Caracterização de acessos e híbridos de maracujazeiro por meio de descritores morfológicos.

Objetivou-se por meio deste trabalho a caracterização morfológica de híbridos interespecíficos e acessos de maracujazeiro do banco de germoplasma de maracujá da Embrapa Mandioca e Fruticultura (BAG-Maracujá). Foram caracterizados 79 híbridos interespecíficos (P. edulis x P. setacea) e sete acessos do BAG-Maracujá. Para a caracterização foram utilizados 22 descritores quantitativos e 32 qualitativos, sendo 21 referentes à parte foliar e 33 referentes à flor. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de diversidade utilizando-se como medida de dissimilaridade a distância de Gower e método de agrupamento UPGMA. A análise de cluster derivada dos dados morfológicos permitiu verificar uma ampla variabilidade genética entre os acessos e os híbridos de maracujazeiro avaliados. O coeficiente de correlação cofenético foi de 0,93, indicando um bom ajuste entre o dendrograma e a matriz de distância original. De modo geral, não houve um agrupamento com base nos grupos de cruzamentos realizados, o que pode ser justificado pelo fato de envolver apenas duas espécies nos cruzamentos interespecíficos. De maneira geral, há variabilidade nos acessos e híbridos avaliados, e estas informações podem ser úteis no direcionamento de cruzamentos visando obtenção de híbridos intra e interespecíficos

Avaliação química de frutos de maracujá de casca amarela e roxa em diferentes condições e período de armazenamento.

Objetivou-se por meio deste trabalho, a análise química de sucos extraídos de frutos de maracujazeiro de diferente coloração da casca (amarelo e roxo), sob diferentes condições de armazenamentos. Os armazenamentos testados foram os seguintes: ambiente, geladeira, freezer, freezer + N (Nitrogênio líquido) e ultrafreezer. Foram avaliados os teores de Sólidos Solúveis Totais (SST), Acidez Total Titulável (AT), pH e Ratio (SS/AT). O ensaio foi conduzido no laboratório de pós-colheita da Embrapa Mandioca e Fruticultura. O delineamento foi inteiramente casualizado e os dados analisados pelo programa Sisvar®, a 5% de probabilidade. A polpa sofreu diversas alterações de acordo com as condições de armazenamento. As variáveis que mais sofreram alterações foram o SST e o Ratio, em relação à polpa de maracujá recémextraída da fruta e a polpa armazenada em geladeira, confirmando a sensibilidade dos frutos em relação ao processamento. O período e as condições de armazenamento causaram perdas significativas no pH da polpa dos frutos, a exceção dos frutos roxo escuro, os quais apresentaram uma ligeira resistência as alterações químicas

Molecular and antigenic characterisation of ribosomal phosphoprotein P0 from Babesia bovis.

Babesia bovis is a tick-borne pathogen that remains an important constraint for the development of cattle industries in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Effective control can be achieved by vaccination with live attenuated phenotypes of the parasite. However, these phenotypes have a number of drawbacks, which justifies the search for new, more efficient immunogens based mainly on recombinant protein technology. In the present paper, ribosomal phosphoprotein P0 from a Brazilian isolate of B. bovis was produced and evaluated with regard to conservation and antigenicity. The protein sequence displayed high conservation between different Brazilian isolates of B. bovis and several Apicomplexa parasites such as Theileria, Neospora and Toxoplasma. IgG from cattle experimentally and naturally infected with B. bovis as well as IgG1 and IgG2 from naturally infected cattle reacted with the recombinant protein. IgG from cattle experimentally infected with Babesia bigemina cross-reacted with B. bovis recombinant P0. These characteristics suggest that P0 is a potential antigen for recombinant vaccine preparations against bovine babesiosis. The aims of the present paper were to analyse the genetic conservation of the P0 gene among Brazilian isolates of B. bovis and produce recombinant P0 (rPO) from a Brazilian isolate and evaluate its antigenicity with sera from cattle naturally or experimentally infected with B. bovis and sera from cattle experimentally infected with B. bigemina in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

Tectonostratigraphy of Middle and Upper Palaeozoic black shales from the Porto-Tomar-Ferreira do Alentejo shear zone (W Portugal): new perspectives on the Iberian Massif

Middle/late Devonian and early Carboniferous metasedimentary sequences in the northernmost region (Porto-Espinho-Tomar) of the Ossa-Morena Zone (Portuguese Iberian Variscan Massif) contain black shales of very low to low-grade metamorphism. These metasedimentary rocks form a discrete NNW-SSE structure within a major shear zone (Porto-Tomar-Ferreira do Alentejo) and remain subparallel to the observed regional major structures (folding, thrusts or overthrusts). These black shales are overhanged and then imbricated in an upper Proterozoic metamorphic substratum. A multi-disciplinary study of these metasedimentary rocks from the Espinho-Tomar region has tectonostratigraphy, palynology, organic petrology and clay mineralogy combined methods. This approach provides new insights into the tectonic evolution and geological framework of Palaeozoic basement of the Iberian Variscides. Palaeoenvironmental and tectonostratigraphic implications on the Iberian geodynamic framework are discussed.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6X0V-4B1S5T3-3/1/df2a39b964c83f2e1e28dfb7cc85309

IgG and IgG2 antibodies from cattle naturally infected with Anaplasma marginale recognize the recombinant vaccine candidate antigens VirB9, VirB10, and elongation factor-Tu.

Anaplasma marginale is an important vector-borne rickettsia of ruminants in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Immunization with purified outer membranes of this organism induces protection against acute anaplasmosis. Previous studies, with proteomic and genomic approach identified 21 proteins within the outer membrane immunogen in addition to previously characterized major surface protein1a-5 (MSP1a-5). Among the newly described proteins were VirB9, VirB10, and elongation factor-Tu (EF-Tu). VirB9, VirB10 are considered part of the type IV secretion system (TFSS), which mediates secretion or cell-to-cell transfer of macromolecules, proteins, or DNA-protein complexes in Gram-negative bacteria. EF-Tu can be located in the bacterial surface, mediating bacterial attachment to host cells, or in the bacterial cytoplasm for protein synthesis. However, the roles of VirB9, VirB10, and TFSS in A. marginale have not been defined. VirB9, VirB10, and EF-Tu have not been explored as vaccine antigens. In this study, we demonstrate that sera of cattle infected with A. marginale, with homologous or heterologous isolates recognize recombinant VirB9, VirB10, and EF-Tu. IgG2 from naturally infected cattle also reacts with these proteins. Recognition of epitopes by total IgG and by IgG2 from infected cattle with A. marginale support the inclusion of these proteins in recombinant vaccines against this rickettsia