First Record of leucism in Tropidurus hispidus (Spix, 1825) (Squamata: Tropiduridae) in north Brazil, Eastern Amazon

In vertebrates leucism does not occur frequently in nature but has been recorded in amphibians and reptiles. Herein we report the first record of leucism in Tropidurus hispidus from north Brazil, Eastern Amazon. During fieldwork in an amphibian and reptile assessment, we photographed on a rocky surface and leaf litter an individual T. hispidus with leucism.En los vertebrados el leucismo no ocurre con frecuencia en la naturaleza, pero se ha registrado en anfibios y reptiles. Aquí informamos el primer registro de leucismo en Tropidurus hispidus del norte de Brasil, Amazonas Oriental. Durante el trabajo de campo en una evaluación de anfibios y reptiles, fotografiamos sobre una superficie rocosa y hojarasca un individuo de T. hispidus con leucismo

Predation on <i>Iguana iguana</i> (Squamata: Iguanidae) by <i>Boa constrictor </i>(Squamata: Boidae) in a fluvial island in the Amazonas river, Brazil, including a list of saurophagy events with Boa constrictor as predator

Predation events known as saurophagy occurs when lizards are involved as prey. Whether by cannibalism or saurophagy such events has been well documented in the last years. This paper report a predation event on Iguana iguana by Boa constrictor recorded in a fluvial island in the Amazonas River, Brazil. Also, provides a list of saurophagy events involving B. constrictor as predator. During a field trip we found an individual of B. constrictor in the process of ingesting a common green iguana (I. iguana), swallowing the headfirst on an upland forest. We found a total of eight lizards as prey of B. constrictor, belonging to three families: Iguanidae, Teiidae and Tropiduridae.Asociación Herpetológica Argentin

Predation on <i>Iguana iguana</i> (Squamata: Iguanidae) by <i>Boa constrictor </i>(Squamata: Boidae) in a fluvial island in the Amazonas river, Brazil, including a list of saurophagy events with Boa constrictor as predator

Predation events known as saurophagy occurs when lizards are involved as prey. Whether by cannibalism or saurophagy such events has been well documented in the last years. This paper report a predation event on Iguana iguana by Boa constrictor recorded in a fluvial island in the Amazonas River, Brazil. Also, provides a list of saurophagy events involving B. constrictor as predator. During a field trip we found an individual of B. constrictor in the process of ingesting a common green iguana (I. iguana), swallowing the headfirst on an upland forest. We found a total of eight lizards as prey of B. constrictor, belonging to three families: Iguanidae, Teiidae and Tropiduridae.Asociación Herpetológica Argentin

Diet overlap of three sympatric species of Leptodactylus Fitzinger (Anura: Leptodactylidae) in a Protected area in the Brazilian Amazon

Closely related species are often similar in morphological and ecological characters, which may lead them to compete when occurring in sympatry. In this sense, we analyzed trophic niche overlap among three Leptodactylus species, Leptodactylus macrosternum, L. fuscus and L. aff. podicipinus, in a floodplain environment from a Protected area in the Brazilian Amazon. In addition, we applied Network and Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analysis. We found 18 prey categories, most of them belonging to Arthropoda (94.4%). Coleoptera, Isoptera, Diptera and Hymenoptera were the most abundant prey on the diet shared among the three species. The rarefaction curve of prey richness did not reach an asymptote, indicating that the diet composition may be higher by increase the sample. The species presented a broad niche breadth, however, no relationship between jaw width and prey size were found in the studied species. Despite the line-up in NMDS with Bray Curtis Index indicated that the species’ diets are similar with few different attributes, with some food items overlapping among species (Stress= 0.00201), the niche overlap between the pair of species was not high (Ojk < 0.7). Therefore, we believe interactions such as competition would be better demonstrated addressing data on prey availability and microhabitat use patterns.Las especies relacionadas filogenéticamente a menudo presentan similares en caracteres morfolociales y ecológicos, lo que puede llevarlos a competir cuando cuando ocurren en simpatría. En este sentido, analizamos la superposición de nicho trófico entre tres especies simpatríca del genero Leptodactylus (Leptodactylus macrosternum, L. fuscus y L. aff. podicipinus) en un entorno de planicie aluvial de una área protegida en la Amazonía brasileña. Además, aplicamos análisis de Network y Escalamiento multidimensional no métrico(NMDS). Encontramos 18 categorías de presas, la mayoría pertenecientes al orden de los artrópodos (94.4%). Coleoptera, Isoptera, Diptera e Hymenoptera fueron las presas más abundantes en la dieta compartida entre las tres especies. La curva de rarefacción de la riqueza de presas no alcanzó una asíntota, lo que indica que la composición de la dieta puede ser mayor al aumentar la muestra. Las especies presentaron una amplia amplitud de nicho, sin embargo, no se encontró relación entre el ancho de la mandíbula y el tamaño de la presa en las especies estudiadas. A pesar de que la alineación en NMDS con el Índice Bray Curtis indicó que las dietas de las especies son similares con pocos atributos diferentes y con algunos alimentos superpuestos entre especies (Estrés= 0.00201), la superposición de nicho entre el par de especies no fue alta (Ojk <0.7). Por lo tanto, creemos que las interacciones como la competencia se demostrarían mejor abordando los datos sobre la disponibilidad de presas y los patrones de uso de microhabitat.Asociación Herpetológica Argentin

Mutation of the surface layer protein SlpB has pleiotropic effects in the probiotic propionibacterium freudenreichii CIRM-BIA 129

Propionibacterium freudenreichii is a beneficial Gram-positive bacterium, traditionally used as a cheese-ripening starter, and currently considered as an emerging probiotic. As an example, the P. freudenreichii CIRM-BIA 129 strain recently revealed promising immunomodulatory properties. Its consumption accordingly exerts healing effects in different animal models of colitis, suggesting a potent role in the context of inflammatory bowel diseases. This anti-inflammatory effect depends on surface layer proteins (SLPs). SLPs may be involved in key functions in probiotics, such as persistence within the gut, adhesion to host cells and mucus, or immunomodulation. Several SLPs coexist in P. freudenreichii CIRM-BIA 129 and mediate immunomodulation and adhesion. A mutant P. freudenreichii CIRM-BIA 129ΔslpB (CB129ΔslpB) strain was shown to exhibit decreased adhesion to intestinal epithelial cells. In the present study, we thoroughly analyzed the impact of this mutation on cellular properties. Firstly, we investigated alterations of surface properties in CB129ΔslpB. Surface extractable proteins, surface charges (ζ-potential) and surface hydrophobicity were affected by the mutation. Whole-cell proteomics, using high definition mass spectrometry, identified 1,288 quantifiable proteins in the wild-type strain, i.e., 53% of the theoretical proteome predicted according to P. freudenreichii CIRM-BIA 129 genome sequence. In the mutant strain, we detected 1,252 proteins, including 1,227 proteins in common with the wild-type strain. Comparative quantitative analysis revealed 97 proteins with significant differences between wild-type and mutant strains. These proteins are involved in various cellular process like signaling, metabolism, and DNA repair and replication. Finally, in silico analysis predicted that slpB gene is not part of an operon, thus not affecting the downstream genes after gene knockout. This study, in accordance with the various roles attributed in the literature to SLPs, revealed a pleiotropic effect of a single slpB mutation, in the probiotic P. freudenreichii. This suggests that SlpB may be at a central node of cellular processes and confirms that both nature and amount of SLPs, which are highly variable within the P. freudenreichii species, determine the probiotic abilities of strains.Fil: do Carmo, Fillipe L. R.. Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique; Francia. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas; BrasilFil: Marques Da Silva, Wanderson. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Biotecnología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Tavares, Guilherme C.. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; BrasilFil: Ibraim, Izabela C.. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas; BrasilFil: Cordeiro, Barbara F.. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas; BrasilFil: Oliveira, Emiliano R.. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas; BrasilFil: Rabah, Houem. Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique; FranciaFil: Cauty, Chantal. Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique; FranciaFil: da Silva, Sara H.. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas; BrasilFil: Canário Viana, Marcus V.. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas; BrasilFil: Caetano, Ana C. B.. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas; BrasilFil: dos Santos, Roselane G.. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas; BrasilFil: de Oliveira Carvalho, Rodrigo D.. Instituto de Ciencias Da Saúde; BrasilFil: Jardin, Julien. Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique; FranciaFil: Pereira, Felipe L.. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; BrasilFil: Folador, Edson L.. Universidade Estadual da Paraiba; BrasilFil: Le Loir, Yves. Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique; FranciaFil: Figueiredo, Henrique C. P.. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; BrasilFil: Jan, Gwénaël. Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique; FranciaFil: Azevedo, Vasco. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas; Brasi

Mutation of the Surface Layer Protein SlpB Has Pleiotropic Effects in the Probiotic Propionibacterium freudenreichii CIRM-BIA 129

Propionibacterium freudenreichii is a beneficial Gram-positive bacterium, traditionally used as a cheese-ripening starter, and currently considered as an emerging probiotic. As an example, the P. freudenreichii CIRM-BIA 129 strain recently revealed promising immunomodulatory properties. Its consumption accordingly exerts healing effects in different animal models of colitis, suggesting a potent role in the context of inflammatory bowel diseases. This anti-inflammatory effect depends on surface layer proteins (SLPs). SLPs may be involved in key functions in probiotics, such as persistence within the gut, adhesion to host cells and mucus, or immunomodulation. Several SLPs coexist in P. freudenreichii CIRM-BIA 129 and mediate immunomodulation and adhesion. A mutant P. freudenreichii CIRM-BIA 129ΔslpB (CB129ΔslpB) strain was shown to exhibit decreased adhesion to intestinal epithelial cells. In the present study, we thoroughly analyzed the impact of this mutation on cellular properties. Firstly, we investigated alterations of surface properties in CB129ΔslpB. Surface extractable proteins, surface charges (ζ-potential) and surface hydrophobicity were affected by the mutation. Whole-cell proteomics, using high definition mass spectrometry, identified 1,288 quantifiable proteins in the wild-type strain, i.e., 53% of the theoretical proteome predicted according to P. freudenreichii CIRM-BIA 129 genome sequence. In the mutant strain, we detected 1,252 proteins, including 1,227 proteins in common with the wild-type strain. Comparative quantitative analysis revealed 97 proteins with significant differences between wild-type and mutant strains. These proteins are involved in various cellular process like signaling, metabolism, and DNA repair and replication. Finally, in silico analysis predicted that slpB gene is not part of an operon, thus not affecting the downstream genes after gene knockout. This study, in accordance with the various roles attributed in the literature to SLPs, revealed a pleiotropic effect of a single slpB mutation, in the probiotic P. freudenreichii. This suggests that SlpB may be at a central node of cellular processes and confirms that both nature and amount of SLPs, which are highly variable within the P. freudenreichii species, determine the probiotic abilities of strains

Determinação do período mais propício às ocorrências de incêndios em vegetação na área urbana de Juiz de Fora, MG Determination of the most favorable period for the occurrences of vegetation fires in the urban area of Juiz de Fora, MG

Os incêndios em vegetação podem provocar severos danos ao ambiente, além de consequências econômicas consideráveis, como a destruição de hábitats, a queima de madeira e os custos para o seu combate. Para estabelecer políticas de controle e prevenção, faz-se necessário conhecer o perfil dos incêndios. As estatísticas de ocorrência dos incêndios em vegetação são as principais ferramentas para se traçar seu perfil. Com esses dados, pode-se planejar o controle de modo mais eficiente, diminuindo gastos, tempo e riscos em seu combate. O objetivo deste estudo visou à determinação da época do ano e horário de maiores ocorrências de incêndios em vegetação no Município de Juiz de Fora, MG. Para isso, foi utilizada uma série temporal de 10 anos (1995 -2004), com dados de ocorrências de incêndios e elementos climáticos na área urbana do município. De acordo com os resultados, foi caracterizado o período de junho a outubro como a estação normal do fogo. Em relação às horas do dia, o período das 10 às 20 h foi o que concentrou o maior número de ocorrências, tendo seu pico entre 15 e 16 h.<br>Vegetation fires can provoke severe damage to the environment as well as considerable economic consequences, such as the destruction of habitats, the burning of wood and costs for combating them. To establish politics for control and prevention, it is necessary to know the profile of fire. The statistics of occurrence of vegetation fires are the main tools to draw your profile. With this data, we can plan to control them more efficiently by reducing costs, time and risk in their combat. The objective of this study seeks to determine the period of the year and schedule of larger occurrences of vegetation fires in the city of Juiz de Fora (MG). For that a 10 year temporary series was used (1995 - 2004) with data of occurrences of fires and climatic elements in the city. According to the results, the period from June to October as the normal fire season was characterized. Hourly, from 10:00 to 20:00 hours the largest number of occurrences was concentrated and peaks were between 15:00 and 16:00 h