Coptotermes gestroi (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in Brazil: possible origins inferred by mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase II gene sequences

The Asian subterranean termite, Coptotermes gestroi, originally from northeast India through Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Indonesian archipelago, is a major termite pest introduced in several countries around the world, including Brazil. We sequenced the mitochondrial COII gene from individuals representing 23 populations. Phylogenetic analysis of COII gene sequences from this and other studies resulted in two main groups: (1) populations of Cleveland (USA) and four populations of Malaysia and (2) populations of Brazil, four populations of Malaysia, and one population from each of Thailand, Puerto Rico, and Key West (USA). Three new localities are reported here, considerably enlarging the distribution of C.?gestroi in Brazil: Campo Grande (state of Mato Grosso do Sul), Itajaí (state of Santa Catarina), and Porto Alegre (state of Rio Grande do Sul).     

Detection of the B"-GWGR variant in the southernmost region of Brazil: unveiling the complexity of the human immunodeficiency virus-1 subtype B epidemic

Typical human immunodeficiency virus-1 subtype B (HIV-1B) sequences present a GPGR signature at the tip of the variable region 3 (V3) loop; however, unusual motifs harbouring a GWGR signature have also been isolated. Although epidemiological studies have detected this variant in approximately 17-50% of the total infections in Brazil, the prevalence of B"-GWGR in the southernmost region of Brazil is not yet clear. This study aimed to investigate the C2-V3 molecular diversity of the HIV-1B epidemic in southernmost Brazil. HIV-1 seropositive patients were ana-lysed at two distinct time points in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS98 and RS08) and at one time point in the state of Santa Catarina (SC08). Phylogenetic analysis classified 46 individuals in the RS98 group as HIV-1B and their molecular signatures were as follows: 26% B"-GWGR, 54% B-GPGR and 20% other motifs. In the RS08 group, HIV-1B was present in 32 samples: 22% B"-GWGR, 59% B-GPGR and 19% other motifs. In the SC08 group, 32 HIV-1B samples were found: 28% B"-GWGR, 59% B-GPGR and 13% other motifs. No association could be established between the HIV-1B V3 signatures and exposure categories in the HIV-1B epidemic in RS. However, B-GPGR seemed to be related to heterosexual individuals in the SC08 group. Our results suggest that the established B"-GWGR epidemics in both cities have similar patterns, which is likely due to their geographical proximity and cultural relationship.     

First report of Elasmus polistis Burks (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) recovered from Polistes versicolor (Olivier) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) nests in Brazil

The first record of Elasmus polistis Burks in Polistes versicolor (Olivier) nests in the Rio Grande do Sul state and in Brazil is provided. A total of 173 specimens of P. versicolor and 790 specimens of E. polistis were collected from two nests from Gramado and Santa Cruz do Sul, RS, Brazil.     

Analysis of clastogenic effect of Porto Alegre drinking water supplies on mouse bone marrow cells.

Studies were conducted to evaluate the clastogenic activity of drinking water from Porto Alegre and Guaíba (Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil) estuarine waters. Mouse bone marrow was the target organ. C57B1/6 male and female mice received the water samples as their only liquid supply. Bone marrow cells were collected on the 16th day after the beginning of treatment. The analysis of metaphases demonstrated that the water supplies did not increase the structural chromosome aberration frequencies compared to the control groups. Concerning numerical alterations, only one treated female group showed a significant difference (loss of one chromosome) when compared to the control group, but this result is not considered relevant.     

Occurrence of Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae) on aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in wheat plantation in Medianeira, Parana State, Brazil

This paper records the occurrence of Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Cresson) attacking aphids in wheat plantation in Medianeira, in the west region of Paraná State, Brazil. This microhymenoptera was introduced and released by Embrapa Trigo, from 1978 to 1992 in the wheat production region at the state of Rio Grande do Sul, what suggests that individuals of this species may show high dispersal ability.     

Assessing the HIV-1 Epidemic in Brazilian Drug Users: A Molecular Epidemiology Approach

Person who inject illicit substances have an important role in HIV-1 blood and sexual transmission and together with person who uses heavy non-injecting drugs may have less than optimal adherence to anti-retroviral treatment and eventually could transmit resistant HIV variants. Unfortunately, molecular biology data on such key population remain fragmentary in most low and middle-income countries. The aim of the present study was to assess HIV infection rates, evaluate HIV-1 genetic diversity, drug resistance, and to identify HIV transmission clusters in heavy drug users (DUs). For this purpose, DUs were recruited in the context of a Respondent-Driven Sampling (RDS) study in different Brazilian cities during 2009. Overall, 2,812 individuals were tested for HIV, and 168 (6%) of them were positive, of which 19 (11.3%) were classified as recent seroconverters, corresponding to an estimated incidence rate of 1.58%/year (95% CI 0.92–2.43%). Neighbor joining phylogenetic trees from env and pol regions and bootscan analyses were employed to subtype the virus from132 HIV-1-infected individuals. HIV-1 subtype B was prevalent in most of the cities under analysis, followed by BF recombinants (9%-35%). HIV-1 subtype C was the most prevalent in Curitiba (46%) and Itajaí (86%) and was also detected in Brasília (9%) and Campo Grande (20%). Pure HIV-1F infections were detected in Rio de Janeiro (9%), Recife (6%), Salvador (6%) and Brasília (9%). Clusters of HIV transmission were assessed by Maximum likelihood analyses and were cross-compared with the RDS network structure. Drug resistance mutations were verified in 12.2% of DUs. Our findings reinforce the importance of the permanent HIV-1 surveillance in distinct Brazilian cities due to viral resistance and increasing subtype heterogeneity all over Brazil, with relevant implications in terms of treatment monitoring, prophylaxis and vaccine development.     

The HIV-1 Subtype C Epidemic in South America Is Linked to the United Kingdom

Background

The global spread of HIV-1 has been accompanied by the emergence of genetically distinct viral strains. Over the past two decades subtype C viruses, which predominate in Southern and Eastern Africa, have spread rapidly throughout parts of South America. Phylogenetic studies indicate that subtype C viruses were introduced to South America through a single founder event that occurred in Southern Brazil. However, the external route via which subtype C viruses spread to the South American continent has remained unclear.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We used automated genotyping to screen 8,309 HIV-1 subtype C pol gene sequences sampled within the UK for isolates genetically linked to the subtype C epidemic in South America. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian approaches were used to explore the phylogenetic relationships between 54 sequences identified in this screen, and a set of globally sampled subtype C reference sequences. Phylogenetic trees disclosed a robustly supported relationship between sequences from Brazil, the UK and East Africa. A monophyletic cluster comprised exclusively of sequences from the UK and Brazil was identified and dated to approximately the early 1980s using a Bayesian coalescent-based method. A sub-cluster of 27 sequences isolated from homosexual men of UK origin was also identified and dated to the early 1990s.

Conclusions

Phylogenetic, demographic and temporal data support the conclusion that the UK was a crucial staging post in the spread of subtype C from East Africa to South America. This unexpected finding demonstrates the role of diffuse international networks in the global spread of HIV-1 infection, and the utility of globally sampled viral sequence data in revealing these networks. Additionally, we show that subtype C viruses are spreading within the UK amongst men who have sex with men.     

Three new species,four new records and an updated checklist of Habenaria (Orchidaceae) from Rio Grande do Sul,Brazil

Three new species of Habenaria (Orchidaceae) section Nudae from Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil, are described and illustrated: Habenaria australis, H. kleinii and H. sobraliana. These are the first records of H. sect. Nudae for the state. Based on the examination of living and dried specimens, a total of 33 species and 400 collections of Habenaria were recorded for Rio Grande do Sul. Based on this survey, an updated checklist of the genus Habenaria for Rio Grande do Sul has been compiled. Four species are known only from this state, while seven other species are restricted to southern Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. Habenaria hieronymi, previously known only from Argentina, is recorded for the first time from Brazil, and H. brachyphyton, H. ekmaniana and H. melanopoda are new records for Rio Grande do Sul.     

Consensus of the 'Malasars' traditional aboriginal knowledge of medicinal plants in the Velliangiri holy hills, India

Dusky grouper (garoupa, Epinephelus marginatus) is an important catch for several artisanal small-scale fisheries along the Brazilian coast. It is a sedentary, monandric, and late maturing protogynous species, which makes it vulnerable to overharvesting even though it is mainly caught through hook and line or spear fishing through free diving. Lack of information on the ecology and biology of this species in Brazil is astonishing. Much of the information found in the literature concerns Mediterranean dusky groupers. Studies compiling local knowledge (ethnoecology) about fish species complement biological data, and have been fundamental for effective fisheries management. In this study, our objectives are to obtain data about dusky grouper through fish catches and analysis of stomach contents and gonad maturation (macroscopic analyses), along with interviews from fishermen from six small-scales communities from the southern (Pântano do Sul, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina State) to the northern Brazilian coast (Porto Sauípe, Bahia State). We conclude that precautionary approaches and 'data-less' management approaches are needed in the coast of Brazil. Research on this species and on the potential of aquaculture for its cultivation, are urgent, due to the apparent vulnerability and decrease of dusky grouper along the coast of Brazil.     

Genetic variation in Fusarium merismoides preserved by two different methods

Restriction-enzyme digestion followed by agarose gel electrophoresis demonstrated differences between the purified DNA from Fusarium merismoides which had been held in a culture collection in liquid N₂ and that from soil-stored samples of the same fungus. Extended incubation (3 to 4 weeks) of a culture resulted in the appearance of an extra band, sensitive to EcoRI, which could correspond to a previously reported plasmid and may, therefore, be associated with senescence. The results emphasize the importance of using cultures of a standard age for genetic analysis and demonstrate the potential of microbial preservation and storage techniques to affect the fungal genome.C. Gaylarde is with the Departmento de Solos, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 91540-000 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil J. Kelley is with the International Mycological Institute, Bakeham Lane, Egham TW20 9TY, UK.     

Teaching of microbiology in Brazil: progress or stagnation?

There is a severe shortage of trained microbiologists in Brazil which is hampering the development and expansion of microbiology/biotechnology research, the development of the biotechnology industries and environmental control agencies. Even some medical areas are affected. The reason for this situation lies in the deficient teaching of microbiology, where undergraduate courses in the biological sciences contain little or no microbiology, and in the low number of professionals that are produced. There are a few post-graduates courses in microbiology but these have high costs and little capacity for expansion. There is a need for incentives for the establishment of more undergraduate university courses, more practical training in specific areas, courses for retraining or updating of professionals already at work and specific programmes by the funding agencies.The objective of this article is to encourage discussion about the present state and the future of the teaching of Microbiology in Brazil. It may also be useful for other countries in the same situation.J.R. Jardim Freire is with the Department of Soil Science, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves 7712, 91540-000 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; W. Gambale is with the Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of São Paulo, Av. Lineu Prestes 1374, 05508-900, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.     

Population structure ofCtenomys minutus (rodentia, ctenomyidae) on the coastal plain of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Ctenomys minutus Nehring, 1887 inhabits fields and pastures of the coastal plains of Santa Catarina (SC) and Rio Grande do Sul (RS), southern Brazil. This species shows territoriality, low vagility, and sedentary behavior. The sexr atio is unbalanced; there are more females both in the general (1.3∶1) and in the adult population (1.26∶1). The population was sexually dimorphic, with males being significantly larger than females in all measured in dividuals. Analysis indicated allometric form of variation in both sexes.     

Seasonal variations in the biochemical composition of the crayfish Parastacus defossus (Crustacea, Decapoda) in its natural environment.

The crayfish Parastacus defossus occurs in Uruguay and the state of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. It lives in swamps and lakes, where it digs sloped subterranean tunnels that are used as burrows. Because there is little information about the biology, physiology and ecology of this species, the aim of this study was to identify the seasonal variations of its carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Crayfish were collected monthly (from November 2002 to February 2004) in the Lami region, Porto Alegre municipality (30 degrees 11'41'S-51 degrees 06'00'W). Haemolymph samples, used for determination of glucose, total proteins, triglycerides, total cholesterol and total lipids, were collected in the field using potassium oxalate as an anti-clotting agent. The animals and haemolymph samples were immediately frozen in the field. In the laboratory, the hepatopancreas, gills and abdominal muscles were removed for determination of glycogen, triglycerides, total cholesterol and total lipids. The findings suggest that in P. defossus, lipids are an important reserve of energy used during reproduction in both males and females; whereas glycogen may be used during periods of intense activity or environmental stress.     

Seasonal variations in the biochemical composition of the crayfish Parastacus defossus (Crustacea, Decapoda) in its natural environment

The crayfish Parastacus defossus occurs in Uruguay and the state of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. It lives in swamps and lakes, where it digs sloped subterranean tunnels that are used as burrows. Because there is little information about the biology, physiology and ecology of this species, the aim of this study was to identify the seasonal variations of its carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Crayfish were collected monthly (from November 2002 to February 2004) in the Lami region, Porto Alegre municipality (30 degrees 11'41'S-51 degrees 06'00'W). Haemolymph samples, used for determination of glucose, total proteins, triglycerides, total cholesterol and total lipids, were collected in the field using potassium oxalate as an anti-clotting agent. The animals and haemolymph samples were immediately frozen in the field. In the laboratory, the hepatopancreas, gills and abdominal muscles were removed for determination of glycogen, triglycerides, total cholesterol and total lipids. The findings suggest that in P. defossus, lipids are an important reserve of energy used during reproduction in both males and females; whereas glycogen may be used during periods of intense activity or environmental stress.     

First record of culex (Culex) brethesi (Dyar) (Diptera: Culicidae) in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil

This is the first record of Culex (Culex) brethesi (Dyar) in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. The species was identified from specimens collected in a sand bar vegetation with the aid of a Nasci's trap, during an expedition for surveillance of the West Nile Virus in July of 2006, in the city of Mostardas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.     

Diet and ingestion of synthetics by Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea off southern Brazil

Cory’s Shearwater, Calonectris diomedea, is a pelagic seabird that winters in the waters off the state of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil. Elsewhere, its diet is comprised mostly of fish and cephalopods, but dietary details out of the breeding season are unknown. The present study analysed the diet of Cory’s Shearwater along the coast of Rio Grande do Sul based on the stomach contents of 185 birds found dead during beach surveys between July 1997 and July 1998. Food items were classified taxonomically and non-food items were categorized. The taxa identified included the cephalopods Argonauta nodosa and Histioteuthis sp. and the fish Paralonchurus brasiliensis, Porichthys porosissimus, and Prionotus punctatus. Cephalopods were present in 97% of stomachs and fish in 33% of stomachs. Synthetic materials were found in 81% of stomachs. Our data corroborate the general ideas of Procellariiform diet during migration. The high amount of synthetic materials indicates the pollution of the marine environments of southern Brazil and we call attention to this situation.     

HIV behind Bars: Human Immunodeficiency Virus Cluster Analysis and Drug Resistance in a Reference Correctional Unit from Southern Brazil

People deprived of liberty in prisons are at higher risk of infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) due to their increased exposure through intravenous drug use, unprotected sexual activity, tattooing in prison and blood exposure in fights and rebellions. Yet, the contribution of intramural HIV transmission to the epidemic is scarcely known, especially in low- and middle-income settings. In this study, we surveyed 1,667 inmates incarcerated at Presídio Central de Porto Alegre, located in southern Brazil, for HIV infection and molecular characterization. The HIV seroprevalence was 6.6% (110/1,667). Further analyses were carried out on 40 HIV-seropositive inmates to assess HIV transmission clusters and drug resistance within the facility with the use of molecular and phylogenetic techniques. The molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 subtypes observed was similar to the one reported for the general population in southern Brazil, with the predominance of HIV-1 subtypes C, B, CRF31_BC and unique BC recombinants. In particular, the high rate (24%) of URF_BC found here may reflect multiple exposures of the population investigated to HIV infection. We failed to find HIV-infected inmates sharing transmission clusters with each other. Importantly, the analysis of HIV-1 pol genomic fragments evidenced high rates of HIV primary and secondary (acquired) drug resistance and an alarming proportion of virologic failure among patients under treatment, unveiling suboptimal access to antiretroviral therapy (ARV), low ARV adherence and dissemination of drug resistant HIV strains in primary infections. Our results call for immediate actions of public authority to implement preventive measures, serological screening and, for HIV-seropositive subjects, clinical and treatment follow-up in order to control HIV infection and limit the spread of drug resistance strains in Brazilian prisons.     

Late‐Holocene fire history in a forest‐grassland mosaic in southern Brasil: Implications for conservation

Question: Is the diverse mosaic of forest/grassland (Campos) vegetation on the hills in the Porto Alegre region natural or of anthropogenic origin? What are the best approaches to management and conservation of forest/grassland mosaics in southern Brazil? Location: 280 m a.s.l., Rio Grande do Sul State (30°04′32″S; 51°06′05″W, southern Brazil. Methods: A 50-cm long radiocarbon dated sediment core from a swamp on Morro Santana was analysed for pollen and charcoal, and multivariate data analysis was used to reconstruct past vegetation and fire dynamics. Results: The formation of swamp deposits is related to a change to wetter climatic conditions since 1230 cal yr BP. The diverse forest/grassland mosaic existed already at that time and can be seen as natural in origin as it has been also shown from other studies in southern Brazil. Since 580 cal yr BP, forests expanded continuously. The marked higher occurrence of the pioneer Myrsine during the last 70 years, indicates a change in the disturbance regime. In the past, vegetation has been influenced by mostly anthropogenic fire, set first by Amerindians and later by European settlers. Conclusions: Management for conservation of forest/grassland mosaics should take into account, first, that grasslands are remnants of earlier drier Holocene periods and not a result of deforestation and, second, the history of disturbance by grazing and fire. Suppression of grazing and burning has likely resulted in a trend towards more woody vegetation under modern wet climatic conditions. If management for conservation excludes fire, the present grassland patches will tend to disappear due to forest expansion under the modern humid climate. Maintaining or reintroducing cattle grazing in conservation areas could be an alternative to fire.     

Chromosomal comparisons among and within populations of Simulium (Chirostilbia) pertinax (Diptera, Simuliidae)

Chromosomal studies were carried on six larval populations of Simulium (Chirostilbia) pertinax from different locations in Brazil. Larvae were collected in the states of Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Rio de Janeiro and S?o Paulo. Polytene chromosome map comparisons within and among populations showed no differences in banding pattern, except for some limited polymorphism (secondary NOR and four band polymorphisms). There were no chromosomal variations associated with the resistance or susceptibility of the larvae to temephos. The chromosomal homosequentiality found among the six populations suggests that S. pertinax may be a monomorphic species.