Interactions among adult males and females before and after the death of the alpha male in a free-ranging troop of Japanese macaques

This report documents the social interactions among adult Japanese macaques in a free-ranging troop before and after the death of the alpha male, who died at 28 years of age after occupying his rank position for 17 years. The alpha male’s physical condition had deteriorated due to his extreme age for several months before his death. However, he maintained his alpha position. When he was attacked by the second-ranking adult male, he was rescued by the alpha female. Thereafter, whenever the second-ranking male approached him, the alpha male screamed for the alpha female’s support. The number of adult females to whom the alpha male maintained proximity during his last four months was similar to that during the same period of the previous year. Prior to his death, the alpha male was observed in close proximity to the alpha female much more frequently than was the second-ranking male. These results indicate that the alpha male maintained his position by depending on female support and particularly that of the alpha female.     

The effect of hypoxia on the control of carbohydrate metabolism in ripening bananas

The aim of this work was to determine the effects of hypoxia on the major fluxes of carbohydrate metabolism in climacteric fruit of banana (Musa cavendishii Lamb ex Paxton). Hands of bananas, untreated with ethylene, were allowed to ripen in air at 21°C in the dark. When the climacteric began, fruit were transferred to 15 or 10% oxygen and were analysed once the climacteric peak had been reached 8–12 h later. The rates of starch breakdown, sucrose, glucose and fructose accumulation, and CO₂ production were determined, as were the contents of hexose monophosphates, adenylates and pyruvate. In addition, the detailed distribution of label was determined after supplying [U-¹⁴C]-, [1-¹⁴C]-, [3,4-¹⁴C]- and [6-¹⁴C]glucose, and [U-¹⁴C]glycerol to cores of tissue under hypoxia. The data were used to estimate the major fluxes of carbohydrate metabolism. There was a reduction in the rate of respiration. The ATP/ADP ratio was unaffected but there was a significant increase in the content of AMP. In 15% oxygen only minor changes in fluxes were observed. In 10% oxygen starch breakdown was reduced and starch synthesis was not detected. The rate of sucrose synthesis decreased, as did the rate of re-entry of hexose sugars into the hexose monophosphate pool. There was a large increase in both the glycolytic flux and in the flux from triose phosphates to hexose monophosphates. It is argued that the increase in these fluxes is due to activation of pyrophosphate: fructose-6-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase, and that this enzyme has an important role in hypoxia. The results are discussed in relation to our understanding of the control of carbohydrate metabolism in hypoxia.Abbreviations Glc6P glucose-6-phosphate - Glc1P glucose-1-phosphate - Fru6P fructose-6-phosphate - PP_i inorganic pyro-phosphate We thank Geest Foods Group, Great Dunmow, Essex, UK for giving us the bananas. S.A.H. thanks the managers of the Brood bank Fund for a fellowship.     

High levels of ripening-specific reporter gene expression directed by tomato fruit polygalacturonase gene-flanking regions

The 1.4 kb 5 polygalacturonase (PG) gene-flanking region has previously been demonstrated to direct ripening-specific chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) expression in transgenic tomato plants. The steady state level of CAT mRNA in these plants was estimated to be less than 1% of the endogenous PG mRNA. Further constructs containing larger PG gene-flanking regions were generated and tested for their ability to direct higher levels of reporter gene expression. A 4.8 kb 5-flanking region greatly increased levels of ripening-specific reporter gene activity, while a 1.8 kb 3 region was only shown to have a positive regulatory role in the presence of the extended 5 region. Transgenic plants containing the CAT gene flanked by both of these regions showed the same temporal pattern of accumulation of CAT and PG mRNA, and steady-state levels of the transgene mRNA were equivalent to 60% of the endogenous PG mRNA on a per gene basis. The proximal 150 bp of the PG promoter gave no detectable CAT activity. However, the distal 3.4 kb of the 4.8 kb 5 PG promoter was shown to confer high levels of ripening-specific gene expression when placed in either orientation upstream of the 150 bp minimal promoter. The DNA sequence of the 3.4 kb region revealed a 400 bp imperfect reverse repeat, and sequences which showed similarity to functionally significant sequences from the ripening-related, ethylene-regulated tomato E8 and E4 gene promoters. The possible roles of the flanking regions in regulating PG gene expression are discussed.     

Fitness components of the hybrid Phlomis x margaritae Aparicio & Silvestre (Lamiaceae)

Studies of microsporogenesis, pollen germination, pollen stainability, fruit and seed set and ovary predation have been undertaken to evaluate the fitness of the hybrid genotype of Phlomis x margaritae relative to its parents (P. purpurea and P. x composita) and allied taxa (P. x composita nothom. composita, P. x composita nothom. trulknqueiz , and P. lychnitis). Phlomis x margaritae shows irregular meiosis with very low pollen germination rate and very high pollen sterility, no seed set, and very high ovary predation. It thus has very low reproductive success and fitness. Phlomis x composita nothom. trullenquei also shows low pollen germination and seed set, but these follow regular microsporogenesis. The existence of cryptic structural sterility is suggested for this taxon. The rest of the studied taxa (P. purpurea, P. lychnitis and P. x composita nothom. composita) were fertile and can support the specific or subspecific taxonomic status of P. x composita. A fixed ovule abortion pattern in the taxa with yellow flowers was found, since 'brood size' consisted just of one seed per fruit. On the contrary, P. purpurea was found to produce from one to four seeds per fruit. Some conservation implications are suggested.     

Sucrose metabolism and fruit growth in parthenocarpic vs seeded blueberry (Vaccinium ashei) fruits

Although fruit set and development are induced by applications of gibberellins, final fruit weight of gibberellin-induced parthenocarpic fruit is often less than that of pollinated fruit. We examined changes in the activities of sucrose-metabolizing enzymes and sugar accumulation in developing fruits of cultivated blueberry (Vaccinium ashei Reade) and their correlation with fruit growth upon pollination or exogenous applications of gibberellic acid (GA₃). The objective was to determine if differences in fruit growth could be attributed to differences in enzyme activities and subsequent sugar accumulation in fruits. The fruit development period of GA₃-treated fruits was 15 days longer than that of pollinated fruits. At maturity, GA₃-treated fruit accumulated an average of 180 mg dry weight while pollinated fruit accumulated 390 mg dry weight. Dry weight accumulation in nonpollinated fruits was negligible and these fruits abscised by 45 days after bloom (DAB). The total carbon (C) cost (dry weight C + respiratory C) for fruit development was 109 and 244 mg C fruit^-1 for GA₃-treated and pollinated fruits, respectively. Hexose concentration increased to 100 mg (g fresh weight)^-1 at ripening in both GA₃-treated and pollinated fruits. Nonpollinated fruits reached a maximum hexose concentration at 45 DAB. Sucrose phosphate synthase (EC 2.4.1.14) and sucrose synthase (EC 2.4.1.13) activities reached a maximum of ≤5.0 μmol (g fresh weight)^-1 h^-1 in both GA₃-treated and pollinated fruits. Soluble acid invertase (EC 3.2.1.26) activity increased to about 60 μmol (g fresh weight)^-1 h^-1 in both GA₃-treated and pollinated fruits at ripening, while in nonpollinated fruits, a maximum soluble acid invertase activity of 0.12 μmol (g fresh weight)^-1 h^-1 was measured at 24 DAB. Insoluble acid invertase activity declined during the early stages of fruit growth and remained relatively low throughout fruit development. Neutral invertase activity was low throughout development, increasing to 5 μmol (g fresh weight)^-1 h^-1 at ripening in GA₃-treated and pollinated fruits. Our studies demonstrate that blueberry fruit development does not appear to be limited by sucrose metabolizing enzyme activity and/or the ability to accumulate sugars in either GA₃-treated or pollinated fruits.     

Morphological changes of female reproductive organs of Japanese monkeys with reproductive conditions

Macroscopic and histological changes were examined on the female reproductive organs of Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata) with varying reproductive status in enclosed and provisioned troops. The weight and size of reproductive organs are described. The size of uterus declined in 2–3 months after parturition. The number of parturition was roughly estimated by degrees of sclerosis in myometrial vessels. The nipple length of parous animals was longer than that of nulliparous ones. The bilateral difference in the length (more than 3 mm) between nipples indicated the experience of nursing. Interpreting ovaries on the basis of macroscopic examination alone was less precise. The present results suggested that the female sexual maturity and the experience of nursing can be estimated by the measurement of reproductive organs in the Japanese monkey.     

Effect of insectary rearing on host preference and oviposition behavior of the fruit fly parasitoid Diachasmimorpha longicaudata

Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead) has been produced in the laboratory for >160 generations on the larvae of oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), the propagation hosts raised routinely on a semi-synthetic wheat diet formulation. Choice tests using modified stinging units were conducted in the laboratory to investigate whether insectary rearing had altered the host seeking and oviposition behavior of female parasitoids. Results showed that fruit fly larvae that developed in papaya, Carica papaya L. var. solo, were less preferred for oviposition than fruit fly larvae that developed on wheat diet when both were exposed concurrently to naive D. longicaudata females (= females without prior oviposition experience). The substrates (pureed papaya or wheat diet) in which treatment larvae were exposed to parasitoids did not affect oviposition preference of gravid D. longicaudata for wheat diet-reared fruit fly larvae. Our study demonstrated the possibility that rearing in an insectary system may have modified the parasitization behavior of female D. longicaudata.     

柑桔园生草栽培的生态效应研究

柑桔园生草栽培的生态效应研究李国怀章文才刘继红胡德文（华中农业大学园艺系,武汉４３００７０）ＳｔｕｄｉｅｓｏｆＥｃｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌＥｆｅｃｔｓｏｆＳｏｄＣｕｌｔｕｒｅｉｎＣｉｔｒｕｓＯｒｃｈａｒｄ．ＬｉＧｕｏｈｕａｉ,ＺｈａｎｇＷｅｎｃａｉ,ＬｉｕＪ...     

An Automated Double Staining Procedure for Bone and Cartilage

Differential skeletal staining is an important part of developmental toxicologic studies. Traditionally these studies have required time-consuming differentiation of one or both stains used and careful attention to the maceration step to prevent specimen destruction. We present a fully automated protocol which does not require differentiation of either dye and incorporates a controlled maceration step which is highly reproducible. This has resulted in high quality staining that is reproducible, stable, and can be done in volume with minimal personnel time. The process involves the staining of skinned, eviscerated specimens fixed in 95% ethanol. Using an automated tissue processor, the specimen is stained in alcian blue for 24 hr, macerated in 3% potassium hydroxide for 24 hr and stained with murexide for 24 hr. The specimens are cleared and preserved in glycerol. Within three days specimens have red stained bone and blue stained cartilage. The procedure was developed using 20-day-old Sprague-Dawley rat fetuses to evaluate the feasibility of using the procedure for teratology studies involving the fetal skeleton. Evenly stained specimens can be examined within three days and stored for years without loss of staining.