Multiple alpha-globin genes of crab-eating monkey : Resistance to malarial infection

生物通过进化表现出对自然环境的各种适应，这改变了它们基因中的核苷酸。例如，生活在高地或地下的动物具有高氧亲和力的血红蛋白。区域性疾病也是自然动物的环境因素。我们发现马来亚半岛和苏门答腊岛的食蟹猕猴具有高频率的α -珠蛋白基因，这些猕猴具有较高的血液学值。目前的研究是为了验证吃螃蟹的猴子可以通过基因复制使自己适应疟疾感染的假设。我们在泰国的几个地方进行了食蟹猕猴的捕获和释放野外工作。麻醉下采集形态学资料和血液标本。同时制备厚、薄血涂片，镜检疟疾感染情况。在野地附近测量了赤羊的逻辑值，并将灰褐色的皮毛带回日本。α -珠蛋白基因的数量将通过Southern blot分析确定。在野外工作中，还收集了形态学资料。结合以往的数据，泰国的食蟹猴与马来西亚、印度尼西亚和菲律宾的食蟹猴相比，体型大，体重重。在泰国，南部宋卡的食蟹猴最多，其次是东北部。最小的是亚拉，也是在南部。这一结果与遗传数据的临床特征形成对比。

Livinig organisms show a variety of adaptation to natural environment through evolution, that changed in nucleotides in their genes. For example, animals living in highland or underground have hemoglobins of high oxygen affinity. Regional disease is also an environmental factor for natural animals. We found that the crab-eating macaques of Malayan penninsula and Sumatra have multiplied alpha-globin genes in high frequency and those monkeys have high hematological values. The present study was undertaken to access the hypothesis that crab-eating monkeys can adapt themselves against malarial infection by gene duplication.We performed capture-and-release field works of crab-eating macaques in several localities in Thailand. Under anesthetization, morphological data and blood specimens were collected. Thick and thin blood smear was also prepared for microscopic observation of malarial infection. Hemato logical values were measured near from the field and buffy coat was brought back to Japan. The number of alpha-globin gene will be determined by Southern blot analysis.In the field work, the morphological data were also collected. By combining with the previous data, the crab-eating monkeys in Thailand have big body size and heavy body weight as compared with those of Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. In Thailand, crab-eating monkeys of Songklah, southern part were the biggest followed by those of northeastern part. The smallest was Yala, again, southern part. This results contrasted with the clinal trait of genetic data.