Chromosome distribution of intracisternal A-particle sequences in the Syrian hamster and mouse

Metaphase chromosomes of Syrian hamster and BALB/c mice were hybridized in situ with radiolabeled probes derived from cloned intracisternal A-particle (IAP) genes of the corresponding species. The DNAs of these species are known to contain about 900 and 1,000 copies, respectively, of the retrovirus-like IAP sequence elements per haploid genome. Multiple IAP sequences were found on all chromosomes of both hamster and mouse. In the hamster, more than half of the IAP sequences were located in regions of non-centromeric constitutive heterochromatin, at an average concentration per unit chromosome length 5 times greater than in the euchromatic regions. The other dispersed sequences showed marked local variations in concentration along the chromosome lengths; both discrete foci and large grain clusters were observed as well as regions apparently lacking IAP sequences. Within the resolution of the techniques, IAP sequences appeared to be more evenly distributed over the mouse chromosomes; however, some prominent variations in concentration were seen. The number of potentially active IAP genes in the Syrian hamster, and by extension in the mouse, may be restricted by the preferential location of IAP sequences in genetically inert regions of the genome.     

Influence of sleep on the cardiovascular and metabolic responses to a decrease in ambient temperature in lambs

Experiments were done on seven lambs between the ages of 10 and 24 days to investigate the effects of sleep on the cardiovascular and metabolic responses to a decrease in ambient temperature. Each lamb was anesthetized and instrumented for recordings of electrocorticogram, electro-oculogram, and nuchal electromyograms and measurements of cardiac output, systemic and pulmonic pressures and hemoglobin oxygen saturations as well as body core temperature. No sooner than three days after surgery, measurements were made during periods of quiet wakefulness, quiet sleep and active sleep at ambient temperatures of 25 degrees C and 18 degrees C. Decreasing the environmental temperature from 25 degrees C to 18 degrees C elicited a similar thermogenic response during quiet wakefulness, quiet sleep and active sleep as evidenced by an increase in total body oxygen consumption. The increased metabolic oxygen demand was met by an increase in systemic oxygen transport as well as by an increase in total body oxygen extraction. Since shivering was absent during active sleep, it is likely that nonshivering thermogenesis played a major role in the metabolic response. Our data provide evidence that sleep does not significantly alter the cardiovascular and metabolic responses to a modest decrease in ambient temperature in young lambs.     

The lepidopteran mitochondrial control region: structure and evolution

For several species of lepidoptera, most of the approximately 350-bp mitochondrial control-region sequences were determined. Six of these species are in one genus, Jalmenus; are closely related; and are believed to have undergone recent rapid speciation. Recent speciation was supported by the observation of low interspecific sequence divergence. Thus, no useful phylogeny could be constructed for the genus. Despite a surprising conservation of control-region length, there was little conservation of primary sequences either among the three lepidopteran genera or between lepidoptera and Drosophila. Analysis of secondary structure indicated only one possible feature in common--inferred stem loops with higher-than-random folding energies-- although the positions of the structures in different species were unrelated to regions of primary sequence similarity. We suggest that the conserved, short length of control regions is related to the observed lack of heteroplasmy in lepidopteran mitochondrial genomes. In addition, determination of flanking sequences for one Jalmenus species indicated (i) only weak support for the available model of insect 12S rRNA structure and (ii) that tRNA translocation is a frequent event in the evolution of insect mitochondrial genomes.      

Thermoregulatory control during pregnancy and lactation in rats

Eliason, Heather L., and James E. Fewell.Thermoregulatory control during pregnancy and lactation in rats.J. Appl. Physiol. 83(3): 837-844, 1997.Although the mechanisms remain unknown, maternal coretemperature (T_c) decreases nearterm of pregnancy and is increased throughout lactation in rats. Thepurpose of our present experiments was to determine whether pregnancy and lactation shift the thermoneutral zone of rats and to investigate whether the changes in maternal T_cduring pregnancy and lactation result from "forced" or"regulated" thermoregulatory responses. Conscious, chronicallyinstrumented nonpregnant and pregnant and lactating rats were studiedboth in a thermocline (a chamber with a linear temperature gradientfrom 12 to 36°C) and in a metabolic chamber to determine theinfluence of pregnancy and lactation on selected ambient temperature aswell as the thermoregulatory response to changes in ambienttemperature. We found that selected ambient temperature, oxygenconsumption, and thermal conductance did not change in rats studied ina thermocline as T_c decreased nearterm of pregnancy. There was, however, a downward shift in thethermoneutral zone of rats studied in a metabolic chamber near term ofpregnancy. During lactation, selected ambient temperature decreased inrats studied in a thermocline as oxygen consumption andT_c increased. The thermoneutralzone of lactating rats was not different from that of nonpregnantanimals. Thus our data provide evidence that the decrease inT_c near term of pregnancy in ratsresults from a regulated thermoregulatory response,whereas the increase in T_c duringlactation results from a forced thermoregulatory response.

     

Induction of neural-like cells and acetylcholinesterase activity in cultures of F9 teratocarcinoma treated with retinoic acid and dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate

Cultures of F9 embryonal carcinoma cells treated with retinoic acid showed partial differentiation to endoderm cells as previously reported [Strickland, S., and Mahdavi, V. (1978).Cell15, 393–403]. Addition of dibutyryl cAMP to cultures pretreated with retinoic acid led to a second distinctive change in the cell population, with the formation of many neural-like cells. The appearance of these cells coincided with large increases in specific acetylcholinesterase activity of the cultures. Provided the cultures had been exposed to retinoic acid for at least 48 hr beforehand, the morphological and enzymatic changes became apparent between 24 and 48 hr after the addition of dibutyryl cAMP. The changes proceeded more abruptly and extensively when cells were grown in nongelatinized culture dishes. On gelatin-coated surfaces, the differentiated cells occasionally showed local areas of ordered arrangements. It is suggested that this system may be useful in analyzing early events in neural differentiation.     

Factor VIII complex in uraemia and effects of haemodialysis.

Levels of the factor VIII complex were found to be raised in patients with chronic renal failure and further raised by regular dialysis. Increased fibrinogen concentrations were also found. These results suggest the existence of a prothrombotic state in uraemia that is exacerbated by haemodialysis. Ristocetin-induced platelet agglutination, however, was depressed in uraemia and worsened by dialysis. This defect may be transferred to normal platelets from dialysed uraemic plasma, suggesting the existence of an inhibitor of the interaction between factor VIII and platelet glycoprotein. These results may help to explain the anomaly of a prolonged bleeding time together with accelerated atherogenesis that is found in patients with uraemia receiving dialysis.     

Colony-size effects on task organization in the harvester ant Pogonomyrmex californicus

Colony size is a fundamental attribute of insect societies that appears to play an important role in their organization of work. In the harvester ant Pogonomyrmex californicus, division of labor increases with colony size during colony ontogeny and among unmanipulated colonies of the same age. However, the mechanism(s) integrating individual task specialization and colony size is unknown. To test whether the scaling of division of labor is an emergent epiphenomenon, as predicted by self-organizational models of task performance, we manipulated colony size in P. californicus and quantified short-term behavioral responses of individuals and colonies. Variation in colony size failed to elicit a change in division of labor, suggesting that colony-size effects on task specialization are mediated by slower developmental processes and/or correlates of colony size that were missing from our experiment. In contrast, the proportional allocation of workers to tasks shifted with colony size, suggesting that task needs or priorities depend, in part, on colony size alone. Finally, although task allocation was flexible, colony members differed consistently in task performance and spatial tendency across colony size treatments. Sources of interindividual behavioral variability include worker age and genotype (matriline).     

Sex ratio determination by queens and workers in the ant Pheidole desertorum

Because workers in colonies of eusocial Hymenoptera are more closely related to sisters than to brothers, theory predicts workers should bias investment in reproductive broods to favour reproductive females over males. However, conflict between queens and workers is predicted. Queens are equally related to daughters and sons, and should act to prevent workers from biasing investment. Previous study of the ant Pheidole desertorum showed that workers are nearly three times more closely related to reproductive females than males; however, the investment sex ratio is very near equal, consistent with substantial queen control of workers. Near-equal investment is produced by an equal frequency of colonies whose reproductive broods consist of only females (female specialists) and colonies whose reproductive broods consist of only males or whose sex ratios are extremely male biased (male specialists). Because natural selection should act on P. desertorum workers to bias investment in favour of reproductive females, why do workers in male-specialist colonies rear only (or mostly) males? We tested the hypothesis that queens prevent workers from rearing reproductive females by experimentally providing workers with immature reproductive broods of both sexes. Workers reared available reproductive females, while failing to rear available males. Worker preference for rearing reproductive females is consistent with queens preventing their occurrence in colonies of male specialists. These results provide evidence that queens and workers will act in opposition to determine the sex ratio, a fundamental prediction of queen-worker conflict theory. Copyright 2000 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.     

Age-dependent core temperature responses of conscious rabbits to acute hypoxemia.

Experiments were carried out on chronically instrumented newborn and older rabbits to characterize their core temperature (T(c)) responses to acute hypoxemia and to differentiate "forced" vs. "regulated" thermoregulatory responses. Three age ranges of kits were studied: 4-6, 9-11, and 28-30 days of age. During an experiment, T(c), selected ambient temperature (T(a)), and oxygen consumption were measured from kits studied in a thermocline during a control period of normoxemia, an experimental period of normoxemia or hypoxemia (fraction of inspired oxygen 0.10), and a recovery period of normoxemia. We reasoned that no change or a decrease in T(a) while T(c) decreased during hypoxemia would indicate a regulated thermoregulatory response, whereas an increase in T(a) while T(c) decreased during hypoxemia would indicate a forced thermoregulatory response. T(c) decreased during acute hypoxemia in the older kits but not in the 4- to 6-day-old kits; the decrease in T(c) was accentuated on postnatal days 28-30 compared with postnatal days 9-11. T(a) decreased or stayed the same during exposure to acute hypoxemia. Our data provide evidence that postnatal maturation influences the T(c) response of rabbits to acute hypoxemia and that the decrease in T(c) during hypoxemia in the older kits results from a regulated thermoregulatory response.