Primate Biology最新文献

Black-and-white colobus (Colobus guereza Rüppell, 1835) are arboreal Old World monkeys inhabiting large parts of the deciduous and evergreen forests of sub-Saharan Africa. Two of the eight subspecies of Colobus guereza are endemic to Ethiopia: C. g. gallarum and C. g. guereza. However, the validity of the Ethiopian taxa is debated and observed morphological differences were attributed to clinal variation within C. g. guereza. To date, no molecular phylogeny of the Ethiopian guerezas is available to facilitate their taxonomic classification. We used mitochondrial DNA markers from 94 samples collected across Ethiopia to reconstruct a phylogeny of respective mitochondrial lineages. In our phylogenetic reconstruction, augmented by orthologous sequence information of non-Ethiopian black-and-white colobus from GenBank, we found two major Ethiopian mitochondrial clades, with one being largely congruent with the distribution of C. g. guereza. The second clade was found only at two locations in the eastern part of the putative range of C. g. gallarum. This second lineage clustered with the lowland form, C. g. occidentalis, from central Africa, whereas the C. g. guereza lineages clustered with C. g. caudatus and C. g. kikuyuensis from Kenya and northern Tanzania. These two guereza lineages diverged around 0.7 million years ago. In addition, mitochondrial sequence information does not support unequivocally a distinction of C. g. caudatus and C. g. kikuyuensis. Our findings indicate a previous biogeographic connection between the ranges of C. g. occidentalis and C. g. gallarum and a possible secondary invasion of Ethiopia by members of the C. g. guereza-C. g. caudatus-C. g. kikuyuensis clade. Given these phylogenetic relationships, our study supports the two-taxa hypothesis, making C. g. gallarum an Ethiopian endemic, and, in combination with the taxon's very restricted range, makes it one of the most endangered subspecies of black-and-white colobus.

Macaques serve as important animal models for biomedical research. Viral infection of macaques can compromise animal health as well as the results of biomedical research, and infected animals constitute an occupational health risk. Therefore, monitoring macaque colonies for viral infection is an important task. We used a commercial chip-based assay to analyze sera of 231 macaques for the presence of antibody responses against nine animal and human viruses. We report high seroprevalence of cytomegalovirus (CMV), lymphocryptovirus (LCV), rhesus rhadinovirus (RRV) and simian foamy virus (SFV) antibodies in all age groups. In contrast, antibodies against simian retrovirus type D (SRV/D) and simian T cell leukemia virus (STLV) were detected only in 5 % and 10 % of animals, respectively, and were only found in adult or aged animals. Moreover, none of the animals had antibodies against herpes B virus (BV), in keeping with the results of in-house tests previously used for screening. Finally, an increased seroprevalence of measles virus antibodies in animals with extensive exposure to multiple humans for extended periods of time was observed. However, most of these animals were obtained from external sources, and a lack of information on the measles antibody status of the animals at the time of arrival precluded drawing reliable conclusions from the data. In sum, we show, that in the colony studied, CMV, LCV, RRV and SFV infection was ubiquitous and likely acquired early in life while SRV/D and STLV infection was rare and likely acquired during adulthood.

We present a case of spontaneous meningioma in a female pig-tailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina) more than 24 years old. Clinically, the monkey displayed slow, weak, and insecure movements and poor vision. A tumorous mass was present at the floor of the cranial vault extending from the optic chiasm towards the foramen magnum. It compressed adjacent parts of the brain, infiltrated the sphenoidal and occipital bone, and showed transcranial expansion into the pharyngeal area. Histologically, the tumor was consistent with a meningioma displaying mostly meningothelial and some microcystic components. Since only six cases of meningiomas in nonhuman primates have been reported so far and only two of these meningiomas have been described in detail, the findings of each case should be reported to expand the knowledge base of this type of tumor. In addition, this is the first description of a meningioma in pig-tailed macaques.

Self-anointing behaviour using Bauhinia sp. was reported in two captive titi monkeys (Callicebus coimbrai and Callicebus barbarabrownae). The study was carried out from October 2013 to May 2014 during an experimental study investigating the gut passage time of these individuals at the Getúlio Vargas Zoobotanical Park, north-eastern Brazil. Although leaves, petioles and flowers of Bauhinia contain chemical substances that could affect the presence of ectoparasites, it is unclear if titi monkeys demonstrate self-anointing behaviour as a method of self-medication. However, due to the presence of large glands in C. coimbrai and C. barbarabrownae chests, and the high frequency of occurrence observed for the adult male, we cautiously suggest that the use of Bauhinia may be linked to olfactory communication.

The protein c-CBL is a ubiquitin ligase. It catalyzes the last step of the transfer of ubiquitin to target proteins. Upon completion of polyubiquitination, the target proteins are degraded. Clinically, it is important that c-CBL is mutated in a subset of patients who develop myeloid malignancies, which are diseases of the hematopoietic stem or progenitor cells. c-CBL has also been shown to be expressed by human spermatogonia. The whole spermatogonial cell population possesses a subset that comprises also the spermatogonial stem cells. Based on these findings we hypothesized that c-CBL might be a general stem cell marker. To test this, we first validated the antibody using marmoset bone marrow and adult testis. In both tissues, the expected staining pattern was observed. Western blot analysis revealed only one band of the expected size. Then, we examined the expression of c-CBL in marmoset monkey embryonic stem (ES) cells, induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells and adult stem cells. We found that c-CBL is strongly expressed in undifferentiated marmoset iPS cells and ES cells. However, adult stem cells in the gut and the stomach did not express c-CBL, indicating that c-CBL is not a general stem cell marker. In summary, c-CBL is strongly expressed in pluripotent stem cells of the marmoset monkey as well as in selected adult stem cell types. Future studies will define the function of c-CBL in pluripotent stem cells.

Mouse lemurs, the world's smallest primates, inhabit forests in Madagascar. They are nocturnal, arboreal and dependent on vision for their everyday lives. In the last decades, the grey mouse lemur became increasingly important for biomedical research, in particular aging research. Experiments which require the combination of visual fitness and old age consequently depend on a solid knowledge of ocular pathologies. Although ocular diseases in mouse lemurs have been described as being common, they have not received much attention so far. Yet it is important to know when and why ocular diseases in captive mouse lemurs may occur. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of known ocular findings in mouse lemurs. It summarizes the frequency of ocular findings in captive mouse lemur colonies and points to their likely causes and treatment options based on the evidence available from other animals and humans. In addition, it shall be discussed whether age or genetic background may affect their development. This review may be used as a reference for future studies which require an assessment of visual performance in mouse lemurs and help to evaluate observed clinical signs and ocular diseases. Furthermore, the high incidence of specific diseases may provide new perspectives and set the groundwork for a new animal model for ocular research.

This special issue about selected diseases of nonhuman primates was created in honor of Franz-Josef Kaup, who worked as a primate pathologist at the German Primate Center (DPZ) for 25 years. In 1992, Franz-Josef Kaup started his career at the DPZ as head of the working group Experimental Pathology. Prior to that he worked as a research assistant in the division Electron Microscopy at the Institute of Pathology of the University of Veterinary Medicine in Hanover. He was very experienced in the field of electron microscopy and used this expertise to establish a central electron microscopy laboratory at the DPZ. In the beginning, research of the working group Experimental Pathology was focused on gastrointestinal and respiratory infections and was closely related to projects of the Department of Virology. At that time, experimental infections of rhesus macaques with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) and associated opportunistic infections became the main subject of his research. The contribution of Christiane Stahl-Hennig and coauthors about SIV-induced cardiovascular diseases reflects the still ongoing collaboration in this research field. After merging the Experimental Pathology and Primate Husbandry in 1996, Franz-Josef Kaup headed the newly created Department of Veterinary Medicine and Primate Husbandry. This department became the central service unit of the DPZ in 1999 and offered a broad spectrum of services in veterinary diagnostics, primate husbandry, and animal welfare, which was intensively used by many internal and external scientists. In 2001, Walter Bodemer joined the group and the scientific contents expanded with a new focus on the pathogenesis of prion diseases. Some important aspects of this era are summarized in the work of Walter Bodemer.

In order to calibrate stem cell exploitation for cellular therapy in neurodegenerative diseases, fundamental and preclinical research in NHP (nonhuman primate) models is crucial. Indeed, it is consensually recognized that it is not possible to directly extrapolate results obtained in rodent models to human patients. A large diversity of neurological pathologies should benefit from cellular therapy based on neural differentiation of stem cells. In the context of this special issue of Primate Biology on NHP stem cells, we describe past and recent advances on cell replacement in the NHP model of Parkinson's disease (PD). From the different grafting procedures to the various cell types transplanted, we review here diverse approaches for cell-replacement therapy and their related therapeutic potential on behavior and function in the NHP model of PD.

Over the past few decades, several studies have attempted to decipher the biology of mammalian germline stem cells (GSCs). These studies provide evidence that regulatory mechanisms for germ cell specification and migration are evolutionarily conserved across species. The characteristics and functions of primate GSCs are highly distinct from rodent species; therefore the findings from rodent models cannot be extrapolated to primates. Due to limited availability of human embryonic and testicular samples for research purposes, two non-human primate models (marmoset and macaque monkeys) are extensively employed to understand human germline development and differentiation. This review provides a broader introduction to the in vivo and in vitro germline stem cell terminology from primordial to differentiating germ cells. Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are the most immature germ cells colonizing the gonad prior to sex differentiation into testes or ovaries. PGC specification and migratory patterns among different primate species are compared in the review. It also reports the distinctions and similarities in expression patterns of pluripotency markers (OCT4A, NANOG, SALL4 and LIN28) during embryonic developmental stages, among marmosets, macaques and humans. This review presents a comparative summary with immunohistochemical and molecular evidence of germ cell marker expression patterns during postnatal developmental stages, among humans and non-human primates. Furthermore, it reports findings from the recent literature investigating the plasticity behavior of germ cells and stem cells in other organs of humans and monkeys. The use of non-human primate models would enable bridging the knowledge gap in primate GSC research and understanding the mechanisms involved in germline development. Reported similarities in regulatory mechanisms and germ cell expression profile in primates demonstrate the preclinical significance of monkey models for development of human fertility preservation strategies.