The Genome of Anopheles darlingi, the main neotropical malaria vector

Anopheles darlingi is the principal neotropical malaria vector, responsible for more than a million cases of malaria per year on the American continent. Anopheles darlingi diverged from the African and Asian malaria vectors ∼100 million years ago (mya) and successfully adapted to the New World environment. Here we present an annotated reference A. darlingi genome, sequenced from a wild population of males and females collected in the Brazilian Amazon. A total of 10 481 predicted protein-coding genes were annotated, 72% of which have their closest counterpart in Anopheles gambiae and 21% have highest similarity with other mosquito species. In spite of a long period of divergent evolution, conserved gene synteny was observed between A. darlingi and A. gambiae. More than 10 million single nucleotide polymorphisms and short indels with potential use as genetic markers were identified. Transposable elements correspond to 2.3% of the A. darlingi genome. Genes associated with hematophagy, immunity and insecticide resistance, directly involved in vectorhuman and vectorparasite interactions, were identified and discussed. This study represents the first effort to sequence the genome of a neotropical malaria vector, and opens a new window through which we can contemplate the evolutionary history of anopheline mosquitoes. It also provides valuable information that may lead to novel strategies to reduce malaria transmission on the South American continent. The A. darlingi genome is accessible at www.labinfo.lncc.br/index.php/anopheles- darlingi. © 2013 The Author(s)

Eumicotic Mycetoma: Report Of A Case Caused By Madurella Grisea

ESCOLA PAULISTA MED SCH,DISCIPLINA DOENCAS INFECCIOSAS & PARASITARIAS,RUA BOTUCATU,BR-04023 SAO PAULO,SP,BRAZILESCOLA PAULISTA MED SCH,DISCIPLINA DOENCAS INFECCIOSAS & PARASITARIAS,RUA BOTUCATU,BR-04023 SAO PAULO,SP,BRAZILWeb of Scienc

Hair mercury is associated with dyslipidemia and cardiovascular risk: an anthropometric, biochemical and genetic cross-sectional study of Amazonian vulnerable populations

Universidade Federal do Pará. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas. Laboratório de Farmacologia Molecular. Belém, PA, Brazil.Universidade Federal do Pará. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas. Laboratório de Farmacologia Molecular. Belém, PA, Brazil.Universidade Federal do Pará. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas. Laboratório de Neuroquímica Molecular e Celular. Belém, PA, Brazil.Universidade Federal do Pará. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas. Laboratório de Farmacologia Molecular. Belém, PA, Brazil.Universidade Federal do Pará. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas. Laboratório de Farmacologia Molecular. Belém, PA, Brazil.University of Castilla-La Mancha. Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Biochemistry. Department of Analytical Chemistry and Food Technology. Toledo, Spain.University of Castilla-La Mancha. Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Biochemistry. Department of Analytical Chemistry and Food Technology. Toledo, Spain.Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde e Ambiente. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil.Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia. Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.Universidade Federal do Ceará. Escola de Medicina. Instituto de Biomedicina. Departamento de Morfologia. Laboratório da Biologia da Cicatrização, Ontogenia e Nutrição de Tecidos. Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.Universidade Federal do Pará. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas. Laboratório de Neuroquímica Molecular e Celular. Belém, PA, Brazil.Universidade Federal do Pará. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas. Laboratório de Farmacologia Molecular. Belém, PA, Brazil.This cross-sectional study evaluated the association between human exposure to mercury and cardiovascular risk using lipid profile (including apolipoproteins) and genetic analysis of Amazonian riverine population. Anthropometric data (gender, age, height, weight, blood pressure, and neck and waist circumferences) of the participants were recorded. Total mercury and methylmercury (MeHg) content were quantified in hair by ICP-MS and GC-pyro-AFS system. Polymorphisms rs662799, rs693, rs429358 and rs7412 (of genes of apolipoproteins A-V, B, and E at positions 112 and 158, respectively) were genotyped by real-time PCR. The population presented a dyslipidemia profile significantly correlated with high mercury levels. The apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A-I (ApoB/ApoA-I) index was also positively correlated with mercury, supporting a possible causal relationship. Allelic distributions were similar to those described in other populations, suggesting that genetic susceptibility may not have a significant role in the lipid alterations found in this work. This study demonstrated for the first time: i) the relationship between mercury exposure and cardiovascular risk-related apolipoproteins in humans, ii) the ApoB levels and the ApoB/ApoA-I index as the risk factors more strongly associated to the mercury-related dyslipidemia in humans, and iii) the prevalence of high/moderate risk of acute myocardial infarction in the vulnerable and chronically exposed-populations of the Amazon, in addition to the genotypic profile of the three most frequent polymorphisms in apolipoproteins of relevance for cardiovascular risk. This early detection of lipid alterations is essential to prevent the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), especially in chronically exposed populations such as those found in the Amazon. Therefore, in addition to provide data for the Minamata Convention implementation, our work is in line with the efforts joined by all members of the World Health Organization committed to reducing premature deaths originating from non-communicable diseases by 25% in 2025, including CVD

Swine and Poultry Pathogens: the Complete Genome Sequences of Two Strains of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and a Strain of Mycoplasma synoviae

This work reports the results of analyses of three complete mycoplasma genomes, a pathogenic (7448) and a nonpathogenic (J) strain of the swine pathogen Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and a strain of the avian pathogen Mycoplasma synoviae; the genome sizes of the three strains were 920,079 bp, 897,405 bp, and 799,476 bp, respectively. These genomes were compared with other sequenced mycoplasma genomes reported in the literature to examine several aspects of mycoplasma evolution. Strain-specific regions, including integrative and conjugal elements, and genome rearrangements and alterations in adhesin sequences were observed in the M. hyopneumoniae strains, and all of these were potentially related to pathogenicity. Genomic comparisons revealed that reduction in genome size implied loss of redundant metabolic pathways, with maintenance of alternative routes in different species. Horizontal gene transfer was consistently observed between M. synoviae and Mycoplasma gallisepticum. Our analyses indicated a likely transfer event of hemagglutinin-coding DNA sequences from M. gallisepticum to M. synoviae