The evolution of realized niches within freshwater Synechococcus

Understanding how ecological traits have changed over evolutionary time is a fundamental question in biology. Specifically, the extent to which more closely related organisms share similar ecological preferences due to phylogenetic conservation – or if they are forced apart by competition – is still debated. Here, we explored the co-occurrence patterns of freshwater cyanobacteria at the sub-genus level to investigate whether more closely related taxa share more similar niches and to what extent these niches were defined by abiotic or biotic variables. We used deep 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and measured several abiotic environmental parameters (nutrients, temperature, etc.) in water samples collected over time and space in Furnas Reservoir, Brazil. We found that relatively more closely related Synechococcus (in the continuous range of 93%–100% nucleotide identity in 16S) had an increased tendency to co-occur with one another (i.e. had similar realized niches). This tendency could not be easily explained by shared preferences for measured abiotic niche dimensions. Thus, commonly measured abiotic parameters might not be sufficient to characterize, nor to predict community assembly or dynamics. Rather, co-occurrence between Synechococcus and the surrounding community (whether or not they represent true biological interactions) may be a more sensitive measure of realized niches. Overall, our results suggest that realized niches are phylogenetically conserved, at least at the sub-genus level and at the resolution of the 16S marker. Determining how these results generalize to other genera and at finer genetic resolution merits further investigation.     

Rosuvastatin protects isolated hearts against ischemia-reperfusion injury: role of Akt-GSK-3β, metabolic environment,and mitochondrial permeability transition pore

Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry - The cardioprotective activity of rosuvastatin (R) is yet to be known. The objective of this study was to research whether R perfusion before global ischemia...     

Postnatal exposure to finasteride causes different effects on the prostate of male and female gerbils

The development and maintenance of prostate function depend on a fine balance between oestrogen and androgen levels. Finasteride inhibits 5α‐reductase, which is responsible for the conversion of testosterone into its most active form, dihydrotestosterone. Enzymes that metabolize these hormones have a highly relevant role in both the normal prostate metabolism and in the occurrence of pathological conditions. There are few studies on the impact of finasteride on male prostate development and fewer studies on the female prostate and possible intersexual differences. Therefore, we treated male and female gerbils from 7 to 14 days in postnatal life with a high dose of finasteride (500 μg/kg/day); the prostate complexes were then removed and submitted to immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and three‐dimensional reconstruction. In addition, hormonal serum dosages were administered. Treatment with finasteride resulted in an increased thickness of the periductal smooth musculature in the prostate of both male and female gerbils, such as well as a reduction in the thickness of developing prostate alveoli in both sexes. In addition, intersexual differences were observed as increased epithelial proliferation and decreases in the number of developing alveoli in females. Together, the data indicate that postnatal exposure to finasteride causes greater changes in the female gerbil prostate than in the male.     

Characterization,Toxicity, and Optimization for the Growth and Production of Bacteriocin-like Substances by Lactobacillus curvatus

Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins - This study aimed to characterize, evaluate toxicity and optimize the conditions for the growth and production of bacteriocin-like substances by Lactobacillus...     

Exploring the carbohydrate‐binding ability of Canavalia bonariensis lectin in inflammation models

Lectins are a group of proteins of non‐immune origin recognized for their ability to bind reversibly to carbohydrates. Researchers have been intrigued by oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates for their involvement as mediators of complex cellular events and then many biotechnological applications of lectins are based on glycocode decoding and their activities. Here, we report a structural and biological study of a ConA‐like mannose/glucose‐specific lectin from Canavalia bonariensis seeds, CaBo. More specifically, we evaluate the binding of CaBo with α‐methyl‐D‐mannoside (MMA) and mannose‐1,3‐α‐D‐mannose (M13) and the resultant in vivo effects on a rat model of acute inflammation. A virtual screening was also carried out to cover a larger number of possible bindings of CaBo. In silico analysis demonstrated the stability of CaBo interaction with mannose‐type ligands, and the lectin was able to induce acute inflammation in rats with the participation of the carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) and histamine release. These results confirm the ability of CaBo to interact with hybrid and high‐mannose N‐glycans, supporting the hypothesis that CaBo's biological activity occurs primarily through its interaction with cell surface glycosylated receptors.