Usefulness and limitation of a tiny light-temperature logger to monitor daily activity levels of arboreal squirrels in temperate areas

Owing to recent advances in technology, biologging has revealed in-depth animal behavior at a level of detail that previously could not be obtained. However, previous studies were limited to relatively large species due to constraints caused by the size of data loggers. Some recent studies, however, applied tiny light loggers (geolocator) to monitor daily activity levels of small rodents in the southern arctic and far north Holarctic. In this study, we tested whether a similar method can be applied to arboreal squirrels in temperate regions, by combining light intensity and temperature data. Inside the squirrel’s nest was dark enough during daylight hours to capture out of nest activity with light intensity, clearly showing daily and seasonal changes in diel activity patterns. The new temperature function on the device showed consistently high temperature within the nests (35–37 °C) and suggested additional activity before sunrise; the squirrels were primarily diurnal, but occasionally left their nest for short periods (an average of 13 min) during the night. We also found that estimates of daily activity time changed depending on the threshold cut-off values of light intensity and provide a recommendation of 5 to 25 lx for future studies. In addition, temperature loggers were not always effective during summer when warmer ambient temperature approached the squirrel’s body temperature. While the inexpensive and tiny light-temperature logger has potential to monitor activity levels of small mammals, care should be taken when analyzing the output.     

Cultured Rat Astrocytes Give Rise to Neural Stem Cells

Previously, we reported the occurrence of neural stem cells (NSCs) around an area of damage after rat traumatic brain injury (TBI), but it was unclear if this was due to blastgenesis in astrocytes, or to NSCs migrating from the subventricular zone (SVZ). In this study, NSCs were isolated and cultured from cultured type 1 astrocytes taken from newborn rat cortex in which the subventricular zone and hippocampus had been discarded. All cultured type 1 astrocytes showed glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunopositivity. Nestin immunopositive spheres were isolated from type 1 astrocytes and cultured in the presence of bFGF and EGF in the medium. Neurospheres differentiated into Tuj1-, GFAP- and A2B5-positive cells after 4 days of culture without bFGF and EGF. These results indicate that isolated neurospheres from brain cortex astrocytes can differentiate into neurons and glia and might contribute to neurogenesis and neuroplasticity.     

Four mutually incompatible Argentine ant supercolonies in Japan: inferring invasion history of introduced Argentine ants from their social structure

In recent years, highly invasive ant species successively invaded warm regions of Asia. In Japan, the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile, has become established in several coastal regions. This species forms unusual social organizations called supercolonies consisting of numerous mutually non-aggressive nests. We studied the behavioral relationships, similarity of cuticular hydrocarbon profiles (nestmate recognition cue), and genetic relationships among the introduced Argentine ant populations of Japan. The Japanese populations were divided into four behaviorally, chemically, and genetically distinct supercolonies, which may have derived from independent source populations. The result represents the recent trend of increasing invasions of invasive ants to Asia. The discontinuous distribution of one supercolony throughout most of the Japanese range suggests rapid expansion of the supercolony via human-mediated jump dispersal. Meanwhile, localization of the other three supercolonies in Kobe Port provides the first evidence for multiple invasions of distinct supercolonies into a base for international trade.     

Diel vertical migration of zooplankton: optimum migrating schedule based on energy accumulation

Zooplankton perform diel vertical migration (DVM) to avoid predators at the upper water layer, but often stay in the upper water layer throughout the day seeking food in spite of the presence of predators. This difference in migrating behavior has been explained by differences in environmental conditions or genetic differences. We examined theoretically how nutritious conditions of zooplankton individuals relate to determining different migrating behavior. A simple optimization model, maximizing the population growth rate, demonstrates that zooplankton individuals change their migrating behavior depending on the amount of accumulated energy. Such energy accumulation and its investment in reproduction are repeated every reproductive cycle. Therefore, unless the reproductive cycle is synchronized among individuals, different migrating behaviors will be observed within a population even if no genetic differences exist. Our model demonstrates that such coexistence of the two migrating behaviors is possible in natural Daphnia populations, and suggests that internal conditions of zooplankton individuals may be important as a factor for determining migrating behavior of zooplankton. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Macrophage inflammatory protein-1α induces osteoclast formation by activation of the MEK/ERK/c-Fos pathway and inhibition of the p38MAPK/IRF-3/IFN-β pathway

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a bone disease that affects many individuals. It was recently reported that macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α is constitutively secreted by MM cells. MIP-1α causes bone destruction through the formation of osteoclasts (OCs). However, the molecular mechanism underlying MIP-1α-induced OC formation is not well understood. In the present study, we attempted to clarify the mechanism whereby MIP-1α induces OC formation in a mouse macrophage-like cell line comprising C7 cells. We found that MIP-1α augmented OC formation in a concentration-dependent manner; moreover, it inhibited IFN-β and ISGF3γ mRNA expression, and IFN-β secretion. MIP-1α increased the expressions of phosphorylated ERK1/2 and c-Fos and decreased those of phosphorylated p38MAPK and IRF-3. We found that the MEK1/2 inhibitor U0126 inhibited OC formation by suppressing the MEK/ERK/c-Fos pathway. SB203580 induced OC formation by upregulating c-fos mRNA expression, and SB203580 was found to inhibit IFN-β and IRF-3 mRNA expressions. The results indicate that MIP-1α induces OC formation by activating and inhibiting the MEK/ERK/c-Fos and p38MAPK/IRF-3 pathways, respectively, and suppressing IFN-β expression. These findings may be useful in the development of an OC inhibitor that targets intracellular signaling factors.     

The involvement of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase isogene, Pp-ACS1, in peach fruit softening

Ethylene promotes fruit ripening, including softening. The fruit of melting-flesh peach (Prunus persica (L). Batsch) cultivar 'Akatsuki' produces increasing levels of ethylene, and the flesh firmness softens rapidly during the ripening stage. On the other hand, the fruit of stony hard peach cultivars 'Yumyeong', 'Odoroki', and 'Manami' does not soften and produces little ethylene during fruit ripening and storage. To clarify the mechanism of suppression of ethylene production in stony hard peaches, the expression patterns of four ethylene biosynthesis enzymes were examined: ACC synthases (Pp-ACS1, Pp-ACS2, and Pp-ACS3) and ACC oxidase (Pp-ACO1). In the melting-flesh cultivar 'Akatsuki', Pp-ACS1 mRNA was dramatically induced after harvesting, and a large amount of ethylene was produced. On the other hand, in stony hard peaches, Pp-ACS1 mRNA was not induced during the ripening stage, and ethylene production was inhibited. Since Pp-ACS1 mRNA was induced normally in senescing flowers, wounded leaves, and wounded immature fruit of 'Yumyeong', Pp-ACS1 was suppressed only at the ripening stage, and was not a defect in Pp-ACS1. These results indicate that the suppression of fruit softening in stony hard peach cultivars was caused by a low level of ethylene production, which depends on the suppressed expression of Pp-ACS1.     

Two mitochondrial lineages occur in the Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), in Japan

The genealogy and diversity of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit II (COII) gene were investigated for Ostrinia furnacalis in Japan. A preliminary examination of mitochondrial lineages in China and the Philippines was also made. Two lineages (A and B) were found in the COII gene. Lineage A was frequent throughout the Japanese main islands (Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu), while the frequency of lineage B varied among these islands. No clear patterns of geographical population structure were found. Population genetic features suggested that the O. furnacalis population harboring the lineage A mitochondria expanded in the recent past, while lineage B showed weak signals of a population expansion. It is not clear whether the two lineages of mtDNA evolved in separate or identical geographical regions. We discuss two hypotheses regarding the two lineages of mtDNA: a cryptic race/species hypothesis and a selective sweep hypothesis.