The current model for branching morphogenesis of mouse lung proposes that the epithelium bifurcates as cells pursue separate sources of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 10, secreted from mesenchymal tissue through interactions with epithelial tissue. If so, it may be assumed that the lung epithelium will grow into a uniform, expanding ball (without branching) when uniformly exposed to a constant concentration of FGF10. To test this hypothesis, we cultured Matrigel-embedded lung epithelium explants in FGF10-supplemented medium while shaking the culture dishes. Shaking cultures with FGF10 resulted in inferior epithelial branching compared to control cultures at rest. However, this effect was unexpectedly accompanied by poor growth rather than by ball-like expansion. When using FGF1, epithelial cultures grew and branched similarly well under either culture condition. Thus, we hypothesized that FGF10 signaling must be mediated by autocrine FGFs, such as FGF1, which might easily diffuse through the culture medium in the shaking culture. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analyses showed that FGF9 as well as FGF1 were expressed in the epithelium in vivo and in FGF10-stimulated epithelium in vitro, and FGF9 induced epithelial branching at a much lower concentration than FGF10. These results suggest that FGF1 and FGF9 may mediate FGF10 signaling and induce branching in the lung epithelium via autocrine signaling.

We investigated population structure of the salamander Hynobius retardatus in Hokkaido, Japan using partial sequences of the mitochondrial DNA control region (490 bp) from 105 individuals. The salamanders were collected from 28 localities representing the entire regional distribution of this species. Twenty different haplotypes distributed across three haplotype groups were identified. Group 1 was widely distributed in central, northern, and eastern Hokkaido, except Erimo; Groups 2 and 3 appeared exclusively in Erimo and southern Hokkaido, respectively. The genetic distance between the three groups was not very large, but the distributions of the groups never overlapped spatially, indicating a hierarchical population structure comprising three regional groups, which was also supported by analysis of molecular variance. The results suggest that the present population structure is affected by current genetic barriers, as well as by historical transitions of climate and landscape.

The geographic distribution of species can be affected by environmental factors. The adult highaltitude lizard Takydromus hsuehshanensis (altitude > 1800 m) has been shown to tolerate summer lowland air temperature; its absence in lowland areas may therefore be caused by other factors. We employed a transplant experiment to monitor survival in different life stages and female reproduction in lowland areas. We maintained the T. hsuehshanensis adults in semi-natural outdoor enclosures with sufficient food, water, and the exclusion of potential predators. The results showed that (1) the survival rates of adults gradually decreased to 23.4% from one summer to the next, (2) illness occurred in adults during the winter, and (3) reproductive capacity (2 eggs/female), hatching success (31.7%), and hatchling survival rate (0% at the end of 11 weeks) were very low during the active season. We suggest that environmental factors synergistically caused these impairments in T. hsuehshanensis across different life stages and different seasons. This may partially explain its current altitudinal distribution.

We studied factors influencing habitat selection by two arboreal species of pit viper, namely Trimeresurus malabaricus (Malabar pit viper) and T. gramineus (Bamboo pit viper). The macrohabitat of these species was classified as forest, forest edge, or open habitat. To determine microhabitat selection, a variety of features at every other snake location were measured. Whether or not the animal was found in a tree, the tree species, its height of perch, position on the branch (distal/ apical/middle), diameter of the branch, the tree canopy (thick/sparse) and vegetation of the area (thick/sparse) were recorded. Assessment of habitat was done to determine how patterns of habitat use vary seasonally. Shaded ambient (air) temperatures and humidity were recorded. Data pertaining to 90 individuals of T. malabaricus and 100 individuals of T. gramineus were recorded. Trimeresurus malabaricus selected home ranges that included areas with thick vegetation and were encountered at regions of higher altitude. Neither of the species was found in open habitats. Both of the species preferred diverse habitats and were spread over the entire available space during the monsoon; they did not show any preference for the perch height during different seasons. Males had a positive correlation between body mass and preferred perch diameter. The present study suggests that several factors play an important role in habitat selection by these arboreal pit vipers, thus making them highly habitat-specific.

The genetic threat due to hybridization with free-ranging dogs is one major concern in wolf conservation. The identification of hybrids and extent of hybridization is important in the conservation and management of wolf populations. Genetic variation was analyzed at 15 unlinked loci in 28 dogs, 28 wolves, four known hybrids, two black wolves, and one dog with abnormal traits in Iran. Pritchard's model, multivariate ordination by principal component analysis and neighbor joining clustering were used for population clustering and individual assignment. Analysis of genetic variation showed that genetic variability is high in both wolf and dog populations in Iran. Values of H_E in dog and wolf samples ranged from 0.75–0.92 and 0.77–0.92, respectively. The results of AMOVA showed that the two groups of dog and wolf were significantly different (F_ST = 0.05 and R_ST = 0.36; P < 0.001). In each of the three methods, wolf and dog samples were separated into two distinct clusters. Two dark wolves were assigned to the wolf cluster. Also these models detected D32 (dog with abnormal traits) and some other samples, which were assigned to more than one cluster and could be a hybrid. This study is the beginning of a genetic study in wolf populations in Iran, and our results reveal that as in other countries, hybridization between wolves and dogs is sporadic in Iran and can be a threat to wolf populations if human perturbations increase.

Reptiles have proven to have a versatile and efficient nonspecific immune system adapted to the environments in which they commonly live. Phospholipase A₂ (PLA₂) is important hydrolytic enzyme involved in the regulation of specific types of messengers, with significant roles in the innate immune response. A number of agents that exert effects on cellular receptors emit a series of signals leading to the increased activity of PLA₂. Phospholipase A₂ has been identified and characterized in temperature, plasma concentration, and kinetic dependence in two species of caiman. The results of these studies suggest that the high PLA₂ activities observed in caiman plasma may be an important component of a well-developed innate immunity. Based on the knowledge of their properties, this powerful immunologic component should be evaluated as a possible application in the veterinary or even human therapeutic industry. Additionally, this is another reason to consider these animals excellent models for the study of immune phylogenetic mechanisms.

Topographic distribution of retinal ganglion cells (GCs) is linked with the visual capabilities and behavioral ecology of vertebrates. Studies on the distribution of different types of GCs, however, have been conducted in only a few species of elasmobranchs. In the present study, the distribution and peak cell density of GCs, and spatial resolving power (SRP) were examined in the Japanese catshark, Scyliorhinus torazame. Distinct populations of GCs were identified in the ganglion cell layer of S. torazame based on soma size: small and large GCs, which showed different spatial distribution patterns. A horizontal streak of high cell density was recognized in the dorsal retina for small GCs. The highest cell density occurred within the streak, and the peak SRPs of the three fish investigated in the present study were 2.32, 2.64, and 3.01 cycles/deg. In contrast, two spots of high cell density, or areae gigantocellulares, were identified for large GCs, one in the temporal and the other in the nasal retina. The highest cell density occurred in the temporal or nasal area gigantocellularis (SRP: 1.36, 1.55 and 1.83 cycles/deg). This is the first study reporting an elasmobranch species with a horizontal visual streak of small GCs and two areae gigantocellulares. The horizontal streak of small GCs in the dorsal retina, which serves for the inferior visual field, is likely important for food search on the bottom, and the areae gigantocellulares may be important to the detection of prey and/or predators approaching from the front or behind the catshark.

The purpose of this investigation was to study the morphological aspects of the Harderian gland in Gerbillus tarabuli. Tissues were obtained from both male and female adult Gerbillus tarabuli and processed for light and electron microscopy. The Harderian gland in gerbil is large and well developed, covered by a thin capsule, from which thin septae extend, subdividing the gland into lobes and lobules. The endpieces of the gland are tubuloalveolar, which produce a secretion of lipid character. The glandular epithelium is pseudostratified with two types of secretory cells, the type C cells are columnar in shape with large lipid vacuoles, and type P cells pyramidal and serous, they are basally located with no luminal aspect. The epithelium possesses well-developed myoepithelial cells. The wide lumina are filled with lipid vacuoles, cellular debris, and porphyrins. The Harderian gland of the gerbil has no morphologically distinct duct system; a single extraglandular excretory duct is detected. Electron microscopic examination revealed that type C cells contain large electronlight lipid vacuoles, a well and extensive reticulum endoplasmic and a large number of mitochondria. The pyramidal cells are characterized by a small number of PAS-positive granules at the basal region; these cells exhibit one or two round nuclei, many electron-dense granules, crystalloid bodies, abundant mitochondria and many ribosomes in their cytoplasm. The three mechanism of secretion are seen in the Harderian gland of Gerbillus tarabuli. In its overall characteristics, the Harderian gland of Gerbillus tarabuli conforms to the general pattern observed in rodents. However, further research will be needed to correlate the presence of cytoplasmic slashes, crystalloids bodies and glycoproteins in epithelial cells with the biology of these animals and to their functional significance.

The literature supports the hypothesis that the pelvic excavation is the bottom of the abdominal cavity, which is covered by the peritoneal serous membrane in order to promote visceral dynamics. We studied the peritoneum in eight specimens of Xenarthra (Euphractus sexcinctus, Myrmecophaga tridactyla and Tamandua tetradactyla). The animals were fixed in formaldehyde (10%). For description and analyzes of the pelvic peritoneum, dissection and photo documentation were performed. We saw that the parietal serous membrane reflected, involving the pelvic viscera. The urorectal septum is the floor of the higher pelvis as a serosa reflection between the bladder and the rectum. The bladder and gonads are completely peritonized in adult armadillo. In anteaters and young armadillos, the testicles are in a position analogous to the uterus, joined by the conjunctive septum at the midline and along with the bladder, they partially project to the higher and lower pelvis. In Myrmecophagidae, vesicogenital, rectogenital and sacrorectal recesses were observed. In Dasypodidae, the recesses are similar to those of other recent vertebrates.

We studied the development of respiratory tract in bovine embryos by light microscopy and transmission electronic microscopy. This process was observed formation of laryngeal-tracheal tube in embryos that present crown-rump (CR) length of 9.0 mm (20/21 days of pregnancy) at around the fourth gestational week; the organ wall appears to be formed of epithelium comprising several cell layers and supported by mesenchyme. Within the lungs, the areas subjacent to epithelium present condensed mesenchyme, while more distal areas loose mesenchyme, in which blood vessels beginn to form, as the organ is in a pseudo-glandular phase. Ultra-structurally, the mesenchyme cells present irregular shapes, having a stellar or fusiform appearance and are united by desmosomes, where the cytoskeleton attaches to the cellular membrane, forming a connection. The bifurcation of trachea caudal portion in the main bronchia is simultaneous to the appearance of the tracheal bronchi, during the fifth gestational week.