Circadian Variation with a Diurnal Bimodal Profile on Scent-Marking Behavior in Captive Common Marmosets (Callitrhix jacchus)

Scent-marking behavior is associated with different behavioral contexts in callitrichids, including signalizing a territory, location of feeding resources, and social rank. In marmosets and tamarins it is also associated with intersexual communication. Though it appears very important for the daily routine of the individuals, very few researchers have investigated distribution through the 24-h cycle. In a preliminary report, we described a preferential incidence of this behavior 2 h before nocturnal rest in families of common marmosets. We expand the data using 8 family groups (28 subjects), 8 fathers, 6 mothers, 8 nonreproductive adults (4 sons and 4 daughters), and 6 juvenile (3 sons and 3 daughters) offspring that we kept in outdoor cages under natural environmental conditions. We recorded the frequency of anogenital scent marking for each group during the light phase, twice a wk, for 4 consecutive wks, from March 1998 to September 1999. Cosinor test detected 24- and 8-h variations in 89.3% and 85.7% of the subjects, respectively, regardless of sex or reproductive status. The 8-h component is a consequence of the 2 peaks for the behavior, at the beginning and end of the light phase. Daily distribution of scent marking is similar to that others described previously for motor activity in marmosets. The coincident rhythmical patterns for both behaviors seem to be associated with feeding behavior, as described for callitrichids in free-ranging conditions, involving an increase in foraging activities early in the morning and shortly before nocturnal rest.     

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy provides a fingerprint for the tetramer and for the aggregates of transthyretin

Transthyretin (TTR) is an amyloidogenic protein whose aggregation is responsible for several familial amyloid diseases. Here, we use FTIR to describe the secondary structural changes that take place when wt TTR undergoes heat- or high-pressure-induced denaturation, as well as fibril formation. Upon thermal denaturation, TTR loses part of its intramolecular beta-sheet structure followed by an increase in nonnative, probably antiparallel beta-sheet contacts (bands at 1,616 and 1,686 cm(-1)) and in the light scattering, suggesting its aggregation. Pressure-induced denaturation studies show that even at very elevated pressures (12 kbar), TTR loses only part of its beta-sheet structure, suggesting that pressure leads to a partially unfolded species. On comparing the FTIR spectrum of the TTR amyloid fibril produced at atmospheric pressure upon acidification (pH 4.4) with the one presented by the native tetramer, we find that the content of beta-sheets does not change much upon fibrillization; however, the alignment of beta-sheets is altered, resulting in the formation of distinct beta-sheet contacts (band at 1,625 cm(-1)). The random-coil content also decreases in going from tetramers to fibrils. This means that, although part of the tertiary- and secondary-structure content of the TTR monomers has to be lost before fibril formation, as previously suggested, there must be a subsequent reorganization of part of the random-coil structure into a well-organized structure compatible with the amyloid fibril, as well as a readjustment of the alignment of the beta-sheets. Interestingly, the infrared spectrum of the protein recovered from a cycle of compression-decompression at pD 5, 37 degrees C, is quite similar to that of fibrils produced at atmospheric pressure (pH 4.4), which suggests that high hydrostatic pressure converts the tetramers of TTR into an amyloidogenic conformation.     

Structural insights into the interaction between prion protein and nucleic acid

The infectious agent of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) is believed to comprise, at least in part, the prion protein (PrP). Other molecules can modulate the conversion of the normal PrP(C) into the pathological conformer (PrP(Sc)), but the identity and mechanisms of action of the key physiological factors remain unclear. PrP can bind to nucleic acids with relatively high affinity. Here, we report small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy measurements of the tight complex of PrP with an 18 bp DNA sequence. This double-stranded DNA sequence (E2DBS) binds with nanomolar affinity to the full-length recombinant mouse PrP. The SAXS data show that formation of the rPrP-DNA complex leads to larger values of the maximum dimension and radius of gyration. In addition, the SAXS studies reveal that the globular domain of PrP participates importantly in the formation of the complex. The changes in NMR HSQC spectra were clustered in two major regions: one in the disordered portion of the PrP and the other in the globular domain. Although interaction is mediated mainly through the PrP globular domain, the unstructured region is also recruited to the complex. This visualization of the complex provides insight into how oligonucleotides bind to PrP and opens new avenues to the design of compounds against prion diseases.     

Hormonal changes related to paternal and alloparental care in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus)

The physiological mechanisms of parental and alloparental care in cooperatively breeding nonhuman primate species such as the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) are poorly known. In this study, we examined prolactin and cortisol plasma levels of fathers and older offspring of both sexes, with and without previous experience in infant carrying, around parturition and during infant carrying. Blood samples were collected from fathers and older offspring and prolactin and cortisol were measured by RIA and EIA, respectively. Prolactin levels of both caretakers were not influenced by infant's birth, previous experience or proximity to parturition. However, prolactin levels increased in both caretakers while in physical contact with infants and also with the number of infants being carried in older offspring. These findings suggest that increased prolactin seems to be mainly due to physical effort rather than a physiological trigger of paternal and alloparental care in common marmosets. Cortisol levels were higher for experienced fathers shortly before parturition which could act to reinforce affiliative bonds between breeding males and females at this time or in the ability of males to detect the proximity of the parturition or both.     

Differentiating between hypotheses of lineage sorting and introgression in New Zealand alpine cicadas (Maoricicada Dugdale)

Lineage sorting and introgression can lead to incongruence among gene phylogenies, complicating the inference of species trees for large groups of taxa that have recently and rapidly radiated. In addition, it can be difficult to determine which of these processes is responsible for this incongruence. We explore these issues with the radiation of New Zealand alpine cicadas of the genus Maoricicada Dugdale. Gene trees were estimated from four putative independent loci: mitochondrial DNA (2274 nucleotides), elongation factor 1-alpha (1275 nucleotides), period (1709 nucleotides), and calmodulin (678 nucleotides). We reconstructed phylogenies using maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods from 44 individuals representing the 19 species and subspecies of Maoricicada and two outgroups. Species-level relationships were reconstructed using a novel extension of gene tree parsimony, whereby gene trees were weighted by their Bayesian posterior probabilities. The inferred gene trees show marked incongruence in the placement of some taxa, especially the enigmatic forest and scrub dwelling species, M. iolanthe. Using the species tree estimated by gene tree parsimony, we simulated coalescent gene trees in order to test the null hypothesis that the nonrandom placement of M. iolanthe among gene trees has arisen by chance. Under the assumptions of constant population size, known generation time, and panmixia, we were able to reject this null hypothesis. Furthermore, because the two alternative placements of M. iolanthe are in each case with species that share a similar song structure, we conclude that it is more likely that an ancient introgression event rather than lineage sorting has caused this incongruence.     

Biophysical properties of ergosterol-enriched lipid rafts in yeast and tools for their study: characterization of ergosterol/phosphatidylcholine membranes with three fluorescent membrane probes

In this work, binary mixtures of phospholipid/ergosterol (erg) were studied using three fluorescent membrane probes. The phospholipid was either saturated (1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, DPPC) or monounsaturated (1-palmitoyl-2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, POPC) phosphatidylcholine, to evaluate the fluorescence properties of the probes in gel, liquid ordered (l(o)) and liquid disordered (l(d)) phases. The probes have been used previously to study cholesterol-enriched domains, but their photophysical properties in erg-enriched membranes have not been characterized. N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)-1,2-dihexadecanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (NBD-DPPE) presents modest blue-shifts upon erg addition, and the changes in the fluorescence lifetime are mainly due to differences in the efficiency of its fluorescence dynamic self-quenching. However, the steady-state fluorescence anisotropy of NBD-DPPE presents well-defined values in each lipid phase. N-(lissamine rhodamine B sulfonyl)-1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (Rhod-DOPE) presents a close to random distribution in erg-rich membranes. There are no appreciable spectral shifts and the steady-state fluorescence anisotropy presents complex behavior, as a result of different photophysical processes. The probe is mostly useful to label l(d) domains in yeast membranes. 4-(2-(6-(Dibutylamino)-2-naphthalenyl)ethenyl)-1-(3-sulfopropyl)-pyridinium (di-4-ANEPPS) is an electrochromic dye with excitation spectra largely insensitive to the presence of erg, but presenting a strong blue-shift of its emission with increasing concentrations of this sterol. Its partition coefficient is favorable to l(o) domains in POPC/erg mixtures. Although the fluorescence properties of di-4-ANEPPS are less sensitive to erg than to chol, in both cases the fluorescence lifetime responds monotonically to sterol mole fraction, becoming significantly longer in the presence of sterol as compared to pure POPC or DPPC bilayers. The probe displays a unique sensitivity to sterol-lipid interaction due to the influence of hydration and H-bonding patterns at the membrane/water interface on its fluorescence properties. This makes di-4-ANEPPS (and possibly similar probes) potentially useful in the study of erg-enriched domains in more complex lipid mixtures and in the membranes of living yeast cells.     

Egg exposure to pyriproxyfen in the tomato leaf miner Tuta absoluta: ovicidal activity or behavioural‐modulated hatching mortality?

Insecticide susceptibility varies with the insect life stage and although the egg stage is sometimes perceived as the most vulnerable, it is a difficult target for insecticide application and little studied as such. Egg susceptibility to insecticides is generally considered important for insect growth regulators and insect pests of reduced mobility like leaf miners because of their placement on the host plant part targeted by the insecticidal application. The egg exposure to the juvenile hormone mimic pyriproxyfen was studied here in the tomato leaf miner Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), a key tomato insect pest, aiming to assess if mortality is achieved due to insecticide ovicidal activity or due to behavioural impairment of the larvae preventing egg hatching. Survival analysis of treated tomato leaves and/or eggs indicated the importance of egg exposure to pyriproxyfen leading to a significant decrease in survival with a nearly 50% reduction in survival time, which peaked at the first instar. Ovicidal activity of pyriproxyfen in the tomato leaf miner was negligible, but image recording and behaviour analysis indicated behavioural impairment of larval activity compromising hatching and leaf mining by early instar larvae leading to high mortality at this stage (ca 50%). The likely causes and management implications of such findings are discussed.