Chemical characterization of oligosaccharides in the milk of six species of New and Old world monkeys

Human and great ape milks contain a diverse array of milk oligosaccharides, but little is known about the milk oligosaccharides of other primates, and how they differ among taxa. Neutral and acidic oligosaccharides were isolated from the milk of three species of Old World or catarrhine monkeys (Cercopithecidae: rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta), toque macaque (Macaca sinica) and Hamadryas baboon (Papio hamadryas)) and three of New World or platyrrhine monkeys (Cebidae: tufted capuchin (Cebus apella) and Bolivian squirrel monkey (Saimiri boliviensis); Atelidae: mantled howler (Alouatta palliata)). The milks of these species contained 6–8% total sugar, most of which was lactose: the estimated ratio of oligosaccharides to lactose in Old World monkeys (1:4 to 1:6) was greater than in New World monkeys (1:12 to 1:23). The chemical structures of the oligosaccharides were determined mainly by 1H-NMR spectroscopy. Oligosaccharides containing the type II unit (Gal(β1-4)GlcNAc) were found in the milk of the rhesus macaque, toque macaque, Hamadryas baboon and tufted capuchin, but oligosaccharides containing the type I unit (Gal(β1-3)GlcNAc), which have been found in human and many great ape milks, were absent from the milk of all species studied. Oligosaccharides containing Lewis x (Gal(β1-4)[Fuc(α1-3)]GlcNAc) and 3-fucosyl lactose (3-FL, Gal(β1-4)[Fuc(α1-3)]Glc) were found in the milk of the three cercopithecid monkey species, while 2-fucosyl lactose (5'-FL, Fuc(α1-2)Gal(β1-4)Glc) was absent from all species studied. All of these milks contained acidic oligosaccharides that had N-acetylneuraminic acid as part of their structures, but did not contain oligosaccharides that had N-glycolylneuraminic acid, in contrast to the milk or colostrum of great apes which contain both types of acidic oligosaccharides. Two GalNAc-containing oligosaccharides, lactose 3′-O-sulfate and lacto-N-novopentaose I (Gal(β1-3)[Gal(β1-4)GlcNAc(β1-6)]Gal(β1-4)Glc) were found only in the milk of rhesus macaque, hamadryas baboon and tufted capuchin, respectively. Further research is needed to determine the extent to which the milk oligosaccharide patterns observed among these taxa represent wider phylogenetic trends among primates and how much variation occurs among individuals or species

The apoptosis-inducing activity towards leukemia and lymphoma cells in a cyanobacterial culture collection is not associated with mouse bioassay toxicity

Cyanobacteria (83 strains and seven natural populations) were screened for content of apoptosis (cell death)-inducing activity towards neoplastic cells of the immune (jurkat acute T-cell lymphoma) and hematopoetic (acute myelogenic leukemia) lineage. Apoptogenic activity was frequent, even in strains cultured for decades, and was unrelated to whether the cyanobacteria had been collected from polar, temperate, or tropic environments. The activity was more abundant in the genera Anabaena and Microcystis compared to Nostoc, Phormidium, Planktothrix, and Pseudanabaena. Whereas the T-cell lymphoma apoptogens were frequent in organic extracts, the cell death-inducing activity towards leukemia cells resided mainly in aqueous extracts. The cyanobacteria were from a culture collection established for public health purposes to detect toxic cyanobacterial blooms, and 54 of them were tested for toxicity by the mouse bioassay. We found no correlation between the apoptogenic activity in the cyanobacterial isolates with their content of microcystin, nor with their ability to elicit a positive standard mouse bioassay. Several strains produced more than one apoptogen, differing in biophysical or biological activity. In fact, two strains contained microcystin in addition to one apoptogen specific for the AML cells, and one apoptogen specific for the T-cell lymphoma. This study shows the potential of cyanobacterial culture collections as libraries for bioactive compounds, since strains kept in cultures for decades produced apoptogens unrelated to the mouse bioassay detectable bloom-associated toxins

A revision of the Genus Anadia (Sauria, Teiidae)

The concept of the microteiid genus Anadia Gray, 1845, has been expanded to include Argalia marmorata Gray, 1846 and one species - brevifrontalis - heretofore referred to Euspondylus. Both newly referred forms are close to species that have always been placed in Anadia. Eleven species - one new - are recognized in five species groups: (1) the ocellata group including ocellata Gray, vittata Boulenger, rhombifera (Günther) and petersi, new species; (2) the bogotensis group with only bogotensis (Peters); (3) the steyeri group with only steyeri Nieden; (4) the bitaeniata group including bitaeniata Boulenger, brevifrontalis (Boulenger) and pulchella Ruthven; and (5) the marmorata group with marmorata Gray and blakei Schmid

Milk composition and lactational output in the greater spear-nosed bat, Phyllostomus hastatus

Growth rates of mammalian young are closely linked to the ability of the mother to provide nutrients; thus, milk composition and yield provide a direct measure of maternal investment during lactation in many mammals. We studied changes in milk composition and output throughout lactation in a free-ranging population of the omnivorous bat, Phyllostomus hastatus . Fat and dry matter of milk increased from 9 to 21% and from 21 to 35% of wet mass, respectively, throughout lactation. Energy increased from 6 to 9 kJ · g −1 wet mass, primarily due to the increase in fat concentration. Total sugar levels decreased slightly but non-significantly. Mean sugar level was 4.0% of wet mass. Protein concentration increased from 6 to 11% of wet mass at peak lactation and then decreased as pups approached weaning age. Total milk energy output until pups began to forage was 3609 kJ. Milk levels of Mg, Fe, Ca, K, and Na averaged 0.55 ± 0.26, 0.23 ± 0.2, 8.75 ± 4.17, 5.42 ± 2.11, and 9.87 ± 4.3 mg · g −1 dry matter, respectively. Of the minerals studied, calcium appears to be most limiting in this species. The high degree of variability in foraging time, milk composition and milk yield between individuals at the same stage of lactation could potentially yield high variance in reproductive success among females of this polygynous species.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/42183/1/360-167-5-389_71670389.pd

Oscars, astronotus ocellatus, have a dietary requirement for vitamin C

We found that vitamin C is an essential nutrient for an Amazonian ornamental fish, the oscar (Astronotus ocellatus). This was demonstrated by the absence of L-gulonolactone oxidase activity, the enzyme responsible for the biosynthesis of vitamin C, in liver or kidney of oscars and by a feeding trial in which oscars without vitamin C dietary supplementation developed clinical deficiency signs. Fish weighing 29.2 ± 1.9 g were divided into four groups, and each group was fed a casein-based semipurified diet containing 0, 25, 75 or 200 mg ascorbic acid equivalent (AA)/kg diet for 26 wk. Vitamin C was supplemented in the diets as L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate, a mixture of phosphate esters of ascorbate, which is more stable to oxidation than AA. At the end of 26 wk, fish fed no AA had significantly lower weight gain than fish fed the AA-supplemented diets (P < 0.05). Oscars without dietary AA supplementation gained only 37% of their initial weight, compared with 112, 102 and 91% gained by fish fed 25, 75 and 200 mg AA/kg diet, respectively. After 25 wk without dietary supplementation of AA, fish began to develop clinical deficiency signs, including deformed opercula and jaws, hemorrhage in the eyes and fins, and lordosis. Histology indicated that fish without AA supplementation had deformed gill filament support cartilage and atrophied muscle fibers. Collagen content of the vertebral column was significantly lower in fish devoid of dietary AA (P < 0.05). Liver AA concentration varied in proportion to dietary concentration of AA. The minimum dietary AA concentration tested in this study, 25 mg AA/kg diet, was sufficient to prevent growth reduction and AA deficiency signs in oscars

Ascorbic acid biosynthesis in Amazonian fishes

The incapacity to synthesize ascorbic acid (AA) is due to the lack of activity of L-gulonolactone oxidase (GLO), which catalyzes the last step of AA biosynthesis. It was postulated that vertebrates unable to synthesize AA had sufficient amounts of this nutrient in their diet and consequently did not need to preserve synthetic capability. In the present study, we analyzed the GLO activity in kidney and liver of 13 fish species, including 11 teleosts, namely: freshwater stingray, Potamotrygon sp.; South American lungfish, Lepidosiren paradox; "sardinhão," Pelona sp.; arowana, Osteoglossum bicirrhosum; arapaima, Arapaima gigas; "piranha caju," Pygocentrus nattereri "piranha mucura," Serrasalmus elongatus; "aracu," Schizodon fasciatus; "tambaqui," Colossoma macropomum; "acari-pedra," Hypostomus sp.; "sarapó," Steatogenys elegans; electric eel, Electrophorus electricus; and the peacock bass, Cichla sp. Four representatives of the Characiformes order with distinct feeding habits were included in this study to evaluate the influence of feeding habit on GLO activity. Only two species of non-teleost fishes, the freshwater stingray (Miliobatiformes) and the South American lungfish (Lepidosireniformes), showed GLO activity in their kidneys, corroborating the hypothesis that teleosts are unable to synthesize AA. Additionally, as expected, we observed that the phylogenetic position is more important than feeding habit as a determinant of the biosynthetic ability since none cf the Characiformes species analyzed synthesize AA, independent of their distinct feeding habits. Female freshwater stingrays had a significantly higher GLO activity than males (P 0.05), as previously reported in white sturgeon, This is the first report of the AA biosynthetic ability in South American lungfish and freshwater . Elasmobranchs, © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V