Expressão gênica em resposta a deficiência nutricional em folhas resistentes e suscetíveis ao bicho-mineiro.

A resposta de defesa de cafeeiros infestados pelo bicho-mineiro (Leucoptera coffeela) é influenciado por aspectos fisiológicos entre os quais está a disponibilidade de nutrientes. Plantas resistentes podem exibir lesões foliares correspondentes ao desenvolvimento do inseto quando a lavoura tem deficiência de adubação. O conhecimento sobre a interação entre mecanismos de transporte de nutrientes e resposta de defesa ao bicho-mineiro podem contribuir na elucidação da resistência ao inseto em cafeeiros. Este estudo avaliou a expressão relativa de genes associados ao metabolismo de potássio e nitrogênio, ao estresse oxidativo e a mecanismos de defesa em mudas de cafés submetidas a condições nutricionais limitantes. Mudas de progênies resistentes e suscetíveis ao bicho-mineiro foram mantidas em soluções contendo concentrações variáveis de macronutrientes (N+K+, N+K-, N-K+, N-K-). Após o tratamento, as folhas foram coletadas para extração do RNA e posterior caracterização da expressão de genes por qRT -PCR. Genes do metabolismo de potássio apresentaram expressão diferencial entre plantas resistentes e suscetíveis. O perfil de expressão dos genes do metabolismo de Nitrogênio não apresentou diferenças entre as progênies. Além disso, genes diretamente relacionados com a defesa ao bicho-mineiro e ao estresse oxidativo apresentaram expressões diferenciais significativas entre plantas resistentes e suscetíveis. Estas análises preliminares sugerem que a regulação da absorção e/ou transporte de nutrientes não são atividades iniciais na resposta de cafeeiros, e que a ativação de mecanismos de defesa em geral é a resposta inicial à deficiência nutricional

Desenvolvimento de marcadores associados à resistência do bicho-mineiro: seleção e validação de SNPs.

O objetivo deste estudo é o desenvolvimento de marcadores do tipo SNPs associados com a resistência ao bicho-mineiro em café. A estratégia principal utilizou as análises genômicas de microarranjo, para caracterização de expressão diferencial de genes-candidatos em plantas resistentes infestadas com o bicho-mineiro. Inicialmente, análises in silico de 2137 destes genes identificaram aqueles potencialmente relacionados com a especificidade da resposta de defesa da planta. Uma vez selecionados, o perfil de expressão de 22 genes foi confirmado por qRT-PCR em experimentos utilizando plantas resistentes e suscetíveis, infectadas pelo bicho-mineiro. Para busca de polimorfismos do tipo SNPs, que poderão ser utilizados como marcadores para seleção-assistida, selecionamos 4 genes, cujas regiões genômicas foram clonadas e sequenciadas em genótipos parentais da população em estudo. Após análises in silico de sequências genômicas, os polimorfismos do tipo SNPs identificados serviram de base para construção de sondas alelo-específicas, utilizadas na genotipagem de plantas parentais e progênies em seleção. A análise de segregação de SNPs identificados indicou que nenhum dos polimorfismos avaliados apresenta correlação com a característica de resistência ao bicho-mineiro. Estes polimorfismos estão associados com alguma outra característica agronômica não avaliada neste estudo. A genotipagem de outros SNPs identificados está em andamento.Título em inglês: Development of molecular markers associated with leaf-miner resistance: selection and validation of SNPs

HIV prevalence among female sex workers, drug users and men who have sex with men in Brazil: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Brazilian response towards AIDS epidemic is well known, but the absence of a systematic review of vulnerable populations ─ men who have sex with men (MSM), female sex workers (FSW), and drug users (DU) remains a main gap in the available literature. Our goal was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies assessing HIV prevalence among MSM, FSW and DU, calculating a combined pooled prevalence and summarizing factors associated the pooled prevalence for each group.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Nine electronic databases (MEDLINE via PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane CENTRAL, AIDSLINE, AMED, CINAHL, TOXNET, SciELO, and ISI-Web of Science) were searched for peer-reviewed papers published in English, French, Spanish or Portuguese, from 1999 to 2009. To be included in the review, studies had to measure HIV prevalence and/or incidence as the primary outcome among at least one specific population under analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The studies targeting the three populations analyzed mostly young participants aged 30 years or less. Among FSW, eight studies were selected (3,625 participants), consistently identifying higher condom use with sexual clients than with occasional and stable partners. The combined HIV prevalence for FSW was 6.2 (95% CI: 4.4-8.3). Ten studies targeting MSM were identified (6,475 participants). Unprotected anal intercourse was commonly reported on those studies, but with great variability according to the nature of the relationship - stable vs. occasional sex partners - and sexual practice - receptive vs. insertive anal sex. Pooled HIV prevalence for MSM was 13.6 (95% CI: 8.2-20.2). Twenty nine studies targeting DU were identified (13,063 participants). Those studies consistently identified injection drug use and syringe/needle sharing as key predictors of HIV-infection, as well as engagement in sex work and male-to-male sex. The combined HIV prevalence across studies targeting DU was 23.1 (95% CI: 16.7-30.2).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>FSW, MSM and DU from Brazil have a much risk of acquiring HIV infection compared to the general population, among which HIV prevalence has been relatively low (~0.6%). Those vulnerable populations should be targeted by focused prevention strategies that provide accurate information, counseling and testing, as well as concrete means to foster behavior change (e.g. access to condoms, drug abuse treatment, and clean syringes in the case of active injecting drug users), tailored to gender and culture-specific needs. Programs that provide these services need to be implemented on public health services throughout the country, in order to decrease the vulnerability of those populations to HIV infection.</p

Neuronal apoptosis by HIV-1 Vpr: contribution of proinflammatory molecular networks from infected target cells

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) induces neuronal dysfunction through host cellular factors and viral proteins including viral protein R (Vpr) released from infected macrophages/microglia. Vpr is important for infection of terminally differentiated cells such as macrophages. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of Vpr in the context of infectious virus particles on neuronal death through proinflammatory cytokines released from macrophages.Methods: Monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) were infected with either HIV-1 wild type (HIV-1wt), Vpr deleted mutant (HIV-1{increment}Vpr) or mock. Cell lysates and culture supernatants from MDMs were analyzed for the expression and release of proinflammatory cytokines by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay respectively. Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) were analyzed in activated MDMs by western blots. Further, the effect of Vpr on neuronal apoptosis was examined using primary neurons exposed to culture supernatants from HIV-1wt, HIV-1{increment}Vpr or mock-infected MDMs by Annexin-V staining, MTT and Caspase - Glo® 3/7 assays. The role of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α on neuronal apoptosis was also evaluated in the presence or absence of neutralizing antibodies against these cytokines.Results: HIV-1{increment}Vpr-infected MDMs exhibited reduced infection over time and specifically a significant downregulation of IL-1β, IL-8 and TNF-α at the transcriptional and/or protein levels compared to HIV-1wt-infected cultures. This downregulation was due to impaired activation of p38 and stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK)/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in HIV-1{increment}Vpr-infected MDMs. The association of SAPK/JNK and p38 to IL-1β and IL-8 production was confirmed by blocking MAPKs that prevented the elevation of IL-1β and IL-8 in HIV-1wt more than in HIV-1{increment}Vpr-infected cultures. Supernatants from HIV-1{increment}Vpr-infected MDMs containing lower concentrations of IL-1β, IL-8 and TNF-α as well as viral proteins showed a reduced neurotoxicity compared to HIV-1wt-infected MDM supernatants. Reduction of neuronal death in the presence of anti-IL-1β and anti-IL-8 antibodies only in HIV-1wt-infected culture implies that the effect of Vpr on neuronal death is in part mediated through released proinflammatory factors.Conclusion: Collectively, these results demonstrate the ability of HIV-1{increment}Vpr to restrict neuronal apoptosis through dysregulation of multiple proinflammatory cytokines in the infected target cells either directly or indirectly by suppressing viral replication. © 2012 Guha et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd