Development of ecology in Japan,with special reference to the role of Kinji Imanishi

The development of ecology in Japan, especially after the Meiji Restoration (1868), is briefly reviewed. Pioneering studies of Hiratsuka, on the calorimetric budget of a silkworm population, and Motomura, on the relation between numbers of species and individuals in biotic communities, are noteworthy. A critical examination of his role in ecology in Japan reveals Kinji Imanishi to have played pivotal roles in leading Japanese population ecologists to realize the importance of dispersal in population regulation, and leading to the worldwide revival of field primatology. Although Imanishi's later (popular) writings, in which he completely negated the role of competion and natural selection, have justifiably drawn much criticism, his earlier critique of the competition-Almighty paradigms may be re-evaluated in the light of recent discussions on interspecific competition and community equilibrium.     

NMR studies of chiral discrimination relevant to the enantioseparation of N-acylarylalkylamines by an (R)-phenylglycinol-derived chiral selector

Recently, it was reported that the chiral recognition ability of (R)-N-3,5-dinitrobenzoyl phenylglycinol derivative was examined as a new HPLC chiral stationary phase (CSP 1) for the resolution of racemic N-acylnaphthylalkylamines. However, the mechanism of chiral discrimination on the CSP remained elusive until now. In this study, a spectroscopic investigation of the chiral discrimination mechanism of CSP 1 was undertaken using mixtures of (R)-N-3,5-dinitrobenzoyl phenylglycinol-derived chiral selector (2) and each of the enantiomers of N-acylnaphthylalkylamines (3) by NMR study. First, the differences in free energy changes (DeltaDeltaG) upon diastereomeric complexation in solution between the complex of each isomer with chiral selector 2 by NMR titration were calculated. The values were then compared with those estimated by chiral HPLC. The chemical shift changes of each proton on the chiral selector and analytes were also checked and it was found that the chemical shift changes decreased continuously as the acyl group on analytes increased in length. This observation was consistent with the HPLC data. From these experimental results, the interaction mechanism of chiral discrimination between the chiral selector and the analytes is more precisely explained.     

Culture-independent analysis of fecal microbiota in infants, with special reference to Bifidobacterium species

Fecal microbiota of 31 breast-fed, 26 mix-fed, and 11 bottle-fed infants were analyzed by using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP), and culture method. We first determined the total and cultivated bacterial counts in infant fecal microbiota. Only approximately 30% of bacteria present in fecal microbiota were cultivable while the remainder was yet-to-be cultured bacteria. Sixty-eight fecal samples were divided into two clusters (I and II) by T-RFLP analysis, and then subdivided into five subclusters (Ia, Ib, IIa, IIb and IIc). There was no clear relationship between clusters and feeding method. A proportion of bifidobacteria was detected in the fecal material by PCR method using species-specific primers. The predominant Bifidobacterium spp. was Bifidobacterium longum longum type (43 samples (63.2%)), followed by B. longum infantis type (23 samples (33.8%)) and B. breve (16 samples (23.5%)). The distribution of Bifidobacterium spp. was similar in the three feeding groups. In contrast, the high incidence of B. breve in cluster I, especially subcluster Ia and B. longum longum type in cluster II, especially subcluster IIa and IIc were characterized by T-RFLP method. Our results showed that the colonization of Bifidobacterium spp. in infant feces correlated with the T-RFLP clusters.     

Trends in the evolution of dicotyledonous seeds based on character associations, with special reference to pachychalazy and recalcitrance

VON TEICHMAN, I. & VAN WYK, A. E., 1991. Trends in the evolution of dicotyledonous seeds based on character associations, with special reference to pachychalazy and recalcitrance. The possible evolutionary status of the endothelium, hypostase, pachychalaza and the recalcitrant viability behaviour of seeds is considered in relation to bitegmy/unitegmy, crassinucellate/tenuinucellate ovules, nuclear/cellular endosperm development, large/small seed size, woody/herbaceous habit and tropical/temperate habitat. The presence of the endothelium, hypostase, pachychalaza and recalcitrance in dicotyledonous families is plotted against Dahlgren's system of classification. Results are compared with Sporne's advancement index for the various families. An endothelium is considered derived since it occurs more often in highly evolved superorders and is significantly associated with derived ovule and endosperm character states as well as with smaller seed size. A hypostase appears to be relatively ancestral and is significantly associated with pachychalazy and recalcitrance. The endothelium and hypostase have developed independently in many taxa and could be interpreted as being structurally and functionally analogous. Pachychalazy and recalcitrance are significantly associated with ancestral ovule character states and, at the species level, with large seed size (overgrown seed), woody habit and tropical habitat. The presence of pachychalazy, recalcitrance and associated large seed size are therefore regarded as ancestral character states of the dicotyledons. Consideration of currently accepted dicta on seed character state polarity, suggests a reversal in the evolutionary status of pachychalazy and large seed size.     

Internal nasal floor configuration in Homo with special reference to the evolution of Neandertal facial form

The presence of a steeply sloping or depressed nasal floor within the nasal cavity of Neandertals is frequently mentioned as a likely specialization or autapomorphy. The depressed nasal floor has also been seen as contributing to a relatively more capacious nasal cavity in Neandertals, which is tied to cold-climate respiratory adaptation and energetics. These observations have been limited largely to a relatively few intact crania, and the character states associated with this trait have not been as precisely codified or analyzed as those published for Plio-Pleistocene hominins (McCollum et al., 1993, J. Hum. Evol. 24, 87; McCollum, 2000, Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 112, 275).This study examines the internal nasal floor topography in complete crania and isolated maxillae in European, west Asian, and African fossil Homo (n=158) including 25 Neandertals, and a wide range of recent humans from Europe, the Near East, and Africa (n=522). The configuration of the internal nasal floor relative to the nasal cavity entrance is codified as: 1) level, forming a smooth continuous plane; 2) sloped or mildly stepped; or 3) bilevel with a pronounced vertical depression. The frequency of these nasal floor configurations, and their relationship to both nasal margin cresting patterning and a comprehensive set of nasofacial metrics is examined.Neandertals show a high frequency of the bilevel (depressed) configuration in both adults and subadults (80%), but this configuration is also present in lower frequencies in Middle Pleistocene African, Late Pleistocene non-Neandertal (Skhul, Qafzeh), and European Later Upper Paleolithic samples (15%-50%). The bilevel configuration is also present in lower frequencies (ca. 10%) in all recent human samples, but attains nearly 20% in some sub-Saharan African samples. Across extinct and extant Homo (excluding Neandertals), internal nasal floor configuration is not associated with piriform aperture nasal margin patterning, but the two are strongly linked in Neandertals. Variation in internal nasal floor configuration in recent humans is primarily associated with internal nasal fossa breadth and nasal bridge elevation, whereas in fossil hominins, it is associated primarily with variation in facial height. Cold-climate and activity-related thermal adaptation as an explanation for the high frequency of pronounced nasal floor depression in Neandertals is inconsistent with all available data. Alternatively, variation in internal nasal floor configuration is more likely related to stochastically derived populational differences in fetal nasofacial growth patterns that do not sharply differentiate genus Homo taxa (i.e., cladistically), but do phenetically differentiate groups, in particular the Neandertals, especially when considered in combination with other nasofacial features.     

Development of cephalic neural crest cells in embryos of Lampetra japonica, with special reference to the evolution of the jaw

Neural crest cells contribute extensively to vertebrate head morphogenesis and their origin is an important question to address in understanding the evolution of the craniate head. The distribution pattern of cephalic crest cells was examined in embryos of one of the living agnathan vertebrates, Lampetra japonica. The initial appearance of putative crest cells was observed on the dorsal aspect of the neural rod at stage 20.5 and ventral expansion of these cells was first seen at the level of rostral somites. As in gnathostomes, cephalic crest cells migrate beneath the surface ectoderm and form three major cell populations, each being separated at the levels of rhombomeres (r) 3 and r5. The neural crest seems initially to be produced at all neuraxial levels except for the rostral-most area, and cephalic crest cells are secondarily excluded from levels r3 and r5. Such a pattern of crest cell distribution prefigures the morphology of the cranial nerve anlage. The second or middle crest cell population passes medial to the otocyst, implying that the otocyst does not serve as a barrier to separate the crest cell populations. The three cephalic crest cell populations fill the pharyngeal arch ventrally, covering the pharyngeal mesoderm laterally with the rostral-most population covering the premandibular region and mandibular arch. The third cell population is equivalent to the circumpharyngeal crest cells in the chick, and its influx into the pharyngeal region precedes the formation of postotic pharyngeal arches. Focal injection of DiI revealed the existence of an anteroposterior organization in the neural crest at the neurular stage, destined for each pharyngeal region. The crest cells derived from the posterior midbrain that express the LjOtxA gene, the Otx2 cognate, were shown to migrate into the mandibular arch, a pattern which is identical to gnathostome embryos. It was concluded that the head region of the lamprey embryo shares a common set of morphological characters with gnathostome embryos and that the morphological deviation of the mandibular arch between the gnathostomes and the lamprey is not based on the early embryonic patterning.     

On the vagal cardiac nerves,with special reference to the early evolution of the head–trunk interface

The vagus nerve, or the tenth cranial nerve, innervates the heart in addition to other visceral organs, including the posterior visceral arches. In amniotes, the anterior and posterior cardiac branches arise from the branchial and intestinal portions of the vagus nerve to innervate the arterial and venous poles of the heart, respectively. The evolution of this innervation pattern has yet to be elucidated, due mainly to the lack of morphological data on the vagus in basal vertebrates. To investigate this topic, we observed the vagus nerves of the lamprey (Lethenteron japonicum), elephant shark (Callorhinchus milii), and mouse (Mus musculus), focusing on the embryonic patterns of the vagal branches in the venous pole. In the lamprey, no vagus branch was found in the venous pole throughout development, whereas the arterial pole was innervated by a branch from the branchial portion. In contrast, the vagus innervated the arterial and venous poles in the mouse and elephant shark. Based on the morphological patterns of these branches, the venous vagal branches of the mouse and elephant shark appear to belong to the intestinal part of the vagus, implying that the cardiac nerve pattern is conserved among crown gnathostomes. Furthermore, we found a topographical shift of the structures adjacent to the venous pole (i.e., the hypoglossal nerve and pronephros) between the extant gnathostomes and lamprey. Phylogenetically, the lamprey morphology is likely to be the ancestral condition for vertebrates, suggesting that the evolution of the venous branch occurred early in the gnathostome lineage, in parallel with the remodeling of the head–trunk interfacial domain during the acquisition of the neck. J. Morphol. 277:1146–1158, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Comparative ultrastructural study of normal and grafted skin in the frog,Rana pipiens,with special reference to neuroepithelial connections

Summary Recent investigations have suggested specific differences in back and belly skin in anurans which appear to influence the quality of reflex responses obtained from various areas of the animals body. The present investigation represents a comparative morphological study of back and belly skin in control and skin-graftedRana pipiens, with special regard to the neuroepithelial relationships. A distinct difference in pigmentation of back and belly skin was observed. Intra-epithelial Merkel cells were present in all skin samples studied. The origins of the numerous unclassifiable cells in the Merkel cell region are discussed in relation to a presumed coordinating function of the Merkel cell during epithelial differentiation. Epitheliomesenchymal interactions were observed in the richly innvervated dermal regions. Two types of morphologically different intra-epithelial nerve endings were observed. These observations are discussed in relation to earlier observations on vertebrate skin and in relation to misdirected reflex responses obtained in skin-grafted anurans.     

Proteic toxin-antitoxin, bacterial plasmid addiction systems and their evolution with special reference to the pas system of pTF-FC2

Genes encoding toxin-antitoxin proteins are frequently found on plasmids where they serve to stabilize the plasmid within a bacterial population. The toxin-antitoxin proteins do not increase the likelihood of a progeny cell receiving a plasmid but rather function as post-segregational killing mechanisms which decrease the proportion of cells that survive after losing the plasmid. These toxin-antitoxin couples therefore act as plasmid addiction systems. Several new proteic toxin-antitoxin systems have been identified and these systems appear to be ubiquitous on the chromosomes of bacteria and archaea. When placed on plasmids, these chromosomal systems also have the ability to stabilize plasmids and in at least one case, chromosomal- and plasmid-based toxin-antitoxin systems have been shown to interact. Recent findings regarding toxin-antitoxin systems and questions that have arisen as a result of these findings are reviewed.     

Haplotype variation in the ACE gene in global populations, with special reference to India, and an alternative model of evolution of haplotypes

Angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE) is known to be associated with human cardiovascular and psychiatric pathophysiology. We have undertaken a global survey of the haplotypes in ACE gene to study diversity and to draw inferences on the nature of selective forces that may be operating on this gene. We have investigated the haplotype profiles reconstructed using polymorphisms in the regulatory (rs4277405, rs4459609, rs1800764, rs4292, rs4291), exonic (rs4309, rs4331, rs4343), and intronic (rs4340; Alu [I/D]) regions covering 17.8 kb of the ACE gene. We genotyped these polymorphisms in a large number of individuals drawn from 15 Indian ethnic groups and estimated haplotype frequencies. We compared the Indian data with available data from other global populations. Globally, five major haplotypes were observed. High-frequency haplotypes comprising mismatching alleles at the loci considered were seen in all populations. The three most frequent haplotypes among Africans were distinct from the major haplotypes of other world populations. We have studied the evolution of the two major haplotypes (TATATTGIA and CCCTCCADG), one of which contains an Alu insertion (I) and the other a deletion (D), seen most frequently among Caucasians (68%), non-African HapMap populations (65?C88%), and Indian populations (70?C95%) in detail. The two major haplotypes among Caucasians are reported to represent two distinct clades A and B. Earlier studies have postulated that a third clade C (represented by the haplotypes TACATCADG and TACATCADA) arose from an ancestral recombination event between A and B. We find that a more parsimonious explanation is that clades A and B have arisen by recombination between haplotypes belonging to clade C and a high-frequency African haplotype CCCTTCGIA. The haplotypes, which according to our hypothesis are the putative non-recombinants (PuNR), are uncommon in all non-African populations (frequency range 0?C12%). Conversely, the frequencies of the putative recombinant haplotypes (PuR) are very low in the Africans populations (2?C8%), indicating that the recombination event is likely to be ancient and arose before, perhaps shortly prior to, the global dispersal of modern humans. The global frequency spectrum of the PuR and the PuNR is difficult to explain only by drift. It appears likely that the ACE gene has been undergoing a combination of different selective pressures.     

Biological evaluation of running waters in Korea, with special reference to bioassessment using the PFU system

A total of six stations in the Han River system were selected for establishing polyurethane foam units (PFUs) to collect protozoans, including phytomastigophorans, zoomastigophorans, amoebas and ciliates, in July 1993. In the bioassessment of microbial communities using the PFUs, the number of species decreased as pollution intensity increased. The diversity index values calculated at the main stations generally agreed with the pollution status of the stations. Anyang-Chon (Chon means stream) showed the lowest diversity value (1.89), and all stations, except Masok and Anyang-Chon, showed diversity index values ranging from 3.15 to 3.93. The highest heterotrophic index (HI) value was detected in Anyang-Chon followed by Masok-Chon. The number of species at the main stations reached a maximum on day 11 of being exposed to PFUs. The results of _eq, G and T_90% all suggest that bioassessments using the PFU system were well matched with pollution status of the water. All microbial variables were significantly correlated with comprehensive chemical pollution indices, P_a and P_b , with correlation coefficients ranging from r =0.87 to r=0.96. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Ecological geography of the range of theAbies mariesii forest in northeast Honshu,Japan, with special reference to the physiographic conditions

In the subalpine areas of the snowy regions of Japan (the Japan Sea side), there are some mountains with no or very small stands ofAbies mariesii, although this species dominates the subalpine coniferous forests of the region. In order to discuss the cause and process of this phenomenon, present horizontal and vertical ranges, as well as physiographic conditions, of theA. mariesii forest were examined in detail on the mountains in the Tohoku District. Sites in the subalpine zone were classified into two types: ‘azonal sites’ which should be excluded from the habitat ofA. mariesii because of their edaphic or small-scale climatic properties, and ‘zonal sites’. Mountains with vast less-inclined zonal sites generally had well developed stands ofA. mariesii forest. On the mountains with only small, solitary stands ofA. mariesii, the distribution was limited to flats or slightly inclined slopes at relatively low altitudes. These less-inclined zonal sites were regarded as an important habitat for theA. mariesii forest in the Hypsithermal period and the extent of these sites controls the extent of the stands in that period and the success of the subsequent range expansion of the forest.     

Immunohistochemical study of the postnatal development of pituitary thyrotrophs in the rat,with special reference to cluster formation

Summary The postnatal development of rat pituitary thyrotrophs was investigated immunohistochemically on days 1, 3, 5, 10, 15 and 25. Fetal thyrotrophs are strongly immunoreactive. In the postnatal period, however, weakly immunoreactive thyrotrophs increase in number to constitute clusters on days 3–5. The numbers and dimensions of the clusters reach a maximum on day 10. Thereafter the clusters break down to give rise to single, scattered neogenic thyrotrophs. Thyrotrophs in clusters on day 10 were investigated by electron microscopy in adjacent sections. They can be characterized as an immature type of basophil, according to the classification of Yoshimura et al. (1977): 1) Type I basophils, which are irregularly shaped with elongate processes, and characterized by rows of secretory granules about 100 nm in diameter. 2) Type I/II basophils, i.e., forms intermediate between Types I and II, containing less numerous secretory granules about 100–150 nm in diameter. Type II basophils which correspond to the classical thyrotrophs are not fully developed on day 10. Thus, most thyrotrophs develop from the clusters in the neonatal period. Such neogenic thyrotrophs retain the immature characteristics of Type I and I/II cells and may develop into Type II cells during subsequent maturation.     

Skeletal evidence of trauma in African apes, with special reference to the gombe chimpanzees

Incidence of cranial and postcranial skeletal trauma was investigated in samples of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes, P. troglodytes schweinfurthii), lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), and bonobos (P. paniscus). The larger (adult) samples of chimpanzees (N=127 crania, 92 postcrania) and gorillas (N=136 crania, 62 postcrania) are curated at the Powell-Cotton Museum, Birchington, U.K. The bonobo collection (N=71 crania, 15 postcrania) is housed the Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale in Tervuren, Belgium. In addition, data were collected on the small but extremely well-documented skeletal sample from Gombe National Park (N=14 crania, 13 postcrania — including adults and adolescents). Cranial injuries, including healed fractures and bite wounds, were fairly frequent in the museum collection of chimpanzees (5.5% of individuals), but were twice as frequent in gorillas (11.0%). In the Gombe sample an even higher incidence was observed (28.6% of individuals). Bonobos, however, showed the lowest incidence of cranial trauma found among any of the African ape samples (1.4% of individuals). Postcranial trauma, documented most clearly by healed fractures, was seen in 21.7% of the Powell-Cotton chimpanzees, 30.8% of Gombe chimpanzees, 17.7% of gorillas, and in 13.3% of bonobos. Most of these lesions were found in the upper appendage. Nevertheless, highly debilitating healed fractures of the femur were also noted, most frequently and severe in female gorillas. The pattern of injuries suggests serious risks of falling in all free-ranging African apes, but also (in chimpanzees and gorillas) considerable risk from interindividual aggression, especially for males.     

The application of molecular markers to the study and conservation of fish populations, with special reference to Salmo

The main molecular techniques which can be used to generate genetic markers, and the applications of these markers to studies of fish populations are outlined. Published and ongoing studies, in the authors' laboratories, on brown trout and Atlantic salmon are used to compare the resolution and applicability of allozyme, mitochondrial DNA and minisatellite (variable number of tandem repeats) markers for studies on population structuring, genetic variation within populations, and the impact of the accidental and deliberate introduction of non-native salmonids on the genetic make-up of natural populations.