Evolutionary Physiology

Muscle Bioenergetics

Environmental Physiology

A major theme of this work is the origin of variation in muscle energy metabolism that arises between species. We combine molecular  genetics, evolutionary biology and muscle physiology to explore the mechanisms responsible for evolutionary variation in muscle bioenergetics.

Recent and current projects include:

• the nature of enzyme structural variation in "high performance fish" such as scombrids and lamnid sharks
• the genetic mechanisms controlling allometric scaling of the metabolic phenotype within and between species 
• microevolution and macroevolution of metabolic gene expression in relation to environmental hypoxia

Recent Publications

Kocha KM, CE Genge and CD Moyes (2011) Origins of interspecies differences in mammalian muscle metabolic enzymes. Physiological Genomics, 43: 873-883. (Abstract)

Bremer K and CD Moyes (2011) Origins of variation in muscle cytochrome oxidase activity within and between fish species. Journal of Experimental Biology, 214: 1888-1895. (Abstract)

Duggan A, KM Kocha, CT Monk, K Bremer and CD Moyes (2011) Coordination of cytochrome c oxidase gene expression in the remodeling of skeletal muscle. Journal of Experimental Biology 214:1880-1887. (Abstract)

Little AG, SC Lougheed &CD Moyes  (2010) Evolutionary affinity of billfishes (Xiphiidae and Istiophoridae) and flatfishes (Pleuronectiformes): Independent and trans-subordinal origins of endothermy in teleost fishes. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 56: 897-904 Abstract

Little AG, KM Kocha, SC Lougheed & CD Moyes (2010) Evolution of the nuclear-encoded cytochrome oxidase subunits in vertebrates. Physiological Genomics 42: 76-84. Abstract

Lemoine CM, SC Lougheed & CD Moyes (2010) Modular evolution of PGC-1alpha in vertebrates. Journal of Molecular Evolution 70: 492-505. Abstract

Moyes CD & CE Genge (2010) Scaling of muscle metabolic enzymes: An historical perspective. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 156:344-350. Abstract

Davies R & CD Moyes (2007) Allometric scaling in centrarchid fish: Origins of intra- and inter-specific variation in oxidative and glycolytic enzyme levels in muscle. J exp. Biol. 210: 3798-3804 Reprint

Farwell M, MG Fox, CD Moyes & G Burness (2006) Can hypoxia tolerance explain the differences in distribution of two co-occurring north temperate sunfishes? Environ. Biol. Fish 78: 83-90.  

Dalziel AC, CD Moyes, E Fredricksson & SC Lougheed (2006) Molecular evolution of cytochrome c oxidase in high performance Fish (Teleostei: Scombroidei). J. Mol. Evol. 62: 319-331

Moyes CD & CMR LeMoine (2005) Control of bioenergetic gene expression: implications for allometric scaling relationships in glycolytic and oxidative enzymes. J.  Exp. Biol. 208: 1601-1610 Reprint

Dalziel AC, SE Moore & CD Moyes(2005) Mitochondrial enzyme content In the muscles of high performance fish: evolution and variation among fiber-types. Am. J. Physiol 228: R163-R172

Burness, G, CD Moyes & R Montgomerie (2005) ATP levels, motility and metabolic enzyme activity in sperm from bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) with alternative reproductive tactics, 2005. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 140A: 11-17.

Swimmer Y, L McNaughton, CD Moyes & R Brill (2004) Metabolic biochemistry of cardiac muscle in three tuna species (bigeye, Thunnus obesus; yellowfin, T. albacares; and skipjack, Katsuwonus pelamis) with divergent ambient temperature and oxygen tolerances. Fish Physiol. Biochem. 30: 27-35.  

Burness GP, S Casselman, A Schulte-Hostedde, CD Moyes & RM Montgomerie. (2004) Sperm swimming speed and energetics vary with sperm competition risk in bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus). Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 56, 65-70.

Moyes CD. (2004) Using humans to study the physiological evolution Of energy metabolism: A tribute To Peter Hochachka. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 139: 487-494.

Moyes CD. (2003) Controlling muscle mitochondrial content. J. Exp. Biol., 206: 4385-4391  Reprint.

Moyes CD & DL Hood. (2003) Origins and consequences of mitochondrial variation. Ann. Rev. Physiol. 65:177-201.