...
Many vocalizing animals produce the discrete elements of their acoustic signals in a specific sequential order, but we know little about the biological relevance of this ordering. For that, we must characterize the degree by which individuals differ in how they organize their signals sequentially and relate these differences to variation in quality...
Purpose: Our aim was to evaluate whether mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage in hair bulbs could be a suitable biomarker for the detection of local exposure to ionizing radiation.
Materials and methods: Mouse hair was collected 4 and 24 hours, 3 and 10 days after single whole-body exposure to 0, 0.1, and 2 Gy radiation. Pubic hair (treated area) and s...
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-coated nanovesicles actively secreted by almost all cell types. EVs can travel long distances within the body, being finally taken up by the target cells, transferring information from one cell to another, thus influencing their behavior. The cargo of EVs comprises of nucleic acids, lipids, and proteins der...
Eggshell pigmentation may signal the quality of the egg, that of the female and the environment, and thus nestling development may be related to this egg trait. However, so far, few studies have investigated the relationship between eggshell pigmentation and nestling development. Our aim was to study in a partial cross-fostering experiment whether...
Purpose: Radiation-induced bystander effects (RIBE) imply the involvement of complex signaling mechanisms, which can be mediated by extracellular vesicles (EVs). Using an in vivo model, we investigated EV-transmitted RIBE in blood plasma and radiation effects on plasma EV miRNA profiles.
Materials and methods: C57Bl/6 mice were total-body irradiate...
Variation in blue-green and brown coloration of avian eggshells could be affected by several factors, including environmental nutritional constraints. Better availability of nutrients could influence the synthesis and deposition of pigments into the eggshell, so we may expect a link between the food availability during egg formation, the body condi...
Biliverdin and protoporphyrin pigments are deposited into the eggshell when the developing egg is in the shell gland. However, the site of synthesis of eggshell pigments is still uncertain, although it may influence the possible costs and potential functions of eggshell coloration in avian species. Eggshell pigments may be derived from red blood ce...
Avian eggs exhibit a large variability in coloration and patterns, which are produced by blue-green biliverdin and red-brown protoporphyrin pigments. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the function of eggshell coloration. In this experimental study, we tested two hypotheses (signalling-function hypothesis and structural-function hypot...
Avian mothers can influence the fitness of their offspring by resource investment into the egg. Allocation of macro- and micronutrients into the eggs may be costly for the female, therefore, we expect that resource investment may be affected by the environmental and social conditions the mother experiences during egg formation. Here, we investigate...
Protoporphyrin pigment causes the red-brown eggshell colors; however, for many species, the function of this pigment is unknown. It has been proposed that eggshell pigmentation may strengthen the shell or that it may be a sexually selected signal, which advertises the quality of the female and that of her offspring to the male parent. In this study...
Antioxidants help protect tissues from oxidative damage caused by reactive oxygen species. In view of the widespread interest in egg yolk and plasma antioxidants in relation to environmental and life-history variables, there is a need for knowledge on the necessary conditions for sample storage, which is currently lacking. In this study, our purpos...
Factors that determine the condition of migratory birds at their wintering sites are poorly known. Age, sex, and morphological characteristics of birds may have an influence on their winter condition by affecting their foraging and competitive abilities. Winter body condition could have long-term consequences on the reproductive success of migrator...
Annual reproductive success (ARS) is one of the main components of lifetime reproductive success, a reliable measure of individual fitness. Previous studies often dealt with ARS and variables potentially affecting it. Among them, long-term studies that consider multiple factors at the same time are particularly important in understanding the adapti...
Many bird species lay eggs speckled with protoporphyrin-based spots, however, for most of them the function of eggshell spotting is unknown. A plausible hypothesis is that protoporphyrin might have a structural function in strengthening the eggshell and is therefore deposited when calcium is scarce. In this study, we experimentally provided Great T...
To avoid competition for parental care, brood-parasitic Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) nestlings evict all of the host's eggs and nestlings within a few days after hatching. Little is known about the physiological effects of eviction behavior on the cuckoo nestling's oxidative balance or about age-related variation in plasma oxidative status and t...
Over the last three decades, increased temperatures and reduced annual precipitation have resulted in significant changes in several Central European deciduous forests. These effects include changes in soil moisture content and detritus production. Within the framework of a detritus manipulation experiment carried out in an old-growth Quercetum pet...
As a comprehensive fitness parameter, lifetime reproductive success (LRS) is influenced by many different environmental and genetic factors, among which longevity is one of the most important. These factors can be reflected in secondary sexual characters, which may affect the life histories of individuals via social relations with conspecifics. Fac...
Winter body condition may play important roles in the life history of migratory birds, but it is difficult to estimate. We used the growth rate of winter‐grown tail feathers of Collared Flycatchers Ficedula albicollis as an indicator of winter body condition, comparing this trait between age classes and sexes and relating it to plumage ornamentatio...
Avian eggshell structure may have important consequences for embryonic growth and development, but relatively little is known about the factors responsible for variation in eggshell characteristics of wild birds. In this paper, we explored potential causes of variation in eggshell colour and structure (shell thickness and porosity) in the Collared...
The developmental rate of cuckoo embryos and their hatching size is greater than that of host species, which may require more nutrient resources in the egg and more intensive gas exchange during development. In the present study, we compared various egg characteristics of a brood parasite, the common cuckoo Cuculus canorus, and its frequent host, t...
In birds, multiple parasitism is the laying of two or more eggs by one or more parasitic females in a single host nest. Several cognitive mechanisms may explain how multiple parasitism could affect parasite egg discrimination by hosts. Rejection based on discordance predicts that multiple parasitism provides a perceptually more error-prone way for...
Offspring survival can be influenced by resources allocated to eggs, which in turn may be affected by the environmental factors
the mother experiences during egg formation. In this study, we investigated whether experimentally elevated social interactions
and number of neighbouring pairs influence yolk composition of collared flycatchers (Ficedula...
There is widespread evidence that individuals within and among host populations are not evenly parasitized by Common Cuckoos (Cuculus canorus). We first investigated whether the song and nest size of a host species, the Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus), reveal information on parental abilities and level of defense against Common Cucko...
Egg size is a particularly important life-history trait mediating maternal influences on offspring phenotype. Females can vary their egg-size investment in relation to environmental circumstances, their own breeding condition, and the quality of their mate. Here we analyzed inter- and intraclutch variation in egg size in the Collared Flycatcher (Fi...
Common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) parasitism drastically reduces the reproductive success of their hosts and selects for host discrimination of cuckoo eggs.
In a second stage of anti-parasite adaptation, once cuckoos can lay eggs that mimic those of their hosts, a high uniformity
of host egg appearance within a clutch may favour cuckoo egg discrimina...
The blue-green eggshell pigment biliverdin is an efficient antioxidant, the deposition of which may be costly and act as a handicap to the female's antioxidant capacity. Thus, it is hypothesized that there exists a positive correlation between the degree of eggshell coloration and the condition and health state of the mother. In this study, we meas...
Explaining sexual ornamentation in the limiting sex, usually females, requires information on the proximate background of ornaments and their consequences for sexual selection. Phenotypic variation within individuals has received little attention in either of these research directions. We used 6 years of data to examine the information content and...
Question: Can trait-specific phenotypic plasticity in response to annual environmental variation lead to changes in the strength of sexual selection through the relative expression of sexual ornaments at the population level? Data description: We recorded breeding dates and the sizes of white forehead and wing patches of male collared flycatchers (...
In a polygynous mating system, females settling with already mated males often experience low mating success due to the reduced parental contribution of the male. However, there are numerous factors that may still make it advantageous for some females to choose this mating status. Facultative polygyny is believed to be dominated by male advertiseme...
Components of avian egg quality often show remarkable variation between females and yet the causes of variation in this fitness-related trait remain poorly understood. We investigated the egg size and yolk carotenoid investment of blue tit Parus caeruleus females in relation to multiple parental traits. We show that females produce eggs with more c...
Birds may influence the fitness of their offspring by transmission of different amounts of carotenoids to their eggs. Carotenoids
play crucial roles in antioxidant protection and immune defence mechanisms, but they may be available to females in limiting
amounts. Therefore, their allocation to the eggs may be influenced by the female’s condition, a...
Components of avian egg quality often show remarkable variation between females and yet the causes of variation in this fitness-related trait remain poorly understood. We investigated the egg size and yolk carotenoid investment of blue tit Parus caeruleus females in relation to multiple parental traits. We show that females produce eggs with more c...
The immune system of newly hatched birds is relatively immature; therefore pathogens can be particularly virulent. Females transfer passive immunity in terms of immunoglobulins to the eggs to protect their young against infections in the crucial early life stages.
As transmission of antibodies is likely to be nutritionally costly, mothers are expec...
Carotenoids and fat-soluble vitamins play crucial roles in several physiological processes. Yolk carotenoid composition may be influenced by the bird's dietary intake and by the possible discrimination during carotenoid metabolism. Information regarding the pigment composition of passerine eggs is very limited. In the present 2-year study, we deter...
Egg size is a particularly important life-history trait mediating maternal influences on offspring phenotype. Females can vary their egg-size investment in relation to environmental circumstances, their own breeding condition, and the quality of their mate. Here we analyzed inter- and intraclutch variation in egg size in the Collared Flycatcher (Fi...
Az öröklött tulajdonságok mellett az utódok rátermettségét a korai környezeti (anyai) hatások jelentősen módosíthatják. Madaraknál vizsgáltuk, hogy a tojó által a tojásba juttatott anyagok (ivari hormonok, vitaminok, karotinoidok, immunanyagok) hogyan segítik a fiókák fejlődését ill. az anyagok allokációs mintázatát milyen (proximális és ultimális)...
Tervezett vizsgálataink célja egy komplex, ivarilag szelekctált szignál, a madárének funkcionális kapcsolatrendszereinek felderítése volt. Különböző szinteken, egyedektől a poulációs szinten keresztül a fajok közötti kapcsolatokig vizsgáltuk a szignál információ tartalmát és annak szerepét az ivari kiválasztódás és a természetes szelekció folyamatá...
Questions
Questions (13)
We would like to order a BALB/c strain from Charles Rivers or Jackson laboratories, but apparently there are two such strains, and we are not sure which one is better or if there is any difference in that respect among them. Thank you!
We used a reducing agent (BME) in Western blot, and there are several bands in the gel. I wonder what sizes could we expect for albumin. Thank you for your answers!
According to the protocol, this kit is designed to human blood, but I wonder if I could use it with mouse blood. Could there be a difference in the amount of blood required? Has somebody used it with success? Thank you for your answers!
I would like to compare reference genes, but I could not find the webpage from where I could download these applications. Thank you.
I would like to compare gene expression in samples of leukemic mice. I found that Ct values are consistently lower in one type of leukemia than in the other. I have tried several housekeeping genes and other genes, and I always found the same tendencies for all of them. What could possibly be the cause of these differences? I performed the RT with the same amount of RNA (1000 ng).
Do you compare delta-delta Ct values or relative concentrations (2^(-delta-delta Ct)) between groups? When I used each of them, the statistical results were different.
We use one probe with orange (Alexa555) dye to bind to the centromere of one chromosome and another probe with green (Alexa488) dye to bind to a gene. But in some nuclei we can see 5-10 spots that show both colours. However, in other nuclei in the same slide, there are only 2 orange and 2 green spot separately, as we expect it. What could cause this result?
We use FISH with commercial probe and hybridisation buffer and with mouse bone marrow cells. We have interphase and metaphase nuclei as well. We use 72 C for 2 min for co-denaturation, then 24 h hybridization in 37 C, then wash in 72 C for 2 min (0,4x SSC, 0,3% NP-40), then in room temperature for 1 min (2x SSC, 0,1% NP-40). We have tried with separate denaturation, but the result was the same. What could cause the lack of specific signals? Thank you.
We have performed the denaturation in FISH with normal formamide (73 C), but it seems that the probes did not attach to the chromosomes, there are only non-specific signals. I wonder whether it could be due to that formamide was not deionised?
MtDNA copy number is increasing with treatment, but deletion number seems to decline. Is it correct to normalise only to mtDNA copy number or should I somehow take into account that it increases with treatment?
I performed a qPCR with a dilution series (1:2; 1:4; 1:8; 1:16) to calculate amplification efficiency of the target. My results showed that between two points the difference in Ct values were: 1.6; 0.5; 1.3; 0.2. What could be the reason for this. Shouldn't there be 0.9 - 1.1 the difference between two points? Thank you for your help.
I have an ordinal multinomial variable that shows a normal distribution by looking at it, but the K-S test is significant and it has categories. My statistical software (SPSS) could not calculate the generalized linear mixed model with a multinomial dependent variable.
I obtain the estimate and its 95% CI, and the F, df, t, SE values for fixed continuous effects. Is it possible to calculete the R2 from these values? Thank you.
