Noncytotoxic orange and red/green derivatives of DsRed-Express2 for whole-cell labeling

Background  

Whole-cell labeling is a common application of fluorescent proteins (FPs), but many red and orange FPs exhibit cytotoxicity that limits their use as whole-cell labels. Recently, a tetrameric red FP called DsRed-Express2 was engineered for enhanced solubility and was shown to be noncytotoxic in bacterial and mammalian cells. Our goal was to create derivatives of this protein with different spectral properties.     

Male endocrine responses to females: Effects of social cues in cynomolgus macaques

This study tested the hypothesis that the hormonal responses of male macaques to sexually receptive females are mediated by specific socioenvironmental cues. Twelve, socially living male Macaca fascicularis were exposed to two-ovariectomized, estrogen-primed females under pair test, peer group, and peer group without dominant male conditions. Preexposure to postexposure changes in serum cortisol levels and testosterone levels were examined in relation to male dominance rank, age, and conditions of access to stimulus females. The males displayed significantly lower cortisol increases and greater testosterone increases with females under peer group than pair test conditions. Dominant males displayed greater testosterone increases than subordinate males under peer group conditions. The testosterone levels of subordinate males were greatly enhanced by removing the dominant male from each group. Adult males displayed greater cortisol responsivity to changes in conditions of access to females than did subadult males. Subadult males displayed greater testosterone responsivity to removal of the dominant male from the group than did adult males. It is concluded that specific social cues can greatly influence the endocrine responses of males to receptive females, and further, that there may be optimal socioenvironmental parameters for eliciting testosterone increases in male primates.     

An uncommon fucosyl linkage in surface membranes of human neuroblastoma cells

The surface membranes of human neuroblastoma cells contain a fucosyl linkage, defined by using an α-L-fucosidase from almond emulsin specific for the cleavage of Fucα1→3G1cNAc and Fucα1→4G1cNAc. These linkages are not found in significant amounts on the surface of mouse neuroblastoma cells, or human or hamster fibroblasts. The enzyme released fucose from glycoproteins as well as glycopeptides, making it particularly useful for $\text{in}$$\text{vivo}$ studies.     

Maternity validation using sire‐only BovineSNP50 BeadChip data

Based on pairwise identity‐by‐state (IBS) distances and whole‐genome SNP data, kinship was investigated in the Israeli Holstein population. A total of 789 bulls, including most of the artificial insemination sires in service since 1987, were genotyped by the BovineSNP50 BeadChip. This sample included up to five generations. For each bull‐by‐bull combination, three states are possible for each marker: no match, a single match and both alleles match. Summing over all markers, the 932 598 IBS scores (three match frequencies*310 866 bull‐by‐bull combinations) were visualized using three‐dimensional coordinates that corresponded to the frequencies of the three possible states. Results were reduced to two dimensions using the transformations x’ = 0.7071(1 + freq1?freq2) and y’ = 1.2247freq0. Bull‐by‐bull pairs were grouped according to their level of kinship, and canonical scores were calculated using discriminant analysis and the x’ and y’ features. Of the 474 pairs of recorded maternal grandsire–grandson with both individuals genotyped, the probability for 28 pairs to belong to this level of kinship was low (P < 0.05), suggesting an error rate of around 3% per generation in pedigree determination.     

Nothobranchius cooperi (Teleostei: Cyprinodontiformes): a new species of annual killifish from the Luapula River drainage,northern Zambia

Nothobranchius cooperi, Nagy, Watters and Bellstedt, new species, is described from seasonal streams and ephemeral pools associated with the upper Mansa River system in the middle Luapula drainage and systems draining into the low-lying area marginal to the southwestern part of Lake Bangweulu, in the Luapula province of northern Zambia. It belongs to the N. brieni species group. Males of Nothobranchius cooperi are distinguished from congeners by the following unique combination of characters: body scales with broad orange posterior margin, forming a highly irregular cross-barred pattern; anal fin fairly uniform orange-red with irregular to regular, light blue-green zone close to the base; caudal peduncle length 1.2–1.3 times its depth; prepelvic length 48.8–51.9% SL; and head depth 75–77% of head length. Genetic divergence of the mitochondrial COI and ND2 genes and nuclear S7 gene support the distinction of the new species from its closest known relative, N. rosenstocki and confirms its position in the N. brieni species group.