Leveduras isoladas de ninhos de formigas da tribo Attini (Hymeniptera: Formicidae)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Evolução do sistema reprodutivo de formigas da tribo Attini (Hymenoptera : myrmiciane): análise das espermatecas

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

Diversidade e evolução na simbiose entre bactérias e formigas Attini

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

A Social Parasite Evolved Reproductive Isolation from Its Fungus-Growing Ant Host in Sympatry

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Associação entre mesoplasma sp e formigas da tribo Attini (Hymenoptera, formicidae)

As formigas da tribo Attini apresentam reconhecida simbiose com microrganismos: fungos mutualistas basidiomicetos nas famílias Lepiotaceae e Pterulaceae cultivados pelas formigas, bactérias actinomicetas ou no gênero Burkholderia produtoras de antibióticos contra fungos entomopatogênicos, fungos ascomicetos do gênero Escovopsis micófagos para o mutualista, e comensais como fungos, leveduras e bactérias que degradam celulose. Um novo mutualista é descrito no presente trabalho: uma espécie de bactéria no gênero Mesoplasma, detectada via PCR para 16S no DNA genômico de Attini derivadas (gêneros Acromyrmex, Atta, Serycomyrmex e Cyphomyrmex), intermediárias (Trachymyrmex) e basais (Apterostigma, Mycetarotes, Mycocepurus e Mycetagroicos). Uma única linhagem de Mesoplasma com baixíssima diversidade 16S esteve presente nas Attini, mas não em formigas de tribos filogeneticamente próximas a Attini, como Dolichoderini (Tapinoma sp), Camponotini (Camponotus sp), Cephalotini (Cephalotes sp), Crematogastrini (Crematogaster sp), Pheidolini (Pheidole sp) e Ponerini (Pachycondyla sp), indicando uma simbiose Mesoplasma-Attini recente e específica.

Acromyrmex charruanus: a new inquiline social parasite species of leaf-cutting ants

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Algoritmos de aprendizado semi-supervisionado baseados em grafos aplicados na bioinformática

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

Evaluation of an IgE ELISA with Culicoides spp. extracts and recombinant salivary antigens for diagnosis of insect bite hypersensitivity in Warmblood horses

Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) in horses represents an immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated hypersensitivity to salivary antigens from biting midges (Culicoides spp.). The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the performances of IgE ELISAs using recombinant Culicoides spp. Obsoletus group salivary gland antigens or crude whole body extracts ('ObsWBE'), C. nubeculosus recombinant proteins (Culn1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 10) and Obsoletus group recombinant proteins (Culo1 and 2). IgE levels were measured in plasma of 343 Warmblood horses classified as IBH-affected (n=167) and IBH-unaffected (n=176) according to the owners' descriptions. IBH-affected horses were subdivided based on the severity of their clinical signs at sampling and whether or not their IBH history was considered to be classical. The accuracies of the tests increased when clinical signs at sampling were more pronounced or when the IBH history could be considered as classical. A combination of IgE levels against the three best performing Culicoides spp. recombinant proteins (Culn4, Culo1 and Culo2) and ObsWBE resulted in the best performing test. When IBH-affected horses showing a classical history of the disease and severe clinical signs were compared with IBH-unaffected horses, the Youden's index at the optimal cut-off for the three tests in combination was 0.67. This optimal cut-off had a sensitivity of 70%, a specificity of 97% and a total accuracy of 92%. The performance of the IgE ELISA was affected by the severity of IBH clinical signs at sampling and was improved when IgE levels against several recombinant proteins were combined.

Protection of horses against Culicoides biting midges in different housing systems in Switzerland

Species belonging to the Culicoides complexes (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae), obsoletus and pulicaris, in Switzerland, are potential vectors of both bluetongue virus (BTV) and African horse sickness virus (AHSV). The epidemic of BTV in 2006 and 2007 in Europe has highlighted the risk of introduction and spread of vector-borne diseases in previously non-endemic areas. As a measure of prevention, as part of an integrated control programme in the event of an outbreak of African horse sickness (AHS), it is of utmost importance to prevent, or substantially reduce, contact between horses and Culicoides. The aim of the present study was to compare the effect of three protection systems, net, fan, repellent, or combinations thereof, with regard to their potential to reduce contact between horses and Culicoides. Three different equine housing systems, including individual boxes (BX), group housing systems (GR), and individual boxes with permanently accessible paddock (BP) were used. The efficacy of the protection systems were evaluated by comparing the total number counts of collected female Culicoides, of non-blood-fed and blood-fed Culicoides, respectively, with UV black light traps. The study was conducted over 3 summer months during 2012 and 2013 each and focused on the efficacy and practicality of the protection systems. The repellent was tested in 2012 only and not further investigated in 2013, as it showed no significant effect in reducing Culicoides collected in the light traps. Net protection system provided the best overall protection for the total number of female Culicoides, non-blood-fed and blood-fed Culicoides in all tested housing systems. The net, with a pore size of 0.1825 mm(2), reduced the total number of Culicoides collected in the housing systems BP, GR and BX by 98%, 85% and 67%, respectively. However, in the GR housing system, no significant difference between the effectiveness of the fan and the net were determined for any of the three Culicoides categories. The results of the present study demonstrated that horse owners can substantially reduce their horses' exposure to Culicoides, by using net protection in the housing systems BX, BP and GR. In GR housing systems, protection against Culicoides using a fan is also recommended.

Middle Miocene to Quaternary diatoms in the Nankai Trough and Japan Trench

During Leg 87 of the Deep Sea Drilling Project, eleven holes were drilled at Sites 582 and 583 in the Nankai Trough, off Shikoku, southwestern Honshu, and three holes at Site 584 in the Japan Trench, off northeastern Honshu, Japan. In the former area, a low-latitude diatom zone called the Pseudoeunotia doliolus Zone is recognized in thick upper Quaternary sediments, which yield rare but characteristic admixtures of marine planktonic, marine tychopelagic-tobenthic, and nonmarine diatoms. In the latter area, all the sediments recovered contain abundant to common diatoms, allowing recognition of 12 continuous diatom zones from upper Quaternary through lower middle Miocene. Three hiatuses occur in this area around the Pleistocene/Pliocene boundary and in the upper and middle Miocene. In addition, 19 modified diatom zones for a lower Miocene through upper Quaternary interval are proposed. These middle-to-highlatitude zones are numerically coded (NPD1-NPD12) and represent the entire North Pacific. The establishment of these zones is based primarily on Leg 87 data and other DSDP materials and partially on several Japanese subaerial sequences. Correlation of the new zonal framework with previously established frameworks is attempted by the evaluation of operational usefulness of previously used datums. Resting spores of Chaetoceros and its related forms are recorded with specific intent for the first time, and possible ramifications of its frequency variation are presented. Nine new species are proposed: Delphineis sheshukovae Akiba n. sp., Denticulopsis praelauta Akiba and Koizumi n. sp., Kisseleviella ezoensis Akiba n. sp., Nitzschia umaoiensis Akiba n. sp., Thalassiosira jouseae Akiba n. sp., T. praenidulus Akiba n. sp., T. sancettae Akiba n. sp., T. umaoiensis Akiba n. sp., and T. urahoroensis Akiba n. sp. Transfers of systematic positions of the following four taxa are also proposed: Delphineis simonsenii (Mertz) Akiba n. comb., Ikebea tenuis (Brun) Akiba n. comb., Thalassiosira delicata (Barron) Akiba n. stat., and Thalassiothrixrobusta (Schrader) Akiba n. comb.