Reconciliation in captive Guyanese squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus)

The tendency for agonistic interaction to increase the probability of friendly interaction between social partners has been demonstrated across a range of Old World primates. While research on such post-conflict behavior proceeds into an hypothesis-testing phase, new comparative information must accumulate to provide full phylogenetic perspective on primate social behavior. Data from New World and prosimian primates are yet extremely limited. We studied captive squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) via post-conflict (PC) and matched control (MC) observations and analyzed results using both the PC-MC and time-rule methods. Former opponents maintaining affiliative relationships soon engaged in friendly interaction following large proportions of agonistic interactions, whereas non-affiliated individuals, including virtually all male-female pairs, reconciled conflicts rarely. Close-proximity approaching and huddling contact constituted the principal modes of post-conflict amicability. Agonistic interactions of relatively high intensity were most likely to be reconciled and most likely to be reconciled via physical contact. High vulnerability of Saimiri to predation may have favored this species' strong inclination to reconcile soon after agonistic interaction. Research on free-living populations of this and other primate species is needed to illuminate similarities and differences across taxa.     

Molecular characterization of major histocompatibility complex class 1 (MHC-I) from squirrel monkeys (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Saimiri sciureus</Emphasis>)

Little is known about the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class 1 in squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus). We cloned, sequenced and characterized two alleles and the cDNA of the coding region of MHC class 1 in these New World monkeys. Phylogenetic analyses showed that these sequences are related to HLA class 1 genes (HLA-A and HLA-G). The structure and organization of one of the two identified clones was similar to that of a class 1 MHC gene (HLA-A2). All the exon/intron splice acceptor/donor sites are conserved and their locations correspond to the HLA-A2 gene. The sequences of the newly described cDNAs reveal that they code for the characteristic class 1 MHC proteins, with all the features thought necessary for cell surface expression. Typical sequences for the leader peptide, ₁, ₂, ₃, transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains were found.The nucleotide sequence data reported in this paper have been submitted to the GenBank database and have been assigned the accession numbers AJ438576 (Sasc-G*31), AJ438577 (Sasc-G*25), AY282760 (Sasc-G*03), AY282761 (Sasc-G*04) and AY282762 (Sasc-G*05). Sequences were named as recommended by Klein and co-workers (1990)     

Hierarchical structure and the influence of individual attributes in the captive squirrel monkey (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Saimiri collinsi</Emphasis>)

The dominance structure of primate social groups varies widely. In addition to the groups’ composition, intrinsic attributes such as sex, body size and life experience are important factors that can affect hierarchical dominance relations. All primates are social animals, and the social environment has a direct influence on the physiological conditions of vital systems such as immunological, reproductive and cardiovascular systems. In this study, we analyze the hierarchical structure of Saimiri collinsi in captivity, including the hierarchical structure type, the influence of individual intrinsic characteristics (sex, age, weight and origin—born in captivity or in the wild) based on the prior-attributes model, the relation between agonistic behavior frequency and hierarchical position, and hierarchy steepness, which represents the dominance gradient. We found that the group order was characterized by a partial hierarchy: a dominance position could be occupied by more than one individual simultaneously, including individuals of both sexes. Intrinsic characteristics had no influence on hierarchical structure, with the exception of the male in the highest hierarchical position, which had a markedly larger body than all other group members. Thus, the prior-attributes model did not apply to hierarchical formation of S. collinsi in captivity. Only the frequency of agonistic behavior of males correlated with their hierarchical position, and they differed from all other group members in their more aggressive behavior. The steepness between adjacent positions along the dominance gradient was significant only between the dominant male and the next individual in the group, with a smooth gradient between the other positions in the rank. As the access to resources is directly related to hierarchical dominance, a smooth dominance gradient is to be expected in species that form very large groups, such as wild Saimiri populations.     

Seasonal Effects on Play Behavior in Immature <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saimiri sciureus</Emphasis> in Eastern Amazonia

Play behavior is prevalent among most mammalian young, particularly primates. Though several hypotheses address the function of play, researchers have documented information on the potential costs of play and of environmental effects on the occurrence of primate play less well during long-term field studies. I examine seasonal changes in play behavior of immature squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) across 4 age classes: infants, young juveniles, mid-juveniles, and late juveniles. I observed individuals during 12 mo in Eastern Brazilian Amazonia, an area characterized by highly seasonal rainfall. Play was strongly tied to seasonality, food availability, and changes in diet. The percentage of time spent playing was reduced in the dry season, a period characterized by low fruit availability and an increase in time spent foraging for prey. I suggest that the decrease in play behavior in the dry season is related both to a higher need for energy conservation and to increased time expended in foraging activities.     

New combinations and typifications in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bistorta</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Persicaria</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Polygonum,</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rumex</Emphasis> (Polygonaceae)

New combinations are proposed in anticipation of the Polygonaceae treatment in the forthcoming volume of Intermountain Flora: Polygonum kelloggii var. esotericum, P. kelloggii var. watsonii , Rumex densiflorus var. pycnanthus , R. salicifolius var. utahensis, and R. occidentalis var. tomentellus. Typifications are proposed to facilitate ongoing studies in Polygonaceae and to maintain current usage.     

Food-storing behavior in captive squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus)

Observations of food-storing in caged squirrel monkeys are described. Frequencies of storage and attempted retrievals increased with the introduction of novel objects. The type of storage site, its location and defense, all indicate hiding of food or favored objects to avoid stealing attempts rather than food or object play behavior.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ty</Emphasis>1<Emphasis Type="Italic">/copia</Emphasis>- and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ty</Emphasis>3<Emphasis Type="Italic">/gypsy</Emphasis>-like DNA sequences in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Helianthus </Emphasis>species

Two repeated DNA sequences isolated from a partial genomic DNA library of Helianthus annuus, p HaS13 and p HaS211, were shown to represent portions of the int gene of a Ty3 /gypsy retroelement and of the RNase-Hgene of a Ty1 /copia retroelement, respectively. Southern blotting patterns obtained by hybridizing the two probes to BglII- or DraI-digested genomic DNA from different Helianthus species showed p HaS13 and p HaS211 were parts of dispersed repeats at least 8 and 7 kb in length, respectively, that were conserved in all species studied. Comparable hybridization patterns were obtained in all species with p HaS13. By contrast, the patterns obtained by hybridizing p HaS211 clearly differentiated annual species from perennials. The frequencies of p HaS13- and p HaS211-related sequences in different species were 4.3x10(4)-1.3x10(5) copies and 9.9x10(2)-8.1x10(3) copies per picogram of DNA, respectively. The frequency of p HaS13-related sequences varied widely within annual species, while no significant difference was observed among perennial species. Conversely, the frequency variation of p HaS211-related sequences was as large within annual species as within perennials. Sequences of both families were found to be dispersed along the length of all chromosomes in all species studied. However, Ty3 /gypsy-like sequences were localized preferentially at the centromeric regions, whereas Ty1/ copia-like sequences were less represented or absent around the centromeres and plentiful at the chromosome ends. These findings suggest that the two sequence families played a role in Helianthusgenome evolution and species divergence, evolved independently in the same genomic backgrounds and in annual or perennial species, and acquired different possible functions in the host genomes.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Entamoeba histolytica</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">E. dispar</Emphasis> infections in captive macaques (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Macaca fascicularis</Emphasis>) in the Philippines

Entamoeba histolytica is a protozoan parasite that infects man and animals. This parasite has a global distribution and the disease it causes is usually characterized by diarrhea. In order to detect the parasite, it is necessary to differentiate it from Entamoeba dispar. E. dispar appears morphologically similar to E. histolytica but does not cause disease and tissue invasion. This study reports on the prevalence of E. histolytica and E. dispar among captive macaques in a primate facility in the Philippines. PCR was used to correctly identify both Entamoeba species. Indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) was also performed to determine the seroprevalence of amebiasis in the captive macaques. Based on PCR targeting of the peroxiredoxin gene, of the 96 stool samples collected, 23 (24%) contained E. histolytica while 32 (33%) contained E. dispar. IFAT revealed 26 (27%) serum samples positive for antibodies against E. histolytica. Sequence analysis of the 18S rRNA gene showed that the 23 E. histolytica isolates were identical to human E. histolytica isolates deposited in the GenBank and not Entamoeba nuttalli as found in macaques in other recent reports. The Philippines is a major exporter of monkeys for biomedical research purposes, so screening animals before transporting them to other locations lessens the risk of spreading zoonoses to a wider area. This is the first report of the molecular detection of E. histolytica and E. dispar among macaques in the Philippines. This study complements the limited information available on the animal hosts of E. histolytica in the Philippines.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">In silico</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">in situ</Emphasis> characterization of the zebrafish (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Danio rerio</Emphasis>) <Emphasis Type="Italic">gnrh3</Emphasis> (sGnRH) gene

Background

Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) is responsible for stimulation of gonadotropic hormone (GtH) in the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG). The regulatory mechanisms responsible for brain specificity make the promoter attractive for in silico analysis and reporter gene studies in zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Results

We have characterized a zebrafish [Trp⁷, Leu⁸] or salmon (s) GnRH variant, gnrh 3. The gene includes a 1.6 Kb upstream regulatory region and displays the conserved structure of 4 exons and 3 introns, as seen in other species. An in silico defined enhancer at -976 in the zebrafish promoter, containing adjacent binding sites for Oct-1, CREB and Sp1, was predicted in 2 mammalian and 5 teleost GnRH promoters. Reporter gene studies confirmed the importance of this enhancer for cell specific expression in zebrafish. Interestingly the promoter of human GnRH-I, known as mammalian GnRH (mGnRH), was shown capable of driving cell specific reporter gene expression in transgenic zebrafish.

Conclusions

The characterized zebrafish Gnrh3 decapeptide exhibits complete homology to the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) GnRH-III variant. In silico analysis of mammalian and teleost GnRH promoters revealed a conserved enhancer possessing binding sites for Oct-1, CREB and Sp1. Transgenic and transient reporter gene expression in zebrafish larvae, confirmed the importance of the in silico defined zebrafish enhancer at -976. The capability of the human GnRH-I promoter of directing cell specific reporter gene expression in zebrafish supports orthology between GnRH-I and GnRH-III.

     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">tumefaciens</Emphasis>-mediated transformation of callus cells of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Crataegus</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">aronia</Emphasis>

A genetic transformation system has been developed for callus cells of Crataegus aronia using Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Callus culture was established from internodal stem segments incubated on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 5 mg l⁻¹ Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and 0.5 mg l⁻¹ 6-benzyladenine (BA). In order to optimize the callus culture system with respect to callus growth and coloration, different types and concentrations of plant growth regulators were tested. Results indicated that the best average fresh weight of red colored callus was obtained on MS medium supplemented with 2 mg l⁻¹ 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 1.5 mg l⁻¹ kinetin (Kin) (callus maintenance medium). Callus cells were co-cultivated with Agrobacterium harboring the binary plasmid pCAMBIA1302 carrying the mgfp5 and hygromycin phosphotransferase (hptII) genes conferring green fluorescent protein (GFP) activity and hygromycin resistance, respectively. Putative transgenic calli were obtained 4 weeks after incubation of the co-cultivated explants onto maintenance medium supplemented with 50 mg l⁻¹ hygromycin. Molecular analysis confirmed the integration of the transgenes in transformed callus. To our knowledge, this is the first time to report an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system in Crataegus aronia.     

Revision of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Serrulati</Emphasis> species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Penstemon</Emphasis> section <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saccanthera</Emphasis> subsection <Emphasis Type="Italic">Serrulati</Emphasis>

A revision of Penstemon sect. Saccanthera subsect. Serrulati includes a new species (P. salmonensis), a new variety (P. triphyllus var. infernalis), and the elevation of a subspecies to species (P. curtiflorus), bringing the total number of species to eight, which are keyed and described, complete with nomenclature and type citations.     

Floral development and systematic position of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arillastrum</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Allosyncarpia</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stockwellia</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eucalyptopsis</Emphasis> (Myrtaceae)

We have investigated the floral ontogeny of Arillastrum, Allosyncarpia, Stockwellia and Eucalyptopsis (of the eucalypt group, Myrtaceae) using scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy. Several critical characters for establishing relationships between these genera and to the eucalypts have been determined. The absence of compound petaline primordia in Arillastrum, Allosyncarpia, Stockwellia and Eucalyptopsis excludes these taxa from the eucalypt clade. Post-anthesis circumscissile abscission of the hypanthium above the ovary in Stockwellia, Eucalyptopsis and Allosyncarpia is evidence that these three taxa form a monophyletic group; undifferentiated perianth parts and elongated fusiform buds are characters that unite Stockwellia and Eucalyptopsis as sister taxa. No floral characters clearly associate Arillastrum with either the eucalypt clade or the clade of Stockwellia, Eucalyptopsis and Allosyncarpia.We gratefully acknowledge Clyde Dunlop and Bob Harwood (Northern Territory Herbarium) for collecting specimens of Allosyncarpia, and Bruce Gray (Atherton) for collecting specimens of Stockwellia. The Australian National Herbarium (CANB) kindly lent herbarium specimens of Eucalyptopsis for examination. This research was supported by a University of Melbourne Research Development Grant to Andrew Drinnan.     

Pedogamy in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Neidium</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillariophyceae</Emphasis>)

Single (unpaired) vegetative cells of freshwater pennate diatom Neidium cf. ampliatum differentiated into gametangia and produced a single zygote (auxospore) via a pedogamic process. The gametic nuclei fused after auxospore expansion had begun. The auxospore expanded in parallel to the apical axis of the gametangium.     

Replication timing of large <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sorex granarius</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Soricidae</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eulipotyphla</Emphasis>) telomeres

Previously, we described the unique feature of telomeric regions in Iberian shrew Sorex granarius: its telomeres have two ranges of size, very small (3.8 kb of telomeric repeats on average) and very large discontinuous telomeres (213 kb) interrupted with 18S rDNA. In this study, we have demonstrated extraordinary replication pattern of S. granarius large telomeres that have not been shown before in other studied mammal. Using the ReD-FISH procedure, we observed prolonged, through S period, large telomere replication. Furthermore, revealed ReD-FISH asymmetric signals were probably caused by partial replication of telomeres within an hour of 5-bromodeoxyuridine treatment due to the large size and special organization. We also found that in contrast to the telomeric halo from primary fibroblasts of bovine, mink, and common shrew, telomere halo of S. granarius consists of multiple loops bundled together, some of which contain rDNA. Here, we suggested several replicons firing possibly stochastic in each large telomere. Finally, we performed the TIF assay to reveal DNA damage responses at the telomeres, and along with TIF in nuclei, we found large bodies of telomeric DNA and ?-H2AX in the cytoplasm and on the surface of fibroblasts. We discuss the possibility of additional origin activation together with recombination-dependent replication pathways, mainly homologous recombination including BIR for replication fork stagnation overcoming and further S. granarius large telomere replication.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Galleria</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">mellonella</Emphasis> are Resistant to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pneumocystis</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">murina</Emphasis> Infection

Studying Pneumocystis has proven to be a challenge from the perspective of propagating a significant amount of the pathogen in a facile manner. The study of several fungal pathogens has been aided by the use of invertebrate model hosts. Our efforts to infect the invertebrate larvae Galleria mellonella with Pneumocystis proved futile since P. murina neither caused disease nor was able to proliferate within G. mellonella. It did, however, show that the pathogen could be rapidly cleared from the host.     

Stomatocytosis in a colony of captive squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus)

Chronic stomatocytosis, which increased in severity as a function of the time that animals were held in captivity, was observed in a small colony of squirrel monkeys. The stomatocytosis was associated with increasing hematocrits possibly due to a change in packing characteristics of the erythrocytes rather than any overt changes in the erythrocyte mass. Reticulocytes remained at control levels throughout development of the stomatocytosis. The most probable cause of this alteration in erythrocyte shape distribution was dietary, but the exact etiology was not determined.     

The <Emphasis Type="Italic">Caenorhabditis</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">briggsae</Emphasis> genome contains active <Emphasis Type="Italic">CbmaT1</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tcb1</Emphasis> transposons

The maT clade of transposons is a group of transposable elements intermediate in sequence and predicted protein structure to mariner and Tc transposons, with a distribution thus far limited to a few invertebrate species. We present evidence, based on searches of publicly available databases, that the nematode Caenorhabditis briggsae has several maT-like transposons, which we have designated as CbmaT elements, dispersed throughout its genome. We also describe two additional transposon sequences that probably share their evolutionary history with the CbmaT transposons. One resembles a fold back variant of a CbmaT element, with long (380-bp) inverted terminal repeats (ITRs) that show a high degree (71%) of identity to CbmaT1. The other, which shares only the 26-bp ITR sequences with one of the CbmaT variants, is present in eight nearly identical copies, but does not have a transposase gene and may therefore be cross mobilised by a CbmaT transposase. Using PCR-based mobility assays, we show that CbmaT1 transposons are capable of excising from the C. briggsae genome. CbmaT1 excised approximately 500 times less frequently than Tcb1 in the reference strain AF16, but both CbmaT1 and Tcb1 excised at extremely high frequencies in the HK105 strain. The HK105 strain also exhibited a high frequency of spontaneous induction of unc-22 mutants, suggesting that it may be a mutator strain of C. briggsae.     

Social organization of captive monandrous squirrel monkey groups (Saimiri sciureus).

1 adult male and 4 adult female squirrel monkeys were observed together as a group, isolated from all other monkeys. 3 of the 4 females were deafened for a previous experiment. Deafening, however, had no apparent, permanent effect on social behavior. Social dominance hierarchy was evaluated in a variety of situations. The results were compared with those of a similar set of observations on the females prior to the introduction of the male. Before the male was introduced, the dyadic interactions involving food stealing, body grasping, and sexual behaviors were indicative of a female linear rank order. After the male was introduced, the rank order among the females generally remained intact, with the male becoming the highest ranking member in the group. The noteworthy exception to the stability involved the highest ranking female, whose position in the hierarchy was threatened. Heterosexual interactions predominated. Homosexual behavior was also observed, although appreciably reduced in frequency as compared to the all-female group situation. A similar rank order hierarchy was observed in a second group of squirrel monkeys comprised of 1 adult male and 4 adult females. None of these monkeys was deaf.     

Effects of natal and novel <Emphasis Type="Italic">Crithidia bombi</Emphasis> (Trypanosomatidae) infections on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bombus terrestris</Emphasis> hosts

Bombus terrestris queens may contract infections of the trypanosome parasite Crithidia bombi from their natal nests; alternatively, the queens may also become infected after leaving their natal nests while foraging on contaminated flowers. We expected that, because C. bombi adapts to the natal colony during the previous generation, C. bombi infections from the natal colony will be more damaging to queens than a novel infection acquired from an unrelated colony. To test our prediction, we used queens exposed to three treatment groups: natal infection, novel infection, and control (no infection). We found that the infected queens produced fewer males and had a lower overall fitness, but we did not find any differences based on the source of the infections. We noted a strong matriline effect on the likelihood of a queen surviving hibernation and successfully founding a colony. Taken together, our results suggest that while C. bombi affects the fitness of B. terrestris, one vertical transmission event is no more damaging than randomly encountered infections. Furthermore, we found that, at least under laboratory conditions, matriline effects on fitness could override the effect of infection status. Received 2 September 2007; revised 9 November 2007; accepted 20 November 2007.     

Dynamics of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vulmar/VulMITE</Emphasis> group of transposable elements in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chenopodiaceae</Emphasis> subfamily <Emphasis Type="Italic">Betoideae</Emphasis>

Transposable elements are important factors driving plant genome evolution. Upon their mobilization, novel insertion polymorphisms are being created. We investigated differences in copy number and insertion polymorphism of a group of Mariner-like transposable elements Vulmar and related VulMITE miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (MITEs) in species representing subfamily Betoideae. Insertion sites of these elements were identified using a modified transposon display protocol, allowing amplification of longer fragments representing regions flanking insertion sites. Subsequently, a subset of TD fragments was converted into insertion site-based polymorphism (ISBP) markers. The investigated group of transposable elements was the most abundant in accessions representing the section Beta, showing intraspecific insertion polymorphisms likely resulting from their recent activity. In contrast, no unique insertions were observed for species of the genus Beta section Corollinae, while a set of section-specific insertions was observed in the genus Patellifolia, however, only two of them were polymorphic between P. procumbens and P. webbiana. We hypothesize that Vulmar and VulMITE elements were inactivated in the section Corollinae, while they remained active in the section Beta and the genus Patellifolia. The ISBP markers generally confirmed the insertion patterns observed with TD markers, including presence of distinct subsets of TE insertions specific to Beta and Patellifolia.