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PubMed1984

The distribution of serum high density lipoprotein subfractions in non-human primates.

The ultracentrifugal flotation patterns in 1.2 g/ml solvent and ultracentrifugal gradient distribution of high density lipoproteins (HDL) from the primates--human, apes and monkeys--were determined, with emphasis on the gorilla species of apes and rhesus monkeys. Diets for non-human primates were commercial chow, which is low in cholesterol. Molecular weights and protein, cholesterol, phospholipid and triglyceride compositions of various density fractions were determined on human, gorilla and rhesus HDL. The HDL2/HDL3 ratio was determined from the two peaks observed upon flotation in high salt in the analytical ultracentrifuge. The HDL2 of all three species of apes--gorillas (Gorilla gorilla), chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus)--was always greater than HDL3, while that of all six species of Old World monkeys--Rhesus (Macaca mulatta), sooty mangabeys (Cercocebus atys), cynomolgus (Macaca fascicularis), stumptails, (Macaca arctoides) patas (Erythrocebus patas) and African greens (Cercopithecus aethiops)--was less. In addition, the HDL3 concentration in five gorillas was about 15 mg/dl as cholesterol while the HDL2 concentration was 92 mg/dl, much lower and higher, respectively, than humans. HDL2 of gorillas was similar in density and molecular weight to that of humans. The distribution of densities in gorilla HDL was predominantly in HDL2, while rhesus HDL usually, but not always, was unimodal, having a density distribution similar in heterogeneity to human HDL3, but somewhat less dense (peaking at 1.109 vs. 1.129 g/ml). The molecular weight of rhesus HDL was about the same as human HDL3 in all three density subfractions and at the peak density.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1987

An evaluation of the molecular clock hypothesis using mammalian DNA sequences.

A statistical analysis of extensive DNA sequence data from primates, rodents, and artiodactyls clearly indicates that no global molecular clock exists in mammals. Rates of nucleotide substitution in rodents are estimated to be four to eight times higher than those in higher primates and two to four times higher than those in artiodactyls. There is strong evidence for lower substitution rates in apes and humans than in monkeys, supporting the hominoid slowdown hypothesis. There is also evidence for lower rates in humans than in apes, suggesting a further rate slowdown in the human lineage after the separation of humans from apes. By contrast, substitution rates are nearly equal in mouse and rat. These results suggest that differences in generation time or, more precisely, in the number of germline DNA replications per year are the primary cause of rate differences in mammals. Further, these differences are more in line with the neutral mutation hypothesis than if the rates are the same for short- and long-living mammals.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Comparative mapping using somatic cell hybrids.

Comparative mapping, or ascertaining the gene linkage relationships between different species, is rapidly developing. This is possible because new techniques in chromosome identification and somatic cell hybridization, such as the generation of hybrids preferentially segregating chromosomes of any desired species including rodents, and the development of gene transfer techniques have yielded new information about the human and rodent gene maps. In addition, the discovery and characterization of mouse subspecies has generated new mouse sexual genetic linkage data. The following picture is emerging. Several X-linked genes in man are X-linked in all mammalian species tested. The linkage relationships of several tightly linked genes, less than 1 map unit apart, are also conserved in all mammalian species tested. Ape autosomal genes are assigned to ape chromosomes homologous to their human counterparts indicating extensive conservation in the 12 million years (MYR) of evolution from apes to man. Similarly, mouse and rat, 10 MYR apart in evolution, have several large autosomal synteny groups conserved. In comparing the mouse and human gene maps we find that human genes assigned to different arms of the same human chromosome are unlinked in the mouse; mouse genes large map distances (20 to 45 cM) apart are very likely to be unlinked in the human. However, several autosomal synteny groups 10 to 20 cM apart, including the Pgd, Eno-1, Pgm-1 group on human chromosome arm 1p, are conserved in mice and man. This suggests that homology mapping, the superimposition of one species gene map on the homologous conserved portion of another species genome may be possible, and that ancestral autosomal synteny groups should be detectable.

Animals↗
PubMed2007

Accuracy of automated volumetry of pulmonary nodules across different multislice CT scanners.

The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy of an automated volumetry software for phantom pulmonary nodules across various 16-slice multislice spiral CT (MSCT) scanners from different vendors. A lung phantom containing five different nodule categories (intraparenchymal, around a vessel, vessel attached, pleural, and attached to the pleura), with each category comprised of 7-9 nodules (total, n = 40) of varying sizes (diameter 3-10 mm; volume 6.62 mm(3)-525 mm(3)), was scanned with four different 16-slice MSCT scanners (Siemens, GE, Philips, Toshiba). Routine and low-dose chest protocols with thin and thick collimations were applied. The data from all scanners were used for further analysis using a dedicated prototype volumetry software. Absolute percentage volume errors (APE) were calculated and compared. The mean APE for all nodules was 8.4% (+/-7.7%) for data acquired with the 16-slice Siemens scanner, 14.3% (+/-11.1%) for the GE scanner, 9.7% (+/-9.6%) for the Philips scanner and 7.5% (+/-7.2%) for the Toshiba scanner, respectively. The lowest APEs were found within the diameter size range of 5-10 mm and volumes >66 mm(3). Nodule volumetry is accurate with a reasonable volume error in data from different scanner vendors. This may have an important impact for intraindividual follow-up studies.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2006

The mesorectum: hypothesis on its evolution.

BACKGROUND: Two points are controversial in the anatomy of the mesorectum: (1) its origin; and (2) the existence of the lateral ligaments. We studied these structures in animals and in human fetuses. METHODS: Dissections were performed on quadrupedal mammals (29 dogs and 32 pigs) and 28 primates (Macaca apes). Moreover, macroslices of Macaca ape and of 182 human fetuses were examined histologically. RESULTS: In quadrupedal mammals, we found no traces of any adipose masses comparable to the human mesorectum nor were there ligaments of suspension. In the ape, the adipose tissue in the mesosigmoid forms an adipose cuff that completely surrounds the extraperitoneal rectum. Two dense connective bands were found between the lateral wall of the pelvis and the perirectal tissue. Both the mesorectum and the lateral ligaments were clearly identified in the sections of human fetus only at the end of the fifth month but not earlier. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of our analysis of 3 animal species, we conclude that the mesorectum and lateral ligaments are absent in quadrupedal mammals but are present in primates. Therefore, we hypothesize that these structures appeared with the attainment of the upright position, even though other hypotheses are possible.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Diet and seasonal changes in sympatric gorillas and chimpanzees at Kahuzi-Biega National Park.

Based on 8 years of observations of a group of western lowland gorillas (Gorilla beringei graueri) and a unit-group of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) living sympatrically in the montane forest at Kahuzi-Biega National Park, we compared their diet and analyzed dietary overlap between them in relation to fruit phenology. Data on fruit consumption were collected mainly from fecal samples, and phenology of preferred ape fruits was estimated by monitoring. Totals of 231 plant foods (116 species) and 137 plant foods (104 species) were recorded for gorillas and chimpanzees, respectively. Among these, 38% of gorilla foods and 64% of chimpanzee foods were eaten by both apes. Fruits accounted for the largest overlap between them (77% for gorillas and 59% for chimpanzees). Gorillas consumed more species of vegetative foods (especially bark) exclusively whereas chimpanzees consumed more species of fruits and animal foods exclusively. Although the number of fruit species available in the montane forest of Kahuzi is much lower than that in lowland forest, the number of fruit species per chimpanzee fecal sample (average 2.7 species) was similar to that for chimpanzees in the lowland habitats. By contrast, the number of fruit species per gorilla fecal sample (average 0.8 species) was much lower than that for gorillas in the lowland habitats. Fruit consumption by both apes tended to increase during the dry season when ripe fruits were more abundant in their habitat. However, the number of fruit species consumed by chimpanzees did not change according to ripe fruit abundance. The species differences in fruit consumption may be attributed to the wide ranging of gorillas and repeated usage of a small range by chimpanzees and/or to avoidance of inter-specific contact by chimpanzees. The different staple foods (leaves and bark for gorillas and fig fruits for chimpanzees) characterize the dietary divergence between them in the montane forest of Kahuzi, where fruit is usually scarce. Gorillas rarely fed on insects, but chimpanzees occasionally fed on bees with honey, which possibly compensate for fruit scarcity. A comparison of dietary overlap between gorillas and chimpanzees across habitats suggests that sympatry may not influence dietary overlap in fruit consumed but may stimulate behavioral divergence to reduce feeding competition between them.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Muscarinic receptor subtypes in rat pancreatic islets: binding and functional studies.

Cholinergic agents are potent modulators of insulin release that act via muscarinic receptors. We now investigated the muscarinic receptor subtype present in rat pancreatic islets in binding and functional studies. Binding of 5 nM [3H]N-methylscopolamine ([3H]NMS) was half maximal at 30 min. At 60 min, the maximal total binding was 1.29% and the non-specific binding (presence of 100 microM atropine) was 0.18% of the total radioactivity per 10 micrograms islet protein. Unlabelled atropine inhibited [3H]NMS binding with an IC50 of ca. 30 nM. The rank order of antagonist high-affinity binding was atropine greater than sila-hexocyclium methyl sulfate (SiHC; M1 greater than M3 greater than M2) greater than pirenzepine (M1 greater than M2 approximately M3) = methoctramine (M2 greater than M1 greater than M3). The high-affinity Kds were 8.5, 56, 1300 and 1300 nM, respectively. The high affinity Kd of the muscarinic receptor agonist, arecaidine propargyl ester (APE), was 8.1 nM. The EC50 for the biological effects of APE on insulin and glucagon secretion was 3.2 and 2.3 nM. The rank order for the high-affinity biological effects of antagonists (inhibition of APE-mediated insulin/glucagon release) was almost the same as for binding. The data indicate that rat pancreatic islets contain neither an M1 subtype (high-affinity for pirenzepine) nor an M2 subtype (high-affinity for methoctramine) receptor. However, the data evidence an M3 receptor subtype, since SiHC in the absence of the M1 receptor subtype shows a relatively high affinity to the receptors in rat pancreatic islets.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

On the nature of animal thinking.

Recent attempts to teach apes rudimentary grammatical skills have produced negative results. The basic obstacle appears to be at the level of the individual symbol which, for apes, functions only as a demand. Little evidence exists that apes can use symbols as names, that is, as a means of simply transmitting information. Even though non-human animals lack linguistic competence, much evidence has accumulated recently that a variety of animals can form representations of particular features of their environment. What then is the non-verbal nature of animal representations? This question will be discussed with reference to recent investigations of animal memory--in particular, studies concerned with a pigeon's ability to learn "lists" of arbitrary elements. While learning to produce a particular sequence of four elements (colors), pigeons also acquire knowledge about the relation between non-adjacent elements and about the ordinal position of a particular element. Learning to produce a particular sequence also facilitates the discrimination of that sequence from other sequences.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

A test of the karyotypic fissioning theory of primate evolution.

Karyotypic fissioning theory has been put forward by a number of researchers as a possible driving force of mammalian evolution. Most recently, Giusto and Margulis (BioSystems, 13 (1981) 267-302) hypothesized that karyotypic fissioning best explains the evolution of Old World monkeys, apes, and humans. According to their hypothesis, hominoid karyotypes were derived from the monkey chromosome complement by just such a fissioning event. That hypothesis is tested here by comparing the G-banded chromosomes of humans and great apes with eight species of Old World monkeys. Five submetacentric chromosomes between apes and monkeys have identical banding patterns and nine chromosomes share the same pericentric inversion. Such extensive karyological similarities are not in accordance with, or predicted by karyotypic fissioning. Apparently, karyotypic fissioning is an extremely uneconomical model of chromosomal evolution. The strong conservation of banding patterns sometimes involving the retention of identical chromosomes indicates that ancient linkages of genes have probably been maintained through many speciation events.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry determination of 18O2 in 18O-labelled 4-hydroxyproline for measurement of collagen synthesis and intracellular degradation.

The use of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and 18O2, a stable isotope which is incorporated into collagen during the post-translational conversion of proline to hydroxyproline, offers the potential advantages of high levels of sensitivity and specificity as compared to other techniques for measuring rates of collagen synthesis and degradation in vitro and vivo. Trifluoracetylation and methanol esterification of hydroxyproline yields two derivatives of hydroxyproline: N,O-trifluoroacetyl methyl 4-hydroxy-L-proline (N,O-TFA-Hyp) and N-trifluoroacetyl methyl 4-hydroxy-L-proline (N-TFA-Hyp). In the past, N-TFA-Hyp, which yields the 16O/18O-containing m/z 182/184 ion pair [M-COOH3]+ when analyzed by electron impact ionization GC-MS, has been proposed for analysis of 18O-enriched collagen. Although N,O-TFA-Hyp can be converted to N-TFA-Hyp by solvolysis, we find that this leads to degradation of the chromatography in GC-MS and demonstrate here that this extra chemical step is unnecessary if the m/z 278/280 ion pair (representing the [M-COOCH3]+. fragment) is measured by selected ion monitoring. By labelling fibroblasts in culture with 18O2, a sample of isotope-enriched collagen was obtained which was used to calibrate the GC-MS over the range 0.5-49% atom percent enrichment (APE). The greater sensitivity of 18O2 versus [15N]proline for labelling newly synthesized collagen was demonstrated by the finding of a ten-fold higher enrichment in the former isotope when administered to cell cultures at the same precursor APE. Thus, the approach described herein permits the determination of total hydroxyproline and APE on the same sample avoiding additional processing steps while maintaining the quality of chromatography and the sensitivity of detection. Measurement of absolute rates of both collagen synthesis and intracellular degradation of newly synthesized collagen in cell cultures is thus possible. Preliminary results comparing collagen metabolism in pairs of fibroblasts from hypertrophic scars and normal skin in post-burn patients are presented.

Cicatrix↗
PubMed2005

Role of electrocardiography in identifying right ventricular dysfunction in acute pulmonary embolism.

The role of electrocardiography in identifying right ventricular (RV) dysfunction in acute pulmonary embolism (APE) was evaluated in 81 patients with APE. The electrocardiographic markers studied were T-wave inversion in leads V1 to V3, the S1Q3T3 pattern, right bundle branch block, and sinus tachycardia. T-wave inversion in leads V1 to V3 had the greatest sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy for identifying RV dysfunction in patients with APE. The S1Q3T3 pattern and right bundle branch block had good specificity but moderate accuracy.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2006

Determination of alkylphenols and alkylphenol carboxylates in wastewater and river samples by hemimicelle-based extraction and liquid chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry.

Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-coated alumina and cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC)-coated silica were investigated as new sorbents for the concentration of alkylphenol polyethoxylate (APE) biodegradation products from wastewater and river water samples. Octylphenol (OP), nonylphenol (NP), octylphenol carboxylic acid (OPC) and nonylphenol carboxylic acid (NPC) were quantitatively retained on both supramolecular sorbents on the basis of the formation of mixed hemimicelles and admicelles. SDS hemimicelles-based SPE was proposed for the extraction/concentration of the target compounds prior to their separation and quantitation by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization in negative mode, ion trap mass spectrometry. No clean-up steps or evaporation of the eluent were required. The recovery of APE metabolites from sewage and river water ranged between 87 and 100%. Concentration factors of about 500, using sample volumes of 1 l, were achieved. Detection limits were between 75 and 193 ng/l. The approach developed was applied to the determination of alklylphenols and alkylphenol carboxylic acids in raw and treated sewage and river samples. The concentrations of APE metabolites found ranged between 0.8 and 78 microg/l.

Carboxylic Acids↗
PubMed2006

The biology and evolution of music: a comparative perspective.

Studies of the biology of music (as of language) are highly interdisciplinary and demand the integration of diverse strands of evidence. In this paper, I present a comparative perspective on the biology and evolution of music, stressing the value of comparisons both with human language, and with those animal communication systems traditionally termed "song". A comparison of the "design features" of music with those of language reveals substantial overlap, along with some important differences. Most of these differences appear to stem from semantic, rather than structural, factors, suggesting a shared formal core of music and language. I next review various animal communication systems that appear related to human music, either by analogy (bird and whale "song") or potential homology (great ape bimanual drumming). A crucial comparative distinction is between learned, complex signals (like language, music and birdsong) and unlearned signals (like laughter, ape calls, or bird calls). While human vocalizations clearly build upon an acoustic and emotional foundation shared with other primates and mammals, vocal learning has evolved independently in our species since our divergence with chimpanzees. The convergent evolution of vocal learning in other species offers a powerful window into psychological and neural constraints influencing the evolution of complex signaling systems (including both song and speech), while ape drumming presents a fascinating potential homology with human instrumental music. I next discuss the archeological data relevant to music evolution, concluding on the basis of prehistoric bone flutes that instrumental music is at least 40,000 years old, and perhaps much older. I end with a brief review of adaptive functions proposed for music, concluding that no one selective force (e.g., sexual selection) is adequate to explaining all aspects of human music. I suggest that questions about the past function of music are unlikely to be answered definitively and are thus a poor choice as a research focus for biomusicology. In contrast, a comparative approach to music promises rich dividends for our future understanding of the biology and evolution of music.

Animal Communication↗
PubMed2005

Functionally referential communication in a chimpanzee.

The evolutionary origins of the use of speech signals to refer to events or objects in the world have remained obscure. Although functionally referential calls have been described in some monkey species, studies with our closest living relatives, the great apes, have not generated comparable findings. These negative results have been taken to suggest that ape vocalizations are not the product of their otherwise sophisticated mentality and that ape gestural communication is more informative for theories of language evolution. We tested whether chimpanzee rough grunts, which are produced during feeding contexts, functioned as referential signals. Individuals produced acoustically distinct types of "rough grunts" when encountering different foods. In a naturalistic playback experiment, a focal subject was able to use the information conveyed by these calls produced by several group mates to guide his search for food, demonstrating that the different grunt types were meaningful to him. This study provides experimental evidence that our closest living relatives can produce and understand functionally referential calls as part of their natural communication. We suggest that these findings give support to the vocal rather than gestural theories of language evolution.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed2005

Base excision repair in nucleosomes lacking histone tails.

Recently, we developed an in vitro system using human uracil DNA glycosylase (UDG), AP endonuclease (APE), DNA polymerase beta (pol beta) and rotationally positioned DNA containing a single uracil associated with a 'designed' nucleosome, to test short-patch base excision repair (BER) in chromatin. We found that UDG and APE carry out their catalytic activities with reduced efficiency on nucleosome substrates, showing a distinction between uracil facing 'out' or 'in' from the histone surface, while DNA polymerase beta (pol beta) is completely inhibited by nucleosome formation. In this report, we tested the inhibition of BER enzymes by the N-terminal 'tails' of core histones that take part in both inter- and intra-nucleosome interactions, and contain sites of post-translational modifications. Histone tails were removed by limited trypsin digestion of 'donor' nucleosome core particles and histone octamers were exchanged onto a nucleosome-positioning DNA sequence containing a single G:U mismatch. The data indicate that UDG and APE activities are not significantly enhanced with tailless nucleosomes, and the distinction between rotational settings of uracil on the histone surface is unaffected. More importantly, the inhibition of pol beta activity is not relieved by removal of the histone tails, even though these tails interact with DNA in the G:U mismatch region. Finally, inclusion of X-ray cross complement group protein 1 (XRCC1) or Werner syndrome protein (WRN) had no effect on the BER reactions. Thus, additional activities may be required in cells for efficient BER of at least some structural domains in chromatin.

DNA Glycosylases↗
PubMed2005

Is there a linkage between bioaccumulation and the effects of alkylphenols on male breams (Abramis brama)?

There was some evidence from a previous study that estrogenic disruptors, like alkylphenols, could effect fish in the small River Saar of Southwestern Germany. Concentrations of 4NP and 4NP1EO found in breams (Abramis brama) in the Saar River were much higher than those found in other sampling sites of the German Environmental Specimen Bank, including those from sampling sites in the Rivers Elbe, Rhine, Mulde, and Saale and in Lake Belau. We studied the relationship between accumulation and effect using vitellogenin (vtg) and a hepatosomatic index (HSI) of estrogenic effects and by measuring concentrations of AP and APE accumulated in breams caught at six sampling sites in the River Saar and one in the River Mosel. To link these results with those of the previous study we standardized our sampling efforts to obtain comparable data. Elevated vtg levels were found in the breams at all sampling sites near to or downstream of sewage plant discharges, whereas low vtg levels corresponded to sampling sites not influenced by municipal waste water. While HSI values did not correspond to the location of sampling sites, there was a weak but statistically significant correlation to vtg concentrations. Concentrations of four AP and APE were much more lower, as in the previous study, and were neither linked with sewage treatment plant discharges nor correlated with vtg levels. In conclusion, a linkage between accumulation and the effects of AP and APE could not be established, but the relationship between elevated vtg concentrations and municipal waste water, which contains other important endocrine disruptors, was clear.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Collaborative effects of Photobacterium CuZn superoxide dismutase (SODs) and human AP endonuclease in DNA repair and SOD-deficient Escherichia coli under oxidative stress.

The defenses against free radical damage include specialized repair enzymes that correct oxidative damage in DNA and detoxification systems such as superoxide dismutases (SODs). These defenses may be coordinated genetically as global responses. We hypothesized that the expression of SOD and DNA repair genes would inhibit DNA damage under oxidative stress. Therefore, protection of Escherichia coli mutants deficient in SOD and DNA repair genes (sod-, xth-, and nfo-) was demonstrated by transforming the mutant strain with a plasmid pYK9 that encoded Photobacterium leiognathi CuZnSOD and human AP endonuclease. The results show that survival rates were increased in sod+ xth- nfo+ cells compared with sod- xth- ape-, sod- xth- ape-, and sod+ xth- ape- cells under oxidative stress generated with 0.1 mM paraquat or 3 mM H2O2. The data suggest that, at the least, SOD and DNA repair enzymes may collaborate on protection and repair of damaged DNA. Additionally, both enzymes are required for protection against free radicals.

DNA Repair↗
PubMed2004

Nacholapithecus skeleton from the Middle Miocene of Kenya.

An almost entire skeleton of a male individual of Nacholapithecus kerioi (KNM-BG 35250) was discovered from Middle Miocene (approximately 15 Ma) sediments at Nachola, northern Kenya. N. kerioi exhibits a shared derived subnasal morphology with living apes. In many postcranial features, such as articular shape, as well as the number of the lumbar vertebrae, N. kerioi resembles Proconsul heseloni and/or P. nyanzae, and lacks suspensory specializations characteristic of living apes. Similarly, N. kerioi shares some postcranial characters with Kenyapithecus spp. However, despite the resemblance, N. kerioi and Proconsul spp. are quite different in their body proportions and some joint morphologies. N. kerioi has proportionally large forelimb bones and long pedal digits compared to its hindlimb bones and lumbar vertebrae. Its distinctive body proportions suggest that N. kerioi was more derived for forelimb dominated arboreal activities than P. nyanzae and P. heseloni. On the other hand, it exhibits a mixture of derived and primitive cranio-dental and postcranial features relative to the contemporaneous Kenyapithecus and Early MioceneMorotopithecus. While the phylogenetic position of N. kerioi is unsettled, it seems necessary to posit parallel evolution of cranio-dental and/or postcranial features in fossil and living apes.

Animals↗