Territorial defense in a group-living solitary forager: who,where, against whom?

Territoriality is of great significance for many species and a characteristic of most group-living animals. Territoriality is thought to lead to increased reproductive success by defending a particular area containing critical resources. I describe several factors that influence territorial aggression in free-ranging striped mice (Rhabdomys pumilio), a group-living solitary forager. I induced territorial aggression by attracting mice of different groups using bait either at territory boundaries or in front of nests. Striped mice are territorial and make decisions about whether or not to attack a mouse from another group based upon several factors: (1) the sex of the opponent: males are much more likely to attack strange males than strange females, whereas no sex specific aggression was observed in females; (2) the body size of the opponent: striped mice are much more likely to attack a strange mouse that is lighter than themselves; and (3) the location of encounters: striped mice are much more likely to attack strangers, even those significantly heavier than themselves, in front of the nest than at territory boundaries. These variations in territorial responses between different types of individuals may be due to the different ultimate consequences of territorial aggression for different animals.Communicated by S. Alberts     

甲醛对大鼠肺细胞醛糖还原酶的影响及醛糖还原酶功能研究

为了研究甲醛作用后大鼠肺细胞醛糖还原酶(AR)的活性变化以及AR在肺细胞损伤中的功能,首先通过大鼠肺细胞分离培养,观察甲醛对大鼠肺细胞AR活性的影响及AR抑制剂——盐酸小檗碱对AR活性的抑制作用;其次通过流式细胞仪检测甲醛及盐酸小檗碱对大鼠肺细胞周期和凋亡的影响.结果表明:1.0mmol·L-1甲醛作用24h使大鼠肺细胞AR活性显著增加,盐酸小檗碱对AR活性具有抑制作用;甲醛能够引起大鼠肺细胞凋亡,使G0/G1和S期的细胞比例下降,G2/M期的细胞比例增加;甲醛和盐酸小檗碱共同作用使大鼠肺细胞凋亡率较单纯甲醛组更高,同时G0/G1期的细胞比例增加,S和G2/M期的细胞比例下降.结果提示甲醛能够使大鼠肺细胞AR活性增加;AR活性增加可减少细胞凋亡,对甲醛引起的大鼠肺细胞损伤具有保护作用.     

Monitoring potential semiochemicals in individual mouse urine samples

Summary. This work validates a method for detecting potential semiochemicals in mouse urine samples with a volume as small as 10 μL. Using solid-phase microextraction, gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, we screened 2,3,5-trithiahexane, 2-sec-butyl-4,5-dihydrothiazole, geraniol, indole, trans-β-farnesene and farnesol in individual urine samples taken daily from mice housed under various social conditions. Excretion of 2-sec-butyl-4,5-dihydrothiazole by males did not occur when they were housed in rooms containing no females, but increased when raising the males to rooms containing females. Between-male differences in β-farnesene excretion were observed even in the absence of females. These results highlight the usefulness of the proposed analytical method for research in this area.     

Inbreeding-based bias in parental responsiveness to litters of oldfield mice

This study investigated variation in parental behavior in oldfield mice (Peromyscus polionotus). Specifically, I examined the possibility that parental behavior and probability of litter loss may differ depending on whether parents are related to one another and, therefore, whether offspring are inbred. When parents are related, they share more genes with their offspring and so may be predicted to invest more in inbred offspring if these offspring do not inherently have a greater risk of juvenile mortality. Survival of inbred pups did not differ from survival of outbred pups, and females tended to exhibit a preference, in the form of enhanced parental care, for inbred litters. Males did not display any consistent preferences. Inbred litters were left unattended more often during the immediate post-partum period than were outbred litters, but this inconsistent finding appeared to have a smaller effect than the overall improved maternal care provided to inbred litters. Females thus appeared to modulate their behavior to a greater degree than did males depending on characteristics of the litter. Patterns of litter loss indicated that complete death of litters was independent of litter inbreeding, whereas loss of selected pups in a litter occurred significantly more often when litters were inbred. Complete and partial loss of litters may be functionally different behaviors that are triggered by different cues. Received: 20 September 1996 / Accepted after revision: 28 April 1997     

Demonstration of spontaneously dividing male fetal cells in maternal blood by negative magnetic cell sorting and fish

We investigated a case of massive feto-maternal bleeding by using negative magnetic cell sorting (MACS) and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). A 37-year-old pregnant woman had an uncomplicated amniocentesis for advanced maternal age at 16 weeks' gestation. The fetal karyotype was 46, XY. At 19 weeks' gestation, she had a minor car accident and slight vaginal bleeding. A subsequent Kleihauer-Betke test showed a 140 ml feto-maternal haemorrhage. Serial sonographic examinations indicated a normal fetus and placenta. We performed FISH analysis on maternal peripheral blood at 25 weeks. Anti-CD45 and MACS were used to deplete maternal leucocytes, enriching the proportion of fetal nucleated erythrocytes present. The isolated cells were analysed by using dual-colour FISH with X and Y specific probes. Approximately 65 800 nucleated cells were obtained after MACS depletion. A total of 234 cells were analysed by FISH. The results revealed that 70 of the nucleated cells (30 per cent) were male with one X and one Y signal. Among these cells, six male metaphases were observed in spontaneously dividing cells.     

Isolation of fetal cells from transcervical samples by micromanipulation: Molecular confirmation of their fetal origin and diagnosis of fetal aneuploidy

Transcervical cell (TCC) samples have been shown to contain fetal cells amenable to molecular analysis. However, the presence of ‘contaminating’ maternal cells limits their use for prenatal diagnoses. In this report we show that clumps of fetal cells can be isolated from transcervical samples by micromanipulation and tested by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Out of 129 clumps, isolated from mucus aspirates and transcervical lavages from 29 patients, 29 clumps from 11 patients were found to be exclusively of fetal origin as judged by the detection of chromosome 21-specific polymorphic DNA markers and Y-derived DNA sequences by PCR and FISH. One case of a male triploid fetus, diagnosed by the analysis of TCC samples obtained by mucus aspiration and lavage, was confirmed by testing clumps of cells isolated by micromanipulation.     

Preparation of high resolution chromosomes from amniotic fluid cells

A relatively simple method of obtaining high resolution chromosomes from amniotic fluid cells is described. The elongated chromosomes are achieved by adding ethidium bromide (5μg/ml) to the culture 4 1/2 hours before harvesting and the high resolution banding can be produced by usual banding procedures.     

微生物降解法处理含酚废水的研究进展

微生物降解法处理含酚废水作为一种简便、高效的处理方法具有传统方法所无法比拟的优点。文中从降酚菌的来源、苯酚的生物降解途径以及固定化微生物技术在处理含酚废水中的应用等方面介绍了微生物降解法处理含酚废水的最新研究进展,预期该领域具有十分广阔的应用前景。     

嗪草酮降解菌Rhodococcus sp.MA的降解特性及固定化应用

从农田土壤中分离得到1株嗪草酮高效降解菌株,命名为MA,该菌5 d对50 mg·L^-1嗪草酮的降解率达到74.8%,最适反应温度和pH分别为30℃和7.0.根据表型与生理生化特征及16S rRNA序列分析,将其鉴定为Rhodococcus sp.MA.利用气相色谱-质谱联用（GC-MS）鉴定菌株MA降解嗪草酮的中间产物为脱氨基嗪草酮.以海藻酸钠为包埋剂,经正交试验表明,3%海藻酸钠、2% CaCl₂、包埋比8：1和固定时间6 h条件下,菌株对嗪草酮的降解效率最高,为71.2%.将固定化菌体细胞用于修复实验,结果表明,未固定化处理的菌液对湖水及池塘水中嗪草酮（15 mg·L^-1）的去除率分别为72.1%和69.9%;固定化处理后可提高对嗪草酮的去除率,分别达到87.3%和82.6%,具有良好的应用前景.