Novel Phialophora species from leaf-cutting ants (tribe Attini)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Comparative anatomy of reproductive structures in Cyclanthaceae (Pandanales)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Carrying progeny on the back: reproduction in the Brazilian aquatic frog Pipa carvalhoi

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Chitin-degrading enzymes from an actinomycete ectosymbiont of Acromyrmex subterraneus brunneus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Development of ovule, fruit and seed of Xyris (Xyridaceae, Poales) and taxonomic considerations

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

A new species of Rhinella (Anura: Bufonidae) from Northeastern Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Anuran skin and basking behavior: the case of the treefrog Bokermannohyla alvarengai (Bokermann, 1956)

We investigated the morphology of the skin and the biochemistry of the lipids in the skin secretion of Bokermannohyla alvarengai, a montane treefrog that is known to bask regularly, motionless in full sunlight for extended periods of time. Our primary goal was to identify structural and biochemical modifications that might assist this frog species to accommodate the conflicting demands for heat exchange and water balance while basking. The modulation of heat exchange in basking B. alvarengai involves changes in skin coloration. We found that this response was supported by a prominent monolayer of large iridophores, whose light reflectance property is adjusted by the response of intervening melanophores. Mucosubstances and lipid compounds, mainly consisted of saturated fatty acids and presumably secreted from granular glands, were detected on the skin of B. alvarengai. These compounds formed an extra-epidermal layer over the animal's dorsal surface that might assist in the prevention of excessive water loss through evaporation. Additionally, we found well-developed skin folds at the ventral region of the frogs that lead to an increment of surface area. This feature combined with the extensive hypervascularization, also noticed for the skin of B. alvarengai, may play an important role in water reabsorption. The suite of structural and biochemical modifications identified for the integument of B. alvarengai seems to conjugate aspects relevant to both, heat exchange and water balance, allowing for this species to explore basking as an efficient thermoregulatory strategy. J. Morphol. 276:1172-1182, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Exometaboloma do tegumento da vespa social Polybia paulista por análises GC-MS: bases moleculares do reconhecimento de tipos parentais

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Pasteurelose em juvenis de cobias (Rachycentron canadum) criados em tanques-redes no litoral norte do estado de São Paulo - Brasil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Estudo comparativo de restos fósseis e recentes de Amphisbaenia: abordagens filogenéticas, paleoecológicas, paleobiogeográficas

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Permeabilidade a água e germinação de sementes heteromórficas de Bowdichia virgilioides Kunth

Pós-graduação em Ciência Florestal - FCA

Infecção por strigea falconis em buteo magnirostris no Brasil

Background: Buteo magnirostris, popularly known as roadside hawk belongs to the family Accipitridae, Ciconiiformes. The specimen is common throughout Brazil inhabiting open areas, tolerating disturbed areas very well, but avoiding dense forests. The trematodes are common parasites in the intestines of birds of prey, with scant notice of pathogenic infections. However, severe infections of trematodes Strigeidae family have been previously reported as a cause of anemia, diarrhea, enteritis, weight loss and death. This paper aims to report the occurrence of infection in S. Falconis in B. magnirostris diagnosed by post mortem examination. Case: The specimen of B. magnirostris, male, young was sent for necropsy at the Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Federal Rural University of Semi-Arid (UFERSA), Mossoró-RN, Brazil. With a history of apathy, anorexia, diarrhea and death in one course of 24 h. The free bird life and even puppy had been captured for training and practice of falconry shortly before the clinical manifestation of infection (time of captivity uninformed). On physical examination ruffled feathers, cachexia and pallor of skeletal muscle was observed. At necropsy there was severe enteritis with petechiae and accumulation of liquid contents into the duodenum. Fifty-two trematodes were found set in duodenal mucosa. The other organs and structures showed no changes. Fragments of all organs were harvested, fixed in 10% formalin buffered, routinely processed for histopathology and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE). Parasites were carefully collected, washed in saline, fixed, processed and identified according to the morphology and taxonomy. Histologically, the lesions were restricted to the duodenum and were characterized by melting, severe atrophy and necrosis of the epithelial cells of the intestinal villi; inflammatory infiltrate (consisting of lymphocytes, plasma cells and eosinophils) in the lamina propria, in addition to trematodes infiltrated the mucosa and lamina propria. These were 60-80 mm in diameter, consisted of parenchymal body enclosed by the integument. In some cross sections of the parasite was possible to observe the presence of cecum, testis and uterus, with some variations between sections; there were also yellowish eggs and coated with a delicate membrane. The trematodes contain approximately 1 mm in length and used as morphology and taxonomy has been identified as S. Falconis. Discussion: S. Falconis is a trematode intestinal parasite of birds of prey, with reports of its occurrence in Europe, North America and Central. In neotropical regions is described the occurrence of the subspecies S. Falconis brasiliana. Although the absence of clinical signs is a common pattern, parasitism by trematodes may become evident, common to captivity stress conditions, and thus infections, even for low pathogenic parasites can cause diarrhea, anorexia, weight loss and death, as reported in this paper. A factor that possibly contributed to the scant notice is its small size, which makes the observation of this parasite in analysis of necropsy in non-pathological conditions and also not familiar with the technical laboratories in the morphological shape of the eggs, which creates difficulty in finding the parasite in parasitological analysis in captive animals. Despite being considered poorly pathogenic trematodes, epidemiologically, the presence of the parasite should be considered a health risk to free-living predators, newly captive in parks, zoos, veterinary hospitals, triage center for wildlife and creators, as they may express pathogenicity in immunosuppressed animals. This work contributes to recording the presence S. falconis parasitizing the duodenal mucosa of B. magnirostris in Brazil.

Tropidomyrmex elianae, a new myrmicine ant genus and species from Brazil, tentatively assigned to Solenopsidini (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

A new myrmicine ant, Tropidomyrmex elianae gen. n. & sp. n., is described from southeastern and central Brazil, based on workers, ergatoid gynes, males and larvae. Tropidomyrmex workers are relatively small, monomorphic, characterized mainly by the feebly pigmented and extremely thin integument; subfalcate mandibles bearing a single apical tooth; palpal formula 1,2; clypeus relatively broad and convex; reduced compound eyes; propodeum unarmed and with a strongly medially depressed declivous face; double and bilobed well developed subpostpetiolar processes; and peculiarities in the sting apparatus. A colony fragment of T. elianae containing workers, ergatoid gynes, males, and brood was found inside a ground termite nest (Anoplotermes pacificus Apicotermitinae) in a montane rocky scrubland in the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. Tropidomyrmex elianae is known also from two workers collected in leaf litter samples processed with a Winkler extractor, from the state of Tocantins, central-north Brazil. Despite the differences from the accepted solenopsidine genera, Tropidomyrmex is tentatively assigned to this tribe. Within the solenopsidine ants, the genus is apparently related to Tranopelta. Tropidomyrmex is marked by extreme reductions, perhaps reflecting adaptations to particular habits and habitats.

Diversification in the use of resources by Idarnes species: bypassing functional constraints in the fig-fig wasp interaction

Mutualisms such as the figfig wasp mutualism are generally exploited by parasites. We demonstrate that amongst nonpollinating fig wasps (NPFWs) parasitic on Ficus citrifolia, a species of Idarnes galls flowers and another species feeds on galls induced by other wasps killing their larvae. The galling wasp inserts its ovipositor through the fig wall into the fig cavity. The ovipositor then follows a sinuous path and is introduced through the stigma and style of the flower. The egg is deposited between the integument and nucellus, in the exact location where the pollinating mutualistic wasp would have laid its egg. Gall induction is a complex process. In contrast, the path followed by the ovipositor of the other species is straightforward: attacking a larva within a developed gall poses different constraints. Shifts in feeding regime have occurred repeatedly in NPFWs. Monitoring traits associated with such repeated evolutionary shifts may help understand underlying functional constraints. (c) 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 106, 114122.

Über die Funktion und Struktur der Tyrosinase aus Streptomyces antibioticus

Für die Aufklärung der chemisch anspruchsvollen Monophenolase-Reaktion von Tyrosinasen wurde ein System entwickelt, um das Zielprotein aus dem Bakterium Streptomyces antibioticus in großen Mengen und mit hoher Reinheit zu isolieren. Zudem konnte ein hypothetischer Reaktionsmechanismus für die Monophenolase- und die Diphenolase-Aktivität der Tyrosinase formuliert werden. Die beiden Reaktionen der S. antibioticus-Tyrosinase wurden kinetisch analysiert und auf diesem Weg die Aktivität des Enzyms mit jener der sehr gut charakterisierten Tyrosinase aus dem Pilz Agaricus bisporus verglichen. Hierbei wurden signifikante Unterschiede festgestellt, die auf die verschiedenartigen Proteinstrukturen zurückgeführt wurden. Auch konnte gezeigt werden, dass einige sekundäre Pflanzenstoffe, die vor allem in Wein zu finden sind und in ihrer chemischen Struktur den Tyrosinasesubstraten ähnlich sind, die Aktivität dieses Enzyms maßgeblich beeinflussen. Das O2-Transportprotein Hämocyanin aus der Vogelspinne Eurypelma californicum, das wie die Tyrosinase zu der Familie der Typ-3-Kupferproteine gehört, ist nach chemischer Aktivierung zur Phenoloxidase zur enzymatischen Quervernetzung von Proteinen fähig. Die Tatsache, dass diese Quervernetzung auch das Hämocyanin selbst betrifft, sowie der erfolgreiche Nachweis von Hämocyanin in der Kutikula des genannten Organismus, legen die Vermutung nahe, dass die physiologische Funktion von Hämocyanin im Rahmen der Sklerotisierung des Exoskeletts in einer aktiven und passiven Beteiligung an Gerbungsprozessen im Integument besteht.