Human attitudes towards herpetofauna: The influence of folklore and negative values on the conservation of amphibians and reptiles in Portugal

Background

Human values and folklore of wildlife strongly influence the effectiveness of conservation efforts. These values and folklore may also vary with certain demographic characteristics such as gender, age, or education. Reptiles and amphibians are among the least appreciated of vertebrates and are victims of many negative values and wrong ideas resulting from the direct interpretation of folklore. We try to demonstrate how these values and folklore can affect the way people relate to them and also the possible conservation impacts on these animals.

Methods

A questionnaire survey distributed to 514 people in the district of Évora, Portugal, was used to obtain data regarding the hypothesis that the existence of wrong ideas and negative values contributes to the phenomenon of human-associated persecution of these animals. A structural equation model was specified in order to confirm the hypothesis about the possible relationships between the presence of perceptions and negative values about amphibians and reptiles and persecution and anti-conservation attitudes. Sociodemographic variables were also added.

Results

The results of the model suggest that the presence of folklore and negative values clearly predicts persecution and anti-conservation attitudes towards amphibians and reptiles. Also, the existence of folklore varies sociodemographically, but negative values concerning these animals are widespread in the population.

Conclusions

With the use of structural equation models, this work is a contribution to the study of how certain ideas and values can directly influence human attitudes towards herpetofauna and how they can be a serious conservation issue.     

Oxidized chondroitin sulfate-cross-linked gelatin matrixes: a new class of hydrogels

A naturally occurring glycosaminoglycan such as chondroitin-6-sulfate was first converted in to its aldehyde derivative by periodate oxidation and used as a cross-linking agent for gelatin giving rise to a new class of hydrogels. Cross-linking was predominantly due to Schiff's base formation between the epsilon-amino groups of lysine or hydroxylysine side groups of gelatin and the aldehyde groups in oxidized chondroitin sulfate. The hydrogels were prepared from chondroitin sulfate with different degrees of oxidation and gelatin. They were characterized for degree of cross-linking, cross-linking density, equilibrium swelling, water vapor transmission rate, internal structure, and blood-compatibility. Degree of cross-linking of the gels determined by trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid assay showed that, the higher the degree of oxidation of the polysaccharide, the higher the degree of cross-linking. Examination of the internal structure by scanning electron microscopy showed that the hydrogels were highly porous in nature with interconnecting pores ranging from 50 to 200 mum. Equilibrium swelling showed that the gels retained about 90% water and did not undergo dehydration rapidly. The hydrogels were nontoxic and blood-compatible. Since an important phase of early wound healing has been shown to involve secretion of glycosaminoglycans such as chondroitin sulfate by fibroblasts which form a hydrophilic matrix suitable for remodeling during healing, this new class of hydrogels prepared from chondroitin sulfate and gelatin without employing any extraneous cross-linking agents are expected to have potential as wound dressing materials.     

Observations on the incidence and seasonal fluctuations of certain crustacean larvae in the plankton of the South-West Coast of India

The seasonal fluctuations in the incidence of planktonic organisms and the larval forms of certain crustaceans such as crabs, barnacles and post larvae of prawns in the plankton of the south-west coast of India have been followed for a period of three years from 1963. South-west monsoon period is the least productive period for zooplankton in this area. Brachyuran zoeae, post larvae of prawns and barnacle nauplii occur in the plankton throughout the year with distinct peaks for different groups. The zoeae ofUca annulipes occur in the plankton from September to May with a peak during November–December. The zoeae ofPortunus pelagicus are present in the plankton from September to June and their abundance is in February–March. The post larvae ofMetapenaeus affinis are found in the inshore plankton from November to June with the peak in March. The nauplii ofBalanus amphitrite communis occur in the plankton in all the months of the year, the peak incidence has been during November January. The zoeae ofU. annulipes are found to tolerate better the medium saline conditions. Of the ecological factors, salinity of the ambient water and the availability of planktonic food for the larvae seem to influence the seasonal fluctuations of these crustacean larvae in this locality.     

The isolation of a bacterial glycoprotein with luciferase activity

Luciferase from the luminescent bacteria Photobacterium leiognathi, strain S-1, has been isolated and purified from lysed cells and shown to be a glycoprotein. A soluble, non-carbohydrate containing luciferase was also isolated from the lysate. This latter luciferase amounts to less than 20% of the total luciferase activity. The purified glycoprotein is (1) susceptible to inactivation by lysozyme, (2) gives positive color reactions to the phenol, resorcinol, and anthrone tests for sugars, and (3) gives overlapping bands when stained for carbohydrate and protein on gel electrophoresis. Neither the soluble luciferase from S-1 nor a soluble luciferase isolated from Beneckea harveyi, mutant MB-20, give positive results to any of these carbohydrate tests.     

Potential role of intermedin/adrenomedullin 2 in early embryonic development in rats

Adrenomedullin2 (ADM2), also referred to as Intermedin (IMD) is expressed in trophoblast cells in human placenta and enhances the invasion and migration of first trimester HTR-8/SV-neo cells. Recently we demonstrated that infusion of IMD antagonist in pregnant rats causes feto-placental growth restriction suggesting a role for IMD in maintaining a successful pregnancy. Therefore, this study was undertaken to assess if IMD has a functional role in embryo implantation in a rat model. We show that IMD mRNA is expressed in rat implantation sites and its expression is significantly higher on day 15 in placenta compared to days 18-22. Infusion of IMD antagonist IMD????? from day 3 of pregnancy causes a significant decrease in the weights of day 9 implantation sites as well as serum levels of 17β-estradiol, progesterone, nitric oxide and serum MMP2 and MMP9 gelatinase activity. Further, expression of MMP2, MMP9, VEGF and PLGF protein levels are significantly downregulated in the implantation sites of IMD antagonist treated rats. This study suggests a potential involvement of IMD in regulating the factors that are critical for implantation and growth of the embryo and thus in establishment of normal rat pregnancy.     

Msh2-Msh3 interferes with Okazaki fragment processing to promote trinucleotide repeat expansions

Trinucleotide repeat (TNR) expansions are the underlying cause of more than 40 neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases, including myotonic dystrophy and Huntington's disease. Although genetic evidence points to errors in DNA replication and/or repair as the cause of these diseases, clear molecular mechanisms have not been described. Here, we focused on the role of the mismatch repair complex Msh2-Msh3 in promoting TNR expansions. We demonstrate that Msh2-Msh3 promotes CTG and CAG repeat expansions in vivo in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Furthermore, we provide biochemical evidence that Msh2-Msh3 directly interferes with normal Okazaki fragment processing by flap endonuclease1 (Rad27) and DNA ligase I (Cdc9) in the presence of TNR sequences, thereby producing small, incremental expansion events. We believe that this is the first mechanistic evidence showing the interplay of replication and repair proteins in the expansion of sequences during lagging-strand DNA replication.     

Hemoglobin site-mutants reveal dynamical role of interhelical H-bonds in the allosteric pathway: time-resolved UV resonance Raman evidence for intra-dimer coupling

The dynamical effect of eliminating specific tertiary H-bonds in the hemoglobin (Hb) tetramer has been investigated by site-directed mutagenesis and time-resolved absorption and ultraviolet resonance Raman (UVRR) spectroscopy. The Trp alpha 14...Thr alpha 67 and Trp beta 15...Ser beta 72 H-bonds connect the A and E helices in the alpha and beta chains, and are proposed to break in the earliest protein intermediate (Rdeoxy) following photo-deligation of HbCO, along with a second pair of H-bonds involving tyrosine residues. Mutation of the acceptor residues Thr alpha 67 and Ser beta 72 to Val and Ala eliminates the A-E H-bonds, but has been shown to have no significant effect on ligand-binding affinity or cooperativity, or on spectroscopic markers of the T-state quaternary interactions. However, the mutations have profound and unexpected effects on the character of the Rdeoxy intermediate, and on the dynamics of the subsequent steps leading to the T state. Formation of the initial quaternary contact (RT intermediate) is accelerated, by an order of magnitude, but the locking-in of the T state is delayed by a factor of 2. These rate effects are essentially the same for either mutation, or for the double mutation, suggesting that the alpha beta dimer behaves as a mechanically coupled dynamical unit. Further evidence for intra-dimer coupling is provided by the Rdeoxy UVRR spectrum, in which either or both mutations eliminate the tyrosine difference intensity, although only tryptophan H-bonds are directly affected. A possible mechanism for mechanical coupling is outlined, involving transmission of forces through the alpha(1)beta(1) (and alpha(2)beta(2)) interface. The present observations establish that quaternary motions can occur on the approximately 100 ns time-scale. They show also that a full complement of interhelical H-bonds actually slows the initial quaternary motion in Hb, but accelerates the locking in of the T-contacts.     

The human collagen beta(1-O)galactosyltransferase,GLT25D1, is a soluble endoplasmic reticulum localized protein

Background  

Glycosyl transferases transfer glycosyl groups onto their substrate. Localization partially defines their function. Glycosyl transferase 25 domain 1 (GLT25D1) was recently shown to have galactosyltransferase activity towards collagens and another well known substrate, mannose binding lectin (MBL). To gain more insight in the role of galactosylation of lysines in the Gly-X-Lys repeats of collagenous proteins, we investigated the subcellular localization of GLT25D1.