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PubMed1987

Cytochrome P-450 dependent ethanol oxidation. Kinetic isotope effects and absence of stereoselectivity.

Deuterium isotope effects [D(V/K)] and stereoselectivity of ethanol oxidation in cytochrome P-450 containing systems and in the xanthine-xanthine oxidase system were compared with those of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase. The isotope effects were determined by using both a noncompetitive method, including incubation of unlabeled or [1,1-2H2]ethanol at various concentrations, and a competitive method, where 1:1 mixtures of [1-13C]- and [2H6]ethanol or [2,2,2-2H3]- and [1,1-2H2]ethanol were incubated and the acetaldehyde formed was analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The D(V/K) isotope effects of the cytochrome P-450 dependent ethanol oxidation were about 4 with liver microsomes from imidazole-, phenobarbital- or acetone-treated rabbits or with microsomes from acetone- or ethanol-treated rats. Similar isotope effects were reached with reconstituted membranes containing the rabbit ethanol-inducible cytochrome P-450 (LMeb), whereas control rat microsomes and membranes containing rabbit phenobarbital-inducible P-450 LM2 oxidized the alcohol with D(V/K) of about 2.8 and 1.8, respectively. Addition of FeIIIEDTA either to microsomes from phenobarbital-treated rabbits or to membranes containing P-450 LMeb significantly lowered the isotope effect, which approached that of the xanthine-xanthine oxidase system (1.4), whereas desferrioxamine had no significant effect. Incubations of all cytochrome P-450 containing systems or the xanthine-xanthine oxidase systems with (1R)- and (1S)-[1-2H]ethanol, revealed, taking the isotope effects into account, that 44-66% of the ethanol oxidized had lost the 1-pro-R hydrogen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Deuterium isotope effects in norcamphor metabolism by cytochrome P-450cam: kinetic evidence for the two-electron reduction of a high-valent iron-oxo intermediate.

The kinetics of NADH consumption, oxygen uptake, and hydrogen peroxide production have been studied for norcamphor metabolism by cytochrome P-450cam. The kinetic deuterium isotope effects on these processes, with specifically deuteriated norcamphor, are 0.77, 1.22, and 1.16, respectively. Steady-state UV-visible spectroscopy indicates that transfer of the second electron to the dioxy ferrous P-450 is the rate-limiting step, as it is when camphor is the substrate. The inverse deuterium isotope effect for NADH consumption is consistent with an isotope-dependent branching between monooxygenase and oxidase activity, where these reactivities differ in their NADH:oxygen stoichiometries. However, no isotope-dependent redistribution of steady-state intermediates was detected by isotopic difference UV-visible spectroscopy in the presence of norcamphor. The kinetic isotope effects and steady-state spectral results suggest that the high-valent iron-oxo hydroxylating intermediate [FeO]3+ is reduced by NADH and the physiological electron-transfer proteins to afford water.

Camphor 5-Monooxygenase↗
PubMed1989

Isotopically labeled chlorobenzenes as probes for the mechanism of cytochrome P-450 catalyzed aromatic hydroxylation.

Noncompetitive and competitive intermolecular deuterium isotope effects were measured for the cytochrome P-450 catalyzed hydroxylation of a series of selectively deuterated chlorobenzenes. An isotope effect of 1.27 accompanied the meta hydroxylation of chlorobenzene-2H5 as determined by two totally independent methods (EC-LC and GC-MS assays). All isotope effects associated with the meta hydroxylation of chlorobenzenes-3,5-2H2 and -2,4,6-2H3 were approximately 1.1. In contrast, competitive isotope studies on the ortho and para hydroxylation of chlorobenzenes-4-2H1, -3,5-2H2, and -2,4,6-2H3 resulted in significant inverse isotope effects (approximately 0.95) when deuterium was substituted at the site of oxidation whereas no isotope effect was observed for the oxidation of protio sites. These results eliminate initial epoxide formation and initial electron abstraction (charge transfer) as viable mechanisms for the cytochrome P-450 catalyzed hydroxylation of chlorobenzene. The results, however, can be explained by a mechanism in which an active triplet-like oxygen atom adds to the pi system in a manner analogous to that for olefin oxidation. The resulting tetrahedral intermediate can then rearrange to phenol directly or via epoxide or ketone intermediates.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Primary deuterium and tritium isotope effects upon V/K in the liver alcohol dehydrogenase reaction with ethanol.

The primary isotope effect upon V/K when ethanol stereospecifically labeled with deuterium or tritium is oxidized by liver alcohol dehydrogenase has been measured between pH 6 and 9. The deuterium isotope effect was obtained with high reproducibility by the use of two different radioactive tracers, viz. 14C and 3H, to follow the rate of acetaldehyde formation from deuterium-labeled ethanol and normal ethanol, respectively. Synthesis of the necessary labeled compounds is described in this and earlier work referred to. V/K isotope effects for both tritium and deuterium have been measured with three different coenzymes, NAD+, thio-NAD+, and acetyl-NAD+. With NAD+ at pH 7, D(V/K) was 3.0 and T(V/K) was 6.5. With increasing pH, these values decreased to 1.5 and 2.5 at pH 9. The intrinsic isotope effect evaluated by the method of Northrop [Northrop, D.B. (1977) in Isotope Effects on Enzyme-Catalyzed Reactions (Cleland, W. W., O'Leary, M, H., & Northrop, D. B., Eds.) pp 112-152, University Park Press, Baltimore] varies little with pH. It amounts to about 10 with NAD+ and about 5 with the coenzyme analogues. Commitment functions and their dependence upon pH calculated in this connection appear to be in agreement with known kinetic parameters of liver alcohol dehydrogenase. This assay method was also applied in vivo in the rat. Being a noninvasive method because only trace amounts of isotopes are needed, it may yield information about alternative routes of ethanol oxidation in vivo. In naive rats at low concentrations of ethanol, it confirms the discrete role of the non alcohol dehydrogenase systems.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase↗
PubMed1980

Transition-state structure in the yeast alcohol dehydrogenase reaction: the magnitude of solvent and alpha-secondary hydrogen isotope effects.

Solvent and alpha-secondary isotope effects have been measured in the yeast alcohol dehydrogenase reaction, under conditions of a rate-limiting transfer of hydrogen between coenzyme and substrate. Determination of catalytic constants (at saturating concentrations of substrate and coenzyme) in H2O and D2O as a function of pH(D) has allowed the separation of solvent effects on pKa from kcat: delta pKa = pKD--pKH = 0.02--0.21, kH2O/kD2O = 1.20 +/- 0.09 in the direction of p-methoxybenzyl alcohol oxidation, and kH2O/kD2O = 0.50 +/- 0.05 and 0.58 +/- 0.06 for p-methoxybenzaldehyde reducation by NADH and [4-2H]NADH. The small effect of D2O on pKa, which contrasts with the common observation that delta pKa congruent to 0.4--0.6, is tentatively assigned to ionization of an active-site ZnOH2. The near absence of an isotope effect on kcat in the direction of alcohol oxidation rules out a mechanism involving concerted catalysis by an active-site base of hydride transfer. In the direction of aldehyde reduction, the observation of inverse isotope effects on kcat is concluded to reflect displacement of zinc-bound water by substrate to form an inner-sphere complex, subsequent to the E.S complex. Equilibrium alpha-secondary isotope effects, measured as a frame of reference for kinetic values, indicate KH/KT = 1.33 +/- 0.05 and 1.34 +/- 0.09 for the oxidation of [1(S)-3H]benzyl alcohol and p-methoxy[1(S)-3H]benzyl alcohol, respectively. Kinetic alpha-secondary isotope effects are within experimental error of equilibrium values, kH/kT = 1.34 +/- 0.07 and 1.38 +/- 0.02 for [1(S)-3H]benzyl alcohol and p-methoxy[1(S)-3H]benzyl alcohol oxidation, respectively. The near identity of kinetic and equilibrium alpha-secondary isotope effects in the direction of alcohol oxidation implicates a transition-state structure which resembles aldehyde with regard to bond hybridization properties. This result contrasts sharply with previously reported structure--reactivity correlations, which implicate a transition-state structure resembling alcohol with regard to charge properties. The significance of these findings to the mechanism of NAD(P)H-dependent redox reactions is discussed.

Alcohol Oxidoreductases↗
PubMed2003

Solvent and primary deuterium isotope effects show that lactate CH and OH bond cleavages are concerted in Y254F flavocytochrome b2, consistent with a hydride transfer mechanism.

Yeast flavocytochrome b(2) catalyzes the oxidation of lactate to pyruvate; because of the wealth of structural and mechanistic information available, this enzyme has served as the model for the family of flavoproteins catalyzing oxidation of alpha-hydroxy acids. Primary deuterium and solvent isotope effects have now been used to analyze the effects of mutating the active site residue Tyr254 to phenylalanine. Both the V(max) and the V/K(lactate) values decrease about 40-fold in the mutant enzyme. The primary deuterium isotope effects on the V(max) and the V/K(lactate) values increase to 5.0, equivalent to the intrinsic isotope effect for the wild-type enzyme. In addition, both the V(max) and the V/K(lactate) values exhibit solvent isotope effects of 1.5. Measurement of the solvent isotope effect with deuterated lactate establishes that the primary and solvent isotope effects arise from the same chemical step, consistent with concerted cleavage of the lactate OH and CH bonds. The pH dependence of the mutant enzyme is not significantly different from that of the wild-type enzyme; this is most consistent with a requirement that the side chain of Tyr254 be uncharged for catalysis. The results support a hydride transfer mechanism for the mutant protein and, by extension, wild-type flavocytochrome b(2) and the other flavoproteins catalyzing oxidation of alpha-hydroxy acids.

Catalysis↗
PubMed1999

Beta-secondary and solvent deuterium kinetic isotope effects on catalysis by the Streptomyces R61 DD-peptidase: comparisons with a structurally similar class C beta-lactamase.

Beta-secondary and solvent deuterium kinetic isotope effects have been determined for the steady-state kinetic parameters V/K and V for turnover of a series of acyclic substrates by the DD-peptidase of Streptomyces R61 and the class C beta-lactamase of Enterobacter cloacae P99. Although these enzymes are evolutionarily related and have very similar tertiary and active site structure, they are functionally very different-the former efficiently catalyzes the hydrolysis of beta-lactams but not acyclic peptides while vice versa applies to the latter. The measured kinetic isotope effects reveal both similarities and differences in the steady-state transition states for turnover of the various substrates by these enzymes. In most cases, inverse beta-secondary isotope effects were observed, reflecting typical acyl-transfer transition states. With one substrate, however, m-[[(phenylacetyl)glycyl]oxy]benzoic acid, isotope effects on V/K of very close to unity were obtained for both enzymes. These were interpreted in terms of acylation transition state conformations where the extent of beta-CH hyperconjugation was similar to that in the free substrate. Differences in deacylation transition states (V) between the two enzymes with this substrate were interpreted in terms of different acyl-enzyme conformations. Solvent deuterium kinetic isotope effects on V/K were uniformly small, some even inverse, for both enzymes and with all substrates tested. At face value, this suggests the counterintuitive conclusion that little proton transfer occurs in acylation transition states in all of these instances. Closer analysis, however, suggests that for ester and amide (and probably beta-lactam) substrates, this result probably arises from an increase in proton fractionation factors on substrate binding being offset by their decrease in the acylation transition state. The former event derives from proton rearrangement on substrate binding and the latter, presumably, from general acid/base catalysis. This result may be general to all beta-lactam-recognizing enzymes. The solvent isotope effects also suggest that, at least for the P99 beta-lactamase, the acylation transition state of a thioester substrate does not involve proton transfer. This can be interpreted in terms of the rate-determining breakdown of a tetrahedral intermediate where no protonation of the leaving thiolate is required. Deacylation transition states of both enzymes appear to involve significant proton transfer, presumably arising from general acid/base catalysis.

Acylation↗
PubMed2003

Uncoupled forms of tyrosine hydroxylase unmask kinetic isotope effects on chemical steps.

Tyrosine hydroxylase (TyrH) catalyzes the hydroxylation of tyrosine to dihydroxyphenylalanine. In the proposed mechanism, a ferryl-oxo species attacks the aromatic ring of tyrosine, forming a cationic intermediate. However, no significant isotope effect is found for wild-type TyrH when 3,5-2H2-tyrosine is used as a substrate. The isotope effect has now been determined with 3,5-2H2-tyrosine using mutant forms of TyrH in which the oxidation of the pterin is uncoupled from hydroxylation of the amino acid. Three mutant enzymes exhibit significant inverse deuterium isotope effects and inverse solvent isotope effects. A proton inventory for the E326A enzyme is consistent with a normal solvent isotope effect of 2.4 on an unproductive step. The results support the proposed mechanism and demonstrate the utility of using mutant proteins with branched pathways to reveal isotope effects which are masked in the wild-type enzyme.

Deuterium Exchange Measurement↗
PubMed2002

Hydrogen isotopic profile in the characterization of sugars. Influence of the metabolic pathway.

The site-specific natural hydrogen isotope ratios of plant metabolites determined by 2H nuclear magnetic resonance (SNIF-NMR method) can provide powerful criteria for inferring mechanistic and environmental effects on biosynthetic pathways. This work examines the potential of isotopic profiles for the main constituents of carbohydrates, glucose and fructose, to distinguish different photosynthetic pathways. An appropriate analytical strategy, involving three suitable isotopic probes, has been elaborated with a view to measuring simultaneously, in conditions devoid of isotopic perturbations, all (or nearly all) of the carbon-bound hydrogen isotope ratios. It is shown that the type of photosynthetic metabolism, either C3 (sugar beet, orange, and grape), C4 (maize and sugar cane), or CAM (pineapple), and the physiological status of the precursor plant exert strong influences on the deuterium distribution in the sugar molecules. Consequently, this isotopic fingerprint may be a rich source of information for the comparison of mechanisms in metabolic pathways. In addition, it can provide complementary criteria to ethanol as a probe for the origin of sugars.

Beta vulgaris↗
PubMed2003

Natural abundance hydrogen isotope affiliation between the reactants and the products in glucose fermentation with yeast.

In glucose fermentation, the hydrogen source of products such as ethanol and glycerol is the medium and the sugar. The site-specific natural isotope ratios of the products, (D/H)(i), and that of the medium and sugar, (D/H)(k), may be related by a matrix, A, of redistribution coefficients, a(ik), that characterizes the specific genealogies of the hydrogen atoms. (D/H)(i) = [A](D/H)(k), where (D/H)(i) and (D/H)(k) are the column vectors of the isotope ratios of sites i and k that can be measured by (2)H NMR. The complete redistribution matrix was determined in a set of isotope labeling experiments. Thus, we obtained a mathematical model representing the hydrogen isotope affiliation during alcoholic fermentation. It not only provides information about the biochemical reaction mechanism but also can be used to estimate the isotopic data of the products, based on those of the substrate and the medium. The results prove, in a quantitative way, that the metabolites contain isotopic information about the precursor in a biotransformation and can be used to identify its origin. The method established for the study of the hydrogen-transfer mechanism can be applied to other chemical and biochemical reactions.

Deuterium↗
PubMed1997

Kinetic Isotope Effects and Transition State Geometries. A Theoretical Investigation of E2 Model Systems.

Ab initio calculations at the MP2/6-31+G level have been performed on E2 model systems to investigate whether differences in kinetic isotope effects correlate with changes in transition state geometries. By combining various nucleophiles (NH(2)(-), OH(-), F(-), PH(2)(-), SH(-), Cl(-)) and leaving groups (NH(3), Br(-), Cl(-), F(-), SH(-)) for reactions of the type Nu(-) + CH(3)CH(2)X, a large diversity of transition structures from reactant-like to product-like are generated. For each reaction one primary and two different alpha-secondary kinetic isotope effects are calculated. The primary kinetic isotope effects depend strongly on the nucleophilic placement in the periodic system, which mainly is due to differences in equilibrium isotope effects. When this effect is subtracted, the primary kinetic isotope effects display the expected maximum for symmetric transition structures, although the maximum is broad. The secondary kinetic isotope effects associated with the leaving group provide a qualitative correlation with the hybridization at the carbon, but the corresponding effects at the carbon where the hydrogen abstraction takes place is uncorrelated with the transition state geometry.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2005

Imaging the reaction dynamics of OH + CD4. 3. Isotope effects.

Isotope effects in the reaction of hydroxyl radical with methane are investigated in a crossed-beam experiment. By exploiting different combinations of OH/OD + CH4/CD4/CHD3, a total of eight isotopically variant reactions are examined to decipher the dynamical consequence of both primary and secondary isotope effects. The most prominent observation is from isotopic substitution of the transferred atom (primary isotope effect), which yields more stretch-excited water product for the D atom case than H atom. The opposite is found, however, for excitations in bending and combination modes. The secondary isotope effects, from either substituted hydroxyl radical or the three H atoms that are not being abstracted, are relatively minor and manifest themselves in spreading the vibrational distribution of the water coproducts.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1980

Secondary isotope effects in studies using radiolabelled folate tracers.

The use of isotopically labelled compounds as metabolic tracers in in vivo and in vitro studies is particularly important in folate biochemistry, where the natural coenzyme forms occur in transient and trace amounts. However, during our studies on the whole body metabolism of radioactive folate tracers, we have now observed that some forms of isotopically labelled folate are biologically distinguishable from the unlabelled carrier molecules by an as yet unidentified secondary isotope effect. Folates excreted in the urine of rats dosed previously with mixtures of 14C- and 3H-labelled folate derivatives are apparently 3H enriched, that is contain more 3H than 14C relative to the dosed compound. This apparent 3H enrichment was largely due to the enhanced absorption of 3H-folate from the intestine, confirmed by studies with everted sac preparations of rat jejunum in which it was found that the 3H-labelled folate in the mixture was transported from the mucosal into the serosal compartment at a faster rate than both the 14C-labelled folate and the unlabelled carrier. Secondary isotope effects were also observed on ion-exchange chromatography, 3H-labelled folates with 3H at the C-9 position eluting fractionally earlier than the corresponding unlabelled or [2-14C]folate from DEAE-cellulose, a behaviour similar to that reported earlier for isotopically labelled 2-aminopurine and several amino acids. Such isotope effects may be more widespread and more important than is generally accepted.

Carbon Radioisotopes↗
PubMed2001

The complex nature of superconductivity in MgB2 as revealed by the reduced total isotope effect.

Magnesium diboride, MgB2, was recently observed to become superconducting at 39 K, which is the highest known transition temperature for a non-copper-oxide bulk material. Isotope-effect measurements, in which atoms are substituted by isotopes of different mass to systematically change the phonon frequencies, are one of the fundamental tests of the nature of the superconducting mechanism in a material. In a conventional Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) superconductor, where the mechanism is mediated by electron-phonon coupling, the total isotope-effect coefficient (in this case, the sum of both the Mg and B coefficients) should be about 0.5. The boron isotope effect was previously shown to be large and that was sufficient to establish that MgB2 is a conventional superconductor, but the Mg effect has not hitherto been measured. Here we report the determination of the Mg isotope effect, which is small but measurable. The total reduced isotope-effect coefficient is 0.32, which is much lower than the value expected for a typical BCS superconductor. The low value could be due to complex materials properties, and would seem to require both a large electron-phonon coupling constant and a value of mu* (the repulsive electron-electron interaction) larger than found for most simple metals.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2005

Extreme oxygen isotope ratios in the early Solar System.

The origins of the building blocks of the Solar System can be studied using the isotopic composition of early planetary and meteoritic material. Oxygen isotopes in planetary materials show variations at the per cent level that are not related to the mass of the isotopes; rather, they result from the mixture of components having different nucleosynthetic or chemical origins. Isotopic variations reaching orders of magnitude in minute meteoritic grains are usually attributed to stellar nucleosynthesis before the birth of the Solar System, whereby different grains were contributed by different stars. Here we report the discovery of abundant silica-rich grains embedded in meteoritic organic matter, having the most extreme 18O/16O and 17O/16O ratios observed (both approximately 10(-1)) together with a solar silicon isotopic composition. Both O and Si isotopes indicate a single nucleosynthetic process. These compositions can be accounted for by one of two processes: a single exotic evolved star seeding the young Solar System, or irradiation of the circumsolar gas by high energy particles accelerated during an active phase of the young Sun. We favour the latter interpretation, because the observed compositions are usually not expected from nucleosynthetic processes in evolved stars, whereas they are predicted by the selective trapping of irradiation products.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1996

Determination of isotope enrichments of magnesium in microwave-digested biological samples by thermal ionization mass spectrometry using a direct loading technique.

The isotope ratios of magnesium were determined in isotopically normal and 26 Mg-enriched samples of human blood, blood plasma, urine and faeces and bovine muscle. The measurements were made with a magnetic sector, thermal ionization mass spectrometer (TIMS) equipped with a multiple ion collector system for simultaneous detection of the ion currents. The samples were decomposed using microwave digestion with HNO3 and HCI. Without further chemical treatment, the mineralized samples were deposited together with silica gel and boric acid on rhenium filaments, which served as thermal ionization source filaments. This method, called the direct loading technique (DLT), results in stable ion signals of the magnesium isotopes with isotope ratios indistinguishable from those of natural Mg standards within experimental error. Fractionation-corrected 26 Mg/24 Mg ratios of natural Mg standards were determined with a relative external precision of 0.02%. The magnesium recoveries for all of the analysed matrices were > or = 97%; 26 Mg was added to calibrated sample solutions to produce isotopic enrichments within a range typically appearing in samples of human tracer studies. Linear regression analysis of measured versus expected per 1000 (/1000) enrichments yields y = 0.998x + 0.79. The DLT described here is a simpler and quicker method than other methods reported hitherto. It has the advantage of avoiding magnesium separation and purification steps prior to TIMS analysis for all of the analysed biological samples and thus reduces contamination and guarantees optimum magnesium recovery. The reported method improves the applicability of stable isotopes of magnesium in human tracer studies.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Choice of precursors for the measurement of protein turnover by the double-isotope method. Application to the study of mitochondrial proteins.

1. The double-isotope concept [Arias, Doyle & Schimke (1969) J. Biol. Chem. 224, 3303--3315] for the measurement of protein turnover was used to estimate the turnover of proteins in subcellular and submitochondrial fractions prepared from rat liver. 2. Double-isotope experiments with [3H]leucine as first precursor and [14C]leucine as second precursor were used to measure the turnover rates of proteins in subcellular and submitochondrial fractions. Solvent extraction procedures designed to remove lipids and nucleic acids from trichloroacetic acid precipitates only changed the isotope ratio of the microsomal fraction. It was not possible to measure turnover of proteins in mitochondrial and submitochondrial fractions with these precursors. 3. Double-isotope experiments were designed to minimize first-precursor reutilization by employing NaH14CO3. [3H]Arginine was used as second precursor. The turnover rates of protein in subcellular and submitochondrial fractions was measured. Solvent extraction procedures designed to remove lipids and nucleic acids showed changes in the isotope ratio for all subcellular fractions, especially in microsomal and detergent-soluble mitochondrial fractions. Isotope ratios of precipitates after solvent extraction indicate that, whereas considerable heterogeneity exists for the average rates of protein turnover in subcellular fractions, little heterogeneity is observed in the average rates of protein turnover in submitochondrial fractions.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Combining genetic markers and stable isotopes to reveal population connectivity and migration patterns in a neotropical migrant, Wilson's warbler (Wilsonia pusilla).

We used results from the analysis of microsatellite DNA variation and hydrogen stable-isotope ratios to characterize the population structure of a neotropical migrant passerine, the Wilson's warbler (Wilsonia pusilla). The resulting information was then used to infer migration patterns and population connectivity between breeding grounds in North America and overwintering areas in Mexico and Central America. The microsatellite data revealed genetic structure across the North American continent; populations in the west were found to significantly differ from the east. Minimal genetic structure was observed among western sites. The lack of isolation by distance and low variance in FST values suggests that gene flow could play an ongoing role in limiting genetic differentiation among sites in the western part of the distribution. However, additional information including estimates of effective population size and the proximity of the population to equilibrium is required before the role of gene flow can be assessed fully. Analysis of isotope data showed a negative relationship between latitude and hydrogen isotope ratios in breeding ground individuals. There was a positive relationship between wintering ground latitude and hydrogen isotope ratios for individuals that were genetically western in origin. This is consistent with a leapfrog pattern of migration, in which genetically western birds from the northernmost breeding areas overwinter at the most southerly locations in Central America. Additionally, isotopic ratios of western birds suggest that coastal breeders overwinter in western Mexico, while western birds from further inland and at high elevations overwinter in eastern Mexico. Using information from both genetic an isotopic approaches will probably be useful for identifying patterns of migration and population connectivity between breeding and overwintering areas, both important issues for conservation efforts, and may also contribute to investigation of the evolution of migration.

Animal Migration↗