During European canker monitoring in an apple experimental orchard, 14 mummified fruit (two and three trees with 10 and four positive records in 2018 and 2019, respectively) showed perithecia. ...Perithecium production on apple fruit, confirmation of pathogenicity of Neonectria ditissima isolated from mummified fruit, and ascospore release from fruit tissues has rarely been reported, and their role in the epidemiology of European canker has been largely overlooked. Thus, the objectives of our study were to (a) prove the presence of both conidia and ascospores of N. ditissima in mummified fruit in an experimental field, confirming pathogenesis in different apple cultivars, and (b) monitor production of the two types of inoculum in infected apple fruit over time. Canker incidence in this orchard was 47% of trees with symptoms in 2018 and 48% in 2019. Molecular and morphological tests confirmed that the fungus detected in the mummified apple fruit was N. ditissima. Apple fruit with sporodochia and perithecia washed immediately after collection from the orchard showed conidia but no ascospores of N. ditissima. However, after 4 days’ incubation, perithecia on mummified fruit showed many ascospore cirri. Koch's postulates were fulfilled on apple plants and mature fruit. Fruit inoculated with N. ditissima released spores for over a year under Brazilian field conditions. The release of both spore types peaked in May (Brazilian leaf fall) and October (spring); release of conidia also peaked in February (early harvest). These results support our hypothesis that fruit can serve as primary inoculum for European canker in Brazilian apple orchards.
Fruit left in apple trees become mummified and develop sporodochia and perithecia of Neonectria ditissima that can serve as a primary source for the initiation of European canker epidemics in Brazilian orchards.
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT) is currently an important curative treatment for many patients with malignant and non-malignant diseases. Graft versus host disease (GVHD) represents a major ...complication in allogeneic HSCT recipients. Several polymorphisms in cytokine genes have recently been investigated as candidates for risk factors for acute-GVHD (aGVHD) in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT).
In this study, we analyzed specific interleukin (IL)-10 haplotypes polymorphisms, in a cohort of 99 patients and their respective allo-HSCT donors for aGVHD and risk.
An association was found between IL-10 promoter haplotype polymorphisms at positions −1082, −819 and − 592 with the occurrence of aGVHD. Patients who have the GCC/GCC haplotype are at increased risk of aGVHD (P = 0.017, HR: 5.42 (95% CI: 1.34–21.84). In the donors group and severity of aGVHD as not found statistical significancy.
The results obtained show the IL-10 GCC/GCC haplotype can be an important biomarker to identify the greatest risk of aGVHD in the patient undergoing HSCT.
Estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer is the most diagnosed subtype of breast cancer. Currently, aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are used as first-line treatment option in this type of tumors, ...however they cause several side effects, which is why new therapeutic approaches are demanding. The South American rattlesnake Crotalus durissus terrificus produces a venom enriched in several bioactive substances, like phospholipases A2 (PLA2). One of those is crotoxin, a β-neurotoxin, that has already been reported for its anti-cancer properties in different cancers. Recently, its clinical interest has emerged and, in fact, a clinical trial in patients with advanced cancer is underway. Considering this, in this work, we studied the biological mechanisms behind the anti-cancer effects of crotoxin B (CTX) in an ER+ aromatase-overexpressing breast cancer cell line (MCF-7aro cells). Results revealed that CTX impairs MCF-7aro cells growth, through a cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase, inhibition of ERK1/2 pathway and by apoptosis through activation of caspase-8. In addition, it can be considered a safe natural compound as did not affect non-cancerous cells and only showed anti-growth effects in breast cancer cells. Therefore, this study represents an important landmark to better understand the effects and mechanisms of action of crotoxin in ER+ breast cancer.
•Crotoxin (CTX) is a safer natural β-neurotoxin that impair the growth of ER + breast cancer cells.•CTX disrupt cell cycle progression of ER + breast cancer cells.•CTX induce apoptosis of ER + breast cancer cells through the activation of caspase-8.•CTX inhibit the activation of ERK1/2 pathway in ER+ breast cancer cells.
Cercospora leaf spot, an important disease in coffee caused by the fungus
Cercospora coffeicola
, can appear as two distinct symptoms on leaves, which are ‘brown eye spot’ (BES) and the ‘black spot’ ...(BS) in field conditions. However, it was unknown whether these two distinct symptoms could be obtained when plants are inoculated under greenhouse conditions and whether the
C. coffeicola
strains causing the distinct symptoms would induce defense-related genes in a similar pattern. Thus, this work was performed to address these questions.
C. coffeicola
strains were isolated from diseased leaves collected from coffee fields. The coffee leaves were inoculated with each of the two strains under greenhouse conditions. Leaf samples were collected from a time-course experiment and the disease progression was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. The plant defense response was analyzed using qRT-PCR of defense-related genes. Both strains showed very similar germination, colonization, and sporulation patterns in the coffee leaves. The expression analysis showed that both strains were able to induce defense-related genes. Both strains produced symptoms of the typical BES for the conditions used, there might be other factors leading to the development of black spot symptom under field conditions and further investigation is needed.
Cocoa is an important tropical tree crop that is mainly cultivated in agroforestry systems (AFS). This system, known as cabruca in northeastern Brazil, holds promise to reconcile biodiversity ...conservation and economic development. However, since cocoa AFS alters forest structure composition, it can affect litter dynamics in riparian zones and streams. Thus, our objective was to determine litter inputs and standing stocks in riparian zones and streams under three types of forest: managed cocoa AFS, abandoned cocoa AFS, and secondary forest.
We determined terrestrial litter fall (TI), vertical (VI) and lateral (LI) litter inputs to streams, and litter standing stocks on streambeds (BS) in the Atlantic Forest of northeastern Brazil. Litter was collected every 30 days from August 2018 to July 2019 using custom-made traps. The litter was dried, separated into four fractions (leaves, branches, reproductive organs, and miscellaneous material) and weighed.
Terrestrial litter fall was similar in all forests, ranging from 89 g m
month
in secondary forest (SF) to 96 g m
month
in abandoned cocoa AFS (AC). Vertical input were higher in AC (82 g m
month
) and MC (69 g m
month
) than in SF (40 g m
month
), whereas lateral input were higher in MC (43 g m
month
) than in AC (15 g m
month
) and SF (24 g m
month
). Standing stocks followed the order SF > AC > MC, corresponding to 425, 299 and 152 g m
. Leaves contributed most to all litter fractions in all forests. Reproductive plant parts accounted for a larger proportion in managed AFS. Branches and miscellaneous litter were also similar in all forests, except for higher benthic standing stocks of miscellaneous litter in the SF. Despite differences in the amounts of litter inputs and standing stocks among the forests, seasonal patterns in the abandoned AFS (AC) were more similar to those of the secondary forest (SF) than the managed AFS, suggesting potential of abandoned AFS to restore litter dynamics resembling those of secondary forests.
Cercospora coffeicola
is the causal agent of brown eye spot, an important disease of coffee (
Coffea arabica
) in Brazil. However, atypical symptom as darker and larger lesions, named black spot, has ...been reported in field. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the causal agent of black spot belongs to the same species pathogenic to brown eye spot. Nineteen strains obtained from diseased coffee found in the five largest coffee-producing states of Brazil were characterized by a combination of molecular phylogenic methods, using a multi-locus approach (internal transcribed spacer regions and intervening 5.8S nrRNAs,
actin, calmodulin, histone H3
, and
translation elongation factor 1-alpha
), analyses of morphological markers and pathogenicity. Strains from brown eye spot and black spot disease on coffee leaves formed a clade with
C. coffeicola
strain from Japan. All strains showed same morphological characteristics and caused brown eye spot symptoms in greenhouse. These results confirm that the species associated with brown eye spot and black spot disease on coffee leaves is
C. coffeicola.
Additionally, an epitype is proposed for
C. coffeicola.
Insomnia, sleep fragmentation and excessive daytime sleepiness are common in Parkinson's disease (PD) and may contribute to the reduction of cognition and alertness in those patients. Melatonin has ...been shown to improve sleep in several conditions. In experimental models of PD, melatonin can ameliorate motor symptoms. To evaluate the effect of melatonin on sleep and motor dysfuntion in PD, we studied 18 patients (Hoehn & Yahr I to III) from a PD clinic. Prior to treatment, motor dysfunction was assessed by UPDRS II, III and IV. Subjective sleep quality was assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and daytime somnolence by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Full polysomnography (PSG) was performed in all subjects. Patients were then randomized to receive melatonin (3mg) or placebo one hour before bedtime for four weeks. All measures were repeated at the end of treatment. On initial assessment, 14 patients (70%) showed poor quality sleep (PSQI > 6) and eight (40%) excessive daytime sleepiness (ESS > 10). Increased sleep latency (50%), REM sleep without atonia (66%), and reduced sleep efficiency (72%) were found on PSG. Eight patients had an apnea/ hipopnea index greater than 15 but no severe oxygen desaturation was observed. Sleep fragmentation tended to be more severe in patients on lower doses of levodopa (p = 0.07). Although melatonin significantly improved subjective quality of sleep (p = 0.03) as evaluated by the PSQI index, PSG abnormalities were not changed. Motor dysfunction was not improved by the use of melatonin. Undetected differences in motor scores and PSG findings may have been due to a small sample size and a type II error.
Childhood obesity is related to a cascade of neuroendocrine inflammatory changes. However, there remains a gap in the current literature regarding the possible occurrence of these changes in ...overweight/obese infants. The objective of this study was to evaluate adipokines, cortisol, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and redox status in overweight/obese infants versus normal-weight peers. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 50 infants (25 in the overweight/obese group and 25 in the normal-weight group) between 6 and 24 months. Plasma levels of leptin, adiponectin, resistin, soluble tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptors, chemokines, BDNF, serum cortisol and redox status were measured. Unpaired Student's t-test was used to analyze the results and a probability of p<0.05 was acceptable for rejection of the null hypothesis. The Pearson correlation was used to verify the association between the biomarkers analyzed in each group. Plasma levels of leptin (p = 0.0001), adiponectin (p = 0.0007) and BDNF (p = 0.003), and serum cortisol (p = 0.048) were significantly higher in overweight/obese infants than normal-weight infants. In contrast, the concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) (p = 0.004), and catalase (p = 0.045) and superoxide dismutase activity (p = 0.02) were lower in overweight/obese infants than normal-weight peers. All the results together indicate neuroendocrine inflammatory response changes in overweight/obese infants between 6 and 24 months. Although there is already an environment that predisposes for a subsequent pro-inflammatory response, neuroendocrine secretion changes that permit the control of the inflammatory process in this age interval can be observed.
The bioaccessibility of Zn during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion from yogurt was investigated. In addition, the methodologies of sample preparation (dry and wet digestion, and slurry sampling) ...for the determination of total concentration of Zn in yogurt by flame atomic absorption spectrometry were also compared in this work. In comparison with digestion procedures, the proposed slurry sampling is simple and less time-consuming procedure. The limit of quantification determined was 1.3 µg g-1. The concentrations of Zn in the Brazilian yogurt ranged from 3.40 to 5.62 µg g-1. The percentage of the bioaccessible fraction of Zn from the samples ranged from 10 to 26%. This corresponds to an average daily intake of less than 2% of the metal for adults and children, suggesting that the Brazilian yogurt contributes with a low amount of Zn for the human diet.
Detection of Ilheus virus in mosquitoes from southeast Amazon, Brazil Vieira, Carla Julia da Silva Pessoa; Andrade, Camila Decol de; Kubiszeski, Janaína Rigotti ...
Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene,
07/2019, Letnik:
113, Številka:
7
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Arbovirus surveillance in field-collected mosquitoes is essential in monitoring virus activity to avoid emergence and outbreaks of arboviruses.
We used reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction ...methods to search for arbovirus in mosquitoes collected in Brazil's southeast Amazon forest remnants during 2015-2016.
We detected Iheus virus (ILHV) RNA in Culex declarator, Culex (Melanoconion) and Ochlerotatus serratus mosquitoes.
These results indicate ILHV circulation in the studied area, highlighting its potential emergence in human population. More studies are necessary to confirm the roles of these three species in ILHV maintenance.
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