Priority areas for the conservation of Atlantic forest large mammals

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Subcellular localization of proteins labeled with GFP in Xanthomonas citri ssp citri: targeting the division septum

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

Screening of bacterial strains for pectinolytic activity: characterization of the polygalacturonase produced by Bacillus sp

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

Diversidade de ácaros (Acari, Arachnida) em seringueiras (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg., Euphorbiaceae) na região noroeste do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil

The mites of three rubber tree cultures (Cedral, Pindorama and Taquaritinga) in order to determine the abundance of populations, the richness, the diversity and the degree of similarity among the communities was studied. Twenty one species were found, five of which were common to the three cultures. The richness and the abundance were greatest at the beginning of the dry season. The composition of communities differed probably as consequence of the kind of neighboring vegetation to each area, and because of the acaricid pulverization on the culture of Taquaritinga, reductng the richness of mite species in that area. The influence of neighboring vegetation can be shown by the occurrence of Iphiseiodes zuluagui Denmark & Muma, 1972, a common species to citrus trees, on neighboring rubber trees in Taquaritinga, and Tenuipalpus heveae Baker, 1945, a common species on rubber trees, on a coffee culture neighbor to the rubber trees of Pindorama. This data suggests that mites move among neighbor cultures, and can be an importam factor towards pest management and control. The diversity was small on the three cultures, as a result of the occurrence of one dominam species on each area, Calacarus heveae Feres, 1992 or T. heveae, which are considered pests of the rubber tree. The small diversity and the occurrence of dominant species are patterns expected in monocultures, systems with small environmental heterogeneity.

Padrão morfológico e ciclo de vida de Eutetranychus banksi (Acari: Tetranychidae) de diferentes locais e hospedeiros

Eutetranychus banksi (McGregor, 1914) is a phytophagous, polyphagous and cosmopolitan species recorded on 23 plant families in 24 countries in North, Central and South Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Specimens of E. banksi present morphological variability among individuals of the same population and also among populations from different host species, being commonly referred to as a polytypic species, despite the fact that studies based on meristic comparisons of these populations are lacking. Also, there is no data available in the literature on the biological life tables of E. banksi on different hosts. Specimens collected in Brazil, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mexico, and Paraguay were investigated in order to recognize morphological patterns among populations from different localities and hosts. A redescription of the species is provided based on data both from literature and new observations. Also, the biological cycle on three hosts, experiments of hosts exchange and the possibility of interbreeding in individuals originating from different populations were evaluated. Significant differences in the morphology of the females of different populations were detected when comparing the different hosts. The length of the dorsal pairs of setae v2, sc2, c1, c3, e1 and h1 differentiated the specimens of the populations collected from Citrus sp. from those of Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg. and Pachira aquatica Aubl.. Herein we observed significant variation among the life cycle of this species on the three hosts studied. When a substrate different from the one where the mites were collected was used for the biological cycle essay, significant variation was observed in several parameters such as average oviposition rate, events of arrenothoky, and sex ratio. Interbreeding with populations collected from Citrus sinensis and P. aquatica resulted in no descendants, although mating was observed.

The copper resistance operon copAB from Xanthomonas axonopodis pathovar citri: gene inactivation results in copper sensitivity

Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri (Xac) causes citrus canker and the completion of the Xac genome sequence has opened up the possibility of investigating basic cellular mechanisms at the genomic level. Copper compounds have been extensively used in agriculture to control plant diseases. The copA and copB genes, identified by annotation of the Xac genome, encode homologues of proteins involved in copper resistance. A gene expression assay by Northern blotting revealed that copA and copB are expressed as a unique transcript specifically induced by copper. Synthesis of the gene products was also induced by copper, reaching a maximum level at 4 h after addition of copper to the culture medium. CopA was a cytosolic protein and CopB was detected in the cytoplasmic membrane. The gene encoding CopA was disrupted by the insertion of a transposon, leading to mutant strains that were unable to grow in culture medium containing copper, even at the lowest CUSO4 concentration tested (0.25 mM), whereas the wild-type strain was able to grow in the presence of 1 mM copper. Cell suspensions of the wild-type and mutant strains in different copper concentrations were inoculated in lemon leaves to analyse their ability to induce citrus canker symptoms. Cells of mutant strains showed higher sensitivity than the wild-type strain in the presence of copper, i.e. they were not able to induce citrus canker symptoms at high copper concentrations and exhibited a more retarded growth in planta.

Crystal Structures of Xanthomonas Small Heat Shock Protein Provide a Structural Basis for an Active Molecular Chaperone Oligomer

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

Nitro derivatives and other constituents of Aristolochia melastoma

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

Vochysiaceae: secondary metabolites, ethnopharmacology and pharmacological potential

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

HPLC-ESIMSn Profiling, Isolation, Structural Elucidation, and Evaluation of the Antioxidant Potential of Phenolics from Paepalanthus geniculatus

The methanol extract of the flowers of Paepalanthus geniculatus Kunth. showed radical-scavenging activity in the TEAC assay. An analytical approach based on HPLC:ESIMSn was applied to obtain the metabolite profile of this extract and led to the rapid identification of 19 polyphenolic compounds comprising flavonoids and naphthopyranones. The new naphthopyranone (10, 16), quercetagetin (1, 5, 7, 13), and galetine derivatives (9, 11, 17, 19), and a flavonol glucoside cyclodimer in the truxillate form (12), were identified. Compounds 2, 6, and 7 showed the highest antioxidant capacity and ability to affect the levels of intracellular ROS in human prostate cancer cells (PC3).

Antiplasmodial Natural Products

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

Development and validation of a HPLC method for standardization of herbal and commercial extracts of Myrcia uniflora

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Caracterização anatômica e química de folhas de Jacaranda puberula (Bignoniaceae) presente na Mata Atlântica

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

Controle de qualidade dos extratos polares de Turnera diffusa Willd. ex Schult., Turneraceae

Este trabalho descreve o desenvolvimento de metodologia para o controle de qualidade dos extratos etanólicos e infusão de Turnera diffusa Willd. ex Schult., Turneraceae, usando como marcadores os compostos fenólicos. Essa espécie é usada popularmente como afrodisíaca e antiulcerogênica. Foram usadas técnicas cromatográficas: CLAE acoplada com detector de ultravioleta e cromatografia em camada delgada. Foram detectados flavonóides como os principais componentes da planta.

Caracterização anatômica e química da folha e do sistema radicular de Hydrocotyle umbellata (Apiaceae)

A família Apiaceae (Umbelliferae), também denominada de pioneira das praias, é capaz de habitar locais de alto teor de salinidade, além de suportar a ação dos ventos e das ondas. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo o estudo da anatomia foliar e radicular e analisar constituintes químicos das folhas e do sistema radicular, caracterizando grupos químicos biologicamente ativos presentes nesses órgãos que permitam aplicações farmacológicas. O material foi coletado na região de Proteção Ambiental Iguape, Cananéia, Peruíbe. As folhas são dorsiventrais, com epiderme unisseriada, bordo regular, parênquima paliçádico com duas a três camadas e parênquima lacunoso com oito e nove camadas de células. É anfiestomática, apresentando grandes câmaras subestomáticas com maior incidência de estômatos na epiderme abaxial. O feixe vascular é colateral apresentando células de esclerênquima em forma de meia lua ao redor do xilema e do floema. O pecíolo apresenta contorno irregular, está envolvido por colênquima em toda sua extensão e apresenta grande quantidade de canais secretores entre os feixes vasculares. O rizoma apresenta contorno irregular com variação de 10 a 15 camadas de células de parênquima constituindo o córtex. O cilindro central é constituído por feixes colaterais delimitados pela endoderme. O periciclo é sinuoso e envolve totalmente os feixes vasculares. Sob a epiderme há uma faixa contínua de colênquima. A medula é constituída de células de parênquima de parede fina. H. umbellata apresentou triterpenos, saponinas, flavonóides, compostos poliacetilênicos e leucoceramidas. Folhas e rizomas apresentaram constituintes químicos semelhantes, com diferenças apenas na intensidade dos picos, o que denota diferença quantitativa entre as substâncias presentes. O rendimento do extrato do rizoma é menor que o rendimento das folhas.