Synthetic organotelluride compounds induce the reversal of Pdr5p mediated fluconazole resistance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Background: Resistance to fluconazole, a commonly used azole antifungal, is a challenge for the treatment of fungal infections. Resistance can be mediated by overexpression of ABC transporters, which promote drug efflux that requires ATP hydrolysis. the Pdr5p ABC transporter of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a well-known model used to study this mechanism of antifungal resistance. the present study investigated the effects of 13 synthetic compounds on Pdr5p.Results: Among the tested compounds, four contained a tellurium-butane group and shared structural similarities that were absent in the other tested compounds: a lateral hydrocarbon chain and an amide group. These four compounds were capable of inhibiting Pdr5p ATPase activity by more than 90%, they demonstrated IC50 values less than 2 M and had an uncompetitive pattern of Pdr5p ATPase activity inhibition. These organotellurides did not demonstrate cytotoxicity against human erythrocytes or S. cerevisiae mutant strains (a strain that overexpress Pdr5p and a null mutant strain) even in concentrations above 100 mu M. When tested at 100 mu M, they could reverse the fluconazole resistance expressed by both the S. cerevisiae mutant strain that overexpress Pdr5p and a clinical isolate of Candida albicans.Conclusions: We have identified four organotellurides that are promising candidates for the reversal of drug resistance mediated by drug efflux pumps. These molecules will act as scaffolds for the development of more efficient and effective efflux pump inhibitors that can be used in combination therapy with available antifungals.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)University of São Paulo through the NAP-CatSinQ (Research Core in Catalysis and Chemical Synthesis)Univ Fed Rio de Janeiro, CCS, Inst Microbiol Paulo Goes, Dept Microbiol Geral,Lab Bioquim Microbiana, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Inst Quim, Dept Quim Fundamental, São Paulo, BrazilInst Fed Educ Ciencia & Tecnol Rio de Janeiro IFR, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo UNIFESP, Inst Ciencias Ambientais Quim & Farmaceut, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo UNIFESP, Inst Ciencias Ambientais Quim & Farmaceut, São Paulo, BrazilFAPERJ: E-26/111.338/2013FAPESP: 2005/59572-7FAPESP: 2008/55401-1FAPESP: 2010/17228-6FAPESP: 2011/03244-2FAPESP: 2011/11613-8FAPESP: 2012/17093-9CNPq: 470360/2012-7Web of Scienc

Increased Susceptibility of Gracilinanus microtarsus

In addition to be the cell’s powerhouse, mitochondria also contain a cell death machinery that includes highly regulated processes such as the membrane permeability transition pore (PTP) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. In this context, the results presented here provide evidence that liver mitochondria isolated from Gracilinanus microtarsus, a small and short life span (one year) marsupial, when compared to mice, are much more susceptible to PTP opening in association with a poor NADPH dependent antioxidant capacity. Liver mitochondria isolated from the marsupial are well coupled and take up Ca2+ but exhibited a much lower Ca2+ retention capacity than mouse mitochondria. Although the known PTP inhibitors cyclosporin A, ADP, and ATP significantly increased the marsupial mitochondria capacity to retain Ca2+, their effects were much larger in mice than in marsupial mitochondria. Both fluorescence and HPLC analysis of mitochondrial nicotinamide nucleotides showed that both content and state of reduction (mainly of NADPH) were lower in the marsupial mitochondria than in mice mitochondria despite the similarity in the activity of the glutathione peroxidase/reductase system. Overall, these data suggest that PTP opening is an important event in processes of Ca2+ signalling to cell death mediated by mitochondrial redox imbalance in G. microtarsus

Geologia de engenharia, riscos ambientais e planejamento territorial.

Mesmo constituindo uma das geociências aplicadas de maior e crescente importância para o sucesso dos empreendimentos humanos no planeta, e para o sucesso da própria humanidade como espécie, a Geologia de Engenharia ainda é pouco conhecida do grande público e até de setores técnicos próximos, especialmente no que se refere a sua conceituação, sua vinculação científica principal e seu raio de ação

Real-Time PCR Reveals Rapid Dissemination of Leptospira interrogans after Intraperitoneal and Conjunctival Inoculation of Hamsters

Submitted by Ana Maria Fiscina Sampaio ([email protected]) on 2017-02-23T11:38:17Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Wunder Jr EA Real-time PCR....pdf: 3523960 bytes, checksum: 7df52549442a6ea3dd8b5dd102dce7be (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Ana Maria Fiscina Sampaio ([email protected]) on 2017-02-23T11:56:14Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Wunder Jr EA Real-time PCR....pdf: 3523960 bytes, checksum: 7df52549442a6ea3dd8b5dd102dce7be (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2017-02-23T11:56:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Wunder Jr EA Real-time PCR....pdf: 3523960 bytes, checksum: 7df52549442a6ea3dd8b5dd102dce7be (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016National Institutes of Health and the National Council of Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Brazilian Ministry of Science and Technology.Yale School of Public Health. Epidemiology of Microbial Disease Division. New Haven, Connecticut, USA / Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, BrasilInstitut Pasteur. Unité de Biologie des Spirochètes. Paris, France / University of California. David Geffen School of Medicine. Department of Medicine. Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USAUniversity of California San Diego School of Medicine. Division of Infectious Diseases. Department of Medicine. La Jolla, California, USAUniversity of California San Diego School of Medicine. Division of Infectious Diseases. Department of Medicine. La Jolla, California, USAFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, BrasilUniversity of California. David Geffen School of Medicine. Department of Medicine. Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USAInstitut Pasteur. Unité de Biologie des Spirochètes. Paris, FranceFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, BrasilYale School of Public Health. Epidemiology of Microbial Disease Division. New Haven, Connecticut, USA / Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, BrasilThe pathogen Leptospira interrogans is a highly motile spirochete that causes acute and fulminant infections in humans and other accidental hosts. Hematogenous dissemination is important for infection by the pathogen but remains poorly understood because few animal model studies have used sensitive tools to quantify the bacteria. We evaluated the kinetics of leptospiral infection in Golden Syrian hamsters by a sensitive quantitative real-time PCR (TaqMan) with lipl32 as the target gene. The dissemination and bacterial burden were measured after intraperitoneal infection with a high dose (10(8)) or low dose (2.5 × 10(2)) of leptospires. We also examined the conjunctival challenge route to mimic the natural history of infection. Quantification of leptospires in perfused animals revealed that pathogens were detected in all organs of intraperitoneally infected hamsters, including the eye and brain, within 1 h after inoculation of 10(8) virulent L. interrogans bacteria. Peaks of 10(5) to 10(8) leptospires per gram or per milliliter were achieved in blood and all tissues between day 4 and day 8 after intraperitoneal inoculation of high- and low-dose challenges, respectively, coinciding with macroscopic and histological changes. The conjunctival route resulted in a delay in the time to peak organ burden in comparison to intraperitoneal infection, indicating that although infection could be established, penetration efficiency was low across this epithelial barrier. Surprisingly, infection with a large inoculum of high-passage-number attenuated L. interrogans strains resulted in dissemination to all organs in the first 4 days postinfection, albeit with a lower burden, followed by clearance from the blood and organs 7 days postinfection and survival of all animals. These results demonstrate that leptospiral dissemination and tissue invasion occur. In contrast, development of a critical level of tissue burden and pathology are dependent on the virulence of the infecting strain

Caracterização de genótipos de tomateiro resistentes a begomovírus por marcador molecular co-dominante ligado ao gene Ty-1 Fingerprinting of tomato genotypes resistant to begomovirus by a codominant molecular marker linked to Ty-1 gene

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar genótipos de tomateiro, quanto à resistência a begomovírus, e caracterizar, por meio do marcador molecular SSR-47, híbridos de tomate de mesa portadores do alelo de resistência ao begomovírus Ty-1, com potencial comercial. Os 24 híbridos experimentais, heterozigotos no loco Ty-1, depois de infectados via enxertia, apresentaram sintomas intermediários, em comparação aos identificados pelas linhagens homozigotas Ty-1/Ty-1 e pelos genótipos suscetíveis Ty-1+/Ty-1+, o que indica a dominância incompleta do alelo Ty-1. Esses híbridos foram considerados como parcialmente tolerantes a begomovírus. Os híbridos experimentais TEX-246, TEX-261, TEX-253, TEX-256, TEX-262, TEX-252, TEX-251 e TEX-268 aliaram médias elevadas de produção total e de massa média dos frutos; e os híbridos TEX-246, TEX-253, TEX-256, TEX-262 e TEX-252 apresentaram valores elevados também para meia-vida da firmeza e foram, portanto, considerados competitivos em comparação aos padrões comerciais usados como testemunhas. O marcador molecular SSR-47 foi eficiente em caracterizar genótipos portadores do alelo Ty-1. A infecção do begomovírus, induzida via enxertia, manifestou sintomas, nos genótipos testados, condizentes com os resultados obtidos com o marcador molecular SSR-47.<br>The objectives of this study were to evaluate tomato genotypes for begomovirus resistance and to assess SSR-47 fingerprinting patterns associated with alleles Ty-1, in hybrids of fresh-market tomato with commercial potential. Twenty-four experimental genotypes, heterozygous at Ty-1 locus, were infected with begomovirus via grafting, and showed intermediate symptoms compared to the ones identified by homozygous Ty-1/Ty-1 lines and by susceptible genotypes Ty-1+/Ty-1+, which indicates the incomplete dominance of the Ty-1 allele. These hybrids were considered to possess partial resistance to begomovirus. The experimental hybrids TEX-246, TEX-261, TEX-253, TEX-256, TEX-262, TEX-252, TEX-251 and TEX-268 combined high total yields with high mean fruit mass. The hybrids TEX-246, TEX-253, TEX-256, TEX-262 and TEX-252 showed also longer half-life for fruit firmness and were thus considered competitive with current commercial hybrids used as checks. The molecular marker SSR-47 was effective for fingerprinting of tomato genotypes bearing the resistance allele Ty-1. The graft-induced infection of begomovirus showed symptoms in the genotypes tested that are in agreement with the results of fingerprinting with the marker SSR-47

Seleção de linhagens de melancia resistentes ao Watermelon mosaic virus e ao Papaya ringspot virus Selection of resistant watermelon lines to Watermelon mosaic virus and Papaya ringspot virus

Foram avaliadas 20 linhagens de melancia, provenientes do cruzamento da cultivar comercial suscetível Crimson Sweet e da introdução PI 595201 resistente ao Watermelon mosaic virus (WMV) e Papaya ringspot virus (PRSV-W). As linhagens, e os parentais foram inoculados com o WMV ou com o PRSV-W em casa-de-vegetação distintas. Aos 35 e 49 dias após a primeira inoculação (DAI), as plantas foram avaliadas por meio de uma escala de notas, em que 1 (ausência de sintomas) a 5 (intenso mosaico e deformações foliares). Pelos resultados infere-se que, aos 35 DAI, as linhagens 1, 2 e 20 apresentaram resistência tanto para o WMV como para o PRSV-W, com médias de 1,95, 1,80 e 2,25 para o WMV, e de 2,50, 2,30 e 2,50 para o PRSV-W, respectivamente. As linhagens 5, 7 e 13 foram resistentes somente ao WMV e as plantas das linhagens 3, 10 e 18 para o PRSV-W. A reação das linhagens permaneceu em geral pouco alterada aos 49 DAI. A existência de linhagens resistentes somente ao WMV e somente ao PRSV-W, ao lado de linhagens resistentes a ambos os vírus, é indicativo de que as resistências ao WMV e ao PRSV-W não são controladas pelos mesmos genes.<br>Twenty advanced watermelon breeding lines, derived from the cross between cv. Crimson Sweet (susceptible) and PI 595201 (resistant to WMV and PRSV-W), were screened for resistance to both potyviruses. The twenty lines, among with Crimson Sweet and PI 595201, were inoculated with either WMV or PRSV-W, in two different greenhouse trials. Plants were evaluated for symptoms 35 and 49 days after the first inoculation (DAI), using a scale from 1 (no symptoms) to 5 (severe mosaic and foliar distortion). Evaluations at 35 DAI indicated that lines 1, 2 and 20 had good levels of resistance to both WMV and PRSV-W, with ratings of 1,95, 1,80 and 2,25 for WMV, and of 2,50, 2,30 and 2,50 for PRSV-W, respectively. Lines 5, 7 and 13 were resistant to WMV only, whereas lines 3, 10 and 18 were resistant to PRSV-W only. The reaction of the lines 49 DAI remained essentially unchanged. The existence of lines with resistance to WMV only and to PRSV-W only, along with lines with resistance to both viruses, indicates that resistance to WMV and PRSV-W are under control of different genes