First record of the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis (Bivalvia, Mytilidae) in Brazil

The genus Mytilus comprises a large number of bivalve mollusk species distributed throughout the world and many of these species are considered invasive. In South America, many introductions of species of this genus have already taken place, including reports of hybridization between them. Now, the occurrence of the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis is reported for the first time from the Brazilian coast. Several specimens of this mytilid were found in a shellfish growing areas in Florianópolis and Palhoça, Santa Catarina State, Brazil. Morphological analysis of the shells and molecular analysis through sequencing of the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) confirmed the taxonomic identification. The species is known for its great invasive potential and can become a major environmental problem for seafood business and coastal communities, as it can compete and even hybridize with local species

Nassarius foveolatus (Gastropoda, Nassariidae), a new record of an exotic species in Brazil

Exotic species are those that occur in an area beyond their natural limit and they are considered invasive when they cause harm to the economy, environment, or human health. In coastal environments, ballast water and inlays on the hull and other parts of vessels are the main ways of introducing invasive aquatic alien species. Nassarius foveolatus (Dunker, 1847) is native from the Central and East Indian Ocean to the East China Sea. The first specimens (empty shells) of N. foveolatus were collected manually on November 11, 2017 on the Rocio footbridge, located in the Paranaguá Estuarine Complex, on the coast of the State of Paraná, southern Brazil. Posteriorly, live specimens were collected in other localities of this bay. It is already possible to infer that the specimens of N. foveolatus occur together with the native specimens of N. vibex (Say, 1822), having the same niche. As previously only N. vibex existed in that place, at least a displacement of this native species has been occurred. However, certainly future ecological studies may confirm this displacement and additional consequences to the local ecosystem, as nassariids can be predators and scavengers. Control procedures should be also greatly implemented

A contribuição de Frederico Lange de Morretes para a malacologia brasileira

Frederico Lange de Morretes nasceu em 5 de maio de 1892, no município de Morretes, litoral do Estado do Paraná, Brasil. Artista plástico renomado, foi também um importante malacólogo e sua produção científica na área o tornou um referencial para os pesquisadores brasileiros. O principal objetivo deste trabalho é a compilação comentada dos estudos malacológicos produzidos por Lange de Morretes. Ao todo, ele publicou 13 trabalhos científicos na área da malacologia, sendo oito deles relacionados à descrição de 25 novas espécies, dois novos gêneros e três subgêneros. Também escreveu três relatórios técnicos institucionais a respeito de atividades desenvolvidas no Museu Paulista e no Museu Paranaense.Frederico Lange de Morretes was born on May 5, 1892, in the municipality of Morretes, Paraná, Brazil. A renowned plastic artist, he was also an important malacologist, and his scientific production in the area made him a reference for Brazilian researchers. The main objective of this paper is to make a commented compilation of the malacological studies produced by him. He published 13 scientific papers in the area of malacology, eight of them related to the description of 25 new species, two new genera and three subgenera. He also wrote three institutional technical reports on activities carried out at the Museu Paulista and at the Museu Paranaense

Analysis of four dispersion vectors in inland waters: the case of the invading bivalves in South America

As a consequence of the current globalization of commerce, natural environments are subject to an unprecedented dynamic transport of organisms because global conditions favor transport, settlement, and dispersal of invading species. These produce widespread impacts such as decreased agricultural and utility production, increased health risks to humans and wildlife, and a significant decrease in native biodiversity. On the assumption that it is better to prevent bioinvasions than to control them, it is of paramount importance to identify and manage the potential dispersal vectors to implement preventive strategies. In our study, we identified 4 potential vectors in southern Brazil (sand transport, attachment to hulls of sports fishing boats, water in sports fishing boats, and live fish) for 2 freshwater invasive bivalves (Corbicula fluminea and Limnoperna fortunei). For each of these potential vectors, we assess the potential for dispersal by estimating the probability of finding larvae or adults, setting groundwork for further studies on the risks of invasion to which the region is subject.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y MuseoConsejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnica

Integrative epigenomics in Sjögren´s syndrome reveals novel pathways and a strong interaction between the HLA, autoantibodies and the interferon signature

Primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by lymphocytic infiltration and damage of exocrine salivary and lacrimal glands. The etiology of SS is complex with environmental triggers and genetic factors involved. By conducting an integrated multi-omics study, we confirmed a vast coordinated hypomethylation and overexpression effects in IFN-related genes, what is known as the IFN signature. Stratified and conditional analyses suggest a strong interaction between SS-associated HLA genetic variation and the presence of Anti-Ro/SSA autoantibodies in driving the IFN epigenetic signature and determining SS. We report a novel epigenetic signature characterized by increased DNA methylation levels in a large number of genes enriched in pathways such as collagen metabolism and extracellular matrix organization. We identified potential new genetic variants associated with SS that might mediate their risk by altering DNA methylation or gene expression patterns, as well as disease-interacting genetic variants that exhibit regulatory function only in the SS population. Our study sheds new light on the interaction between genetics, autoantibody profiles, DNA methylation and gene expression in SS, and contributes to elucidate the genetic architecture of gene regulation in an autoimmune population

Complement component C4 structural variation and quantitative traits contribute to sex-biased vulnerability in systemic sclerosis

Altres ajuts: Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER), "A way of making Europe".Copy number (CN) polymorphisms of complement C4 play distinct roles in many conditions, including immune-mediated diseases. We investigated the association of C4 CN with systemic sclerosis (SSc) risk. Imputed total C4, C4A, C4B, and HERV-K CN were analyzed in 26,633 individuals and validated in an independent cohort. Our results showed that higher C4 CN confers protection to SSc, and deviations from CN parity of C4A and C4B augmented risk. The protection contributed per copy of C4A and C4B differed by sex. Stronger protection was afforded by C4A in men and by C4B in women. C4 CN correlated well with its gene expression and serum protein levels, and less C4 was detected for both in SSc patients. Conditioned analysis suggests that C4 genetics strongly contributes to the SSc association within the major histocompatibility complex locus and highlights classical alleles and amino acid variants of HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DPB1 as C4-independent signals

Serum profiling identifies CCL8, CXCL13, and IL-1RA as markers of active disease in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

IntroductionSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a clinically heterogeneous disease that presents a challenge for clinicians. To identify potential biomarkers for diagnosis and disease activity in SLE, we investigated a selected yet broad panel of cytokines and autoantibodies in patients with SLE, healthy controls (HC), and patients with other autoimmune diseases (AIDs).MethodsSerum samples from 422 SLE patients, 546 HC, and 1223 other AIDs were analysed within the frame of the European PRECISESADS project (NTC02890121). Cytokine levels were determined using Luminex panels, and autoantibodies using different immunoassays.ResultsOf the 83 cytokines analysed, 29 differed significantly between patients with SLE and HC. Specifically, CCL8, CXCL13, and IL-1RA levels were elevated in patients with active, but not inactive, SLE versus HC, as well as in patients with SLE versus other AIDs. The levels of these cytokines also correlated with SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) scores, among five other cytokines. Overall, the occurrence of autoantibodies was similar across SLEDAI-2K organ domains, and the correlations between autoantibodies and activity in different organ domains were weak.DiscussionOur findings suggest that, upon validation, CCL8, CXCL13, and IL-1RA could serve as promising serum biomarkers of activity in SLE

O31 Integrative analysis reveals a molecular stratification of systemic autoimmune diseases

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Cultivo consorciado da ostra do mangue Crassostrea rizophorae com camaroes marinhos em viveiros

Orientador : Antonio OstrenskyCo-orientador : Frederico Pereira BrandiniDissertaçao (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciencias AgráriasDissertação possui resumo e abstract nos capítulos 2, 3 e

Cultivo consorciado da ostra do mangue Crassostrea rizophorae com camaroes marinhos em viveiros

Orientador : Antonio OstrenskyCo-orientador : Frederico Pereira BrandiniDissertaçao (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciencias AgráriasDissertação possui resumo e abstract nos capítulos 2, 3 e