Aplicação de DNA Barcode na identificação de espécies dos gêneros Senna, Lantana e Casearia

Brazil has a great botanical diversity, thanks to its various biomes, and the documentation of existing species is very important for understanding the world's biodiversity. Senna genus has 80 species while Casearia genus has 37 species in Brazil. The Lantana genus has about 150 species. Some active compounds of these species were tested in the laboratory presenting promising trypanocidal activity; however there are difficulties in classification of some specimens of these genres. New identification techniques emerge to assist in taxonomy. DNA barcoding is a very useful technique because it is fast, accurate, and highly cost-effective, using a small DNA sequence for identification. Its applications range from identifying cryptic species to the fight against illegal trade in endangered species and illegally harvested timber, among others. To perform this technique, in plants, use genes located in the chloroplast - matK (encoding the protein maturase K) rbcL (encoding ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate or protein Rubisco) and/or intergenic spacer regions in the chloroplast (trbH-psbA). In this work in partnership with NuBBE - Center for Bioassays, Biosynthesis and Ecophysiology of Natural Products, we aimed to identify the species by DNA barcoding technique, using the regions rbcL, trbH-psbA and ITS2, to check the database accuracy and improve the taxonomic classification. The results showed that the rbcL region is a good region for amplification and sequencing, with good species discrimination rate. The psbA-trnH region is less effective in discrimination compared to the rbcL region. The ITS2 region showed identity with fungal sequence, showing difficulty in using this region.O Brasil possui uma grande diversidade botânica, graças a seus diversos biomas, sendo a documentação das espécies existentes muito importante para o conhecimento da biodiversidade mundial. O gênero Senna possui 80 espécies enquanto o gênero Casearia apresenta 37 espécies no Brasil. O gênero Lantana possui cerca de 150 espécies. Alguns princípios ativos dessas espécies foram testados previamente no laboratório da Orientadora, apresentando atividade tripanocida promissora; entretanto existem dificuldades na classificação de alguns espécimes desses gêneros. Novas técnicas de identificação surgem para auxiliar na taxonomia. DNA Barcoding é uma técnica muito útil, pois é rápida, precisa, e com alta relação custo-benefício, utilizando uma pequena sequência de DNA para identificação. Suas aplicações vão desde identificar espécies crípticas até na luta contra o comércio ilegal de espécies ameaçadas de extinção e madeira extraída ilegalmente, dentre outras. Para realização desta técnica em plantas, utilizam-se genes localizados no cloroplasto - matK (codifica a proteína maturase K), rbcL (codifica a proteína ribulose 1,5-bifosfato ou Rubisco) e/ou regiões de espaçador intergênicos presente no cloroplasto (trbH-psbA). Neste trabalho em parceria com o NuBBE - Núcleo de Bioensaios, Biossíntese e Ecofisiologia de Produtos Naturais, visamos identificar as espécies pela técnica de DNA Barcoding, utilizando as regiões rbcL, trbH-psbA e ITS2, para para verificar a acurácia de banco de dados e melhorar a classificação taxonômica. Os resultados mostraram que a região rbcL é uma boa região para amplificação e sequenciamento, com boa taxa de discriminação de espécie. A região psbA-trnH é menos efetiva na discriminação de espécie comparada à região rbcL. A região ITS2 apresentou identidade com sequência de fungos, mostrando dificuldade na..

ATLANTIC ANTS: a data set of ants in Atlantic Forests of South America

International audienc

Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network

International audienceThe shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora