17 research outputs found
Cuticle Maturation in Apis mellifera: Cuticular Hydrocarbons Profiles, Expression and Evolution of Desaturases and Elongases.
No full textOs hidrocarbonetos cuticulares têm importante papel no processo de reconhecimento dos membros da colônia de insetos sociais. Muitos estudos têm mostrado variações qualitativas e quantitativas nestes compostos entre os insetos adultos. Contudo, abordagens referentes à modulação do perfil destes compostos durante a formação da cutícula são escassas, e se restringem aos estágios larval de holometábolos e de ninfas de hemimetábolos. O principal objetivo dessa pesquisa foi caracterizar o perfil de hidrocarbonetos cuticulares e a expressão de genes potencialmente relacionados à sua biossíntese durante o processo de formação e maturação da cutícula adulta. Os perfis de hidrocarbonetos foram caracterizados por meio de GC/MS e mostraram diferenças quantitativas marcantes que significativamente discriminaram as cutículas pupal, adulta-farata e adulta. Em paralelo, sequências de enzimas que catalisam a desaturação (desaturases) ou elongação (elongases) de lipídeos, disponíveis no banco de dados do NCBI, foram utilizadas para o desenho de primers e estudo da expressão gênica por meio de RT-qPCR. Cinco genes de desaturases, e oito genes de elongases mostraram variação de expressão estatisticamente significante no tegumento de abelhas adultas em comparação com pupas e adultas-faratas. Testes de correlação entre os perfis de expressão gênica e de hidrocarbonetos cuticulares evidenciaram os genes potencialmente envolvidos com a biossíntese destes compostos para a formação e maturação da cutícula. Estes resultados corroboram a hipótese de que nos insetos sociais, a cutícula só amadurece completamente por ocasião do início da atividade de forrageamento. Associando estes dados a análises de evolução molecular das desaturases e elongases, pudemos sugerir as etapas da via de síntese de hidrocarbonetos catalisadas por estas enzimas, e assim eleger genes candidatos a futuro silenciamento mediado por RNA de interferência para pesquisa de função.Cuticular hydrocarbons are important for recognition of nestmates in social insect colonies. Many studies have shown qualitative and quantitative variations in the cuticular hydrocarbons between adult insects. However, approaches on developmental profiles of these compounds during cuticle formation and differentiation are scarce, and restricted to larval stages of holometabolous and nymphs of hemimetabolous. The main objective of this work was to characterize the cuticular hydrocarbons profiles and the expression of genes potentially involved in the biosynthesis of these compounds during the synthesis and differentiation of the adult cuticle in the honeybee. The hydrocarbons profiles were characterized using GC/MS and showed remarkable quantitative differences, thus discriminating the pupal, pharate-adult and adult cuticles from each other. In parallel, we used annotated sequences of enzymes catalyzing lipid desaturation (desaturases) or elongation (elongases), available in NCBI data bank, for primers design and gene expression analysis using RT-qPCR. Five desaturase genes and eight elongase genes showed statistically significant expression changes in the integument of adult bees in comparison to pupae and pharate-adults. Correlation tests supported roles of some of the desaturase and elongase genes in hydrocarbons biosynthesis for incorporation into adult cuticle. In addition, these results go along with the hypothesis that in social insects the cuticle is just completed when the insect starts forager activity. Taken together, these data and an analysis on the molecular evolution of desaturases and elongases allowed suggesting the steps in the pathway of cuticular hydrocarbons biosynthesis that are catalyzed by these enzymes, and also allowed to elect candidate genes for further functional studies using gene silencing mediated by RNAi
Abordagem comparativa da maturação cuticular em abelhas sociais e solitárias utilizando-se RNA-seq, quantificação de hidrocarbonetos e microscopia eletrônica
No full textHyphessobrycon otrynus Benine & Lopes, 2008, new species
No full textHyphessobrycon otrynus new species (Table 1, Figs. 1–4) Holotype. USNM 349418, 30.1 mm SL. Venezuela, Portuguesa, río Portuguesa drainage, río Las Marias, at Quebrada Seca, aproximatelly 45 min upstream by car from Highway 5, 22 km NNW Guanare. J. Armbruster and O. Leon. 28 Feb. 1998 (fig. 1). Paratypes. All from Venezuela. USNM 392814, 29.7mm SL (same data as holotype); LIRP 6040, 8 specimens, 21.5–25.7 mm SL, and 2 specimens C&S, 24.0– 24.2 mm SL, Caño Falcon, río Portuguesa, J. N. Baskin. 24 Nov. 1974. Diagnosis. This species is distinguished from all other known congeners, except for H. diancistrus, by the presence of two very large bony hooks (in adult males) curving dorsally on each side of anal fin, and caudalfin rays black at distal third of their length (distal tips of caudal-fin rays hyaline). Hyphessobrycon otrynus is promptly distinguished from H. diancistrus by possessing iv, 19–21 anal fin rays, versus iv, 14 anal-fin rays in the latter. Adult males of H. otrynus are also distinguished from H. diancistrus by presenting very small analfin hooks, lacking from the latter species. Moreover, in H. otrynus, the very large bony hooks are located on the fourth or fifth segments of the last unbranched anal-fin ray and on the fifth segment of the first branched anal-fin ray, whereas in H. diancistrus the bony hooks are located on the first and third segments of the last unbranched and first branched anal-fin rays. Among small characins, Hyphessobrycon otrynus is most similar to Moenkhausia bonita and Hemigrammus marginatus, from which it differs in having a naked caudal-fin (vs. a scaled caudal-fin), by presenting two large hooks on anal-fin of adult males (not observable in latter species), and ii, 8 dorsal-fin rays (vs. ii, 9 dorsalfin rays). Hyphesssobrycon otrynus is also distinguished from M. bonita in having an incompletely pored lateral line (vs. completely pored lateral line). Description. Morphometric data for Hyphessobrycon otrynus are summarized in Table 1. Body fusiform. Greatest body depth at dorsal-fin origin. Dorsal profile of head straight or slightly convex. Dorsal profile of body slightly convex from posterior tip of supraoccipital spine to dorsal-fin origin, straight or slightly convex and posteroventrally slanted along dorsal-fin base, straight or slightly convex from end of dorsal-fin base to end of adipose-fin, and slightly concave along caudal peduncle. Ventral body profile convex from anterior tip of lower jaw to caudal-peduncle origin, slightly concave along caudal peduncle. Pelvic region transversally flattened, more so proximal to pelvic-fin insertion, becoming somewhat obtuse toward anal-fin origin. Mouth terminal. Jaws equal or lower jaw slightly longer than upper jaw. Most posterior margin of maxilla trespassing vertical through anterior margin of orbit. Premaxillary teeth in two rows; outer tooth row with 3 (4), 4 * (6) conical to tricuspid teeth, midcentral cusps longer than others; inner tooth row with 5 tri to pentacuspid teeth in all specimens, midcentral cusps longer than others. Maxillary with 0 (2) and 1 *(8) conical tooth. Dentary with 4 tri to pentacuspid teeth followed by a smaller tricuspid one, and a short series of small conical teeth in all specimens (fig. 2). Palatine and pterygoid bones toothless. Frontals contact each other at their anterior one-fifth and at epiphyseal bar. Parietal bones completely separated by frontal-parietal fontanel. Infraorbital series well ossified. Nostrils closer to anterior orbital margins than to each other. Supraoccipital process short, its posterior tip not reaching the vertical through posterior margin of opercle. Dorsal-fin rays ii, 8 in all specimens. Pectoral-fin rays i, 10,i in all specimens. Distal tip of pectoral fin slightly trespasses vertical through pelvic-fin insertion. Adipose fin present. Pelvic-fin rays i, 7 in all specimens; when adpressed, its tip reaches base of second branched anal-fin ray. Anal-fin rays v, 19 (6) or 21 *(4). Principal caudal-fin rays i, 17,i. Caudal-fin forked. Scales cycloid, with few radii along posterior border. Lateral line incomplete, pored scales 8 * (2), 9 (1), 12 (3). Lateral series of scales including lateral-line pored scales 31 *(3), 32 (3). Scale rows between dorsal-fin origin and lateral line 5; scale rows between lateral line and pelvic-fin origin 3. Scale sheath along anal-fin base in a single series of 4 scales, extending posteriorly up to fourth branched anal-fin ray. First gill arch with 13 (4), 14 *(5) gill rakers on ventral limb and 7 (1), 8 *(9) on dorsal limb. Total vertebrae 33, supraneurals 5 (fig. 3). Sexual dimorphism. Adult males with two very large, dorsally curved hooks on both sides of anal fin, somewhat buried in thick tissue; anterior hook longest, being a process of the fifth (last unbranched) anal-fin ray; posterior hook being a process of sixth (first branched). Small hooks are located on the distal segments of most anterior anal-fin rays, more concentrated on the segments of the posterior branch of each hooked ray (figs. 3, 4). All small hooks are backward pointed and varying in number from one to four per ray segment. One individual also presented a somewhat more developed hook on each side of the second and third branched anal-fin rays. Color in alcohol. Overall coloration pale yellow. A dark stripe extending along horizontal septum, more intense from vertical passing through the origin of the second scale most anterior to dorsal fin. Median dorsal scale row, from nape to dorsal caudal-fin origin, densely scattered with dark chromatophores. Anterior to dorsal-fin end, scales of second and third scale rows ventral to median dorsal scale row posteriorly emarginated by dark chromatophores, with pigment concentration diminishing downward. From dorsal-fin end to adiposefin origin, scales of row immediately ventral to median dorsal scale row posteriorly emarginated by dark chromatophores. Very few chromatophores scattered on opercle. Lateral line sensorial canals bordered by few dark chromatophores. Limits of caudal epaxial and hipoaxial, and anal-fin inclinator muscle masses, partially outlined by dark chromatophores (see fig. 1). Caudal peduncle with a somewhat horizontal lozenge-shaped black blotch that faint toward distal tips of middle caudal-fin rays. Head with a dense field of dark chromatophores in region just posterior to epiphyseal bar. Sparsely scattered dark chromatophores anterior to epiphyseal bar. A dense patch of dark chromatophores dorsal to snout, between and surrounding area of nostrils, premaxillary bones and dorsal portion of maxillary bones. A dense patch of dark chromatophores on symphyseal area of dentary bones. A thin line of dark chromatophores bordering orbits. Remainder of head pale yellowish white. Dorsal fin with scattered dark pigments bordering rays along their length. Anal fin with scattered dark pigments bordering fin rays, more concentrated along its proximal and distal length, resulting in a somewhat clearer medial area in few individuals. Adipose fin with scattered dark chromatophores along its area, except for its distal one third, which is hyaline. Paired fins hyaline with scattered dark pigments, more concentrated on intermembranes of unbranched ray. Midregion of both caudal-fin lobes with a field of dark chromatophores. Tips and base of both lobes of caudal fin hyaline (fig. 1). Distribution. Known only from tributaries of the río Portuguesa, río Orinoco drainage, Venezuela (fig. 5). Etymology. The specific epithet otrynus is from the Greek meaning spur, in reference to the two very large spur-like hooks (processes of last unbranched and first branched anal-fin rays). Comments. According to Ellis (in Eigenmann, 1918), Hyphessobrycon is distinguished from Hemigrammus only by presenting a naked caudal fin in opposition of the scaled caudal fin in the last genus. However, Weitzman (1977) affirmed that these genera cannot be distinguished either phylogentically or typologically as separate taxa because, as Böhlke (1955) pointed out, there are species which are intermediate in their caudalfin squamation. Even so, this author recognized his new species as belonging to Hyphessobrycon rather than Hemigrammus, employing a practical, typological procedure (amount of caudal-fin squamation), and based on the traditional definitions of these genera provided by Ellis (in Eigenmann, 1918). Hyphessobrycon otrynus shares with H. diancistrus the identical color pattern and the presence of two large hooks on each side of the caudal fin, which are indicative of a close relationship. Thus, we follow Weitzman (1977) in recognizing this new species in the genus Hyphessobrycon, emphasizing the putatively close relationship between these species. Weitzman (1977) discussed that large anal-fin hooks are known in other species of Hyphessobrycon and Hemigrammus and cited Hemigrammus occelifer as an example, but emphasized that its unique and fairly large hook on each side of the anal fin, along with the several morphometric and meristic differences, indicate that there is no phylogenetic or typological proximity between H. occelifer and his H. diancistrus. Moenkhausia ceros Eigenmann (1908) was described as having the third anal-fin ray of males provided with a large retrorse hooks on each side. Examination of the holotype of M. ceros confirmed that this species can be promptly distinguished from H. otrynus by presenting a single developed bony hook on each side of the anal fin (vs. two large bony hooks), by presenting a complete lateral line (vs. incomplete), and by a distinct caudal-fin color pattern, with the middle rays of caudal fin black pigmented instead of the black blotched caudal-fin lobes, as observed in the latter species. The occurrence of two large anal-fin hooks was discussed by Weitzman (1977) as being restricted to Tyttobrycon hamatus and Hyphessobrycon diancistrus. Notwithstanding this comment, this author enumerated several distinguishing features between these species and stated that sharing anal-fin hooks is most likely a case of convergence. Hyphessobrycon otrynus displays a reduction to the number of the two anterior unbranched plus eight branched dorsal-fin rays, considering that the usual characid dorsal-finray count is two anterior unbranched rays plus nine branched rays (Malabarba & Weitzman, 2003). The presence of two branched plus eight unbranched dorsal-fin rays is only scarcely distributed among individuals of a few species of Hyphessobrycon (e.g. Hyphessobrycon eilyos). Malabarba & Weitzman (2003) hypothesized that eight branched dorsal-fin rays and four teeth in the inner row of the premaxillary bones are synapomorphies for a group of characids that they termed Clade A. This clade is formed by the subfamily Glandulocaudinae and the genera Cyanocharax, Attonitus, Boehlkea, Bryconacidnus, Bryconamericus, Caiapobrycon, Ceratobranchia, Creagrutus, Hemibrycon, Hypobrycon, Knodus, Microgenys, Monotocheirodon, Odontostoechus, Othonocheirodus, Piabarchus, Piabina, Rhynobrycon, and Rhinopetitia. Comparisons with representative species of Clade A revealed no further similarities among these species and H. otrynus, and the common presence of only eight branched dorsal-fin rays is most likely homoplastic, possibly indicating the paedomorphic nature of this reduction in H. otrynus. Comparative material examined. Bryconamericus straemineus, LBP 4978, Creagrutus varii, LIRP 4342, holotype. Hemigrammus marginatus, LBP 268. Hyphessobrycon diancistrus, MZUSP 13179, paratype, Moenkhausia ceros, MCZ 49161, holotype. Piabina argentea LBP 3886.Published as part of Benine, Ricardo C. & Lopes, Guilherme A. M., 2008, A new species of Hyphessobrycon (Characiformes: Characidae) from río Portuguesa, río Orinoco basin, Venezuela, pp. 61-68 in Zootaxa 1747 on pages 62-67, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18168
Data from: The behavior and reproductive physiology of a solitary progressive provisioning vespid wasp: evidence for a solitary-cycle origin of reproductive castes
No full textThe emergence of queens and workers from solitary antecedents mark a major evolutionary transition in the history of life. The solitary progressive provisioning wasp Synagris cornuta, a member of the subfamily basal to eusocial vespid wasps (Eumeninae), alternates between behavioral states characterized as queen-like and worker-like. Akin to a queen in eusocial wasps, a S. cornuta female initiates construction of a cell into which she oviposits, and then, similar to a worker, she cares for the brood as it develops. The Ovarian Groundplan (OGP) hypothesis for caste origins predicts that these behavioral states are associated with cyclical changes in ovarian status, where females performing queen-like tasks have eggs and those performing worker-like tasks possess only small oocytes. Our findings show strong support for the OGP hypothesis: the ovaries of S. cornuta females undergo differential oogenesis depending on the behavioral phase: the largest oocyte in the ovaries of females building a cell progress faster compared to that of females attending brood. Yet contrary to the OGP hypothesis, neither juvenile hormone nor ecdysteroids are associated with the reproductive cycle. Finally, the cuticular hydrocarbon profile showed no link with ovarian status, suggesting that fertility signals evolved subsequent to the emergence of group living
MASP peptide ELISA.
No full text<p>Seven MASP peptides and SAPA were submitted to soluble synthesis (Peptide 2.0) and ELISA experiments. Flexible ELISA plates (Falcon) were sensitized with 2 µg of soluble peptides, incubated with uninfected and infected mouse serum pools from three passages, IgG or IgM secondary antibodies, and revealed with OPD solution. Absorbance values were normalized with values resulting from ELISA of each passage against total trypomastigote extract.</p
Microsporidia with Vertical Transmission Were Likely Shaped by Nonadaptive Processes
No full textMicrosporidia have the leanest genomes among eukaryotes, and their physiological and genomic simplicity has been attributed to their intracellular, obligate parasitic life-style. However, not all microsporidia genomes are small or lean, with the largest dwarfing the smallest ones by at least an order of magnitude. To better understand the evolutionary mechanisms behind this genomic diversification, we explore here two clades of microsporidia with distinct life histories, Ordospora and Hamiltosporidium, parasitizing the same host species, Daphnia magna. Based on seven newly assembled genomes, we show that mixed-mode transmission (the combination of horizontal and vertical transmission), which occurs in Hamiltosporidium, is found to be associated with larger and AT-biased genomes, more genes, and longer intergenic regions, as compared with the exclusively horizontally transmitted Ordospora. Furthermore, the Hamiltosporidium genome assemblies contain a variety of repetitive elements and long segmental duplications. We show that there is an excess of nonsynonymous substitutions in the microsporidia with mixed-mode transmission, which cannot be solely attributed to the lack of recombination, suggesting that bursts of genome size in these microsporidia result primarily from genetic drift. Overall, these findings suggest that the switch from a horizontal-only to a mixed mode of transmission likely produces population bottlenecks in Hamiltosporidium species, therefore reducing the effectiveness of natural selection, and allowing their genomic features to be largely shaped by nonadaptive processes
As dinâmicas político-territoriais de uma comunidade periférica no sul da América Portuguesa : a ilha de Santa Catarina e seu continente, 1680-1750
No full textDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em História, Florianópolis, 2013.Este trabalho tem como objetivo principal analisar o processo político da ocupação luso-brasileira do espaço da Ilha de Santa Catarina e do litoral próximo entre finais do século XVII e a primeira metade do XVIII. Nesse período este território ultramarino passou por inúmeras transformações que culminaram a criação da Vila do Desterro, no ano de 1726, e a instalação da capitania de Santa Catarina, em 1738. Para isso, procurou-se enfatizar aqui a trajetória social e política da elite local recém-constituída, que a partir dos seus postos de governança intermediava junto ao Estado luso o processo territorialização da fronteira sul da América portuguesa. Abstract : This work takes as its principal objective to analyze the political process of Portuguese-Brazilian occupation of the island of Santa Catarina and the nearby coat at the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th century. During this time, this overseas Portuguese territory passed through many transformations, ending with the creation of the Vila de Desterro in 1726 and the installation of the Capitania of Santa Catarina in 1738. In order to achieve this analysis, the author emphasizes the social and political trajectory of the recently constituted local elite which, through positions of governance, worked with Lisbon to territorialize of the southern frontier of Portuguese America
The genomes of three Bradyrhizobium sp. isolated from root nodules of Lupinus albescens grown in extremely poor soils display important genes for resistance to environmental stress
No full textAbstract Lupinus albescens is a resistant cover plant that establishes symbiotic relationships with bacteria belonging to the Bradyrhizobium genus. This symbiosis helps the development of these plants in adverse environmental conditions, such as the ones found in arenized areas of Southern Brazil. This work studied three Bradyrhizobium sp. (AS23, NAS80 and NAS96) isolated from L. albescens plants that grow in extremely poor soils (arenized areas and adjacent grasslands). The genomes of these three strains were sequenced in the Ion Torrent platform using the IonXpress library preparation kit, and presented a total number of bases of 1,230,460,823 for AS23, 1,320,104,022 for NAS80, and 1,236,105,093 for NAS96. The genome comparison with closest strains Bradyrhizobium japonicum USDA6 and Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens USDA110 showed important variable regions (with less than 80% of similarity). Genes encoding for factors for resistance/tolerance to heavy metal, flagellar motility, response to osmotic and oxidative stresses, heat shock proteins (present only in the three sequenced genomes) could be responsible for the ability of these microorganisms to survive in inhospitable environments. Knowledge about these genomes will provide a foundation for future development of an inoculant bioproduct that should optimize the recovery of degraded soils using cover crops
Copyright and shared networking technologies
No full textPhDThe technological zeitgeist has transformed the social-cultural, legal and commercial aspects of society today. Networking technologies comprise one of the most influential factors in this. Although this transformation can be discounted as a mere historical phenomenon dating back to the advent of the printing press, empirical data concerning usage of these technologies shows that there has been a radical shift in the ability to control the dissemination of copyright works. Networking technologies allow, in an unprecedented manner, user-initiated activities including perfect replications, instantaneous dissemination, and abundant storage. They are immune to technological attempts to dismantle them, and impervious to legal attempts to control and harness them. They affect a global audience, which in turn, undermine at negligible costs, the legal and business parameters of copyright owners.
The problem is whether it will now be possible to establish a copyright framework which balances the interests of the following groups: (a) copyright owners in their control of the dissemination of their works; (b) authors demanding remuneration for the exploitation of their works; (c) users wishing to consume works with clear immunity guidelines using networked technologies; (d) technologists striving to continuously innovate without legal and policy restrictions.
Copyright law is not a mechanism for preserving the status quo or a particular business model. It is, as suggested above, a reflection of the needs and interests of authors, copyright owners, entertainment industries, users and technologists. This thesis examines whether the balance between these actors can be achieved and, if so, how it can be implemented within international, regional and national copyright laws. It finds that a balance can be struck; but that this balance should be aligned along three key concepts: user integrity; technological innovation; and authors‘ and owners‘ remuneration. The proposal is that the optimal method for achieving this triptych is the introduction and global implementation of a reasonable and unobtrusive system of remuneration
Gene Ontology (GO) functional terms attributed to integument genes during adult cuticle development and maturation.
No full textThe functional terms more represented in the Pbm and Ne phases than in the Fg phase are indicated as Younger>Fg, and those more represented in the Ne and Fg phases than in the Pbm phase are reported as Older>Pbm. The green box includes GO terms related to the cuticle-producing tissue, the epidermis. Purple box: GO terms associated to structural components of the cuticle. Black box: GO terms potentially associated to CHC biosynthetic pathways. Yellow box: GO terms related to pigments and pigmentation.</p
