Not all toxic butterflies are toxic: high intra- and interspecific variation in sequestration in subtropical swallowtails

Many herbivorous insects make use of plant secondary metabolites by consuming and storing these toxic compounds in their body tissue or integument, thereby obtaining chemical defense against their natural enemies. Swallowtail butterflies in the tribe Troidini (Papilionidae) sequester toxic alkaloids (aristolochic acids, AAs) from their host plants in the genus Aristolochia. Troidine butterflies have been a model group for development of theory on host plant chemical sequestration, but most studies on this group have been limited to a single species in North America. These studies have led, in part, to the paradigm that troidine butterflies are toxic, thereby explaining the numerous mimicry relationships that exist throughout most of their range. Herein, we present one of the first comparative studies in a single location of a community of troidine butterflies. We examined the AA content of five co-occurring troidine butterfly species and their two Aristolochia host plants. We found that one Aristolochia species, A. triangularis, was preferred in choice assays and did not possess quantifiable levels of AA. We also found that most troidine butterflies did not possess quantifiable levels of AAs, but larvae have the ability to sequester AAs when it is present in their diet. A larval preference experiment showed that host plant AA concentration did not influence larval feeding choice. A performance experiment showed that higher levels of AAs in the diet increased larval mortality, which might indicate a cost associated with sequestration of the chemical defense and also might shed some light on why so many troidine butterflies in this community have little or no AAs. We propose that automimicry might be operating in this system and many putative models of this paradigmatic system might not possess plant-derived defensive chemistry

Antioxidant properties and phenolic composition of “Composed Yerba Mate”

Yerba mate contains bioactive compounds, and is widely consumed as a decoction beverage in several Southern American countries. At present, the consumption of mate with added herbal blends and flavors, called "composed yerba mate", has increased; however, no studies on the antioxidant characteristics of these products have been published. In this sense, the main objective was to assess the antioxidant characteristics of composed yerba mate" compared to "traditional yerba mate", in the form it is traditionally consumed. Total polyphenols content ranged from 15 to 45 mg/g GAE in all decoctions analyzed. Seventeen phenolic compounds were identified and quantified by HPLC?DAD-MS/MS, mainly belonging to the caffeoylquinic acids group. The antioxidant capacity was measured using in vitro assays, Ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), and with Saccharomyces cerevisiae as the in vivo model organism. All decoctions displayed antioxidant activity and were capable of rescuing yeast cells between 10.68 and 18.38% from oxidative stress. Multiple regression analysis showed a high correlation between phenolic composition and activity of samples, where different compounds indicate a significant contribution to the observed activity. Significant differences were found in the content, profile and antioxidant activity of polyphenols when "traditional yerba mate" and "composed yerba mate" were compared. In some cases, the antioxidant capacity was similar or higher in composed yerba mate; while the rest displayed lower biological activity. Based on these findings, it would be possible to assume that the addition of herb mixtures modifies the antioxidant and biological properties of mate.Fil: Cheminet, Geraldine. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Secretaría de Ciencia y Tecnología. Instituto Superior de Investigación, Desarrollo y Servicio de Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Baroni, María Verónica. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Centro de Química Aplicada; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Wunderlin, Daniel Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos Córdoba; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Di Paola Naranjo, Romina Daniela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos Córdoba; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnol.conicet - Córdoba. Unidad de Adm.territorial; Argentin

Marco económico del negocio : Análisis de la eficiencia empresarial del sub-sector comercial minorista en la región La Plata, Berisso y Ensenada

El desenvolvimiento de la actividad empresarial requiere contar con información económico-financiera oportuna para la toma de decisiones que satisfagan las necesidades del sector empresarial como así también las de cualquier interesado en realizar inversiones y el sector gubernamental en sus distintos estamentos, en su rol de promotor de la actividad económica privada. En general para todos los sectores de la economía de la región conformada por los partidos de de La Plata, Berisso y Ensenada, se da una carencia y desorden significativo de datos e información oportuna y útil para la toma de decisiones, iniciativas de proyectos, y propósitos internos o externos de las organizaciones. Las empresas del sector terciario, en lo que respecta al comercio minorista, no cuentan con información, ya sea económica, estacional, estadística; que les permita compararse y superarse, solo se van adaptando a los requerimientos del mercado y del cliente, en base a pequeños atisbos de intuición empresarial. En la región no hay una base de datos e información fidedigna, que permita conocer con certeza el estado de situación real del sector.Facultad de Ciencias Económica

Flavoprotein monooxygenases for oxidative biocatalysis: recombinant expression in microbial hosts and applications

External flavoprotein monooxygenases comprise a group of flavin-dependent oxidoreductases that catalyze the insertion of one atom of molecular oxygen into an organic substrate and the second atom is reduced to water. These enzymes are involved in a great number of metabolic pathways both in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Flavoprotein monooxygenases have attracted the attention of researchers for several decades and the advent of recombinant DNA technology caused a great progress in the field. These enzymes are subjected to detailed biochemical and structural characterization and some of them are also regarded as appealing oxidative biocatalysts for the production of fine chemicals and valuable intermediates toward active pharmaceutical ingredients due to their high chemo-, stereo-, and regioselectivity. Here, we review the most representative reactions catalyzed both in vivo and in vitro by prototype flavoprotein monooxygenases, highlighting the strategies employed to produce them recombinantly, to enhance the yield of soluble proteins, and to improve cofactor regeneration in order to obtain versatile biocatalysts. Although we describe the most outstanding features of flavoprotein monooxygenases, we mainly focus on enzymes that were cloned, expressed and used for biocatalysis during the last yearsFil: Ceccoli, Romina Denis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Bianchi, Dario Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Química Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Química Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Rial, Daniela Veronica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; Argentin

Autistic traits and mental health in women with the fragile-X premutation: maternal status versus genetic risk

BACKGROUND: Research on women with the fragile-X premutation (FX-p) has been underrepresented within the field of behavioural phenotypes. AIMS: To understand whether the FX-p confers risk for autistic traits, depression and anxiety, independent of maternal status. METHOD: In study 1, mothers of children with fragile-X syndrome (M-FXp; n = 51, mean age 43 years (s.d. = 5.80)) were compared with mothers of autistic children (M-ASD; n = 59, mean age 42 (s.d. = 5.80)), mothers of children with Smith-Magenis syndrome (M-SMS; n = 27, mean age 39 (s.d. = 7.20)) and mothers of typically developing children (M-TD; n = 44, mean age 40 (s.d. = 4.90)). In study 2, the M-FXp group were compared with non-mothers with the FX-p (NM-FXp; n = 17, mean age 32 (s.d. = 9.20)), typically developed non-mothers (NM-TD; n = 28, mean age 31 (s.d. = 6.80)) and the M-TD group. All participants completed an online survey, including measures of IQ, autistic traits, anxiety, depression and positive affect. RESULTS: In study 1: the M-FXp group reported more autistic traits than the M-TD group (P < 0.05, η2 = 0.046). Anxiety and parental stress were elevated in the M-FXp, M-SMS and M-ASD groups relative to the M-TD group (all P ≤ 0.003, η2 = 0.079-0.322). In study 2: a main effect of premutation status indicated that women with the FX-p report elevated autistic traits and anxiety (P ≤ 0.007, η2 = 0.055-0.060); this did not interact with maternal status. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that women with the FX-p show an increased risk for autistic traits and anxiety. This risk is specific to the presence of the FX-p and is not fully accounted for by maternal status or the stress of caring for children with neurodevelopmental disorders

What can possibly go wrong? The risks of introducing soil microorganisms from Antarctica into South America = ¿Qué puede salir mal? : Los riesgos de introducir microorganismos del suelo de la Antártida en América del Sur

Endophytic fungi form mutualistic associations with plant roots which can increase plant survival and resistance to stress. Recently, it has been proposed that endophytic fungi from Antarctica should be used to facilitate reintroduction and establishment of native plants in xeric environments of northern Chile. In this note, we suggest this is a risky proposition and may lead to biological invasions. It is difficult to predict which endophytic fungi will become invasive, where they will invade, or what their impacts will be. Organisms that move across continents may or may not become invasive depending on the interaction between the species and the invaded community; unexpected outcomes may occur due to adaptation and novel interactions of the introduced species in the new environment. The fact that these endophytes are mutualistic does not imply that they will not have negative effects on the recipient community, since they might promote invasion of other non-native species or may change the competitive relationships among native species. Further, taxonomically uncharacterized fungal isolates from plant roots are likely to contain non-beneficial species. The fact that these endophytic fungi species are from Antarctica does not ensure that they cannot invade elsewhere. It should be recognized that invasive microorganisms are extremely difficult to control. We strongly suggest that the further translocation, use and spread of endophytes from Antarctica should be halted until a risk assessment is undertaken. Biosecurity measures must be taken when considering transcontinental experiments. Based on previous experiences, it is likely that the risk and potential costs of introducing these new species significantly exceed any potential benefits of their introductionsLos hongos endófitos forman asociaciones mutualísticas con raíces de plantas y pueden mejorar la sobrevivencia y resistencia al estrés. Recientemente se ha propuesto usar hongos endófitos de la Antártida para facilitar la reintroducción y establecimiento de plantas nativas en formaciones xerofíticas del norte de Chile. En esta nota se sugiere que aquello es una propuesta riesgosa y puede conducir a invasiones biológicas. Es difícil predecir qué especies se convertirán en invasoras, dónde lo harán o cuáles serán sus efectos. Los organismos transportados entre continentes pueden o no convertirse en invasores, según las interacciones entre especies y con la comunidad invadida, y pueden ocurrir resultados inesperados debido a adaptaciones de especies invasoras al nuevo ambiente y a novedosas interacciones con especies introducidas en el nuevo ambiente. Estos endófitos mutualistas pueden tener efectos negativos en la comunidad receptora, como promover invasiones de otras especies exóticas o cambiar relaciones de competencia entre especies nativas. Los hongos endófitos de la Antártida no garantizan que no puedan invadir otros lugares. La falta de identificación taxonómica de tales hongos impide saber si estos inóculos contienen especies no beneficiosas, como patógenos del suelo. Los microorganismos invasores son extremadamente difíciles de controlar. Por ello, se recomienda que la translocación, uso y dispersión de hongos endófitos antárcicos debiera detenerse hasta tener una evaluación del riesgo de su introducción. Medidas de bioseguridad deben tomarse en experimentos transcontinentales. Según experiencias anteriores, el riesgo y costos potenciales de introducir estas especies pueden superar ampliamente cualquier beneficio potencial de su uso.Fil: Nuñez, Martin A. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-Universidad del Comahue. INIBIOMA. Grupo de Ecología de Invasiones; ArgentinaFil: Dimarco, Romina Daniela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Grupo de Ecología de Poblaciones de Insectos; ArgentinaFil: Dickie, Ian A. Lincoln University. Bio-Protection Research Centre; Nueva ZelandaFil: Pauchard, Anibal. Universidad de Concepción. Facultad de Ciencias Forestales. Laboratorio de Invasiones Biolóogicas; Chile. Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB); Chil