Behavioral characteristics of old female Japanese monkeys in a free-ranging group

Fourteen female Japanese monkeys of the Arashiyama-B group ranging in age from 11 to 29 years were observed to elucidate the behavioral characteristics of aging monkeys. A positive significant correlation was found between the occurrences of rest and age, and a negative significant correlation between the occurrences of auto-grooming and age. Younger female monkeys tended to be in contact with or in proximity to group members, while older female monkeys tended to spend much more time alone. As for the grooming interactions, younger female monkeys more often groomed others than did older female monkeys. Also, the former engaged in grooming more frequently than in being groomed, while the latter spent more time in being groomed than in grooming. The old female monkeys showed no marked decline in rank, but some of them were surpassed by their adult daughters.     

The Schizosaccharomyces pombe cdc6 gene encodes the catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase δ

The cdc6 mutants of Schizosaccharomyces pombe have been classified as being defective in progression through the G2 phase of the cell cycle. We cloned an S. pombe gene that could complement the temperature-sensitive growth of the cdc6-23 mutant. Unexpectedly, the cloned gene was allelic to pol3, which encodes the catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase δ. Integration mapping confirmed that cdc6 and pol3 are identical. The cdc6-23 mutant carries one amino acid substitution in the conserved N3 region of Pol3. Received: 17 October 1996 / Accepted: 19 November 1996     

Chromosomes of Temnocephala minor,an ectosymbiotic turbellarian on Australian crayfish found in Kagoshima Prefecture,with karyological notes on exotic turbellarians found in Japan

Records of exotic turbellarian species found in Japan are reviewed from taxonomic and karyological viewpoints. Temnocephala minor Haswell, 1888, an ectocommensal on a freshwater crayfish of Australia, was found from culture ponds of Cherax tenuimanus (introduced from W. Australia) in Kagoshima Prefecture. T. minor had the chromosome number of 2x = 18 (2sm + 2m + 2m + 2sm + 2m + 2m + 2m + 2sm + 2m). The following 3 species of exotic freshwater triclads were recorded from tanks and ponds used for tropical fish culture: Dugesia austroasiatica Kawakatsu, 1985 (2x = 16), Dugesia tigrina (Girard, 1850) (2x = 16) and Rhodax? sp. (3x = 24; 3x = 24 &; 3x + 1LB + 1SB = 25 + 1SB). The following 3 species of exotic terrestrial triclads were recorded: Bipalium nobile Kawakatsu et Makino, 1982 (2x = 10), Bipalium kewense Moseley, 1878 (2x = 18), and Platydemus manokwari de Beauchamp, 1962 (n = 6, 2x = 12). An extensive occurrence of P. manokwari in the Southwest Islands of Japan may be due to an unexpected introduction of the animal in very recent years.     

Refractoriness at peripheral and pituitary receptors in general and pituitary types of thyroid hormone resistance.

Patients with the general type (patient #1 and #2) and the selective pituitary type (#3) of thyroid hormone refractoriness (TR) were studied to clarify defects at peripheral and pituitary receptors. Products of T3 and TSH (n = 63) were calculated when T3 was above the normal limit (T3 > 1.8 ng/ml, 2.8 nmol/l) as one of the indices of pituitary resistance. Means of T3 (ng/ml) x TSH (mU/l) of patient #1 (mean; 40.8), #2 (15.0) and #3 (8.6) were significantly greater than patients with Graves' disease (2.1), suggesting pituitary refractoriness in the 3 patients. The products of patient #1 and #2 were also significantly larger than patient #3, demonstrating that the pituitary insensitivity in the latter (#3) was less than the former patients. Means of serum cholesterol in patients #1 and #2 were higher than patient #3 and patients with Graves' disease. Products of T3 (ng/ml) and cholesterol (mg/ml) (n = 28) in the patient #1 (541.9) and #2 (461.0) were significantly greater than the patient #3 (292.8) and the patients with Graves' disease (275.3). The results demonstrate generalized refractoriness in the patient #1 and #2 and selective pituitary resistance in the patient #3. It is suggested that our patient with the pituitary type (#3) had less severely affected receptors at the pituitary than our two patients with the general type. These results are consistent with the previous hypothesis that the pituitary type of TR is a partial form of this disease.     

Roles of Inorganic Nitrogen in Gametophytic Growth and in Initiation and Development of Sporophytic Shoots of Equisetum arvense

The formation of sporophytic shoots, which is induced by treatmentwith benzylaminopurine of gametophyte tissue of Equisetum arvense,can be divided into initiation and developmental phases. Thenitrogen in MS medium was suitable for two phases as well as gametophytic growth, buta reduction in the concentration of available nitrogen was neededfor the development of shoots. ions alone were effective for gametophytic growth and the initiationof sporophytic shoots, but both and ions was required for the developmental phase. (Received February 18, 1992; Accepted April 14, 1992)     

Y-chromatin positive cells in the smear preparations of the gonad from an XX male

Summary An ambisexual male infant showed a normal female karyotype by the leukocyteculture technique in two different occasions. Cultured fibroblasts from the right gonad had also a 46,XX complement. They were Y-chromatin negative. To our surprise, Y-chromatin was observed in 96% of the nuclei in smears from the uncultured gonad. It is emphasized that the examination of the uncultured gonad by the quinacrine technique is mandatory in the study of XX males.