Marsh deer (Blastocerus Dichotomus) reintroduction in the Jataí Ecological Station (Luís Antônio, SP): spatial preferences

A destruição dos habitats naturais e a extinção de espécies têm crescido muito a partir da última metade do século XX. Nesse contexto, o aumento do número de espécies ameaçadas tem proporcionado maior uso da reintrodução como estratégia de conservação no combate à atual taxa de extinção. O presente trabalho focaliza um estudo de 16 meses realizado com cervos-do-pantanal reintroduzidos na Estação Ecológica de Jataí. Os animais foram marcados com rádio-colares e monitorados diariamente entre dezembro de 1998 e abril de 2000, tendo suas atividades de deslocamento e uso do espaço acompanhadas por triangulação. Os animais exploraram várzeas dentro da unidade de conservação e também uma área de várzea pertencente a uma propriedade particular localizada na fronteira oeste da estação. Durante o período de estudo, a maioria dos cervos reintroduzidos utilizou a área de várzea particular mais intensivamente que as várzeas da unidade de conservação. A preferência demonstrada por essa área confirmou sua importância ecológica, evidenciando a necessidade de proteção por meio de sua incorporação aos limites da Estação Ecológica de Jataí.

A field study to describe diel, tidal and semilunar rhythms of larval release in an assemblage of tropical rocky shore crabs

Available information on the larval release rhythms of brachyurans is biased to temperate estuarine species and outcomes resulting from some sort of artificial manipulation of ovigerous females. In this study we applied field methods to describe the larval release rhythms of an assemblage of tropical rocky shore crabs. Sampling the broods of ovigerous females of Pachygrapsus transversus at two different shores indicated a spatially consistent semilunar pattern, with larval release maxima around the full and new moon. Yet, synchronism between populations varied considerably, with the pattern obtained at the site exposed to a lower wave action far more apparent. Breeding cohorts at one of the sampled shores apparently belonged to actual age groups composing the ovigerous population. The data suggest that these breeding groups release their larvae in alternate syzygy periods, responding to a lunar cycle instead of the semilunar pattern observed for the whole population. For the description of shorter-term rhythms, temporal series at hour intervals were obtained by sampling the plankton and confinement boxes where ovigerous females were held. Unexpectedly, diurnal release activity prevailed over nocturnal hatching. Yet, only grapsids living higher on the shore exhibited strong preferences over the diel cycle, with P. transversus releasing their larvae during the day and Geograpsus lividus during the night. The pea crab Dissodactylus crinitichelis, the spider crab Epialtus brasiliensis and a suite of xanthoids undertook considerable releasing activity in both periods. Apart from the commensal pea crab D. crinitichelis, all other taxa revealed tide-related rhythms of larval release, with average estimates of the time of maximum hatching always around the time of high tides; usually during the flooding and slack, rather than the ebbing tide. Data obtained for P. transversus females held in confinement boxes indicated that early larval release is mostly due to nocturnal hatching, while zoeal release in diurnal groups took place at the time of high tide. Since nocturnal high tides at the study area occurred late, sometimes close to dusk, early release would allow more time for offshore transport of larvae when the action of potential predators is reduced.

The feeding preferences of Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. SMITH) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on cotton plant varieties

Avaliou-se atratividade e não-preferência alimentar de lagartas recém-eclodidas de Spodoptera frugiperda por partes de plantas e plantas de variedades de algodoeiro. Testes foram realizados a 27 ± 1ºC, UR de 70% ± 10% e fotofase de 14h. Folhas, brácteas, botões florais e cascas de maçãs da variedade BRS Itamarati-90 e folhas de Fibermax-966, Fibermax-977, DeltaOpal, DeltaPenta, BRS Acala-90, Coodetec-408, Coodetec-409, Coodetec-410, BRS-Cedro, BRS-Ipê, BRS-Aroeira, IPR-96, IPR-120, BRS-Araçá, IAC-24 e BRS Itamarati-90 foram utilizadas nos testes de atratividade e não-preferência para alimentação, com e sem chance de escolha. Utilizaram-se 20 lagartas de S. frugiperda por placa de Petri (sistema de arena) por teste, com 10 repetições. Contaram-se lagartas para avaliar atratividade por 60 min e não-preferência para alimentação por 24 h. Folha foi mais atrativa e preferida para alimentação por lagartas de S. frugiperda. em livre escolha, Coodetec-410 foi mais atrativa e BRS Acala-90, Fibermax-966 e DeltaPenta, as de menor atratividade à S. frugiperda; BRS-Araçá, mais preferida para alimentação e BRS-Cedro, BRS Itamarati 90, DeltaPenta, Coodetec-408 e BRS-Aroeira, menos preferidas. Considera-se 46 min., tempo mais adequado para avaliar atratividade de algodoeiro a lagartas de S. frugiperda.

Diversity and habitat preferences of Carabidae and Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) in two agroecosystems

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

Mechanism of infection and colonization of Rhipicephalus sanguineus eggs by Mertarhizium anisopliae as revealed by scanning eletron microscopy and histopathology

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo verificar a forma de penetração do fungo Metarhizium anisopliae em ovos do carrapato Rhipicephalus sanguineus, assim como as lesões infringidas no interior do ovo. A aderência e penetração do fungo foram estudadas por meio da microscopia eletrônica de varredura e a ação do fungo nos tecidos internos avaliada em secções histológicas convencionais. Para observação destes eventos, realizaram-se infecções experimentais em 11 grupos de ovos do R. sanguineus contendo 25 mg cada. Os ovos foram banhados durante 3 minutos, sob agitação manual, em suspensão com concentração de 10(8) conídios/mL. Nos grupos controle o banho foi realizado apenas no veículo da suspensão. Os ovos foram processados para análise histopatológica e microscopia eletrônica de varredura nos seguintes tempos após a infecção: 1 e 18h, e um, dois, três, quatro, cinco, seis, sete, nove e onze dias. Observou-se grande germinação de conídios em 67% dos ovos 18h após a inoculação e o fungo penetrou em 92,6% dos ovos 5 dias após a infecção. A extrusão do patógeno ocorreu em 87% dos ovos 7 dias após a infecção, chegando a 100% no 9º dia. Nas análises histopatológicas não foram observadas lesões dignas de nota, porem deve-se ressaltar que houve significativa redução (53,9%) na eclosão a partir dos ovos infectados.

New genes of Xanthomonas citri subsp citri involved in pathogenesis and adaptation revealed by a transposon-based mutant library

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

Variation in the host preferences and responses of Ascia monuste orseis Godart (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) to cultivars of collard greens Brassica oleracea (L.) var. acephala

This work evaluated the preference of Ascia monuste orseis among 29 cultivars of collard greens through free- and no-choice assays using female adults (attractiveness and oviposition) and third-instar larvae (feeding preference), in both laboratory and greenhouse conditions. In free-choice tests with female adults, the L, V, Y, H, A, and Z cultivars produced oviposition non-preference in butterflies. Cultivars R, P, C, and D produced feeding non-preference in third-instar larvae of A. monuste orseis in free- and no-choice tests. Our findings may be useful for genetic improvement focusing on the development of B. oleracea var. acephala cultivars resistant to A. monuste orseis.

Female preferences based on male nutritional chemical traits

Selection favors females that attend to reliable information about male genetic quality and fitness. Male nutritional condition can be a significant sign of mate quality since poor nutrition can be related to reduced sperm quality, low sperm quantity, sexually transmitted diseases, and parasites. We tested whether female Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, preferred the chemical cues of males that were well fed with high-protein diet over those fed with low-protein diet. Females do not only discriminate between males but also show a preference for well-fed males, discriminating between the odors with respect to nutritional state, suggesting that they were responding to a food-specific chemical cue. It is therefore likely that nutritional condition is related to the production of pheromones in males. Our results suggest that information about male nutritional state can be conveyed in chemical cues and that females attend to these cues during mate choice.

Cryptic hammerhead shark lineage occurrence in the western South Atlantic revealed by DNA analysis

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

Cryptic speciation and recombination in the fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis as revealed by gene genealogies

Paracoccidioides brasiliensis is the etiologic agent of paracoccidioidomycosis, a disease confined to Latin America and of marked importance in the endemic areas due to its frequency and severity. This species is considered to be clonal according to mycological criteria and has been shown to vary in virulence. To characterize natural genetic variation and reproductive mode in this fungus, we analyzed P. brasiliensis phylogenetically in search of cryptic species and possible recombination using concordance and nondiscordance of gene genealogies with respect to phylogenies of eight regions in five nuclear loci. Our data indicate that this fungus consists of at least three distinct, previously unrecognized species: S1 (species 1 with 38 isolates), PS2 (phylogenetic species 2 with six isolates), and PS3 (phylogenetic species 3 with 21 isolates). Genealogies of four of the regions studied strongly supported the PS2 clade, composed of five Brazilian and one Venezuelan isolate. The second clade, PS3, composed solely of 21 Colombian isolates, was strongly supported by the alpha-tubulin genealogy. The remaining 38 individuals formed S1. Two of the three lineages of P. brasiliensis, S1 and PS2, are sympatric across their range, suggesting barriers to gene flow other than geographic isolation. Our study provides the first evidence for possible sexual reproduction in P. brasiliensis S1, but does not rule it out in the other two species.

Genetic variability of porcine parvovirus isolates revealed by analysis of partial sequences of the structural coding gene VP2

The 3'-terminal 853 nt (and the putative 283 aa) sequence of the VP2-encoding gene from 29 field strains of porcine parvovirus (PPV) were determined and compared both to each other and with other published sequences. Sequences were examined using maximum-parsimony and statistical analyses for nucleotide diversity and sequence variability. Among the nucleotide sequences of the PPV field strains, 26 polymorphic sites were encountered; 22 polymorphic sites were detected in the putative amino acid sequence. Mapping polymorphic sites of protein data onto the three-dimensional (3D) structure of PPV VP2 revealed that almost all substitutions were located on the external surface of the viral capsid. Mapping amino acid substitutions to the alignment between PPV VP2 sequences and the 3D structure of canine parvovirus (CPV) capsid, many PPV substitutions were observed to map to regions of recognized antigenicity and/or to contain phenotypically important residues for CPV and other parvoviruses. In spite of the high sequence similarity, genetic analysis has shown the existence of at least two virus lineages among the samples. In conclusion, these results highlight the need for close surveillance on PPV genetic drift, with an assessment of its potential ability to modify the antigenic make-up of the virus.

Cladophialophora saturnica sp nov., a new opportunistic species of Chaetothyriales revealed using molecular data

While many members of the black yeasts genus Cladophialophora have been reported to cause diseases in humans, understanding of their natural niche is frequently lacking. Some species can be recovered from the natural environment by means of selective isolation techniques. The present study focuses on a Cladophialophora strain that caused an interdigital tinea nigra-like lesion in a HIV-positive Brazilian child. The fungal infection was successfully treated with oxiconazole. Similar strains had been recovered from the environment in Brazil, Uruguay and the Netherlands. The strains were characterized by sequencing the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) regions and the small subunit (SSU) of the nuclear ribosomal RNA gene, as well as the elongation factor 1-alpha (EF1) gene. Since no match with any known species was found, it is described as the new species, Cladophialophora saturnica.

Bronsted Acid Catalyzed Morita-Baylis-Hillman Reaction: A New Mechanistic View for Thioureas Revealed by ESI-MS(/MS) Monitoring and DFT Calculations

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Population genetic structure revealed by a school of the freshwater migratory fish, Brycon hilarii

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)