寿胎丸提高子宫树突状细胞的表达改善超促排卵大鼠子宫内膜容受性

摘要 目的：探究寿胎丸提高子宫树突状细胞的表达改善超促排卵(controlled ovary hyperstimulation,COH）大鼠子宫内膜容受性。方法：将大鼠随机分为对照组、模型组、寿胎丸（低、中、高剂量）组,用促性激素释放激素激动剂（gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist,GnRH-a）、尿促性腺激素（human menopausal gonadotropin,HMG）和人绒毛膜促性腺激素（human chorionic gonado-tropin,HCG）构建COH大鼠模型,寿胎丸低、中、高剂量组采用2.5、5和10 g/ kg/d寿胎丸灌胃。流式检测子宫内膜树突状细胞（Uterine dendritic call,uDC）表面特异性标记蛋白OX-62。Western blot检测CD34和血管内皮生长因子（vascular endothelial growth factor,VEGF）蛋白表达。结果：与对照组比较,模型组OX-62阳性表达率降低,CD34和VEGF表达明显降低（P<0.05）。与模型组比较,寿胎丸低、中、高剂量组OX-62阳性表达率上升,CD34和VEGF表达明显升高,呈剂量依赖性（P<0.05）。结论：寿胎丸提高子宫树突状细胞的表达改善超促排卵大鼠子宫内膜容受性。     

乙烯利对苦瓜幼苗内源激素代谢及相关调控基因表达的影响

以苦瓜常规品种“绿爵士”为试材,在日光温室内于幼苗3 ~ 4叶期叶面喷施乙烯利溶液,通过高效液相色谱串联质谱(HPLC MS/MS)仪测定了相关内源激素的含量,并结合高通量测序技术对相关调控基因表达进行分析,探究外源乙烯利对苦瓜幼苗激素代谢的影响,获得苦瓜应对外源乙烯诱导的内源激素代谢靶点,初步明确相关调控基因的作用特点,为深入开展苦瓜类作物外源乙烯调控机制的研究奠定基础。结果表明:(1)在外源乙烯利作用下,苦瓜幼苗植株内源乙烯合成直接前体物质1 氨基环丙基 1 羧酸(ACC)含量和主要限速酶ACC合成酶(ACS)活性均表现为显著升高的趋势;内源生长素(IAA)和细胞分裂素(tZR)的含量同样显著升高,而其赤霉素(GA₃)的含量则显著降低。(2)经过Hi seq测序,共获得1 234个差异表达基因(DEGs),功能富集分析显示有570个DEGs 富集于118条代谢通路中。(3)对所有DEGs进行功能注释,鉴定了多个参与内源激素合成及信号转导的基因,包括乙烯代谢相关的ACS、ACO、HMT3、EIN3、ERFs基因,IAA代谢相关的ALDH、TAA1、UGT74B1、AUX/IAA、ARF等基因,细胞分裂素代谢相关的CYP735A、CKX、A ARR基因,以及GA₃代谢相关的KAO1、CYP736A12 like、GID1、PIF3基因。(4)qRT PCR分析表明,所挑选的8个基因的表达趋势与转录组log₂FC值变化趋势一致,其中4个基因为上调表达,另外4个基因下调表达。     

PMSG或FSH同期发情处理对小鼠卵巢、输卵管和子宫中孕激素受体分布的影响

目的探讨孕马血清促性腺激素（pregnant mare serum gonadotropin,PMSG）和促卵泡激素（folliclestimulating hormone,FSH）同期发情处理的小鼠卵巢、输卵管和子宫中孕激素受体（progesterone receptor,PR）分布的差异。方法 10只8周龄KM系雌鼠,随机分为PMSG和FSH两个组,第一次处理后48 h取其卵巢、输卵管、子宫进行固定,免疫组织化学法观察各组织中PR的分布。结果两组小鼠卵巢、输卵管和子宫内膜中均有PR表达;其中PMSG组初级卵泡、次级卵泡和输卵管的阳性率均显著高于FSH处理组（P〈0.05）;PMSG组各级卵泡的平均吸光度值均显著高于FSH处理组（P〈0.05）;PMSG处理组子宫内膜上皮与腺上皮中的阳性率显著高于FSH组（P〈0.05）,而基质和子宫内膜上皮中的平均吸光度值显著低于FSH组（P〈0.05）。结论 PMSG和FSH同期发情处理不同程度影响小鼠卵巢、输卵管和子宫中PR的表达分布;其中PMSG处理组小鼠卵巢、输卵管和子宫上皮中PR表达普遍显著高于FSH处理组。     

除虫菊TcALDH和TcGLIP基因启动子克隆及功能分析

天然除虫菊酯是从除虫菊(Tanacetum cinerariifolium)中提取的绿色植物源生物杀虫剂。醛脱氢酶(TcALDH)和GDSL脂肪酶(TcGLIP)是除虫菊酯生物合成途径中的关键限速酶。为探究TcALDH和TcGLIP基因的功能,该研究从除虫菊无性系‘W99''中克隆得到TcALDH和TcGLIP基因的启动子,并通过生物信息学分析、组织化学染色(GUS染色)、荧光素酶报告实验和外源植物激素处理实验对其启动子的调控元件、启动子活性、激素诱导特异性和组织特异性进行分析。结果表明:(1)克隆得到的TcALDH和TcGLIP启动子序列分别为2 848、1 343 bp,均含有多个与逆境应答和激素信号相关的顺式作用元件。(2)分别构建了启动子和荧光素酶融合的植物表达载体,在烟草叶片中观察荧光成像发现,TcALDH启动子具有茉莉酸甲酯(MeJA)和脱落酸(ABA)激素诱导特异性。(3)用MeJA和ABA处理除虫菊‘W99''组培苗发现,TcALDH的表达量在12 h内受ABA诱导时上调,受MeJA诱导时先升高后降低,TcGLIP的表达量受ABA和MeJA诱导下调。(4)分别构建了TcALDH和TcGLIP启动子与GUS基因融合的植物表达载体,转化烟草并对其转基因叶片进行GUS活性染色发现,TcALDH启动子在烟草叶片腺体、腺毛头部及叶肉细胞中表达,而TcGLIP启动子仅在烟草叶肉细胞中表达。综上认为,TcALDH和TcGLIP的启动子具有组织特异性,TcALDH启动子具有MeJA和ABA激素诱导特性。该研究结果为除虫菊TcALDH和TcGLIP基因参与除虫菊酯合成的调控机制提供了新见解。     

水稻NAM基因家族的全基因组鉴定及表达分析

植物特异性转录因子NAM家族从属于NAC转录因子超家族,在植株生长发育、生理代谢以及应对各种胁迫反应中均发挥重要作用。该研究采用生物信息学方法鉴定水稻基因组中的NAM基因,分析其时空表达模式、亚细胞定位以及蛋白相互作用,并采用实时定量qRT PCR方法分析不同外源激素(如SA、ABA和MeJA)以及非生物胁迫(包括干旱、盐和冷)处理下各NAM基因的表达特征,为进一步探索NAM基因在非生物胁迫中的功能和应激机制以及激素调控途径奠定基础。结果显示：(1)从水稻基因组中共鉴定出48个NAM基因,进化分析将其分为5个亚家族;NAM基因在水稻基因组中存在9对片段复制事件。(2)组织表达分析显示,NAM基因在水稻不同组织及发育时期表现特异性表达,特别是叶鞘、茎和节的生长过程中高表达,且大多数是核定位,并存在多种蛋白互作。(3)实时定量qRT PCR表达分析显示,10个NAM基因在不同组织中均特异表达;大部分NAM基因在盐和干旱胁迫下表达上调,而在冷胁迫下表达降低;SA、ABA和MeJA处理均可显著改变各NAM基因的表达水平。研究表明,NAM基因在水稻生长发育、激素应答和非生物胁迫响应中具有重要作用。     

肿瘤中neu基因的过量表达及其抑制

neu基因编码一种和表皮生长因子受体同源的磷酸蛋白,具有酪氨酸激酶的活性.近年来在多种人类肿瘤中发现neu基因的扩增和(或)过量表达.一些蛋白质因子或化学药物可以在转录水平阻遏neu基因的过量表达或者降低其产物p185^neu的酪氨酸激酶活性,抑制具有neu基因过量表达的癌细胞的转移和增殖.     

薇甘菊花芽分化前后内源激素及相关基因表达的研究

以云南省瑞丽市勐秀林场扦插种植的薇甘菊为试材,采用液相色谱串联质谱(LC-MS/MS)技术对花芽未分化期和花序原基分化期花芽中的生长素(IAA)、赤霉素(GA)、脱落酸(ABA)、反式玉米素(tZ)、异戊烯腺嘌呤(IP)、1-氨基环丙烷羧酸(ACC)、茉莉酸(JA)和水杨酸(SA)含量进行定量分析,同时基于转录组基因功能注释数据对内源激素合成、代谢及信号转导途径相关基因进行表达分析,以探讨不同内源激素对薇甘菊花芽形成的调控作用,以及内源激素合成和信号转导途径相关基因调控薇甘菊花芽分化的机制,为后期通过外源激素调控薇甘菊内源激素水平的方式来控制薇甘菊的有性繁殖提供理论和技术支持。结果表明：(1)薇甘菊未分化期花芽中GA₁₅、GA₁₉、GA₂₀、GA₂₄、IAA、ABA和ETH含量低于花序原基分化期,而未分化期花芽中两种细胞分裂素tZ和IP含量显著高于花序原基分化期。(2)基于RNA-seq测序结果,在薇甘菊两个花芽分化时期共获得7 116个差异表达基因(DEGs),其中上调3 907个,下调3 209个。(3)在内源激素合成方面,参与GA₁₅、GA₁₉、GA₂₀、GA₂₄、IAA、ABA和ACC合成的大量DEGs在花序原基分化期上调表达,这与它们在薇甘菊花序原基分化期的高含量趋势相一致;参与IAA合成的YUCCA基因家族和ACC合成的ACS基因在花序原基分化期的高表达也可能参与促进薇甘菊花芽分化。(4)在植物激素转导途径中,在花序原基分化期,生长素信号转导途径通过AUX/IAA(gene-E3N88_07743)的下调表达和ARF(gene-E3N88_41119)的上调表达,乙烯信号转导途径通过ERF(gene-E3N88_41547)的上调表达,赤霉素信号转导途径通过GID1(gene-E3N88_19448)基因的上调表达,细胞分裂素信号转导途径通过B-ARR(gene-E3N88_28086)和A-RRR(gene-E3N88_40764)基因的下调表达,脱落酸途径通过AREB(gene-E3N88_18558)基因的上调表达,茉莉酸信号转导途径通过JAZ(gene-E3N88_05628)的上调表达和MYC2(gene-E3N88_32405)的下调表达来调控薇甘菊花芽分化。研究发现,高水平的GA₁₅、GA₁₉、GA₂₀、GA₂₄、IAA、ABA和ACC有利于薇甘菊的花芽分化;薇甘菊在花芽分化过程中通过改变不同种类内源激素合成、代谢基因的表达来调控激素浓度,而激素又通过信号转导途径引起下游基因的表达,进而调控薇甘菊的花芽分化。     

PTEN基因诱导人胚肾293细胞凋亡和细胞周期停滞

为了研究抑癌基因PTEN过表达对HEK293细胞凋亡和细胞周期停滞的作用,以野生型PTEN和PTEN突变子(T910G)表达质粒分别转染无PTEN表达的人胚肾293细胞,采用细胞质梯度DNA方法检测细胞凋亡,以流式细胞仪分析细胞周期.发现PTEN过表达能够诱导人胚肾293细胞质中出现梯度DNA,293细胞发生凋亡,PTEN过表达改变细胞周期分布,G0/G1期细胞增加13%,S期细胞下降15%.PTEN突变子对细胞凋亡和G1细胞停滞的影响略弱于野生型PTEN.PTEN基因过表达明显下调血小板衍生生长因子(PDGF)诱导的蛋白激酶B(PKB)和p42,p44-促分裂原活化蛋白激酶(MAPK)磷酸化水平,PTEN突变子对p42,p44-MAPK磷酸化水平的调节作用略弱于野生型PTEN.PTEN通过抑制细胞增殖,诱导细胞凋亡而影响细胞生长.     

表达短lef-1 dsRNA的转化细胞对家蚕核型多角体病毒的抗性

为了探讨RNAi抑制家蚕核型多角体病毒(BmNPV)增殖的效果,用带有lef-1 dsRNA表达盒的转基因载体pigA3-LEF- Neo转染家蚕BmN培养细胞,通过G418(750～800 mg/L)筛选,获得了稳定转化细胞系．病毒感染试验显示,稳定转化细胞的病毒感染率比正常细胞低53%、转化细胞形成的多角体数量为普通细胞中的2/3、细胞培养上清中的游离病毒减少了90%以上,表明病毒在转化细胞中的增殖受到明显抑制;半定量RT-PCR结果显示,转化细胞中病毒lef-1的转录水平仅为正常细胞的2/5～3/5,表明转化细胞表达的lef-1 dsRNA抑制了病毒lef-1基因的表达．通过反向PCR分析外源DNA片段插入基因组位点,结果表明,在转化细胞中外源DNA可通过随机整合或按照piggyBac特定的转座位点TTAA插入细胞基因组．     

CHO/dhfr-细胞定点整合高效表达系统的建立

为了克服随机整合建立高表达细胞株时“位置效应”所带来的不可预知的后果,我们尝试建立基于定点整合的CHO高效表达系统。首先设计一个新的高效筛选载体pMCEscan。该载体含有报告基因(k₂tPA)、扩增基因（dhfr）、重组酶识别序列(FRT)及筛选基因（neo）,且neo基因的表达经过系统的弱化,确保能够对基因组中的整合位点进行大规模的高效筛选。然后利用该载体转染CHO/dhfr^－细胞并进行大规模筛选以获得足够多的阳性克隆,并对阳性克隆进行系统分析,筛选出报告基因表达水平高、单拷贝且扩增效果好的克隆,此克隆被认为筛选载体整合入CHO细胞基因组中转录热点（Hot spot）区域,从而获得了能够实现外源基因在基因组中定点整合和有效表达的CHO/dhfr-细胞系。随后利用位点特异性重组系统（FLP-FRT）将外源基因定点整合到Hot spot区域,以实现外源基因在CHO细胞基因组中的定点整合及高效表达。并利用该细胞系实现了k₂tPA的高表达,表达量达到17.1μg/10⁶cell·24h。该研究致力于CHO细胞基因组中高表达位点的寻找和确认,建立基于定点整合的哺乳动物细胞高效表达系统。     

利用潮间带大型底栖动物群落评估茅尾海生态环境质量

正强化采血训练后可在动物没有物理或化学保定的条件下获取其血液样品,最大限度减少因应激对动物带来的伤害。常规的正强化采血训练中,动作的保持主要靠食物作为强化物,用非固定强化的方法进行。本研究在使用非固定强化的方法对3只黑猩猩(Pan troglodytes)进行采血训练失败后,根据黑猩猩喜爱音乐并能识别音乐旋律的特征,将音乐加入到采血训练中,起到了连续正强化物和计时器的作用。结果发现,使用音乐进行采血训练时,3只黑猩猩的动作保持时间极显著高于非固定强化方法(无音乐)的动作保持时间。3只黑猩猩完成训练的次数,即达到训练效果所需的最少次数有所不同,个体贝贝的训练次数最多(177次),训练难点是尖针脱敏4 min;其次是个体亚亚(69次),训练难点是动作保持4 min;个体明明的训练次数最少(42次)。训练完成后,3只黑猩猩均可以在4 min的音乐播放中完成采血,中途不用饲喂任何食物。结果表明,音乐可以延长黑猩猩在采血训练中的动作保持时间,增加训练的稳定性。本研究的方法与结果可为同行业的相关工作者提供参考和借鉴。     

Vocal-auditory functions of the chimpanzee: consonant perception

The perception of consonants which were followed by the vowel [a] was studied in chimpanzees and humans, using a reaction time task in which reaction times for discrimination of syllables were taken as an index of similarity between consonants. Consonants used were 20 natural French consonants and six natural and synthetic Japanese stop consonants. Cluster and MDSCAL analyses of reaction times for discrimination of the French consonants suggested that the manner of articulation is the major determinant of the structure of the perception of consonants by the chimpanzees. Discrimination of stop consonants suggested that the major grouping in the chimpanzees was by voicing. The place of articulation from the lips to the velum was reproduced only in the perception of the synthetic unvoiced stop consonants in the two dimensional MDSCAL space. The phoneme-boundary effect (categorical perception) for the voicing and place-of-articulation features was also examined by a chimpanzee using synthetic [ga]-[ka] and [ba]-[da] continua, respectively. The chimpanzee showed enhanced discriminability at or near the phonetic boundaries between the velar voiced and unvoiced and also between the voiced bilabial and alveolar stops. These results suggest that the basic mechanism for the identification of consonants in chimpanzees is similar to that in humans, although chimpanzees are less accurate than humans in discrimination of consonants.     

Behavioral management of chimpanzees in biomedical research facilities: the state of the science

The current status of the behavioral management of chimpanzees housed in US research facilities is examined, and recent advances are described. Behavioral management includes the application of environmental enrichment, animal training, and environmental design for improving animal welfare. Authors surveyed the six major chimpanzee holding facilities and found that the vast majority of chimpanzees are housed socially, with access to the outdoors. The institutions currently invest in behavioral scientists, enrichment specialists, and, most recently, chimpanzee trainers to implement and study chimpanzee behavioral management. This review is based on the substantial scientific literature related to managing social behavior, identifying the behavioral effects of restricted socialization, evaluating various forms of enrichment, and describing positive reinforcement animal training. Authors outline recent accomplishments in behavioral management, summarize behavioral issues that have been evaluated, and identify issues for future consideration. It is proposed that the enhanced application of behavioral management techniques, including training, could significantly reduce chimpanzee stress that is generally associated with experimental manipulations, and could improve animal welfare and the quality of biomedical research. The next challenge is to implement effectively and thoroughly the approaches that have been shown to be beneficial.     

The implementation and initial evaluation of a physical therapy program for captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)

Due to advances in captive nonhuman primate (NHP) medical care, the number of geriatric chimpanzees (≥35-years old) is growing. With old age comes a variety of physical conditions, including arthritis, stroke, and mobility impairments. Programs aimed at enhancing the welfare of geriatric chimpanzees are now quite common, but there are few published empirical evaluations of the efficacy of such programs. The current study aimed to create, implement, and evaluate the effects of participation in a physical therapy (PT) program on physical health, mobility, welfare, and behavior. Nine chimpanzees with mobility impairments participated in personalized PT routines (using positive reinforcement training) twice per week for 5 months. Additionally, nine control chimpanzees (non-mobility-impaired, matched with PT chimpanzees on age and gender) participated in body exam behavior sessions (also using positive reinforcement training) twice per week. All chimpanzees were rated on 14 health, well-being, and behavior items, as well as level of mobility throughout the PT program. Chimpanzees that participated in the PT program showed significant increases in ratings of physical health, well-being, and activity levels across phases of the program. Furthermore, compared to control chimpanzees, PT chimpanzees showed significant increases in ratings of ease of movement. Because raters were not blind to physical therapy treatment, our results represent an initial evaluation of the program that may suggest that participation in the PT program has physical, behavioral, and welfare benefits. Assessments of novel geriatric-focused care strategies and programs are essential to further enhance the welfare of the captive chimpanzee population, which is currently comprised of many geriatric animals, whose proportion of the captive population will only increase.     

A Longitudinal Assessment of Vocabulary Retention in Symbol-Competent Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)

A number of studies from the 1960s to 1990s assessed the symbolic competence of great apes and other animals. These studies provided varying forms of evidence that some species were capable of symbolically representing their worlds, both through productive symbol use and comprehension of symbolic stimuli. One such project at the Language Research Center involved training chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) to use lexigram symbols (geometric visual stimuli that represented objects, actions, locations, and individuals). Those studies now are more than 40 years old, and only a few of the apes involved in those studies are still alive. Three of these chimpanzees (and a fourth, control chimpanzee) were assessed across a 10-year period from 1999 to 2008 for their continued knowledge of lexigram symbols and, in the case of one chimpanzee, the continued ability to comprehend human speech. This article describes that longitudinal assessment and outlines the degree to which symbol competence was retained by these chimpanzees across that decade-long period. All chimpanzees showed retention of lexigram vocabularies, although there were differences in the number of words that were retained across the individuals. One chimpanzee also showed continual retention of human speech perception. These retained vocabularies largely consisted of food item names, but also names of inedible objects, locations, individuals, and some actions. Many of these retained words were for things that are not common in the daily lives of the chimpanzees and for things that are rarely requested by the chimpanzees. Thus, the early experiences of these chimpanzees in symbol-rich environments have produced long-lasting memories for symbol meaning, and those competencies have benefited research in a variety of topics in comparative cognition.     

Using training to moderate chimpanzee aggression during feeding

The effects of human and nonhuman primate interactions on the well-being of captive nonhuman primates have been studied less rigorously than other forms of environmental improvement. Human intervention might be used to moderate severe aggression of socially housed animals at feeding times, one of the most common behavioral management problems. In this study, positive reinforcement training techniques were applied to reduce a dominant male chimpanzee's aggression and chasing during meals. Verbal commands and food reinforcers were used to train him to sit and remain seated while other group members received and ate their share of produce. Observational data were collected recording all instances of agonism in the group during periods when meals were fed and during times when no meals were offered, both before and after the training was accomplished. Multivariate analysis of variance for repeated measures results indicated that the training program successfully reduced the group's incidence of displaying, submission, and aggression during feeding periods. This effect was specific to the times meals were fed; there was no generalized reduction in the group's agonism after the training. This study exemplifies the use of positive reinforcement techniques to modify chimpanzee social dynamics during a problematic situation and of observational data to evaluate quantitatively the behavioral effects of the training. Training can be employed to help solve behavioral management problems among socially housed animals, and it can help improve the psychological well-being of captive chimpanzees. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Preparing chimpanzees for laboratory research

The chimpanzee is the only representative of the Great Apes that is extensively involved in biomedical research in primate laboratories. These apes are used as animal models in a variety of studies, including research on infectious disease, parasitic disease, pharmacokinetic studies, neuroscience, cognition, and behavior. Chimpanzees used in biomedical research in the United States reside largely in six specialized research and holding facilities, and most of the research with them is conducted at these sites. Given the relatively small population of chimpanzees and its importance to biomedical research, it is imperative that we carefully manage the care, production, and use of these animals in biomedical research studies. Selection criteria and preparation techniques are reviewed in this article in an effort to begin a discussion on best practices for choosing and handling chimpanzees participating in biomedical research. The use of routine health assessment information is described for subject selection, as are behavioral issues to be considered. Due to the relatively small number of chimpanzees available, issues related to experimental design and multiple uses of chimpanzees are discussed. Practices related to the transportation and acclimation of chimpanzees are described. Finally, behavioral conditioning procedures are discussed, including habituation, desensitization, and positive reinforcement training that have been applied to reduce animal distress and improve the quality of the science being conducted with chimpanzee subjects.     

A chimpanzee-passaged human immunodeficiency virus isolate is cytopathic for chimpanzee cells but does not induce disease.

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) readily infects both humans and chimpanzees, but the pathologic outcomes of infection in these two species differ greatly. In attempts to identify virus-cell interactions that might account for this differential pathogenicity, chimpanzee peripheral blood lymphocytes and bone marrow macrophages were assessed in vitro for their ability to support the replication of several HIV-1 isolates. Although the IIIb, RF, and MN isolates did not readily infect chimpanzee peripheral blood lymphocytes, an isolate of HIV-1 passaged in vivo in chimpanzees not only replicated well in both chimpanzee peripheral blood lymphocytes and bone marrow macrophages but also was cytopathic for chimpanzee CD4+ lymphocytes. Because no evidence of HIV-induced disease has been observed in chimpanzees infected with this isolate, in vitro replication to high titers with concomitant loss of CD4+ cells is not, in this instance, a correlate of pathogenicity. These observations, therefore, indicate that caution must be used when making extrapolations from in vitro data to in vivo pathogenesis.     

Territory Characteristics among Three Neighboring Chimpanzee Communities in the Taï National Park,Côte d'Ivoire

We studied territory characteristics among three neighboring chimpanzee communities in the Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire, and compared them with other chimpanzee populations. We characterized territories and ranging patterns by analyzing six variables:, (1) territory size, (2) overlap zone, (3) territory utilization, (4) core area, (5) territory shift, and (6) travel distance. Data collection covered a period of 10 mo, during which we simultaneously sampled the local positions of mostly large parties, including males in each community, in 30-min intervals. In Taï, chimpanzees used territories in a clumped way, with small central core areas being used preferentially over large peripheral areas. Although overlap zones between study communities mainly represented infrequently visited peripheral areas, overlap zones with all neighboring communities also included intensively used central areas. Territory utilization was not strongly seasonal, with no major shift of activity center or shift of areas used over consecutive months. However, we observed shorter daily travel distances in times of low food availability. Territory sizes of Taï chimpanzees tended to be larger than territories in other chimpanzee communities, presumably because high food availability allows for economical defense of territorial borders and time investment in territorial activities. Therefore we suggest, that use of territory in Taï chimpanzees is strongly influenced by intercommunity relations. To understand differences in territory characteristics between various populations, it is of major importance to consider not only the intracommunity but also the intercommunity context.     

Vocal-auditory functions in the chimpanzee: Vowel perception

The perception of vowels was studied in chimpanzees and humans, using a reaction time task in which reaction times for discrimination of vowels were taken as an index of similarity between vowels. Vowels used were five synthetic and natural Japanese vowels and eight natural French vowels. The chimpanzees required long reaction times for discrimination of synthetic [i] from [u] and [e] from [o], that is, they need long latencies for discrimination between vowels based on differences in frequency of the second formant. A similar tendency was observed for discrimination of natural [i] from [u]. The human subject required long reaction times for discrimination between vowels along the first formant axis. These differences can be explained by differences in auditory sensitivity between the two species and the motor theory of speech perception. A vowel, which is pronounced by different speakers, has different acoustic properties. However, humans can perceive these speech sounds as the same vowel. The phenomenon of perceptual constancy in speech perception was studied in chimpanzees using natural vowels and a synthetic [o]- [a] continuum. The chimpanzees ignored the difference in the sex of the speakers and showed a capacity for vocal tract normalization.