Nature PortfolioActa Medica Okayama2045-23221112021Genomic characterization between strains selected for death-feigning duration for avoiding attack of a beetle21816ENKeisukeTanakaNODAI Genome Research Center, Tokyo University of AgricultureKenSasakiGraduate School of Agriculture, Tamagawa UniversityKentarouMatsumuraGraduate School of Agriculture, Kagawa UniversityShunsukeYajimaNODAI Genome Research Center, Tokyo University of AgricultureTakahisaMiyatakeGraduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama UniversityPredator avoidance is an important behavior that affects the degree of adaptation of organisms. We compared the DNA variation of one of the predator-avoidance behaviors, the recently extensively studied "death-feigning behavior", between the long strain bred for feigning death for a long time and the short strain bred for feigning death for a short time. To clarify how the difference in DNA sequences between the long and short strains corresponds to the physiological characteristics of the death-feigning duration at the transcriptome level, we performed comprehensive and comparative analyses of gene variants in Tribolium castaneum strains using DNA-resequencing. The duration of death feigning involves many gene pathways, including caffeine metabolism, tyrosine metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450, longevity regulating pathways, and circadian rhythm. Artificial selection based on the duration of death feigning results in the preservation of variants of genes in these pathways in the long strain. This study suggests that many metabolic pathways and related genes may be involved in the decision-making process of anti-predator animal behavior by forming a network in addition to the tyrosine metabolic system, including dopamine, revealed in previous studies.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.‰ªŽR‘åŠwˆã—ËZp’ZŠú‘åŠw•”Acta Medica Okayama0917-449411991ÔŒŒ‹…’†‚̃wƒ‚ƒOƒƒrƒ“ƒwƒ€‚ÌŽ_‰»ŠJ—ô•¨Ž¿ƒwƒ}ƒ`ƒ“Ž_‚Ì’è—Ê7782ENKazuhiroHirotaKenjiSasakiTakashiHirota10.18926/11778Our previous studies on the mechanism of phenylhydrazine-induced hemolytic anemia have shown that hematinic acid, one of oxidative cleavage products of heme, is formed by the reaction of hemoglobin with phenylhydrazine. Develoment of the determination of hematinic acid formed by this reaction in red blood cells (RBC) was required to study the mechanism of the hemolysis. Hemolysates prepared by lysis of fresh human RBC with water was mixed with standard hematinic acid. A solution consisting of hydrochloric acid, methanol, and acetone was added, and most of hemoglobin precipitated was removed by centrifugation. Hematinic acid was derived to the methyl ester by incubation with methanol containing sulfuric acid. The ester was passed to two type of silica gel column to remove interferences, and was analysed on a reversedphase high-performance liquid chromatographic column. Hematinic acid could be determined in the range 1.0-20.0ƒÊmol/ml RBC. Recovery from hemolysate was 65.0% }3.5%. Standard compounds of hematinic acid and its methyl ester were prepared by the oxidation of hemin with hydrogen peroxide, and were comfirmed by elemental analyses and mass spectra.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.‰ªŽR‘åŠwˆã—ËZp’ZŠú‘åŠw•”Acta Medica Okayama0917-449411991Polycyclic N-Hetero Compounds. XL. Reaction of Cyclic Ketones with Trisformylaminomethane6976EN10.18926/11773Reactions of cyclic ketones such as ƒ¿-tetralone, 1,3-cyclohexanedione, or naphthalenedione with formamide or trisformylaminomethane (TFAM) have shown to form polyclic fused pyrimidines by us. Reactions of terpene ketones like l-menthone, d-camphor, l-carvone with TFAM were performed, and 8-isopropyl-5-methyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinazoline, borno[2,3-d] pyrimidine, and 5-isopropenyl-8-methyl-5,6-dihydroquinazoline were expectedly obtained from three terpenes. Minor products of 5-isopropenyl-8-methyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinazoline and 5-isopropenyl-8-methylquinazoline were formed with 5-isopropenyl-8-methyl-5,6-dihydroquinazoline by disproportionation reaction of l-carvone. Furthermore, No-formylmenthylamine, N-formylbornylamine, and N-formylcarvylamine were obtained as the Leuckart-type products terpene ketones in these reactions. The reaction of N-benzyl-4-piperidone with TFAM gave desired 6-benzyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropyrido[4,3-d]pyrimidine. The reaction of diethyl succinylsuccinate with TFAM afforded tricyclic 4,9-dioxo-3,4,8,9-tetrahydropyrimido[4,5-g]quinazoline. Above compounds were determined by the measurements of their instrumental analyses.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.