Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Public Library of Science (PLoS)  

Coprolites contain various kinds of ancient DNAs derived from gut micro-organisms, viruses, and foods, which can help to determine the gut environment of ancient peoples. Their genomic information should be helpful in elucidating the interaction between hosts and microbes for thousands of years, as well as characterizing the dietary behaviors of ancient people. We performed shotgun metagenomic sequencing on four coprolites excavated from the Torihama shell-mound site in the Japanese archipelago. The coprolites were found in the layers of the Early Jomon period, corresponding stratigraphically to 7000 to 5500 years ago. After shotgun sequencing, we found that a significant number of reads showed homology with known gut microbe, viruses, and food genomes typically found in the feces of modern humans. We detected reads derived from several types of phages and their host bacteria simultaneously, suggesting the coexistence of viruses and their hosts. The food genomes provide biological evidence for the dietary behavior of the Jomon people, consistent with previous archaeological findings. These results indicate that ancient genomic analysis of coprolites is useful for understanding the gut environment and lifestyle of ancient peoples.

DOI： 10.1371/journal.pone.0295924

PubMed

Language：English   Publisher：Scientific Reports  

Correction to: Scientific Reports, published online 04 August 2023 The original version of this Article contained an error in Figure 2 where the data for Aldosterone (pg/mL) was incorrect. The original Figure 2 and accompanying legend appear below. (Figure presented.) Individual changes in blood components and cytokines. Each color corresponds to an individual subject. After HH, aldosterone and cortisol are significantly decreased (p < 0.05) and WBC count, IL-6 and IL-8 are significantly increased (p < 0.05). The original Article has been corrected.

DOI： 10.1038/s41598-023-40794-2

Web of Science

Scopus

PubMed

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Scientific Reports  

When lowlanders are exposed to environments inducing hypobaric hypoxia (HH) such as high mountains, hemodynamic changes occur to maintain oxygen levels in the body. However, changes to other physiological functions under such conditions have yet to be clarified. This study investigated changes in endocrine, inflammatory and immune parameters and individual differences during acute HH exposure using a climatic chamber (75 min of exposure to conditions mimicking 3500 m) in healthy lowlanders. Aldosterone and cortisol were significantly decreased and interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and white blood cell (WBC) counts were significantly increased after HH. Lower peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) was associated with higher IL-6 and WBC counts, and higher IL-8 was associated with higher cortisol. These findings suggest that endocrine, inflammatory and immune responses are evoked even with a short 75-min exposure to HH and individuals with lower SpO2 seemed to show more pronounced responses. Our results provide basic data for understanding the physiological responses and interactions of homeostatic systems during acute HH.

DOI： 10.1038/s41598-023-39894-w

Web of Science

Scopus

PubMed

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Mating experience shapes male mating behavior across species, from insects, fish, and birds, to rodents. Here, we investigated the effect of multiple mating experiences on male mating behavior in "naïve" (defined as sexually inexperienced) male medaka fish. The latency to mate with the same female partner significantly decreased after the second encounter, whereas when the partner was changed, the latency to mate was not decreased. These findings suggest that mating experiences enhanced the mating activity of naïve males for the familiar female, but not for an unfamiliar female. In contrast, the mating experiences of "experienced" (defined as those having mated > 7 times) males with the same partner did not influence their latency to mate. Furthermore, we identified 10 highly and differentially expressed genes in the brains of the naïve males after the mating experience and revealed 3 genes that are required for a functional cascade of the thyroid hormone system. Together, these findings suggest that the mating experience of naïve male medaka fish influences their mating behaviors, with neural changes triggered by thyroid hormone activation in the brain.

DOI： 10.1038/s41598-022-23871-w

PubMed

Authorship：Lead author,　Corresponding author   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：International Society of Cytology  

DOI： 10.1508/cytologia.87.67

Publisher：Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory  

Cold tolerance during embryonic development, especially blood circulation is important for growth in poikilothermic animals. Medaka (Oryzias latipes), has cold tolerance and is distributed in the highest latitudes occupied by the genus Oryzias. Regarding cold tolerance in embryogenesis, Hd–rR strain belonging to the southern Japanese (S.JPN) group showed arrhythmia when the embryo was exposed to 15 °C in the heartbeat initiation period (st. 24), whereas the embryo of Odate medaka, which belongs to the northern Japanese (N.JPN) group, showed stable heartbeats. In this study, to verify the sensitivity to low temperature in the medaka wild populations, heartbeat intervals of st. 24 embryos derived from three N.JPN, eight S.JPN, and two western Korean/Chinese (W.KOR) populations were investigated at an arbitrary temperature range of 12—15 °C. There was no significant difference in the mean values of the heart rates and the coefficient of variation (CV) of interbeat intervals in the N.JPN, S.JPN, and W.KOR groups. A temperature dependency of the CV within 12—15 °C was observed only in five S.JPN specimens, whereas three S.JPN, the N.JPN and the W.KOR specimens showed no alteration in CV with temperature. Temperature dependency of the heart rate was also varied in the S.JPN specimens. These results suggest that the temperature dependency of the CV under 12—15 °C during the heartbeat initiation period is a variation within the S.JPN after the divergence from the N.JPN.

DOI： 10.1101/2022.04.05.487105

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