Road-associated edge effects in Amazonia change termite community composition by modifying environmental conditions

Roads and road-building are among the most important environmental impacts on forests near urban areas, but their effects on ecosystem processes and species distributions remain poorly known. Termites are the primary decomposer organisms in tropical forests and their spatial distribution is strongly affected by vegetation and soil structure. We studied the impacts of road construction on termite community structure in an Amazonian forest fragment near Manaus, Brazil. One leading question was whether the fragment under study was large enough to maintain the termite species pool present in nearby continuous forests. We also asked how soil moisture and canopy openness varied with proximity to roads, and whether these changes were associated with changes in termite species richness and composition in the fragment. While the forest fragment had a termite composition very similar to that of continuous forests, roads caused important changes in soil moisture and canopy openness, especially when close to forest edges. At distances of up to 81 m from roads, changes in soil moisture were significantly related to changes in termite species composition, but there was no correlation between canopy openness and species richness or composition. These results suggest that fragmentation caused by roads impacts termites in a different and less damaging manner than fragmentation caused by other kinds of degradation, and that even fragments bisected by roads can support very diverse communities and even undescribed taxa of termites. We conclude that a buffer zone should be established for conservation purposes in the reserves surrounded by roads.     

Classification of chili powders by thin-layer chromatography and principal component analysis

Silica gel, aluminium oxide, diatomaceous earth, polyamide, cyano, diol and amino plates have been tested for their capacity to separate the color pigments of six chili powders of different origin by both adsorption and reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography. The plates were evaluated at 340 and 440 nm wavelengths. Best separation of color pigments was obtained on impregnated diatomaceous earth layer using acetone-water 17:3 v/v eluent. It was found that the pigment composition of chili powders showed marked differences. Principal component analysis employed for the classification of the chili powders according to their pigment composition indicated that these differences can be used for the determination of the similarity or dissimilarity of the chili powders.     

Peptide gomesin triggers cell death through L-type channel calcium influx,MAPK/ERK,PKC and PI3K signaling and generation of reactive oxygen species

Gomesin is an antimicrobial peptide isolated from hemocytes of a common Brazilian tarantula spider named Acanthoscurria gomesiana. This peptide exerts antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo by an unknown mechanism. In this study, the cytotoxic mechanism of gomesin in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y and rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells was investigated. Gomesin induced necrotic cell death and was cytotoxic to SH-SY5Y and PC12 cells. The peptide evoked a rapid and transient elevation of intracellular calcium levels in Fluo-4-AM loaded PC12 cells, which was inhibited by nimodipine, an L-type calcium channel blocker. Preincubation with nimodipine also inhibited cell death induced by gomesin in SH-SY5Y and PC12 cells. Gomesin-induced cell death was prevented by the pretreatment with MAPK/ERK, PKC or PI3K inhibitors, but not with PKA inhibitor. In addition, gomesin generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) in SH-SY5Y cells, which were blocked with nimodipine and MAPK/ERK, PKC or PI3K inhibitors. Taken together, these results suggest that gomesin could be a useful anticancer agent, which mechanism of cytotoxicity implicates calcium entry through L-type calcium channels, activation of MAPK/ERK, PKC and PI3K signaling as well as the generation of reactive oxygen species.     

Evaluation of the Cell Population of the Seminiferous Epithelium and Spermatic Indexes of the Bat Sturnira lilium (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae)

Due to the scarcity of information about patterns of spermatogenesis in bats, this study aimed to provide information on the testicular activity of the bat Sturnira lilium along the annual seasons. Thus, a series of morphometrical and stereological analyses were made using the testes of adult S. lilium in order to achieve a better understanding of the sperm production dynamics. Light and transmission electron microscopy analyses were performed in testicular fragments of animals captured during dry and rainy seasons. The testes followed the pattern of organization described for other mammals, and there were no morphological differences between organs collected either in dry or in rainy seasons. Each tubular cross-section in stage 1 was made of 0.5 type-A spermatogonia, 4.4 primary spermatocytes in preleptotene/leptotene, 3.7 in zygotene, 11.9 in pachytene, 35.6 round spermatids and 8.5 Sertoli cells. The mitotic and meiotic indexes were 15.4 and 2.9 cells, respectively, while the spermatogenesis yield was 68.7 cells. The testicular sperm reserves was 37.61×10⁶ cells, and daily sperm production per gram of testis averaged 209.68×10⁶ cells, both highest averages occurring in the rainy season. S. lilium male bats have a continuous reproductive pattern, high spermatogenesis yield and low support capacity by the Sertoli cells.     

Quantitative analysis of race-specific resistance to Colletotrichum lindemuthianum in common bean

Molecular genetic maps continue to play a major role in breeding of crop species. The common bean genetic map of the recombinant inbred line population IAC-UNA × CAL 143 (UC) has been used to detect loci controlling important agronomic traits in common bean. In the current study, new microsatellite markers were added to the UC map and the linkage analysis was refined using current genomic resources of common bean, in order to identify quantitative resistance loci (QRL) associated with different races of the anthracnose pathogen. A single race inoculation was conducted in greenhouse using four plants per plot. Both race-specific and joint-adjusted disease severity means, obtained from linear-mixed model, were used to perform multiple interval mapping (MIM) and multi-trait MIM (MTMIM). In total, 13 and 11 QRL were identified by MIM and MTMIM analyses, respectively; with nine being observed in both analyses. ANT02.1^UC and ANT07.1^UC showed major effects on resistance both for MIM and MTMIM. Common major QRL for resistance to the three anthracnose races were expected, since high genetic pairwise-correlation was observed between the race-specific and joint-adjusted disease severity means. Therewith, both ANT02.1 and ANT07.1 can be regarded as valuable targets for marker-assisted selection; and so, putative genes potentially involved in the resistance response were identified in these QRL regions. Minor effect QRL were also observed, showing differential affects either on race-specific or multi-trait analyses and may play a role on durable horizontal resistance. These results contribute to a better understanding of the host-pathogen interaction and to breeding for enhancing resistance to Colletotrichum lindemuthianum in common bean.     

The galactose‐binding lectin isolated from Bauhinia bauhinioides Mart seeds inhibits neutrophil rolling and adhesion via primary cytokines

In this study, the amino acid sequence and anti‐inflammatory effect of Bauhinia bauhinioides (BBL) lectin were evaluated. Tandem mass spectrometry revealed that BBL possesses 86 amino acid residues. BBL (1 mg/kg) intravenously injected in rats 30 min prior to inflammatory stimuli inhibited the cellular edema induced by carrageenan in only the second phase (21% – 3 h, 19% – 4 h) and did not alter the osmotic edema induced by dextran. BBL also inhibited carrageenan peritoneal neutrophil migration (51%), leukocyte rolling (58%) and adhesion (68%) and the neutrophil migration induced by TNF‐α (64%). These effects were reversed by the association of BBL with galactose, demonstrating that the carbohydrate‐binding domain is essential for lectin activity. In addition, BBL reduced myeloperoxidase activity (84%) and TNF‐α (68%) and IL1‐β (47%) levels. In conclusion, the present investigation demonstrated that BBL contains highly homologous isolectins, resulting in a total of 86 amino acid residues, and exhibits anti‐inflammatory activity by inhibiting neutrophil migration by reducing TNF‐α and IL1‐β levels via the lectin domain. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Trichoderma aureoviride URM 5158 and Trichoderma hamatum URM 6656 are Biocontrol Agents that act against Cassava Root rot through different Mechanisms

Trichoderma has been used to manage a large number of pathogens, but there is a gap in the mechanisms used by these biocontrol agents regarding the physiological response of cassava plants (Manihot esculenta) when it is subjected to cassava root rot. The aims of this study were to investigate the antagonist activity of ten Trichoderma isolates against Fusarium solani on potato dextrose Agar (PDA), to quantify the chitinase production, to select and test in vivo the best isolate from each experiment and to assess the physiological response of cassava to the production of oxidative enzyme complex production (ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase). All Trichoderma isolates have shown competitive capability against F. solani, and Trichoderma hamatum URM 6656 showed the highest inhibition of pathogen growth (88.91%). All isolates have shown chitinase activity, but Trichoderma aureoviride URM 5158 produced the highest amount of chitinase. T. hamatum URM 6656 and T. aureoviride URM 5158 were selected to be applied in vivo. The two Trichoderma strains reduced 64 and 60% of the disease severity in the shoot and 82 and 84% in the root. Cassava plants infected with Trichoderma have shown the highest peroxidase and ascorbate peroxidase production. Our results have indicated that T. aureoviride URM 5158 is an effective biocontrol agent against cassava root rot caused by F. solani, because it presented competitive antagonist capability in vitro, the highest chitinase production, and reduced the cassava root rot severity. The application of T. aureoviride has led to the maximum enzyme activity of reactive oxygen species group in cassava plants.     

Alterations in the major heterotrophic bacterial populations isolated from a still bottled mineral water

M orais , P.V. & D a C osta , M.S. 1990. Alterations in the major heterotrophic bacterial populations isolated from a. still bottled mineral water. Journal of Applied Bacteriology 69 , 750–757.
The heterotrophic bacterial population of a bottled mineral water stored in returnable glass bottles and in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) bottles at room temperature was studied over 9–12 months. The plate counts in R₂A medium incubated at 22 and 37C were low initially, increasing to 10⁴-10⁵ cfu/ml within a few days of bottling. The number of bacteria recovered at 22C from PVC bottles was fairly constant during the storage period, but the population isolated at 37C decreased markedly after storage for 1 year. The major components of the population were Pseudomonas strains, one of which was identified as Pseudomonas vesicularis . Major changes took place during storage; two groups of bacteria (B and C) were dominant initially, but during the latter period of storage other groups (F, G and H) increased in number.     

Diurnal beta-endorphin changes in human cerebrospinal fluid

Plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) beta-endorphin levels were determined by a RIA method in seven hydrocephalic male patients. The samples were simultaneously collected every two hours from 8 AM to 12 midnight and every hour from 1 AM to 7 AM. In both plasma and CSF beta-endorphin levels showed significant time-related variations during the 24 hour period. These results suggest the existence of diurnal CSF beta-endorphin variations analogous to those observed in plasma.     

Production and purification of functional truncated soluble forms of human recombinant L1 cell adhesion glycoprotein from Spodoptera frugiperda Sf9 cells

L1 is a human cell adhesion glycoprotein involved in the development of the central nervous system that comprises six immunoglobulin-like domains (Ig1-Ig6), five fibronectin-type III (FN1-FN5) domains, a single transmembrane region and a cytoplasmic domain. It contains 20 potential N-glycosylation sites and is heavily glycosylated in a variety of cell types. In this work, seven truncated soluble forms including L1 ectodomain (L1/ECD) and Ig domains 5-6 (L1/Ig5-6) have been constructed by PCR and have been cloned, as well as the full-length form (L1), in the stable expression vector for insect cells pMIB/V5-His-TOPO. Spodoptera frugiperda Sf9 cell lines expressing the truncated forms have been obtained, and all proteins were successfully secreted. L1/ECD and L1/Ig5-6 were produced in shake flasks with productions of 3 and 32 mg/L on the third and fourth day of culture, respectively. When L1/Ig5-6 was produced for four days in 2L bioreactor 200 mg/L protein were recovered from the supernatants on the fourth day of culture. Affinity-purified L1/ECD and L1/Ig5-6 were immobilized on poly-d-lysine coated coverslips, and were shown to be active in inducing neurite outgrowth from human NT2N neurons. Therefore, correctly folded and functional truncated forms of human L1 have been produced in high amounts from insect cells using a stable expression system.