Reassessment of the evolutionary relationships within the dog‐faced bats,genus Cynomops (Chiroptera: Molossidae)

The low representativeness of the dog‐faced bats (genus Cynomops Thomas, 1920 ) in collections has constrained the study of the diversity and the evolutionary relationships within this genus. Taxonomic revisions of some taxa, in particular the large‐sized Cynomops abrasus (Temminck, 1827 ), are crucial for understanding the phylogeny of Cynomops. A total of four subspecies of C. abrasus have been described to date, all widespread in South America: C. a. mastivus (Thomas, 1911 ), C. a. brachymeles (Peters, 1865), C. a. cerastes (Thomas, 1901 ) and C. a. abrasus (Temminck, 1827 ). Here, we evaluated the phylogenetic relationships within Cynomops, and the status of the four C. abrasus subspecies using complete sequences of two mitochondrial genes (Cyt b and COI) and 39 morphological characters. Maximum‐parsimony, maximum‐likelihood and Bayesian phylogenetic reconstructions recovered a novel hypothesis for Cynomops, supported the recognition of C. a. mastivus as a distinct species, separated from C. abrasus, and two hypotheses of lineages previously unrecognized for Cynomops. The use of mitochondrial genes combined with morphological characters revealed again to be a powerful tool to recover the phylogenetic relationships within Cynomops and demonstrated that the genus is more diverse than previously thought.     

No Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Neotropical Primates Sampled During COVID-19 Pandemic in Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul,Brazil

EcoHealth - In 2019, a new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was detected in China. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was capable to infect domestic and captive mammals like...     

Effect of Magnesium on the Development of Sheath blight in Rice

This study investigated the effect of magnesium (Mg) on sheath blight, caused by Rhizoctonia solani, development on rice plants from cultivars BR‐IRGA 409 and Labelle grown in nutrient solution containing 0.062, 0.125, 0.25 and 0.50 mm of Mg. Sheath blight progress on inoculated sheaths was evaluated by measuring lesions expansion (mm) at 24, 48, 72 and 96 h after inoculation. Data were used to calculate the area under lesion expansion progress curve (AULEPC). The relationship between the foliar Mg concentration and the Mg rates was quadratic. The Mg concentration on leaf sheaths tissue was highest at the Mg rates of 0.389 and 0.400 mm , respectively, for cultivars BR‐IRGA 409 and Labelle. A linear model best described the relationship between the AULEPC and the Mg rates. The AULEPC decreased by 48.7 and 26.2% for plants of cultivars BR‐IRGA 409 and Labelle, respectively, as the Mg rates in the nutrient solution increased. The results permitted to conclude that high foliar Mg concentration played a pivotal role to decrease sheath blight lesions expansion.     

High P2X6 receptor expression in human bladder cancer predicts good survival prognosis

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry - As alterations in purinergic signaling have been observed in bladder diseases, we aimed to assess the potential prognostic role of purinergic receptors in...     

Vicariant events in the montane hummingbird genera Augastes and Schistes in South America

We assessed the evolutionary histories of two hummingbirds, Augastes scutatus and Augastes lumachella, endemic to the highlands of the Espinhaço Range in Brazil. These hummingbirds are considered relictual taxa with phylogenetic affinities to members of the genus Schistes from the Andean region. We reconstructed phylogenetic relationships of Augastes through the use of mitochondrial DNA and nuclear sequences within the Polytminae hummingbird clade, and found that the inferred phylogenetic reconstructions placed A. scutatus as the sister species of A. lumachella and Augastes as sister to Schistes geoffroyi from the northern Andes, as previously suggested by similarities found in plumage and morphology. Our results are consistent with an initial divergence of Augastes and Schistes lineages in the Late Miocene, associated with geological and climatic changes across the South American landscape. A Late Pliocene vicariant event between A. scutatus and A. lumachella may be associated with climatically distinct environmental conditions influencing the local differentiation and adaptation of ancestral Augastes populations. Our findings represent additional important evidence of vicariant events between east and west in southern South America, and between north and south within the Espinhaço Range of Brazil.     

The genetic characteristics of invasive Largemouth Bass in southern Brazil

Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) have been introduced on a global scale for sport fishing but represent a conservation concern given their documented negative impacts on native faunal diversity and abundance. Recent research using molecular data to characterize invasive Largemouth Bass populations elsewhere has demonstrated that populations are typically characterized by limited genetic diversity, or represent a combination of Largemouth Bass and Florida Bass (Micropterus floridanus). To test whether these traits were consistent with invasive populations in Brazil, we generated mitochondrial sequence data from four established populations of Largemouth Bass collected in southern Brazil as well as a local aquaculture facility to confirm species identity and quantify levels of genetic diversity. We identified the exclusive presence of Largemouth Bass in the region and observed limited levels of haplotype (haplotype diversity = 0.0684, SE = 0.038) and nucleotide diversity (0.0003, SE = 0.0002) which suggested the presence of a founder effect associated with introduction. Each of the four populations were dominated by a single haplotype that was identical to one recovered from a nearby aquaculture facility, which identified this facility as a potential introduction source.     

Glyphosate and nickel differently affect photosynthesis and ethylene in glyphosate-resistant soybean plants infected by Phakopsora pachyrhizi

Nickel (Ni) and glyphosate (Gl) are able to reduce the symptoms of Asian soybean rust (ASR), caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi, in soybean. However, their combined effects on the energy balance and ethylene metabolism of soybean plants infected with this fungus has not been elucidated. Therefore, the effects of Ni, Gl, and the combination of Ni + Gl on ASR development, photosynthetic capacity, sugar concentrations, and ethylene concentrations in plants of a Gl-resistant cultivar, uninfected or infected with P. pachyrhizi, were investigated. Inoculated plants supplied with Ni had the highest foliar Ni concentration in all the treatments. Gl had a negative effect on the foliar Ni concentration in Ni-sprayed plants. The ASR severity was reduced in plants sprayed with Ni and Gl. Carotenoid and chlorophyll concentrations were higher in inoculated Ni, Gl, and Ni + Gl plants than in control plants. Based on the chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters, the photosynthetic apparatus of the control inoculated plants was damaged, and the least amount of energy was directed to the photochemistry process in these plants. The reduced capacity of the photosynthetic mechanism to capture light and use the energy absorbed by photosystem II in inoculated plants was reflected in their reduced capacity to process CO₂, as indicated by the high internal CO₂ concentrations and low rates of net carbon assimilation. The low sugar concentrations in inoculated plants from the control treatment were linked to their reduced photosynthetic capacity due to the high ASR severity. In uninfected plants, the ethylene concentration was not affected by Ni or Gl, while the ethylene concentration decreased in inoculated plants; this decrease was more pronounced in plants from the control treatment than in treated inoculated plants. In conclusion, this study sheds light on the role played by both Ni and Gl in ASR control from a physiological perspective. Soybean plants exposed to Ni and Gl were able to maintain high ethylene concentrations and photosynthetic capacity during the P. pachyrhizi infection process; as a result, these plants consumed less of their reserves than inoculated plants not treated with Ni or Gl.