Photoperiodic Mechanism Research Articles

Brain neural mechanism of circadian clock-based photoperiodism: Analysis using field-collected Hemiptera species as an experimental model

Brain neural mechanism of circadian clock-based photoperiodism: Analysis using field-collected Hemiptera species as an experimental model

Bacteria and Bellicosity: Photoperiodic Shifts in Gut Microbiota Drive Seasonal Aggressive Behavior in Male Siberian Hamsters

The existence of a microbiome-gut-brain axis has been established wherein gut microbiota significantly impacts host behavior and physiology, with increasing evidence suggesting a role for the gut microbiota in maintaining host homeostasis. Communication between the gut microbiota and the host is bidirectional, and shifts in the composition of the gut microbiota are dependent on both internal and external cues (host-derived signals, such as stress and immunity, and endocrine and environmental signals, such as photoperiod). Although there is host-driven seasonal variation in the composition of the microbiota, the mechanisms linking photoperiod, gut microbiota, and host behavior have not been characterized. The results of the present study suggest that seasonal changes in the gut microbiota drive seasonal changes in aggression. Implanting short-day Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) with fecal microbiota from long-day hamsters resulted in a reversal of seasonal aggression, whereby short-day hamsters displayed aggression levels typical of long-day hamsters. In addition, there are correlations between aggressive behavior and several bacterial taxa. These results implicate the gut microbiota as part of the photoperiodic mechanism regulating seasonal host behavior and contribute toward a more comprehensive understanding of the relationships between the microbiota, host, and environment.

A Comparative Study of Circadian Rhythmicity and Photoperiodism in Closely Related Species of Blow Flies: External Coincidence, Maternal Induction, and Diapause at Northern Latitudes.

This review compares adult locomotor activity rhythms and photoperiodic induction of diapause in 3 common species of blow fly, Calliphora vicina, Lucilia sericata, and Protophormia terraenovae. Activity rhythms were broadly similar in all 3 species, although P. terraenovae is much less sensitive to constant light inducing arrhythmicity. Photoperiodic induction of diapause, on the other hand, varies more widely between species. C. vicina and L. sericata overwinter in a larval diapause induced by autumnal short days (long nights) acting both maternally and directly upon the larvae. P. terraenovae, on the other hand, shows an adult (reproductive) diapause induced by short daylength and low temperature experienced by the larvae. In the Nanda-Hamner protocol, C. vicina shows 3 clear peaks of high diapause incidence in cycle lengths close to 24, 48, and 72 h, without dampening and therefore suggesting a photoperiodic mechanism based on a self-sustained circadian oscillator acting in a clock of the external coincidence type. Entrainment of the locomotor activity rhythm to extended Nanda-Hamner photocycles, as well as to LD cycles close to the limits of the primary range of entrainment, demonstrates that overt circadian rhythmicity may act as ‘hands’ of the otherwise covert photoperiodic system, as suggested by Bünning, nearly 8 decades ago. In 24 h LD cycles, both locomotor activity rhythms and the photoperiodic oscillator are set to constant phase (CT 12) at light-off, so that the photoperiodic clock measures changes in nightlength by the coincidence (or not) of dawn light with a ‘photoinducible phase’ late in the subjective night (at about CT 21.5 h) as photoperiod changes with the seasons. Apparent differences between quantitative and qualitative photoperiodic responses are discussed.

How the effects of latitude on daylight availability may have influenced the evolution of migration and photoperiodism

Abstract Date and latitude interact to determine photoperiod, the daily period of daylight. This interaction has important implications for latitudinal migrants for whom daylight may be a resource or for whom photoperiod regulates annual transitions in life‐history stages (i.e. birds). Using an established formula, we developed user‐interactive, animated models that enable the visualization of how latitude and date determine photoperiod for latitudinal migrants. We also calculated the photoperiodic schedules for a broad range of hypothetical migratory programmes and real migratory programmes newly available through the proliferation of citizen‐science data. This enabled us to infer the limitations some migratory programmes place on mechanisms for photoperiodic regulation of annual breeding. In the vast majority of cases, the act of migrating elevates annual daylight exposure. This raises the hypothesis that daylight availability selects for latitudinal migration, potentially contributing to its evolution in animals such as diurnal birds with limited time during the spring and summer to feed young. However, photoperiodic mechanisms regulating annual cycles could constrain the evolution of such migrations, depending on how they affect photoperiodic schedules. Most migratory programmes are consistent with known mechanisms of avian photoperiodism, but the range of feasible mechanisms declines for transequatorial migrants, which experience semi‐annual, 180°‐phase‐shifts in their photoperiodic cycles. Understanding photoperiodic constraints on migration is particularly important in this age of changing latitudinal distributions and phenologies driven by climate change. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

A photoperiodic time measurement served by the biphasic expression of Cryptochrome1ab in the zebrafish eye

The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a model species that is used to study the circadian clock. It possesses light-entrainable circadian clocks in both central and peripheral tissues, and its core circadian factor cryptochromes (CRYs) have diverged significantly during evolution. In order to elucidate the functional diversity and involvement of CRYs in photoperiodic mechanisms, we investigated the daily expression profiles of six Cry transcripts in central (brain and eye) and peripheral (fin, skin and muscle) tissues. The zCry genes exhibited gene-specific diurnal conserved variations, and were divided into morning and evening groups. Notably, zCry1ab exhibited biphasic expression profiles in the eye, with peaks in the morning and evening. Comparing ocular zCry1ab expression in different photoperiods (18L:6D, 14L:10D, 10L:14D and 6L:18D) revealed that zCry1ab expression duration changed depending on the photoperiod: it increased at midnight and peaked before lights off. zCry1ab expression in constant light or dark after entrainment under long- or short-day conditions suggested that the evening clock and photic input pathway are involved in photoperiod-dependent zCry1ab expression. Laser microdissection followed by qRT-PCR analysis showed that the evening peak of zCry1ab was likely ascribed to visual photoreceptors. These results suggest the presence of an eye-specific photoperiodic time measurement served by zCry1ab.

The quail genome: insights into social behaviour, seasonal biology and infectious disease response

BackgroundThe Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) is a popular domestic poultry species and an increasingly significant model species in avian developmental, behavioural and disease research.ResultsWe have produced a high-quality quail genome sequence, spanning 0.93 Gb assigned to 33 chromosomes. In terms of contiguity, assembly statistics, gene content and chromosomal organisation, the quail genome shows high similarity to the chicken genome. We demonstrate the utility of this genome through three diverse applications. First, we identify selection signatures and candidate genes associated with social behaviour in the quail genome, an important agricultural and domestication trait. Second, we investigate the effects and interaction of photoperiod and temperature on the transcriptome of the quail medial basal hypothalamus, revealing key mechanisms of photoperiodism. Finally, we investigate the response of quail to H5N1 influenza infection. In quail lung, many critical immune genes and pathways were downregulated after H5N1 infection, and this may be key to the susceptibility of quail to H5N1.ConclusionsWe have produced a high-quality genome of the quail which will facilitate further studies into diverse research questions using the quail as a model avian species.

Suppression of voluntary ethanol intake in mice under constant light and constant darkness.

Seasonal variations in photoperiod are associated with alterations in human mood and behavior. Similarly, manipulation of the environmental lighting regimen can exert pronounced effects on affective behavior in experimental animals. These observations may be due, in part, to light-induced alterations in circadian rhythms, but it seems likely that other, non-circadian factors also contribute. Several studies have shown that voluntary alcohol (ethanol) consumption can be affected by lighting conditions in rodents, suggesting that photoperiodic variation may account for seasonal and geographic patterns of human alcohol consumption. Nevertheless, the existing animal data are somewhat inconsistent, and little work in this area has been performed in mice. In the present study, we monitored circadian activity rhythms and voluntary ethanol consumption under standard 12:12 light-dark (LD) cycles, and in constant light (LL) and constant darkness (DD). Experiment 1 employed male C3H/He inbred mice, while Experiment 2 employed males and females from a genetically heterogeneous line (WSC). Relative to LD conditions, ethanol intake and ethanol preference were reduced under both LL and DD in both experiments. Because similar effects were seen in both LL and DD, neither circadian disruption nor a classical photoperiodic mechanism are likely to account fully for these findings. Instead, we suggest that the absence of circadian entrainment may function as a mild stressor, resulting in reduced ethanol consumption.

Involvement of thyroid hormones in seasonal reproduction

This article reviews experiments performed to investigate the importance of thyroid hormones to the expression of the seasonal reproductive cycle of ewes. Thyroidectomy was found to block the transition from the breeding season to anoestrus and to cause ewes to exhibit oestrous cycles all year round. Mechanistically, thyroidectomy produced this effect by preventing the seasonal increase in responsiveness to the negative feedback action of oestradiol on episodic GnRH secretion, thus interfering with a key neuroendocrine process necessary for anoestrus to develop. This response to thyroidectomy was fully prevented by replacement with physiological concentrations of thyroxine. Furthermore, the reproductive response to thyroidectomy was specific to the mechanisms that lead to anoestrus; other aspects of reproductive neuroendocrine function and seasonal and photoperiodic mechanisms were not affected. Evidence is presented to indicate that thyroid hormones have a permissive mode of action on seasonal reproduction, and that their effect is exerted during a restricted 'window' of time during the year. It is concluded that thyroid hormones play a crucial role of physiological significance to generation of the seasonal reproductive cycle of ewes.

Cryptochrome genes mediate photoperiodic responses in the cricket Modicogryllus siamensis

AbstractDiapause is a strategy used by many insects living in temperate zones to survive the winter. The most reliable environmental cue to induce diapause is photoperiod, for which day or night length is measured by a mechanism called the photoperiodic clock. Despite several studies in insects, the photoperiodic mechanisms remain unclear. In the present study, we show that cryptochromes (crys) mediate photoperiodic responses in the cricket Modicogryllus siamensis. Nymphal development of M. siamensis is highly dependent on photoperiod: under long‐day conditions, most nymphs become adults within 60 days after hatching by undergoing seven moults, whereas, under short‐day conditions, they take much longer (approximately 180 days), with an increased number of moults. Similar to most insects, the cricket has two cry genes: the Drosophila type cry (Ms'cry1) and the mammalian type cry (Ms'cry2). Ms'cry1 shows some constitutive expression, whereas Ms'cry2 is rhythmically expressed under both long‐day and short‐day conditions. Parental RNA interference against either or both of the two cry genes partially prevents the long‐day responses, whereas inhibition of Ms'cry1 or Ms'cry1/Ms'cry2 enhances the short‐day response with a further delay of adult emergence or its complete prevention, respectively. Nymphal RNA interference of Ms'crys at the fourth‐instar stage delays adult emergence and increases the number of moults under long‐day conditions. We hypothesize that Ms'cry genes are involved not only in the photoperiodic mechanism, but also in the regulatory mechanism of nymphal development downstream of the photoperiodic clock in the cricket M. siamensis.

Population-level seasonality in cardiovascular mortality, blood pressure, BMI and inflammatory cells in UK biobank

Introduction: The risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD) is higher in wintertime throughout the world, but it is not known if this reflects annual changes in diet or lifestyle, or an endogenous photoperiodic mechanism that is sensitive to changes in day length.Methods: Phenotypic data on cardiometabolic and lifestyle factors were collected throughout a 4 year time period from 502,642 middle-aged participants in UK Biobank. To assess the impact of seasonal environmental changes on cardiovascular risk factors, we linked these data to the outdoor temperature and day length at the time of assessment. Self-reported information on physical activity, diet and disease status were used to adjust for confounding factors related to health and lifestyle.Results: Mortality related to CVD was higher in winter, as were risk factors for this condition including blood pressure, markers of inflammation and body mass index (BMI). These seasonal rhythms were significantly related to day length after adjustment for other factors that might affect seasonality including physical activity, diet and outdoor temperature.Conclusions: The risk of CVD may be modulated by day length at temperate latitudes, and the implications of seasonality should be considered in all studies of human cardiometabolic health.Key messagesIn this cross-sectional study in UK Biobank, we report annual variations in cardiovascular risk factors and mortality that were associated with day length independent of environmental and lifestyle factors.These seasonal changes in day length might contribute to annual patterns in cardiovascular disease and mortality.

Photoperiodism dynamics during the domestication and improvement of soybean.

Soybean (Glycine max) is a facultative short-day plant with a sensitive photoperiod perception and reaction system, which allows it to adjust its physiological state and gene regulatory networks to seasonal and diurnal changes in environmental conditions. In the past few decades, soybean cultivation has spread from East Asia to areas throughout the world. Biologists and breeders must now confront the challenge of understanding the molecular mechanism of soybean photoperiodism and improving agronomic traits to enable this important crop to adapt to geographical and environmental changes. In this review, we summarize the genetic regulatory network underlying photoperiodic responses in soybean. Genomic and genetic studies have revealed that the circadian clock, in conjunction with the light perception pathways, regulates photoperiodic flowering. Here, we provide an annotated list of 844 candidate flowering genes in soybean, with their putative biological functions. Many photoperiod-related genes have been intensively selected during domestication and crop improvement. Finally, we describe recent progress in engineering photoperiod-responsive genes for improving agronomic traits to enhance geographic adaptation in soybean, as well as future prospects for research on soybean photoperiodic responses.

Effect of differential photostimulation on induction of Fos-like immune-reactivity in the MBH region of Indian weaver bird

This study investigated the neuronal activation (c-fos) in the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) of the Indian weaver bird, after exposure to a single long-day. Wild-caught photosensitive birds were exposed to the short-days (LD 8L:16D). After four days of short-days photoperiod, the LD cycle was programmed such that the light illumination was continuous after zeitgeber time (ZT) 8. Birds were perfused on the same day at ZT 4 or ZT 20. Brains were processed for the immunohistochemistry of c-fos (Fos) in the MBH. We found a significant higher activation of Fos in neurons within the ventral tuberal division (containing infundibular nucleus) of the MBH, in group that received 20-h light than that received 4-h light on first long-day. But in the dorsal tuberal division, there was no noticeable difference in Fos-lir activation on after 4-h and 24-h light exposure. The results suggest that the ventral tuberal division of mediobasal hypothalamus is principally involved in detecting the photoperiodic information from the external environment, and hence, suggested as the key neural center, involved in the photoperiodic mechanism in Indian weaver bird.

Comparative analysis reveals the underlying mechanism of vertebrate seasonal reproduction

Animals utilize photoperiodic changes as a calendar to regulate seasonal reproduction. Birds have highly sophisticated photoperiodic mechanisms and functional genomics analysis in quail uncovered the signal transduction pathway regulating avian seasonal reproduction. Birds detect light with deep brain photoreceptors. Long day (LD) stimulus induces secretion of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) from the pars tuberalis (PT) of the pituitary gland. PT-derived TSH locally activates thyroid hormone (TH) in the hypothalamus, which induces gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and hence gonadotropin secretion. However, during winter, low temperatures increase serum TH for adaptive thermogenesis, which accelerates germ cell apoptosis by activating the genes involved in metamorphosis. Therefore, TH has a dual role in the regulation of seasonal reproduction. Studies using TSH receptor knockout mice confirmed the involvement of PT-derived TSH in mammalian seasonal reproduction. In addition, studies in mice revealed that the tissue-specific glycosylation of TSH diversifies its function in the circulation to avoid crosstalk. In contrast to birds and mammals, one of the molecular machineries necessary for the seasonal reproduction of fish are localized in the saccus vasculosus from the photoreceptor to the neuroendocrine output. Thus, comparative analysis is a powerful tool to uncover the universality and diversity of fundamental properties in various organisms.

Different Photoperiodic Responses in Four Lines of Japanese Quail.

Organisms measure day length to better adapt to seasonal changes in the environment; this phenomenon is called photoperiodism. The Japanese quail has a highly sophisticated photoperiodic mechanism and is an excellent model for the study of photoperiodism. Various lines of quail have been established during the domestication process. In the present study, we examined the effect of long day (LD) followed by short day (SD) on testicular weight in four lines of quail (L, AMRP, NIES-Br, and WE). When the quail were raised under SD conditions, testicular development was suppressed in all examined lines. The speed of the LD-induced testicular development of NIES-Br line was faster than that of AMRP line, while the speed of the SD-induced testicular regression of L line was significantly faster than that of WE line. These quail lines provide excellent model to uncover the underlying mechanism of seasonal testicular regression.

Post‐flowering photoperiod has marked effects on fruit chemical composition in red raspberry (Rubus idaeus)

AbstractThe effect of photoperiod on nutritional quality and chemical composition of ‘Glen Ample’ red raspberry has been studied under controlled environment conditions. Long day (LD) conditions during fruit growth and maturation significantly increased fruit concentrations of ascorbic acid, total phenolics, organic acids such as malic, quinic and ellagic acids, as well as the ferric reducing activity power, while reducing the concentrations of soluble solids, sucrose and the sugar/acid ratio. The levels of total anthocyanin and oxalic acid were not significantly affected by photoperiod whereas semi‐quantitative analysis indicated a significant increase in the levels of some ellagitannins. The same responses were found whether LD was established by day‐length extension with low‐intensity light or by night interruption, thus demonstrating that the observed changes in nutritional quality of raspberry fruit was mediated through specific photoperiodic mechanism(s) independently of the daily light energy supply.

Universality and diversity in the signal transduction pathway that regulates seasonal reproduction in vertebrates.

Most vertebrates living outside the tropical zone show robust physiological responses in response to seasonal changes in photoperiod, such as seasonal reproduction, molt, and migration. The highly sophisticated photoperiodic mechanism in Japanese quail has been used to uncover the mechanism of seasonal reproduction. Molecular analysis of quail mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) revealed that local thyroid hormone activation within the MBH plays a critical role in the photoperiodic response of gonads. This activation is accomplished by two gene switches: thyroid hormone-activating (DIO2) and thyroid hormone-inactivating enzymes (DIO3). Functional genomics studies have shown that long-day induced thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in the pars tuberalis (PT) of the pituitary gland regulates DIO2/3 switching. In birds, light information received directly by deep brain photoreceptors regulates PT TSH. Recent studies demonstrated that Opsin 5-positive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-contacting neurons are deep brain photoreceptors that regulate avian seasonal reproduction. Although the involvement of TSH and DIO2/3 in seasonal reproduction has been confirmed in various mammals, the light input pathway that regulates PT TSH in mammals differs from that of birds. In mammals, the eye is the only photoreceptor organ and light information received by the eye is transmitted to the pineal gland through the circadian pacemaker, the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Nocturnal melatonin secretion from the pineal gland indicates the length of night and regulates the PT TSH. In fish, the regulatory machinery for seasonal reproduction, from light input to neuroendocrine output, has been recently demonstrated in the coronet cells of the saccus vasculosus (SV). The SV is unique to fish and coronet cells are CSF-contacting neurons. Here, we discuss the universality and diversity of signal transduction pathways that regulate vertebrate seasonal reproduction.

Circadian polymorphisms in night owls, in bipolars, and in non-24-hour sleep cycles.

People called night owls habitually have late bedtimes and late times of arising, sometimes suffering a heritable circadian disturbance called delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS). Those with DSPS, those with more severe progressively-late non-24-hour sleep-wake cycles, and those with bipolar disorder may share genetic tendencies for slowed or delayed circadian cycles. We searched for polymorphisms associated with DSPS in a case-control study of DSPS research participants and a separate study of Sleep Center patients undergoing polysomnography. In 45 participants, we resequenced portions of 15 circadian genes to identify unknown polymorphisms that might be associated with DSPS, non-24-hour rhythms, or bipolar comorbidities. We then genotyped single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in both larger samples, using Illumina Golden Gate assays. Associations of SNPs with the DSPS phenotype and with the morningness-eveningness parametric phenotype were computed for both samples, then combined for meta-analyses. Delayed sleep and "eveningness" were inversely associated with loci in circadian genes NFIL3 (rs2482705) and RORC (rs3828057). A group of haplotypes overlapping BHLHE40 was associated with non-24-hour sleep-wake cycles, and less robustly, with delayed sleep and bipolar disorder (e.g., rs34883305, rs34870629, rs74439275, and rs3750275 were associated with n=37, p=4.58E-09, Bonferroni p=2.95E-06). Bright light and melatonin can palliate circadian disorders, and genetics may clarify the underlying circadian photoperiodic mechanisms. After further replication and identification of the causal polymorphisms, these findings may point to future treatments for DSPS, non-24-hour rhythms, and possibly bipolar disorder or depression.

Insect photoperiodism: effects of temperature on the induction of insect diapause and diverse roles for the circadian system in the photoperiodic response

AbstractThis review considers the effects of temperature on insect diapause induction and the photoperiodic response, and includes constant temperature, temperature cycles, pulses and steps in daily light–dark cycles, constant darkness and in constant light, all with reference to various circadian‐based “clock” models. Although it is a comparative survey, it concentrates on two species, the flesh fly Sarcophaga argyrostoma and its pupal parasite Nasonia vitripennis, which possess radically different photoperiodic mechanisms, although both are based upon the circadian system. Particular attention is given to the effects of daily thermoperiod in darkness and to low and high temperature pulses in conjunction with a daily light–dark cycle, treatments that suggest that S. argyrostoma “measures” night length with a “clock” of the external coincidence type. However, N. vitripennis responds to seasonal changes in photoperiod with an internal coincidence device involving both “dawn” and “dusk” oscillators. Other species may show properties of both external and internal coincidence. Although the precepts of external coincidence have been well formulated and supported experimentally, those for internal coincidence remain obscure.

Exogenous T3 Elicits Long Day–Like Alterations in Testis Size and the RFamides Kisspeptin and Gonadotropin-Inhibitory Hormone in Short-Day Siberian Hamsters

Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) exhibit robust seasonal rhythms of reproduction driven by changes in day length. Day length is encoded endogenously by the duration of nocturnal melatonin (Mel) secretion from the pineal gland. Short duration Mel signals stimulate whereas long duration Mel signals inhibit reproduction. The mechanism by which Mel regulates the reproductive axis has not been fully characterized. In Siberian hamsters, the thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T₃) is thought to be part of the photoperiodic mechanism. The availability of T₃ is decreased in hamsters housed in short day lengths, and injections of exogenous T₃ stimulate testicular growth in short-day (SD) Siberian hamsters. Thus, T₃ acts as a neuroendocrine intermediate between the Mel rhythm and the reproductive axis. The RFamides kisspeptin (Kiss1) and gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH) also act as a link between the Mel rhythm and the reproductive axis. Expression of both of these neuropeptides is regulated by photoperiod and Mel. Kiss1 stimulates, and GnIH inhibits, the reproductive axis in long-day housed hamsters. It remains unknown whether T₃ acts through changes in RFamide expression in the regulation of reproduction or whether these molecules act independently of one another. We tested the hypothesis that exogenous T₃ administered to SD hamsters, a treatment that stimulates testicular growth, would also result in alterations in the patterns of Kiss1- and GnIH-immunoreactivity. Administration of T₃ to SD hamsters resulted in significant testicular growth as well as a long day-like pattern of RFamide peptide expression. Thus, exogenous T₃ elicited increased numbers of Kiss1-positive cells in the hypothalamic anteroventral periventricular nucleus, decreased numbers of Kiss1-positive cells in the arcuate nucleus, and a greater number of GnIH-positive cells in the dorsomedial hypothalamus compared with SD controls. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that T₃ elicits alterations in the reproductive axis through alterations in RFamide peptide expression.

Apparent dissociation of photoperiodic time measurement between vernal migration and breeding under dim green light conditions in Gambel’s white-crowned sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii

Abstract In seasonally breeding birds, the annual cycle of photoperiod is a principal environmental cue for temporal arrangement of different life-history stages, such as migration and breeding. In the past, most research has focused on the mechanisms of photoperiodic control of breeding with less attention paid to migration. In Gambel’s white-crowned sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii (GWCS), photoreceptors for induction of breeding are known to reside in the basal hypothalamus. However, it is unknown whether the sites of photoperiodic reception for vernal migration are the same as those for breeding. Therefore, we hypothesized that they may be controlled separately. In this study, we exposed photosensitive GWCSs to low-penetration green light (wavelength at 510 nm) under a regime of 1 lux during the day and <0.1 lux at night, and switched the photoperiodic conditions from short day (10 h daytime) to long day (18 h daytime). The results showed that the experimental birds developed traits associated with vernal migration including mass increase, fat deposition and migratory restlessness behavior when transferred from short day to long day green light cycles, while control birds maintained continuously on short day green light conditions did not express any migration related characteristics. Neither experimental nor control groups showed gonadal recrudescence under either green light cycles. In support of our hypothesis, we were able to apparently dissociate the photoperiodic responses regulating vernal migration and breeding, which suggests separate mechanisms of photoperiodic time measurement. Such distinct photoperiodic mechanisms may drive the fine-tuned temporal arrangement of the two life history stages.