Molecular evolution of aphids and their primary ( Buchnera sp.) and secondary endosymbionts: implications for the role of symbiosis in insect evolution.

Aphids maintain an obligate, endosymbiotic association with Buchnera sp., a bacterium closely related to Escherichia coli. Bacteria are housed in specialized cells of organ-like structures called bacteriomes in the hemocoel of the aphid and are maternally transmitted. Phylogenetic studies have shown that the association had a single origin, dated about 200-250 million years ago, and that host and endosymbiont lineages have evolved in parallel since then. However, the pattern of deepest branching within the aphid family remains unsolved, which thereby hampers tin appraisal of, for example, the role played by horizontal gene transfer in the early evolution of Buchnera. The main role of Buchnera in this association is the biosynthesis and provisioning of essential amino acids to its aphid host. Physiological and metabolic studies have recently substantiated such nutritional role. In addition, genetic studies of Buchnera from several aphids have shown additional modifications, such as strong genome reduction, high A+T content compared to free-living bacteria, differential evolutionary rates, a relative increase in the number of non-synonymous substitutions, and gene amplification mediated by plasmids. Symbiosis is an active process in insect evolution cis revealed by the intermediate values of the previous characteristics showed by secondary symbionts compared to free-living bacteria and Buchnera

A recursive paradigm for aligning observed behavior of large structured process models

The alignment of observed and modeled behavior is a crucial problem in process mining, since it opens the door for conformance checking and enhancement of process models. The state of the art techniques for the computation of alignments rely on a full exploration of the combination of the model state space and the observed behavior (an event log), which hampers their applicability for large instances. This paper presents a fresh view to the alignment problem: the computation of alignments is casted as the resolution of Integer Linear Programming models, where the user can decide the granularity of the alignment steps. Moreover, a novel recursive strategy is used to split the problem into small pieces, exponentially reducing the complexity of the ILP models to be solved. The contributions of this paper represent a promising alternative to fight the inherent complexity of computing alignments for large instances.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

The extinction law in high redshift galaxies

We estimate the dust extinction laws in two intermediate redshift galaxies. The dust in the lens galaxy of LBQS1009-0252, which has an estimated lens redshift of zl~0.88, appears to be similar to that of the SMC with no significant feature at 2175 A. Only if the lens galaxy is at a redshift of zl~0.3, completely inconsistent with the galaxy colors, luminosity or location on the fundamental plane, can the data be fit with a normal Galactic extinction curve. The dust in the zl=0.68 lens galaxy for B0218+357, whose reddened image lies behind a molecular cloud, requires a very flat ultraviolet extinction curve with (formally) R(V)=12 +- 2. Both lens systems seem to have unusual extinction curves by Galactic standards.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures. ApJ in pres

Antibodies Against Glycolipids Enhance Antifungal Activity of Macrophages and Reduce Fungal Burden After Infection with Paracoccidioides brasiliensis

Paracoccidioidomycosis is a fungal disease endemic in Latin America. Polyclonal antibodies to acidic glycosphingolipids (GSLs) from Paracoccidioides brasiliensis opsonized yeast forms in vitro increasing phagocytosis and reduced the fungal burden of infected animals. Antibodies to GSL were active in both prophylactic and therapeutic protocols using a murine intratracheal infection model. Pathological examination of the lungs of animals treated with antibodies to GSL showed well-organized granulomas and minimally damaged parenchyma compared to the untreated control. Murine peritoneal macrophages activated by IFN-gamma and incubated with antibodies against acidic GSLs more effectively phagocytosed and killed P brasiliensis yeast cells as well as produced more nitric oxide compared to controls. The present work discloses a novel target of protective antibodies against P brasiliensis adding to other well-studied mediators of the immune response to this fungus.CapesFAPESPUniv Sao Paulo, Dept Microbiol, Inst Biomed Sci, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Sao Paulo, Lab Med Mycol IMTSP LIM53, Sao Paulo, BrazilAlbert Einstein Coll Med, Dept Med, New York, NY USAAlbert Einstein Coll Med, Dept Microbiol & Immunol, New York, NY USAUniv Fed Fluminense, Niteroi, RJ, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Microbiol Immunol & Parasitol, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Microbiol Immunol & Parasitol, Sao Paulo, BrazilFAPESP: 2011/17267-4FAPESP: 2013/18655-3Web of Scienc

A contribution to the knowledge of Quadraseta brasiliensis Goff and Gettinger, 1989 (Trombidiformes: Trombiculidae), with description of the deutonymph instar

In the Neotropical region the genus Quadraseta Brennan, 1970, includes 14 species, with ectoparasitic habits during the larval stage. Quadraseta brasiliensis Goff and Gettinger, 1989, was described from larvae collected on the rodent Hylaeamys megacephalus (Fisher), cited as Oryzomys capito (Olfers). According to these authors, the holotype was deposited in the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo and the paratypes were deposited in three other collections: Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and United States National Museum of Natural History, however, no type specimens were found in any of these museums. Here we redescribe the larva, describe the deutonymph instar obtained from field-collected larvae, and report new hosts and localities for this species in Brazil. In addition we provide sequences of the 18S ribosomal RNA gene for this species

Angiotensin-(1-7) and angiotensin-(1-9): function in cardiac and vascular remodeling

The renin angiotensin system (RAS) is integral to cardiovascular physiology, however, dysregulation of this system largely contributes to the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease (CVD). It is well established that angiotensin II (Ang II), the main effector of the RAS, engages the angiotensin type 1 receptor and promotes cell growth, proliferation, migration and oxidative stress, all processes which contribute to remodeling of the heart and vasculature, ultimately leading to the development and progression of various CVDs including heart failure and atherosclerosis. The counter-regulatory axis of the RAS, which is centered on the actions of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and the resultant production of angiotensin-(1-7) (Ang-(1-7) from Ang II, antagonizes the actions of Ang II via the receptor Mas, thereby providing a protective role in CVD. More recently, another ACE2 metabolite, Ang-(1-9), has been reported to be a biologically active peptide within the counter-regulatory axis of the RAS. This review will discuss the role of the counter-regulatory RAS peptides, Ang-(1-7) and Ang-(1-9) in the cardiovascular system, with a focus on their effects in remodeling of the heart and vasculature

First steps on the resistance profiling of Kawisari coffee hybrid through cytological and gene expression analyses

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