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At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources

PubMed2002

Trace metals in tissues of gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) carcasses from the Northern Pacific Mexican Coast.

Samples of liver, lung, heart, muscle, and blubber tissue from the carcasses of juvenile gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) found stranded on the coast off the Sea of Cortez, México were analyzed for a range of trace metals (Cu, Fe, Zn, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Cd). The highest concentrations of copper, iron, zinc, and manganese were found in liver; nickel and lead in heart, and cadmium in kidney. In all tissues analyzed, iron, zinc and copper were present in the highest concentrations; however, some whales also showed high levels of cadmium in the kidney which could be related to their diet. Elevated concentrations of copper were found only in the liver of one whale. In general, where low levels of iron were found in the liver, they were associated with poor nutrition. Lead, nickel, manganese and zinc levels in liver were within the normal range, indicating that these whales had not been exposed to high levels of these metals.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Species, tissue and gender-related organochlorine bioaccumulation in white-sided dolphins, pilot whales and their common prey in the northwest Atlantic.

Organochlorine concentrations were measured in white-sided dolphins, pilot whales, and their prey from the Gulf of Maine and used to identify species, tissue, and gender differences, and trophic transfer trends, in bioaccumulation. Polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations ([PCB]) in dolphin blubber (13 +/- 7.1 micrograms/g fresh wt.) were twice those in pilot whales, but pesticide concentrations (20 +/- 13 micrograms/g fresh) were similar between species. 4,4'-DDE, trans-non-achlor, Cl6(153) and Cl6(138) concentrations were highest. Skin tissues had more recalcitrant organochlorines than the internal organs. Male dolphins bioaccumulated higher concentrations of nonmetabolizable PCBs and hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers, whereas pilot whales had no gender-related differences in bioaccumulation. Pilot whales, mackerel, and herring had proportionately higher concentrations of DDTs, whereas [PCB] were higher in dolphins and squid. Although these odontocetes feed at the same trophic level and store a similar suite of contaminants, dolphins bioaccumulated higher and potentially hazardous 4,4'-DDE and PCB concentrations from food in their more geographically restricted range.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Molecular cloning and phylogenetic analysis of beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) and grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) interleukin 2.

Interleukin 2 (IL-2) is a lymphokine produced by activated T helper lymphocytes which exerts immunoregulatory effects on a variety of immune cells, including T cells, activated B cells, natural killer cells, and lymphokine-activated killer cells. In this study, we cloned and determined the entire beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) and grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) IL-2-encoding cDNA sequences, and analysed their genetic relationships with those from several mammalian species obtained from the Genbank Database. The encoding nucleic acid sequences of beluga whale and grey seal IL-2 were 465 and 468 bp in length, respectively. The identity levels of IL-2 nucleic and deduced amino acid sequences from the beluga whale and grey seal with those from the other mammalian species, ranged from 59.9% to 89.5%, and 52.9% to 77.3%, and from 61.1% to 93.2%, and 58.7% to 88.4%, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on both nucleic and amino acid sequences showed that the beluga whale IL-2 was closely related to that of the ruminant species, which includes the bovine, while the grey seal IL-2 was closely related to that of the canine.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2003

Blast-induced neurotrauma in whales.

A majority of investigations on primary blast injuries have focused on gas-containing organs, while the likelihood of blast-induced neurotrauma remains underrated. In Norway minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) are hunted using small fishing boats rigged with harpoon guns, which fire harpoons tipped with a grenade containing a charge of 30-g penthrite. The grenade detonates 60-70 cm inside the animal. The present study was undertaken to characterize the neuropathological changes caused by the penthrite blast and evaluate its role in the loss of consciousness and death in hunted whales. The study included 37 minke whales that were examined shipboard. The brains were later subjected to gross and light microscopy examination. The results showed that intra-body detonation of the grenade in near vicinity of the brain resulted in trauma similar to severe traumatic brain injury associated with a direct blow to the head. Detonation in more distant areas of the body resulted in injuries resembling acceleration-induced diffuse traumatic brain injury. The authors conclude that even if several vital organs were fatally injured in most whales, the neurotrauma induced by the blast-generated pressure waves were the primary cause for the immediate or very rapid loss of consciousness and death.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Nucleotide sequence of the p53 cDNA of beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas).

The cDNA (DNA complementary to RNA) of the p53 gene of the beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) was sequenced by the method of 5'- and 3'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) with the cDNA made for the RNA obtained from fresh peripheral blood leukocytes isolated from two animals. Primers for the RACE method were synthesized based on the sequence of the DNA of beluga whale corresponding to exon 5 of the human p53 gene, which was determined after amplification of the DNA isolated from the liver from a beluga whale by using a pair of primers for the human sequence. The sequenced cDNA had a 2150-nucleotide length and contained the whole region corresponding to human exons 1 through 11. The reading frame was 1164 bp (base pair) long and began in exon 2 and ended in exon 11, coding for a 387-amino acid protein. The nucleotide sequence of the reading frame showed high similarity over 85% with pig, sheep, cow, and human genes. The similarities with the former two animals at the amino acid level were also more than 85%. Lower similarity of the beluga whale p53 gene was also found with those of lower tetrapods, fish and invertebrates.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2001

Modeling whale audiograms: effects of bone mass on high-frequency hearing.

In a previous paper (Hemilä et al., Hear. Res. 133 (1999) 82-97) we have presented a mechanical model, based on species-specific anatomical data, for the toothed whale middle ear. For five odontocete species of six we found that the model quite well predicted published behavioral audiograms. Here we report that new published data indicate that the audiogram of the sixth and deviating species, the killer whale Orcinus orca, was from a specimen with deficient high-frequency hearing. A new published killer whale audiogram is similar to other odontocete audiograms and does fit our four-bone model. With certain general conditions, a model with isometric (middle) ears results in uniform audiograms for different species, when presented in a log-log plot; with larger ears the audiogram curves are just moved towards lower frequencies. The audiograms coincide in case all frequencies are scaled by a factor 1/m3, where m is the mass of the ear ossicles. Odontocete ears are isometric enough to show that the corresponding audiograms are indeed similar after such mass scaling. Specifically, this scaling factor can be used to predict the high-frequency hearing limits of all odontocete species. Our anatomical data and models support the notion that ossicular mass is a crucial factor limiting high-frequency hearing in both terrestrial mammals and toothed whales.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

An attempt at intracytoplasmic sperm injection of frozen-thawed minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) oocytes.

Little is known about the characteristics of fertilisation events in minke whales. Cryopreserved minke whale oocytes and spermatozoa do not fertilise in a standard IVF. This study was conducted to investigate the pronucleus formation ability of cryopreserved minke whale oocytes and their subsequent development following intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). In experiment 1, frozen-thawed minke whale immature oocytes were cultured for in vitro maturation (IVM) in a maturation medium (TCM199) supplemented with either porcine follicle stimulating hormone (pFSH)/estradiol-17beta (E2) or pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMSG)/human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). After 120 h of IVM, oocyte survival was examined before ICSI, and showed no significant difference in morphological normality (24-36%) between the two IVM media. Two-cell embryos (two oocytes from 21 sperm-injected oocytes) were obtained when the maturation medium was supplemented with pFSH/E2 or PMSG/hCG. In experiment 2, cryopreserved maturing oocytes were investigated for the effects of repeat-culture (2 h or 24 h) on survival before ICSI. Pronuclear formation and development were examined for the effects of sperm pretreatment with dithiothreitol (DTT) and oocyte activation with ethanol at ICSI. A frequency of 49-69% of frozen-thawed maturing oocytes was used for ICSI. Although oocyte activation did not produce a significant difference in survival, pronucleus formation and embryonic development, 2- and 4-cell cleaved oocytes were observed after injection of sperm pretreated with DTT.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Contribution of spermatozoal centrosomes to the microtubule-organizing centre in Antarctic minke whale ( Balaenoptera bonaerensis ).

Using an interspecies microinsemination assay with bovine oocytes, it was examined whether centrosomes of Antarctic minke whale spermatozoa function as the microtubule-organizing centre (MTOC). Bull and rat spermatozoa were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. Vitrified-warmed bovine mature oocytes were subjected to immunostaining against alpha-tubulin 4-6 h after intracytoplasmic injection (ICSI) of 5 mM dithiothreitol-treated spermatozoa. Aster formation occurred from whale spermatozoa (33%) and bull spermatozoa (33%), but very little from rat spermatozoa (3%). Activation treatment for the microinseminated oocytes with 7% ethanol + 2 mM 6-dimethylaminopurine resulted in a similar proportion of oocytes forming a whale sperm aster (35% vs 27% in the non-treated group; 4 h after ICSI) but a significantly larger aster (ratio of aster diameter to oocyte diameter, 0.57 vs 0.30 in the non-treated group). These results indicate that the centrosome introduced into bovine oocytes by whale spermatozoa contributes to the MTOC and that assembly of the microtubule network is promoted by oocyte activation.

Animals↗

PubMed1977

The complete amino acid sequence of the major component myoglobin from the arctic minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata.

The complete primary structure of the major component myoglobin from the Arctic minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata, was determined by specific cleavage of the protein to obtain large peptides which are readily degraded by the automatic sequencer. Over 80% of the amino acid sequence was established from the three peptides resulting from the cleavage of the apomyoglobin at the two methionine residues with cyanogen bromide along with the four peptides resulting from the cleavage of the methylacetimidated apomyoglobin at the three arginine residues with trypsin. The further digestion of the central cyanogen bromide peptide with trypsin and S. aureus strain V8 protease enabled the determining of the remainder of the covalent structure. This myoglobin differs from that of the dwarf sperm whale, Kogia simus, at 16 positions, and the common dolphin, Delphinus delphis, at 14 positions, from that of the common porpoise, Phocaena phocaena, and the bottlenosed dolphin, Tursiops truncatus at 13 positions, from that of the Amazon River dolphin, Inia geoffrensis, at 10 positions, and from that of California gray whale, Eschrichtius gibbosus, at 3 positions- All of the substitutions observed in this sequence fit easily into the three-dimensional structure of the sperm whale myoglobin.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2001

Mechanism of oxidation of oxymyoglobin by copper ions: comparison of sperm whale, horse, and pig myoglobins.

The influence of Cu2+ concentration, pH, and ionic strength of the solution as well as redox-inactive zinc ions on the rate of oxidation of sperm whale, horse, and pig oxymyoglobins (oxy-Mb) by copper ions has been studied. These myoglobins have homologous spatial structures and equal redox potentials but differ in the number of histidines located on the surface of the proteins. It was shown that oxy-Mb can be oxidized in the presence of Cu2+ through two distinct pathways depending on which histidine binds the reagent and how stable the complex is. A slow pH-dependent catalytic process is observed in the presence of equimolar Cu2+ concentration for sperm whale and horse oxymyoglobins. The curves of pH dependence in both cases are sigmoid with pK(eff) corresponding to the ionization. The process is caused by the strong binding of Cu2+ to His113 and His116, an analogous His residue being absent in pig Mb. In contrast, rapid oxidation of 10-15% of pig oxy-Mb is observed under the same conditions (fast phase), which is not accompanied by catalysis because the reduced copper is apparently not reoxidized. The complexing of Cu2+ with His97 situated near the heme is probably responsible for the fast phase of the reaction. The affinity of His97 for Cu2+ must be significantly lower than those of the "catalytic" His residues since the fast phase does not contribute markedly to the rate of sperm whale and horse oxy-Mb oxidation. Increasing copper concentration does not produce a proportional growth in the oxidation rate of sperm whale and horse oxy-Mbs. Which Cu2+ binding sites of Mb make main contributions to the His reaction rate at different Cu2+/Mb ratios from 0.25 to 10 is discussed.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Lactation in whales and dolphins: evidence of divergence between baleen- and toothed-species.

Although it has been more than one hundred years since the first publication on the milks of whales and dolphins (Order Cetacea), information on lactation in these species is scattered and fragmentary. Yet the immense size of some cetaceans, and the recent evidence that another group of marine mammals, the true seals, have remarkable rates of secretion of milk fat and energy, make this group of great comparative interest. In this paper information on lactation patterns, milk composition and lactation performance is reviewed. Two very different patterns are evident. Many of the baleen whales (Suborder Mysticeti) have relatively brief lactations (5-7 months) during which they fast or eat relatively little. At mid-lactation they produce milks relatively low in water (40-53%), high in fat (30-50%), and moderately high in protein (9-15%) and ash (1.2-2.1%). From mammary gland weights and postnatal growth rates, it is predicted that their energy outputs in milk are exceptional, reaching on the order of 4000 MJ/ d in the blue whale. This is possible because pregnant females migrate to feeding grounds where they can ingest and deposit great amounts of energy, building up blubber stores prior to parturition. On the other hand, the toothed whales and dolphins (Suborder Odontoceti) have much more extensive lactations typically lasting 1-3 years, during which the mothers feed. At mid-lactation their milks appear to be higher in water (60-77%) and lower in fat (10-30%) and ash (0.6-1.1%), with similar levels of protein (8-11%). At least some odontocetes resemble primates in terms of low predicted rates of energy output and a long period of dependency of the young. However, these hypotheses are based on small numbers of samples for a relatively small number of species. Much of the available data on milk composition is of rather poor quality; for example, it is not possible to determine if milk composition changes over the course of lactation among odontocetes. Additional research on cetacean mammary glands and their secretions is needed to understand the reproductive strategies of these fascinating animals.

Adipose Tissue↗

PubMed2001

For whales and seals the ocean is not blue: a visual pigment loss in marine mammals.

Most terrestrial mammals have colour vision based on two spectrally different visual pigments located in two types of retinal cone photoreceptors, i.e. they are cone dichromats with long-to-middle-wave-sensitive (commonly green) L-cones and short-wave-sensitive (commonly blue) S-cones. With visual pigment-specific antibodies, we here demonstrate an absence of S-cones in the retinae of all whales and seals studied. The sample includes seven species of toothed whales (Odontoceti) and five species of marine carnivores (eared and earless seals). These marine mammals have only L-cones (cone monochromacy) and hence are essentially colour-blind. For comparison, the study also includes the wolf, ferret and European river otter (Carnivora) as well as the mouflon and pygmy hippopotamus (Artiodactyla), close terrestrial relatives of the seals and whales, respectively. These have a normal complement of S-cones and L-cones. The S-cone loss in marine species from two distant mammalian orders strongly argues for convergent evolution and an adaptive advantage of that trait in the marine visual environment. To us this suggests that the S-cones may have been lost in all whales and seals. However, as the spectral composition of light in clear ocean waters is increasingly blue-shifted with depth, an S-cone loss would seem particularly disadvantageous. We discuss some hypotheses to explain this paradox.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Rest and activity states in a gray whale.

The behaviour of a female gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) that had been rescued 14 months previously was recorded continuously on a video-recorder for 9 days at 'Sea World' in San Diego. On average, during the first six recording days, active wakefulness accounted for 37.9 +/- 1.7% of each 24 h; transitional stage for 17.4 +/- 1.4% and rest for 41.2 +/- 1.7%. In the rest stage the whale was lying on the bottom of the pool (13.2 +/- 1.7%) or hanging on the surface (28. 0 +/- 1.7%). During the rest stage, it was immobile most of the time and moved only for respiration. In the rest stage both eyes could be open, one eye could be open while the other was closed or, more rarely, both eyes could be closed. Characteristic jerks of the head, neck and sometimes of the whole body were observed in the whale during the rest stage. Most jerks were single and only 10% of all jerks were serial (occurring within 10 s of a prior jerk). Eyelid movements accompanied 40% of jerks. In two episodes, intense jerks followed each other continuously for 3 and 4 s and were accompanied by eyelid movements. These jerks resembled the twitches characteristic of paradoxical sleep in terrestrial mammals. During these episodes the whale was falling slowly onto its side and subsequently started to swim in the pool.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Matriarchal genetic population structure of North American beluga whales Delphinapterus leucas (Cetacea: Monodontidae).

The North American beluga whale Delphinapterus leucas population has been divided into a number of putative geographical stocks based upon migration routes and areas of summer concentration. Nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region were used to assess whether these geographical stocks are genetically distinct. Beluga whale samples from 25 sites were collected primarily from aboriginal subsistence hunts across North America from 1984 to 1994. Thirty-nine mtDNA haplotypes were identified in 628 beluga samples. No differences were found in the distribution of haplotypes between male and female beluga whales at any sampling site. These haplotypes segregated into two distinct assemblages in both a haplotype network and a neighbour-joining tree. The haplotype assemblages and a geographically disjunct distribution that suggests postglacial recolonization of the North American Arctic from two different refugia. An analysis of molecular variance based on haplotype relationships and frequency indicated genetic heterogeneity among beluga whale summering groups (P < or = 0.001). Sequence divergence estimates between sampling sites also indicated geographical differentiation, particularly between samples taken at east Hudson Bay or St Lawrence River and the western or central Arctic. The results of this study show a high degree of philopatry to specific summering areas by this highly mobile animal.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Molecular analysis of the efficiency of sloughed skin sampling in whale population genetics.

Sloughed whale skin contains enough DNA for genetic analysis, and offers a non-intrusive method for collecting tissue. Here, we examine the efficiency of sloughed skin sampling using 1460 samples collected from free-ranging humpback whales. Samples were sexed and screened for up to 10 microsatellite markers. The vast majority of samples appear genetically compatible with field observations. About 1% of groups revealed more genotypes than whales, but we argue that this is more likely to be due to unobserved whales than to contamination. Sloughed skin sampling is particularly effective when applied to active groups and offers a viable alternative to biopsy darting in regions where darting is either not permitted or otherwise undesirable.

Alleles↗

PubMed2003

Magnetic resonance images of the brain of a dwarf sperm whale (Kogia simus).

Cetacean (dolphin, whale and porpoise) brains are among the least studied mammalian brains because of the difficulty of collecting and histologically preparing such relatively rare and large specimens. Among cetaceans, there exist relatively few studies of the brain of the dwarf sperm whale (Kogia simus). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers a means of observing the internal structure of the brain when traditional histological procedures are not practical. Therefore, MRI has become a critical tool in the study of the brain of cetaceans and other large species. This paper represents the first MRI-based anatomically labelled three-dimensional description of the dwarf sperm whale brain. Coronal plane sections of the brain of a sub-adult dwarf sperm whale were originally acquired and used to produce virtual digital scans in the other two orthogonal spatial planes. A sequential set of images in all three planes has been anatomically labelled and displays the proportions and positions of major neuroanatomical features.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Declining survival probability threatens the North Atlantic right whale.

The North Atlantic northern right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) is considered the most endangered large whale species. Its population has recovered only slowly since the cessation of commercial whaling and numbers about 300 individuals. We applied mark-recapture statistics to a catalog of photographically identified individuals to obtain the first statistically rigorous estimates of survival probability for this population. Crude survival decreased from about 0.99 per year in 1980 to about 0.94 in 1994. We combined this survival trend with a reported decrease in reproductive rate into a branching process model to compute population growth rate and extinction probability. Population growth rate declined from about 1. 053 in 1980 to about 0.976 in 1994. Under current conditions the population is doomed to extinction; an upper bound on the expected time to extinction is 191 years. The most effective way to improve the prospects of the population is to reduce mortality. The right whale is at risk from entanglement in fishing gear and from collisions with ships. Reducing this human-caused mortality is essential to the viability of this population.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

A double mutant of sperm whale myoglobin mimics the structure and function of elephant myoglobin.

The functional, spectral, and structural properties of elephant myoglobin and the L29F/H64Q mutant of sperm whale myoglobin have been compared in detail by conventional kinetic techniques, infrared and resonance Raman spectroscopy, 1H NMR, and x-ray crystallography. There is a striking correspondence between the properties of the naturally occurring elephant protein and those of the sperm whale double mutant, both of which are quite distinct from those of native sperm whale myoglobin and the single H64Q mutant. These results and the recent crystal structure determination by Bisig et al. (Bisig, D. A., Di Iorio, E. E., Diederichs, K., Winterhalter, K. H., and Piontek, K. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 20754-20762) confirm that a Phe residue is present at position 29 (B10) in elephant myoglobin, and not a Leu residue as is reported in the published amino acid sequence. The single Gln64(E7) substitution lowers oxygen affinity approximately 5-fold and increases the rate of autooxidation 3-fold. These unfavorable effects are reversed by the Phe29(B10) replacement in both elephant myoglobin and the sperm whale double mutant. The latter, genetically engineered protein was originally constructed to be a blood substitute prototype with moderately low O2 affinity, large rate constants, and increased resistance to autooxidation. Thus, the same distal pocket combination that we designed rationally on the basis of proposed mechanisms for ligand binding and autooxidation is also found in nature.

Amino Acid Sequence↗