Weaving a tight social net: Allogrooming in free-ranging female langurs (Presbytis entellus)

We studied grooming among adults of a one-male multifemale troop of free-ranging Hanuman langurs (Presbytis entellus)living near Jodhpur, India, for 9 years. The 11–13 females devoted about 6% of their day to allogrooming. Adult males, whose tenures averaged 2.2 years, were transient figures in the troop's history, as reflected by their rather peripheral role in the grooming network. Females groomed males 4–40 times more frequently (1006 episodes) than vice versa- (176 episodes). Adult females received 97% of all grooming from other adult females (6655 episodes). Although females exhibited an age- inversed dominance hierarchy, they did not compete for grooming access to particular troop mates. Dyads of all possible rank differences occurred as frequently as expected: 51% of grooming was directed up the hierarchy and 49% down it. Young, high- ranking individuals gave and received significantly more grooming than the oldest, low- ranking females did. The pattern seemed to be influenced by kin selection because of the presumably high degree of female relatedness. They invested most in troopmates with the highest reproductive value, i.e., the youngest individuals. This trend was coupled with a preference of closest kin (mothers and daughters). Reciprocity was the outstanding feature since all adult females groomed and were groomed by all others. Such a tight social net might establish the necessary cohesion during frequent territorial disputes with neighboring troops.     

Alkalization of the Medium by Unicellular Green Algae during Uptake Dissolved Inorganic Carbon

When Chlorella vulgaris 11h, Chlorella vulgaris C-l, Chlamydomonasreinhardtii, Chlamydomonas moewusii, Scenedesmus obliquus, orDunaliella tertiolecta were illuminated in with 0.5 mM NaHCO₃,the pH of the medium increased in a few minutes from 6 to about9 or 10. The alkalization, which was accompanied by O₂ evolution,was dependent on light, external dissolved inorganic carbon(DIC) as HCO^-₃, and algae grown or adapted to a low, air-levelCO₂ in order to develop a DIC concentrating mechanism. Therewas little pH increase by algae without a DIC concentratingprocess from growth on 3% CO₂ in air. Photosynthetic O₂ evolutionwithout alkalization occurred using either internal DIC or externalCO₂ at acidic pH. The PH increase stopped between pH 9 to 10,but the alkalization would restart upon re-acidification betweenpH 6 and 8. Alkalization was suppressed by the carbonic anhydraseinhibitors, acetazolamide, ethoxyzolamide or carbon oxysulfide.The pH increase appeared to be the consequence of the externalconversion of HCO^–₃ into CO₂ plus OH^– during photosynthesisby cells with a high affinity for CO₂ uptake. Cells grown onhigh CO₂ to suppress the DIC pump, when given low levels ofHCO^–₃ in the light, acidified the medium from pH 10 to7. Air adapted Scenedesmus cells with a HCO^–₃ pump, aswell as a CO₂ pump, alkalized the medium very rapidly in thelight to a pH of over 10, as well as slower in the dark or inthe light with DCMU or without external DIC and O₂ evolution.Alkalization of the medium during photosynthetic DIC uptakeby algae has been considered to be part of the global carboncycle for converting H₂CO₃ to HCO^–₃ and for the formationof carbonate salts by calcareous algae from the alkaline conversionof bicarbonate to carbonate. These processes seem to be a consequenceof the algal CO₂ concentrating process. ¹Present address: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science,Niigata University, Niigata, 950-21 Japan.     

Zinc tolerance inPhormidium uncinatum

Growth response ofPhormidium uncinatum, a filamentous cyanobacterium without heterocysts, in the presence of graded concentrations of zinc was studied in pure culture. Growth at higher zinc concentrations was lower than the control. Tolerance to zinc (50 ppm) was induced in this strain by gradually transferring it to higher concentrations of Zn. The Zn-tolerant strain in turn developed tolerance to other heavy metals,e.g. Cd, Pb, along with resistance to infection by LPP-1 cyanophage, as distinct from the normal Zn sensitive strain.     

Effect of nitrate pulses on the nitrate-uptake rate,synthesis of mRNA coding for nitrate reductase,and nitrate-reductase activity in the roots of barley seedlings

Using pulses of nitrate, instead of the permanent presence of external nitrate, to induce the nitrate-assimilating system in Hordeum vulgare L., we demonstrated that nitrate can be considered as a trigger or signal for the induction of nitrate uptake, the appearance of nitratereductase activity and the synthesis of mRNA coding for nitrate reductase. Nitrate pulses stimulated the initial rate of nitrate uptake, even after subsequent cultivation in N-free medium, and resulted in a higher acceleration of the uptake rate in the presence of nitrate than in its absence.Abbreviations NR nitrate reductase     

Mobility and cooperation among nomadic shepherds: The case of theRaikas

This paper describes and then analyzes the decision-making arrangements that prevail among the Raikas—nomadic shepherds from Western India. The paper suggests, using a simple analytical framework, that the existing distribution of decision-making during migration helps the Raikasto utilize available economies of scale, represent the different interest groups in their collectives, and control their decision-makers. At the same time, the ordinary shepherds in the camp are able to extract a comfortable subsistence from a complex and harsh environment by delegating much of their decision-making responsibilities to the leaders in the camp. To the extent shepherds in other parts of the world migrate over long distances and must confront similar issues of delegation of responsibilities and control over decision-makers, the analysis holds general relevance.     

Ultrastructure of human dermal mast cells in 29 different lysosomal storage diseases

The effect of lysosomal storage diseases on the ultrastructure of human mast cells has not previously been reported. Indeed, there has been little published evidence indicating that mast cells contain typical lysosomes. However, mast cell cytoplasmic granules contain hydrolases similar to those found in lysosomes, but which differ from lysosomal hydrolases in exhibiting optimal activity at higher pH. We therefore examined by transmission electron microscopy the dermal mast cells in 58 biopsies of patients exhibiting 1 of 29 different lysosomal storage diseases. We found mast cells containing abnormal lysosomes in 16 of these disorders. In 6 of these 16 diseases, the mast cells' cytoplasmic granules appeared normal. These observations indicate that human mast cells can contain lysosomes, and provide evidence that the enzymes affected by lysosomal storage diseases are active in mast cells.     

Fecal pellet measurements of manipur brow-antlered deer with respect to sex and age classes

Measurements were made of fecal pellets for captive brow-antlered deer (Cervus eldi eldi) from different age and sex classes. Pellet measurements increased linearly with increases in age, except for length and width measurements in males. Differences in dimensions were statistically significant between sexes and among some age classes. This procedure may be useful in differentiating between the sexes, and to some extent between ages, of wild-living individuals. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Disposition kinetics of ML-1035 sulfoxide enantiomers and the prochiral sulfide in rats

ML-1035, 4-amino-5-chloro-2-[2-(methylsulfinyl)ethoxy]-N-[2-(diethylamino)ethyl]benzamide, is a sulfoxide compound and a racemic gastroprokinetic agent with a chiral center at the sulfur atom. We have investigated the disposition kinetics of (R)-ML-1035 sulfoxide (R) and (S)-ML-1035 sulfoxide (S) after the single enantiomers and the racemic mixture were administered to rats in separate experiments. There was no noticeable chiral inversion after either enantiomer dose. Both enantiomers were rapidly absorbed. After dosing with enantiomers or with the racemate, the resulting plasma concentration-time curve of R was closely parallel to that of S in both intravenous and oral experiments, suggesting that the two enantiomers have approximately the same disposition kinetics. After intravenous enantiomer doses, only S underwent conversion to sulfide, suggesting that sulfidation in the liver is enantioselective. However, the enantioselective sulfidation after intravenous dosing did not introduce a difference in the global plasma disposition profiles between R and S, since the reduction reaction is a minor metabolic process. Other metabolic reactions such as sulfonation and mono-N-desethylations were not enantioselective. After oral administration, conversion to sulfide was observed for both enantioners, implicating the existence of a nonhepatic pathway in sulfidation. Administration of a prochiral sulfide dose was associated with an enantioselective sulfoxidation, in which the R/S concentration ratios increased as a function of time. In addition, enantiomeric interaction causing changes in pharmacokinetic parameters was observed after the oral racemate dose, while the interaction is negligible after an intravenous racemate dose, indicating a route dependency in enantiomeric interaction. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

A component of the chloroplastic protein import apparatus is targeted to the outer envelope membrane via a novel pathway.

A chloroplastic outer envelope membrane protein of 75 kDa (OEP75) was identified previously as a component of the protein import machinery. Here we provide additional evidence that OEP75 is a component of protein import, present the isolation of a cDNA clone encoding this protein, briefly describe its developmental expression and tissue specificity, and characterize its insertion into the outer envelope membrane. OEP75 was synthesized as a higher molecular weight precursor (prOEP75) which bound to isolated chloroplasts in an in vitro import assay and subsequently was processed to the mature form (mOEP75). During this import assay, two proteins intermediate in size between prOEP75 and mOEP75 were detected. One of these intermediates was also detected in chloroplast envelopes isolated from young pea leaves. Binding and processing of prOEP75 required ATP and one or more surface-exposed proteinaceous components, and was competed by prSSU, a stromal-targeted protein. We propose that the N-terminus of the prOEP75 transit peptide acts as a stromal-targeting domain and a central, hydrophobic region of this transit peptide acts as a stop-transfer domain. A complex route of insertion and processing of prOEP75 may exist to ensure high fidelity targeting of this import component.