A importância do modelo de monocamada lipídica da membrana plasmática de archaea para o ensino de biologia celular no brasil

In Biology, a cell is a functional unit of living organisms. Its constituents are mainly genetic material, cytoplasm, and the cell membrane. These three structural components play, among other biological roles, cell reproduction and maintenance, support of a metabolic activity, and maintenance of the physical-chemical barrier. Therefore, to understand a cell structure and its physiology is imperative to study the processes in which these components are involved. In Brazilian higher education, these topics are mainly addressed in Cellular and Molecular Biology subjects, but most of the contents focused on studying the structure, composition, and evolution of the plasma membrane, often referred to generically as the cell membrane. In some clades in Archaea, one of the three domains of life, the cell membrane promotes unique physiological characteristics that confer the evolutionary success of these groups and their survival in environments inhospitable to other lifeways. In these cells, the plasma membranes differ structurally from the membranes of the Bacteria and Eukarya domains which are organized in monolayers, presenting variations in carbon aliphatic chains size, carbon-carbon bonds, and have exclusive structural components such as Glycerol-dialkyl-glycerol-tetraethers (GDGT’s) and Arqueols. Unfortunately, little importance usually occurs to the Archaea domain in the chairs offered to Biological Sciences students. The objective of this work was to compile information about the Archaea membrane and enrich the current literary repertoire used to teach the modules related to the plasma membrane in the disciplines of Cellular and Molecular Biology in Brazil.En Biología, la célula se considera la unidad funcional de los seres vivos. Sus componentes son fundamentalmente: material genético, citoplasma y membrana plasmática. Estos tres componentes estructurales desempeñan, entre otras funciones biológicas, la reproducción y el mantenimiento celular, el soporte de la actividad metabólica y el mantenimiento de la barrera fisicoquímica. Por tanto, para comprender la fisiología y estructura celular, es imperativo estudiar los procesos en los que están involucrados estos componentes. En el ámbito de la educación superior brasileña, estos temas se tratan principalmente en las disciplinas de Biología Celular y Molecular. Gran parte del contenido de dicha disciplina se dedica al estudio de la estructura, composición y evolución de la membrana plasmática, a menudo denominada de forma genérica como membrana celular. En algunos clados de Archaea, uno de los tres dominios de la vida, la membrana celular promueve características fisiológicas únicas que permiten el éxito evolutivo de dichos grupos y su supervivencia en ambientes inhóspitos para otras formas de vida. En estas células, las membranas plasmáticas se diferencian estructuralmente de las membranas de los dominios Bacteria y Eukaria porque están organizadas en una monocapa, presentan variaciones en el tamaño de las cadenas de carbono alifáticas, en los enlaces carbono-carbono y tienen componentes estructurales únicos, tales como tetraéteres de glicerol-dialquil-glicerol (GDGT) y arqueoles. Desafortunadamente, se le da poca importancia al dominio de Archaea en los cursos que se ofrecen a los estudiantes de Ciencias Biológicas. El objetivo de este trabajo fue recopilar información sobre la membrana de Archaea y complementar el repertorio literario actual utilizado para la enseñanza de módulos relacionados con la membrana plasmática en las disciplinas de Biología Celular y Molecular en Brasil.Em Biologia, a célula é considerada a unidade funcional dos seres vivos. Seus constituintes são fundamentalmente material genético, citoplasma e membrana plasmática. Estes três componentes estruturais exercem, dentre outros papéis biológicos, reprodução e manutenção celular, suporte à atividade metabólica e manutenção da barreira físico-química. Portanto, para a compreensão da fisiologia e estrutura celular, é imperativo o estudo dos processos em que esses componentes estão envolvidos, que nos cursos de ensino superior são abordados principalmente nas disciplinas de Biologia Celular e Molecular. Grande parte do conteúdo dessas disciplinas é dedicada ao estudo da estrutura, composição e evolução da membrana plasmática, muitas vezes referida de forma genérica como membrana celular. Em alguns clados em Archaea, um dos três domínios da vida, a membrana celular promove características fisiológicas únicas que permitem o sucesso evolutivo de tais grupos e sua sobrevivência em ambientes inóspitos para outras formas de vida. Nestas células, as membranas plasmáticas diferem estruturalmente das membranas dos domínios Bacteria e Eukaria por se organizarem em monocamada, apresentarem variações no tamanho das cadeias carbônicas alifáticas, nas ligações carbono-carbono e possuírem componentes estruturais exclusivos, como por exemplo os Glicerol-dialkil-glicerol-tetraéteres (GDGTs) e os Arqueóis. Infelizmente, pouca importância é dada ao domínio Archaea nos cursos que são oferecidos a alunos de Ciências Biológicas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi compilar informações sobre a membrana de Archaea e suplementar o atual repertório literário usado para o ensino dos módulos referentes à membrana plasmática nas disciplinas de Biologia Celular e Molecular no Brasil

Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 infection in dogs and cats of humans diagnosed with COVID-19 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

BackgroundInfection by SARS-CoV-2 in domestic animals has been related to close contact with humans diagnosed with COVID-19. Objectives: To assess the exposure, infection, and persistence by SARS-CoV-2 of dogs and cats living in the same households of humans that tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, and to investigate clinical and laboratory alterations associated with animal infection.MethodsAnimals living with COVID-19 patients were longitudinally followed and had nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal and rectal swabs collected and tested for SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, blood samples were collected for laboratory analysis, and plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT90) to investigate specific SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.ResultsBetween May and October 2020, 39 pets (29 dogs and 10 cats) of 21 patients were investigated. Nine dogs (31%) and four cats (40%) from 10 (47.6%) households were infected with or seropositive for SARS-CoV-2. Animals tested positive from 11 to 51 days after the human index COVID-19 case onset of symptoms. Three dogs tested positive twice within 14, 30, and 31 days apart. SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies were detected in one dog (3.4%) and two cats (20%). In this study, six out of thirteen animals either infected with or seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 have developed mild but reversible signs of the disease. Using logistic regression analysis, neutering, and sharing bed with the ill owner were associated with pet infection.ConclusionsThe presence and persistence of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been identified in dogs and cats from households with human COVID-19 cases in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. People with COVID-19 should avoid close contact with their pets during the time of their illness

A Potential SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Interest (VOI) Harboring Mutation E484K in the Spike Protein Was Identified within Lineage B.1.1.33 Circulating in Brazil

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) epidemic in Brazil was dominated by two lineages designated as B.1.1.28 and B.1.1.33. The two SARS-CoV-2 variants harboring mutations at the receptor-binding domain of the Spike (S) protein, designated as lineages P.1 and P.2, evolved from lineage B.1.1.28 and are rapidly spreading in Brazil. Lineage P.1 is considered a Variant of Concern (VOC) because of the presence of multiple mutations in the S protein (including K417T, E484K, N501Y), while lineage P.2 only harbors mutation S:E484K and is considered a Variant of Interest (VOI). On the other hand, epidemiologically relevant B.1.1.33 deriving lineages have not been described so far. Here we report the identification of a new SARS-CoV-2 VOI within lineage B.1.1.33 that also harbors mutation S:E484K and was detected in Brazil between November 2020 and February 2021. This VOI displayed four non-synonymous lineage-defining mutations (NSP3:A1711V, NSP6:F36L, S:E484K, and NS7b:E33A) and was designated as lineage N.9. The VOI N.9 probably emerged in August 2020 and has spread across different Brazilian states from the Southeast, South, North, and Northeast regions

Neotropical freshwater fisheries : A dataset of occurrence and abundance of freshwater fishes in the Neotropics

The Neotropical region hosts 4225 freshwater fish species, ranking first among the world's most diverse regions for freshwater fishes. Our NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set is the first to produce a large-scale Neotropical freshwater fish inventory, covering the entire Neotropical region from Mexico and the Caribbean in the north to the southern limits in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. We compiled 185,787 distribution records, with unique georeferenced coordinates, for the 4225 species, represented by occurrence and abundance data. The number of species for the most numerous orders are as follows: Characiformes (1289), Siluriformes (1384), Cichliformes (354), Cyprinodontiformes (245), and Gymnotiformes (135). The most recorded species was the characid Astyanax fasciatus (4696 records). We registered 116,802 distribution records for native species, compared to 1802 distribution records for nonnative species. The main aim of the NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set was to make these occurrence and abundance data accessible for international researchers to develop ecological and macroecological studies, from local to regional scales, with focal fish species, families, or orders. We anticipate that the NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set will be valuable for studies on a wide range of ecological processes, such as trophic cascades, fishery pressure, the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation, and the impacts of species invasion and climate change. There are no copyright restrictions on the data, and please cite this data paper when using the data in publications

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