Population genetic data and forensic parameters of 30 autosomal InDel markers in Santa Catarina State population,Southern Brazil

The application of DNA technology in forensic investigations has grown rapidly in the last 25 years and with an exponential increase of short tandem repeats (STRs) data, usually presented as allele frequencies, that may be later used as databases for forensic and population genetics purposes. Thereby, classes of molecular markers such as single nucleotide polymorphisms and insertions/deletions (InDels) have been presented as another option of genetic marker sets. These markers can be used in paternity cases, when mutations in STR polymorphisms are present, as well as in highly degraded DNA analysis. In the present study, the allele frequencies and heterozygosity (H) of a 30 InDel markers set were determined and the forensic efficacy was evaluated through estimation of discrimination power (DP), match probability, typical paternity index and power of paternity exclusion in 108 unrelated volunteers from the State of Santa Catarina (South Brazil). The observed H per locus showed a range between 0.370 and 0.574 (mean = 0.479). HLD128 was the locus with the highest DP (DP = 0.656). DP for all markers combined was greater than 99.9999999999646 % which provides satisfactory levels of information for forensic demands. Genetic comparisons (exact tests of population differentiation and pairwise genetic distances) revealed that the population of Santa Catarina State differs from Korea and USA Afro-American populations but is similar to the Portuguese, German, Polish, Spanish and Basque populations.     

Xenopus oocytes as a heterologous expression system for plant proteins

TheXenopus oocyte is a robust and convenient system for the transient expression of many different animal proteins and it has recently been demonstrated that oocytes can also translate, process, and target plant proteins. This expression system can also be used to clone genes, characterize function, and study posttranslational processing of proteins. Here we describe the methodology for the expression of plant proteins, in particular membrane proteins, inXenopus oocytes.     

Welfare impacts of the illegal wildlife trade in a cohort of confiscated greater slow lorises,Nycticebus coucang

Illegal harvesting and trade are major forces behind population declines of wild slow lorises (genus Nycticebus). The impacts of the wildlife trade on individual slow lorises have not been as well described. In this article, we describe quantitatively the consequences of the wildlife trade for 77 greater slow lorises, N. coucang, who were confiscated en masse and brought to Cikananga Wildlife Center in Indonesia. Medical records indicated that in total, 28.6% of the slow lorises died within the first 6 months, mostly due to traumatic injury, and all the infants died. The greatest sources of morbidity were external wounds (33.1% of 166 total medical events) and dental problems (19.3%). Of the surviving individuals, 25.4% displayed abnormal behavior. Behavioral observations indicated that healthy adults (n = 3) spent 48.2% of their active period performing stereotypies. These data illustrate the physical and behavioral impacts of the illegal wildlife trade on the welfare of slow lorises. We suggest that sharing these individual stories may help generate empathy and educate the public about the impacts of the exotic companion-animal (pet) trade on nonhuman animal welfare.     

Calmodulin-stimulated ATPase of maize cells: functional reconstitution, monoclonal antibodies and subcellular localization

Microsomal calmodulin-stimulated ATPase (CaM-ATPase) was purifiedfrom dark-grown maize shoots by affinity chromatography andfunctionally reconstituted into phosphatidylcholine vesiclesby detergent dialysis. The resultant proteoliposomes showedCaM-stimulated ATP hydrolysis and CaM-stimulated ATP-dependentcalcium uptake, indicating that the CaM-ATPase is a calciumpump. Microsomal membranes prepared from dark-grown maize shootswere fractionated in continuous sucrose gradients. Calcium transportwas observed in plasma membrane and intracellular membrane fractions,but the bulk of the calmodulin-stimulated activity was foundto be associated with intracellular membranes. Five monoclonalantibodies were raised to affinity purified CaM-ATPase. Immunocytochemicaldata from roots suggested that the CaM-ATPase might be associatedwith membranes involved in the function of the mitotic apparatusin meristematic tissue. Key words: Zea mays L, calmodulin-stimulated calcium pump, functional reconstitution, mitosis, monoclonal antibody