A 32-nucleotide deletion (delta 32) within the beta-chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) gene has been described in subjects who remain uninfected despite extensive exposure to HIV-1. This allele was found to be common in the Caucasian population with a frequency of 0.0808, but was not found in people of African or Asian ancestry. To determine its role in HIV-1 transmission and disease progression, we analyzed the CCRS genotype of 1252 homosexual men enrolled in the Chicago component of the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS). No infected participant was found to be homozygous for the delta 32 allele, whereas 3.6% of at-risk but uninfected Caucasian participants were homozygous, showing the highly protective role of this genotype against sexual acquisition of HIV-1. No evidence was found to suggest that heterozygotes were protected against HIV-1 infection, but a limited protective role against disease progression was noted. The delta 32 allele of CCR5 is therefore an important host factor in HIV-1 transmission and pathogenesis.

Introduction 234Overview of Acipenseriformes 234International harvest and trade 240Major global fisheries 241 Caspian Sea 241 Black Sea and Sea of Azov 245 Abstract The 27 extant species of sturgeons and paddlefishes (Order Acipenseriformes) represent a unique and relict lineage of fishes. Producers of coveted black caviar, sturgeons are one of the most valuable wildlife commodities on earth. The group is among the most endangered fishes with all species listed under Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Appendix I (two species) or II (25 species), only two species considered Lower Risk by IUCN, four of the nine US taxa and one Caspian species protected under the Endangered Species Act, and local extinctions recorded for 19 of 27 species. Despite their well-publicized imperilled status, commercial pressure on 15 species persists.Here, after reviewing the biological characteristics of sturgeons and paddlefishes and their commercial use, an overview of global fisheries is presented. The synopsis demonstrates that, with few exceptions, sturgeon and paddlefish are imperilled across the globe and long-term survival in the wild is in jeopardy. All major sturgeon fisheries have surpassed peak productivity levels, with 70% of major fisheries posting recent harvests <15% of historic peak catches and 35% of the fisheries examined crashing within 7-20 years of inception. Even in Caspian Sea fisheries, the most important globally, present catches are below 10% of historic peak landings. Improved domestic and international fisheries management and attention to habitat and species restoration is now needed. Although captive rearing offers promise for caviar alternatives and endangered species restoration, it must advance cautiously to avoid environmental harm. To ensure a continued supply of caviar and the survival of these unique fishes we offer recommendations for priority conservation action for the future.

An understanding of the distribution of North American green sturgeon Acipenser medirostris in coastal waters is crucial to minimize impacts on this vulnerable species from various fisheries. To determine migratory patterns, we tagged 213 subadult and adult green sturgeon in spawning rivers and summer aggregation areas with uniquely coded ultrasonic pingers and observed their coastal movements with arrays of automated hydrophones deployed along the West Coast of North America from southeast Alaska to Monterey Bay, California. Green sturgeon exhibited an annual migration along the continental shelf from U.S. to Canadian waters in the fall and an apparent return migration in the spring. Peak migration rates exceeded 50 km/d during the springtime southward migration. Large numbers of green sturgeon were detected near Brooks Peninsula on northwest Vancouver Island, British Columbia, during May‐June and October‐November. A single fish was detected in southeast Alaska in December. This pattern of detections suggests that important overwintering grounds may be north of Vancouver Island and south of Cape Spencer, Alaska. A high frequency of detection allowed us to estimate that annual survival of tagged green sturgeon was 0.83 in 2004. The rapid, frequent long‐distance migrations by these fish may make them vulnerable to bycatch in bottom trawl fisheries on the shelf waters of western North America.

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Summary Oceanic‐migratory behavior of adult Atlantic Sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus, was examined using pop‐up satellite archival tags (PSAT). Twenty‐three Atlantic Sturgeons were caught and tagged with PSATs in the Hudson River, New York during 2006 and 2007. Fifteen of those fish returned to the ocean (with PSATs attached) 6–132 days after tagging. These PSATs remained attached to fish for a period of 108–360 days archiving light, temperature, and depth, before releasing from fish, ascending to the surface, and transmitting data to satellites. The location of PSATs was measured to within ±150 m by satellites using Doppler shift of radio transmissions within hours after tags reached the surface. Positions prior to pop up were initially estimated using only archived‐light data and the tag manufacturers’ proprietary software. Positional error associated with light‐based estimates is high, especially with regard to latitude. This error was reduced by applying depth, distance, and temperature filters. Thirteen of the 15 Atlantic Sturgeons that left the Hudson River with PSATs attached remained within the Mid‐Atlantic Bight for up to 1 year after tagging. Their geographic distributions generally extended from Long Island, New York to Chesapeake Bay at depths between 5 and 40 m. Aggregation areas were identified off southwest Long Island, along the New Jersey coast, off Delaware Bay, and off Chesapeake Bay. Depth distribution was seasonal; fish inhabited deepest waters during winter and shallowest waters during summer and early fall. Two Atlantic Sturgeons traveled outside of the Mid‐Atlantic Bight. One migrated north to Cobequid Bay (terminal end of the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia), whereas the other traveled south to the coast of Georgia.

The Rogue River, Oregon represents one of three important spawning systems for green sturgeon, Acipenser medirostris, in North America. In this paper we describe the spawning migration, spawning periodicity, and size at maturity for green sturgeon caught in the Rogue River during 2000-2004. Green sturgeon were caught by gill net or angling; 103 individuals were tagged with radio or sonic transmitters (externally or internally). Green sturgeon caught by gill net and angling ranged from 145 cm to 225 cm total length. Histological and visual examinations of gonad tissues indicated that most green sturgeon were spawning or post-spawning adults that entered the Rogue River to spawn. Ripe individuals were caught when water temperature was 10-18°C. Specimens carrying transmitters migrated 17-105 km up river; reaches consisting of likely spawning sites were identified based on sturgeon migratory behavior. Most green sturgeon remained in the Rogue River until late fall or early winter when flows increased, after which they returned to the ocean. Eight green sturgeon (males and females) returned to the Rogue River 2-4 years after leaving, entering the river during March, April, and May when water temperatures ranged from 9°C to 16°C. None of the 103-tagged individuals entered the Rogue River during successive years. There appear to be few known natural threats to adult green sturgeon in the Rogue River. However, our data suggest that a high percentage of adults that spawn in the Rogue River (particularly males) were susceptible to harvest by commercial, Tribal, and sport fisheries after leaving the system because they were not adequately protected by maximum size limits during the period of this study. The implications of maximum size limits (or lack of size limits) to green sturgeon are discussed, and recent actions taken by Oregon and Washington Fish and Wildlife Commissions to manage green sturgeon more conservatively are presented.