title: Ultraviolet radiation does not increase oxidative stress in the lizard Psammodromus algirus along an elevational gradient.
abstract: Lizards, as ectotherms, spend much time basking for thermoregulating exposed to solar radiation. Consequently, they are subjected to ultraviolet radiation (UVR), which is the most harmful component of solar radiation spectrum. UVR can provoke damages, from the molecular to tissue level, even cause death. Photooxidation triggered by UVR produces reactive oxidative species (ROS). When antioxidant machinery cannot combat the ROS concentration, oxidative stress occurs in the organisms. Given that UVR increases with elevation, we hypothesised that lizards from high elevations should be better adapted against UVR than lizards from lower elevations. In this work, we test this hypothesis in Psammodromus algirus along an elevation gradient (three elevational belts, from 300 to 2500 m above sea level). We ran an experiment in which lizards from each elevation belt were exposed to 5-hour doses of UVR (UV-light bulb, experimental group) or photosynthetically active radiation (white-light bulb, control group) and, 24 h after the exposure, we took tissue samples from the tail. We measured oxidative damage (lipid and protein peroxidation) and antioxidant capacity as oxidative-stress biomarkers. We found no differences in oxidative stress between treatments. However, consistent with a previous work, less oxidative damage appeared in lizards from the highlands. We conclude that UVR is not a stressor agent for P. algirus; however, our findings suggest that the lowland environment is more oxidative for lizards. Therefore, P. algirus is well adapted to inhabit a large elevation range, and this would favour the lizard in case it ascends in response to global climate change.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Granada, Avda. Fuentenueva s/n, E-18071 Granada, Spain. Electronic address: sreguera@ugr.es.
authors.forename: Senda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reguera
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Granada, Avda. Fuentenueva s/n, E-18071 Granada, Spain. Electronic address: zamcam@ugr.es.
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Zamora-Camacho
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Granada, Avda. Fuentenueva s/n, E-18071 Granada, Spain. Electronic address: elemele@ugr.es.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Melero
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Granada, Avda. Fuentenueva s/n, E-18071 Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: García-Mesa
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Granada, Avda. Fuentenueva s/n, E-18071 Granada, Spain; Department of Cell Biology, University of Granada, Avda. Fuentenueva s/n, E-18071 Granada, Spain. Electronic address: ctrenzad@ugr.es.
authors.forename: Cristina E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Trenzado
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, University of Granada, Avda. Fuentenueva s/n, E-18071 Granada, Spain; Estación de Fotobiología Playa Unión, PO Box 15., U9103 Rawson, Chubut, Argentina. Electronic address: mjc@ugr.es.
authors.forename: Marco J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Cabrerizo
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Granada, Avda. Fuentenueva s/n, E-18071 Granada, Spain. Electronic address: anasanz@ugr.es.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanz
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Granada, Avda. Fuentenueva s/n, E-18071 Granada, Spain. Electronic address: gmr@ugr.es.
authors.forename: Gregorio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Moreno-Rueda
mesh_terms: D000531:Altitude; D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008116:Lizards / Q000502:physiology*; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000528:radiation effects*; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology / Q000528:radiation effects; D013030:Spain; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase
keywords: Antioxidant capacity; Elevation gradient; Lipid hydroperoxides; Lizards; Oxidative damage; Oxidative stress; Protein hydroperoxides; Ultraviolet radiation