78 research outputs found

    Quantitative Proteomic Analysis Reveals Changes in the Benchmark Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis Biovar Equi Exoproteome after Passage in a Murine Host

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    Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis biovar equi is the etiologic agent of ulcerative lymphangitis. To investigate proteins that could be related to the virulence of this pathogen, we combined an experimental passage process using a murine model and high-throughput proteomics with a mass spectrometry, data-independent acquisition (LC-MSE) approach to identify and quantify the proteins released into the supernatants of strain 258_equi. To our knowledge, this approach allowed characterization of the exoproteome of a C. pseudotuberculosis equi strain for the first time. Interestingly, the recovery of this strain from infected mouse spleens induced a change in its virulence potential, and it became more virulent in a second infection challenge. Proteomic screening performed from culture supernatant of the control and recovered conditions revealed 104 proteins that were differentially expressed between the two conditions. In this context, proteomic analysis of the recovered condition detected the induction of proteins involved in bacterial pathogenesis, mainly related to iron uptake. In addition, KEGG enrichment analysis showed that ABC transporters, bacterial secretion systems and protein export pathways were significantly altered in the recovered condition. These findings show that secretion and secreted proteins are key elements in the virulence and adaptation of C. pseudotuberculosis. Collectively, bacterial pathogenesis-related proteins were identified that contribute to the processes of adherence, intracellular growth and evasion of the immune system. Moreover, this study enhances our understanding of the factors that may influence the pathogenesis of C. pseudotuberculosis.Fil: Marques Da Silva, Wanderson. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas; Brasil. Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique; Francia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Carvalho, Rodrigo D. De Oliveira. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas; BrasilFil: Dorella, Fernanda A.. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; BrasilFil: Folador, Edson L.. Universidade Federal da Paraíba. Centro de Biotecnologia; BrasilFil: Souza, Gustavo H. M. F.. Waters Corporation; BrasilFil: Pimenta, Adriano M. C.. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas; BrasilFil: Figueiredo, Henrique C. P.. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; BrasilFil: Le Loir, Yves. Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique; FranciaFil: Silva, Artur. Universidade Federal do Pará; BrasilFil: Azevedo, Vasco. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas; Brasi

    Inscrição votiva em língua lusitana (Arronches Portalegre)

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    Propõe-se leitura, interpretação e integração histórica da epígrafe redi- gida em língua lusitana, proveniente de uma herdade dos arredores de Arronches. Documenta o sacrifício de animais, designadamente de dez ovelhas, a divindades indígenas – Banda, Reva, Munis, Broeneia... – cujos nomes se fazem acompanhar de epítetos, um dos quais repetido com grafias diferentes (em dativo, Haracui, Aharacui, Harase), passí- vel de relacionar-se com o topónimo actual, Arronches. Na segunda parte, os três dedicantes, que poderão identificar-se como criadores de ovelhas, suplicam às divindades que lhes aceitem os sacrifícios. Considera-se muito viável a hipótese de relacionar esta e as outras epígrafes em língua lusitana – de Lamas de Moledo e Cabeço das Frá- guas – com as rotas da transumância logo nos primórdios da domina- ção romana

    Isomeric separation of cannabinoids by UPLC combined with ionic mobility mass spectrometry (TWIM-MS)-Part I

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    The Cannabis sativa L. plant is rich in a wide variety of cannabinoids. δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (δ9-THC) is the main chemical compound responsible for its psychoactive effect, and it can be identified as [M+H]+ and [M-H]- ions at m/z 315 and 313, respectively, where M=C21H30O2. However, six other isomeric or isobaric forms of δ9-THC can exist, which makes its unequivocal characterization a challenge. In this work, ultra-high liquid chromatography coupled to traveling wave ion mobility mass spectrometry (UPLC-TWIM-MS) were applied to both electrospray ionization modes (ESI(±)) and used to analyze hashish, marijuana, and parts of the Cannabis Sativa L. plant (flower and leaf). The presence of a complex isomeric mixture of cannabinoids has been identified, and the mixture mainly contains δ9-THC, cannabidiol (CBN-C5 and Mw =310Da), δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid A and B (δ9-THCA-C5 A/B and Mw =358Da) and their isomers. Three isomers of the ions were identified at m/z 315/313, 311, and 357 by using direct infusion ESI-TWIM-MS technique, while higher selectivity was observed in UPLC-ESI-TWIM-MS data, with the maximum isomeric separation between four and five compounds achieved when using single-ion mode (SIM) acquisition. The ions at m/z 311/309, 315/313, 345, and 357 correspond to CBN-C5, δ9-THC, cannabielsioc acid, δ9-THCA-C5 and their isomers, respectively, and they were the main species found. The calculations of collision cross sections were reported for all isomers of cannabinoids and associated with TWIM-MS results

    Experimental Chemotherapy for Chagas Disease: A Morphological, Biochemical, and Proteomic Overview of Potential Trypanosoma cruzi Targets of Amidines Derivatives and Naphthoquinones

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    Chagas disease (CD), caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, affects approximately eight million individuals in Latin America and is emerging in nonendemic areas due to the globalisation of immigration and nonvectorial transmission routes. Although CD represents an important public health problem, resulting in high morbidity and considerable mortality rates, few investments have been allocated towards developing novel anti-T. cruzi agents. The available therapy for CD is based on two nitro derivatives (benznidazole (Bz) and nifurtimox (Nf)) developed more than four decades ago. Both are far from ideal due to substantial secondary side effects, limited efficacy against different parasite isolates, long-term therapy, and their well-known poor activity in the late chronic phase. These drawbacks justify the urgent need to identify better drugs to treat chagasic patients. Although several classes of natural and synthetic compounds have been reported to act in vitro and in vivo on T. cruzi, since the introduction of Bz and Nf, only a few drugs, such as allopurinol and a few sterol inhibitors, have moved to clinical trials. This reflects, at least in part, the absence of well-established universal protocols to screen and compare drug activity. In addition, a large number of in vitro studies have been conducted using only epimastigotes and trypomastigotes instead of evaluating compounds' activities against intracellular amastigotes, which are the reproductive forms in the vertebrate host and are thus an important determinant in the selection and identification of effective compounds for further in vivo analysis. In addition, due to pharmacokinetics and absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion characteristics, several compounds that were promising in vitro have not been as effective as Nf or Bz in animal models of T. cruzi infection. In the last two decades, our team has collaborated with different medicinal chemistry groups to develop preclinical studies for CD and investigate the in vitro and in vivo efficacy, toxicity, selectivity, and parasite targets of different classes of natural and synthetic compounds. Some of these results will be briefly presented, focusing primarily on diamidines and related compounds and naphthoquinone derivatives that showed the most promising efficacy against T. cruzi

    Análise da influência dos processos de plasticidade e fratura no comportamento mecânico de microestruturas de Compósitos de Matriz Metálica

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    RESUMO O presente trabalho trata da simulação numérica do comportamento mecânico de microestruturas de Compósitos com Matriz Metálica (CMMs) utilizando uma proposta de modelo de homogeneização computacional baseada numa abordagem multi-escala. Na microestrutura do compósito, as inclusões são consideradas elásticas e o comportamento da matriz é governado pelo modelo de von Mises com endurecimento isotrópico. Um modelo de fratura coesiva é desenvolvido para simular a fase de descolamento da interface matriz/inclusão. Todo o estudo é baseado no conceito de Elemento de Volume Representativo (EVR), no qual podem ser empregados modelos constitutivos que levam em conta os fenômenos dissipativos de fissuração e plasticidade. Uma série de EVRs com diferentes composições de inclusões elásticas e submetidos a diferentes condições de restrição cinemática foram analisados. Também observou-se a sensibilidade paramétrica do modelo de fratura coesiva e a importância de se considerar a fase de descolamento matriz/inclusão no processo de ruptura da microestrutura. De modo geral, os resultados encontrados contribuem para a discussão acerca do emprego de modelos simples, em termos de formulação e identificação paramétrica, na modelagem da microestrutura de materiais heterogêneos, refletindo assim na acurácia de resultados qualitativos quanto ao seu comportamento macroscópico

    Quantitative genetics of extreme insular dwarfing: The case of red deer on Jersey

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    [Aim]: The Island Rule—that is, the tendency for body size to decrease in large mammals and increase in small mammals on islands has been commonly evaluated through mac-roecological or macroevolutionary, pattern-orientated approaches, which generally fail to model the microevolutionary processes driving either dwarfing or gigantism. Here, we seek to identify which microevolutionary process could have driven extreme insular dwarfism in the extinct dwarf red deer population on the island of Jersey.[Location]: Jersey, UK (Channel Islands).[Taxon]: Red deer (Cervus elaphus).[Methods]: We applied an individual-based quantitative genetics model parameterized with red deer life-history data to study the evolution of dwarfism in Jersey's deer, con-sidering variations in island area and isolation through time due to sea level changes.[Results]: The body size of red deer on Jersey decreased fast early on, due to pheno-typic plasticity, then kept decreasing almost linearly over time down to the actual body size of the Jersey deer (36kg on average). Only 1% of 10,000 replicates failed to reach that size in our simulations. The distribution of time to adaptation in these simulations was right skewed, with a median of 395 generations (equivalent to roughly 4kyr), with complete dwarfism effectively occurring in less than 6kyr 84.6% of times. About 72% of the variation in the time to adaptation between simulations was col-lectively explained by higher mutational variance, the number of immigrants from the continent after isolation, available genetic variance, heritability, and phenotypic plasticity.[Main Conclusions]: The extreme dwarfing of red deer on Jersey is an expected out-come of high mutational variance, high immigration rate, a wide adaptive landscape, low levels of inbreeding, and high phenotypic plasticity (in the early phase of dwarfing), all occurring within a time window of around 6kyr. Our model reveals how extreme dwarfism is a plausible outcome of common, well-known evolutionary processes.This study is a contribution of the INCT in Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation founded by MCTIC/CNPq/FAPEG (grant 465610/2014-5), arising from the workshop “Fast Evolution on Islands”, organized by AMCS and JAFD-F. Authors EB, FN, WS, KSS, RSS, and ZASV are supported by CAPES MsC or Doctoral fellowships. JAFD-F, RT, TFR, and RD are supported by CNPq Productivity Fellowships and grants, and LJ and EB received CNPq/DTI-A Fellowships from INCT. JH was supported by the project ‘Predicting diversity variations across scales through process-based models linking community ecology and biogeography’ (CNPq PVE 314523/2014-6), and AMCS by a Spanish MICIU Juan de la Cierva-Incorporación (IJCI-2014-19502) fellowship.Peer reviewe

    PROTAGONISMO DO ENFERMEIRO NO PROCESSO DE CICATRIZAÇÃO DAS FERIDAS CRÔNICAS: UM ENSAIO DA LITERATURA

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    Introduction: Chronic wounds are a type of lesion that has its healing process stagnated for a period of six weeks or more, despite adequate treatment. Objectives: to understand the role of nurses in the assessment and treatment of chronic wounds and to describe their performance in the face of the systematization of nursing care in the care process. Methodology: This is a literature search with a qualitative approach. The data were collected in a virtual database. For this purpose, the Virtual Health Library (VHL) was used, in the following information base: LILACS; BDENF and MEDLINE in the period from March to April 2021. After the association of all descriptors, 85 articles were found, 70 were excluded and 15 articles were selected. Results and Discussion: After reflective reading and repetition of the themes developed in the articles found, two categories emerged: the role of the nurse in the assessment and treatment of chronic wounds and the role of the nurse in the systematization of nursing care in the care process. Conclusion: It is concluded that it is of great relevance that the dermatologist nurse has theoretical and scientific knowledge about chronic wounds for implementation in practice and, thus, to meet the demands arising from the patient, considering that, care for the patient with a chronic wound needs to be holistically targeted.Introducción: Las heridas crónicas son un tipo de lesión que tiene su proceso de cicatrización estancado por un período de seis semanas o más, a pesar de un tratamiento adecuado. Objetivos: comprender el papel del enfermero en la evaluación y tratamiento de las heridas crónicas y describir su desempeño frente a la sistematización del cuidado de enfermería en el proceso asistencial. Metodología: Se trata de una búsqueda bibliográfica con enfoque cualitativo. Los datos se recopilaron en una base de datos virtual. Para ello se utilizó la Biblioteca Virtual en Salud (BVS), en la siguiente base de información: LILACS; BDENF y MEDLINE en el período de marzo a abril de 2021. Tras la asociación de todos los descriptores, se encontraron 85 artículos, se excluyeron 70 y se seleccionaron 15 artículos. Resultados y Discusión: Luego de la lectura reflexiva y repetición de los temas desarrollados en los artículos encontrados, surgieron dos categorías: el rol del enfermero en la evaluación y tratamiento de las heridas crónicas y el rol del enfermero en la sistematización del cuidado de enfermería en el cuidado. proceso. Conclusión: Se concluye que es de gran relevancia que el enfermero dermatólogo cuente con conocimientos teóricos y científicos sobre las heridas crónicas para su implementación en la práctica y, así, atender las demandas que surjan del paciente, considerando que, el cuidado del paciente con una enfermedad crónica. La herida debe ser dirigida de manera integral.Introdução: As feridas crônicas constituem-se um tipo de lesão que tem seu processo de cicatrização estagnado por um período de seis semanas ou mais, apesar do tratamento adequado. Objetivos: compreender o protagonismo do enfermeiro frente à avaliação e tratamento de feridas crônicas e descrever a sua atuação diante a sistematização da assistência de enfermagem no processo do cuidado. Metodologia: Trata-se de uma pesquisa bibliográfica de abordagem qualitativa. Os dados foram coletados em base de dados virtuais. Para tal utilizou-se a Biblioteca Virtual de Saúde (BVS), na seguinte base de informação: LILACS; BDENF e MEDLINE no período de março e abril de 2021. Após a associação de todos os descritores foram encontrados 85 artigos, excluídos 70 e selecionados 15 artigos. Resultados e Discussão: Posterior à leitura reflexiva e repetição das temáticas desenvolvidas nos artigos encontrados, emergiram duas categorias: Protagonismo do enfermeiro frente à avaliação e tratamento de feridas crônicas e Atuação do enfermeiro frente a Sistematização da Assistência de Enfermagem no processo do cuidado. Conclusão: Conclui-se que é de grande relevância que o enfermeiro dermatologista tenha conhecimento teórico-cientifico sobre as feridas crônicas para implementação na prática e assim, atender as demandas advindas do paciente, tendo em vista que, o cuidado com o paciente com ferida crônica precisa ser direcionado de forma holística. &nbsp

    Genome of the Avirulent Human-Infective Trypanosome—Trypanosoma rangeli

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    Background: Trypanosoma rangeli is a hemoflagellate protozoan parasite infecting humans and other wild and domestic mammals across Central and South America. It does not cause human disease, but it can be mistaken for the etiologic agent of Chagas disease, Trypanosoma cruzi. We have sequenced the T. rangeli genome to provide new tools for elucidating the distinct and intriguing biology of this species and the key pathways related to interaction with its arthropod and mammalian hosts.  Methodology/Principal Findings: The T. rangeli haploid genome is ,24 Mb in length, and is the smallest and least repetitive trypanosomatid genome sequenced thus far. This parasite genome has shorter subtelomeric sequences compared to those of T. cruzi and T. brucei; displays intraspecific karyotype variability and lacks minichromosomes. Of the predicted 7,613 protein coding sequences, functional annotations could be determined for 2,415, while 5,043 are hypothetical proteins, some with evidence of protein expression. 7,101 genes (93%) are shared with other trypanosomatids that infect humans. An ortholog of the dcl2 gene involved in the T. brucei RNAi pathway was found in T. rangeli, but the RNAi machinery is non-functional since the other genes in this pathway are pseudogenized. T. rangeli is highly susceptible to oxidative stress, a phenotype that may be explained by a smaller number of anti-oxidant defense enzymes and heatshock proteins.  Conclusions/Significance: Phylogenetic comparison of nuclear and mitochondrial genes indicates that T. rangeli and T. cruzi are equidistant from T. brucei. In addition to revealing new aspects of trypanosome co-evolution within the vertebrate and invertebrate hosts, comparative genomic analysis with pathogenic trypanosomatids provides valuable new information that can be further explored with the aim of developing better diagnostic tools and/or therapeutic targets
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