Functional diversity for body actions in the mesencephalic locomotor region

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First Characterization of 6-Hydroxytryptamine in the Rat Midbrain by Using Specific Antibodies

The visualization of serotonin, 5-methoxytryptamine, and tryptamine in the rat midbrain has been made possible by the development of antibodies raised against these conjugated molecules. It has been suggested that 6-hydroxytryptamine (6-HT) might also be a neurotransmitter in this region. To test this hypothesis, 6-HT was synthesized and antibodies were raised in the rabbit. The high avidity (IC50 = 5 x 10(-9) M) and specificity [cross-reactivity ratio between 6-HT-glutaraldehyde (G)-bovine serum albumin (BSA) and 5-HT-G-BSA, the most immunoreactive compound, was 1,500] rendered these antibodies reliable tools for specific molecular detection of 6-HT in the G-fixed tissues. In the dopaminergic region, 6-HT immunoreactivity was noted in the substantia nigra but was particularly intense in the red nuclei, where it seems to be localized in the magnocellular division in the form of large 6-HT neurons. In contrast, there were few 6-HT neurons in the raphe nuclei. Thus, 6-HT may be a new putative neurotransmitter existing in the red nuclei, in addition to the other neurotransmitters already described in this region, in the nigro-rubral pathway, and in the rubral projection from the dorsal raphe nuclei. 6-HT is possibly implicated in motor control and might exert hallucinogenic properties as do other 6-hydroxylated indoleamines.     

Use of Heteroduplex Mobility Analysis (HMA) for Differentiating Phytoplasma Isolates Causing Witches' Broom Disease on Populus nigra cv Italica and Stolbur or Big Bud Symptoms on Tomato

Heteroduplex mobility analysis (HMA) was performed to distinguish French and German isolates of phytoplasmas from Populus nigra cv Italica witches broom. The French isolate was similar to the phytoplasma responsible for the European aster yellows while the German isolate was different but closely related to it. When phytoplasmas inducing similar "stolbur" symptoms in tomato were compared to HMA, a high degree of genetic differences was observed among the reference stolbur C (StC) isolate, the European aster yellows and the other phytoplasmas inducing stolbur or big bud symptoms in tomato. Pseudo-stolbur B and D from Brazil were differentiated from the reference St C using this method.     

埃塞俄比亚芥与诸葛菜属间杂种的基因组原位杂交分析

用幼胚培养方法重新获得的埃塞俄比亚芥(Brassica carinata A.Braun,2n=34)与诸葛菜(Orychophragmus violaceus (L.)O.E.Schulz,2n=24)的属间杂种仍为混倍体(2n=14～34),2n=34细胞的频率最高;绝大多数花粉母细胞(PMCs)表现正常的17个二价体配对和17：17的分离。基因组原位杂交分析结果表明,在所有体细胞和PMCs中不含有整条的诸葛菜染色体,2n=34的体细胞和PMCs中包含了来自黑芥(B．nigra (L．)Koch,2n=16)的16条染色体。这些具有完全或部分埃塞俄比亚芥染色体组成的细胞,可能来源于以前提出的杂种细胞在有丝分裂中完全或部分亲本染色体组分开和染色体复制,并伴随诸葛菜染色体的消除。     

A Real-Time Quantitative PCR Assay for the Detection of Sphaeropsis sapinea from Inoculated Pinus nigra Shoots

Pinus nigra (Austrian pine) is a tree widely planted in central and southern Europe in the reforestation of areas with poor soils. One of the major constrains of P. nigra is a fungal disease caused by Sphaeropsis sapinea which causes shoot tip dieback and tree mortality. This paper describes a real‐time quantitative PCR assay based on the partial sequence of the small subunit ribosomal RNA of S. sapinea to detect and quantify DNA of the fungal pathogen in S. sapinea inoculated shoots. The study found that real‐time quantitative PCR was a reliable technique to diagnose this disease and suggests that it can also be used to study fungal behaviour in host tissue and particularly to quantify fungal growth in the latent or endophytic phase.     

云南纳帕海湿地越冬黑鹳种群动态和迁徙

掌握种群动态以及迁徙习性对濒危候鸟的保护至关重要。2004~2005、2007~2008、2008~2009年的冬季(10月~次年4月),采用夜栖地直接计数法对云南省纳帕海湿地黑鹳(Ciconia nigra)的种群数量进行了监测。结果表明,在2004~2005、2007~2008、2008~2009年冬季,纳帕海湿地越冬黑鹳种群平均数量分别为39.6、128.6、181.8只,呈逐年增加的趋势;通常黑鹳10月下旬迁来,至次年3月中下旬迁离;纳帕海同时也是繁殖于蒙古国的黑鹳迁往印度越冬地的重要停歇地,过境时间集中在 11月中上旬。纳帕海湿地已经成为国内最为重要的黑鹳越冬地和迁徙停歇地,建议当地管理部门加强湿地管理,维持适当的浅水区域作为黑鹳的觅食地,另外需加强旅游管理,减少游客对黑鹳的干扰。     

Social Tolerance in Wild Female Crested Macaques (Macaca nigra) in Tangkoko‐Batuangus Nature Reserve,Sulawesi, Indonesia

In primates, females typically drive the evolution of the social system and present a wide diversity of social structures. To understand this diversity, it is necessary to document the consistency and/or flexibility of female social structures across and within species, contexts, and environments. Macaques (Macaca sp.) are an ideal taxon for such comparative study, showing both consistency and variation in their social relations. Their social styles, constituting robust sets of social traits, can be classified in four grades, from despotic to tolerant. However, tolerant species are still understudied, especially in the wild. To foster our understanding of tolerant societies and to assess the validity of the concept of social style, we studied female crested macaques, Macaca nigra, under entirely natural conditions. We assessed their degree of social tolerance by analyzing the frequency, intensity, and distribution of agonistic and affiliative behaviors, their dominance gradient, their bared‐teeth display, and their level of conciliatory tendency. We also analyzed previously undocumented behavioral patterns in grade 4 macaques: reaction upon approach and distribution of affiliative behavior across partners. We compared the observed patterns to data from other populations of grade 4 macaques and from species of other grades. Overall, female crested macaques expressed a tolerant social style, with low intensity, frequently bidirectional, and reconciled conflicts. Dominance asymmetry was moderate, associated with an affiliative bared‐teeth display. Females greatly tolerated one another in close proximity. The observed patterns matched the profile of other tolerant macaques and were outside the range of patterns of more despotic species. This study is the first comprehensive analysis of females’ social behavior in a tolerant macaque species under natural conditions and as such, contributes to a better understanding of macaque societies. It also highlights the relevance of the social style concept in the assessment of the degree of tolerance/despotism in social systems. Am. J. Primatol. 75:361‐375, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Effect of starvation on copulatory activity of Ercolania nigra (Lemche, 1935) (Mollusca,Opisthobranchia, Ascoglossa)

Feeding dominates copulatory behavior in the few opisthobranchs for which behavioral hierarchies have been established. However, the influence of starvation on the dominant role has not been investigated previously. The present study investigates copulatory activity in the ascoglossan opisthobranch Ercolania nigra (Lemche) subject to varying starvation regimes. Copulatory activity of E. nigra is significantly higher in unstarved animals than in animals starved for 2h, 6h, and 24h. The decrease in copulatory activity is independent of the duration of previous starvation within the range tested (2–24 h). Copulatory behavior dominates feeding behavior in 60–80% of the cases, regardless of the duration of previous starvation. Thus the behavioral hierarchy of E. nigra differs markedly from that of the opisthobranchs previously investigated.     

Is population structure in the European white stork determined by flyway permeability rather than translocation history?

European white stork are long considered to diverge to eastern and western migration pools as a result of independent overwintering flyways. In relatively recent times, the western and northern distribution has been subject to dramatic population declines and country‐specific extirpations. A number of independent reintroduction programs were started in the mid 1950s to bring storks back to historical ranges. Founder individuals were sourced opportunistically from the Eastern and Western European distributions and Algeria, leading to significant artificial mixing between eastern and western flyways. Here we use mitochondrial and microsatellite DNA to test the contention that prior to translocation, eastern and western flyways were genetically distinct. The data show a surprising lack of structure at any spatial or temporal scale suggesting that even though birds were moved between flyways, there is evidence of natural mixing prior to the onset of translocation activities. Overall a high retention of genetic diversity, high N_ef, and an apparent absence of recent genetic bottleneck associated with early 20th century declines suggest that the species is well equipped to respond to future environmental pressures.