Intra-specific variation in female remating in Callosobruchus chinensis and C. maculatus

The effects of mating duration on female remating (exp. 1) and under different male densities (exp. 2) were examined in two strains of the adzuki bean beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis and in one strain of the bruchid beetle, C. maculatus. In experiment 1, the frequency of female remating was markedly different between the two strains of C. chinensis. Females of the jC strain, reared long-term in the laboratory, did not remate after being allowed to mate freely (=monogamy), whereas females of the isC strain, recently established from the field, showed high remating frequencies (=polyandry). In both strains, the frequency of female remating increased after the duration of the first mating was deliberately shortened. The relation between mating duration and remating frequency was significantly different, however, between the two strains. In a closely related species, C. maculatus, which manifests polyandry, this relation was more similar to that of the field-derived (=isC) than to that of the laboratory-derived (=jC) strain of C. chinensis. The reasons for the inter-strain variation observed in the remating frequencies of C. chinensis are also discussed. In experiment 2, the mating duration of the three strains was compared under different male densities. Only the lab-derived strain demonstrated a significantly shorter mating duration when one female was placed together with five males than when paired with one male. The shorter mating duration (approximately 26 s) was similar to that of females allowed to remate in the monogamous strain in experiment 1.     

Sequence-dependent effect of interruptions on microsatellite mutation rate in mismatch repair-deficient human cells

Although microsatellite mutation rates generally increase with increasing length of the repeat tract, interruptions in a microsatellite may stabilize it. We have performed a direct analysis of the effect of microsatellite interruptions on mutation rate and spectrum in cultured mammalian cells. Two mononucleotide sequences (G₁₇ and A₁₇) and a dinucleotide [(CA)₁₇] were compared with interrupted repeats of the same size and with sequences of 8 repeat units. MMR-deficient (MMR⁻) cells were used for these studies to eliminate effects of this repair process. Mutation rates were determined by fluctuation analysis on cells containing a microsatellite sequence at the 5′ end of an antibiotic-resistance gene; the vector carrying this sequence was integrated in the genome of the cells. In general, interrupted sequences had lower mutation rates than perfect ones of the same size, but the magnitude of the difference was dependent upon the sequence of the interrupting base(s). Some interrupted repeats had mutation rates that were lower than those of perfect sequences of the same length but similar to those of half the length. This suggests that interrupting bases effectively divide microsatellites into smaller repeat runs with mutational characteristics different from those of the corresponding full-length microsatellite. We conclude that interruptions decrease microsatellite mutation rate and influence the spectrum of frameshift mutations. The sequence of the interrupting base(s) determines the magnitude of the effect on mutation rate.     

Interruption of pacemaker signals by a diencephalic nucleus in the African electric fish, Gymnarchus niloticus

The African electric fish Gymnarchus niloticus rhythmically emits electric organ discharges (EODs) for communication and navigation. The EODs are generated by the electric organ in the tail in response to the command signals from the medullary pacemaker complex, which consists of a pacemaker nucleus (PN), two lateral relay nuclei (LRN) and a medial relay nucleus (MRN). The premotor structure and its modulatory influences on the pacemaker complex have been investigated in this paper. A bilateral prepacemaker nucleus (PPn) was found in the area of the dorsal posterior nucleus (DP) of the thalamus by retrograde labeling from the PN. No retrogradely labeled neurons outside the pacemaker complex were found after tracer injection into the LRN or MRN. Accordingly, anterogradely labeled terminal fibers from PPn neurons were found only in the PN. Iontophoresis of l-glutamate into the region of the PPn induced EOD interruptions. Despite the exclusive projection of the PPn neurons to the PN, extracellular and intracellular recordings showed that PN neurons continue their firing while MRN neurons ceased their firing during EOD interruption. This mode of EOD interruption differs from those found in any other weakly electric fishes in which EOD cessation mechanisms have been known.     

Interruption of pacemaker signals is mediated by GABAergic inhibition of the pacemaker nucleus in the African electric fish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gymnarchus niloticus</Emphasis>

The wave-type African weakly electric fish Gymnarchus niloticus produces electric organ discharges (EODs) from an electric organ in the tail that is driven by a pacemaker complex in the medulla, which consists of a pacemaker nucleus, two lateral relay nuclei and a medial relay nucleus. The prepacemaker nucleus (PPn) in the area of the dorsal posterior nucleus of the thalamus projects exclusively to the pacemaker nucleus and is responsible for EOD interruption behavior. The goal of the present study is to test the existence of inhibition of the pacemaker nucleus by the PPn. Immunohistochemical results showed clear anti-GABA immunoreactive labeling of fibers and terminals in the pacemaker nucleus, but no apparent anti-glycine immunoreactivity anywhere in the pacemaker complex. GABA injection into the pacemaker nucleus could induce EOD interruptions that are comparable to the interruptions induced by glutamate injection into the PPn. Application of the GABA_A receptor blocker bicuculline methiodide reversibly eliminated the effects of stimulation of the PPn. Thus the EOD interruption behavior in Gymnarchus is mediated through GABAergic inhibition of the pacemaker nucleus by the PPn.     

Insights into the mutational history and prevalence of SCA1 in the Indian population through anchored polymorphisms

There is a wide variation in prevalence of spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) in different populations. In the present study, we observed SCA1 in ∼22% (37/167 families) of the autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxias (ADCAs) in the Indian population. We investigated the role of various genetic factors like repeat length, interruption pattern and chromosomal background in predisposing the repeats to instability in these families. We analyzed 12 markers (9 SNPs and 3 microsatellite markers) and found 3 of them, spanning a region of ∼65 kbp to be linked with the disease locus in the Indian population. The haplotype C-4-C defined by rs1476464 (SNP9)-D6S288-rs2075974 (SNP1), which was extremely rare in nonaffected chromosomes (∼3%), was observed to be significantly (P<0.0000) associated with the expanded chromosomes in ∼44% of SCA1 families. This haplotype was found in all nonhuman primates. SNP1 (C/T), which showed a skewed allelic distribution between large (LN > 30 repeats) and small normal (SN ≤ 30 repeats) alleles (P<0.0000) had similar allelic distribution (P=0.3477) in LN and expanded alleles. Our study suggested that LN and expanded chromosomes linked with the ancestral C allele of SNP1 might have originated simultaneously during evolution by the lengthening of repeats. The LN alleles might have accumulated repeat stabilizing non-CAG interruptions during this process. Similar proportions of T allele in SN with single interruptions, LN and expanded chromosomes lend credence to the origin of expanded alleles from singly-interrupted chromosomes. Our analyses using markers linked (anchoring) to SCA1 suggest that prevalence of SCA1 is correlated to both repeat length and number of interruptions in the Indian population. The spectrum of these alleles also points toward the antiquity of SCA1 mutation in the Indian population.Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at     

不同时间睡眠干扰所致小鼠的类抑郁样行为

目的研究不同时间睡眠干扰后所致的小鼠类抑郁样行为学表现。方法使用滚筒睡眠干扰仪对小鼠进行不同时间(5、10、15 d)睡眠干扰后,分别对各组动物进行自主活动测试实验、强迫游泳实验和悬尾实验。结果干扰5 d组与对照组比,自主活动总路程、平均速度、运动总时间减少(P<0.05),干扰10 d组与对照组比,自主活动总路程、平均速度、运动总时间减少(P<0.05)。干扰5 d后,小鼠强迫游泳、悬尾实验中各指标与对照组比无差异,干扰10 d组小鼠的游泳不动时间[(143.92±9.48)s]和悬尾不动时间[(127.89±6.33)s]均较对照组小鼠游泳不动时间[(128.50±6.63)s]和悬尾不动时间[(102.64±9.57)s]长(P<0.05),干扰15 d组小鼠的游泳不动时间[(143.08±8.13)s]和悬尾不动时间[(119.10±10.43)s]均较对照组小鼠游泳不动时间[(113.00±7.28)s]和悬尾不动时间[(89.55±9.07)s]长(P<0.05)。干扰5 d组、10 d组、15 d组与对照组比,体重均降低(P<0.05)。结论滚筒法睡眠干扰10、15 d可引起小鼠的类抑郁样行为学表现。     

乙型肝炎病毒基因重组疫苗免疫儿童成人效果及阻断母婴传播的研究

以中试连续生产的6批乙肝基因重组疫苗(R—Hepavac—B)免疫儿童和成人,每剂10μg,3批苗按0、1、6月,另3批苗按0、1、2月方案接种。每批分别接种8～10岁儿童51～66人,6批共363人,18～20岁成人46～52人,6批共287人。同时用两批血源苗作对照,分别接种儿童共85人,成人84人。又用其中89—10批HBsHg含量为20μg/ml的疫苗,按20μg×3,0、1、6月方案接种HBsAg和HBeAg双阳性母亲所生婴儿36名,HBsAg阳性母亲的婴儿19名。结果显示,10μg重组疫苗3针后,无论儿童和成人其抗HBs抗体阳转率均为100％,而对照,儿童成人各有1例未阳转。儿童按0、1、6方案接种者,其抗体GMT为363.8～470.5mIU,按0、1、2方案接种者,为150.8～195.5mIU。前者高于血源苗对照,而后者持平。成人0、1、6方案GMT为189.4～247.2mIU,0、1、2方案为87.9～96.3mIU,均略低于血源苗对照.经复测,此批血源苗含量为15μg/ml,高于基因苗含量,可能是造成以上结果的原因。母婴阻断结果显示,双阳性母亲子女36人,3针免后86.1％(32/36)的婴儿获得保护。单阳性母亲子女19人全部获得保护。