| sodefrin: a female-attracting peptide pheromone in newt cloacal glands. | a decapeptide called sodefrin was isolated from the abdominal gland of the cloaca of the male red-bellied newt, cynops pyrrhogaster. the native peptide, as well as the synthetic one, had a female-attracting activity. sodefrin was found in the apical portion of the epithelial cells of the abdominal gland. sodefrin is apparently species specific because it did not attract females of cynops ensicauda. this is the first amphibian pheromone to be identified and the first peptide pheromone identified ... | 1995 | 7886452 |
| comparison of mauthner cell size in sexually developed and undeveloped male red-bellied newts. | differences in mauthner (m) cell size were examined in sexually developed and undeveloped male red-bellied newts, cynops pyrrhogaster. the mean areas of nuclei and cell bodies of m cells and mean maximum and minimum diameters of the cell bodies in the sexually developed males were significantly larger than those in the sexually undeveloped ones. in the hypophysectomized male newts, all these parameters were not significantly different from those in the sexually undeveloped ones. these values wer ... | 1995 | 8586962 |
| radioimmunoassay of a newt sex pheromone, sodefrin, and the influence of hormones on its level in the abdominal gland. | a specific and sensitive radioimmunoassay (ria) was developed for the measurement of sodefrin, a female-attracting decapeptide pheromone of the red-bellied newt, cynops pyrrhogaster. sodefrin synthesized according to the amino acid sequence of native sodefrin, isolated from the abdominal glands of the cloaca of the male newt, was used as a reference standard. an antiserum to sodefrin was produced by immunizing a rabbit with synthetic sodefrin that was extended on its c-terminus with cys coupled ... | 1996 | 8954769 |
| ecto-atpase activity of vertebrate blood cells. | ecto-atpase activity was measured for red blood cells, white blood cells, and whole blood from a variety of vertebrates. a large range of red blood cell ecto-atpase activity was observed; for example, at 10 degrees c, red blood cells from a catastomid fish (catostomus macrocheilus) and a newt (taricha rivularis) had activities of 56 +/- 9 and 25,000,000 +/- 14,000,000 pmol atp per 10(6) red blood cells per hour, respectively (mean +/- sd). several control experiments verified that the measured a ... | 1997 | 9361136 |
| sodefrin: a novel sex pheromone in a newt. | the abdominal gland in the male red-bellied newt, cynops pyrrhogaster, is the source of a female-attracting pheromone. an attempt was made to isolate and characterize the female-attracting pheromone in the abdominal glands of male newts. the active substance, named sodefrin (from the japanese 'sodefuri' which means 'soliciting') has been isolated and shown to be a novel decapeptide with the sequence, ser-ile-pro-ser-lys-asp-ala-leu-leu-lys. its minimum effective concentration in water is 0.1-1.0 ... | 1999 | 10051096 |
| astronewt: early development of newt in space. | astronewt experiment explores the effects of earth gravity on the early development of japanese red-bellied newt, cynops pyrrhogaster. since female newts keep spermatophore in cloaca, fertilized eggs could be obtained without mating. fertilization of newt's egg occurs just prior to spawning, so that gonadotrophic cues applied to females in orbit leads to laying eggs fertilized just in space. a property of newt being kept in hibernation at low temperature may be of great help for the space exp ... | 1996 | 11538624 |
| comparison of the morphology of the inner ear between newts and frogs in relation to their locomotory capability. | the ultrastructural differences between the inner ears of japanese red-bellied newts (cynops pyrrhogaster) and black-spotted pond frogs (rana nigromaculata) were investigated. scanning electron microscopic observations showed apparent morphological differences in the shape of the ampulla cristae and the localization of the striola in the saccular macula. there were differences in the length of the kinocilia of the sensory hairs in each sensory region. in addition, the diameters of the bundles of ... | 2002 | 12130811 |
| comparative peptidomics of the endocrine pancreas: islet hormones from the clawed frog xenopus laevis and the red-bellied newt cynops pyrrhogaster. | electrospray mass spectrometry coupled with reverse-phase hplc was used to identify peptides in the molecular mass range 3000-6000 da in extracts of the pancreata of the clawed frog xenopus laevis (anura: pipidae) and the red-bellied newt cynops pyrrhogaster (caudata: salamandridae). amino acid sequences of insulins, peptides derived from the post-translational processing of proglucagons and pancreatic polypeptide were determined by automated edman degradation. three molecular forms of insulin w ... | 2002 | 12475387 |
| lectin histochemical study on the olfactory organ of the newt, cynops pyrrhogaster, revealed heterogeneous mucous environments in a single nasal cavity. | expression patterns of glycoconjugates were examined by lectin histochemistry in the nasal cavity of the japanese red-bellied newt, cynops pyrrhogaster. its nasal cavity consisted of two components, a flattened chamber, which was the main nasal chamber (mnc), and a lateral diverticulum called the lateral nasal sinus (lns), which communicated medially with the mnc. the mnc was lined with the olfactory epithelium (oe), while the diverticulum constituting the lns was lined with the vomeronasal epit ... | 2003 | 12698361 |
| evidence for processing enzymes in the abdominal gland of the newt, cynops pyrrhogaster, that generate sodefrin from its biosynthetic precursor. | sodefrin (ser-ile-pro-ser-lys-asp-ala-leu-leu-lys) is a female-attracting peptide pheromone secreted by the abdominal gland of the male red-bellied newt, cynops pyrrhogaster. sequence analysis of a cdna encoding sodefrin revealed that the peptide is located in the c-terminal region of its precursor protein (residues 177-186 of preprosodefrin) and extended from its c-terminus by the tripeptide sequence ile(187)-ser(188)-ala(189) and flanked at its n-terminus by leu(174)-gly(175)-arg(176). this su ... | 2007 | 17867852 |
| endocrine regulation of reproductive behavior in the newt cynops pyrrhogaster. | hormonal control of the expression of courtship behavior and of secretion of the female-attracting pheromone sodefrin by the male red-bellied newt, cynops pyrrhogaster, together with the hormonal influence on the responsiveness to the pheromone in the female, is reviewed.expression of the initial stage of the courtship behavior, i.e., tail vibration by the male in front of the female, is dependent on prolactin (prl) and androgen. during the courtship, sodefrin seems to be released from the cloac ... | 2000 | 18517290 |
| hormone-mediated reproductive behavior in the red-bellied newt. | hormonal involvement in the performance of reproductive behavior of the red-bellied newt cynops pyrrhogaster is described. the sexually developed male newt is likely to recognize the sexually responsive female newt by a yet unidentified substance released from the oviduct, secretion of this substance being stimulated by prolactin (prl) and estrogen. at the initial stage of courtship behavior, the male newt vibrates his tail vigorously in front of the female partner. this action is elicited by pr ... | 2009 | 19456338 |
| prolactin increases the synthesis of 7alpha-hydroxypregnenolone, a key factor for induction of locomotor activity, in breeding male newts. | we recently found that the japanese red-bellied newt, cynops pyrrhogaster, actively produces 7alpha-hydroxypregnenolone, a previously undescribed amphibian neurosteroid. 7alpha-hydroxypregnenolone stimulates locomotor activity of male newts. locomotor activity of male newts increases during the breeding period as in other wild animals, but the molecular mechanism for such a change in locomotor activity is poorly understood. here we show that the adenohypophyseal hormone prolactin (prl) stimulate ... | 2010 | 20219980 |
| distribution of 7b2 (secretogranin v)-like immunoreactivity in the japanese red-bellied newt (cynops pyrrhogaster) pituitary. | in this study, we examined 7b2 (secretogranin v)-like immunoreactivity (ir) in the japanese red-bellied newt (cynops pyrrhogaster) pituitary. results showed that the pars nervosa was filled with immunoreactive granules. in the pars intermedia, all melanotrophs showed 7b2-ir. in the pars distalis, immunoreactive cells were dispersed, and the 7b2-immunoreactive cells were also immunopositive for the beta-subunit of bullfrog luteinizing hormone (flhbeta). 7b2-ir co-localized with flhbeta-ir in the ... | 2010 | 20434189 |
| learning about non-predators and safe places: the forgotten elements of risk assessment. | a fundamental prerequisite for prey to avoid being captured is the ability to distinguish dangerous stimuli such as predators and risky habitats from non-dangerous stimuli such as non-predators and safe locations. most research to date has focused on mechanisms allowing prey to learn to recognize risky stimuli. the paradox of learned predator recognition is that its remarkable efficiency leaves room for potentially costly mistakes if prey inadvertently learn to recognize non-predatory species as ... | 2011 | 21203793 |
| isolation and characterization of four vip-related peptides from red-bellied newt, cynops pyrrhogaster. | four novel bioactive peptides were isolated from the red-bellied newt, cynops pyrrhogaster, using a bioassay system monitoring the rectum contraction of the japanese quail, coturnix japonica. as these peptides are structurally related to vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (vip), we termed these peptides newt vip-related peptides 1, 2, 3, and 4 (nvrp-1, -2, -3, and -4). the primary sequences of these peptides were determined to be hsdavftdnysrllgktalknyldgalkke (nvrp-1), hsdavftdnysrllaktalknyldga ... | 2004 | 15518909 |
| imorin: a sexual attractiveness pheromone in female red-bellied newts (cynops pyrrhogaster). | the male red-bellied newt (cynops pyrrhogaster) approaches the female's cloaca prior to performing any courtship behaviour, as if he is using some released substance to gauge whether she is sexually receptive. therefore, we investigated whether such a female sexual attractiveness pheromone exists. we found that a tripeptide with amino acid sequence ala-glu-phe is secreted by the ciliary cells in the epithelium of the proximal portion of the oviduct of sexually developed newts and confirmed that ... | 2017 | 28120945 |
| in silico identification of the genes for sperm-egg interaction in the internal fertilization of the newt cynops pyrrhogaster. | a specific sperm-egg interaction in the oviductal matrix is crucial for internal fertilization of the red-bellied newt, cynops pyrrhogaster. an understanding of the molecular basis of this interaction is expected to elucidate the evolutionary history of internal fertilization in amphibians. recently, deep sequencing technology has provided global gene information even in nonmodel animals, allowing us to understand specific features of the molecular mechanisms underlying fertilization in c. pyrrh ... | 2014 | 26154327 |
| lectin histochemical study on the olfactory bulb of the newt, cynops pyrrhogaster. | the function and/or morphological features of the vomeronasal olfactory system remain unclear in aquatic animals, although the system appeared first in urodeles based on phylogenic data. we examined the lectin binding patterns in the olfactory bulb of a semi-aquatic urodele, the japanese red-bellied newt, cynops pyrrhogaster, using 22 different lectins. eleven of the lectins showed specific binding to the nerve fibres and glomeruli in the olfactory bulb. among these, wheat germ agglutinin, pokew ... | 2011 | 21592192 |
| expression of cytochrome p450 side-chain cleavage enzyme mrna and production of pregnenolone in the brain of the red-bellied newt cynops pyrrhogaster. | it is becoming clear that the vertebrate brain has the capability of forming steroids de novo, the so-called "neurosteroids". to understand neurosteroidogenesis in the brain, it is essential to demonstrate the formation of pregnenolone, a main precursor of neurosteroids. in amphibians, the pregnenolone formation from cholesterol is still unclear, although the brain accumulates pregnenolone, pregnenolone sulfate and 7α-hydroxypregnenolone. this study was addressed to obtain basic information abou ... | 2011 | 21050853 |
| structure of the respiratory tract of the red-bellied newt cynops pyrrhogaster, with reference to serotonin-positive neuroepithelial endocrine cells. | to investigate the distribution of serotonin-positive neuroepithelial endocrine (nee) cells in the respiratory tract of the red-bellied newt cynops pyrrhogaster, serial sections of the respiratory tract were stained using immunohistochemical methods for serotonin, a periodic acid-schiff method and hematoxylin-eosin staining. the respiratory tract of the red-bellied newt consisted of a tubular laryngotrachea and two pulmonary sacs. serotonin-positive solitary nee cells were distributed widely thr ... | 2005 | 15960315 |
| processing of multiple forms of preprosodefrin in the abdominal gland of the red-bellied newt cynops pyrrhogaster: regional and individual differences in preprosodefrin gene expression. | peptides derived from the post-translational processing of preprosodefrin were isolated from an extract of the abdominal glands of male red-bellied newts cynops pyrrhogaster obtained 5 months prior to the onset of the breeding season. structural characterization of the peptides showed that the pheromone sodefrin (sipskdallk) is stored in a biologically inactive cooh-terminally extended form (sipskdallkisa). it follows, therefore, that the activation of a protease that cleaves at a lys-ile bond t ... | 2004 | 15374655 |
| abnormal spermatogenesis at low temperatures in the japanese red-bellied newt, cynops pyrrhogaster: possible biological significance of the cessation of spermatocytogenesis. | in newt testis, spermatocytes never appear during winter, because secondary spermatogonia die by apoptosis just before meiosis. in the current study, we examined the effect of low temperatures on spermatogenesis. incubation of newts at low temperatures (8, 12, 15 degrees c) induced defects in spermatogenesis in a temperature-dependent manner. at 8 degrees c, multinucleated giant cells (mgcs) were observed in spermatocytes and spermatogenesis never proceeded beyond meiosis. although spermatocytes ... | 2003 | 12874800 |
| sequence analysis and expressional regulation of messenger rnas encoding beta subunits of follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone in the red-bellied newt, cynops pyrrhogaster. | two distinct cdnas encoding beta subunits of follicle-stimulating hormone (fsh) and luteinizing hormone (lh) were cloned from the cdna library constructed for the pituitary of the red-bellied newt, cynops pyrrhogaster, and sequenced. the newt fshbeta and lhbeta cdnas encode polypeptides of 129 and 131 amino acids, including signal peptides of 20 and 19 amino acids, respectively. the number and position of cysteine and n-glycosylation in each of the beta subunits of fsh and lh, which are consider ... | 2002 | 11967191 |
| prolactin induces apoptosis in the penultimate spermatogonial stage of the testes in japanese red-bellied newt (cynops pyrrhogaster). | cell death is a common feature during spermatogenesis and, in some seasonal breeding animals, is often observed at the transition stage from spermatogonia to spermatocytes. in the japanese red-bellied newt, we have previously shown that this cell death is caused by the elevated titer of plasma prl that occurs after animals are transferred to low temperature, suggesting that cell death causes the cessation of spermatocytogenesis from late autumn to early spring. in the present report, first we sh ... | 2000 | 10830286 |
| production of otoconia in the endolymphatic sac in the japanese red-bellied newt, cynops pyrrhogaster: light and transmission electron microscopic study. | the formation of otoconia in the endolymphatic sac (es) of the larval newt, cynops pyrrhogaster, has been studied by light and transmission electron microscopy. some of the epithelial cells of the es contain an abundance of swollen vesicles, golgi complexes, rough endoplasmic reticula and ribosomes at the late larval stages 50 and 51, approximately 26-30 days after eggs are laid. five days later, at stage 52, crystals are present in the vacuoles between the epithelial cells. serial sections indi ... | 1998 | 9726680 |
| development of the endolymphatic sac and duct in the japanese red-bellied newt, cynops pyrrhogaster. | the development and maturation of the endolymphatic sac (es) and duct (ed) were studied in the newt cynops pyrrhogaster. the es first appears as an oval capsule at the dorsal-medial tip of the otic vesicle at stage 39, about 11 days after oviposition. the es consists of polymorphous epithelial cells with a minimum of cytoplasm. the intercellular space (is) between the epithelial cells is narrow and has a smooth surface. at stage 44, the size of the es increases as many vacuoles in the is become ... | 1998 | 9606061 |
| ultrastructure of the endolymphatic sac in the larva of the japanese red-bellied newt cynops pyrrhogaster. | the ultrastructure of the endolymphatic sac (es) of the late stage larva of the japanese red-bellied newt, cynops pyrrhogaster (stage 57), was examined by light and transmission electron microscopy. the two endolymphatic sacs are located at the dorsal-medial side of the otic vesicle on the dorsal-lateral side of the midbrain in the cranial cavity. the wall of the sac is composed of a layer of cubical epithelial cells with loose, interposed intercellular spaces. the sac contains a large luminal c ... | 1998 | 9477311 |
| non-invasive assessment of otolith formation during development of the japanese red-bellied newt, cynops pyrrhogaster. | pre-mated adult female newts and embryos have been flown on the international microgravity laboratory-2 (iml-2) space shuttle flight in 1994 (wiederhold et al., 1992b). with the specimens available from this flight, the calcification of otoliths, ulna, radius and backbone of the flown larvae and adult newts were analyzed. the experiments presented here studied the development of the otoliths on the ground. otoliths of living newts, from embryo to adult, were observed in situ with the application ... | 1995 | 8575997 |
| atomic force microscope observations of otoconia in the newt. | calcitic and aragonitic otoconia from the japanese red-bellied newt, cynops pyrrhogaster, were examined using an atomic force microscope. the surface structure of both otoconial polymorphs consisted of arrays of elements approximately 50 nm in diameter. elements were generally round and were separated by shallow depressions of no more than 20 nm. the elements are suggested to be single crystals of calcium carbonate. the relationship of these observations to theories of otoconial genesis is discu ... | 1995 | 7559167 |
| the morphogenic features of otoconia during larval development of cynops pyrrhogaster, the japanese red-bellied newt. | otoconia are calcified protein matrices within the gravity-sensing organs of the vertebrate vestibular system. mammalian otoconia are barrel-shaped with triplanar facets at each end. reptilian otoconia are commonly prismatic or fusiform in shape. amphibians have all three otoconial morphologies, barrel-shaped otoconia within the utricle, with prismatic and fusiform otoconia in the saccule. scanning electron microscopy revealed a sequential appearance of all three otoconial morphologies during la ... | 1995 | 7642456 |
| development of the otolith organs and semicircular canals in the japanese red-bellied newt, cynops pyrrhogaster. | the sequence in which the otoliths and semicircular canals and their associated sensory epithelia appear and develop in the newt are described. three-dimensional reconstruction of serial sections through the otic vesicle of newt embryos from stages 31 through 58 demonstrate the first appearance, relative position and growth of the otoliths. a single otolith is first seen in stage 33 embryos (approximately 9 days old); this splits into separate utricular and saccular otoliths at stage 40 (13 days ... | 1995 | 7642454 |
| formation of otoconia in the japanese red-bellied newt, cynops pyrrhogaster. | pre-mated adult female newts and fertilized eggs will be flown on the international microgravity laboratory-2 flight, in 1994. one objective of the flight will be to observe the influence of microgravity on the development of the gravity-sensing organs in the inner ear. these organs contain sensory hair cells covered by a layer of dense stones (otoconia). gravity and linear acceleration exert forces on these masses, leading to excitation of the nerve fibers innervating the hair cells. if the pro ... | 1994 | 11537935 |
| seasonal changes in plasma testosterone and 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone levels in the adult male newt, cynops pyrrhogaster pyrrhogaster. | seasonal changes in plasma levels of testosterone (t) and 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (dth) were examined in the adult male japanese red-bellied newt. the concentration of plasma t increased significantly (p less than 0.05) from january to february and decreased drastically from april to july when it reached its minimum. after the summer decline, plasma t increase rapidly from july to october (p less than 0.05) and reached its maximum in october. concerning the seasonal fluctuation of plasma dht ... | 1983 | 6884270 |
| amphibian orientation: an unexpected observation. | the study of homing movements of displaced newts (taricha rivularis) revealed unexpected features of the migratory behavior of amphibians. newts leaving the breeding stream in the spring move not directly uphill but at an angle carrying them upstream. when they emerge after summer estivation this tendency is not evident in captures made during the autumn and winter. during the latter period, however, newly metamorphosed frogs (rana boylii) show the same pronounced upstream migration that charact ... | 1967 | 17792064 |
| regionally specific occurrence of an active sodefrin variant in the red-bellied newt. | sodefrin (sipskdallk) is a female-attracting pheromone that is secreted by the abdominal gland of the male red-bellied newt. we found that mrna encoding a sodefrin variant, [val(8)] sodefrin, is expressed exclusively in specimens captured in the nara area of japan. the synthetic peptide was tested for its activity. it attracted females from nara, but not those from other regions, suggesting that there is a geographic variation in the pheromone molecule and in the responsiveness to the pheromone. ... | 2005 | 15891059 |
| japanese red-bellied newts in space--astronewt experiment on space shuttle iml-2 and space flyer unit. | biological effects of gravity was examined in embryonic development of japanese red bellied newt. two space newt missions were conducted in 1994 and 1995. the second international microgravity laboratory was flown in 1994 as one of the spacelab missions. space flyer unit, a japanese space platform, was delivered to the earth orbit by the third launch of the h-ii rocket and retrieved by space shuttle in 1996. female newts were induced to lay eggs in orbit at these two space missions. eggs were su ... | 2001 | 11799253 |
| population subdivision and genetic divergence in the red-bellied newt, taricha rivularis. | | 1978 | 28563726 |
| homing orientation by olfaction in newts (taricha rivularis). | newts displaced after perfusion of the olfactory epithelium with formaldehyde failed to orient toward home, whereas control animals subjected to oral perfusion with formaldehyde oriented as readily as did untreated controls. newts with surgically extirpated olfactory nerves failed to home unless their nerves had regenerated. these results strongly suggest a critical role for olfaction in homing behavior. | 1968 | 5651897 |
| initial homeward orientation after long-distance displacements in the newt taricha rivularis. | | 1967 | 16591475 |
| course and timing of the homing migration in the newt taricha rivularis. | | 1966 | 5230184 |
| long distance homing in the newt taricha rivularis. | | 1964 | 16591135 |
| identification and characterization of pou class v family genes in japanese red bellied newt, cynops pyrrhogaster. | mammalian pou5f1 encodes the pou family class v (pou-v) transcription factor which is essential for the pluripotency of embryonic cells and germ cells. in vertebrates, various pou-v family genes have been identified and classified into the pou5f1 family or its paralogous pou5f3 family. in this study, we cloned two cdnas named cppou5f1 and cppou5f3, which encode pou-v family proteins of the japanese red bellied newt cynops pyrrhogaster. in the predicted amino acid sequence encoded by cppou5f1, th ... | 2019 | 31412969 |