The use of volatile cues in recognition of kin eggs by predatory mites

1. Several animal species are known to distinguish between their own eggs and eggs of unrelated conspecifics. However, the cues involved in this discrimination are often unknown. These cues were studied using the predatory mite Gynaeseius liturivorus Ehara.
2. Adult females of these predatory mites oviposit in clusters and avoid oviposition close to eggs laid by other females, resulting in reduced cannibalism between offspring. Because predatory mites are blind, it was tested whether volatiles of eggs were used as a cue for egg recognition.
3. Adult female predatory mites were offered volatile cues of their own eggs and of unrelated conspecific eggs, and females were prevented from contacting the eggs. Predatory mites oviposited closer to their own eggs than to unrelated eggs. This preference was observed even when one own and one unrelated egg were offered as a volatile source.
4. These results suggest that adult female predatory mites can determine kinship using volatiles released from the eggs.

     

The activity of alkaline phosphatase in the sera of DBA/2NCrj and CBA/BrA mice with calcified tongue lesions

Spontaneously occurring calcified lesions were found in the tongues of DBA/2NCrj and CBA/BrA mice. In the DBA/2NCrj strain, the frequency of the lesion was 80% (males) and 88% (females). The youngest age of a mouse with this lesion was 18 days after birth, and 3-4 lesions were found in the tongue of 6- to 8-week-old mice. In CBA/BrA mice, 20% of females and 48% of males had the lesions. No significant differences were found in the serum calcium concentrations in high and low lesion-developing strains, but the alkaline phosphatase activities in the high-developing DBA/2NCrj, DBA/LiA, and CBA/BrA strains were higher than in strains with no calcified lesions.     

Sequential modification of membrane currents with classical conditioning

Pavlovian conditioning of the nudibranch mollusc Hermissenda crassicornis was previously shown to produce long-lasting reduction of two K+ currents measured across the Type B photoreceptor soma membrane (Alkon et al., 1982a; Alkon et al., 1985). Pavlovian conditioning of the rabbit was also shown to be followed by persistent K+ current reduction (Disterhoft et al., 1986). Here we report the first evidence that Ca2+ currents can also be modified by conditioning. The amplitude of the currents rather than their voltage-dependence remains reduced at least 1-2 d after conditioning (but not control procedures). Conditioning-induced changes of both K+ and Ca2+ currents increased as a function of training, the Ca2+ currents only changing substantially with greater than or equal to 250 trials. The later changes of the Ca2+ current may function to limit the magnitude of excitability increases due to associative learning.     

Electrophoretic behavior of amylase in mouse: the parotid gland is major source of serum amylase

Amylase activity in the saliva, salivary glands, serum, liver (perfused and non perfused) and pancreas was assayed and isoamylases were separated by electrophoresis in these organs using C57BR/cdJ and M. m. molossinus (Kor) mice. Amylase isozymes in the saliva, parotid gland, serum and liver were identical in both strains, respectively. Amylase activity in the liver was lower than that in the serum and liver amylase disappeared almost by perfusion. Major serum amylase was released from the parotid gland in intact animals.     

An electrophoretic polymorphism in salivary amylases (Amy-1) of mastomys (Praomys coucha).

An electrophoretic polymorphism of salivary amylases (Amy-1) in mastomys (Praomys coucha) (MWC, MRJ and MCC strains) was detected. Amylase in MWC or MRJ saliva, which migrated fast toward the anode, was designated as AMY-1A, and that in MCC saliva migrating slowly as AMY-1B. Salivary amylases are controlled by a pair of codominant alleles at a single autosomal locus (Amy-1). No polymorphism was seen in pancreatic amylases (Amy-2). The frequencies of these phenotypes did not differ between the sexes. Some isoamylases were observed and these were different from those in mouse or rat.     

Mother-infant interactions of wild-born,individually-caged cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) during the first 14 weeks of infant life

This study documents age-related changes in the interactions of wild-born cynomolgus macaque mothers and their infants living in individual cages during the first 14 weeks of infant life. Body contact between mother and infant, maternal holding, and infant sucking were found to decrease, and the mothers showed an increased frequency of aggression toward their infants with age. These results were broadly similar to those reported for mother-infant interactions in other macaques living in social groups. Nevertheless, a clear difference between the present cynomolgus macaques and other macaques in social groups was apparent. The cynomolgus macaque mothers tended to permit their infants to move about freely without displaying maternal protectiveness such as restraint or retrieval, unlike other macaque mothers in social groups. Such maternal behaviors might derive from the experience of living in individual cages for many years and the relative safety of living in individual cages. The lack of maternal restraint and retrieval could be responsible for the observed sex differences in behavior: male infants moved more actively, and broke, and made contact with their mothers more frequently than did female infants. Moreover, mothers of female infants held and groomed them more frequently and were less aggressive toward them.     

Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF)-Induced Cell Migration Is Negatively Modulated by Epidermal Growth Factor through Tyrosine Phosphorylation of the HGF Receptor

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) stimulated cell migration of human gastric carcinoma cell lines MKN1, MKN7, and MKN28. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) also stimulated the cell migration of these three cell lines. In MKN7 cells, HGF-stimulated cell migration was rather reduced in the presence of EGF, whereas such an observation was not made with MKN1 and MKN28 cells. Therefore, we compared the effect of EGF on HGF-stimulated HGF receptor phosphorylation in these cell lines. HGF induced a rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of the HGF receptor in all these cell lines. In MKN7 cells, the increased phosphorylation was further enhanced by EGF, although EGF alone did not affect tyrosine phosphorylation of the HGF receptor. In MKN1 and MKN28 cells, EGF did not influence tyrosine phosphorylation of the HGF receptor, whether HGF was present or not. The data presented here suggest that EGF negatively modulates the cellular response to HGF by increasing tyrosine phosphorylation of the HGF receptor in certain types of epithelial cells, e.g., MKN7 cells.     

Genetic Mapping of Four Mouse bHLH Genes Related toDrosophilaProneural Geneatonal

It has been shown that mammalian neurogenesis is partly controlled by multiple basic helix–loop–helix (bHLH) genes, as inDrosophila.Recently, mouse homologs ofDrosophila atonal,a proneural gene encoding a bHLH protein required for chordotonal organ and photoreceptor development, have been characterized to obtain further insights into the molecular nature of mammalian neurogenesis. Here, to assess their potential involvement in genetic neural disorders, we have determined genetic map positions for four mouseatonal-related genes,Atoh1, Atoh2, Atoh3,andNdrf,which encode MATH-1, MATH-2, MATH-3, and NDRF, respectively. Interspecific backcross analysis indicated thatAtoh1andAtoh2were located in separate positions of Chr 6 and thatAtoh3andNdrfwere mapped to Chr 10 and Chr 11, respectively. Thus, these structurally related genes are located separately on multiple chromosomes.     

Extra-weak chemiluminescence of drugs XV. Method for determining stability of Toki-shakuyaku-san extract granules

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the quality of Toki-shakuyaku-san extract granules (TJ-23) using chemiluminescence (CL). A linear relationship was obtained between the log value of the CL of TJ-23 and the reaction temperature. An excellent correlation (r= 0.999) was found between the slope of this curve (ΔA) and the colour intensity due to the browning reaction occurring at the early stage of the Maillard reaction.     

Reconstruction of ionic currents in a molluscan photoreceptor.

Two-microelectrode voltage-clamp measurements were made to determine the kinetics and voltage dependence of ionic currents across the soma membrane of the Hermissenda type B photoreceptor. The voltage-dependent outward potassium currents, IA and ICa(2+)-K+, the inward voltage-dependent calcium current, ICa2+ and the light-induced current, IIgt, were then described with Hodgkin-Huxley-type equations. The fast-activating and inactivating potassium current, IA, was described by the equation; IA(t) = gA(max)(ma infinity[1-exp(-t/tau ma)])3 x (ha infinity [1-exp(-t/tau ha)] + exp(-t/tau ha)) (Vm-EK), where the parameters ma infinity, ha infinity, tau ma, and tau ha are functions of membrane potential, Vm, and ma infinity and ha infinity are steady-state activation and inactivation parameters. Similarly, the calcium-dependent outward potassium current, ICa(2+)-K+, was described by the equation, ICa(2+)-K+ (t) = gc(max)(mc infinity(VC)(1-exp[-t/tau mc (VC)]))pc (hc infinity(VC) [1-exp(-t/tau hc)] + exp(-t/tau hc(VC)])pc(VC-EK). In high external potassium, ICa(2+)-K+ could be measured in approximate isolation from other currents as a voltage-dependent inward tail current following a depolarizing command pulse from a holding potential of -60 mV. A voltage-dependent inward calcium current across the type B soma membrane, ICa2+, activated rapidly, showed little inactivation, and was described by the equation: ICa2+ = gCa(max) [1 + exp](-Vm-5)/7]-1 (Vm-ECa), where gCa(max) was 0.5 microS. The light-induced current with both fast and slow phases was described by: IIgt(t) = IIgt1 + IIgt2 + IIgt3, IIgti = gIgti [1-exp(- ton/tau mi)] exp(-ton/tau hi)(Vm-EIgti) (i = 1, 2).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)