Karyotypes of two species of insectivora from Taiwan (Insectivora,Soricidae)

Summary The karyotypes of two Insectivora species from Taiwan are described here for the first time.Soriculus caudatus fumidas has 2n=40 chromosomes, FN=52 andAnourosorex squamipes yamashinai has 2n=50 chromosomes, FN=96. ForA. s. yamashinai the G- and C-banding pattern are presented.Acknowledgment. The authors are grateful to Dr P. T. Tseng, and Mr H. M. Lin of Taiwan Provincial Institute of Infectious Diseases and to Prof. I. Sawada of Nara University of Education for their help during the collection of the material and their encouragement.     

Karyotypes of seven species of bats from Thailand (Chiroptera, Mammalia)

Karyotypes of Myotis siligorensis, Myotis mystacinus, Pipistrellus pulveratus, Tylonycteris robustula, Miniopterus schreibersi fuliginosus, Hipposideros fulvus and Aselliscus stoliczkanus from Thailand are investigated.     

Karyotypes of seven species of bats from Thailand (Chiroptera,Mammalia)

Summary Karyotypes ofMyotis siligorensis, Myotis mystacinus, Pipistrellus pulveratus, Tylonycteris robustula, Miniopterus schreibersi fuliginosus, Hipposideros fulvus andAselliscus stoliczkanus from Thailand are investigated.Acknowledgment. The authors are very grateful to Dr N. Ratanawarabhan, Mrs S. Sittilert, P. Noonpakdee and S. Kuanchalern of Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research for their valuable advice and assistance during our field survey in Thailand.     

Karyotypes of three species of Caviinae (Rodentia,Caviidae)

Summary Chromosomes ofCavia aperea aperea (2n=64; FN=116Galea spixii (2n=64; FN=118) andKerodon rupestris (2n=52; FN=92) are described with data on banding patterns. Comparisons with karyotypes of others species of Caviinae are taken into consideration.The research was supported by Projeto Integrado de Genética (PIG-CNPq) and Academia Brasileira de Ciências (FINEP-85-I).     

Cytotaxonomy of the myobatrachid frogs of the genusLimnodynastes

Summary 4 of the 5 species ofLimnodynastes of theperoni group show 2n=24. Onlysalmini has 2n=22, thus resembling the species ofPlatyplectron (thedorsalis andornatus complexes) which all show 22 chromosomes. This 2nd group also includes species (ornatus) with very low DNA amounts. From a karyological point of view, the species of thePlatyplectron (plus eventuallysalmini) group appear more differentiated than the species of theperoni group, from which they have probably arisen.Research partly supported by a contribution from C.N.R., Rome.     

Dopamine regulation of testicular activity in intact and hypophysectomized frogs,Rana esculenta

In intact frogs, both GnRHA and L-dopa were able to increase testicular and plasma androgen levels and to induce spermiation. The dopamine antagonist pimozide inhibited both the effects of L-dopa but not those of GnRHa. Hypophysectomy reduced androgen levels, but spermiation was still induced by both GnRHa and L-dopa, suggesting that these agents can directly influence the testis through a route not involving the pars distalis. Again, pimozide antagonised spermiation induced by L-dopa but not that induced by GnRHa.This work was supported (40% and 60%) by the Italian Ministry of Education and the C.N.R. Special Project.     

Karyotypes and nuclear DNA contents of Polypteridae (Osteichthyes)

Summary Calamoichthys calabaricus, Polypterus palmas, P. weeksii, P. delhezi andP. ornatipinnis have the same amount of DNA per erythrocyte nucleus. The karyotype ofP. weeksii has 38 chromosomes and differs from the karyotypes of the other species, all with 36 chromosomes, by a Robertsonian chromosomal rearrangement. The karyotype condition is regarded as derived for vertebrates.Research supported by the Division of Human Genetics, K.U. Leuven, Belgium and the UNAZA, campus Kinshasa, Zaire. The Department of Human Genetics, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, provided facilities for cytophotometry.     

The junctions of the sinoatrial fascicle in frogs]

The demonstration of gap-junctions on frog atria muscle similar to those described on mammalian myocardium has been controversed. En bloc staining with uranyl acetate allows us to show such gap junctions on this tissue.     

Karyotypes of shrews of the generaCryptotis andBlarina (mammalia: Soricidae)

Summary Cryptotis parva has a diploid number of 52 and a fundamental number of 50. Blarina brevicauda in Nebraska and Pennsylvania has a diploid number of 49 or 50 and a fundamental number of 48. Blarina carolinensis in Nebraska and Kansas has a diploid number of 52 and a fundamental number of 62. The X-chromosome in all 3 species is a large metacentric chromosome. The Y-chromosome is a small acrocentric in Blarina, whereas in Cryptotis it is a small subtelocentric.Funds for field work were provided by the American Philosophical Society from the Johnson Fund. We thank Dr Robert J. Baker, Texas Tech University, for use of his karyological equipment and laboratory facilities.     

Karyotypes of the panamint kangaroo rat (Dipodomys panamintinus (Merriam))

Résumé Le rat KangourouDipodomys panamintinus a 4 sous-espèces. Le représentatif karyotype de 4 des sousespèces a 17 métacentriques et 14 chromosomes acrocentriques.Dipodomys panamintinus caudatus, géographiquement isolé des autres, a 16 métacentriques et 15 chromosomes acrocentriques. Le nombre fondamental est 96 pour les espèces.

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We wish to acknowledge the kind assistance of the following people in preparation of this paper: Mr.Dave Dunaway, Resident Naturalist, U.S. Forest Service; Mrs.Tilly Chamness, Coordinator, Natural Resource Management, Naval Weapon Center, China Lake.     

Karyotypes of bats of the subfamily carolliinae (mammalia; phyllostomatidae) and their evolutionary implications

Zusammenfassung Es werden die Kennzeichen der Chromosomen vonRhinophylla fischeri, R. pumilio undCarollia castanea beschrieben. Für die GattungCarollia ist bei niedriger Diploidzahl (21 , 20 ) eine niedrige « nombre fondamental » (34–36) charakteristisch. Für die GattungRhinophylla wird eine grössere Diploidzahl (34–36) und eine grössere « nombre fondamental » (56–62) gefunden.

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We thank Dr.C. J. Marinkelle andA. Cadena of the Universidad de Los Andes for assistance and facilities.Pvt. Genaro Lopez assisted with the field work. Dr.R. Strandtmann translated the summary. Supported by National Science Foundation Grant No. GB-8120.     

A gonadotropin releasing hormone analog induces spermiation in intact and hypophysectomized frogs, Rana esculenta

The sperm-releasing activity of a gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist, Buserelin (GnRH) and hypophysis homogenate (PD) preparations was studied in intact and hypophysectomized (PDX) frogs, Rana esculenta. In addition, human chorion gonadotropin (hCG) was tested in PDX animals, and GnRH antagonist (GnRHA) treatments were carried out in intact and PDX animals, in combination with the hormonal injections. GnRH or PD treatments were able to elicit spermiation in intact and PDX animals. While GnRH, injected 24 h later, was again effective in inducing spermiation in intact animals, this was not the case in PDX frogs. GnRHA counteracted GnRH effects in intact frogs. Moreover, in PDX animals GnRHA injections counteracted the sperm-releasing activity induced by hCG or GnRH, but failed to inhibit sperm-releasing activity induced by PD homogenate.     

Action of toxin II isolated from the tentacles of sea anemones on the neuromuscular transmission on normal and botulin toxin inhibited frogs]

In our experimental conditions, toxin II from Anemonia sulcata restored Frog neuromuscular transmission blocked by botulinum toxin, type A.     

Histochemical characterization of the tonic fibers in the flexor carpi radialis muscle of frogs (Rana temporaria, L.)]

In the flexor carpi radialis muscle of the Frog, extra-fusal muscular fibres with histochemical characteristics of tonic fibres were identified by reactions for enzyme activities, especially for myofibrillar adenosine triphosphatase. This evidence suggests no difference between the sexes in the organization of this muscle, in spite of a strongly marked sexual dimorphism.     

The origin of the brown frogs with 2n=24 chromosomes

Late replication and C-banding analyses of somatic metaphase chromosomes were attempted on three species of brown frogs with 2n=26 chromosomes (Rana japonica, R. tsushimensis andR. temporaria), and three with 2n=24 chromosomes (R. ornativentris, R. dybowskii andR. chensinensis), which are distributed in the Palearctic region. The late replication banding patterns were highly conserved in these species. Four chromosome inversions were demonstrated inR. ornativentris, two inR. dybowskii and two inR. tsushimensis. From a detailed comparison of late replication and C-banding patterns between the 2n=26 and the 2n=24 species, it was found that an end-to-end fusion of two small chromosomes (nos 11 and 13) in an ancestral 2n=26 species may have produced the medium-sized no. 6 chromosome of the 2n=24 species.