Culture, Neurobiology, and Human Behavior: New Perspectives in Anthropology

Our primary goal in this article is to discuss the cross-talk between biological and cultural factors that become manifested in the individual brain development, neural wiring, neurochemical homeostasis, and behavior. We will show that behavioral propensities are the product of both cultural and biological factors and an understanding of these interactive processes can provide deep insights into why people behave the way they do. This interdisciplinary perspective is offered in an effort to generate dialog and empirical work among scholars interested in merging aspects of anthropology and neuroscience, and anticipates that biological and cultural anthropology converge. We discuss new theoretical developments, hypothesis-testing strategies, and cross-disciplinary methods of observation and data collection. We believe that the exigency of integrating anthropology and the neurosciences is indisputable and anthropology's role in an emerging interdisciplinary science of human behavior will be critical because its focus is, and has always been, on human biological and cultural systems

Localization of nucleic acids in hepatocyte nucleoli of rats upon D-galactosamine-induced block of transcription.

The precise localization of DNA and RNA within rat hepatocyte nucleoli during the process of D-galactosamine-induced nucleolar segregation has been studied by using sensitive methods for their detection: osmium-ammine staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase reaction for DNA, and immunoelectron microscopy with anti-RNA antibodies, RNase-gold, and autoradiography with tritiated orotic acid for RNA. The blocking of transcription was followed by the disappearance of intranucleolar condensed chromatin. Agglomerates of thin extended DNA filaments were found to change their location to the nucleolar periphery and to coalesce with each other. At the last stage of nucleolar segregation they were concentrated at the pole of the nucleolar fibrillar remnant while the rest of the nucleolus did not contain any DNA. No DNA was found in the dense fibrillar component of both intact and treated hepatocyte nucleoli. During the process of nucleolar segregation the bulk of the nucleolar RNA was found within the so-called spherical bodies. This RNA appeared to be synthesized shortly before or even after drug administration. The results obtained are in agreement with the hypothesis that the fibrillar centers are the site of nucleolar transcription. They also show that uncompleted molecules of pre-rRNA whose synthesis has been blocked are segregated from the rest of nucleolar RNA species into the spherical bodies

The rat genes encoding the pancreatitis-associated proteins I, II and III (Pap1, Pap2, Pap3), and the lithostathin/pancreatic stone protein/regeneration protein (Reg) colocalize at 4q33-->q34.

Using fluorescence in situ hybridization, we determined that the three rat PAP genes, and the related REG gene map in the same chromosomes region, namely 4q33-->q34. This rat chromosome region is thus homologous to the human 2p12 region, which also contains the PAP gene, the REG1A gene, and a REG-related gene (REGL).Journal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Rat chromosome 1: regional localization of seven genes (Slc9a3, Srd5a1, Esr, Tcp1, Grik5, Tnnt3, Jak2) and anchoring of the genetic linkage map to the cytogenetic map.

Seven genes were regionally localized on rat Chromosome (Chr) 1, from 1p11 to 1q42, and two of these genes were also included in a linkage map. This mapping work integrates the genetic linkage map and the cytogenetic map, and allows us to orient the linkage map with respect to the centromere, and to deduce the approximate position of the centromere in the linkage map. These mapping data also indicate that the Slc9a3 gene, encoding the Na+/H+ exchanger 3, is an unlikely candidate for the blood pressure loci assigned to rat Chr 1. These new localizations expand comparative mapping between rat Chr 1 and mouse or human chromosomes.Journal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tResearch Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Chromosome evolution of MMU16 and RNO11: conserved synteny associated with gene order rearrangements explicable by intrachromosomal recombinations and neocentromere emergence

Comparative mapping between the rat and mouse genomes has shown that some chromosomes are entirely or almost entirely conserved with respect to gene content. Such is the case of rat chromosome 11 (RNO11) and mouse chromosome 16 (MMU16). We determined to what extent such an extensive conservation of synteny is associated with a conserved gene order. Therefore, we regionally localized several genes on RNO11. The comparison of the gene map of RNO11 and MMU16 unambiguously shows that the gene order has not been conserved in the Murinae lineage, thereby implying the occurrence of intrachromosomal evolutionary rearrangements. The transition from one chromosome configuration to the other one can be explained either by two intrachromosomal recombinations or by a single intrachromosomal recombination accompanied by neocentromere emergence.Comparative StudyJournal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe