Gene expression related to oxidative stress induced by herbicides in rice.

Herbicides are stressors that can have negative effects on plants. In Oryza sativa (L.), differential gene expression may be evalu-ated through real-time reverse transcription quantitative poly-merase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The aim of this study was to evaluate the stability of candidate reference genes and to quan-tify the relative expression of oxidative stress genes at different times (12, 24, 48, and 96 hours after treatment [HAT]) with penoxsulam, cyhalofop-butyl, and bentazon herbicides. Norm-Finder, BestKeeper, and GeNorm software and the compara-tive ∆Ct method were used to assess expression stability and to determine the RT-qPCR threshold values of the candidate reference genes. The UBQ5 gene was the most stable among the reference genes analyzed. The gene expression results showed upregulation of OsCAT and OsMnSOD1 genes at all times after herbicide application. The OsA PX 2 and OsGST3 genes showed increased gene expression at 12 and 96 HAT for all herbicides. The OsHO -1 gene had the most significant expression changes, with maximum expression levels at 24 HAT with bentazon and at 96 HAT with penoxsulam and cyhalofop-butyl. Overall, antioxidant system gene expression increased after the applica-tion of bentazon, penoxsulam, and cyhalofop-butyl in ric

Pre-harvest herbicide application reduces the Italian ryegrass seed viability.

Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) is a troublesome weed found in temperate agricultural fields, wherein the future infestations depend on the soil seed bank. The aim of this research was to evaluate Italian ryegrass seed viability subjected to herbicide application in different phenological stages of development. Experiments were carried out in a completely randomized experimental design with four repetitions. Paraquat, ammonium-glufosinate, iodosulfuron-methyl and clethodim herbicides were applied in three development stages (pre-spike, anthesis, and grain filling) and compared to the control. The effects were evaluated by percentage of control at seven, 14, and 28 days after application (DAA), seeds per plant, 1000 seeds weight, and percentage of germination, abnormal seedlings, dead seeds, viable and non-viable dormant seeds. Control was greater than 97% at 28 DAA, with a decrease of more 90% for seed per plant, and strong reduction of 1000 seeds weight for the herbicides applied up to the anthesis stage. At the grain filling stage, clethodim reduced seed production by 18% and 1000-seeds weight by 36% compared to the control. Ammonium-glufosinate and paraquat herbicides applied up to the anthesis stage reduced seed viability by more than 98%. Overall, herbicide application reduces seed production, seed weight and viability, especially when applied before the grain filling stage. Highlighted Conclusions 1. Herbicide application up to the anthesis developmental stages reduces seed production, 1000 seeds weight, and seed viability. 2. Paraquat was the best herbicide to reduce seed production per plant, 1000-seeds weight and, viability of Italian ryegrass seeds, regardless of development stages. 3. Reducing future infestations of Italian ryegrass in cropping systems depends on herbicide application before the grain filling

May the crossing between diploid and tetraploid Italian ryegrass transfer glyphosate resistance to the next generation?

Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) is a grass weed found in winter cereals, with several glyphosate-resistant diploid populations. Furthermore, the use of Italian ryegrass tetraploid genotypes creates an opportunity to increase the forage demand in replacement of diploid populations. The aim of this research was to evaluate the crossing capacity between glyphosate-resistant diploid and tetraploid Italian ryegrass to transfer glyphosate resistance to the next generation. Reciprocal crosses were performed using the susceptible tetraploid cultivar INIA Titan and resistant diploid (SVA04 biotype) plants to obtain the F1 progeny. Germination testing, survival percentage, inheritance of glyphosate-resistance, and ploidy level were evaluated in F1 progeny. Crossing of susceptible tetraploid plants ♂ and glyphosate-resistant diploid ♀ affected the germination and exhibited 4.5% of triploid plants. F1 progeny from the glyphosate-resistant diploid ♂ and susceptible tetraploid ♀ did not show germination problems, but 46% of the plants died during the initial seedling stage. For this progeny, 10 and 25% of the seedlings were composed of triploid and pentaploid individuals, respectively. Crosses between susceptible tetraploid ♀ and resistant diploid ♂ did not transfer the glyphosate-resistant for the plants. Susceptible tetraploid ♂ crossing with diploid resistant ♀ had a reduction of 47% the glyphosate-resistant plants compared to the homozygous glyphosate-resistant progeny. Overall, tetraploid Italian ryegrass can be a safe tool to reduce and manage the increase of glyphosate-resistant diploid ryegrass in field conditions. Key words: Lolium multiflorum Lam., ploidy level, chromosome counting, resistance

Rules extraction from neural networks applied to the prediction and recognition of prokaryotic promoters

Promoters are DNA sequences located upstream of the gene region and play a central role in gene expression. Computational techniques show good accuracy in gene prediction but are less successful in predicting promoters, primarily because of the high number of false positives that reflect characteristics of the promoter sequences. Many machine learning methods have been used to address this issue. Neural Networks (NN) have been successfully used in this field because of their ability to recognize imprecise and incomplete patterns characteristic of promoter sequences. In this paper, NN was used to predict and recognize promoter sequences in two data sets: (i) one based on nucleotide sequence information and (ii) another based on stability sequence information. The accuracy was approximately 80% for simulation (i) and 68% for simulation (ii). In the rules extracted, biological consensus motifs were important parts of the NN learning process in both simulations

INTOXICAÇÃO POR PTERIDIUM ARACHNOIDEUM NO OESTE DE SANTA CATARINA - ESTUDO RETROSPECTIVO (2013-2017)

Samambaia (Pteridium arachnoideum) é uma das plantas tóxicas mais importantes na criação de bovinos de todo o Brasil. O objetivo desse trabalho foi descrever os diagnósticos de intoxicação por samambaia, em bovinos na região oeste de Santa Catarina, realizados pelo Laboratório de Patologia Veterinária (LPV) do IFC – Campus Concórdia, no período entre 2013 e 2017. No período, foram realizadas 641 necropsias de bovinos, sendo que 22 dessas tiveram o diagnóstico de intoxicação por samambaia, totalizando 3,4% da casuística total de necropsias em bovinos. Foram 13 casos de síndrome hemorrágica aguda, seis casos de carcinomas de células escamosas na base da língua, esôfago ou rúmen, e três casos de hematúria enzoótica bovina. Apesar dos inúmeros trabalhos científicos a respeito da toxicidade do P. arachnoideum, o número de diagnósticos dessa intoxicação é alto na região, e a planta ainda é facilmente encontrada. A melhor forma de diminuir as intoxicações é o adequado manejo das pastagens e a correta adubação do solo, evitando com que a planta esteja disponível ao consumo dos animais, porém essa informação precisa ser difundida aos produtores rurais.  Palavras-chave: diagnóstico, patologia, samambaia, hematúria, carcinoma.

DOENÇAS DIAGNOSTICADAS PELO LABORATÓRIO DE PATOLOGIA VETERINÁRIA EM 2017

Este trabalho apresenta a casuística de diagnósticos no ano de 2017 do Laboratório de Patologia Veterinária do IFC Campus Concórdia. Foram 230 diagnósticos em bovinos, 32 em ovinos e 93 em suínos, totalizando 355. Destes, 247 (69,6%) foram através de necropsias e 108 (30,4%) através de amostras formolizadas enviadas por veterinários. Em bovinos as doenças mais incidentes foram anaplasmose e babesiose com 11 casos cada (4,8%); endocardite com 7 casos (3,0%); hemoncose com 6 casos (2,6%) e retículo pericardite traumática com 6 casos (2,6%). Já em ovinos foi hemoncose com 5 casos (15,7%) e suínos doença de Glässer e colibacilose com 6 casos cada (6,4%).

TAT-Mediated Transduction of MafA Protein In Utero Results in Enhanced Pancreatic Insulin Expression and Changes in Islet Morphology

Alongside Pdx1 and Beta2/NeuroD, the transcription factor MafA has been shown to be instrumental in the maintenance of the beta cell phenotype. Indeed, a combination of MafA, Pdx1 and Ngn3 (an upstream regulator of Beta2/NeuroD) was recently reported to lead to the effective reprogramming of acinar cells into insulin-producing beta cells. These experiments set the stage for the development of new strategies to address the impairment of glycemic control in diabetic patients. However, the clinical applicability of reprogramming in this context is deemed to be poor due to the need to use viral vehicles for the delivery of the above factors. Here we describe a recombinant transducible version of the MafA protein (TAT-MafA) that penetrates across cell membranes with an efficiency of 100% and binds to the insulin promoter in vitro. When injected in utero into living mouse embryos, TAT-MafA significantly up-regulates target genes and induces enhanced insulin production as well as cytoarchitectural changes consistent with faster islet maturation. As the latest addition to our armamentarium of transducible proteins (which already includes Pdx1 and Ngn3), the purification and characterization of a functional TAT-MafA protein opens the door to prospective therapeutic uses that circumvent the use of viral delivery. To our knowledge, this is also the first report on the use of protein transduction in utero

Saúde ambiental no campo: o caso dos projetos de desenvolvimento sustentável em assentamentos rurais do Estado de São Paulo

No Brasil, algumas iniciativas voltadas ao desenvolvimento rural sustentável vêm sendo implementadas no âmbito de assentamentos rurais. A pesquisa teve como objetivo levantar os problemas de saúde ambiental em assentamentos tradicionais e em assentamentos de desenvolvimento sustentável, visando compreender como são percebidos os problemas de saúde ambiental enfrentados por parte de populações de assentados rurais que constituem alvo de políticas públicas inspiradas em princípios de desenvolvimento sustentável. Estudo de casos explanatório e descritivo, abordando quatro “projetos de desenvolvimento sustentável” e dois convencionais em assentamentos rurais das regiões Central e Nordeste do Estado de São Paulo e desenvolvido, de modo comparativo, mediante oficinas de trabalho discutindo aspectos de saúde ambiental. O trabalho de coleta de informações foi iniciado após prévia aprovação do Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa. Os assentados nos dois tipos de assentamento indicaram problemas de saúde ambiental similares, relacionados, sobretudo, à falta de saneamento básico, manejo inadequado de resíduos, dificuldades no controle de pragas e problemas de saúde do trabalhador. Há um grande distanciamento entre o discurso propositivo de algumas políticas públicas inspiradas nos princípios da sustentabilidade e a realização objetiva de sua prática, sobretudo na incorporação da dimensão dos aspectos de saúde pública. Todavia, no caso dos projetos de desenvolvimento sustentável em assentamentos rurais no Estado de São Paulo, tal dissociação não se manifesta no âmbito de percepção dos sujeitos, público-alvo dos projetos. Para estes a construção de um modo de vida sustentável não pode prescindir da atenção primária aos aspectos de saúde ambiental como fator de desenvolvimento humano