Seasonal variations in the activity budget of Japanese macaques in the coniferous forest of Yakushima: effects of food and temperature

Seasonal variations in the activity budget of Japanese macaques in the coniferous forest of Yakushima were studied over the course of 1 year. On an annual basis, they spent 38% of the daytime feeding, 16% traveling, 14% in social interactions, and 32% engaged in resting. The effects of temperature and food-related factors (i.e., food distribution, feeding speed, and food abundance) on the seasonal variations of activity budget were examined by stepwise multiple regression analysis. When the temperature was low, the macaques decreased traveling and feeding time, in accordance with the prediction that endothermal animals save energy under severe thermoregulatory cost. When the feeding speed of available foods was slow, they spent more time feeding. When high-quality foods were abundant, they decreased feeding time. These macaques did not respond to fluctuations in food distribution. The present results indicate the importance of temperature, in addition to food-related factors, as a determinant of activity budgets.     

Molecular cloning of protamine-2 and expression with aging in Japanese monkey (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Macaca fuscata</Emphasis>)

In order to isolate genes relating spermatogenesis with postnatal development and aging, we have attempted to obtain genes showing differences in expression in testis of Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata) by means of differential display PCR, and we have cloned, sequenced and characterized protamine-2 (PRM2) of Japanese monkey. The predicted open reading frame encoded a protein of 103 amino acid residues, most of which are common to those of other mammals. Northern analysis revealed that the PRM2 gene is expressed at adult and aged stages, but not at the juvenile stage. In situ hybridization revealed that the PRM2 gene is expressed mainly in late spermatids and its expressional potential is decreased from adult to aged stages. It suggests that PRM2 in spermiogenesis is mediated by the age of the animal.     

Non-offspring nursing by a nulliparous pregnant female just before first parturition in free-ranging Japanese macaques

A nulliparous pregnant Japanese macaque, Macaca fuscata, suckled her 1-year-old sister 44 days before her own parturition. Other Japanese macaque yearlings did not hold the nipples of this nulliparous female in their mouths. Although this non-offspring nursing before first parturition did not improve the rate of milk secretion, the nulliparous female may have improved her indirect fitness and her suckling behavior.     

Development of lateral line organs in leptocephali of the freshwater eel Anguilla japonica (Teleostei,Anguilliformes)

A study of the ontogeny of the lateral line system in leptocephali of the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica reveals the existence of three morphologically different types of lateral line organs. Type I is a novel sensory organ with hair cells bearing a single kinocilium, lacking stereocilia, distributed mainly on the head of larvae, and morphologically different from typical superficial neuromasts of the lateral line system. Its developmental sequence suggests that it may be a presumptive canal neuromast. Type II is an ordinary superficial neuromast, common in other teleost larvae, which includes presumptive canal neuromasts that first appear on the trunk and accessory superficial neuromasts that later appear on the head and trunk. Type III is a very unusual neuromast located just behind the orbit, close to the otic vesicle, with radially oriented hair cells, suggesting that these serve as multiple axes of sensitivity for mechanical stimuli. The behavior of larval eels suggests that the radially oriented neuromasts may act as the sole mechanosensory organ until the ordinary superficial neuromasts develop. The finding that larval eels possess a well-developed mechanosensory system suggests the possibility that they are also capable of perceiving weak environmental mechanical stimuli, like other teleost larvae.     

Accumulation of Japanese cedar pollen allergen,Cry j 1, in the protein body I of transgenic rice seeds using the promoter and signal sequence of glutelin GluB-1 gene

Recombinant Cry j 1, a Japanese cedar pollen allergen, was produced in rice seeds for potential use for oral immunotherapy. Cry j 1 cDNA was divided into two parts, an N-terminal half and a C-terminal half, and each was fused downstream to glutelin GluB-1 gene containing sequences of the promoter, 5 untranslated region and signal peptide. A gene for green fluorescent protein was also fused to the 3 end of the Cry j 1 fragment. Recombinant Cry j 1 of up to 16.6 g per mg total protein of the seeds was expressed in transgenic rice seeds. Although the recombinant Cry j 1 was expected to be accumulated in protein body II because of the employment of glutelin signal peptide, it was demonstrated to be accumulated exclusively in protein body I. The recombinant Cry j 1 was not shown to react with IgE of allergic patients, indicating the reduction of the risk of anaphylactic reaction. These results demonstrate that the transgenic rice seeds with the recombinant Cry j 1 would be useful for the study of oral immunotherapy.     

Purification and characterization of two soluble acid invertase isozymes from Japanese pear fruit

Two isozymes (AIV I and AIV II) of soluble acid invertase (EC 3.2.1.26) were purified from Japanese pear fruit through procedures including (NH(4))(2)SO(4) precipitating, DEAE-Sephacel column chromatography, Concanavalin A (ConA)-Sepharose affinity chromatography, hydroxyapatite column chromatography and Mono Q HR 5/5 column chromatography. The specific activities of purified AIV I and AIV II were 2670 and 2340 (nkat/mg protein), respectively. AIV I was a monomeric enzyme of 80 kDa, while AIV II may be also a monomeric enzyme, which is easy to be cleaved to 52 kDa and 34 kDa polypeptide during preparation by SDS-PAGE. The Km values for sucrose of AIV I and AIV II were 3.33 and 4.58 mM, respectively, and optimum pH of both enzyme activities was pH 4.5.     

Biochemical evidence for a cGMP-regulated protein kinase in Pharbitis nil

It is known that the level of cGMP is modulated in response to a number of stimuli in plant cells but intracellular events distal to cGMP metabolism are not clear. Cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase (Pk-G) is a major effector of cGMP action in animals and yeasts. We wanted to determine whether such kinase is present in plant cells. A soluble protein kinase was isolated from seedlings of Pharbitis nil and purified following purification methods including anion-exchange and affinity-chromatography. The enzyme consists of a single polypeptide of M(r) 70 kDa as determined by SDS-PAGE. From conventional modulators only cyclic GMP, when applied in low concentration, was able to accelerate the enzyme activity in the presence of histones. The enzyme autophosphorylated on serine and threonine residues and phosphorylated some substrates only on serine residues. Mixture of histones and histones H2B, H3 were the best phosphate acceptors. The process of autophosphorylation was accelerated by a low concentration of cGMP and reduced by high concentration of this second messenger. Antibodies raised against catalytic domain of animals Pk-G I alpha and beta cross-reacted with protein kinase from Pharbitis nil tissue. These data, taken together, demonstrate the presence of functional enzyme, which activity is regulated by cGMP and allow to classify this protein kinase as a member of the second messenger regulated group of enzymes.     

Age-related differences in social grooming among adult female Japanese monkeys ( Macaca fuscata)

The present study investigated the influence of dominance rank in combination with kinship on age-related differences in social grooming among adult females in a free-ranging group of Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata). Eighty-three adult females were divided into six sub-groups according to age-class (younger: 5–9 years old; middle: 10–14 years old; older: 15–22 years old) and dominance rank (high and low rank). The ratio of the number of unrelated females that each female groomed to the total number of available unrelated females and grooming bouts which she gave to unrelated females decreased with increasing age for both high- and low-ranking females, whereas age did not appear to affect corresponding values for related females. On the other hand, compared with low-ranking females, high-ranking females of all age-classes received grooming more often from a larger number of unrelated females. Moreover, older females of low rank received grooming less often from a smaller number of unrelated females than younger females of low rank. These results indicate that with increasing age females are more likely to concentrate on related females when they have grooming interactions with other females. This tendency seems to be more apparent for low-ranking females. Moreover, the present findings also indicate that older high-ranking females could maintain their social attractiveness as high as younger high-ranking females.