Arterial vascularization of the thoracic lobes of the thymus in stillborns of the lineage C40

As origens e distribuições das artérias que vascularizaram os lobos torácicos do timo foram estudadas em fetos de 30 suínos da linhagem C40, sendo 12 machos e 18 fêmeas. Os exemplares tiveram o sistema arterial preenchido com solução aquosa a 50% de Neoprene Látex corado e, em seguida, foram submetidos à fixação em solução aquosa a 10% de formaldeído. Os lobos torácicos do timo foram vascularizados por ramos diretos das artérias torácica interna direita (63,33%) e esquerda (53,33%), subclávia esquerda (3,33%), vertebral esquerda (3,33%), cervical superficial direita (3,33%) e esquerda (3,33%), carótida comum esquerda (3,33%), coronária direita (3,33%) e pelos troncos braquiocefálico (33,33%) e costocervical (3,33%). Observaram-se ainda os ramos indiretos das artérias torácica interna direita (70%) e esquerda (76,67%), subclávia esquerda (23,33%), cervical superficial esquerda (3,33%) e do arco aórtico (6,67%).The origins and distributions of the arteries that vascularization the thoracic lobes of the thymus, right and left, were studied in 30 swine of the lineage C40, fetus, being 12 males and 18 females. The animals had the arterial system filled with aqueous colored solution in a 50% of Neoprene Latex, and than were fixed in 10% aqueous solution formaldehyde. The thoracic lobes of thymus were vascularization by direct branches of the right (53.33%) and left (63.33%) internal thoracic arteries, left subclavian (3.33%), left vertebral (3.33%), right (3.33%) and left (3.33%) superficial cervical, left common carotid (3.33%), right coronary (3.33%) and brachiocephalic trunk (33.33%) and costocervical trunk (3.33%). The right internal thoracic arteries (70%) and left internal thoracic (76.67%), left subclavian (23.33%), left superficial cervical (3.33%) of the aortic arch (6.67%) provided indirect branches for the correspondent thoracic lobes of the thymus in each side

Molecular Characterization of the Schistosoma mansoni Zinc Finger Protein SmZF1 as a Transcription Factor

Schistosomes are parasites that exhibit a complex life cycle during which they progress through many morphological and physiological transformations. These transformations are likely accompanied by alterations in gene expression, making genetic regulation important for parasite development. Here we describe a Schistosoma mansoni protein (SmZF1) that may act as a parasite transcription factor. These factors are key proteins for gene regulation. We have previously demonstrated that SmZF1 is able to bind DNA and that its mRNA is present at different stages during the parasite life cycle. In this study we aimed to define if this protein can function as a transcription factor in S. mansoni. SmZF1 was detected in the nucleus of adult male worms, cercariae and schistosomula cells. It was not, however, observed in female cells, suggesting it to be gender specific. We used mammalian cells expressing recombinant SmZF1 to analyze if SmZF1 protein is able to activate/repress gene transcription and demonstrated that it increased the expression of a reporter gene by two-fold. The results obtained confirm SmZF1 as a S. mansoni transcription factor

Identification of new ABA-and MEJA-activated sugarcane bZIP genes by data mining in the SUCEST database

Abstract Sugarcane is generally propagated by cuttings of the stalk containing one or more lateral buds, which will develop into a new plant. The transition from the dormant into the active stage constitutes a complex phenomenon characterized by changes in accumulation of phytohormones and several other physiological aspects. Abscisic acid (ABA) and methyl-jasmonate (MeJA) are major signaling molecules, which influence plant development and stress responses. These plant regulators modulate gene expression with the participation of many transcriptional factors. Basic leucine zipper proteins (bZIPs) form a large family of transcriptional factors involved in a variety of plant physiological processes, such as development and responses to stress. Query sequences consisting of fulllength protein sequence of each of the Arabidopsis bZIP families were utilized to screen the sugarcane EST database (SUCEST) and 86 sugarcane assembled sequences (SAS) coding for bZIPs were identified. cDNA arrays and RNA-gel blots were used to study the expression of these sugarcane bZIP genes during early plantlet development and in response to ABA and MeJA. Six bZIP genes were found to be differentially expressed during development. ABA and MeJA modulated the expression of eight sugarcane bZIP genes. Our findings provide novel insights into the expression of this large protein family of transcriptional factors in sugarcane

Genetic Diversity and Population History of a Critically Endangered Primate, the Northern Muriqui (Brachyteles hypoxanthus)

Social, ecological, and historical processes affect the genetic structure of primate populations, and therefore have key implications for the conservation of endangered species. The northern muriqui (Brachyteles hypoxanthus) is a critically endangered New World monkey and a flagship species for the conservation of the Atlantic Forest hotspot. Yet, like other neotropical primates, little is known about its population history and the genetic structure of remnant populations. We analyzed the mitochondrial DNA control region of 152 northern muriquis, or 17.6% of the 864 northern muriquis from 8 of the 12 known extant populations and found no evidence of phylogeographic partitions or past population shrinkage/expansion. Bayesian and classic analyses show that this finding may be attributed to the joint contribution of female-biased dispersal, demographic stability, and a relatively large historic population size. Past population stability is consistent with a central Atlantic Forest Pleistocene refuge. In addition, the best scenario supported by an Approximate Bayesian Computation analysis, significant fixation indices (ΦST = 0.49, ΦCT = 0.24), and population-specific haplotypes, coupled with the extirpation of intermediate populations, are indicative of a recent geographic structuring of genetic diversity during the Holocene. Genetic diversity is higher in populations living in larger areas (>2,000 hectares), but it is remarkably low in the species overall (θ = 0.018). Three populations occurring in protected reserves and one fragmented population inhabiting private lands harbor 22 out of 23 haplotypes, most of which are population-exclusive, and therefore represent patchy repositories of the species' genetic diversity. We suggest that these populations be treated as discrete units for conservation management purposes

Vascularização arterial dos lobos cervicais do timo em fetos de suínos da linhagem C40

O timo é o órgão linfóide que atua no desenvolvimento pós-natal e manutenção da competência imunológica dos animais. Apresenta-se desenvolvido desde a fase final do período pré-natal até o início da puberdade, sendo neste período o maior órgão linfóide e o de maior função linfopoiética. Por causa desta importância, objetivou-se estudar a vascularização arterial da parte cervical do timo da linhagem suína C40, cujas características zootécnicas tem produzido crescente interesse econômico na sua exploração. Para tanto, utilizou-se 30 fetos de suínos (machos e fêmeas com diferentes idades) provenientes de abortos e coletados em criatórios das regiões do Triângulo Mineiro e Alto Paranaíba-MG. Após injeção dos sistemas arteriais e posterior dissecação, verificou-se que os lobos cervicais do timo, de ambos os antímeros, mostraram-se na fase fetal divididos em porções craniais e caudais, unidas por um istmo e estendendo-se desde as glândulas mandibulares até a margem cranial do primeiro par de costelas. Os lobos cervicais tímicos dos antímeros direito e esquerdo foram irrigados pelas artérias subclávia, carótida comum, tireóidea caudal, tireóidea cranial, cervical superficial, laríngea caudal, laríngea cranial. Os lobos cervicais tímicos do antímero direito foram irrigados pelas mesmas artérias do antímero contralateral, excetuando-se a artéria subclávia