Search

During the honeybee larval stage, queens develop larger brains than workers, with morphological differentiation appearing at the fourth larval phase (L4), just after a boost in nutritional difference both prospective females experience. The molecular promoters of this caste-specific brain development are already ongoing in previous larval phases. Transcriptomic analyses revealed a set of differentially expressed genes in the L3 brains of queens and workers, which represents the early molecular response to differential feeding females receive during larval development. Three genes of this set, hex70b, hex70c and hex110, are more highly transcribed in the brain of workers than in queens. The microRNAs miR-34, miR-210 and miR-317 are in higher levels in the queens' brain at the same phase of larval development. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the brain of workers expresses higher levels of hexamerins than that of queens during key phases of larval development and that this differential hexamerin genes expression is further enhanced by the repressing activity of miR-34, miR-210 and miR-317. Our transcriptional analyses showed that hex70b, hex70c and hex110 genes are differentially expressed in the brain of L3 and L4 larval phases of honeybee queens and workers. In silico reconstructed miRNA-mRNA interaction networks were validated using luciferase assays, which showed miR-34 and miR-210 negatively regulate hex70b and hex110 genes by directly and redundantly binding their 3'UTR (untranslated region) sequences. Taken together, our results suggest that miR-34 and miR-210 act together promoting differential brain development in honeybee castes by downregulating the expression of the putative antineurogenic hexamerin genes hex70b and hex110.

QTNs significantly associated to nine mineral content in grains of common bean were identified. The accumulation of favorable alleles was associated with a gradually increasing nutrient content in the grain. Biofortification is one of the strategies developed to address malnutrition in developing countries, the aim of which is to improve the nutritional content of crops. The common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), a staple food in several African and Latin American countries, has excellent nutritional attributes and is considered a strong candidate for biofortification. The objective of this study was to identify genomic regions associated with nutritional content in common bean grains using 178 Mesoamerican accessions belonging to a Brazilian Diversity Panel (BDP) and 25,011 good-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms. The BDP was phenotyped in three environments for nine nutrients (phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, manganese, sulfur, zinc, and iron) using four genome-wide association multi-locus methods. To obtain more accurate results, only quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) that showed repeatability (i.e., those detected at least twice using different methods or environments) were considered. Forty-eight QTNs detected for the nine minerals showed repeatability and were considered reliable. Pleiotropic QTNs and overlapping genomic regions surrounding the QTNs were identified, demonstrating the possible association between the deposition mechanisms of different nutrients in grains. The accumulation of favorable alleles in the same accession was associated with a gradually increasing nutrient content in the grain. The BDP proved to be a valuable source for association studies. The investigation of different methods and environments showed the reliability of markers associated with minerals. The loci identified in this study will potentially contribute to the improvement of Mesoamerican common beans, particularly carioca and black beans, the main groups consumed in Brazil.

REMOTE SENSING ALLOWS TO ESTIMATE WATER STRESS AND YIELD LOSSES OF BEAN CULTIVARS DANIEL SOARES ALVES1; PABLO RICARDO NITSCHE1; VANIA MODA CIRINO2; MARIA BRIGIDA DOS SANTOS SCHOLZ1; JOSÉ DOS SANTOS NETO2 E PAULO HENRIQUE CARAMORI1 1 Área de Agrometeorologia, Ecofisiologia e Tecnologia de Alimentos, Instituto de Desenvolvimento Rural do Paraná IAPAR – EMATER, Rod. Celso Garcia Cid, 375, Conjunto Ernani Moura Lima II, 86.047 – 902, Londrina, Paraná, Brasil. danielsoares@idr.pr.gov.br; pablo.nitsche@idr.pr.gov.br; mbscholz@iapar.br; pcaramori@gmail.com 2 Área de Melhoramento e Propagação Vegetal, Instituto de Desenvolvimento Rural do Paraná IAPAR – EMATER, Rod. Celso Garcia Cid, 375, Conjunto Ernani Moura Lima II, 86.047 – 902, Londrina, Paraná, Brasil. vamoci@idr.pr.gov.br ; js.neto@idr.pr.gov.br 1 ABSTRACT Reflectance measurements can indicate the physiological quality of plants and contribute to the correct differentiation of cultivars. Here, we studied the spectral responses at wavelengths of 410–810 nm of four common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) cultivars subjected to water stress in the flowering stage at the Rural Development Institute of Paraná in Londrina, in the state of Paraná, Brazil. The reflectance values presented differences among the water regimes treatments at the wavelengths studied. For plants without water stress, it was possible to distinguish between IPR Andorinha and IPR Colibri cultivars using wavelengths of 460 and 760 nm, respectively. With a wavelength of 810 nm, there was a differentiation among IPR Andorinha (reflectance of 25.13%), IAC Imperador (23.51%), and IPR Colibri (21.92%) cultivars; however, the latter was not significantly different from the IPR Curió (22.26%) cultivar. The highest correlations with yield (R2 > 0.90) occurred at wavelengths of 460, 510, 560, 610, and 710 nm. The water treatments increased the protein content only for IPR Andorinha cultivars. It is concluded that the spectral response correlates with productivity and makes it possible to identify the water status of bean cultivars. This demonstrates that remote sensing techniques can be used to identify water stress in this crop. Keywords: irrigation, Phaseolus vulgaris, reflectance, drought. ALVES, D. S.; NITSCHE, P. R.; CIRINO, V. M; SCHOLZ, M. B. S; NETO, J. D. S; CARAMORI, P. H. SENSORIAMENTO REMOTO PERMITE ESTIMAR O DÉFICIT HÍDRICO E PERDAS DE RENDIMENTO EM CULTIVARES DE FEIJÃO 2 RESUMO Medidas de reflectância podem indicar a qualidade fisiológica das plantas e contribuir para a correta diferenciação de cultivares. Estudou-se a resposta espectral, nos comprimentos de onda (λ) de 410 a 810 nm, em quatro cultivares de feijão (Phaseolus vulgaris) submetidas ao déficit hídrico no florescimento, no Instituto de Desenvolvimento Rural do Paraná, em Londrina – PR. A reflectância foi distinta entre os regimes hídricos em todos os comprimentos de onda (λ). Nos tratamentos sem déficit hídrico foi possível diferenciar as cultivares IPR Andorinha e IPR Colibri com λ de 460 nm e 760 nm, respectivamente. Com λ de 810 nm, houve diferenciação entre as cultivares IPR Andorinha (reflectância de 25,13%), IAC Imperador (23,51%) e IPR Colibri (21,92%), esta última sem diferença significativa com a cultivar IPR Curió (22,26%). As maiores correlações com a produtividade (R2 > 0,90) ocorreram com λ de 460, 510, 560, 610 e 710nm. Os tratamentos hídricos promoveram aumento no teor de proteína apenas para a cultivar IPR Andorinha. Conclui-se que a resposta espectral se correlaciona com a produtividade e possibilita identificar o status hídrico de cultivares de feijão. Isto permite o uso das técnicas de sensoriamento remoto como ferramenta auxiliar na identificação de estresse hídrico na cultura. Palavras-chave: irrigação, Phaseolus vulgaris, reflectância, seca.

In the present study, we investigated the possible toxic effects of phenol on two bioindicators: the fish Astyanax bifasciatus (Characiformes; Characidae) and the crustacean Daphnia magna (Cladocera; Daphnidae). We performed bioassays with A. bifasciatus (96 h and 15 days of exposure) and D. magna (48 and 96 h of exposure). The bioindicator organisms were exposed to the following concentrations of phenol: 0.003 mg L -1 , 0.01 mg L -1 , 0.03 mg L -1 , 0.06 mg L -1 , and 0.1 mg L -1 ; and the control group was maintained in clear water. We assessed the rate of micronuclei in erythrocytes of fish and evaluated the immobility of D. magna at each concentration of the contaminant. For fish, the 15-day exposure revealed a significant difference between the tested groups (p = 0.0002), showing a tendency for micronuclei to increase at the highest concentrations. For the D. magna test, 96-hour toxicity was evident at all tested concentrations (p < 0.05). A better response of these organisms was observed during the longer exposure period, emphasizing the concern on the long-term effects of phenol. Effects on the lowest concentration of phenol tested (0.003 mg L -1 ) were also observed, and this concentration is permitted by the Brazilian Legislation for Class II waters, demonstrating that the longer time of exposure to phenol can cause damage to the biota.

Chitinase is responsible for the breaking down of chitin to N-acetyl-glucosamine units linked through (1–4)-glycosidic bond. The chitinases find several applications in waste management and pest co...

Among therapeutic approaches that have been investigated, targeting of receptors implicated in managing neuroinflammation has been described. One such family of receptors comprises the formyl peptide receptors (FPRs) whose ligands could play a role in host defense. The murine FPR gene family includes at least six members while in humans there are only three. The two most important members are the Fpr1 and Fpr2. Fpr1encodes murine FPR1, which is considered the murine orthologue of human FPR. Resveratrol, a non-flavonoid polyphenol rich in red wine and grapes, apart from its beneficial health effects and anti-inflammatory properties, has been reported to reduce neuroinflammation in different neurodegenerative disease models. Resveratrol anti-inflammatory responses involve the activation of the protein deacetylase sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) gene. In this work we have investigated in an LPS-based murine model of neuroinflammation the role of FPR1, examining not only if this receptor undergoes a reduction of its expression during neuroinflammation, but also whether treatment with resveratrol was able to modulate its expression leading to an amelioration of neuroinflammatory picture in a murine model of neuroinflammation. Results of this work showed that FPR1 together with SIRT1 resulted upregulated by resveratrol treatment and that this increase is associated with an amelioration of the neuroinflammatory picture, as demonstrated by the induction of IL-10 and IL1-RA expression and the downregulation of proinflammatory mediators, such as TNF-α and IL-1β. The expression and the modulation of FPR1 by resveratrol may be evaluated in order to propose a novel anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving therapeutic approach for the reduction of the detrimental effects associated with neuro-inflammation based neurodegenerative diseases and also as a promising strategy to promote human health by a diet rich in antioxidative bioactive compounds.

BackgroundConvalescent plasma therapy is expected to be a promising alternative to supportive therapy during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic outbreak. Altered immune response in repetitive convalescent plasma donors has not been widely studied. This case series was reported to analyze the patterns of immune responses and the factors that might influence them in repetitive convalescent plasma donors and increase awareness of COVID-19 survivors to donate their convalescent plasma.Cases IllustrationThere were five repetitive donors who were eligible as convalescent plasma donor requirements. It was found two donors who showed increment of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG level after donation and two others who showed persistent anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG level more than two months after recovered.DiscussionThere was a difference in immune response in survivors who have the probability of being exposed to same antigens with survivors who did not, where the group of survivors who are at risk of exposure to antigens after recovery could trigger anamnestic immune response that can increase antiSARS-CoV-2 IgG levels. The other factor that influence the prolongation of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels are the possibility of neutralizing antibodies in plasma upregulation.ConclusionImmunological phenomenon in SARS-CoV-2, both in survivors and convalescent plasma donors, have not been widely observed and studied. From the case series discussed above, it can be concluded that convalescent plasma donation does not yet have strong evidence of decreasing levels of specific antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and plasmapheresis procedure is safe to be done without reducing the protective effect of donor antibody post-plasma donation.

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a highly contagious prion disease affecting captive and free-ranging cervid populations. CWD has been detected in United States, Canada, South Korea and, most recently, in Europe (Norway, Finland and Sweden). Animals with CWD release infectious prions in the environment through saliva, urine and feces sustaining disease spreading between cervids but also potentially to other non-cervids ruminants (e.g. sheep, goats and cattle). In the light of these considerations and due to CWD unknown zoonotic potential, it is of utmost importance to follow specific surveillance programs useful to minimize disease spreading and transmission. The European community has already in place specific surveillance measures, but the traditional diagnostic tests performed on nervous or lymphoid tissues lack sensitivity. We have optimized a Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion (RT-QuIC) assay for detecting CWD prions with high sensitivity and specificity to try to overcome this problem. In this work, we show that bank vole prion protein (PrP) is an excellent substrate for RT-QuIC reactions, enabling the detection of trace-amounts of CWD prions, regardless of prion strain and cervid species. Beside supporting the traditional diagnostic tests, this technology could be exploited for detecting prions in peripheral tissues from live animals, possibly even at preclinical stages of the disease.

The presence of abnormal, disease-related prion protein (PrPD) has recently been demonstrated by protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) in urine of patients affected with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), a prion disease typically acquired from consumption of prion contaminated bovine meat. The complexity and multistage process of urine excretion along with the obligatory use of PMCA raise the issue of whether strain characteristics of the PrPD present in vCJD brains, such as infectivity and phenotype determination, are maintained in urine excreted PrPD and following amplification by PMCA. We inoculated transgenic mice expressing normal human PrP with amplified urine and brain homogenate achieving the same 100% attack rate, similar incubation periods (in both cases extremely long) and histopathological features as for type and severity of the lesions. Furthermore, PrPD characteristics analyzed by immunoblot and conformational stability immunoassay were indistinguishable. Inoculation of raw vCJD urine caused no disease, confirming the extremely low concentration of PrPD in vCJD urine. These findings show that strain characteristics of vCJD brain PrPD, including infectivity, are preserved in PrPD present in urine and are faithfully amplified by means of PMCA; moreover, they suggest that the PrPD urine test might allow for the diagnosis and identification of disease subtype also in sporadic CJD.

One of the significant challenges of common bean breeding is developing cultivars with high yields under drought conditions. The present study attempted to map quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and identify molecular markers that are linked to drought tolerance in the common bean. We evaluated 160 recombinant inbred lines (RILs), derived from the cross between the carioca cultivars IAPAR 81 (drought tolerant) and LP97-28 (susceptible to drought). In 2014 and 2015, two experiments were conducted (DS—drought stress, and NS—no drought stress). In the DS experiment, water suppression was performed at the flowering stages R5 to R6. The results of our experiments showed that drought conditions play an essential role in reducing most of the traits that were evaluated. RILs under drought conditions reduced the grain yield by 62.03% and 24% in 2014 and 2015, respectively. We identified 15 quantitative trait loci distributed on the chromosomes Pv01, Pv02, Pv03, Pv07, Pv08, Pv09, Pv10, and Pv11, related to grain yield, seed yield per day, 100-seed weight, number of pods per plant, plant height, number of days for flowering, and number of days to maturity. The characteristics of seed yield per day, 100-seed weight, and number of days to maturity showed that QTLs colocalized on Pv07. Identifying QTLs that are linked to drought tolerance in the RIL population IAPAR 81 × LP97-28 is of particular importance for common bean breeding programs seeking to improve carioca beans that are cultivated in regions with drought conditions, such as Brazil.

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T10:27:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-07-27 The imbalance between nitrate/ammonium (NO3−/NH4+) ratio in the nutrient solution induces ammonia toxicity that can be attenuated by phosphorus (P). However, there are no reports of the beneficial effect of P in mitigating ammonia toxicity for citrus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the response of orange seedlings to nitrogen (N) in different NO3−/NH4+ ratios in the nutrient solution and whether P attenuates ammonia toxicity. Thus, two experiments were conducted in a greenhouse. Experiment I consisted of five NO3−/NH4+ ratios, and experiment II of three concentrations of P supply combined with two NO3−/NH4+ ratios. About 120 days after the beginning of the treatment applications, biological and nutritional evaluations were carried out in both experiments. The best NO3−/NH4+ ratio was 80/20 for promoting the greater development of orange seedlings Pêra-rio (Citrus sinensis L.) grafted on lemon tree (Citrus limonia L.). On the other hand a NH4–N:NO3–N ratio of 26:74 induces severe ammonia toxicity in the plant. Increasing the concentration of P supply in the nutrient solution (10.0 mmol L−1) is an important new strategy to mitigate ammoniacal toxicity in these plants because it reduced the leakage of electrolytes and increased the production of photosynthetic pigments, the photosynthetic rate, the dry matter production and the seedling quality. São Paulo State University (UNESP) School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences Federal University of Piauí (UFPI) Center for Agricultural Sciences Department of Phytotechnics University of Florida (UF) Citrus Research and Education Center Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences São Paulo State University (UNESP) School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences

Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are an important source of proteins, carbohydrates, and micronutrients in the diets of millions of people in Latin America and Africa. Studies related to genetic variability in the accumulation and distribution of nutrients are valuable for biofortification programs, as there is evidence that the seed coat and embryo differ in the bioavailability of essential nutrients. In this study, we sought to evaluate the genetic variability of total mineral content in the grain and its constituent parts (seed coat, cotyledon, and embryonic axis) of bean genotypes from Mesoamerican and Andean centers of origin. Grain samples of 10 bean cultivars were analyzed for the content of proteins and minerals (Mg, Ca, K, P, Mn, S, Cu, B, Fe, and Zn) in the whole grains and seed coat, cotyledons, and embryonic axis tissues. Genetic variability was observed among the cultivars for protein content and all evaluated minerals. Moreover, differential accumulation of minerals was observed in the seed coat, cotyledons, and embryonic axis. Except for Ca, which accumulated predominantly in the seed coat, higher percentages of minerals were detected in the cotyledons. Furthermore, 100-grain mass values showed negative correlations with the contents of Ca, Mg, P, Zn, Fe, and Mn in whole grains or in the different grain tissues. In general, the Mesoamerican cultivars showed a higher concentration of minerals in the grains, whereas Andean cultivars showed higher concentrations of protein.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia in the elderly population. The disease is characterized by progressive memory loss, cerebral atrophy, extensive neuronal loss, synaptic alterations, brain inflammation, extracellular accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques, and intracellular accumulation of hyper-phosphorylated tau (p-tau) protein. Many recent clinical trials have failed to show therapeutic benefit, likely because at the time in which patients exhibit clinical symptoms the brain is irreversibly damaged. In recent years, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have been suggested as a promising cell therapy to recover brain functionality in neurodegenerative diseases such as AD. To evaluate the potential benefits of iPSCs on AD progression, we stereotaxically injected mouse iPSC-derived neural precursors (iPSC-NPCs) into the hippocampus of aged triple transgenic (3xTg-AD) mice harboring extensive pathological abnormalities typical of AD. Interestingly, iPSC-NPCs transplanted mice showed improved memory, synaptic plasticity, and reduced AD brain pathology, including a reduction of amyloid and tangles deposits. Our findings suggest that iPSC-NPCs might be a useful therapy that could produce benefit at the advanced clinical and pathological stages of AD.

The precise molecular mechanism of how misfolded α-synuclein (α-Syn) accumulates and spreads in synucleinopathies is still unknown. Here, we show the role of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) in mediating the uptake and the spread of recombinant α-Syn amyloids. The in vitro data revealed that the presence of PrPC fosters the higher uptake of α-Syn amyloid fibrils, which was also confirmed in vivo in wild type (Prnp+/+) compared to PrP knock-out (Prnp−/−) mice. Additionally, the presence of α-Syn amyloids blocked the replication of scrapie prions (PrPSc) in vitro and ex vivo, indicating a link between the two proteins. Indeed, whilst PrPC is mediating the internalization of α-Syn amyloids, PrPSc is not able to replicate in their presence. This observation has pathological relevance, since several reported case studies show that the accumulation of α-Syn amyloid deposits in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease patients is accompanied by a longer disease course.

Introduction: Human prion diseases are rare fatal neurodegenerative diseases caused by the misfolding and aggregation of the prion protein in the form of infectious prions. So far, these diseases are incurable. One of the major difficulties in identifying suitable drugs is the availability of robust preclinical screening methods. All molecules identified have been screened using cell-based assays and in vivo murine models. The existence of a continuum of prion strains has hampered the identification of efficacious molecules modulating the progression of different forms of the disease. Areas covered: The advent of new in vitro screening methodologies is allowing for novel strategies to develop new compounds that could interfere with a broad range of diseases. In particular, two innovative techniques named Real Time Quaking Induced Conversion (RT-QuIC) and Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification (PMCA) have opened new venues for testing compounds in a rapid a reproducible way. These are discussed within. Expert opinion: For human prion diseases, one major hurdle has been a well-defined screening methodology. In other animal species, cell-based assays have been employed that could replicate animal prions indefinitely. Such a tool for human prion diseases is still missing. Therefore, the advent of RT-QuIC and PMCA has proven instrumental to overcome this limitation.

Brazil is the world's largest producer of common bean. Knowledge of the genetic diversity and relatedness of accessions adapted to Brazilian conditions is of great importance for the conservation of germplasm and for directing breeding programs aimed at the development of new cultivars. In this context, the objective of this study was to analyze the genetic diversity, population structure, and linkage disequilibrium (LD) of a diversity panel consisting of 219 common bean accessions, most of which belonging to the Mesoamerican gene pool. Genotyping by sequencing (GBS) of these accessions allowed the identification of 49,817 SNPs with minor allele frequency > 0.05. Of these, 17,149 and 12,876 were exclusive to the Mesoamerican and Andean pools, respectively, and 11,805 SNPs could differentiate the two gene pools. Further the separation according to the gene pool, bayesian analysis of the population structure showed a subdivision of the Mesoamerican accessions based on the origin and color of the seed tegument. LD analysis revealed the occurrence of long linkage blocks and low LD decay with physical distance between SNPs (LD half decay in 249 kb, corrected for population structure and relatedness). The GBS technique could effectively characterize the Brazilian common bean germplasms, and the diversity panel used in this study may be of great use in future genome-wide association studies.

The common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is of great importance to the food and nutritional security of many populations, and exploitation of the crop’s genetic diversity is essential for the success of breeding programs. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the genetic diversity of 215 common bean accessions, which included cultivars, obsolete cultivars, improved lines, and landraces using morpho-agronomic and biochemical traits, and amplified fragment length polymorphism markers (AFLP). Genetic parameters, box plots, Pearson’s correlation analysis, and Ward’s hierarchical clustering were used to analyze the data. The Jaccard similarity coefficient and neighbour-joining clustering method were used for molecular analysis. A wide variability among the accessions was observed for morpho-agronomic and biochemical traits. Selective accuracy (Ac) and broad-sense heritability (h2) values were high to intermediate for all traits, except seed yield. Ward’s hierarchical clustering analysis generated six groups. AFLP analysis also revealed significant differences among the accessions. There was no correlation between the differences based on genetic markers and those based on morpho-agronomic and biochemical data, which indicates that both datasets are important for elucidating the differences among accessions. The results of the present study indicate great genetic diversity among the evaluated accessions.

The population growth trend in recent decades has resulted in continuing efforts to guarantee food security in which leguminous plants, such as the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), play a particularly important role as they are relatively cheap and have high nutritional value. To meet this demand for food, the main target for genetic improvement programs is to increase productivity, which is a complex quantitative trait influenced by many component traits. This research aims to identify Quantitative Trait Nucleotides (QTNs) associated with productivity and its components using multi-locus genome-wide association studies. Ten morpho-agronomic traits [plant height (PH), first pod insertion height (FPIH), number of nodules (NN), pod length (PL), total number of pods per plant (NPP), number of locules per pod (LP), number of seeds per pod (SP), total seed weight per plant (TSW), 100-seed weight (W100), and grain yield (YLD)] were evaluated in four environments for 178 Mesoamerican common bean domesticated accessions belonging to the Brazilian Diversity Panel. In order to identify stable QTNs, only those identified by multiple methods (mrMLM, FASTmrMLM, pLARmEB, and ISIS EM-BLASSO) or in multiple environments were selected. Among the identified QTNs, 64 were detected at least thrice by different methods or in different environments, and 39 showed significant phenotypic differences between their corresponding alleles. The alleles that positively increased the corresponding traits, except PH (for which lower values are desired), were considered favorable alleles. The most influenced trait by the accumulation of favorable alleles was PH, showing a 51.7% reduction, while NN, TSW, YLD, FPIH, and NPP increased between 18 and 34%. Identifying QTNs in several environments (four environments and overall adjusted mean) and by multiple methods reinforces the reliability of the associations obtained and the importance of conducting these studies in multiple environments. Using these QTNs through molecular techniques for genetic improvement, such as marker-assisted selection or genomic selection, can be a strategy to increase common bean production.

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T12:28:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-12-12 The use of accuracy measures for modeling the formulas of the Comprehensive Diagnosis and Recommendation System (DRIS), can improve the efficiency of the method in assessing the nutritional status in sugarcane. Therefore, the objective was to use the accuracy measures proposed by Wadt and Lemos for the modeling of DRIS formulas in sugarcane, based on the nutritional status for phosphorus. The database was created based on productivity and leaf contents of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn for sugarcane, considered in two agricultural years. (2013 and 2014) making a total of 1,224 samples. DRIS formula modeling was performed using the seven accuracy measures proposed by Wadt and Lemos. The lowest productivity losses were registered using the sensitivity factor f = 2.5 and the productivity response limit of 40% in the 2013 and 2014 harvest. However, there is a need for a greater number of studies to achieve productivity gains when adopt DRIS to assess the nutritional status of sugarcane. The measure of accuracy of nutritional sufficiency at the response limit of 20 and 40% showed a better performance, which can avoid losses in the management of fertilization. State Univ Mato Grosso UNEMAT, Univ Campus Alta Floresta, BR-78580000 Alta Floresta, MT, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Dept Soils & Fertilizers, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil Brazilian Agr Res Corp Embrapa Rondonia, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil Embrapa Informat Agr, Ave Dr Andre Tosello 209,Cidade Univ, Campinas, SP, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Dept Soils & Fertilizers, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil

Background:Fatal Familial Insomnia (FFI) is a genetic prion disease caused by the D178N mutation in the prion protein gene (PRNP) in coupling phase with methionine at PRNP 129. In 2017, we have shown that the olfactory mucosa (OM) collected from FFI patients contained traces of PrPSc detectable by Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification (PMCA).Methods:In this work, we have challenged PMCA-generated products obtained from OM and brain homogenate of FFI patients in BvPrP-Tg407 transgenic mice expressing the bank vole prion protein to test their ability to induce prion pathology.Results:All inoculated mice developed mild spongiform changes, astroglial activation, and PrPSc deposition mainly affecting the thalamus. However, their neuropathological alterations were different from those found in the brain of BvPrP-Tg407 mice injected with raw FFI brain homogenate.Conclusions:Although with some experimental constraints, we show that PrPSc present in OM of FFI patients is potentially infectious.Funding:This work was supported in part by the Italian Ministry of Health (GR-2013-02355724 and Ricerca Corrente), MJFF, ALZ, Alzheimer’s Research UK and the Weston Brain Institute (BAND2015), and Euronanomed III (SPEEDY) to FM; by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (grant AGL2016-78054-R [AEI/FEDER, UE]) to JMT and JCE; AM-M was supported by a fellowship from the INIA (FPI-SGIT-2015-02).

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T11:46:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-09-01 NIPE - Institutional Research and Extension Center of IFSULDEMINAS - Campus Muzambinho Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Duguetia lanceolata St. Hill is a species native to the Atlantic Forest. Its seeds contain substances that have a germination inhibiting effect. In view of the above, the present work aimed to evaluate the influence of gibberellic acid and mechanical scarification on germination and seedling development of the D. lanceolata. This work was developed at IFSULDEMINAS - Campus Muzambinho, MG, Brazil. The seeds were obtained from fruits collected from adult plants. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, in a 5x2 factorial scheme with three replications with eighteen plants per plot. The treatments consisted of different concentrations of gibberellic acid (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 mg L-1) and mechanical scarification (presence and absence). Leaf number, stem diameter and germination percentage were evaluated. The data were subjected to analysis of variance, the significant difference between treatments being determined by the F test and later, the qualitative variables were analyzed by the Scott-Knott test, and the quantitative variables by regression, both at the 5% level. The gibberellic acid and scarification do not influence the stem diameter and the number of seedling leaves. There was a linear increase in the percentage of germination with increasing doses of gibberellic acid up to the concentration 20.0 mg L-1 when scarification did not occur (35.19%). Quadratic behavior occurred with gibberellin doses when the seeds undergo mechanical scarification with a maximum dosage of 10.0 mg L-1 and corresponding germination of 42.59%. Mechanical scarification promoted an increase in germination when GA(3) was not applied, and at the dosage of 10.0 mg L-1. Univ Estado Sao Paulo, Fac Ciencias Agron UNESP FCA, Sao Paulo, Brazil Agencia Paulista Tecnol Agronegocios APTA, Mococa, SP, Brazil Inst Fed Educ Ciencia & Tecnol Minas Gerais IFSUL, Pouso Alegre, MG, Brazil UNESP FCA, Sao Paulo, Brazil IFSULDEMINAS, Pouso Alegre, MG, Brazil Univ Estado Sao Paulo, Fac Ciencias Agron UNESP FCA, Sao Paulo, Brazil UNESP FCA, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is one of the most important crops worldwide and is considered an essential source of proteins, fibers, and minerals in the daily diet of several countries. Nitrogen (N) is considered the most important nutrient for common bean crop. On the other hand, the reduction of chemical fertilizers is a global challenge, and the development of cultivars with more N use efficiency (NUsE) is considered one of the main strategies to reduce the amount of N fertilizers. Genetic progress of NUsE has been reported in several crops; however, there was still no quantity in common bean. In this study, our goal was to analyze the genetic progress of seed yield (SY) and NUsE-related traits of 40 carioca common bean cultivars release from 1970 to 2017 in eight environments under low (zero) or high N (40 kg ha-1) in top-dressing. Genetic progress, principal component analysis, correlations among traits, and cultivar stability were analyzed using Bayesian approaches. The lowest values of the deviance information criterion (DIC) for the full model tested indicated the presence of the genotype × N × environment interaction for all evaluated traits. Nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUtE) and nitrogen uptake efficiency (NUpE) were the traits that most contributed to discriminate cultivars. The genetic progress of SY under high N (0.53% year-1, 95% HPD = 0.39; 0.65% year-1) was similar to that obtained in low N conditions (0.48% year-1, 95% HPD = 0.31; 0.64% year-1). These results indicate that modern cultivars do not demand more N fertilizers to be more productive. In addition, we observed a high genetic variability for NUsE-related traits, but there was no genetic progress for these variables. SY showed negative correlation with seed protein content (Prot) in both N conditions, and there was no reduction in Prot in modern cultivars. Both modern and old cultivars showed adaptability and stability under contrasting N conditions. Our study contributed to improve our knowledge about the genetic progress of common bean breeding program in Brazil in the last 47 years, and our data will help researchers to face the challenge of increase NUsE and Prot in the next few years.

Made available in DSpace on 2020-12-10T17:40:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-03-01 Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of South of Minas Gerais (IFSULDEMINAS), Campus Muzambinho The main characteristics of the phenolic foam are inherent to a substrate of excellent quality such as sterility, excellent aeration and high load-bearing capacity. However, as it comes from a phenolic resin, the foam has some residues that can affect the development of plants. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate different treatments for washing phenolic foam under the germination and initial growth of lettuce seedlings in two immersion times. The experimental design was completely randomized (DIC), in a 5x2 factorial scheme, containing four replications with 56 plants per plot. Each repetition was composed of a phenolic foam board. The experimental factors consisted of different substances: caustic soda (NaOH), pint lime (CaOH2), citric acid (C6H8O7), vinegar (CH3COOH) and water in solution with distilled water, and two immersion times (30 minutes and 18 hours). For the witness treatment, there was no immersion. After 18-hour immersion, the treatment with citric acid presented the best development for height and biomass in the lettuce seedlings. On the other hand, the 4,0% vinegar pretreatment was not considered viable for phenolic foam for any of the times analysed. There was a significant decrease in seedling biomass when no treatment in the foam was carried out before sowing the lettuce seeds. The caustic soda presented lower results for emergence speed index, fresh aerial biomass, height and number of leaves for the 18-hour immersion compared to the 30-minute immersion. Inst Fed Educ Ciencia & Tecnol Minas Gerais IFSUL, Pouso Alegre, MG, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquite Filho, UNESP, Fac Ciencias Agron FCA, Sao Paulo, Brazil IFSULDEMINAS, Pouso Alegre, MG, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquite Filho, UNESP, Fac Ciencias Agron FCA, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Made available in DSpace on 2020-12-10T20:02:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-06-03 Brazilian National Science Fund (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico and Tecnologico) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) BackgroundMost of our understanding on the social behavior and genomics of bees and other social insects is centered on the Western honey bee, Apis mellifera. The genus Apis, however, is a highly derived branch comprising less than a dozen species, four of which genomically characterized. In contrast, for the equally highly eusocial, yet taxonomically and biologically more diverse Meliponini, a full genome sequence was so far available for a single Melipona species only. We present here the genome sequence of Frieseomelitta varia, a stingless bee that has, as a peculiarity, a completely sterile worker caste.ResultsThe assembly of 243,974,526 high quality Illumina reads resulted in a predicted assembled genome size of 275Mb composed of 2173 scaffolds. A BUSCO analysis for the 10,526 predicted genes showed that these represent 96.6% of the expected hymenopteran orthologs. We also predicted 169,371 repetitive genomic components, 2083 putative transposable elements, and 1946 genes for non-coding RNAs, largely long non-coding RNAs. The mitochondrial genome comprises 15,144bp, encoding 13 proteins, 22 tRNAs and 2 rRNAs. We observed considerable rearrangement in the mitochondrial gene order compared to other bees. For an in-depth analysis of genes related to social biology, we manually checked the annotations for 533 automatically predicted gene models, including 127 genes related to reproductive processes, 104 to development, and 174 immunity-related genes. We also performed specific searches for genes containing transcription factor domains and genes related to neurogenesis and chemosensory communication.ConclusionsThe total genome size for F. varia is similar to the sequenced genomes of other bees. Using specific prediction methods, we identified a large number of repetitive genome components and long non-coding RNAs, which could provide the molecular basis for gene regulatory plasticity, including worker reproduction. The remarkable reshuffling in gene order in the mitochondrial genome suggests that stingless bees may be a hotspot for mtDNA evolution. Hence, while being just the second stingless bee genome sequenced, we expect that subsequent targeting of a selected set of species from this diverse clade of highly eusocial bees will reveal relevant evolutionary signals and trends related to eusociality in these important pollinators. Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med Ribeirao Preto, Dept Genet, Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil Univ Fed Alfenas, Inst Ciencias Biomed, Dept Biol Celular & Desenvolvimento, Alfenas, MG, Brazil Univ Fed Vales Jequitinhonha & Mucuri, Fac Ciencias Biol & Saude, Dept Ciencias Biol, Diamantina, MG, Brazil Univ Fed Sao Carlos, Ctr Ciencias Biol & Saude, Dept Genet & Evolucao, Sao Carlos, SP, Brazil Univ Tecnol Fed Parana, Cornelio Procopio, PR, Brazil Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med Ribeirao Preto, Dept Biol Celular & Mol & Bioagentes Patogen, Av Bandeirantes 3900, BR-14049900 Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil Univ, Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho, Fac Ciencias Agr & Vet, Dept Tecnol, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Filosofia Ciencias & Letras Ribeirao Preto, Dept Biol, Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil Univ, Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho, Fac Ciencias Agr & Vet, Dept Tecnol, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil Brazilian National Science Fund (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico and Tecnologico): 454103/2014-0 FAPESP: 2015/06657-0 CAPES: 001

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T10:13:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-02-01 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG) Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos Apis mellifera adult workers feature more developed key brain regions than queens, which allows them to cope with the broad range of duties they need to perform in a colony. However, at the end of larval development, the brain of queens is largely more developed than that of workers. Major morphogenetic changes take place after metamorphosis that shift caste-specific brain development. Here, we tested the hypothesis that this phenomenon is hormonally governed and involves differential gene expression. Our molecular screening approach revealed a set of differentially expressed genes in Pp (first pharate-adult phase) brains between castes mainly coding for tissue remodelling and energy-converting proteins (e.g. hex 70a and ATPsynβ). An in-depth qPCR analysis of the transcriptional behaviour during pupal and pharate-adult developmental stage in both castes and in response to artificially augmented hormone titres of 18 genes/variants revealed that: i. subtle differences in hormone titres between castes might be responsible for the differential expression of the EcR and insulin/insulin-like signalling (IIS) pathway genes; ii. the morphogenetic activity of the IIS in brain development must be mediated by ILP-2, iii. which together with the tum, mnb and caspase system, can constitute the molecular effectors of the caste-specific opposing brain developmental trajectories. Departamento de Biologia Celular e do Desenvolvimento Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Universidade Federal de Alfenas UNIFAL-MG Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias UNESP - Universidade Estadual Paulista Departamento de Genética Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto Universidade de São Paulo Departamento de Biologia Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto Universidade de São Paulo Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias UNESP - Universidade Estadual Paulista FAPESP: 2005/03926-5 FAPESP: 2011/03171-5 CNPq: 406734/2018-6 FAPEMIG: APQ-02134-14 CAPES: Finance Code 001 Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos: MCTI/FINEP/CT-INFRA-PROINFRA 01/2008 Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos: MCTI/FINEP/CT-INFRA-PROINFRA 01/2011

Water deficit is one of the main factors that reduce grain yield. A better understanding of the mechanisms related to this abiotic stress is a key aspect to design and act upon drought tolerance improvement in crop plants. Therefore, the major objective of this study was to investigate four common bean genotypes for drought tolerance and to establish their tolerance mechanisms. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse, using the completely randomized design in a factorial arrangement (2 × 4), composed by 2 water conditions (well-watered and water deficit) and 4 cultivars, with six replicates per treatment. The four cultivars, two drought-sensitive (IAC Tybatã and BRS Pontal) and two drought-tolerant (IAPAR 81 and BAT 477), were evaluated for some physiological, biochemical and morphoagronomic traits. Drought promoted physiological and metabolic changes in the plants, reflecting on the morphoagronomic traits. Under water deficit, the genotype IAPAR 81 stood out from the others in terms of physiological characters, however, it presented a low efficiency concerning biochemical activities and a significant reduction in the morphoagronomic characters. The cultivar BAT 477 demonstrated to be drought-adapted presenting more efficient biochemical and morphoagronomic adaptions and the genotype BRS Pontal obtained morphoagronomic values similar to BAT 477, thus it may be classified as moderately tolerant to drought.

Several findings propose the altered tau protein network as an important target for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Particularly, two points of pharmacological intervention can be envisaged: inhibition of phosphorylating tau kinase GSK-3β and tau aggregation process. On the basis of this consideration and on our interest in multitarget paradigms in AD, we report on the discovery of 2,4-thiazolidinedione derivatives endowed with such a profile. 28 and 30 displayed micromolar IC values toward GSK-3β, together with the capacity of inhibiting AcPHF6 aggregation of 60% and 80% at 10 μM, respectively. In addition, they showed PAMPA-BBB permeability, together with a suitable cellular safety profile. 30 also displayed inhibition of both K18 and full-length tau aggregations. Finally, both compounds were able to improve cell viability in an okadaic acid-induced neurodegeneration cell model. To the best of our knowledge, 28 and 30 are the first balanced, nontoxic, dual-acting compounds hitting tau cascade at two different hubs., This work was supported by the University of Bologna (RFO2015_2016), European Cooperation of Science and Technology (EUCOST) Action CA15135, Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (CTQ2015-66313-R), Italian Ministry of Health (GR-2013-02355724), MJFF, ALZ, Alzheimer’s Research UK and the Weston Brain Institute (BAND2015). The authors thank E. De Cecco (PhD candidate, SISSA) for providing K18 and 2N4R protein samples for the in vitro assays.

In Indonesia, the agribusiness sector has begun to expand due to the increase in entrepreneurship of orchid plants. Several genera and species of orchid plants are promising to be traded as ornamental plants, one of which is the moon orchid (Phalaenopsis amabilis). However, the limited number of seeds or plants produced by conventional propagation methods takes a long time to get new tillers. Therefore, tissue culture techniques can be used to grow and reproduce moon orchid plants. In the success of in vitro culture, the balance of growth regulators is an essential factor. On the other hand, synthetic hormones such as 1-naphthalenaecetic acid (NAA) and 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) are relatively expensive. The study in this research is to substitute the synthetic hormones NAA and BAP with organic ingredients that are cheap and easy to find. Such as Purple Sweet Potatoes and Beans and find out the right concentration of organic matter. This study used a completely randomized design with two factorials (concentration of purple sweet potato and green beans) with three repetitions. PLB (Protocorm Like Bodies) moon orchid (Phalaenopsis amabilis) was treated with: positive control (2 ppm), negative control (without the addition of organic or synthetic hormones), and variations in the concentration of purple sweet potato and green beans organic matter. The result was that C4D0 (500g/L purple sweet potato extract and 0 g/L green bean extract) was an excellent formulation, although there was no significant interaction between purple sweet potato and green bean extracts against moon orchid.

CULTIVARS SELECTION OF CARIOCA BEANS TYPE TO BE HARVESTED IN ARID FARMLANDS SEBASTIÃO SOARES DE OLIVEIRA NETO1; DOUGLAS MARIANI ZEFFA2; MARIA MÁRCIA PEREIRA SARTORI3 E VANIA MODA CIRINO4 1Engenheiro-agrônomo. Doutorando em Agronomia (Agricultura). Departamento de Produção e Melhoramento Vegetal. Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas (FCA/UNESP - Campus Botucatu), Rua José Barbosa de Barros, 1.780, CEP: 18610-307. Botucatu-SP – Brasil. E-mail: neto.soliver@gmail.com2Engenheiro-agrônomo. Doutorando em Genética e Melhoramento de Plantas. Departamento de Agronomia. Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Av. Colombo, 5790, CEP 87020-900, Maringá-PR, Brasil. E-mail: douglas.mz@hotmail.com3Matemática. Pesquisadora do Departamento de Produção e Melhoramento Vegetal. Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas (FCA/UNESP – Campus de Botucatu). Rua José Barbosa de Barros, 1780. CEP: 18.610-307, Botucatu-SP - Brasil. E-mail: mmpsartori@fca.unesp.br4 Engenheira-agrônoma. Pesquisadora do Instituto Agronômico do Paraná (IAPAR), Área de Melhoramento e Genética Vegetal. Caixa Postal 481, CEP: 86001-970, Londrina-PR - Brasil. E-mail:vamoci@iapar.br 1 ABSTRACT Brazil is a major bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) producer. Nevertheless, the unfavorable weather conditions (water deficit, mainly) cause the country’s average productivity to be far below its real potential. To avoid the drought effects, the use of tolerant cultivars is the most economical farming practice. This paper aims to evaluate the reactions and damages caused by water shortage in the production and growth components of five cultivars of Carioca beans and to select those with higher potential of being used in low rainfall conditions. The experiment was conducted at the IAPAR Experimental Station in Londrina, PR, during the 2011 water season, using the random delineation of blocks with split plots, so that the cultivars could be allocated in the sub-plot and in treatments with and without water deficit in the plots. The water deficit began in the pre-blooming stage and was kept for 20 days in the plots submitted to stress. Plants were collected for leaf area index and dry matter rate analyses 35, 47, 54 and 70 days after emergency. On the physiological maturity stage, the productivity characters were determined. The reduction index was calculated for each assessed variant. BRS Talismã proved to be drought-tolerant. Keywords: Phaseolus vulgaris L., Water deficit, Drought tolerant. OLIVEIRA NETO, S. S.; ZEFFA, D. M.; SARTORI, M. M. P.; MODA-CIRINO, V.SELEÇÃO DE CULTIVARES DE FEIJÃO DO GRUPO COMERCIAL CARIOCA PARA CULTIVO EM AMBIENTES COM DEFICIÊNCIA HÍDRICA 2 RESUMO O Brasil é um grande produtor de feijão (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), no entanto, as condições climáticas desfavoráveis (déficit hídrico, principalmente) tornam a produtividade média do país bem abaixo do seu real potencial. Para evitar os efeitos da seca, as cultivares tolerantes são a prática agrícola mais econômica. Este trabalho visa avaliar as reações e os danos causados pela falta de água nos componentes de produção e crescimento de cinco cultivares de feijão carioca e selecionar aqueles com maior potencial de uso em condições de poucas chuvas. O experimento foi conduzido na Estação Experimental do IAPAR em Londrina-PR, na safra das águas de 2011, usando o delineamento de blocos ao acaso com parcelas subdivididas, de modo que as cultivares foram alocadas na sub-parcela e os tratamentos com e sem déficit de água, nas parcelas. O déficit hídrico começou no estágio pré-florescimento e foi mantido durante 20 dias nas parcelas submetidas ao estresse. Foram coletadas plantas para a análise de índice de área foliar e taxa de matéria seca aos 35, 47, 54 e 70 dias após a emergência. Na fase de maturação fisiológica foram determinados os caracteres de produtividade. O índice de redução foi calculado para cada variável avaliada. BRS Talismã mostrou ser tolerante à seca. Palavras-chave: Phaseolus vulgaris L., Déficit hídrico, Tolerante à seca.

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are fatal neurological disorders caused by prions, which are composed of a misfolded protein (PrPSc) that self-propagates in the brain of infected individuals by converting the normal prion protein (PrPC) into the pathological isoform. Here, we report a novel experimental strategy for preventing prion disease based on producing a self-replicating, but innocuous PrPSc-like form, termed anti-prion, which can compete with the replication of pathogenic prions. Our results show that a prophylactic inoculation of prion-infected animals with an anti-prion delays the onset of the disease and in some animals completely prevents the development of clinical symptoms and brain damage. The data indicate that a single injection of the anti-prion eliminated ~99% of the infectivity associated to pathogenic prions. Furthermore, this treatment caused significant changes in the profile of regional PrPSc deposition in the brains of animals that were treated, but still succumbed to the disease. Our findings provide new insights for a mechanistic understanding of prion replication and support the concept that prion replication can be separated from toxicity, providing a novel target for therapeutic intervention.

The soils in the common bean-producing regions (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) of Brazil are usually acid and conta\y66\yin toxic levels of aluminum (Al) for plants. This ion causes yield losses by inhibiting root cell expansion, thus reducing water and nutrient uptake. This study investigates the optimal Al concentration for the screening of genotypes in hydroponics cultivation and tries to identify cultivars and lines for cultivation in Al-toxic soils. The study consisted of two series of experiments. In the first one, four cultivars were evaluated at five Al concentrations (0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 ppm) and in the second, four independent tests were carried out (1-carioca, 2-black, 3-red, and 4-white), each with seven genotypes and two Al concentrations (0 and 4 ppm). The optimized concentration of Al in the first stage was 4 ppm, which allowed the early identification of genotypes with less affected development under Al toxicity in the second stage. The common bean cultivars IPR Quero-Quero (carioca group), BRS Esplendor (black group), KID 44 (red group), and WLine 5 (white group) may be indicated for cultivation under Al toxicity.

Tauopathies are prevalent, invariably fatal brain diseases for which no cure is available. Tauopathies progressively affect the brain through cell-to-cell transfer of tau protein amyloids, yet the spreading mechanisms remain unknown. Here we show that the cellular prion protein (PrPC ) facilitates the uptake of tau aggregates by cultured cells, possibly by acting as an endocytic receptor. In mouse neuroblastoma cells, pull-down experiments revealed that tau amyloids bind to PrPC . Confocal images of both wild-type and PrPC -knockout N2a cells treated with fluorescently labeled synthetic tau fibrils showed that the internalization was reduced in isogenic cells devoid of the gene encoding PrPC . Pre-treatment of the same cells with antibodies against N-proximal epitopes of PrPC impaired the binding of tau amyloids and decreased their uptake. Surprisingly, exposure of chronically prion-infected cells to tau amyloids reduced the accumulation of aggregated prion protein and this effect lasted for more than 72 hr after amyloid removal. These results point to bidirectional interactions between the two proteins: while PrPC mediates the entrance of tau fibrils in cells, PrPSc buildup is greatly reduced in their presence, possibly because of an impairment in the prion conversion process.

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), atypical parkinsonisms, frontotemporal dementia (FTLD) and prion diseases are characterized by the accumulation of misfolded proteins in the central nervous system (CNS). Although the cause for the initiation of protein aggregation is not well understood, these aggregates are disease-specific. For instance, AD is characterized by the intraneuronal accumulation of tau and extracellular deposition of amyloid-β (Aβ), PD is marked by the intraneuronal accumulation of α-synuclein, many FTLD are associated with the accumulation of TDP-43 while prion diseases show aggregates of misfolded prion protein. Hence, misfolded proteins are considered disease-specific biomarkers and their identification and localization in the CNS, collected postmortem, is required for a definitive diagnosis. With the development of two innovative cell-free amplification techniques named Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification (PMCA) and Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion (RT-QuIC), traces of disease-specific biomarkers were found in CSF and other peripheral tissues (e.g., urine, blood, and olfactory mucosa) of patients with different NDs. These techniques exploit an important feature shared by many misfolded proteins, that is their ability to interact with their normally folded counterparts and force them to undergo similar structural rearrangements. Essentially, RT-QuIC and PMCA mimic in vitro the same pathological processes of protein misfolding which occur in vivo in a very rapid manner. For this reason, they have been employed for studying different aspects of protein misfolding but, overall, they seem to be very promising for the premortem diagnosis of NDs.

Mineral deficiency is worldwide one of the major problems associated with human health, and biofortification through breeding is considered an important strategy to improve the nutritional content of staple food in countries that face this problem. The assessment of genetic variability for seed nutrient contents is a first step in the development of a biofortified crop. From the germplasm bank IDR-IAPAR-EMATER, a set of 1,512 common bean accessions, consisting of local and commercial varieties and improved lines, was analyzed. High variability among the accessions was observed for all evaluated nutrient contents (P, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe and S and protein). In the mean, the contents of the carioca and black market groups (Mesoamerican gene pool), were around 7% higher for the minerals Ca, Cu, Mn and Fe and between 2-4% higher for P, K, Mg and Zn than in the other groups with Mesoamerican and Andean common bean. Few differences were observed among the Mesoamerican accessions that belong to the carioca and black commercial groups. Wide variability was observed among the evaluated genotypes, and the concentrations of the best accessions exceeded the overall mean by 14-28%. Due to the high variability in the evaluated accessions, these results may contribute to the selection of promising parents for the establishment of mating blocks. The nutritional contents of many of the improved lines evaluated in this study were higher than those of the commercial cultivars, indicating the possibility of developing new biofortified cultivars.

IPR Celeiro is a common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivar with a carioca-type seed and moderate resistance to Bean Golden Mosaic Virus (BGMV). IPR Celeiro has a normal life cycle and an upright architecture. This cultivar was released for the purpose of integrating its use with disease management systems in the cultivation areas affected by this virus.

As substantial constituents of the multiple myeloma (MM) microenvironment, pro-inflammatory macrophages have emerged as key promoters of disease progression, bone destruction, and immune impairment. We identify beta-2-microglobulin (β2m) as a driver in initiating inflammation in myeloma-associated macrophages (MAMs). Lysosomal accumulation of phagocytosed β2m promotes β2m amyloid aggregation in MAMs, resulting in lysosomal rupture and ultimately production of active interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-18. This process depends on activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome after β2m accumulation, as macrophages from NLRP3-deficient mice lack efficient β2m-induced IL-1β production. Moreover, depletion or silencing of β2m in MM cells abrogates inflammasome activation in a murine MM model. Finally, we demonstrate that disruption of NLRP3 or IL-18 diminishes tumor growth and osteolytic bone destruction normally promoted by β2m-induced inflammasome signaling. Our results provide mechanistic evidence for β2m's role as an NLRP3 inflammasome activator during MM pathogenesis. Moreover, inhibition of NLRP3 represents a potential therapeutic approach in MM.

Background Recent evidence suggested that the higher titers of anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody from convalescent plasma donors contributed to the clinical improvement in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. However, the titers of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies varied in each individual, and the precise factors that might govern such variation have not been elucidated. Objectives To assess the factors associated with high titers of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody among COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) donors. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in Saiful Anwar General Hospital, Malang, Indonesia. Information of interest including demographic characteristics, clinical symptoms, comorbidities, laboratory findings, and the titers of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody among COVID-19 CCP donors were collected. The correlation was assessed using multiple logistic regression. Results A total of 50 COVID-19 CCP donors with the titers of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody of more than 1:320 and 33 donors with the titers of less than 1:320 were analyzed. Our analysis revealed that CCP donors with history of cough, fever, dyspnea, and pneumonia significantly had higher titers of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody compared to asymptomatic donors. Moreover, CCP donors with elevated levels of eosinophils and immature granulocytes and low levels of albumins had higher levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody. The titer of antibody was not affected by comorbidities of donors. Conclusions CPP donors who had experience of symptomatic COVID-19 with high eosinophils level, high immature granulocytes and low albumin level have higher titers of anti-SARS-COV-2 antibody than those who experienced asymptomatic COVID-19. Our current findings may be used as the additional baseline criteria for selecting the donors of CCP for the management of COVID-19.

Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA) comprises a group of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by high brain content of iron and presence of axonal spheroids. Mutations in the PANK2 gene, which encodes pantothenate kinase 2, underlie an autosomal recessive inborn error of coenzyme A metabolism, called pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN). PKAN is characterized by dystonia, dysarthria, rigidity and pigmentary retinal degeneration. The pathogenesis of this disorder is poorly understood and, although PANK2 is a mitochondrial protein, perturbations in mitochondrial bioenergetics have not been reported. A knock-out (KO) mouse model of PKAN exhibits retinal degeneration and azoospermia, but lacks any neurological phenotype. The absence of a clinical phenotype has partially been explained by the different cellular localization of the human and murine PANK2 proteins. Here we demonstrate that the mouse Pank2 protein localizes to mitochondria, similar to its human orthologue. Moreover, we show that Pank2-defective neurons derived from KO mice have an altered mitochondrial membrane potential, a defect further corroborated by the observations of swollen mitochondria at the ultra-structural level and by the presence of defective respiration. © The Author 2012.Published by Oxford University Press.

Made available in DSpace on 2018-12-11T17:29:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2016-11-01 The tobacco calmodulin-like protein rgs-CaM is involved in host defense against virus and is reported to possess an associated RNA silencing suppressor activity. Rgs-CaM is also believed to act as an antiviral factor by interacting and targeting viral silencing suppressors for autophagic degradation. Despite these functional data, calcium interplay in the modulation of rgs-CaM is still poorly understood. Here we show that rgs-CaM displays a prevalent alpha-helical conformation and possesses three functional Ca2+-binding sites. Using computational modeling and molecular dynamics simulation, we demonstrate that Ca2+ binding to rgs-CaM triggers expansion of its tertiary structure with reorientation of alpha-helices within the EF-hands. This conformational change leads to the exposure of a large negatively charged region that may be implicated in the electrostatic interactions between rgs-CaM and viral suppressors. Moreover, the kd values obtained for Ca2+ binding to the three functional sites are not within the affinity range of a typical Ca2+ sensor. Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Instituto de Biociências Departamento de Genética Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Instituto de Biociências Departamento de Física e Biofísica Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Instituto de Biociências Departamento de Genética Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Instituto de Biociências Departamento de Física e Biofísica

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide. The distinctive neuropathological feature of AD is the intracerebral accumulation of two abnormally folded proteins: β-amyloid (Aβ) in the form of extracellular plaques, and tau in the form of intracellular neurofibrillary tangles. These proteins are considered disease-specific biomarkers, and the definite diagnosis of AD relies on their post-mortem identification in the brain. The clinical diagnosis of AD is challenging, especially in the early stages. The disease is highly heterogeneous in terms of clinical presentation and neuropathological features. This phenotypic variability seems to be partially due to the presence of distinct Aβ conformers, referred to as strains. With the development of an innovative technique named Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion (RT-QuIC), traces of Aβ strains were found in the cerebrospinal fluid of AD patients. Emerging evidence suggests that different conformers may transmit their strain signature to the RT-QuIC reaction products. In this review, we describe the current challenges for the clinical diagnosis of AD and describe how the RT-QuIC products could be analyzed by a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-based systems to reveal the presence of strain signatures, eventually leading to early diagnosis of AD with the recognition of individual disease phenotype.

Mitochondrial tRNAs are processed at their 5’ends by highly divergent but ubiquitous RNase P. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Rpm2p is the protein component of RNase P. Here, we identify four novel genes MTA1, MTA2, GEP5 and PET130 of the Saccharomycetaceae family that are necessary for an efficient processing of mitochondrial tRNAs. Null mutants of mta1, mta2 and gep5 have severely reduced levels of mitochondrial tRNAs; in addition, temperature sensitive (ts) mutants of mta1, mta2, pet130 and gep5 accumulated tRNAs precursor transcripts at the restrictive but not at the permissive temperature. The same mitochondrial tRNAs precursors were also identified in rpm2 ts mutants or in the double ts mutants mta1 rpm2 and mta2 rpm2. The genetic and physical association of these four novel genes corroborate the hypothesis that they have their function associated. Different combinations of mta1, mta2, pet130 and gep5 ts alleles display a synthetic respiratory deficient phenotype, an indication of genetic interactions of the genes. Indeed, Mta1p, Mta2p, Pet130p, and Gep5p are associated with the mitochondrial inner membrane and are all extracted and sediment in sucrose gradients as high molecular weight complexes, where they may be present in a common complex with Rpm2p. This is supported by pull-down assays showing co-immunopurification of Rpm2 with Mta1p.

Prion diseases are neurodegenerative disorders which are caused by an accumulation of the abnormal, misfolded prion protein known as scrapie prion protein (PrPSc). These disorders are unique as they occur as sporadic, genetic and acquired forms. Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) is the most common human prion disease, accounting for approximately 85–90% of cases, whereas autosomal dominant genetic forms, due to mutations in the prion protein gene (PRNP), account for 10–15% of cases. Genetic forms show a striking variability in their clinical and neuropathological picture and can sometimes mimic other neurodegenerative diseases. We report a novel PRNP mutation (V189I) in four CJD patients from three unrelated pedigrees. In three patients, the clinical features were typical for CJD and the diagnosis was pathologically confirmed, while the fourth patient presented with a complex phenotype including rapidly progressive dementia, behavioral abnormalities, ataxia and extrapyramidal features, and the diagnosis was probable CJD by current criteria, on the basis of PrPSc detection in CSF by Real Time Quaking-Induced Conversion assay. In all the three patients with autopsy findings, the neuropathological analysis revealed diffuse synaptic type deposition of proteinase K-resistant prion protein (PrPres), and type 1 PrPres was identified in the brain by western blot analysis. So, the histopathological and biochemical profile associated with the V189I mutation was indistinguishable from the MM1/MV1 subtype of sporadic CJD. Our findings support a pathogenic role for the V189I PRNP variant, confirm the heterogeneity of the clinical phenotypes associated to PRNP mutations and highlight the importance of PrPSc detection assays as diagnostic tools to unveil prion diseases presenting with atypical phenotypes. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s40478-018-0656-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the cellular prion protein (PrPC) conversion into a misfolded and infectious isoform termed prion or PrPSc. The neuropathological mechanism underlying prion toxicity is still unclear, and the debate on prion protein gain- or loss-of-function is still open. PrPC participates to a plethora of physiological mechanisms. For instance, PrPC and copper cooperatively modulate N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) activity by mediating S-nitrosylation, an inhibitory post-translational modification, hence protecting neurons from excitotoxicity. Here, NMDAR S-nitrosylation levels were biochemically investigated at pre- and post-symptomatic stages of mice intracerebrally inoculated with RML, 139A, and ME7 prion strains. Neuropathological aspects of prion disease were studied by histological analysis and proteinase K digestion. We report that hippocampal NMDAR S-nitrosylation is greatly reduced in all three prion strain infections in both pre-symptomatic and terminal stages of mouse disease. Indeed, we show that NMDAR S-nitrosylation dysregulation affecting prion-inoculated animals precedes the appearance of clinical signs of disease and visible neuropathological changes, such as PrPSc accumulation and deposition. The pre-symptomatic reduction of NMDAR S-nitrosylation in prion-infected mice may be a possible cause of neuronal death in prion pathology, and it might contribute to the pathology progression opening new therapeutic strategies against prion disorders.

Mitochondrial translation normally requires formylation of the initiator tRNA-met, a reaction catalyzed by the enzyme formyltransferase, Fmt1p and MTFMT in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and human mitochondria, respectively. Yeast fmt1 mutants devoid of Fmt1p, however, can synthesize all mitochondrial gene products by initiating translation with a non-formylated methionyl-tRNA. Yeast synthetic respiratory-deficient fmt1 mutants have uncovered several factors suggested to play a role in translation initiation with non-formylated methionyl-tRNA. Here, we present evidence that Msc6p, a member of the pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) motif family, is another essential factor for mitochondrial translation in fmt1 mutants. The PPR motif is characteristic of RNA-binding proteins found in chloroplasts and plant and fungal mitochondria, and is generally involved in RNA stability and transport. Moreover, in the present study, we show that the respiratory deficiency of fmt1msc6 double mutants can be rescued by overexpression of the yeast mitochondrial initiation factor mIF-2, encoded by IFM1. The role of Msc6p in translational initiation is further supported by pull-down assays showing that it transiently interacts with mIF-2. Altogether, our data indicate that Msc6p is an important factor in mitochondrial translation with an auxiliary function related to the mIF-2-dependent formation of the initiation complex.

Prion pathologies are characterized by the conformational conversion of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into a pathological infectious isoform, known as PrPSc. The latter acquires different abnormal conformations, which are associated with specific pathological phenotypes. Recent evidence suggests that prions adapt their conformation to changes in the context of replication. This phenomenon is known as either prion selection or adaptation, where distinct conformations of PrPSc with higher propensity to propagate in the new environment prevail over the others. Here, we show that a synthetically generated prion isolate, previously subjected to protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) and then injected in animals, is able to change its biochemical and biophysical properties according to the context of replication. In particular, in second transmission passage in vivo, two different prion isolates were found: one characterized by a predominance of the monoglycosylated band (PrPSc-M) and the other characterized by a predominance of the diglycosylated one (PrPSc-D). Neuropathological, biochemical, and biophysical assays confirmed that these PrPSc possess distinctive characteristics. Finally, PMCA analysis of PrPSc-M and PrPSc-D generated PrPSc (PrPSc-PMCA) whose biophysical properties were different from those of both inocula, suggesting that PMCA selectively amplified a third PrPSc isolate. Taken together, these results indicate that the context of replication plays a pivotal role in either prion selection or adaptation. By exploiting the ability of PMCA to mimic the process of prion replication in vitro, it might be possible to assess how changes in the replication environment influence the phenomenon of prion selection and adaptation.

In the international scenario of agriculture, Brazil stands out as the main producer and consumer of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) The increase in the productive potential of the crop is mainly due to breeding programs. The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters, predict genotypic values ​​with REML/BLUP (Restricted Maximum Likelihood/Best Linear Unbiased Prediction) and, based on these values,​​ study the variability in common bean cultivars with carioca and black grain. Twenty three agromorphological descriptors were evaluated, among them grain yield. Deviance analysis detected significant differences between the cultivars in both groups. Selective accuracy (Ac) was considered high for most of the traits. Broad-sense heritability ( ) ranged from 0.05 to 0.72, but it was low for the trait yield (YLD). In the carioca grain group, the ​​ values for the traits related to plant morphology were higher than in the black group. Nevertheless, the ​​ values in the black group were higher in relation to the pod and seed traits. The correlations for YLD were moderate but different in the two commercial groups studied. In the black group, variables related to the seed morphology were correlated with grain yield, and in the carioca group, traits related to seed quantity. Based on the groupings, variability among the cultivars was observed. Three distinct clusters were formed for the carioca group and four for the black group. Based on the predicted genetic values, genetic variability and the most adapted and stable cultivars were detected among the cultivars in the studied environments. #This article has been posted in Preprints with a doi 10.20944/preprints201803.0215.v1 (https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/201803.0215/v1) (Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license) *Corresponding author, Email: leandrosag@uel.br

The inadequate supply of nutrients in sunn hemp comprises nutritional requirements and efficiency, causing a decrease in the growth and inducing specific nutritional disorders. For this reason this research sought to evaluate the effect of N, P, K, Ca and Mg restriction on nutrient accumulation, nutritional efficiency, plant growth and characterize the visual symptoms of nutrient deficiency in crotalaria. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse in pots with constantly aerated nutrient solution. The experimental design was completely randomized with six treatments, corresponding to the complete nutrient solution (all nutrients) and omission of N, P, K, Ca and Mg individually, with three repetitions. The plant species used was sunn hemp juncea. When the particular nutrient deficiency symptom was defined, collection of the corresponding treatment plants was carried out to evaluate the stem diameter, leaf area, dry matter production of the root, shoot and entire plant, accumulation of N, P, K, Ca and Mg in the root, shoot and entire plant, efficiency of absorption and utilization of the nutrients studied and characterization of the visual deficiency symptoms of nutrients during the experimental period. The restriction of N, P, K, Ca and Mg in the cultivation of sunn hemp caused a reduction in plant growth and characteristic visual symptoms of nutritional deficiency of the respective nutrient. Deficiency of N and Mg caused greatest losses in growth of sunn hemp in relation to the other macronutrients due to lower capacity of the plant to use these nutrients in the production of dry matter when grown in the restrictive environment. Key words: sunn hemp juncea, nutrient restrictions, nutritional disorder, macronutrients.