Analysis of follicular events in owl monkeys (Aotus azarai infulatus) using B-mode and Doppler ultrasound

Ultrasound (B-mode) was used to analyze follicular events in 12 trained female owl monkeys (Aotus azarai infulatus). The animals were examined every 48 hours for over 90days to measure and map follicular growth in both ovaries and to measure (using Doppler velocimetry) local hemodynamic changes during the peri-ovulatory stage. There were 44 follicular growth events, each with two or three follicular waves, and a mean ± SEM interval between events of 17 ± 1.13 days. There were various hemodynamic changes during follicular growth; both vascular resistance index and pulsatility index decreased during the time when the follicle diameter peaked. Thus, both B-mode and Doppler ultrasound were useful for monitoring ovarian follicular events in owl monkeys. © 2013 Elsevier Inc.

Evolutionary dynamics of retrotransposable elements Rex1, Rex3 and Rex6 in neotropical cichlid genomes

Background: Transposable elements (TEs) have the potential to produce broad changes in the genomes of their hosts, acting as a type of evolutionary toolbox and generating a collection of new regulatory and coding sequences. Several TE classes have been studied in Neotropical cichlids; however, the information gained from these studies is restricted to the physical chromosome mapping, whereas the genetic diversity of the TEs remains unknown. Therefore, the genomic organization of the non-LTR retrotransposons Rex1, Rex3, and Rex6 in five Amazonian cichlid species was evaluated using physical chromosome mapping and DNA sequencing to provide information about the role of TEs in the evolution of cichlid genomes. Results: Physical mapping revealed abundant TE clusters dispersed throughout the chromosomes. Furthermore, several species showed conspicuous clusters accumulation in the centromeric and terminal portions of the chromosomes. These TE chromosomal sites are associated with both heterochromatic and euchromatic regions. A higher number of Rex1 clusters were observed among the derived species. The Rex1 and Rex3 nucleotide sequences were more conserved in the basal species than in the derived species; however, this pattern was not observed in Rex6. In addition, it was possible to observe conserved blocks corresponding to the reverse transcriptase fragment of the Rex1 and Rex3 clones and to the endonuclease of Rex6. Conclusion: Our data showed no congruence between the Bayesian trees generated for Rex1, Rex3 and Rex6 of cichlid species and phylogenetic hypothesis described for the group. Rex1 and Rex3 nucleotide sequences were more conserved in the basal species whereas Rex6 exhibited high substitution rates in both basal and derived species. The distribution of Rex elements in cichlid genomes suggests that such elements are under the action of evolutionary mechanisms that lead to their accumulation in particular chromosome regions, mostly in heterochromatins. © 2013 Schneider et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Conjunctival flora, Schirmer's tear test, intraocular pressure, and conjunctival cytology in neotropical primates from Salvador, Brazil

Background: This study aimed to establish reference values for selected ophthalmic diagnostic tests in healthy neotropical primates from Salvador, Brazil. Methods: A total of 73 intact adults, including Callithrix jacchus (n = 31), Callithrix penicillata (n = 8), Cebus sp. (n = 22), and Cebus xanthosternos (n = 9) were used to evaluate the normal conjunctival bacterial flora. Cebus xanthosternos (n = 12) were used to evaluate tear production with Schirmer's tear test (STT), intraocular pressure (IOP), and conjunctival cytology. Results: For all animals evaluated, Gram-positive bacteria were predominant. Results of the diagnostic tests in Cebus xanthosternos were as follows: STT: 14.92 ± 5.46 mm/minutes, IOP: 19.62 ± 4.57 mmHg, and conjunctival cytology revealed intermediate squamous epithelial cells in great quantities. Conclusions: These ophthalmic reference values will be particularly useful to diagnose discrete or unusual pathological changes in the neotropical primates eye. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

The Genome of Anopheles darlingi, the main neotropical malaria vector

Anopheles darlingi is the principal neotropical malaria vector, responsible for more than a million cases of malaria per year on the American continent. Anopheles darlingi diverged from the African and Asian malaria vectors ∼100 million years ago (mya) and successfully adapted to the New World environment. Here we present an annotated reference A. darlingi genome, sequenced from a wild population of males and females collected in the Brazilian Amazon. A total of 10 481 predicted protein-coding genes were annotated, 72% of which have their closest counterpart in Anopheles gambiae and 21% have highest similarity with other mosquito species. In spite of a long period of divergent evolution, conserved gene synteny was observed between A. darlingi and A. gambiae. More than 10 million single nucleotide polymorphisms and short indels with potential use as genetic markers were identified. Transposable elements correspond to 2.3% of the A. darlingi genome. Genes associated with hematophagy, immunity and insecticide resistance, directly involved in vectorhuman and vectorparasite interactions, were identified and discussed. This study represents the first effort to sequence the genome of a neotropical malaria vector, and opens a new window through which we can contemplate the evolutionary history of anopheline mosquitoes. It also provides valuable information that may lead to novel strategies to reduce malaria transmission on the South American continent. The A. darlingi genome is accessible at www.labinfo.lncc.br/index.php/anopheles- darlingi. © 2013 The Author(s).

Leaf anatomical traits are correlated with tree dominance in a Neotropical deciduous forest

Deciduous forests from the neotropics are one of the most endangered forest types in the world due to the exploitation of their natural resources by mankind. Many aspects of these ecosystems have been studied; however, there is a lack of information about leaf structure and the effects of tree dominance on their structural leaf patterns. In this article, we examine leaf anatomy and specific leaf areas (SLA) in 13 tree species differing in their dominance in a Dry Forest site in Central Brazil, relating leaf anatomical traits with phytosociological aspects. Leaf anatomical traits differed according to tree dominance: greater leaf thickness (achieved through greater thickness of the mesophyll), low values of SLA and bigger stomata were found for the most dominant species, whereas the less dominant species showed thinner leaves with high SLA, as well as numerous and small stomata. These responses suggest that tree dominance is an important indirect effect associated with vertical light availability in the forest. These strategies are probably related to the accomplishment of a high performance in carbon gain and water economy, given the distinction in irradiance that the leaves of different species are subject to in the dry forest. © 2013 Copyright The Royal Society of New Zealand.

The Role of Wing Pigmentation, UV and Fluorescence as Signals in a Neotropical Damselfly

Pigmentation patterns, ultraviolet reflection and fluorescent emission are often involved in mate recognition and mate quality functions in many animal taxa. We investigated the role of wing ultra-violet reflection, fluorescence emission, and pigmentation on age and sexual signals in the damselfly Mnesarete pudica. In this species, wings are sexually dimorphic in colour and exhibit age dependency: males and females show a smoky black colouration when young, turning red in mature males while it turns brown in females. First, we investigated wing UV patterns through reflectance and emission spectra. Second, behavioural experiments were undertaken to show male and female responses to manipulated wing pigmentation and experimentally reduced UV (UV-). Reflectance spectra of the wings of juvenile and mature males and females were used to show the differences between controls and individuals with manipulated colouration used in the behavioural experiment. UV-reduced, females with wings painted red, and control males and females were tethered and presented to conspecific males and females, and their behavioral responses were recorded. The male red wing pigmentation and females with red wings elicited an aggressive response in territorial males and a sexual response in females. Both males and females showed neutral responses towards individuals with reduced UV. Wing signals of juvenile individuals also provoked neutral responses. These results suggest that UV, together with pigmentation, plays a role during mate recognition in males and females. Other than butterflies and spiders, it seems that fluorescence signals and UV reflectance can also be part of communication in odonates. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Stem anatomy and development of successive cambia in Hebanthe eriantha (Poir.) Pedersen: A neotropical climbing species of the Amaranthaceae

Hebanthe eriantha (Poir.) Pedersen, a climbing species of the Amaranthaceae increases in stem thickness by forming successive cambia. The family is dominated by herbaceous species and is constantly under discussion due to its disputed nature of the meristem. In the young stem small alternate segments of vascular cambium cease to divide and new arc of cambium initiates outside to it. The newly formed arcs connect with pre-existing alternate segments of cambium to complete the ring. On the contrary, in thick stems, instead of small segments, complete ring of cambium is replaced by new one. These new alternate segments/cambia originate from the parenchyma cells located outside to the phloem produced by previous cambium. Cambium is storied and exclusively composed of fusiform initials while ray cells remain absent at least in the early part of the secondary growth. However, large heterocellular rays are observed in 15-mm diameter stems but their frequency is much lower. In some of the rays, ray cells become meristematic and differentiate into radially arranged xylem and phloem elements. In fully grown plants, stems are composed of several successive rings of secondary xylem alternating with secondary phloem. Secondary xylem is diffuse-porous and composed of vessels, fibres, axial parenchyma while exceptionally large rays are observed only in the outermost regions of thick stems. Vessel diameter increases progressively from the centre towards the periphery of stems. Although the origin of successive cambia and composition of secondary xylem of H. eriantha remains similar to other herbaceous members of Amaranthaceae, the occurrence of relatively wider and thick-walled vessels and large rays in fully grown plants is characteristic to climbing habit. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Wien.

Interference of cage fish farm on diet, condition factor and numeric abundance on wild fish in a Neotropical reservoir

Historically, the ichthyofauna of large Brazilian rivers has been subject to anthropogenic interference, such as impoundments. Currently, cage fish farming systems are a new source of impact on aquatic ecosystems. The objective of this study was to characterise the impact of freshwater fish farms on the feeding of five species of Neotropical freshwater fish. Specimens of Astyanax altiparanae, Galeocharax knerii, Iheringicthys labrosus, Pimelodus maculatus and Plagioscion squamosissimus were sampled in areas around two systems of cage fish farming (CF), and two control areas (CT) that were not influenced by this activity. Results show that there were significant changes in the diet of trophic generalist species (A. altiparanae, P. maculatus and I. labrosus) accompanied by a related increase in the condition factor values of these species in cage areas. Trophic specialist species, such as the carnivorous fish species G. knerii and P. squamosissimus, presented small differences between the CF and CT areas with regard to diet and showed no differences in other analyses performed. In conclusion, cage fish farms can affect the natural diet of trophic generalist fish species, directly affecting the nutritional status (condition factor), where food wastes was found to be one of the principal items consumed by this trophic guild. Results indicate that these species are responsible for recycling a great quantity of organic matter transferred by this type of activity, which, along with local fishery activities, contribute to mitigation of associated processes of eutrophication. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Comportamento reprodutivo e cooperação no ciclídeo neotropical Laetacara sp

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Influência de componentes locais e da paisagem na estrutura de uma metacomunidade de anfíbios anuros em uma paisagem fragmentada na Região Neotropical

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

Biologia reprodutiva de três espécies de serpentes da Família Viperiade da região neotropical

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

Diversidade bacteriana em piscicultura neotropical

Pós-graduação em Microbiologia Agropecuária - FCAV

Variação morfofisiológica das castas da vespa enxameante neotropical Polybia (Trichothorax) ignobilis durante sua ontogenia colonial (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Epiponini)

Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Zoologia) - IBRC

The prion protein and New World primate phylogeny

The PrPC prion protein contains 250 amino acids with some variation among species and is expressed in several cell types. PrPC is converted to PrPSc by a post-translational process in which it acquires amino acid sequences of three-dimensional conformation of -sheets. Variations in the prion protein gene were observed among 16 genera of New World primates (Platyrrhini), and resulted in amino acid substitutions when compared with the human sequence. Seven substitutions not yet described in the literature were found: W  R at position 31 in Cebuella, T  A at position 95 in Cacajao and Chiropotes, N S at position 100 in Brachyteles, L  Q at position 130 in Leontopithecus (in the sequence responsible for generating the -sheet 1), D  E at position 144 in Lagothrix (in the sequence responsible for the -helix 1), D G at position 147 in Saguinus (also located in the -helix 1 region), and M  I at position 232 in Alouatta. The phylogenetic trees generated by parsimony, neighbor-joining and Bayesian analyses strongly support the monophyletic status of the platyrrhines, but did not resolve relationships among families. However, the results do corroborate previous findings, which indicate that the three platyrrhine families radiated rapidly from an ancient split.

Genetic characterization of native and introduced populations of the neotropical cichlid genus Cichla in Brazil

A molecular phylogenetic analysis based on mitochondrial 16S ribosomal DNA and Control Region sequences from native and introduced populations was undertaken, in order to characterize the introduction of Cichla (peacock bass or tucunaré) species in Brazil. Mitochondrial DNA haplotypes found in introduced fish from Minas Gerais state (southeastern Brazil) clustered only with those from native species of the Tocantins River (Cichla piquiti and C. kelberi), thereby suggesting a single or, at most, few translocation acts in this area, even though with fish from the same source-population. Our study contributes to an understanding of the introduction of Cichla in regions of Brazil outside the Amazon basin, and adds phylogenetic data to the recently describe Cichla species, endemic from the Tocantins-Araguaia basin.