Longitudinal changes of dominance rank among the females of the Koshima group of Japanese monkeys

The changes of dominance rank among female Japanese monkeys of the Koshima group over a period of 29 years from 1957 were studied. The dominance rank order was relatively stable in the early population growing phase, while large scale-changes of dominance rank order occurred successively in the phase of population decrease brought about by the severe control of artificial feeding after 1972. Nevertheless, the rank order of several females of the highest status was stable. Furthermore, the reproductive success of these highest status females was high (Mori, 1979a;Watanabe et al., in prep.). Divergence of the dominance rank order fromKawamura's rules (Kawamura, 1958) was observed in the following respects: (1) Some females significantly elevated their rank depending on the leader males. (2) If mothers died when their daughters were still juveniles or nulliparous, the dominance rank of some of these offspring females was significantly lower than the mother's one. However 55% of daughters which lost their mothers at a young age inherited the mother's rank. (3) Dominance among sisters whose mother had died when at least one of the daughters was under 6 years old followed the rule of youngest ascendancy in 60% (Kawamura, 1958), and in 80% when both of the daughters were nulliparous at the mother's death. The mean rate of aggressive interactions for each female with subordinates to her was calculated by dividing the total aggressive interactions between the female in question and her subordinates by the number of subordinate females to the female in question. A female which showed a high rate of aggressive interactions with her subordinates was categorized as an “Attacker”, and a female showing a lower rate was categorized as a “Non-attacker”. Similarly, categories of “Attacked”, and “Non-attacked” were distinguished by using the rate of aggressive interactions with dominant females. Several females which were once categorized in one category in a year were repeatedly categorized in the same category over different years. The “Attacked” tended to be females of higher rank, and “Non-attackers” tended to be females of lower rank. “The second-higher-status females”, were “Attacked”, and their rank was unstable. In particular, females of lower rank within the lineage of the highest rank suffered this kind of severe status. Most of the daughters of these females showed a sharp drop of rank, and died when they were still at a young age, i.e. “the second-higher-status females” displayed low fitness. “Non-attackers” were significantly “Non-attacked”; i.e. they were females which showed a non-social attitude. Females which underwent a drop of rank tended to be “Non-attackers”. The most important factor which determined the females' rank was the memory of their dominance relations under the influence of their mother [dependent rank (Kawai, 1958)] in their early life during development. This finding corresponds well with the results in baboons obtained byWalter (1980); the target females of aggressive interactions by adolescent females were determined by the rank of the mothers when these adolescent females were born.     

Purification and characterization of two serine isoacceptor tRNAs from bovine mitochondria by using a hybridization assay method.

For large scale preparation of mitochondrial tRNAs, a new hybridization assay method using synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotide probes (16-17mer) complementary to individual tRNA sequences was developed and applied for the purification of two serine isoacceptor tRNAs (tRNASerAGY and tRNASerUCN) from bovine mitochondria. It is about 100 times more sensitive than the conventional aminoacylation assay method. 2-4 A260 units each of both tRNASer isoacceptors were purified from 17.5 kg of bovine liver, and they were characterized by means of nuclease digestion, melting profiles and aminoacylation activity. It is suggested that tRNASerUCN possesses the D loop/T loop interaction like usual L-shaped tRNAs, and that tRNASerAGY lacking almost an entire D arm is aminoacylated with an efficiency not very much lower than that of tRNASerUCN.     

Adaptive on-line optimizing control of bioreactor systems

Several on-line optimizing control strategies were proposed and tested by computer simulation for the efficient operation of bioreactors. The control task was divided into two, one of which was to search for the optimal operating point and passed the set point to the lower layer of which task was to make the process output follow the set point as soon as possible. It was shown to be effective for the upper layer to express the objective function as a polynomial with respect to the measurement variable and to make use of it for finding the optimum point. Noting that the major dynamic characteristics of bioreactor system is the time-varying and nonlinear nature, the adaptive type control system is in evitable. It was shown to be quite effective to use discrete type self-tuning PID controller and the optimal controller compensated for the interaction between the control loops.Application was made to the cell recycle system for the production of lactic acid and baker's yeast cultivation. I was found from the former application that the control quality can be significantly improved by incorporating the decoupling strategy into the lower layer closed-loop system. It was also found from the latter application that the initial startup period can be significantly reduced by making use of the rough mathematical model.     

Nippostrongylus brasiliensis: radioresistant IgE antibody-forming cells in infected rats

In Nippostrongylus brasiliensis-infected rats, anti-N. brasiliensis IgE antibody production was observed at 20 weeks postinfection, long after the worms, as a source of antigen, had been expelled. The persistent IgE production was not abrogated after whole body irradiation (800 R) administered at 12 or 20 weeks, suggesting the participation of radioresistant IgE-forming cells. Help of T cells and recruitment of B memory cells in the irradiated rats seems to be ruled out by the findings that the irradiation completely inhibited the initiation of anti-N. brasiliensis IgE production in rats shortly after the infection with N. brasiliensis or after primary and secondary immunization with N. brasiliensis-antigen. Moreover, clearance of anti-N. brasiliensis IgE antibody from circulation did not seem to be crucially affected by the irradiation. The radioresistant cells forming anti-N. brasiliensis IgE were most productive in mesenteric lymph nodes as compared to other lymph nodes. The recognition of antigens fractionated by chromatography on Sephadex G-200 was the same for IgE-forming cells from rats 12 weeks after infection as for those from 3 weeks after infection. Based on these results, one of the mechanisms of persistent elevation of IgE antibody in the host infected with helminth parasites might be explained by the participation of radioresistant IgE-forming cells.     

Synthesis of human endothelin-1 precursors in Escherichia coli

Endothelin, the most potent vasoconstrictor found in nature, is thought to be important in the regulation of blood pressure and/or local blood distribution. Human placenta cDNA fragment encoding preproendothelin-1 (preproET-1) and its carboxyl terminal mature precursor (C-matured precursor) was expressed in E. coli. These products were characterized by both enzyme immunoassay and Western blot analysis.     

Amino acid sequence and relative biological activity of eel atrial natriuretic peptide

A peptide exhibiting vasodepressor and natriuretic activities in rats was isolated from eel atria, and its primary structure was determined as H-Ser-Lys-Ser-Ser-Ser-Pro-Cys-Phe-Gly-Gly-Lys-Leu-Asp-Arg-Ile-Gly-Ser-Tyr-Ser- Gly-Leu-Gly-Cys-Asn-Ser-Arg-Lys-OH. This peptide, termed eel atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), has sequence homology of 59% to mammalian (human or rat) ANP, 52% to fowl ANP, and 46% to frog ANP. When the biological activity of synthetic eel ANP was compared with that of human ANP, the eel peptide was 110 times more potent for the vasodepressor activity in eels, nearly equipotent for the vasodepressor activity in quails, and 20 times less potent for the vasodepressor and natriuretic activity in rats.     

Two distinct types of endothelin receptors are present on chick cardiac membranes

Competitive displacement experiments of 125I-endothelin (ET)-1, -2, or -3 binding to chick cardiac membranes were performed with unlabeled ET-1, -2, -3, and sarafotoxin S6b (STX) as competitors. 125I-ET-1 and -2 binding was competitively inhibited by increasing concentrations of these unlabeled peptides in the same order; i.e. ET-2 greater than or equal to ET-1 greater than ET-3 greater than STX. In contrast, the order of potency in displacing 125I-ET-3 binding was ET-3 greater than ET-2 greater than or equal to ET-1 greater than STX. Affinity labeling of the membranes by cross-linking with 125I-ET-1 and -2 via disuccinimidyl tartarate yielded one major specific band with an apparent Mr = 53,000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by autoradiography. On the other hand, affinity labeling with 125I-ET-3 showed that two major and one minor bands of Mr = 34,000, 46,000, and 53,000, respectively, were specifically labeled. These results indicate the presence of two distinct types of ET receptors, one of which has higher affinity for ET-1 and -2 than ET-3 and the other is conversely ET-3-preferring.     

Induction of manganese superoxide dismutase by tumor necrosis factor in human breast cancer MCF-7 cell line and its TNF-resistant variant

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-resistant variant of human mammary cancer MCF-7 cell line was isolated by stepwise selection. The final TNF-resistant variant Tnf-1000 showed more than 100-fold higher resistance than the parental MCF-7 cell. Saturation kinetics for 125I-TNF binding showed that TNF-1000 cells had similar TNF receptor numbers as MCF-7 cells, but of a lower affinity. Induction of superoxide dismutase (SOD) was compared between MCF-7 and Tnf-1000 cells treated with TNF: SOD scavenges potentially toxic superoxide radicals. TNF induced more mitochondrial manganese SOD (SODm) in MCF-7 than in Tnf-1000 whereas there appeared to be no significant induction of cytosolic copper/zinc SOD (SODc) by TNF in both MCF-7 and Tnf-1000 cell lines. Acquirement of TNF-resistance in MCF-7 cells might be correlated with expression of SODm.     

Mitochondrial DNA polymorphism in native Philippine cattle based on restriction endonuclease cleavage patterns

An analysis of patterns of cleavage of mtDNA by restriction endonucleases was performed for nine individuals from the Philippine population of native cattle. MtDNA polymorphisms were detected in the restriction patterns generated by the following six enzymes,BamHI,BglII,EcoRV,HindIII,PstI, andScaI. The restriction patterns showing polymorphisms were distributed nonrandomly among the nine individuals examined from the Philippine population of native cattle, indicating the existence of two separate types of mtDNA. These two types of mtDNA are very different from each other, at the level of subspecies. Since the native Philippine cattle are considered to represent an admixture of European and Indian cattle, the two types of mtDNA must be derived from the mtDNAs of both varieties. The polymorphic sites in mtDNA have been located on a restriction map, and the nucleotide substitutions at some of the sites have also been estimated.