Vertical and seasonal distribution of flying beetles in a suburban temperate deciduous forest collected by water pan trap

Vertical and seasonal distributions of flying beetles were investigated in asuburban temperate deciduous forest in Kanazawa, Japan using water pan traps to determine the abundance and composition among vertical strata, change in the abundance and composition through seasons and determinant factors in generating the distributions. Traps were placed at three levels (0.5 m, 10 m, and 20 m above ground) on a tower. Samplings were carried out seasonally from May to November in 1999 and 2000. Variations in the abundance of flying beetles were observed from different layers. The results showed that the abundance and composition of flying beetles varied among strata and seasons. In both 1999 and 2000,Elateridae was consistently most abundant in the bottom layer, while Attelabidae and Cantharidae were most abundant in the upper layer. In 1999, Eucnemidae and overall scavengers were most abundance in the bottom layer, but results were not consistent with those in 2000. In general, the abundance of herbivores reaches a peak in the early season(May/June) and decreases in the following months. Peaks of abundance in predators vary vertically. In the bottom layer a peak was observed in the early season (May/June), while in the upper layer this was observed in July. Scavengers had two peaks, in May/June and September. These patterns indicated that vertical distributions in the abundance of differentfeeding guilds varied through seasons.     

Temperature-Sensitive Responses in Blepharisma

Temperature sensitivity of Blepharisma cultured at 23°C was investigated in a temperature range between 18.5°C and 33.5°C. The cells accumulated in an optimal temperature (ca. 27°C) region when they were placed in a chamber with a temperature gradient, although a certain population of the cells accumulated at much higher temperatures. The quantitative analysis of behavioral responses exhibited by the cells revealed that three types of thermal response were responsible for thermoaccumulation of the cells in an optimal temperature: (1) an increase in the frequency of thermophobic response in the cells swimming away from the optimal temperature region; (2) acceleration of forward swimming velocity of the cells swimming toward the optimal temperature region; and (3) higher frequency of spontaneous ciliary reversal of the cells in higher temperature regions.     

ONTOGENY OF CHICKEN HEMOGLOBIN. III. IMMUNOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE HETEROGENEITY OF HEMOGLOBIN IN DEVELOPMENT

By applying the double diffusion technique of Ouchterlony and the immunoelectrophoresis, sequence in the appearance of antigens reactive with antisera against HbCOs from 5-day embryos and adult chickens, and the major component of adult HbCO in the course of chicken development has been studied.
Antigenic components reacting to antiserum against HbCO from 5-day embryos have been detected throughout development. Three globin-like components specific to early embryos are detectable in embryos to 2 days of incubation. Two Hb components are detectable in embryos from 3 to 5 days of incubation; one is apparently specific to embryos, while the other seems to be somewhat different from adult Hb. After 6 days of incubation only one adult Hb component is detectable.
Antigenic components reacting to antiserum against HbCO from adults have also been detectable throughout embryonic life. One globin-like component specific to early embryos can be found in embryos to 2 days of incubation. One or two Hb components which are probably specific to embryos can be detected in embryos from 3 to 5 days of incubation. After 6 days of incubation one adult Hb component is detectable, while one globin-like component specific to adults can be found after 15 days of incubation. Further, the other globin-like component is detectable after 3 days of incubation.
Antigenic components reacting to antiserum against the major component of adult HbCO have been detected throughout development; one which seems to be somewhat different from either adult Hb components can be found in embryos from 2 to 5 days of incubation, while the other which is identical with the major component of adult Hb is detectable after 6 days of incubation.     

Effects of lifestyle and genetic polymorphisms on consumption of coffee or black tea and urinary caffeine levels

To find the cause of individual differences in caffeine intake and its metabolism, we investigated the effects of lifestyle and genetic polymorphisms of caffeine metabolic enzymes on coffee or black tea and urinary caffeine levels among 259 male Japanese. It was seen that cigarette smokers drank more coffee or black tea than non-smokers (p < 0.001). There was an inverse correlation between the amount of coffee or black tea consumed and age or the frequency of alcohol drinking (p < 0.05). Genetic polymorphisms of N -acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2), cytochrome P450 (CYP)1A1 and 2E1 did not significantly affect the habit of drinking coffee or black tea. The frequency of allele 1, the NAT2 allele of rapid acetylators, increased according to coffee or black tea consumption (0.05 < p < 0.1). Among lifestyle factors, two factors, i.e. smoking and the amount of coffee or black tea consumed, were related to urinary caffeine levels (p < 0.05). Geometric means of urinary caffeine levels were higher in the group who consumed higher amounts of coffee or black tea (p < 0.05) and those of smokers were lower than non-smokers- approximately 70% of non-smokers (p < 0.05). The genetic polymorphisms of NAT2, CYP1A1 and CYP2E1 were not significantly associated with the urinary caffeine levels according to each consumption level of coffee or black tea. This study suggests that smoking should be considered for the proper appreciation of individual differences in caffeine intake and urinary caffeine levels.     

Coexistence of β1- and β2-Adrenoceptors in the Melanophore of the Goby Tridentiger obscurus*

The effects of β-adrenergic agonists and antagonists on the pigmentary state of denervated melanophores in isolated, split, caudal fins of the goby Tridentiger obscurus were examined to investigate the function and the subtype of the β-adrenoceptors of the melanophores. Salbutamol, terbutaline, and dobutamine partially inhibited the pigment-aggregating response of melanophores to norepinephrine. The effects of these β-agonists were inhibited by propranolol. It was confirmed that the melanophores possess both α-and β-adrenoceptors, and that the activation of the β-adrenoceptors induces the dispersion of pigment in the melanophores. Norepinephrine, epinephrine, isoproterenol, dobutamine, salbutamol, and terbutaline evoked the dispersion of pigment in the melanophores in which pigment had previously been aggregated by treatment with verapamil in the presence of phentolamine. The pigment-dispersing effects of two β₁-selective agonists, norepinephrine and dobutamine, were effectively inhibited by metoprolol, a selective antagonist of β₁-receptors. By contrast, the pigment-dispersing effects of two β₂-selective agonists, salbutamol and terbutaline, were not inhibited by metoprolol. Both the effects of nonselective agonists, epinephrine and isoproterenol, were partially inhibited by metoprolol. The actions of all of the β-agonists used were effectively inhibited by propranolol, and they were partially inhibited by butoxamine. These results suggest coexistence of β₁- and β₂-adrenoceptors in the melanophores. The relative numbers of β₁- and β₂-adrenoreceptors as a percentage of the total population of β-adrenoceptors were estimated to be 18.6% and 81.4%, respectively, from analyses of Hofstee plots of the effects of the β-agonists on the melanophores in the presence of butoxamine or metoprolol.     

Action Spectra for Step-Up Photophobic Response in Blepharisma

ABSTRACT The cells of Blepharisma which possess red pigment (blepharismin) show step-up photophobic response (temporal ciliary reversal induced by a sudden increase in light intensity). Bleaching of the cells by cold shock raised a threshold light intensity for the response, Oxidation of red pigment that produced blue pigment did not raise the threshold for the response. The action spectrum for the step-up photophobic response of the cells which possess normal red pigment had peaks at about 580, 540 and 490 nm, a value which coincided with peaks of an absorption spectrum of the red pigment. The absorption spectrum of oxidized pigment (blue pigment) shifted 20 nm toward infrared light. The action spectrum for the response of the cells which possess blue pigment also shifted 20 nm toward infrared light. Results suggest that red pigment might be involved in the step-up photophobic response. Key words. Blepharismin, ciliary reversal, photoreceptors, photoresponse.     

Variation of Abscisic Acid and Batatasin Content in Yam Bulbils--Effects of Stratification and Light Exposure

Batatasin content of yam (Dioscorea batatas Decne.) bulbilsdecreased slowly during 5 month stratification at 4°C, whileit remained virtually unchanged when stored at 23°C. Abscisicacid increased considerably during the 1st month at 23°Cbut only slightly at 4°C and thereafter remained constantup to the end of the 5-month storage period. On transfer to sprouting beds at 23°C the batatasin contentof stratified bulbils decreased sharply but that of non-stratifiedbulbils showed only slight variation. Light exposure duringsprouting tests suppressed the sprouting of the non-stratifiedbulbils but promoted that of the stratified ones. The changesin batatasin contents were found when the bulbils were exposedto light and this is discussed in relation to sprouting responsesto light. A scheme for batatasin economy in bulbil dormancyis proposed.     

ONTOGENY OF CHICKEN HEMOGLOBIN. I. ELECTROPHORETIC STUDY OF THE HETEROGENEITY OF HEMOGLOBIN IN DEVELOPMENT

Separation of different molecular species of hemoglobin from developing chickens by starch gel electrophoresis has revealed the appearance of early embryonic (embryonic), late embryonic (fetal) and adult hemoglobin (Hb) type during development. In 5-day embryos, there are 3 or 4 forms of embryonic Hb type. They begin to decrease in 6-day embryos and cannot be detected in embryos after 10 days of incubation. In 6-day embryos, two forms of adult Hb type appear, and one of them, which is a major form in adults, becomes t o be a major one in 7-day embryos. One or two forms of fetal Hb type first appear in 10-day embryos and are still present in 5-day posthatching chickens.
Ultracentrifugation of carbonmonoxyhemoglobins from embryos at early and at later stages (fetuses), from newly hatched and from adult chickens has shown that they have a single monodisperse peak. Some heterogeneity, however, has been detected after starch gel electrophoresis, probably owing to aggregation or polymerization.
Subunit analysis of embryonic, fetal and adult Hb type by starch gel electrophoresis in formate buffer at pH 1.9 has indicated that embryonic Hb type contains total 5 subunits, C, D, E, F and G; fetal Hb type, total 2, A and H; and adult Hb type, total 3, B, F and H.     

Relationship between size and shape in the sexually dimorphic beetle Prosopocoilus inclinatus (Coleoptera: Lucanidae)

Male characters that are used for male−male combat are often developed and exaggerated, whereas female equivalent characters are vestigial or vanished. In order to assess whether the characters common to both sexes share the same phenotypic variability due to common genetic architecture, we compared males and females of the stag beetle Prosopocoilus inclinatus using recently developed geometric morphometric methods. Elliptic Fourier analysis was used to compare shape variation between male characters (including exaggerated mandibles) and developmentally homologous female characters. A significant positive correlation was found between the size or between the weight of different body parts in both sexes, but a conspicuous difference was detected in the frequency distribution of the weight of all the body parts. Elliptic Fourier analysis demonstrated that there was marked discontinuous variation in mandibles in males, whereas such a discontinuity was not clear in females. The shape of a character in males exhibited some similarity with that of other characters, but this was not found in females. In a character, growth trajectory of shape was significantly affected by both size and weight in males, whereas size and shape tended to vary independently in female characters. These results support the hypothesis that a large sexual dimorphism in variation in shape is due to alleles accumulating in tight linkage with a sex-determining gene.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 81 , 219–233     

Distinctive developmental variability of genital parts in the sexually dimorphic beetle, Prosopocoilus inclinatus (Coleoptera: Lucanidae)

Recent comparative studies have revealed that the rapid diversity of genitalia is closely related to sexual selection and that genital development interacts with the development of different body parts. Hypotheses about developmental stability due to selection to genital parts were tested by estimating allometric relations in a sexually dimorphic stag beetle Prosopocoilus inclinatus . All genital parts of males scaled to body size with a slope of less than 1 and all but the median lobe (male intromittent organ) showed smaller variability than other body parts. This supported the 'one-size-fits-all' hypothesis, which suggests broad copulation opportunity by males of any size with females within a population. Nevertheless, we found large variation among different genital parts in coefficients of variation and in values of the switch point where the allometric relations varied significantly. These results strongly support the view that developmental trajectories of genital traits are not necessarily integrated. Among the genitalic traits, male intromittent organ and female genitalia exhibited large variability, suggesting a high responsiveness to the selective regimes and physical interaction during copulation. This may account for rapid diversification of genital morphology, even in closely-related populations in beetle species.  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 90 , 573–581.