Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression by in vitro produced bovine embryos. Preliminary results = Expressão da ciclo-oxigenase-2 (COX-2) em embriões bovinos produzidos in vitro. Resultados preliminares

Expression of the two isoforms of cyclooxygenase enzyme, cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), by in vitro produced bovine embryos was examined. Cumulus-oocyte complexes were recovered from ovaries of slaughtered animals and subsequently in vitro matured and in vitro fertilized. Presumptive zygotes were cultured in serum containing medium (TCM 199+10% bovine superovulated oestrus serum) on a granulosa cell monolayer for 12 days

Besnoitia besnoiti impact on fertility of cattle exploited in mediterranean pastures (Alentejo).

Besnoitia besnoiti is a bovine parasite endemic in many tropical and subtropical areas whose prevalence in the Mediterranean countries such as Portugal seems to be increasing. Most infections are mild or subclinical, characterized by the formation of numerous cutaneous and sub-cutaneous microcysts, lowering the quality of skins for the leather industry. Male sterility or impaired fertility is a common sequela in breeding bulls, and is one of the most negative aspects of the disease in animals that survive infection. Our objective was to investigate if asymptomatic Besnoitiosis leads to bovine infertility, by comparing seminal parameters pre and post-thawing, in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo rates between asymptomatic infected (n=3) and uninfected (n=5) bulls, exploited in an extensive production system in Alentejo-Portugal. Skin biopsies were submitted to histopathological analyses to identify B. besnoiti cysts in sires. Semen was collected by electroejaculation and sperm quality parameters before cryopreservation and after thawing were analyzed using ANOVA. The quality of semen collected from asymptomatic infected and uninfected bulls presented no differences before cryopreservation. From all the post-thawed sperm quality parameters (motility and hypoosmotic swelling test; post-swim-up motility, activity, concentration and agglutination; fertilization and embryo rates) evaluated, only post-thawed (51.0±36.3 vs. 42.3±10.6%, P£0.05) and post-swim-up (36.3±18.8 vs 25.1±12.0 %, P£0.009) motility were significantly different between asymptomatic infected and uninfected bulls, respectively. Semen from asymptomatic Besnoitia besnoiti infected bulls may maintain fertilization ability. However the presence of these animals in herds represents a risk of spreading the disease leading to further economic losses

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