Phylogeny and Taxonomy of the Neotropical Thepytus (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Theclinae)

The Neotropical lycaenid hairstreak genus Thepytus Robbins and its eight species are revised. Species treatments summarize nomenclature, distribution, habitat, behavior, and diagnostic traits, as well as noting why each species is considered distinct under a biological species concept. An identification key for males and a checklist are included. Beatheclus Balint & Dahners new synonym is synonymized with Thepytus, and Theppus beatrizae (Balint & Dahners) is a new combination. Other nomenclatural actions include the description of Thepytus jennifer Busby & Robbins new species. Thepytus nancyana Busby & Robbins new species, and Thepytus carmen Robbins & Duarte new species. A lectotype is designated or Thecla thyrea Hewitson, 1867, to ensure stability of this name. A phylogenetic analysis based on 22 coded morphological characters yields one equal weight most parsimonious 39-step tree. Implied weighting does not change the tree topology. Unambiguous changes in elevation optimized on the cladogram show that a montane lineage of Thepytus colonized the lowlands in at least one instance. The use of T. echelta (Hewitson) as a biological control agent for Psittacanthus (Loranthaceae) is discussed.

Diversity and biotechnological potential of culturable bacteria from Brazilian mangrove sediment

Mangrove ecosystems are environments subject to substantial degradation by anthropogenic activities. Its location, in coastal area, interfacing the continents and the oceans makes it substantially important in the prospection for biotechnological applications. In this study, we assessed the diversity of culturable bacteria present over the seasons at two depths (0-10 and 30-40 cm) in a mangrove sediment and in a transect area from the land to the sea. In total, 238 bacteria were isolated, characterized by Amplified Ribosomal DNA Restriction Analysis (ARDRA) and further identified, by Fatty Acid Methyl Esther (FAME-MIDI), into the orders of Vibrionales, Actinomycetales and Bacillales. Also the ability of the isolates in producing economically important enzymes (amylases, proteases, esterases and lipases) was evaluated and the order Vibrionales was the main enzymatic source.

Diversity of endophytic bacteria from Eucalyptus species seeds and colonization of seedlings by Pantoea agglomerans

The diversity and beneficial characteristics of endophytic microorganisms have been studied in several host plants. However, information regal-ding naturally, occurring seed-associated endophytes and vertical transmission among different life-history stages of hosts is limited. Endophytic bacteria were isolated from seeds and seedlings of 10 Eucalyptus species and two hybrids. The results showed that endophytic bacteria, Such as Bacillus, Enterococcus, Paenibacillus and Methylobacterium, are vertically transferred from seeds to seedlings. In addition, the endophytic bacterium Pantoea agglomerans was tagged with the gfp gene, inoculated into seeds and further reisolated from seedlings. These results suggested it novel approach to change the profile of the plants, where the bacterium is a delivery vehicle for desired traits. This is the first report of an endophytic bacterial community residing in Eucalyptus seeds and the transmission of these bacteria from seeds to seedlings. The bacterial species reported ill this work have been described as providing benefits to host plants. Therefore, we Suggest that endophytic bacteria can be transmitted vertically from seeds to seedlings, assuring the support of the bacterial community in the host plant.

Acidification rates of probiotic bacteria in Minas frescal cheese whey

The acidification rates of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgarieus (Lb), Lactobacillus acidophilus (La), Lactobacillus rhamnosus (Lr), and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (Bl) in co-culture with Streptococcus thermophilus (St) were studied in Minas frescal cheese whey. Effects of the co-culture composition and the final pH values on the kinetic parameters of acidification, post-acidification and counts of health promoting micro-organisms were also studied. Fermentation time to reach pH 4.5 was longer when St-Lr co-culture was used, while St-Lb had the shortest fermentation time when compared with the other co-culture combinations. All products showed development of acidity during the storage period and lowest values had been observed employing St-Bl co-culture. The technological interest of using M. frescal cheese whey for the production of a probiotic lactic beverage is discussed in this article. (C) 2007 Swiss Society of Food Science and Technology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Flavonoids and the taxonomy of Camarea (Malpighiaceae)

Camarea is a South-American endemic genus comprising eight species. In the present work leaf flavonoids of seven species of Camarea were identified, aiming to evaluate the usefulness of their distribution as a taxonomic aid. A total of 12 flavonoids were isolated and identified. Free aglycones, such as apigenin, chrysoeriol, kaempferol and quercetin, as well as 7-O-glycosides of apigenin and luteolin, 3-O-glycosides of kaempferol and quercetin were identified. Flavonoid distribution in Camarea species, taking into account aglycones and aglycone moieties of glycosides, was used to obtain a phenogram of chemical affinities. Apigenin, chrysoeriol and kaempferol were the main discriminating characters for links establishment. The resultant tree suggests the links: 1) Camarea hirsuta, Camarea affinis and C. affinis x C. hirsuta; 2) Camarea elongata and Camarea axillaris; 3) Camarea sericea and Camarea humifusa. The results are in agreement with morphological similarities and disagree with several points of n-alkane evidence. The results support the recognition of Camarea triphylla as synonymy of C axillaris. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Taxonomy of the Threadsnakes of the tribe Epictini (Squamata: Serpentes: Leptotyphlopidae) in Colombia

Threadsnakes of the tribe Epictini are endemic to the New World, occurring from the United States to Argentina, mostly in the Neotropical region. Currently, the taxonomic status of most species is unclear and there has been no previous attempt of a comprehensive taxonomic revision of Neotropical taxa. Taxonomy of the group is a difficult task due to the paucity of geographic samples, general homogeneous morphology and brevity of species descriptions. Therefore, the only way to address the taxonomic status of existing names is through detailed characterization of the types and the search for additional material of the poorly known species. In this study, we evaluated the taxonomic status of the Colombian threadsnakes and report on geographical variation of meristic, morphometric, colour pattern, and hemipenis characters. On the basis of available samples we recognize the following species in Colombia: Epictia goudotii, E. magnamaculata, E. signata, Rena nicefori, Tricheilostoma brevissimum, T. dugandi, T. joshuai and T. macrolepis. We discuss the systematic position of Rena nicefori and propose its allocation in the genus Tricheilostoma based on a unique combination of morphological characters. Furthermore, we provide a key to the representatives of the tribe Epictini in Colombia.

Contributions to the taxonomy of the Normanellidae (Copepoda, Harpacticoida): description of a new genus from the Brazilian continental shelf and re-assignment of Pseudocletodes vararensis Scott & Scott, 1893 (ex Nannopodidae)

A new genus and species of Normanellidae (Copepoda, Harpacticoida), Paranaiara inajae gen. et sp. nov., is described from the continental shelf off the northern coast of Sao Paulo State, Brazil. The new genus differs from the type genus Normanella Brady, 1880 and Sagamiella Lee & Huys, 1999 in its presence of lamelliform caudal rami, a maxillulary endopod represented by 2 setae, an unarmed maxillipedal syncoxa, and reduced setation on P2 enp-2 (without outer spine) and P3 enp-2 (with only 2 inner setae). All these apomorphic character states are shared with the genus Pseudocletodes Scott & Scott, 1893, formerly placed in the family Nannopodidae (ex Huntemanniidae) and here assigned to the Normanellidae. Pseudocletodes can be differentiated from Paranaiara by the loss of the P1 endopod and of the inner seta on P2-P4 enp-1, the presence of only 2 inner setae on P2 enp-2 (instead of 3) and only 1 inner seta on P4 exp-3 (instead of 2), the presence of a second inner seta on P4 enp-2 (instead of 1), the morphology of the fifth pair of legs which are not medially fused and have only 3 endopodal elements (instead of 4) in the male, and the well developed caudal ramus seta V (instead of rudimentary). It is postulated that prehensility of the P1 endopod was secondarily lost in the common ancestor of Paranaiara and Pseudocletodes. An updated family diagnosis of the Normanellidae and a dichotomous identification key to the 22 currently valid species are presented.

Presence of periodontopathic bacteria in coronary arteries from patients with chronic periodontitis

In this study the presence of periodontopathic pathogens in atheromatous plaques removed from coronary arteries of patients with chronic periodontitis and periodontally healthy subjects by PCR was detected. Our results indicate a significant association between the presence of Porphyromonas gingivalis and atheromas, and the periodontal bacteria in oral biofilm may find a way to reach arteries. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantitative detection of periodontopathic bacteria in atherosclerotic plaques from coronary arteries

Oral pathogens, including periodontopathic bacteria, are thought to be aetiological factors in the development of cardiovascular disease. In this study, the presence of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Fusobacterium nucleatum-periodonticum-simiae group, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, Prevotella nigrescens and Tannerella forsythia in atheromatous plaques from coronary arteries was determined by real-time PCR. Forty-four patients displaying cardiovascular disease were submitted to periodontal examination and endarterectomy of coronary arteries. Approximately 60-100 mg atherosclerotic tissue was removed surgically and DNA was obtained. Quantitative detection of periodontopathic bacteria was performed using universal and species-specific TaqMan probe/primer sets. Total bacterial and periodontopathic bacterial DNA were found in 94.9 and 92.3 %, respectively, of the atheromatous plaques from periodontitis patients, and in 80.0 and 20.0%, respectively, of atherosclerotic tissues from periodontally healthy subjects. All periodontal bacteria except for the F. nucleatum-periodonticum-simiae group were detected, and their DNA represented 47.3 % of the total bacterial DNA obtained from periodontitis; patients. Porphyromonas gingivalis, A. actinomycetemcomitans and Prevotella intermedia were detected most often. The presence of two or more periodontal species could be observed in 64.1 % of the samples. In addition, even in samples in which a single periodontal species was detected, additional unidentified microbial DNA could be observed. The significant number of periodontopathic bacterial DNA species in atherosclerotic tissue samples from patients with periodontitis suggests that the presence of these micro-organisms in coronary lesions is not coincidental and that they may in fact contribute to the development of vascular diseases.

Characterization and Identification of Proteolytic Bacteria From the Gut of the Velvetbean Caterpillar (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The characterization and identification of proteolytic bacteria from the gut of the velvetbean caterpillar (Anticarsia gemmatalis) were the objectives of this study. Twelve aerobic and anaerobic isolates of proteolytic bacteria were obtained from the caterpillar gut in calcium caseinate agar. The number of colony forming units (CFUs) of proteolytic bacteria was higher when the bacteria were extracted from caterpillars reared on artificial diet rather than on soybean leaves (1.73 +/- 0.35 X 10(3) and 0.55 +/- 0.22 X 10(3) CFU/mg gut, respectively). The isolated bacteria were divided into five distinct groups, according to their polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment-length polymorphism profiles. After molecular analysis, biochemical tests and fatty acid profile determination, the bacteria were identified as Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Enterococcus gallinarum, Enterococcus mundtii, and Staphylococcus xylosus. Bacterial proteolytic activity was assessed through in vitro colorimetric assays for (general) proteases, serine proteases, and cysteine proteases. The isolated bacteria were able of hydrolyzing all tested substrates, except Staphylococcus xylosus, which did not exhibit serine protease activity. This study provides support for the hypothesis that gut proteases from velvetbean caterpillar are not exclusively secreted by the insect cells but also by their symbiotic gut bacteria. The proteolytic activity from gut symbionts of the velvetbean caterpillar is suggestive of their potential role minimizing the potentially harmful consequences of protease inhibitors from some of this insect host plants, such as soybean, with implications for the management of this insect pest species.

Biosurfactants as Agents to Reduce Adhesion of Pathogenic Bacteria to Polystyrene Surfaces: Effect of Temperature and Hydrophobicity

Polystyrene surfaces were conditioned with surfactin and rhamnolipid biosurfactants and then assessed regarding the attachment of Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Micrococcus lute us. The effect of different temperatures (35, 25, and 4 degrees C) on the anti-adhesive activity was also studied. Microbial adhesion to solvents and contact angle measurements were performed to characterize bacteria and material surfaces. The results showed that surfactin was able to inhibit bacterial adhesion in all the conditions analyzed, giving a 63-66% adhesion reduction in the bacterial strains at 4 degrees C. Rhamnolipid promoted a slight decrease in the attachment of S. aureus. The anti-adhesive activity of surfactin increased with the decrease in temperature, showing that this is an important parameter to be considered in surface conditioning tests. Surfactin showed good potential as an anti-adhesive compound that can be explored to protect surfaces from microbial contamination.

Effects of the herbicides acetochlor and metolachlor on antioxidant enzymes in soil bacteria

The aim of this study was to investigate the antioxidant responses of three bacteria (SD1. KD and K9) isolated from soil previously treated with the herbicides metolachlor and acetochlor. By 165 rRNA gene sequencing, we determined that SD1 is phylogenetically related to Enterobacter asburiae, while KD and K9 have divergent genomes that more closely resemble that of Enterobacter amnigenus. Decreased levels of lipid peroxidation were observed in SD1 and KD following treatment with 34 mM metolachlor or 62 mM acetochlor, respectively, indicating that both bacteria were able to adapt to an increase in ROS production. In the presence of 34 mM metolachlor or 62 mM acetochlor, all bacterial isolates exhibited increases in total catalase (CAT) activity (81% for SDI, 53% for KD and 59% for K9), whereas total SOD activity (assessed based on the profile and intensity of the bands) was slightly reduced when the bacteria were exposed to high concentrations of the herbicides (340 mM metolachlor or 620 mM acetochlor). This effect was due to a specific reduction in SOD IV (K9 and KD isolates) by 45% and 90%, respectively, and SOD V (SD1 isolate) isoenzymes by 60%. The most striking result was obtained in the SD1 isolate, where two novel isoenzymes of glutathione reductase (GR) that responded specifically to metolachlor were identified. In addition, acetochlor was shown to induce the expression of a new 57 kDa protein band in the K9 and KD isolates. The bacteria isolated from the herbicide-contaminated soil exhibited an efficient antioxidant system response at herbicide concentrations of up to 34 mM metolachlor or 62 mM acetochlor. These data suggest a mechanism for tolerance that may include the control of an imbalance in ROS production versus scavenging. The data suggest that specific isoenzymes of CAT and GR could be involved in this herbicide tolerance mechanism. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bacterial stimulation of copper phytoaccumulation by bioaugmentation with rhizosphere bacteria

Copper contaminated areas pose environmental health risk to living organisms. Remediation processes are thus required for both crop production and industrial activities. This study employed bioaugmentation with copper resistant bacteria to improve phytoremediation of vineyard soils and copper mining waste contaminated with high copper concentrations. Oatmeal plant (Avena sativa L) was used for copper phytoextraction. Three copper resistant bacterial isolates from oatmeal rhizosphere (Pseudomonas putida A1 Stenotrophomonas maltophilia A2 and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus A6) were used for the stimulation of copper phytoextraction. Two long-term copper contaminated vineyard soils (Mollisol and Inceptisol) and copper mining waste from Southern Brazil were evaluated. Oatmeal plants substantially extracted copper from vineyard soils and copper mining waste. As much as 1549 mg of Cu kg(-1) dry mass was extracted from plants grown in Inceptisol soil. The vineyard Mollisol copper uptake (55 mg Cu kg(-1) of dry mass) in the shoots was significantly improved upon inoculation of oatmeal plants with isolate A2 (128 mg of Cu kg(-1) of shoot dry mass). Overall oatmeal plant biomass displayed higher potential of copper phytoextraction with inoculation of rhizosphere bacteria in vineyard soil to the extent that 404 and 327 g ha(-1) of copper removal were respectively observed in vineyard Mollisol bioaugmented with isolate A2 (S. maltophilia) and isolate A6 (A. calcoaceticus). Results suggest potential application of bacterial stimulation of phytoaccumulation of copper for biological removal of copper from contaminated areas. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bioreduction of Acetophenone Derivatives by Red Marine Algae Bostrychia radicans and B. tenella, and Marine Bacteria Associated

The biocatalytic reduction of acetophenone derivatives was exploited by using algal biomass from Bostrychia radicans and B. tenella producing exclusively (S)-2-phenylethanols with high enantiomeric excess (> 99% ee). Bacterial populations associated with algal biomass were identified as the Bacillus genus. This report deals with the first investigations involving the use of marine bacteria associated with B. radicans and B. tenella marine algae for the biocatalytic reduction of acetophenone derivatives.

Stem anatomy of Rhipsalis (Cactaceae) and its relevance for taxonomy

Several species of the genus Rhipsalis (Cactaceae) are extremely important as ornamentals and are endangered in their natural habitat. However, only a few studies have addressed its taxonomy, morphology (including anatomy), phylogeny and evolutionary history. Consequently, the limited knowledge of the genus coupled with the problematic delimitation of species had led to problems in the identification of taxa. In the current work six species of Rhipsalis, R. cereoides, R. elliptica, R. grandiflora, R. paradoxa, R. pentaptera and R. teres were studied to evaluate the relevance of anatomical characters for the taxonomy of the genus. An anatomical characterization of the primary structure of the stem of Rhipsalis is provided highlighting the differences between species. Features of the stem epidermis are found to discriminate best between species and therefore provide clear and useful characters for the separation of species.