Lipid content and apoptosis of in vitro-produced bovine embryos as determinants of susceptibility to vitrification

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

Experimental paracoccidioidomycosis of the Syrian hamster: fungicidal activity and production of inflammatory cytokines by macrophages

Phagocytic cells play an important role in nonspecific resistance to fungal infection by mediating an inflammatory response and by a direct fungicidal action. In this study, the functional activity of peritoneal macrophages obtained from hamsters experimentally infected with strain Pb18 of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis was evaluated during 16 weeks of infection. The results showed that macrophages had a higher spreading ability associated with increased production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and enhanced fungicidal activity during the early periods of infection. TNF-alpha levels remained elevated during all periods studied, while low levels of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) were produced during the infection. A necrotic area with dead fungi was observed at the inoculation site and the infection disseminated only to liver and lymph nodes in a few animals. These results suggest that during the early stages of infection with P. brasiliensis, macrophage activation by the high levels of TNF-alpha limited fungal dissemination. In contrast, in the later stages of infection, high levels of TNF-alpha were observed while the fungicidal activity of macrophages was lower and the animals presented loss of vitality resulting in their death. These observations suggest a complex role of TNF-alpha in experimental paracoccidioidomycosis of Syrian hamsters, involving not only resistance but also pathogenesis.

Ecological study of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis in soil: growth ability, conidia production and molecular detection

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

Peroxidase activity and total phenol content in citrus cuttings treated with different copper sources

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Morphology and protein content of hepatocytes in type I diabetic rats submitted to physical exercises

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Protein content and electrophoretic profile of fat body and ovary extracts from workers of Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides (Hymenoptera, Meliponini)

Workers of Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides (Lepeletier, 1836) develop their ovaries and lay eggs, therefore the production of vitellogenin is expected. In electrophoretic profiles only fat body extracts from nurse workers and ovary extracts from newly-emerged workers show protein with molecular mass similar to vitellogenin. However, an increase in the protein content was detected in forager fat body. This increase was attributed to storage of vitellogenin or other proteins in the previous phase and not discharged into the hemolymph or to an effect of the increased titre of juvenile hormone in this phase of worker life over the fat body functioning.

Production, purification and characterization of a minor form of xylanase from Aspergillus versicolor

A strain of Aspergillus versicolor produces a xylanolytic complex containing two components, the minor component being designated xylanase II. The highest production of xylanase II was observed in cultures grown for 5 days in 1% wheat bran as carbon source, at pH 6.5. Xylanase II was purified 28-fold by DEAE-Sephadex and HPLC GF-5 10 gel filtration. Xylanase II was a monomeric glycoprotein, exhibiting a molecular mass of 32 kDa with 14.1% of carbohydrate content. Optimal pH and temperature values for the enzyme activity were about 6.0-7.0 and 55 degreesC, respectively. Xylanase II thermoinactivation at 50degreesC showed a biphasic curve. The ions Hg2+, Cu2+ and the detergent SDS were strong inhibitors, while Mn2+ ions and dithiothreitol were stimulators of the enzyme activity. The enzyme was specific for xylans, showing higher specific activity on birchwood xylan. The Michaelis-Menten constant (K-m) for birchwood xylan was estimated to be 2.3 mg ml(-1) while maximal velocity (V-max) was 233.1 mumol mg(-1) min(-1) of protein. The hydrolysis of oat spell xylan released only xylooligosaccharides. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Endoglucanase production with the newly isolated Myceliophtora sp. i-1d3b in a packed bed solid state fermentor

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

Physicochemical characterization of collagen fibers and collagen powder for self-composite film production

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

Characterization of native and oxidized starches of two varieties of Peruvian carrot (Arracacia xanthorrhiza, B.) from two production areas of Paraná state, Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Production of pectinase by solid-state fermentation with Penicillium viridicatum RFC3

Endo-polygalacturonase (endo-PG), exo-polygalacturonase (exo-PG) and pectin liase (PL) were produced by solid-state fermentation of a mixture of orange bagasse and wheat bran (1:1) with the filamentous fungus Penicillium viridicatum RFC3. This substrate was prepared with two moisture contents, 70% and 80%, and each was fermented in two types of container, Erlenmeyer flask and polypropylene pack. When Erlenmeyer flasks were used, the medium containing 80% of initial moisture afforded higher PL production while neither exo- nor endo-PG production was influenced by substrate moisture. The highest enzyme activities obtained were 0.70 U mL(-1) for endo-PG, 8.90 U mL(-1) for exo-PG, and 41.30 U mL(-1) for PL. However, when the fermentation was done in polypropylene packs, higher production of all three enzymes was obtained at 70% moisture (0.7 and 8.33 U mL(-1) for endo- and exo-PG and 100 U mL(-1) for PL). An increase in the pH and decrease in the reducing sugar content of the medium was observed. The fungus was able to produce pectin esterase and other depolymerizing enzymes such as xylanase, CMCase, protease and amylase. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measurement of the t(t)over-bar production cross section in p(p)over-bar collisions at root s=1.96 TeV using kinematic characteristics of lepton plus jets events

We present a measurement of the top quark pair (t (t) over bar) production cross section (sigma(t (t) over bar)) in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV using 230 pb(-1) of data collected by the DO detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. We select events with one charged lepton (electron or muon), large missing transverse energy, and at least four jets, and extract the t (t) over bar content of the sample based on the kinematic characteristics of the events. For a top quark mass of 175 GeV, we measure sigma(t (t) over bar) 6.7(-1.3)(+1.4)(stat)(-1.1)(+1.6)(syst) +/- 0.4(lumi) pb, in good agreement with the standard model prediction. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Measurement of the t(t)over-bar production cross section in p(p)over-bar collisions at root s=1.96 TeV using secondary vertex b tagging

We report a new measurement of the t (t) over bar production cross section in p (beta) over bar collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV using events with one charged lepton (electron or muon), missing transverse energy, and jets. Using 425 pb(-1) of data collected using the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider, and enhancing the t (t) over bar content of the sample by tagging b jets with a secondary vertex tagging algorithm, the t (t) over bar production cross section is measured to be sigma(p (t) over bar -> t (t) over bar +X)=6.6 +/- 0.9(stat+syst) +/- 0.4(lum) pb. This cross section is the most precise D0 measurement to date for t (t) over bar production and is in good agreement with standard model expectations.

Search for anomalous heavy-flavor quark production in association with W bosons

We search for anomalous production of heavy-flavor quark jets in association with W bosons at the Fermilab Tevatron p(p) over bar Collider in final states in which the heavy-flavor quark content is enhanced by requiring at least one tagged jet in an event. Jets are tagged using one algorithm based on semileptonic decays of b/c hadrons, and another on their lifetimes. We compare e+jets (164 pb(-1)) and mu+jets (145 pb(-1)) channels collected with the D0 detector at root s = 1.96 TeV to expectations from the standard model and set upper limits on anomalous production of such events.