Occurrence patterns of crop‐foraging sika deer distribution in an agriculture–forest landscape revealed by nitrogen stable isotopes

Conflicts arising from the consumption of anthropogenic foods by wildlife are increasing worldwide. Conventional tools for evaluating the spatial distribution pattern of large terrestrial mammals that consume anthropogenic foods have various limitations, despite their importance in management to mitigate conflicts. In this study, we examined the spatial distribution pattern of crop‐foraging sika deer by performing nitrogen stable isotope analyses of bone collagen. We evaluated whether crop‐foraging deer lived closer to agricultural crop fields during the winter and spring, when crop production decreases. We found that female deer in proximity to agricultural crop fields during the winter and spring were more likely to be crop‐foraging individuals. Furthermore, the likelihood of crop consumption by females decreased by half as the distance to agricultural crop fields increased to 5–10 km. We did not detect a significant trend in the spatial distribution of crop‐foraging male deer. The findings of spatial distribution patterns of crop‐foraging female deer will be useful for the establishment of management areas, such as zonation, for efficient removal of them.     

Amino acid sequence of a ferredoxin from thermoacidophilic archaebacterium, Sulfolobus acidocaldarius. Presence of an N6-monomethyllysine and phyletic consideration of archaebacteria

The amino acid sequence of a ferredoxin from a thermoacidophilic archaebacterium, Sulfolobus acidocaldarius, was determined by a combination of various conventional methods to be as follows: Gly-Ile-Asp-Pro-Tyr-Arg-Thr-His-Lys-Pro-Val-Val-Gly-Asp-Ser-Ser-Gly-His- Lys-Ile -Tyr-Gly-Pro-Val-Glu-Ser-Pro-Lys(Me)-Val-Leu-Gly-Val-His-Gly-Thr-Ile-Val -Gly-Va l-Asp-Phe-Asp-Leu-Cys-Ile-Ala-Asp-Gly-Ser-Cys-Ile-Thr-Ala-Cys-Pro-Val-As n-Val-P he-Gln-Trp-Tyr-Glu-Thr-Pro-Gly-His-Pro-Ala-Ser-Glu-Lys-Lys-Ala-Asp-Pro-V al-Asn- Glu-Gln-Ala-Cys-Ile-Phe-Cys-Met-Ala-Cys-Val-Asn-Val-Cys-Pro-Val-Ala-Ala- Ile-Asp -Val-Lys-Pro-Pro. It was composed of 103 amino acid residues giving a molecular weight of 10,908 excluding Fe and S atoms. This ferredoxin contained an N6-monomethyllysine residue at position 29 which was determined by a comparison of the elution profile of the acid hydrolysates of the protein and peptides on an amino acid analyzer with three methyl derivatives of lysine and also by field desorption mass spectrometry of a purified peptide. The ferredoxin has only 7 cysteine residues, which probably participate in constructing the Fe-S clusters of this ferredoxin, indicating the presence of a unique chelate structure. Comparison of this ferredoxin with other archaebacterial ferredoxins indicated that the archaebacteria might have multiple origins in an evolutionary tree.     

The regulatory role of sialic acids in the response of class II reactive T cell hybridomas to allogeneic B cells

Two different kinds of alloreactive T cell hybridomas were established in previous experiments. One is reactive and the other is nonreactive to allogeneic I-A region-associated membrane antigen (mIa) on B cells. In the present experiments the difference between these hybridomas were analyzed by using representative clones, B cell mIa-reactive clone CB-11.4, and nonreactive clone HTB-9.3. Unresponsiveness of HTB-9.3 clone to allogeneic B cells could not be due to the inability of B cells in interleukin 1 production or the density of mIa molecules on B cells. HTB-9.3 clone could respond to C57BL/6 mouse B cells treated with neuraminidase (Nase), and Nase-treated HTB-9.3 clone could respond to normal B cells from C57BL/6 mouse, indicating that sialic acid on both B cells and HTB-9.3 clone plays a regulatory role in the alloreactivity of the clone. In response to B cells from C57BL/6 mouse, T cells from C3H/He mouse spleen showed similar reactivity to HTB-9.3 clone; that is, T cells could respond to Nase-treated B cells, and Nase-treated T cells to B cells, and T cells primed with C57BL/6 spleen cells in vitro showed similar reactivity to CB-11.4 clone. These results suggest that HTB-9.3 clone represents virgin T cells and CB-11.4 clone-primed T cells at least in alloreactivity. Anti-L3T4a was shown to block alloreactivities of both T cell hybridomas and splenic T cells against B cells more efficiently than against splenic adherent cells. These results suggest that L3T4a on T cell plays more important role in allogeneic response to B cells than to splenic adherent cells.     

Inhibition of morphine dependence by a lipopolysaccharide from Pantoea agglomerans.

A lipopolysaccharide from Pantoea agglomerans (LPSp) was purified and examined for relief of morphine dependence by observing its inhibition of the jumping of mice on naloxone-precipitate withdrawal. Administration of LPSp either intravenously or intradermally showed marked inhibition of the jumping. Beta-endorphin in mouse serum and brain tissue were recognized to be in synchrony with the time course of the relief. Administration of TNF-alpha gave similar effect, suggesting that LPSp induces a cytokine cascade to produce endogenous TNF followed by ACTH/beta-LPH gene products and beta-endorphin. The effect of LPSp was better than that of LPS from E. coli or Bordetella pertussis, and thus is considered to be applicable for clinical use.     

Subcutaneous injected chitosan induces systemic activation in dogs

Systemic activation by subcutaneous administration of chitin, chitosan, and chitosan oligomer was investigated in dogs by determining the chemiluminescence (CL) response of circulating polymorphonuclear cells (PMN). Chitin (10 and 100mg/kg), chitosan oligomer (10mg/kg), latex beads (10mg/kg) and physiological saline (10ml) did not cause activation of PMN. However, chitosan caused systemic activation of PMN in a dose-dependent manner. The peak CL response of PMN was significantly increased in the 1 and 10mg/kg chitosan groups at 3 days after administration. In addition, chitosan (10mg/kg) prevented a decrease of the CL response in dogs given dexamethasone. Serum obtained from the 10mg/kg chitosan group significantly activated PMN from normal dogs. At 3 days after chitosan administration, the serum level of complement component 3 (C3) was increased about 1.6 times that of the prechitosan C3 level. In conclusion, subcutaneous administration of chitosan induces systemic activation of both PMN and serum.     

Prenatal diagnosis of Hurler's syndrome—Biochemical studies on the affected fetus

Summary A prenatal diagnosis of Hurler's syndrome was made in a pregnancy at risk in a family with two affected children. The fetus was diagnosed as having Hurler's syndrome on the basis of a deficiency of -L-iduronidase in the cultured amniotic cells. The glycosaminoglycans (GAG) content in the supernatant of the amniotic fluid was increased about 1.5 fold compared with that in the control, and increases of heparan sulfate and dermatan sulfate were observed on electrophoresis.The diagnosis could be confirmed by the deficiencies of -L-iduronidase in the liver and brain from the affected fetus. GAG content in the liver from the affected fetus was increased approximately 10 fold as compared with that in the control fetal liver, and most of the GAG were degraded. The GAG content was observed to be increased two fold in the brain, and dermatan sulfate, which was not detected in normal fetal brain, was identified. -galactosidase activities in the affected liver and brain were decreased to 30tt50% of the control, and an altered hexosaminidase A was also observed in the liver.     

Albutensin A,an ileum-contracting peptide derived from serum albumin,acts through both receptors for complements C3a and C5a

Summary Albutensin A is an ileum-contracting peptide derived from serum albumin. The sequences of bovine, human and porcine albutensin A are ALKAWSVAR, AFKAWAVAR, and AFKAWSLAR, respectively. These albutensin A homologs all exhibited biphasic ileal contractions in the longitudinal strips of guinea pig ileum. The order of potency in the contraction was porcine>bovine>human homologs. The ileal contraction profiles were similar to those of oryzatensin and casoxin C, agonist peptides for complement C3a receptors derived from rice albumin and bovine κ-casein, respectively. All three homologs of albutensin A have homology with the COOH-terminal sequences of complements C3a and C5a, which are essential for their activities; porcine albutensin A showed the highest homology. Indeed, porcine albutensin A was confirmed to act through both C3a and C5a receptors by a radioreceptor assay and cross-desensitization in the ileal contraction. In addition, bovine and human homologs also showed affinity for both receptors. This study suggests that a bioactive peptide acting through both C3a and C5a receptors is released by the proteolytic cleavage of serum proteins other than complement components.     

Cloning and sequencing of the cDNA encoding a mouse IL-2 receptor γ

A mouse cDNA encoding an interleukin-2 receptor γ (mIL-2Rγ) was cloned. The primary amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence exhibits 70% overall similarity with human IL-2Rγ and, in particular, the predicted cytoplasmic region shows a higher degree of similarity (about 84.7%).