First host record of Epipompilus (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) from Brazil and discussion of prey carriage mechanism

We register for first time the occurrence of Epipompilus tucumanus Evans, 1967 in Brazil, and record the spider Ariadna boliviana Simon, 1907 as its host. The observations were made in the National Park of Chapada dos Guimarães, Mato Grosso, Brazil. The prey carriage mechanism is described for first time for this genus, and we provide a video showing this behavior.     

In vitro efficacy of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Metarhizium anisopliae</Emphasis> sensu lato against unfed <Emphasis Type="Italic">Amblyomma parvum</Emphasis> (Acari: Ixodidae)

Amblyomma parvum Aragão (Acari: Ixodidae) is a tick species found with wide distribution in the Neotropical region. Even though it is a wildlife-related tick, it is also a frequent parasite of domestic animals, is aggressive to human beings and may harbor pathogenic microorganisms. Therefore, it is a target species for control on domestic animals, particularly those at the rural–wildlife interface. Herein, the efficacy of two isolates (E9 and IBCB 425) of an entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae sensu lato, already evaluated for ticks that parasitize domestic animals, was tested against unfed A. parvum adults. Both isolates displayed high acaricidal efficacy after immersion in fungal conidial suspensions for 5 min. Isolate E9 killed all ticks by the 7th day post-treatment, and isolate IBCB 425 did so by the 11th day. Tick mortality of 80 and 90% was achieved as early as the 3rd and 4th days, respectively, with both treatments. Thus, if a commercial M. anisopliae s.l. acaricide against domestic animal ticks is developed, it would also be effective against A. parvum.     

Association study between copy number variation and beef fatty acid profile of Nellore cattle

The aim of this study was to analyze the association between the copy number variation regions (CNVRs) and fatty acid profile phenotypes for saturated (SFA), monosaturated (MUFA), polyunsaturated (PUFA), ω6 and ω3 fatty acids, PUFA/SFA and ω6/ω3 ratios, as well as for their sums, in Nellore cattle (Bos primigenius indicus). A total of 963 males were finished in feedlot and slaughtered with approximately 2 years of age. Animals were genotyped with the BovineHD BeadChip (Illumina Inc., San Diego, CA, USA). The copy number variation (CNV) detection was performed using the PennCNV algorithm. Log R ratio (LRR) and allele B frequency (BAF) were used to estimate the CNVs. The association analyses were done using the CNVRuler software and applying a logistic regression model. The phenotype was adjusted using a linear model considering the fixed effects of contemporary group and the animal age at slaughter. The fatty acid profile was analyzed on samples of longissimus thoracis muscle using gas chromatography with a 100-m capillary column. For the association analysis, the adjusted phenotypic values were considered for the traits, while the data was adjusted for the effects of the farm and year of birth, management groups at birth, weaning, and superannuation. A total of 186 CNVRs were significant for SFA (43), MUFA (42), PUFA (66), and omega fatty acid (35) groups, totaling 278 known genes. On the basis of the results, several genes were associated with several fatty acids of different saturations. Olfactory receptor genes were associated with C12:0, C14:0, and C18:0 fatty acids. The SAMD8 and BSCL2 genes, both related to lipid metabolic process, were associated with C12:0. The RAPGEF6 gene was found to be associated with C18:2 cis-9 cis-12 n-6, and its function is related to regulation of GTPase activity. Among the results, we highlighted the olfactory receptor activity (GO:0004984), G-protein-coupled receptor activity (GO:0004930), potassium:proton antiporter activity (GO:0015386), sodium:proton antiporter activity (GO:0015385), and odorant-binding (GO:0005549) molecular functions. A large number of genes associated with fatty acid profile within the CNVRs were identified in this study. These findings must contribute to better elucidate the genetic mechanism underlying the fatty acid profile of intramuscular fat in Nellore cattle.     

Dengue and Zika virus infection patterns vary among Aedes aegypti field populations from Belo Horizonte,a Brazilian endemic city

Dengue virus (DENV) and Zika virus (ZIKV) belong to the same viral family, the Flaviviridae. They cause recurring threats to the public health systems of tropical countries such as Brazil. The primary Brazilian vector of both viruses is the mosquito Aedes aegypti. After the mosquito ingests a blood meal from an infected person, the viruses infect and replicate in the midgut, disseminate to secondary tissues and reach the salivary gland (SG), where they are ready to be transmitted to a vertebrate host. It is thought that the intrinsic discrepancies among mosquitoes could affect their ability to deal with viral infections. This study confirms that the DENV and ZIKV infection patterns of nine Ae. aegypti field populations found in geographically separate health districts of an endemic Brazilian city vary. We analyzed the infection rate, disseminated infection, vector competence, and viral load through quantitative PCR. Mosquitoes were challenged using the membrane-feeding assay technique and were tested seven and fourteen days post-infection (early and late infection phases, respectively). The infection responses varied among the Ae. aegypti populations for both flaviviruses in the two infection phases. There was no similarity between DENV and ZIKV vector competencies or viral loads. According to the results of our study, the risk of viral transmission overtime after infection either increases or remains unaltered in ZIKV infected vectors. However, the risk may increase, decrease, or remain unaltered in DENV-infected vectors depending on the mosquito population. For both flaviviruses, the viral load persisted in the body even until the late infection phase. In contrast to DENV, the ZIKV accumulated in the SG over time in all the mosquito populations. These findings are novel and may help direct the development of control strategies to fight dengue and Zika outbreaks in endemic regions, and provide a warning about the importance of understanding mosquito responses to arboviral infections.     

Attenuation of Axonal Degeneration by Calcium Channel Inhibitors Improves Retinal Ganglion Cell Survival and Regeneration After Optic Nerve Crush

Axonal degeneration is one of the initial steps in many traumatic and neurodegenerative central nervous system (CNS) disorders and thus a promising therapeutic target. A focal axonal lesion is followed by acute axonal degeneration (AAD) of both adjacent axon parts, before proximal and distal parts follow different degenerative fates at later time points. Blocking calcium influx by calcium channel inhibitors was previously shown to attenuate AAD after optic nerve crush (ONC). However, it remains unclear whether the attenuation of AAD also promotes consecutive axonal regeneration. Here, we used a rat ONC model to study the effects of calcium channel inhibitors on axonal degeneration, retinal ganglion cell (RGC) survival, and axonal regeneration, as well as the molecular mechanisms involved. Application of calcium channel inhibitors attenuated AAD after ONC and preserved axonal integrity as visualized by live imaging of optic nerve axons. Consecutively, this resulted in improved survival of RGCs and improved axonal regeneration at 28 days after ONC. We show further that calcium channel inhibition attenuated lesion-induced calpain activation in the proximity of the crush and inhibited the activation of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase pathway. Pro-survival signaling via Akt in the retina was also increased. Our data thus show that attenuation of AAD improves consecutive neuronal survival and axonal regeneration and that calcium channel inhibitors could be valuable tools for therapeutic interventions in traumatic and degenerative CNS disorders.     

Nimesulide inhibits pathogenic fungi: PGE2-dependent mechanisms

Certain non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can inhibit fungal growth, fungal prostaglandin E2 production, and enzyme activation. This study aims to investigate the antifungal effect of nimesulide against pathogenic filamentous fungi and yeast. The experiments detailed below were also designed to investigate whether the action is dependent on E2 fungal prostaglandins. Our data showed that nimesulide exhibited potent antifungal activity, mainly against Trichophyton mentagrophytes (ATCC 9533) and Cryptococcus neoformans with MIC values of 2 and 62 μg/mL, respectively. This drug was also able to inhibit the growth of clinic isolates of filamentous fungi, such as Aspergillus fumigatus, and dermatophytes, such as T. rubrum, T. mentagrophytes, Epidermophyton floccosum, Microsporum canis, and M. gypseum, with MIC values ranging from 112 to 770 μg/mL. Our data also showed that the inhibition of fungal growth by nimesulide was mediated by a mechanism dependent on PGE2, which led to the inhibition of essential fungal enzymes. Thus, we concluded that nimesulide exerts a fungicidal effect against pathogenic filamentous fungi and yeast, involving the inhibition of fungal prostaglandins and fungal enzymes important to the fungal growth and colonization.     

Untangling the Tangled Bank: A Novel Method for Partitioning the Effects of Phylogenies and Traits on Ecological Networks

Understanding how evolutionary and ecological processes shape species interaction networks remains as one of the main challenges in eco-evolutionary studies. Here, we present an integrative analytical framework to partition the effects of phylogenies and functional traits on the structure of ecological networks. The method combines fuzzy set theory and matrix correlation, implemented under a Monte Carlo framework. We designed a simulation study in order to estimate the accuracy of the methods proposed here, measuring Type I Error rates. The simulation study shows that the method is accurate, i.e., incorrectly rejecting a true null hypothesis in ~5% of the cases and falling within the confidence interval. We illustrate our framework using data from a seed dispersal network from southern Brazil. Our analyses suggest that birds must have specific traits in order to consume their plant resources, and that phylogenetic resemblance has no explanatory power for species traits and species interactions in this seed-dispersal network.