Draft genome assembly and transcriptome data of the icefish Chionodraco myersi reveal the key role of mitochondria for a life without hemoglobin at subzero temperatures

Antarctic fish belonging to Notothenioidei represent an extraordinary example of radiation in the cold. In addition to the absence of hemoglobin, icefish show a number of other striking peculiarities including large-diameter blood vessels, high vascular densities, mitochondriarich muscle cells, and unusual mitochondrial architecture. In order to investigate the bases of icefish adaptation to the extreme Southern Ocean conditions we sequenced the complete genome of the icefish Chionodraco myersi. Comparative analyses of the icefish genome with those of other teleost species, including two additional white-blooded and five red-blooded notothenioids, provided a new perspective on the evolutionary loss of globin genes. Muscle transcriptome comparative analyses against red-blooded notothenioids as well as temperate fish revealed the peculiar regulation of genes involved in mitochondrial function in icefish. Gene duplication and promoter sequence divergence were identified as genome-wide patterns that likely contributed to the broad transcriptional program underlying the unique features of icefish mitochondria

Frações densimétricas da matéria orgânica de um solo construído após mineração de carvão e recentemente vegetado.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os estoques de carbono totais e nas frações densimétricas da matéria orgânica de um solo construído e vegetado com gramíneas, após a mineração de carvão

Impacto de sistemas agroflorestais experimentais no âmbito acadêmico em Santarém, Pará.

Este trabalho busca avaliar os impactos gerados a comunidade acadêmica da Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará (UFOPA), Campus Santarém, com a instalação de uma base de campo pelo Grupo de Pesquisa CEMI (Centro de Estudos em Manejo e Sistemas Florestais Integrados). A área tem sido ampliada com a pretensão de servir como vitrine para a comunidade acadêmica e para produtores rurais da região, proporcionando um espaço para realização de trabalhos de conclusão de curso, experimentos de iniciação científica e geração de produtos acadêmicos diversos que permitam que a comunidade universitária tenha contato com possíveis cenários que irá encontrar em sua vida profissional. O campo experimental tem como principal objetivo a inserção de unidades agrossilviculturais com delineamento que permita o uso para ensino e pesquisa. A unidade foi instalada na Fazenda Experimental da UFOPA, nas coordenadas 02º 24? 52" S e 54º 42? 36" W, no município de Santarém, no Estado do Pará. O histórico de uso da área inclui atividade pecuária com a criação de bovinos por cerca de 26 anos (1980 a 2006), com posterior pousio durante 10 anos, resultando em estabelecimento de vegetação secundária, antes da implantação dos projetos do grupo de pesquisa. A predominância de chuvas é no primeiro semestre do ano, com altas temperaturas e umidade do ar durante todo o ano. Assim, esta descrição de experiência visa entender o impacto da instalação e manutenção de sítios experimentais no âmbito acadêmico para mostrar a importância do fomento para o manejo e inovação em sistemas agroflorestais

Bcl-2 protein family: Implications in vascular apoptosis and atherosclerosis

Apoptosis has been recognized as a central component in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, in addition to the other human pathologies such as cancer and diabetes. The pathophysiology of atherosclerosis is complex, involving both apoptosis and proliferation at different phases of its progression. Oxidative modification of lipids and inflammation differentially regulate the apoptotic and proliferative responses of vascular cells during progression of the atherosclerotic lesion. Bcl-2 proteins act as the major regulators of extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis signalling pathways and more recently it has become evident that they mediate the apoptotic response of vascular cells in response to oxidation and inflammation either in a provocative or an inhibitory mode of action. Here we address Bcl-2 proteins as major therapeutic targets for the treatment of atherosclerosis and underscore the need for the novel preventive and therapeutic interventions against atherosclerosis, which should be designed in the light of molecular mechanisms regulating apoptosis of vascular cells in atherosclerotic lesions

Clay content drives carbon stocks in soils under a plantation of Eucalyptus saligna Labill. in southern Brazil

Soil carbon accumulation is largely dependent on net primary productivity. To our knowledge, there have been no studies investigating the dynamics of carbon accumulation in weathered subtropical soils, especially in managed eucalyptus plantations. We quantified the seasonal input of leaf litter, the leaf decomposition rate and soil carbon stocks in an commercial plantation of Eucalyptus saligna Labill. in southern Brazil. Our goal was to evaluate, through multiple linear regression, the influence that certain chemical characteristics of litter, as well as chemical and physical characteristics of soil, have on carbon accumulation in soil organic matter fractions. Variables related to the chemical composition of litter were not associated with the soil carbon stock in the particulate and mineral fractions. However, certain soil characteristics were significantly associated with the carbon stock in both fractions. The concentrations of nutrients associated with plant growth and productivity, such as phosphorus, sulfur, copper and zinc, were associated with variations in the labile carbon pool (particulate fraction). Clay content was strongly associated with the carbon stock in the mineral fraction. The carbon accumulation and stabilization in weathered subtropical Ultisol seems to be mainly associated with the intrinsic characteristics of the soil, particularly clay content, rather than with the quantity, chemical composition or decomposition rate of the litter

Impact of exercise training on arterial wall thickness in humans

Thickening of the carotid artery wall has been adopted as a surrogate marker of pre-clinical atherosclerosis, which is strongly related to increased cardiovascular risk. The cardioprotective effects of exercise training, including direct effects on vascular function and lumen dimension, have been consistently reported in asymptomatic subjects and those with cardiovascular risk factors and diseases. In the present review, we summarize evidence pertaining to the impact of exercise and physical activity on arterial wall remodelling of the carotid artery and peripheral arteries in the upper and lower limbs. We consider the potential role of exercise intensity, duration and modality in the context of putative mechanisms involved in wall remodelling, including haemodynamic forces. Finally, we discuss the impact of exercise training in terms of primary prevention of wall thickening in healthy subjects and remodelling of arteries in subjects with existing cardiovascular disease and risk factors

Persistent effects of pre-Columbian plant domestication on Amazonian forest composition

The extent to which pre-Columbian societies altered Amazonian landscapes is hotly debated. We performed a basin-wide analysis of pre-Columbian impacts on Amazonian forests by overlaying known archaeological sites in Amazonia with the distributions and abundances of 85 woody species domesticated by pre-Columbian peoples. Domesticated species are five times more likely to be hyperdominant than non-domesticated species. Across the basin the relative abundance and richness of domesticated species increases in forests on and around archaeological sites. In southwestern and eastern Amazonia distance to archaeological sites strongly influences the relative abundance and richness of domesticated species. Our analyses indicate that modern tree communities in Amazonia are structured to an important extent by a long history of plant domestication by Amazonian peoples