Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)1.

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field

Development and characterization of microsatellite markers in Astronotus crassipinis (Heckel, 1840)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Astronotus crassipinis is an important freshwater fish in the Amazon basin. Little is known about their population structure and genetic diversity. They live in Amazon varzea lakes and are territorial fish practicing mouth brood. Studies involving populations of A. crassipinis are of great importance for the conservation and management of this species. Therefore, thirteen microsatellite markers were developed for this species and characterized in 30 accessions from lakes Preto and Anana in Solimoes river and lake Piranha, located in the system Negro-Solimoes. The observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.00 to 0.72 and 0.25 to 0.58, respectively. Alleles per locus varied from two to six, with an average of three. Three loci departed significantly from Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium (P < 0.05) after Bonferroni correction. The value of Fis (f) ranged from -0.666 to 0.909 (average on -0.133). This new set of microsatellites will contribute towards studies of genetic diversity and conservation of A. crassipinis.11277280Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Amazonas (FAPEAM)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Dermatófitos: interação patógeno-hospedeiro e resistência a antifúngicos Dermatophytes: host-pathogen interaction and antifungal resistance

As micoses cutâneas estão entre as infecções mais comuns em humanos e se tornaram um importante problema de saúde pública, principalmente por causarem infecções invasivas em pacientes imunodeprimidos. Durante a infecção, a interação dermatófito-hospedeiro desencadeia adaptações metabólicas específicas que permitem aos patógenos aderirem e penetrarem no tecido, remodelando seu metabolismo para captar nutrientes e superar os mecanismos de defesa do hospedeiro. Esse remodelamento metabólico e a inter-relação entre metabolismo, morfogênese e resposta ao estresse são importantes fatores que estão sendo intensamente avaliados em diversos patógenos. As células do hospedeiro também respondem aos estímulos do patógeno, ativando vias de sinalização intracelular que culminam no desencadeamento de uma resposta imune contra o agente infeccioso. O entendimento molecular dessas respostas metabólicas pode ajudar no estabelecimento de novas estratégias terapêuticas. Nesta revisão, são abordados diferentes aspectos da biologia dos dermatófitos, com ênfase na interação dermatófito-hospedeiro e nos mecanismos de resistência a antifúngicos.<br>Cutaneous mycoses are among the most common infections in humans and have become an important public health issue because they cause invasive infections in immunocompromised patients. During the infectious process, dermatophyte-host interactions trigger specific metabolic adaptations that allow the pathogen to adhere to and penetrate the host tissue, scavenge nutrients, and overcome the host defense mechanisms. This metabolic shift and the interplay between metabolism, morphogenesis and stress response are important factors that have been extensively studied in several pathogens. Host cells also respond to the pathogen stimuli by activating intracellular signaling pathways that trigger the immune response against the infectious agent. The comprehension of the molecular aspects of these responses may help to establish new therapeutical strategies. In this review, different aspects of the biology of dermatophytes are addressed, with emphasis on the dermatophyte-host interaction and the mechanisms of antifungal resistance

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field