Browsing by Author "Polese, Gianluca"
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- Cryptic effects of biological invasions: Reduction of the aggressive behaviour of a native fish under the influence of an "invasive" biomoleculePublication . Magliozzi, Laura; Almada, Frederico José Oliveira de; Robalo, Joana Isabel; Mollo, Ernesto; Polese, Gianluca; Gonçalves, Emanuel João; Felline, Serena; Terlizzi, Antonio; D'Aniello, BiagioThe invasive green alga Caulerpa cylindracea has become an important component of the diet of the Mediterranean white seabream Diplodus sargus. As a consequence of this ªexotic dietº, the algal bisindolic alkaloid caulerpin accumulates in the fish tissues. Although the compound shows structural similarity to endogenous indolamines that modulate animal behaviour, the potential impact of caulerpin on fish behaviour still remains unexplored. In this report, behavioural experiments both on groups and on single fish responding towards a mirror were performed under different doses of dietary caulerpin. Differences between treated and control groups for each behaviour and for the overall aggressive pattern during the different experimental phases showed that the aggressiveness of D. sargus decreased with the administration of caulerpin. These results call the attention to a still unexplored potential ability of bioactive metabolites from marine invasive species, to alter the behaviour on native species, with putative negative effects on patterns of fish growth and population dynamics
- Effect of the algal alkaloid caulerpin on neuropeptide Y (NPY) expression in the central nervous system (CNS) of Diplodus sargusPublication . Magliozzi, Laura; Maselli, Valeria; Almada, Frederico José Oliveira de; Di Cosmo, Anna; Mollo, Ernesto; Polese, GianlucaRecent studies have suggested that Mediterranean indigenous fish species are affected by bioactive metabolites coming from marine invasive species via food web interactions. In particular, both physiological and behavioural changes in the white sea bream Diplodus sargus were related to caulerpin (CAU), a bisindolic alkaloid particularly abundant in the invasive alga Caulerpa cylindracea, on which the fish actively feed. Dietary administration of CAU decreased aggressiveness in D. sargus, suggesting an anxiolytic-like effect of CAU possibly mediated by endogenous anxiolytic agents. This hypothesis is supported here by the finding of a significant increase of NPY transcriptional expression in the brain of fish fed with CAU enriched food, shedding more light on the neural mechanisms behind the altered behaviour of D. sargus.