Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Cercopithecidae”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 505 records · Page 28Linked to original sources

Intronic gene conversion in the evolution of human X-linked color vision genes.

Human red and green visual pigment genes are X-linked duplicate genes. To study their evolutionary history, introns 2 and 4 (1,987 and 1,552 bp, respectively) of human red and green pigment genes were sequenced. Surprisingly, we found that intron 4 sequences of these two genes are identical and that the intron 2 sequences differ by only 0.3%. The low divergences are unexpected because the duplication event producing the two genes is believed to have occurred before the separation of the human and Old World monkey (OWM) lineages. Indeed, the divergences in the two introns are significantly lower than both the synonymous divergence (3.2% +/- 1.1%) and the nonsynonymous divergence (2.0% +/- 0.5%) in the coding sequences (exons 1-6). A comparison of partial sequences of exons 4 and 5 of human and OWM red and green pigment genes supports the hypothesis that the gene duplication occurred before the human-OWM split. In conclusion, the high similarities in the two intron sequences might be due to very recent gene conversion, probably during evolution of the human lineage.

Animals↗

Molecular phylogeny and evolution of primate mitochondrial DNA.

We determined nucleotide sequences of homologous 0.9-kb fragments of mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs) derived from four species of old-world monkeys, one species of new-world monkeys, and two species of prosimians. With these nucleotide sequences and homologous sequences for five species of hominoids, we constructed a phylogenetic tree for the four groups of primates. The phylogeny obtained is generally consistent with evolutionary trees constructed in previous studies. Our results also suggest that the rate of nucleotide substitution for mtDNAs in hominines (human, chimpanzee, and gorilla) may have slowed down compared with that for old-world monkeys. This evolutionary feature of mitochondrial genes is similar to one found in nuclear genes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The primary structure of langur (Presbytis entellus) pancreatic ribonuclease: adaptive features in digestive enzymes in mammals.

The primary structure of pancreatic ribonuclease from langur (Presbytis entellus) has been determined. This sequence differs from that of human pancreatic ribonuclease at 14 (11%) of the amino acid positions. Eight of these 14 differences involve changes of charge, with the langur enzyme having five fewer positive charges than the human enzyme. The difference in charge between human and langur ribonuclease may be an adaptation to the different requirements for a nondigestive and a digestive role, respectively. A number of similarities in expression, gene duplications, and properties between mammalian ribonucleases and lysozymes have been observed, indicating similar adaptations in both enzyme systems.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

The relative rate of DNA evolution in primates.

In 73 relative-rate tests involving the sequences of 17 genes between humans and six nonhuman primate taxa, there is only one significant (P less than 0.01) difference in evolutionary rate--i.e., that between human and Old World-monkey psi eta-globin genes. No evolutionary rate difference between humans and Old World monkeys is evident from analysis of 18 other genes with a total length of 6 kb. This and the comparison, between humans and other primate taxa, of new extended psi eta-globin sequences suggest that earlier observations of evolutionary-rate differences between humans and other primates were based on differences that are peculiar to psi eta-globin and that are not representative of the whole genome, which appears to be evolving at a stochastically uniform rate. This is supported by whole-genome single-copy DNA and mitochondrial DNA comparisons, neither of which shows any evidence of evolutionary-rate variation among primate taxa. Uniformity in the evolutionary rate of the DNA of primate and other mammalian taxa is inconsistent with current mammalian fossil-record interpretation. Either there has been a general slowing down in rate across lineages or the fossil record has been misinterpreted.

Animals↗

Heteroplasmy and polymorphism in the major noncoding region of mitochondrial DNA in Japanese monkeys: association with tandemly repeated sequences.

We have sequenced the major noncoding region of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of four Japanese monkeys and have found length polymorphism in the sequenced region. The length polymorphism resulted from two tandem duplications of 160-bp sequences which contained the conserved sequence blocks 2 and 3 and the light-strand transcription-promoter region. We also found polymorphisms in this mtDNA region among 100 Japanese monkeys from 12 localities, 90 of which were analyzed using DNA amplified through the polymerase chain reaction. In two localities, we found individuals with heteroplasmic mtDNA which had different numbers of the 160-bp repeats mentioned above. The 100 samples were classified into six types in terms of length and presence/absence of the recognition site of two restriction enzymes in the major noncoding region.

Animals↗

Evolutionary rate of immunoglobulin alpha noncoding region is greater in hominoids than in Old World monkeys.

Recent studies on the molecular evolution of primates show that the evolutionary rate among hominoids is considerably slower than that among nonhominoid primates. However, this observation at the nucleotide-sequence level is restricted to the beta-globin family region. In this study, we sequenced orthologous immunoglobulin alpha (C alpha) genes of chimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan, and crab-eating macaque (an Old World monkey) and compared them with that of the human by using noncoding regions for analysis. Since significant differences in rates among hominoids were not found by using the relative rate test, we evaluated the ratio (R) of the evolutionary distance between Old World monkey and human to the distance between orangutan and human. The R value (1.12) for the C alpha gene was much smaller than the expected value (1.38-2.33), showing that the nucleotide substitution rate (= mutation rate per year under selective neutrality) of the C alpha gene is greater in the human lineage than in the Old World monkey lineage. We also did a similar analysis for the gamma 1-, gamma 2-, psi eta-, and delta-globin genes and found a considerable heterogeneity (1.12-2.37) among the R values, including that for the C alpha gene. This indicates that the hominoid slowdown of the evolutionary rate is not a universal phenomenon in primate evolution.

Animals↗

The involucrin gene of Old-World monkeys and other higher primates: synapomorphies and parallelisms resulting from the same gene-altering mechanism.

The involucrin gene of platyrrhines and hominoids contains a segment of 10-codon repeats which were added vectorially at the same site in the coding region. We have now cloned and sequenced the involucrin gene of four cercopithecoid monkeys--two macaques (mulatta and fascicularis) and two Cercopithecus monkeys (aethiops and hamlyni). Each gene contains a similar segment of short repeats; some of these were added in a common anthropoid lineage, others were added in a common catarrhine lineage, and still others were added in a common macaque or Cercopithecus lineage. Repeats added before a lineage diverges become synapomorphies in the sister taxa resulting from the divergence. Repeats added independently in different diverged lineages become parallelisms. The synapomorphies are the result of the action of a targeted duplication mechanism acting in a common ancestral lineage, but the parallelisms are the result of the same duplication mechanism transmitted to successively divergent sublineages and acting independently in each.

Alleles↗

Organization of seminiferous epithelium in primates: relationship to spermatogenic efficiency, phylogeny, and mating system.

The succession in time and space of specific germ cell associations, denoted as spermatogenic stages, is a typical feature of mammalian spermatogenesis. The arrangement of these stages is either single stage (one spermatogenic stage per tubular cross-section) or multistage (more than one spermatogenic stage per tubular cross-section). It has been proposed that the single-stage versus multistage arrangement is related to spermatogenic efficiency and that the multistage arrangement is typical for hominids. In the present work, the arrangement of spermatogenic stages and the spermatogenic efficiency of 17 primate species, comprising Strepsirrhini (Prosimians: Lemuriformes, Lorisiformes), Platyrrhini (New World primates), Catarrhini (Old World primates), and Hominoidea (great apes and humans), were analyzed comparatively by quantitative histological and flow cytometric means. We found a predominant single-stage tubular organization in the Strepsirrhini, indicating that the single-stage form represents the ancestral state. The highest degree of multistage complexity was found in Hominoidea (except orangutan) and in Platyrrhini, but not in Catarrhini. Hence, no direct relationship between single-stage/multistage tubular topography and phylogeny could be established across primates. In fact, the tubule arrangement seen in Platyrrhini and Catarrhini primates is the reverse of what might be expected from phylogeny. Interestingly, spermatogenic efficiency was similar in all species. We found no correlation between single-stage/multistage arrangement and spermatogenic efficiency or mating system. We speculate that the presence of a single-stage/multistage organization might simply reflect germ cell clonal size. Our findings further indicate that sperm competition in primates is not reflected at the level of testicular function.

Animals↗

Developmental patterns of serum luteinizing hormone, gonadal and adrenal steroids in the sooty mangabey (Cercocebus atys).

Serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHAS), androstenedione and cortisol were determined in multiple samples from 86 sooty mangabeys of varying ages (0-17 years). Testosterone, androstenedione, DHAS and cortisol were measured by radioimmunoassay; LH was determined by in vitro bioassay. Serum LH concentrations were elevated in neonates (less than 6 months) and in animals older than 72 months of age. The higher LH levels were associated with increased circulating concentrations of testosterone in males but not females. The pubertal rise in serum testosterone at approximately 55-60 months of age in males was coincident with rapid body growth. No pubertal growth spurt was observed in females. Serum levels of androstenedione and DHAS were highest during early postnatal life (less than 6 months) with androstenedione exceeding 600 ng/dl in males and 250 micrograms/dl in females, but declined rapidly in both sexes to a baseline of 150 ng/dl by 19 months of age. Serum androstenedione did not fluctuate significantly in adult animals. The pattern of age-related changes in serum DHAS paralleled those of serum androstenedione, whereas serum cortisol values did not change significantly with age. Developmental changes in serum LH, testosterone and body weight suggest that the sooty mangabey matures substantially later than the rhesus monkey. The pattern of serum gonadal and adrenal steroids during sexual maturation is similar to that seen in the baboon with no evidence of an adrenarche.

Aging↗

Requirements for simian immunodeficiency virus antigen-specific in vitro proliferation of T cells from infected rhesus macaques and sooty mangabeys.

The measurement of cell-mediated immunity against the etiologic agent of human AIDS (HIV) in the non-human primate model of AIDS (simian immunodeficiency virus, SIV) has been difficult. In general, culture of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from HIV-1- and SIV-infected humans and monkeys, respectively, with purified inactivated HIV and SIV virus preparations has given inconsistent or negative proliferative responses. However, we describe herein an assay which consists of coculturing monocytes that have been pulsed with inactivated SIVsmm with nylon-wool-purified autologous T cells, leading to antigen-specific T-cell proliferation. The proliferative response, which predominantly occurs in CD4+ T cells, is major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II-restricted and requires antigen processing. This assay will greatly facilitate the identification of the immunodominant epitopes recognized by T cells in sooty mangabeys, which are naturally infected but remain clinically asymptomatic, and in rhesus macaques, in which experimental infection leads to clinical symptomatology similar to human AIDS, eventually resulting in death.

Animals↗

Prevalence of natural infection with simian immunodeficiency virus and simian T-cell leukemia virus type I in a breeding colony of sooty mangabey monkeys.

The seroprevalence of antibodies to simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVsmm) and simian T-cell leukemia virus type I (STLV-I) in a captive breeding colony of sooty mangabey monkeys was determined, and infection by SIVsmm was confirmed in all cases by virus isolation. Among 138 animals tested, 57 and 33% were infected with SIVsmm and STLV-I, respectively. While the proportion of female mangabeys (66%) differed significantly (P less than 0.01) from the proportion of male mangabeys (42%) infected with SIVsmm, the proportions of males and females infected with STLV-I were similar, suggesting independent transmission of the two viruses. Among mangabeys less than 1 year old, none were infected with STLV-I and only five of 27 mangabeys, all of which were at least 6 months old when first tested, were infected with SIVsmm. The data document that natural infection of sooty mangabey monkeys with SIVsmm or in association with STLV-I infection does not result in increased disease or mortality, and that transmission of both SIVsmm and STLV-I appears to occur primarily through sexual activity.

Animals↗

Lack of cross-species transmission of porcine endogenous retrovirus infection to nonhuman primate recipients of porcine cells, tissues, or organs.

BACKGROUND: Nonhuman primates (NHPs) have been widely used in different porcine xenograft procedures inevitably resulting in exposure to porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV). Surveillance for PERV infection in these NHPs may provide information on the risks of cross-species transmission of PERV, particularly for recipients of vascularized organ xenografts for whom data from human clinical trials is unavailable. METHODS: We tested 21 Old World and 2 New World primates exposed to a variety of porcine xenografts for evidence of PERV infection. These NHPs included six baboon recipients of pig hearts, six bonnet macaque recipients of transgenic pig skin grafts, and nine rhesus macaque and two capuchin recipients of encapsulated pig islet cells. Serologic screening for PERV antibody was done by a validated Western blot assay, and molecular detection of PERV sequences in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and plasma was performed using sensitive polymerase chain reaction and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assays, respectively. Spleen and lymph node tissues available from six bonnet macaques and three rhesus macaques were also tested for PERV sequences. RESULTS: All plasma samples were negative for PERV RNA suggesting the absence of viremia in these xenografted animals. Similarly, PERV sequences were not detectable in any PBMC and tissue samples, arguing for the lack of latent infection of these compartments. In addition, all plasma samples were negative for PERV antibodies. CONCLUSION: These data suggest the absence of PERV infection in all 23 NHPs despite exposure to vascularized porcine organs or tissue xenografts and the use of immunosuppressive therapies in some animals. These findings suggest that PERV is not easily transmitted to these NHP species through these types of xenografts.

Animals↗

Spatial properties of neurons in the monkey striate cortex.

Contrast sensitivity as a function of spatial frequency was determined for 138 neurons in the foveal region of primate striate cortex. The accuracy of three models in describing these functions was assessed by the method of least squares. Models based on difference-of-Gaussians (DOG) functions where shown to be superior to those based on the Gabor function or the second differential of a Gaussian. In the most general case of the DOG models, each subregion of a simple cell's receptive field was constructed from a single DOG function. All the models are compatible with the classical observation that the receptive fields of simple cells are made up of spatially discrete 'on' and 'off' regions. Although the DOG-based models have more free parameters, they can account better for the variety of shapes of spatial contrast sensitivity functions observed in cortical cells and, unlike other models, they provide a detailed description of the organization of subregions of the receptive field that is consistent with the physiological constraints imposed by earlier stages in the visual pathway. Despite the fact that the DOG-based models have spatially discrete components, the resulting amplitude spectra in the frequency domain describe complex cells just as well as simple cells. The superiority of the DOG-based models as a primary spatial filter is discussed in relation to popular models of visual processing that use the Gabor function or the second differential of a Gaussian.

Action Potentials↗

Sequence divergence and copy number of the middle- and long-wave photopigment genes in Old World monkeys.

We have studied the sequence and organization of the genes for the middle-wave (MW) and long-wave (LW) cone photopigment genes in six species of Old World monkeys. Previous studies have shown that the MW and LW pigments of all six species exhibit peak sensitivities near 535 nm and 565 nm, respectively, and thus resemble the equivalent human pigments. In the case of man, the protein components of the MW and LW photopigments differ by 15 amino acids, although only seven of these differences involve non-homologous substitutions and are therefore candidates for a role in spectral tuning. Regions corresponding to exons 4 and 5 of these genes, and including five such candidate sites, were sequenced in the Old World monkeys. In contrast to the equivalent human genes, substitutions were found at two of these sites, position 233 and 309 of the MW gene in all six species. The role of amino acid substitutions in the spectral tuning of these photopigments is discussed. A comparison of the nucleotide sequences of the MW and LW genes provides evidence for sequence homogenization within species; the role of gene conversion in the evolution of these genes is discussed. The close juxtaposition and homology of the MW and LW genes on the X chromosome is thought to underlie the high frequency of colour vision defects in man and the presence in many individuals of extra copies of the MW gene. A study of a group of talapoin (Ceropithecus talapoin) monkeys has revealed a similar numerical polymorphism for this gene to that present in man. In contrast to the situation in man, where the MW and LW genes may contain a shortened first intron, restriction digests of genomic DNA showed that the size of this intron does not differ across the six species of Old World monkeys examined.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The tuning of human photopigments may minimize red-green chromatic signals in natural conditions.

Humans and other Old World primates (Catarrhini) share very similar L (long-wavelength, 'red') and M (medium-wavelength, 'green') cone photopigment spectral sensitivities, with peaks at around 563 nm and 535 nm, respectively. Changes of single amino acid residues at critical sites in photopigment opsins can alter this peak tuning. Moreover, the photopigment alleles and spectral sensitivities of human populations are polymorphic, so there is potential for adaptive change or genetic drift. The manifest lack of variability suggests that the tuning of the L and M photopigments has adaptive significance, but the reason for this conservatism is unclear. To assess how natural spectral reflectances may have influenced pigment tuning, we have measured the chromatic (i.e. difference) signals available in natural scenes, and estimated how these signals would vary if spectral sensitivities of the pigments moved to longer or to shorter wavelengths. The size of the chromatic signal is, predictably, dependent principally on the spectral separation of the photopigments, but in addition we find that for a fixed separation there is a marked dependence on the specific peak tuning of the photopigments. Indeed, the naturally occurring L and M cone peaks may be set at a pair of points on the spectrum that on average minimizes the 'L-M' (i.e. red-green) chromatic signal. This somewhat paradoxical observation supports the view that red-green vision has evolved for a specific task, such as finding fruit, whilst minimizing interference by the chromatic signal in luminance vision to which both L and M cones contribute.

Adaptation, Physiological↗