Afforestation in Uruguayan grasslands: effects on bird and mammal diversity at stand and landscape scales

La expansión de la forestación (Eucalyptus spp, Pinus spp) en Uruguay reduce y fragmenta a su principal ecosistema, el pastizal. ¿Qué implica este proceso para la fauna, a escala de rodal y de paisaje? es la principal pregunta abordada en este trabajo. En cinco paisajes forestados (3 km de radio) entre 12.6 y 38.6% con Eucaliptus, analizamos los patrones de diversidad y abundancia de aves y mamíferos de mediano/gran porte. Los distintos ambientes naturales (bosques, pastizales, humedales) y antrópicos (forestación) de los paisajes fueron relevados entre 2015 y 2017 usando cámaras trampa (en promedio 11 por ambiente) para mamíferos y estaciones de conteo por punto (25 por ambiente) para aves. La sustitución de pastizales por forestación redujo a escala local (i.e., rodal) la riqueza y abundancia de especies de aves (68 y 90% respectivamente) y mamíferos (33 y 22% respectivamente). Los especialistas de ambientes abiertos fueron los más afectados, mientras que algunos especialistas de ambientes cerrados y generalistas usaron las plantaciones forestales. A pesar de los significativos efectos locales, la riqueza total de especies en el paisaje no decreció con el aumento de la forestación en el gradiente evaluado. Sin embargo, la riqueza de aves especialistas de ambientes abiertos en el paisaje decreció significativamente con la superficie forestada. Estos resultados sugieren que conservar la diversidad de mamíferos de mediano/gran porte y de aves generalistas y especialistas de bosques, podría ser viable en paisajes forestados que mantienen al menos un 60% de hábitats naturales. Sin embargo, una importante fracción de las aves especialistas de pastizal (37%) se podrían perder sino se toman medidas de conservación

A potential threat to the Pampas Biome: the introduction of American mink, Neovison vison (Schreber, 1777) in Uruguay

The American mink (Neovison vison) has been introduced for fur farming into several countries around the world. In southern South America, although invasive populations have established in Argentina and Chile, no feral minks have been recorded in the Pampas Biome to date. We report a potentially new biological invasion in Uruguay, presenting observations, pictures and a museum specimen of feral minks in the locality Melilla, Montevideo Department, which probably escaped or were released from a local fur farm. We obtained 35 mink records between 2010 and 2020, mostly close to the fur farm, within a 2.5 km radius. Our report provides the northernmost mink records in South America, being the first in the Pampas Biome. American mink is a feared invader in most of the sites where it has been introduced, and therefore these new records are important mainly to plan and apply management interventions

The jaguarondi, Herpailurus yagouaroundi (Carnivora: Felidae) in Uruguay: historical account and current situation

La presencia del yaguarundí, Herpailurus yagouaroundi (É.Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1803) en Uruguay ha sido controversial. Sistematizamos sus registros y analizamos menciones históricas y recientes. Existen varios reportes en los siglos XIX y XX, aunque sin evidencia material. Eso llevó a excluirlo de la mastofauna uruguaya entre 1972 y 2016, año este último en que fue documentado mediante cámaras trampa. La información nacional y regional sugiere que, en la actualidad y probablemente en el pasado, se han registrado en Uruguay dos morfos de pelaje (oscuro y rojizo). Sería una especie escasa y posiblemente amenazada y se necesitan más estudios para determinar su estado de conservación en el país.The presence of the jaguarondi, Herpailurus yagouaroundi (É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1803) in Uruguay has been controversial.We systematized its records and analyzed historical and current mentions. There have been reports in the 19th and 20th centuries, although without material evidence. This led to the species not being considered among the native fauna between 1972 and 2016 when it was finally documented with camera traps. The information at national and regional levels suggests that currently and probably in the recent past, two pelage variants (grey and reddish) were recorded in Uruguay. Albeit it is scarce and possibly endangered in Uruguay, more studies are needed to assess the conservation status in the country

Dominant negative effect of polyglutamine expansion perturbs normal function of ataxin-3 in neuronal cells

The physiological function of Ataxin-3 (ATXN3), a deubiquitylase (DUB) involved in Machado–Joseph Disease (MJD), remains elusive. In this study, we demonstrate that ATXN3 is required for neuronal differentiation and for normal cell morphology, cytoskeletal organization, proliferation and survival of SH-SY5Y and PC12 cells. This cellular phenotype is associated with increased proteasomal degradation of a5 integrin subunit (ITGA5) and reduced activation of integrin signalling and is rescued by ITGA5 overexpression. Interestingly, silencing of ATXN3, overexpression of mutant versions of ATXN3 lacking catalytic activity or bearing an expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) tract led to partially overlapping phenotypes. In vivo analysis showed that both Atxn3 knockout and MJD transgenic mice had decreased levels of ITGA5 in the brain. Furthermore, abnormal morphology and reduced branching were observed both in cultured neurons expressing shRNA for ATXN3 and in those obtained from MJD mice. Our results show that ATXN3 rescues ITGA5 from proteasomal degradation in neurons and that polyQ expansion causes a partial loss of this cellular function, resulting in reduced integrin signalling and neuronal cytoskeleton modifications, which may be contributing to neurodegeneration.National Institutes of Health (NIH) ‘(R01NS038712)Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) and COMPETE through the project ‘(PTDC/SAU-GMG/ 101572/2008)Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - fellowships SFRH/BD/51059/2010, SFRH/BD/ 78388/2011 and SFRH/BPD/91562/201

NEOTROPICAL ALIEN MAMMALS: a data set of occurrence and abundance of alien mammals in the Neotropics

Incluye contenido parcial de los autoresBiological invasion is one of the main threats to native biodiversity. For a speciesto become invasive, it must be voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into a nonna-tive habitat. Mammals were among first taxa to be introduced worldwide for game, meat, and labor, yet the number of species introduced in the Neotropics remains unknown. In this dataset, we make available occurrence and abundance data on mammal species that (1) transposeda geographical barrier and (2) were voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into theNeotropics. Our data set is composed of 73,738 historical and current georeferenced recordson alien mammal species of which around 96% correspond to occurrence data on 77 speciesbelonging to eight orders and 26 families. Data cover 26 continental countries in the Neotrop-ics, ranging from Mexico and its frontier regions (southern Florida and coastal-central Floridain the southeast United States) to Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay, and the 13 coun-tries of Caribbean islands. Our data set also includes neotropical species (e.g.,Callithrixsp.,Myocastor coypus,Nasua nasua)considered alien in particular areas of Neotropics. The mostnumerous species in terms of records are fromBossp. (n=37,782),Sus scrofa(n=6,730), andCanis familiaris(n=10,084); 17 species were represented by only one record (e.g., Syncerus caf-fer, Cervus timorensis, Cervus unicolor, Canis latrans). Primates have the highest number of spe-cies in the data set (n=20 species), partly because of uncertainties regarding taxonomicidentification of the generaCallithrix,which includes the speciesCallithrix aurita, Callithrixflaviceps, Callithrix geoffroyi, Callithrix jacchus, Callithrix kuhlii, Callithrix penicillata, andtheir hybrids. This unique data set will be a valuable source of information on invasion riskassessments, biodiversity redistribution and conservation-related research. There are no copy-right restrictions. Please cite this data paper when using the data in publications. We alsorequest that researchers and teachers inform us on how they are using the dat

NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES: a data set on carnivore distribution in the Neotropics

Incluye contenido parcial de los autoresAbstract.Mammalian carnivores are considered a key group in maintaining ecologicalhealth and can indicate potential ecological integrity in landscapes where they occur. Carni-vores also hold high conservation value and their habitat requirements can guide managementand conservation plans. The order Carnivora has 84 species from 8 families in the Neotropicalregion: Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Otariidae; Phocidae; Procyonidae; andUrsidae. Herein, we include published and unpublished data on native terrestrial Neotropicalcarnivores (Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae). NEOTRO-PICAL CARNIVORES is a publicly available data set that includes 99,605 data entries from35,511 unique georeferenced coordinates. Detection/non-detection and quantitative data wereobtained from 1818 to 2018 by researchers, governmental agencies, non-governmental organi-zations, and private consultants. Data were collected using several methods including cameratrapping, museum collections, roadkill, line transect, and opportunistic records. Literature(peer-reviewed and grey literature) from Portuguese, Spanish and English were incorporated inthis compilation. Most of the data set consists of detection data entries (n=79,343; 79.7%) butalso includes non-detection data (n=20,262; 20.3%). Of those, 43.3% also include count data(n=43,151). The information available in NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES will contribute tomacroecological, ecological, and conservation questions in multiple spatio-temporal perspec-tives. As carnivores play key roles in trophic interactions, a better understanding of their distri-bution and habitat requirements are essential to establish conservation management plans andsafeguard the future ecological health of Neotropical ecosystems. Our data paper, combinedwith other large-scale data sets, has great potential to clarify species distribution and relatedecological processes within the Neotropics. There are no copyright restrictions and no restric-tion for using data from this data paper, as long as the data paper is cited as the source of theinformation used. We also request that users inform us of how they intend to use the data

Preclinical assessment of mesenchymal-stem-cell-based therapies in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3

The low regeneration potential of the central nervous system (CNS) represents a challenge for the development of new therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative diseases, including spinocerebellar ataxias. Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3)—or Machado–Joseph disease (MJD)—is the most common dominant ataxia, being mainly characterized by motor deficits; however, SCA3/MJD has a complex and heterogeneous pathophysiology, involving many CNS brain regions, contributing to the lack of effective therapies. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been proposed as a potential therapeutic tool for CNS disorders. Beyond their differentiation potential, MSCs secrete a broad range of neuroregulatory factors that can promote relevant neuroprotective and immunomodulatory actions in different pathophysiological contexts. The objective of this work was to study the effects of (1) human MSC transplantation and (2) human MSC secretome (CM) administration on disease progression in vivo, using the CMVMJD135 mouse model of SCA3/MJD. Our results showed that a single CM administration was more beneficial than MSC transplantation—particularly in the cerebellum and basal ganglia—while no motor improvement was observed when these cell-based therapeutic approaches were applied in the spinal cord. However, the effects observed were mild and transient, suggesting that continuous or repeated administration would be needed, which should be further tested.This research was funded by the National Ataxia Foundation (NAF) and by Portuguese national funds, through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT)—projects UIDB/50026/2020, UIDP/50026/2020, POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029206, and through the Santa Casa Neuroscience Awards (Santa Casa da Misericórdia Lisboa)—project MC-04/17. Additionally, this project was funded by the ICVS Scientific Microscopy Platform, a member of the national infrastructure PPBI—Portuguese Platform of Bioimaging (PPBI-POCI-01-0145-FEDER-022122). S.C.S. received an individual fellowship within the project TUBITAK/0007/2014. The FCT funded individual fellowships to J.S C., A.N.-C., B.M.- P., F.G.T., R.L., S.M., N.A.S., C.S.-C., and S.D.-S. (SFRH/BD/140624/2018, SFRH/BPD/118779/2016, SFRH/BD/120124/2016, SFRH/BPD/118408/2016, PD/BDE/127836/2016, CEECIND/01902/2017, CEECIND/04794/2017, CEECIND/03887/2017, and CEECIND/00685/2020)

NEOTROPICAL XENARTHRANS: a data set of occurrence of xenarthran species in the Neotropics

Xenarthrans – anteaters, sloths, and armadillos – have essential functions for ecosystem maintenance, such as insect control and nutrient cycling, playing key roles as ecosystem engineers. Because of habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting pressure, and conflicts with 24 domestic dogs, these species have been threatened locally, regionally, or even across their full distribution ranges. The Neotropics harbor 21 species of armadillos, ten anteaters, and six sloths. Our dataset includes the families Chlamyphoridae (13), Dasypodidae (7), Myrmecophagidae (3), Bradypodidae (4), and Megalonychidae (2). We have no occurrence data on Dasypus pilosus (Dasypodidae). Regarding Cyclopedidae, until recently, only one species was recognized, but new genetic studies have revealed that the group is represented by seven species. In this data-paper, we compiled a total of 42,528 records of 31 species, represented by occurrence and quantitative data, totaling 24,847 unique georeferenced records. The geographic range is from the south of the USA, Mexico, and Caribbean countries at the northern portion of the Neotropics, to its austral distribution in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. Regarding anteaters, Myrmecophaga tridactyla has the most records (n=5,941), and Cyclopes sp. has the fewest (n=240). The armadillo species with the most data is Dasypus novemcinctus (n=11,588), and the least recorded for Calyptophractus retusus (n=33). With regards to sloth species, Bradypus variegatus has the most records (n=962), and Bradypus pygmaeus has the fewest (n=12). Our main objective with Neotropical Xenarthrans is to make occurrence and quantitative data available to facilitate more ecological research, particularly if we integrate the xenarthran data with other datasets of Neotropical Series which will become available very soon (i.e. Neotropical Carnivores, Neotropical Invasive Mammals, and Neotropical Hunters and Dogs). Therefore, studies on trophic cascades, hunting pressure, habitat loss, fragmentation effects, species invasion, and climate change effects will be possible with the Neotropical Xenarthrans dataset

Mamíferos en paisajes forestados de Uruguay: diversidad, uso de hábitat y patrones de actividad

ANII: POS_NAC_2015_1_109965ANII: POS_NAC_2018_1_151799CSIC: INI_2019_21

Ampliación de la distribución del Margay Leopardus Wiedii (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) en Uruguay

Se reporta una nueva localidad para Leopardus wiediien Uruguay, en base a un registro fotográfico obtenido con una cámara trampa en el departamento de Flores. Se amplía la distribución conocida de la especie 150 km hacia el Oeste en el territorio uruguayo y se registra por primera vez en la cuenca del río Yi.Extension of the distribution range of margay Leopardus wiedii (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) for Uruguay. We report a new location for Leopardus wiedii (margay) in Uruguay, based on photographs taken by a camera-trap in Flores department, which extend the known distribution range for the specie 150km to the West and constituted the first record in the Yi river basi