Relatório de estágio em clínica e cirurgia de animais de companhia

O estágio curricular a que se refere o presente relatório foi realizado no Hospital Veterinário do Baixo Alentejo, em Beja, entre 15/09/2014 e 15/03/2015, sob orientação do Dr. André Cláudio. Na primeira parte é apresentada a casuística acompanhada durante o estágio e a segunda parte consiste numa monografia referente ao tema “Dirofilariose canina”, onde é apresentada uma revisão bibliográfica seguida de um caso clínico. A dirofilariose canina é uma doença endémica em Portugal causada por nemátodes do género Dirofilaria, que têm como hospedeiros definitivos preferenciais os canídeos domésticos. A prevalência desta doença tem vindo a aumentar, contudo, é pouco conhecida pela população em geral. Devido à sua morbilidade e caráter zoonótico tem grande importância Médico- Veterinária e para os proprietários de cães;Abstract: Traineeship report in clinic and surgery of companion animals. The traineeship referred to in this report was carried out at the Veterinary Hospital of the Lower Alentejo, in Beja, between 15/09/2014 and 15/03/2015, under the guidance of Dr. André Cláudio. The first part presents the casuistry observed during this traineeship and the second part consists of a monograph regarding the topic "Canine heartworm disease" where a literature review followed by a case is presented. The canine heartworm disease is an endemic disease in Portugal caused by nematodes of the genus Dirofilaria, whose preferred definitive hosts are domestic canids. The prevalence of this disease has increased, however, is little known by the general population. Due to its morbidity and zoonotic characteristics, has great importance in the Medical Veterinary field and for the dog owners.

First detection of Bursaphelenchus luxuriosae associated with Pinus pinaster in Portugal

During a field survey carried out on symptomatic maritime pine trees (Pinus pinaster) in Góis, central Portugal, Bursaphelenchus luxuriosae was isolated for the first time in Portugal, and in Europe. Identification of the nematodes was based on morphological characters and molecular analyses for this species. The general morphology of both females and males is in agreement with the original description for B. luxuriosae, namely the typical morphology of the male spicules and the conspicuous morphology of female tail. Species identification was confirmed through sequencing of the ITS rDNA region and the fragment spanning the D2/D3 domain of the 28S rDNA gene. This species belongs to the xylophilus-group and is the third species in this group known in Portugal. The nematodes were retrieved in small numbers (<100 nematodes/100 g dry wood), and no insect vector association could be established.

An update on the genera Longidorus , Paralongidorus and Xiphinema (Family Longidoridae) in Portugal

The tribe Longidorini within the subfamily Longidorinae (Longidorus spp. and Paralongidorus spp.) and the subfamily Xiphineminae (Xiphinema spp.) are two large nematode groups with about 260 and 230 known species, respectively. They are globally two important groups of ectoparasitic nematodes considered to be major pests because of their activity as vectors of important plant nepovirus, with some species included in the list of quarantine pathogenic organisms in many European countries. Knowledge of the biodiversity and occurrence of this nematode group is a prerequisite for the establishment of sound management strategies and control measures. According to data collected from the databases (such as EPPO, FSTA, and Web of Science) and published in specialised literature, a total of 15 Longidorus, 1 Paralongidorus and 40 Xiphinema species have been recorded as present in Portugal. However, the taxonomic status of some species is controversial, and thus needs to be clarified. A comprehensive review for unravelling the biodiversity and occurrence of nematode species of the genus Longidorus, Paralongidorus and Xiphinema in Portugal is herein provided. This review includes an updated checklist of species with information on the localities, host plants and geographical distribution. Additionally, maps on the species distributions of Longidorinae and Xiphineminae nematodes present in Continental Portugal and the Portuguese Macaronesian islands are provided, as well as unpublished data on authors and comments on the current taxonomic status. Finally, new insights and directions for future research on Longidoridae in Portugal are presented.

Identification and characterization of parasitism genes from the pinewood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus reveals a multilayered detoxification strategy.

The migratory endoparasitic nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, which is the causal agent of pine wilt disease, has phytophagous and mycetophagous phases during its life cycle. This highly unusual feature distinguishes it from other plantparasitic nematodes and requires profound changes in biology between modes. During the phytophagous stage, the nematode migrates within pine trees, feeding on the contents of parenchymal cells. Like other plant pathogens, B. xylophilus secretes effectors from pharyngeal gland cells into the host during infection.We provide the first description of changes in the morphology of these gland cells between juvenile and adult life stages. Using a comparative transcriptomics approach and an effector identification pipeline, we identify numerous novel parasitism genes which may be important for the mediation of interactions of B. xylophilus with its host. In-depth characterization of all parasitism genes using in situ hybridization reveals two major categories of detoxification proteins, those specifically expressed in either the pharyngeal gland cells or the digestive system. These data suggest that B. xylophilus incorporates effectors in a multilayer detoxification strategy in order to protect itself from host defence responses during phytophagy.

Produtividade da soja e densidade populacional do nematoide das lesões radiculares em função da correção do solo com calcário, gesso e potássio.

2016

Productive performance and parasitological control of kids supplemented with umbu fruits (Spondias tuberosa Arruda).

Native fruits from Caatinga vegetation can be an important alternative to improve the productive performance of kids in the semi-arid region of Brazil. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of supplementation with Umbuzeiro fruits in natura over the weight gain and anthelmintic control of kids kept in Buffel grass pasture in the semi-arid zone of Pernambuco, Brazil. Twenty-four castrated, crossbreed kids were allocated into three treatments: 1) Control (n = 8) fed exclusively with Buffel grass; 2) Umbu 1x (n = 8) fed with fruits once a week and 3) Umbu 3x (n = 8) fed with fruits for three times a week. The following parameters were evaluated: variation of body weight, faecal egg counts (FEC) and coproculture. Overall, the average consumption of Umbu fruits in natura was 1.48 kg/animal/day, which corresponded to 133.5 g daily dry matter intake (DMI/animal/day). There were no significant difference (P>0.05) for any parameters evaluated. During the experimental period, the overall daily weight gain was variable between 108.75 to 116.70 g/animal/day and the average FEC was 436 eggs. In the present study, the goat kids supplemented with fresh umbu fruits showed a good productive performance, however the supplementation with umbu did not control the infestation of gastrointestinal nematodes in kids.

Detection of human interchromosomal trans-splicing in sequence databanks.

Trans-splicing is a common phenomenon in nematodes and kinetoplastids, and it has also been reported in other organisms, including humans. Up to now, all in silico strategies to find evidence of trans-splicing in humans have required that the candidate sequences follow the consensus splicing site rules (spliceosome-mediated mechanism). However, this criterion is not supported by the best human experimental evidence, which, except in a single case, do not follow canonical splicing sites. Moreover, recent findings describe a novel alternative tRNA mediated trans-splicing mechanism, which prescinds the spliceosome machinery. In order to answer the question, ?Are there hybrid mRNAs in sequence databanks, whose characteristics resemble those of the best human experimental evidence??, we have developed a methodology that successfully identified 16 hybrid mRNAs which might be instances of interchromosomal trans-splicing. Each hybrid mRNA is formed by a trans-spliced region (TSR), which was successfully mapped either onto known genes or onto a human endogenous retrovirus (HERV-K) transcript which supports their transcription. The existence of these hybrid mRNAs indicates that trans-splicing may be more widespread than believed. Furthermore, non-canonical splice site patterns suggest that infrequent splicing sites may occur under special conditions, or that an alternative trans-splicing mechanism is involved. Finally, our candidates are supposedly from normal tissue, and a recent study has reported that trans-splicing may occur not only in malignant tissues, but in normal tissues as well. Our methodology can be applied to 5'-UTR, coding sequences and 3'-UTR in order to find new candidates for a posteriori experimental confirmation.

Nematoides associados a cinco fruteiras no estado do Amapá, Brasil.

The aim of this study was to conduct a survey on nematodes associated with five cultivated fruit trees growing in the Agroforestry System (AFS) of the municipality of Oiapoque, Amapá, Brazil. Rhizosphere samples were collected from three points at the base of murici (Byrsonima sp.), soursop (Annona muricata), cupuaçu (Theobroma grandiflorum), passion fruit (Passiflora sp.) and peach palm (Bactris gasipaes) trees. Four species of phytonematodes were identified, namely Pratylenchus brachyurus, Helicotylenchus dihystera, Mesocriconema xenoplax and Rotylenchulus reniformis. The most prevalent and abundant species was R. reniformis, which was found in the rhizospheres of passion fruit, cupuaçu, soursop, and peach palm. The first record in Brazil of the nematode P. brachyurus, found in the roots of murici is reported here, and all of the nematode species identified here are the first records for fruit trees in the state of Amapá.

Resistance to Meloidogyne incognita, Meloidogyne javanica and Pratylenchus brachyurus in sunflower cultivars adapted to the tropical region of Brazil.

The continuous soybean-maize crop succession in the tropical region of Brazil has led to significant increases in the population size of root-knot (Meloidogyne incognita and M. javanica ) and root-lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus brachyurus), which make soils unsuitable for soybean cropping. A greenhouse study was conducted to identify sunflower genotypes adapted to the tropical region of Brazil and that are resistant to M. incognita, M. javanica and/or P. brachyurus . Two experiments for each nematode were conducted in a completely randomized design with six replicates. Gall index was calculated from visual scores (0?5) of gall intensity on roots for the root-knot nematode. Initial and final population density and reproduction factor were also measured for each nematode. Sunflower genotypes varied in resistance to the nematodes. Sunflower hybrids BRS 321 and BRS 323 were resistant to M. javanica and P. brachyurus and exhibited low gall index for M. incognita . The cultivars are good alternatives to using in the succession of soybean in nematode-infested areas of the tropical regions of Brazil. No sunflower genotype was identified as resistant to M. incognita and thus sunflower cropping is not indicated in areas infested with this nematode.