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Made available in DSpace on 2022-05-01T05:29:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-07-01 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) The knowledge of the diversity, richness, and distribution of tropical organisms are poorly understood, and a plethora of new species are still being described even among groups considered well-known. As a result, this inadequate knowledge of the biodiversity has hampered the species’ conservation. Thus, sampling efforts must be urgently optimized to survey important and unique areas and to better allocated the scarce conservation resources, especially in the tropical and developing countries that harbor much of the world biodiversity. We assessed the most relevant regions in terms of environmental dissimilarity for sampling vertebrates (amphibians, birds, and mammals) in the Pernambuco Endemism Center (PEC), located in Atlantic forest and the most threatened region in South America, where only about 1% of remaining forests are protected. We found that 8–41% of the PEC areas showed high sampling relevance for all vertebrate groups, with the non-coastal areas of the PEC presenting the highest sampling relevance in terms of environmental dissimilarity. For all vertebrate groups, the sites with the highest sampling relevance are threatened by fragmentation, and sampling efforts must be allocated to these areas before they are totally converted into human-modified landscapes. Departamento de Genética e Evolução Universidade Federal de São Carlos Departamento de Ciência da Natureza Universidade Federal do Acre Departamento de Biodiversidade Universidade Estadual de São Paulo Instituto para Preservação da Mata Atlântica Rua José de Alencar, 86, sala 6, Farol Departamento de Ciências Ambientais Universidade Federal de São Carlos, campus de Sorocaba Seção de Aves Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Nazaré, 481 Department of Biology University of Miami Departamento de Biodiversidade Universidade Estadual de São Paulo FAPESP: 2019/26436-6 CNPq: 300970/2015-3 CNPq: 303524/2019-7 CNPq: 308337/2019-0 CNPq: 308702/2019-0

Island Biogeography Theory and Habitat Amount Hypothesis postulate species richness and densities to increase with connectivity and habitat amount, while niche theory highlights the importance of environmental heterogeneity for species coexistence. Additional ecological niches in heterogeneous landscapes increase species richness and functional and phylogenetic diversity, but larger, less isolated habitats are expected to enlarge species densities by mass effects without effects on functional or phylogenetic diversity. We assessed the relative contribution of habitat amount, isolation and environmental heterogeneity on taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of the particular canga vegetation, i.e., rupestrian savannas associated to banded ironstone outcrops from the Carajas Massif, Eastern Amazon. We sampled vegetation at 48 sampling points comprising different physiognomies from 5 canga patches. Diversity measures were modelled as response variables in linear mixed models, using non-collinear predictors of habitat amount, isolation and environmental heterogeneity. Diversity and species composition differed among canga physiognomies, indicating that environmental filters segregate canga plant metacommunity in physiognomy-specific species pools. Landscape roughness, a proxy for heterogeneity on the landscape level, increases species densities and functional richness. Additionally, habitat amount was positively associated with the degree of phylogenetic relatedness and functional diversity in communities. Our results suggest that configurational landscape heterogeneity increases the number of available ecological niches, while larger habitat amounts select for functionally and phylogenetically convergent species. These different underlying mechanisms need to be considered for management plans and reserve design for canga ecosystems, so that functional canga portions can be protected.

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T11:05:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-01-01 Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades CYTED Ciencia y Tecnología para el Desarrollo Large mammalian herbivores play an important role in shaping the diversity of tropical forests by affecting the survival of seedlings and saplings beneath parent plants. The white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari) accounts for the largest herbivore biomass that controls seed and seedling survival in Neotropical ecosystems. However, hunting and habitat loss has driven peccaries to local extinction for most of their original distribution, so it is likely that their absence will affect plant recruitment dynamics. We tested the effects of peccary local extinction on the density and spatial distribution of the hyperdominant palm Euterpe edulis by performing a fine-scale characterization of its spatial recruitment in six forest sites in the Brazilian Atlantic forest. We compared the age structure and the spatial patterns of seedlings, saplings, and adults as well as the relationship between them. We found that while under the presence of peccaries there was a decrease in recruitment rates under adults, the local extinction of these large mammals led to a more clumped process of spatial recruitment. Despite such contrasting spatial patterns of recruitment dynamics, neither age structure nor the random spatial distribution of adults was affected by the presence or absence of peccaries, indicating that their early effects on these palm populations are mitigated as recruitment advances. Our findings highlight the role of large-bodied forest-dwelling herbivores in regulating the fine-scale spatial recruitment of plants and advance our understanding on the effects of defaunation in tropical forests. Abstract in Portuguese is available with online material. CIBIO-InBIO Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos Universidade do Porto Departamento de Ecología Universidad de Granada Departamento de Biodiversidade Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Departamento de Genética e Evolução Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar) Integrative Ecology Group Estación Biológica de Doñana Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (EBD-CSIC) Department of Biology University of Miami Departamento de Biodiversidade Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) CYTED Ciencia y Tecnología para el Desarrollo: 418RT0555

Summary Despite the importance of climate-adjusted provenancing to mitigate the effects of climate change, climatic considerations alone are insufficient when restoring highly degraded sites. Here we employ a comprehensive landscape genomic approach to assist the restoration of moderately disturbed and highly degraded sites. Relying on genotyping-by-sequencing we identified thousands of single nucleotide polymorphisms in two plant species of special interest for the restoration of iron-rich Amazon Savannas from the Eastern Amazon. We first used a subset of neutral loci to assess genetic structure and determine the genetic neighborhood size, and then combined uni-variate and multi-variate methods to identify genotype-environment and genotype-phenotype associations, representing local adaptations. We then mapped adaptive genetic variation and predicted adaptive genotypes for both restoration sites. Whereas local provenances where found optimal to restore the moderately disturbed site, a mixture of genotypes was the most promising strategy to recover a highly degraded mining site, to which local provenances were not adapted. We discuss how our results can help define site-adjusted provenancing strategies and argue that our methods can be more broadly applied to assist other restoration and rehabilitation initiatives.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) and invertebrate-derived DNA (iDNA) have been increasingly recognized as powerful tools for biodiversity assessment and conservation management. However, eDNA/iDNA efficiency for vertebrate diversity assessment remains uncertain, and comparisons to conventional methods are still rare. Through a meta-analysis of previously published vertebrate diversity surveys, we compared the efficiency of eDNA/iDNA against conventional methods across several types of samplers, vertebrate groups, and locations (tropical vs. temperate zones). We also assess eDNA/iDNA efficiency to estimate relative abundance or biomass over different molecular methods (qPCR and metabarcoding) and type of experiment (in the laboratory or in the field). We showed that for water sampler, fish as a target species, and studies achieved in temperate zones, eDNA presents lower risk of not detecting a species or a site with a target species than conventional methods. These results show that eDNA is an efficient tool to assess fish diversity. Moreover, eDNA data presents positive correlation with fish abundance or biomass. However, such correlation was higher in laboratory experiments than in the field. For the other samplers, vertebrate groups, and in tropical zones we were not able to draw general conclusion, highlighting the urgency of conducting more comparative studies.

Mycobacteria are ubiquitous microorganisms and may be found in many different environments, either associated or not to diseases. Culture-independent molecular techniques brought new perspectives for research regarding soil microorganisms, which is relevant to microbiologists and industry. Therefore, new research is necessary to broaden our knowledge about ecology and physiology of mycobacteria in extreme environments. The aim of this study was to verify the presence of mycobacteria in Antarctica soil samples and to standardize molecular and culture-dependent techniques to their isolation. Soil DNA was extracted and submitted to denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), rrs mycobacterial gene amplification and partial sequencing. Thereby, 10 colonies morphologically similar to mycobacteria were isolated from 10 different samples, resulting in 15 DNA sequences where Mycobacterium neglectum and Mycobacterium kumamotonense were identified, suggesting that Mycobacterium terrae complex representatives are ubiquitous in the region. This study proposes a simple method for mycobacteria cultivation from soil samples and shows that ornithogenic soils can be the source of organic matter and low pH, modulating the mycobacterial Antarctica diversity. Further research aiming to explore mycobacterial diversity in soil are needed to increase knowledge and better explore their evolution, their relation with animal and human species and their potential biotechnological use.

Alcaligenes faecalis is a Gram-negative rod that is ubiquitous in the environment and is an opportunistic human pathogen. Here, we report the whole-genome sequencing analysis of A. faecalis HZ01, which presents mycobacterial growth inhibitory activity and was isolated from a contaminated culture of Mycobacterium chubuense ATCC 27278.

The Mycobacterium abscessus complex comprises multidrug-resistant, opportunistic, and rapidly growing pathogens responsible for severe infections. Here, we report the genome composition of four Mycobacterium abscessus subsp. massiliense isolates from three sources: two from the lung of a cystic fibrosis patient, one from a mammary cyst, and one from a gutter system.

Landscape resistance surfaces are often used to address questions related to movement, dispersal, or population connectivity. However, modeling landscape resistance is complicated by the selection of the most appropriate analytical approach and the assignment of resistance values to landscape features. We compare three common approaches used in landscape genetics to assign resistance values to landscape features and assess the ability of each approach to correctly identify the data generating resistance surfaces from competing resistance surfaces, as well as the accuracy of each method in recreating the true resistance surface. Using simulated genetic data and landscape resistance surfaces, three optimization approaches were evaluated: constrained optimization using reciprocal causal modeling (RCM-CO), constrained optimization using linear mixed effects (MLPE-CO) models, and true optimization using ResistanceGA, which combines MLPE models with a genetic algorithm. All methods had low type I error (20% or less) when the simulated surface was continuous, but only MLPE-CO and ResistanceGA had low type I error (10% or less) when the simulated surface was categorical. Error was substantially lower with ResistanceGA than MLPE-CO or RCM-CO for multivariate surfaces. Correlation between true and optimized resistance surfaces was generally high with MLPE-CO and ResistanceGA, but low with RCM-CO. MLPE-based approaches (ResistanceGA and MLPE-CO) were superior to RCM-CO, highlighting their value for landscape genetic analyses. The overall performance, objectivity, and accessibility of ResistanceGA underscore its value as a tool for inferring resistance values from genetic data to better understand how landscapes affect dispersal, movement and population connectivity.

Carvalho, S.C., Valverde, J., Souza, M., Ribeiro, T., Nazareth, S., Galetti, M., Cortes, M.C. 2019. The role of thrushes in maintaining the genetic diversity and structure of a tropical palm. Ecosistemas 28(1):26-34. Doi.: 10.7818/ECOS.1530 The extinction of large seed dispersers in fragmented habitats can affect the spatial, genetic and demographic structure of many plant species. We have studied seed dispersal and genetic diversity of Euterpe edulis in an Atlantic Forest fragment. Through focal observations we evaluated the quantity component of seed dispersal. In addition, in a plot of 25x50 m we genotyped all adults and a random sample of seedlings and seeds with the objective of characterizing the contribution of different adult plants to the seed rain, the fine-scale spatial genetic structure and the genetic diversity of seedlings and adults. Thrushes (Turdus spp.) were the main dispersers of this species. We did not observe any spatial genetic structure in seedlings or adults, although we did observe a stronger relationship between both stages below six meters. The values of inbreeding, expected heterozygosity and allelic richness were similar between seedlings and adults, demonstrating intergenerational stability in these parameters. Our results show that seed dispersed by thrushes occur mainly at short distance; nevertheless, the spatial overlap in the seed rain erodes the spatial genetic patterns that this process may generate. With this study, we demonstrate that these medium-sized birds are able to maintain genetic diversity between generations, giving them a crucial role in maintaining genetic diversity of zoochoric plants in fragmented landscapes.

Maria Carolina Sisco,1,2 Marlei Gomes da Silva,1 Luciana Distasio de Carvalho,3 Carlos Eduardo Dias Campos,3 Paulo Cesar De Souza Caldas,3 Beatriz Lopez,4 Claudia Argüelles,5 Ana Carolina Carvalho,6 Jacobus de Waard,7,8 Philip Suffys,2 Rafael Silva Duarte1 1Laboratório de Micobactérias, Departamento de Microbiologia Médica, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; 2Laboratório de Biologia Molecular Aplicada às Micobactérias, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; 3Laboratório de Referência Nacional Para Tuberculose e Micobacterioses, Centro de Referência Professor Hélio Fraga, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; 4Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Buenos Aires, Argentina; 5Instituto Nacional de Producción de Biológicos – ANLIS Carlos G Malbrán, Buenos Aires, Argentina; 6Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Campus Macaé, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; 7Departamento de Tuberculosis, Instituto Autónomo de Biomedicina Dr. Jacinto Convit, Caracas, Venezuela; 8One Health Research Group, Facultad de Ciencias de La Salud, Universidad de Las Américas, Quito, EcuadorCorrespondence: Philip Suffys Email psuffys@gmail.comPurpose: Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is the only vaccine licensed against tuberculosis. Despite the protection offered by the vaccine, in some circumstances children and immunocompromised individuals can develop associated infections, known as BCGitis. Drug susceptibility patterns of BCG clinical strains have rarely been described. We aimed to describe the susceptibility pattern of BCG clinical strains isolated in two different countries.Methods: We performed culture-based drug susceptibility testing of thirty one BCG strains isolated from patients in Brazil (n=5, 16%) and Argentina (n=26, 84%) using the broth micro-dilution method (phenotypic method). Final antibiotic concentrations for susceptibility testing ranged from 0.5 to 16 mg/L for amikacin, 0.3125 to 10 mg/L for ethambutol, 0.05 to 1.6 mg/L for isoniazid and 0.25 to 8 mg/L for rifampicin, streptomycin and ofloxacin. Additionally, we compared the results with genetic data obtained by whole genome sequencing.Results: By using the phenotypic method we detected one strain resistant to ethambutol, three strains resistant to rifampicin and one resistant to isoniazid. Additionally, two strains that were phenotypically resistant to both isoniazid and rifampicin carried mutations in the katG and rpoB genes simultaneously.Conclusion: There is evidence of the emergence of BCG-resistant strains isolated from vaccine-related complications. We recommend drug susceptibility testing of the BCG strain causing the infection in order to prevent treatment failure.Keywords: BCG, mycobacteria, resistance, vaccine

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T10:12:07Z (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) Anthropogenic activities influence ongoing selective regimes leading to changes in phenotypic variation of plants and animals. The reduction of phenotypic variation may decrease populations' ability to cope with environmental changes. To counteract the increasing risk of extinction of affected populations, it is important to rescue intraspecific variability, assuring higher success of establishment and persistence under global changes. We evaluated whether it is possible to revert phenotypic changes caused by humans using as study case a bird-dispersed palm that presents seed size reduction due to defaunation of large-gaped frugivores. We investigated how defaunation changes the seed size profile of each population by evaluating the coefficient of variation, mean and percentage of large phenotypes of produced and dispersed seed sizes. Simple theoretical models were used to simulate the success of two restoration strategies: (a) direct reintroduction of missing phenotypes that were originally found in the species and (b) reintroduction of large-bodied frugivores to restore the ecological function of large-seed dispersal. Here we discuss the importance of rescuing phenotype states in restoration strategies. We found that defaunation changes the seed size profile by reducing the size of produced and dispersed seeds. By adding missing phenotypes one time, population mean seed size decreased back to phenotypically depauperated scenarios in eight generations. Conversely, large seed sizes could be rescued in approximately five generations after seed dispersal processes generated by large seed dispersers were re-established. To rescue and sustain phenotypes such as large seed sizes in palm populations is necessary to restore the seed dispersal processes by large frugivores or add missing phenotypes continuously over time. The restoration of the seed dispersal processes by large frugivores has additional value over seed addition because it would benefit other bird-dispersed species and, therefore, may be crucial to face ongoing global change scenarios. Synthesis and applications. Defaunation leads to character displacement within decades, having impact on populations, species and ecosystems. To prevent species extinction is paramount that phenotype variation is preserved. We propose the inclusion of phenotype restoration of wild populations as a goal for restoration framework. Departamento de Biodiversidade Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Departamento de Genética e Evolução Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar) Departamento de Biodiversidade Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) FAPESP: 2014/01029-5 FAPESP: 2016/22843-8 FAPESP: 2019/26436-6 CNPq: 445353/2014-7

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T10:17:18Z (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 para a Ciência e a Tecnologia The world-wide decline in populations of large-bodied vertebrates due to deforestation and poaching threatens the persistence of animal-dispersed plants by reducing long-distance seed dispersal and generating aggregated seed rain patterns. We evaluated whether the composition of maternal trees contributing to the seed rain is also impacted by the loss of large frugivores. By combining molecular tools with a thorough sampling of the frugivore-generated seed rain we quantified the number of seeds, richness of maternal progenies and number of maternal effective alleles in the seed rain of a tropical palm Euterpe edulis across ten Atlantic Forest remnants with varying levels of avian defaunation and density of palm conspecifics. Forest structure in defaunated areas was characterized by higher canopy openness. Defaunation did not affect the number of seeds dispersed or of effective alleles, but, together with palm density, was associated with higher numbers of maternal genotypes in the seed rain. This result suggests that medium-sized birds may play an important role in mixing maternal genotypes where large-sized frugivores have been extirpated. Defaunation, however, impacted the spatial distribution of seeds, with deposition sites in avian depauperated forests less likely to receive at least one seed. Synthesis. Our study suggests that medium-sized frugivores contribute to maintaining the quantitative component of seed dispersal and local genetic diversity of a threatened tropical palm in human degraded forests and, therefore, may be important for guaranteeing the persistence of remnant animal-dispersed plant populations under scenarios of rapid environmental change. The loss of large-bodied frugivores, however, can disrupt longer dispersal events and strengthen the dispersal spatial limitation, with consequences for plant spatial distribution and fine-scale genetic structure at the population level. São Paulo State University (UNESP) Institute of Biosciences Departamento de Genética e Evolução Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar) Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos CIBIO/InBIO Universidade do Porto Department of Evolution Ecology and Behaviour Institute of Integrative Biology University of Liverpool Integrative Ecology Group Estación Biológica de Doñana Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (EBD-CSIC) São Paulo State University (UNESP) Institute of Biosciences FAPESP: 2014/01029-5 FAPESP: 2016/22843-8 FAPESP: 2019/03005-0 FAPESP: 2019/26436-6 CNPq: 445353/2014-7 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia: IF/01375/2012

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T12:26:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-11-01 Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Programa Santander de Mobilidade Internacional Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Eusocial insects tend to present low genetic diversity (GD) within colonies, which can increase with the co-occurrence of multiple queens (polygyny) or with multiple mating by a single queen (polyandry). Therefore, it is important to elucidate how these strategies influence GD, which in turn mediate population ecology and how organisms respond to their environment. We studied two carpenter ant species from the Brazilian savanna, Camponotus renggeri and C. rufipes. Using microsatellites, we evaluated the number of breeders, the genetic relatedness and the contribution of polygyny and polyandry to GD within colonies. Both species exhibited facultative polygyny. In C. renggeri, low related queens formed colonies jointly and present low mating frequency. In this species, colony GD increased with the number of queens. Contrastingly, closely related queens of C. rufipes formed polygynous colonies, exhibiting high mating frequency. In C. rufipes, both queens and males contributed to colony GD. Despite the differences, the two species have similar GD at the colony scale. Under low mating frequency, our data support that polygyny has evolutionary importance for increasing GD in ant colonies, a mechanism mainly conferred to polyandry. Although the impact of GD in variable ecological and adaptive contexts remains uncertain, this study highlights how distinct reproductive strategies may generate similar patterns of GD in ants. Univ Estadual Campinas, Programa Posgrad Ecol, BR-13083862 Campinas, SP, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias, BR-11380972 Sao Vicente, SP, Brazil Inst Tecnol Vale, BR-66055090 Belem, Para, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Dept Biodiversidade, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP, Brazil Univ Estadual Campinas, Ctr Biol Mol & Engn Genet, Dept Biol Vegetal, BR-13083862 Campinas, SP, Brazil Univ Estadual Campinas, Dept Biol Anim, BR-13083862 Campinas, SP, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias, BR-11380972 Sao Vicente, SP, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Dept Biodiversidade, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP, Brazil CAPES: 001 CNPq: 131908/2014-6 FAPESP: 2017/18291-2 FAPESP: 2013/08086-1 FAPESP: 2014/22821-9 FAPESP: 2014/01029-5 CNPq: 306115/2013-1 CNPq: 302219/20170 FAPESP: 2014/23141-1 FAPESP: 2017/16645-1

These code are part of the study "Extant fruit-eating birds promote genetically diverse seed rain, but disperse to fewer sites in defaunated tropical forests" published in Journal of Ecology

Conserving genetic diversity in rare and narrowly distributed endemic species is essential to maintain their evolutionary potential and minimize extinction risk under future environmental change. In this study we assess neutral and adaptive genetic structure and genetic diversity in Brasilianthus carajensis (Melastomataceae), an endemic herb from Amazonian Savannas. Using RAD sequencing we identified a total of 9365 SNPs in 150 individuals collected across the species’ entire distribution range. Relying on assumption-free genetic clustering methods and environmental association tests we then compared neutral with adaptive genetic structure. We found three neutral and six adaptive genetic clusters, which could be considered management units (MU) and adaptive units (AU), respectively. Pairwise genetic differentiation (FST) ranged between 0.024 and 0.048, and even though effective population sizes were below 100, no significant inbreeding was found in any inferred cluster. Nearly 10 % of all analysed sequences contained loci associated with temperature and precipitation, from which only 25 sequences contained annotated proteins, with some of them being very relevant for physiological processes in plants. Our findings provide a detailed insight into genetic diversity, neutral and adaptive genetic structure in a rare endemic herb, which can help guide conservation and management actions to avoid the loss of unique genetic variation., Rare and narrowly distributed plants are particularly sensitive to the loss and fragmentation of their natural habitats, which ultimately result in reduced genetic diversity and a weakened ability to adapt to changing environments. In this study we evaluated the genetic health of a narrowly distributed herb from Amazonian Savannas. Relying on Next-Generation Sequencing technologies we were able to take a detailed glance at a representative portion of the plant’s whole genome, assessing genetic diversity, genetic composition and adaptations to local environmental conditions. Our results provide clear guidance on how to avoid the loss of unique genetic variation in this unique plant.

Humans fundamentally affect dispersal, directly by transporting individuals and indirectly by altering landscapes and natural vectors. This human-mediated dispersal (HMD) modifies long-distance dispersal, changes dispersal paths, and overall benefits certain species or genotypes while disadvantaging others. HMD is leading to radical changes in the structure and functioning of spatial networks, which are likely to intensify as human activities increase in scope and extent. Here, we provide an overview to guide research into HMD and the resulting rewiring of spatial networks, making predictions about the ecological and evolutionary consequences and how these vary according to spatial scale and the traits of species. Future research should consider HMD holistically, assessing the range of direct and indirect processes to understand the complex impacts on eco-evolutionary dynamics.

Made available in DSpace on 2018-12-11T17:10:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2017-10-01 Reintroductions—captive-born animals introduced into the species’ original distribution area—and translocations—free-living animals transferred to another location within the historical distribution area—are important conservation strategies for endangered species. Genetic analyses of 239 individuals from unmanaged, translocated and reintroduced populations of Leontopithecus rosalia were performed using 14 microsatellites. These samples were collected during two periods: (a) 1996–1997 (historic), when individuals were translocated and reintroduced into forest fragments in the lowland Atlantic Forest, and (b) 2007–09 (recent). We hypothesized that effective population size and genetic diversity would increase over time and that these management strategies would affect the resulting population genetic structure. We found trends indicating that the effective population size at the translocation site increased while that at the reintroduction sites diminished over time. The inbreeding coefficient of the translocated population diminished over time (from 0.38 to 0.03) and was much lower than that of the native (0.29) and reintroduced (0.13) recent populations. We observed a greater genetic admixture among the reintroduced sites on the historic sampling, as well as a strong genetic structure at the translocation site. In the recent sampling, the population structuring became more site-related suggesting low or inconsistent gene flow between sampling sites. This research highlights how conservation management decisions have an important influence on the genetic outcome of translocations and reintroductions. Future conservation planning should consider population genetic monitoring before and after management measures and maintain population connectivity thereafter to avoid the negative effects of a population size reduction. Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Recursos Naturais Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense (UENF), Campos dos Goytacazes Departamento de Ecologia Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro Save The Golden Lion Tamarin Programa de Pós-graduação em Biodiversidade Tropical Centro Universitário Norte do Espírito Santo (CEUNES) Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (UFES) Departamento de Genética Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Departamento de Genética e Evolução Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar) Departamento de Ecologia Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro

Made available in DSpace on 2018-12-11T17:30:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2017-04-01 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Understanding how historical and current environmental suitability and human impacts affect the genetic diversity on a large scale is essential to species management planning. However, most studies in conservation genetics are carried out at a local or regional scale and rarely on broad spatial scales such as an entire biome. We evaluated the relative contribution of historical and current environmental suitability, current landscape features and human impacts to explain genetic diversity, allelic richness and inbreeding variation among populations, using Euterpe edulis and the Atlantic forest as the model system. We fitted linear mixed models within a multiple competing hypotheses approach with model selection based on Akaike’s Information Criteria. We showed that overall genetic diversity was lower in sites with absence of large seed dispersers and higher in sites with historically stable climate. Both seedling and adults showed to be negatively influenced by human impact factors; with adults mainly affected by the reduction of forest cover while seedlings by the loss of large seed dispersers. Thus, the current pattern of genetic diversity in E. edulis is the result of historical instability during the mid-Holocene and recent anthropogenic impacts, mainly those that affect important ecological process such as seed dispersal. Thus, an efficient plan for species conservation must account for human impacts and environmental suitability and also assess the genetic diversity of seedlings and adults in fragmented landscapes. Laboratório de Genética & Biodiversidade Universidade Federal de Goiás Departamento de Ecologia Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Laboratório de Marcadores Moleculares Centro de Biotecnologia e Genética Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Rodovia Ilhéus-Itabuna, km 16 Departamento de Ecologia Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) FAPESP: 2014/01029-5 CNPq: 401258/2012-2 CNPq: 445353/2014-7 FAPESP: 2013/50421-2 CAPES: 88881.030318/2013-01 CAPES: 88881.068425/2014-01

This study aimed to evaluate the potential adverse effects of the dermal administration of Dillenia indica Linnaeus (D. indica) fruit extract in healthy rodents; the extract was standardized to betulinic acid. In the initial phase, the acute effects were evaluated on the skin application site of a single extract dose. A skin irritation test was performed in male Wistar rats (n = 8/group) receiving the extract (50-150 mg/mL) with betulinic acid (0.5-1.5%, respectively). A photosensitivity test was performed in male BALB/c mice (n = 6/group) receiving the extract (150 mg/mL). Afterwards, other BALB/c mice (n = 20, male:female, 1:1) were used to assess the systemic alterations caused by 14 daily repeated doses (150 mg/mL) by monitoring the effects on mortality, body morphology, behavior, nutrition status, neuromotor reactions, organ morphology and weight, and blood tests. At this time, 0.5 mg/mL clobetasol was used as the positive control. The skin irritation index suggested that negligible skin irritation had occurred, even when the extract was applied to the rat skin at 150 mg/mL. However, the extract acted as a photosensitizer on mouse skin, showing a photosensitizing activity close to that of 10 mg/mL 5-methoxypsoralen. Repeated doses caused no mouse mortality, aggressiveness, piloerection, diarrhea, convulsions, neuromotor alterations or nutrition status changes. The mouse organ weights did not change, and the mice did not have alterations in their blood compositions. Clobetasol caused a reduction in the mononuclear leukocyte numbers. In general, the data suggest that the extract was safe in healthy rodents but indicate that caution should be taken with the photosensitizing activity; in addition, this activity should be further explored as it may be useful for phototherapeutic drug development.

As the single opportunity for plants to move, seed dispersal has an important impact on plant fitness, species distributions and patterns of biodiversity. However, models that predict dynamics such as risk of extinction, range shifts and biodiversity loss tend to rely on the mean value of parameters and rarely incorporate realistic dispersal mechanisms. By focusing on the mean population value, variation among individuals or variability caused by complex spatial and temporal dynamics is ignored. This calls for increased efforts to understand individual variation in dispersal and integrate it more explicitly into population and community models involving dispersal. However, the sources, magnitude and outcomes of intraspecific variation in dispersal are poorly characterized, limiting our understanding of the role of dispersal in mediating the dynamics of communities and their response to global change. In this manuscript, we synthesize recent research that examines the sources of individual variation in dispersal and emphasize its implications for plant fitness, populations and communities. We argue that this intraspecific variation in seed dispersal does not simply add noise to systems, but, in fact, alters dispersal processes and patterns with consequences for demography, communities, evolution and response to anthropogenic changes. We conclude with recommendations for moving this field of research forward., Seed dispersal—the single opportunity for plants to move—is important for plant fitness, species distributions and patterns of biodiversity. Models that predict extinction risk of species, range shifts and biodiversity tend to rely on average dispersal distances. However, we know that seed dispersal is highly variable even within a single species (e.g. some seeds go very far and some barely move away from their parent plant, some seeds end up in great quality habitats and some end up on roads). This paper looks at the consequences of this variation in seed dispersal for plants and their ability to respond to future global change.

Made available in DSpace on 2021-07-14T10:36:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2019-07-22. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2021-07-14T11:34:13Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 S2236-89062019000200204.pdf: 1245737 bytes, checksum: a4627ff4a9c72bc1cbe8edbba4efe915 (MD5) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) A aplicação de técnicas moleculares para lidar com questões ecológicas e evolutivas requer DNA genômico de boa qualidade e quantidade. A qualidade do DNA isolado, no entanto, pode ser influenciada pelo tipo de tecido e pela maneira como a amostra foi conservada e manipulada. Portanto, personalizar protocolos para melhorar o isolamento do DNA e a amplificação dos locus é crucial. Nós otimizamos um protocolo barato e manual de extração de DNA e amplificação de microssatélites utilizando cinco diferentes tecidos de uma espécie de palmeira da Mata Atlântica brasileira. Nós extraímos com sucesso o DNA de todos os cinco tipos de tecidos. Folha, caule e endocarpo de sementes não dispersas apresentaram as maiores taxas de extração de DNA e amplificação de microssatélites; enquanto raiz, endocarpo de sementes dispersas e embrião apresentaram a menor qualidade e quantidade. Com base nesses resultados, discutimos as implicações do uso de diferentes tecidos para estudos sobre dispersão de sementes, polinização e genética de populações. The application of molecular techniques to tackle ecological and evolutionary questions requires genomic DNA in good quality and quantity. The quality of the isolated DNA, however, can be influenced by the tissue type and the way the sample was conserved and manipulated. Therefore, customizing protocols to improve the DNA isolation and locus amplification is crucial. We optimized a cheap and manual protocol of DNA extraction and microsatellites amplification using five different tissues of a palm species of the brazilian Atlantic Forest. We successfully extracted DNA from all five tissue types. Leaf, stem, and endocarp of non-dispersed seeds presented the highest rates of successful DNA extraction and microsatellite amplification; whereas root, endocarp of dispersed seeds, and embryo showed the lowest quality and quantity. Based on these results, we discussed the implications of using different tissues for studies about seed dispersal, pollination, and population genetics. Universidade do Estado de São Paulo, Instituto de Biociências Instituto Tecnológico Vale CNPq: 445353/2014-7 FAPESP: 2014/01029-5; 2016/18235-2

Habitat degradation and climate change are currently threatening wild pollinators, compromising their ability to provide pollination services to wild and cultivated plants. Landscape genomics offers powerful tools to assess the influence of landscape modifications on genetic diversity and functional connectivity, and to identify adaptations to local environmental conditions that could facilitate future bee survival. Here, we assessed range‐wide patterns of genetic structure, genetic diversity, gene flow, and local adaptation in the stingless bee Melipona subnitida, a tropical pollinator of key biological and economic importance inhabiting one of the driest and hottest regions of South America. Our results reveal four genetic clusters across the species’ full distribution range. All populations were found to be under a mutation–drift equilibrium, and genetic diversity was not influenced by the amount of reminiscent natural habitats. However, genetic relatedness was spatially autocorrelated and isolation by landscape resistance explained range‐wide relatedness patterns better than isolation by geographic distance, contradicting earlier findings for stingless bees. Specifically, gene flow was enhanced by increased thermal stability, higher forest cover, lower elevations, and less corrugated terrains. Finally, we detected genomic signatures of adaptation to temperature, precipitation, and forest cover, spatially distributed in latitudinal and altitudinal patterns. Taken together, our findings shed important light on the life history of M. subnitida and highlight the role of regions with large thermal fluctuations, deforested areas, and mountain ranges as dispersal barriers. Conservation actions such as restricting long‐distance colony transportation, preserving local adaptations, and improving the connectivity between highlands and lowlands are likely to assure future pollination services.

Supervised internships in public health services are the moment when students can put into practice in different community settings all the theory they have learned. The purpose of this study was to analyze whether dental students’ perceptions about this type of internship are in accordance with the learning objectives of the Supervised Health Service Internship (SHSI) discipline and the National Curriculum Guidelines (NCG) ( Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais ) for Dentistry. This study had a mixed qualitative and quantitative cross-sectional design. A convenience sample of 135 students from the final year of the course, of both genders and from each of the two course shifts, had finished their (SHSI) in 2018. Participants completed a standard questionnaire, which is administered at the end of the internship. The answers to the open-ended questions were analyzed using content analysis as proposed by Bardin and the categories of analysis were structured according to the general competencies described in the NCG: health care, decision making, communication, leadership, administration and management, and continuing education. The answers to the closed-ended question were analyzed quantitatively by measuring frequencies in SPSS version 21.0. The students stated that they were able to develop skills and competencies in keeping with the provisions of the learning objectives of the SHSI discipline and the NCG. The internship was classified as excellent by 80.0% of respondents. The conclusion was reached that the students' perception about the internship is in line with what is proposed in the documents that guide it.

The bulk of the world’s biodiversity is found in tropical regions, which are increasingly threatened by the human-led degradation of natural habitats. Yet, little is known about tropical biodiversity responses to habitat loss and fragmentation. Here we review all available literature assessing landscape effects on gene flow in tropical species, aiming to help unravel the factors underpinning functional connectivity in the tropics. We map and classify studies by focus species, the molecular markers employed, statistical approaches to assess landscape effects on gene flow, and the evaluated landscape and environmental variables. We then compare qualitatively and quantitatively landscape effects on gene flow across species and units of analysis. We found 69 articles assessing landscape effects on gene flow in tropical organisms, most of which were published in the last five years, were concentrated in the Americas, and focused on amphibians or mammals. Most studies employed population-level approaches, microsatellites were the preferred type of markers, and Mantel and partial Mantel tests the most common statistical approaches used. While elevation, land cover and forest cover were the most common gene flow predictors assessed, habitat suitability was found to be a common predictor of gene flow. A third of all surveyed studies explicitly assessed the effect of habitat degradation, but only 14 of these detected a reduced gene flow with increasing habitat loss. Elevation was responsible for most significant microsatellite-based isolation by resistance effects and a single study reported significant isolation by non-forested areas in an ant. Our study reveals important knowledge gaps on the study of landscape effects on gene flow in tropical organisms, and provides useful guidelines on how to fill them.

Made available in DSpace on 2018-12-11T17:10:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2017-03-01 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) The knowledge of the sex ratio of threatened populations or species is pivotal since sub-optimal sex ratios can affect negatively the population growth and resilience. The vulnerable species, Tapirus terrestris, is rarely studied through traditional field methods and non-invasive genetic analyses have been employed using feces as source of DNA. Here, we evaluated two molecular markers for sex identification of tapirs. Amelogenin gene (AMEL) which is shorter in the Y chromosome (−20pb), failed in the determination of the sex of tapirs, even after the design of specific primers for the species. SRY marker, co-amplified with zinc-finger gene (ZF), had successful produced the sex identity for blood and scat samples. From a total of 45 feaces, 29 had the sex identified after three PCRS (64.4 %). In this way, these molecular markers are reliable tools for sex ratio determination using non-invasive samples of natural populations of this tapirs. Departamento de Ecologia Universidade Estadual Julio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP Rio Claro), Av. 24 A Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas Universidad de los Andes, Carrera 1 No. 18A-10 Departamento de Genética e Evolução Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar campus São Carlos), Rodovia Washington Luiz, km 235 Centro de Ciências da Natureza Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar campus Lagoa do Sino), Rodovia Lauri Simões de Barros, km 12, SP-189 Departamento de Ecologia Universidade Estadual Julio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP Rio Claro), Av. 24 A FAPESP: 2007/04073-1 FAPESP: 2013/19377-7

Made available in DSpace on 2018-12-11T17:31:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2017-06-01 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Remnant habitat patches immersed within biofuel cropland matrices can retain considerable species diversity, although the effects of land use change on species persistence in historically modified landscapes remain unclear. The Atlantic Forest is one of the most fragmented South American biodiversity hotspots and retains about 12% of its original vegetation cover. Most of these remnants are distributed in small isolated fragments immersed mainly within pastures and sugarcane monocultures. Here we examine how species richness and composition of medium and large-sized mammals are explained by forest cover, structural area and forest edge amount at the landscape scale. We sampled 22 fragmented landscapes dominated by sugarcane plantations along a wide gradient of forest cover (3% to 96%) in southeastern Brazil. We recorded 88% of terrestrial mammal species expected for this region, but many likely local extirpations were detected at the landscape scale, with losses between 50% to 80% of species. Most of the landscapes were highly depleted of forest-specialist species, with replacements by exotics and/or species typical of non-forest habitats. We found that total mammalian species richness, which includes forest-specialists, generalists, exotics and non-forest dwelling species, was not affected by landscape metrics, such as forest cover, structural area and forest edge amount. Nevertheless, forest cover was important predictor of the presence of three ungulates, a medium-sized rodent, and an armadillo. Local mammalian communities exhibited a high degree of species turnover between landscapes, representing 95% of the total β-diversity. In this region, where there was no regional extinction, landholder compliance with the Brazilian Forest Bill and restoration measures will enhance habitat connectivity and mammal persistence across the wider unprotected countryside. Departamento de Ecologia Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Center for Ecology Evolution and Conservation School of Environmental Sciences University of East Anglia (UEA), Norwich Research Park, NR47TJ Department of Bioscience Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114-116 Departamento de Ecologia Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) FAPESP: 2013/50421-2 FAPESP: 2014/01029-5 FAPESP: 2014/01986-0 FAPESP: 2014/23095-0 FAPESP: 2015/18381-6 CNPq: 300241/2010-0 CNPq: 312045/2013-1

Seed dispersal constitutes a pivotal process in an increasingly fragmented world, promoting population connectivity, colonization and range shifts in plants. Unveiling how multiple frugivore species disperse seeds through fragmented landscapes, operating as mobile links, has remained elusive owing to methodological constraints for monitoring seed dispersal events. We combine for the first time DNA barcoding and DNA microsatellites to identify, respectively, the frugivore species and the source trees of animal-dispersed seeds in forest and matrix of a fragmented landscape. We found a high functional complementarity among frugivores in terms of seed deposition at different habitats (forest vs. matrix), perches (isolated trees vs. electricity pylons) and matrix sectors (close vs. far from the forest edge), cross-habitat seed fluxes, dispersal distances and canopy-cover dependency. Seed rain at the landscape-scale, from forest to distant matrix sectors, was characterized by turnovers in the contribution of frugivores and source-tree habitats: open-habitat frugivores replaced forest-dependent frugivores, whereas matrix trees replaced forest trees. As a result of such turnovers, the magnitude of seed rain was evenly distributed between habitats and landscape sectors. We thus uncover key mechanisms behind “biodiversity–ecosystem function” relationships, in this case, the relationship between frugivore diversity and landscape-scale seed dispersal. Our results reveal the importance of open-habitat frugivores, isolated fruiting trees and anthropogenic perching sites (infrastructures) in generating seed dispersal events far from the remnant forest, highlighting their potential to drive regeneration dynamics through the matrix. This study helps to broaden the “mobile-link” concept in seed dispersal studies by providing a comprehensive and integrative view of the way in which multiple frugivore species disseminate seeds through real-world landscapes., This study was funded by grants (to P.J.) of the Spanish MINECO (CGL2013‐47429P) and Junta de Andalucía Excellence Projects (RNM‐5731) and supported by a Severo Ochoa Award for Centres of Excellence in R+D+I (SEV‐2012‐0262). While writing this manuscript, J.P.G.V. was funded by an Individual Fellowship from the Marie Sklodowska‐Curie Actions (H2020‐MSCA‐IF‐2014‐656572: MobileLinks). C.C. received scholarships from the National Counsel of Technological and Scientific Development (CNPq, 401258/2012‐2) and the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP, 2014/01029‐5).

Made available in DSpace on 2021-07-14T10:36:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2017. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2021-07-14T11:34:12Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 S2236-89062017000400580.pdf: 5635670 bytes, checksum: a0be74cae8efaa099085a5f3b7a2f6e2 (MD5) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Nove locos de microssatélites polimórficos foram isolados e caracterizados para Cryptocarya mandioccana Meisner, uma árvore da Mata Atlântica cujas sementes são dispersas por grandes animais. Os locos foram caracterizados usando 48 indivíduos de duas populações e o sucesso de genotipagem testado em quatro tecidos: folhas de adultos e plântulas, e dois tecidos maternos de diásporos. Análises de maternidade foram também realizadas em diásporos e folhas de nove árvores adultas. O número de alelos por loco variou de nove a 15 e as heterozigosidades observada e esperada de 0,214 a 0,864 e 0,745 a 0,892, respectivamente. O sucesso de genotipagem dos locos não diferiu entre os tecidos e variou de 56 a 96%. Os microssatélites mostraram polimorfismo suficiente para atribuir as nove árvores aos seus diásporos. O sucesso de genotipagem em todos os tecidos e a identificação das árvores mães mostraram que os microssatélites são adequados para estudos como estrutura genética espacial e análise de maternidade. Nine polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized for Cryptocarya mandioccana Meisner, a tree from the Atlantic Rainforest with seeds dispersed by large animals. The loci were characterized using 48 individuals from two populations and their genotyping success tested in four tissues: leaves from adults and seedlings, and two diaspore maternal tissues. Maternity analyses were also performed on diaspores and leaves from nine adult trees. The number of alleles per locus ranged from nine to 15 and the observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.214 to 0.864 and 0.745 to 0.892, respectively. The loci genotyping success did not significantly differ between tissues and varied from 56 to 96%. The microsatellites showed enough polymorphism to assign the nine adult trees to their diaspores. The successful genotyping in all tissues and identification of mother trees show that the microsatellites are suitable for studies such as spatial genetic structure and maternity analyses. Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Instituto de Biociências FAPESP: 2014/20621-2; 2014/20622-9; 2014/01029-5; 2010/16075-1; 2009/52725-3; 2014/14739-0 CAPES: 009/10 CNPq: 456549/2014-5

A atividade, apropriada para estudantes de ensino superior, tem por objetivo estudar um caso de ecologia molecular, simulando a análise de dados moleculares referentes à sexagem de aves e análise de paternidade de filhotes provenientes de ninhos de diferentes casais. A metodologia possibilita a inferência do comportamento da espécie em questão. A atividade auxilia a compreensão de conceitos básicos de Genética, Ecologia e Comportamento Animal.

Esta atividade tem como público alvo estudantes de ensino superior e apresenta um exemplo de análise forense que possibilita a mobilização de conhecimentos teóricos das áreas de genética mendeliana, molecular e de populações. Por meio da análise de esquemas de géis de eletroforese, os estudantes terão como objetivo caracterizar amostras de carnes apreendidas e determinar as espécies às quais elas pertencem e a procedência das mesmas.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of Brassica oleracea herbal balsam on the healing of skin wounds in rats. METHODS: Twenty four rats (Wistar, 60 days, 250 g) were divided into four groups: untreated animals (C) and treated with the ointment (T), subdivided into two experimental times (seven and 16 days). A 3cm² skin wound was made in the back of all animals. 100 ml of the Brassica oleracea was applied twice a day in T group. Biometric analysis was made with images captured at one, four, seven, ten, 13, and 16 days. At seven and 16 days, animals of each group were euthanized. The wound area removed was processed for histological and histomorphometric analysis to quantify birefringent collagen fibers. Statistical analysis was made considering p < 0.05 as significant. RESULTS: Biometric analysis revealed no significant differences between groups in both experimental times studied. However, histomorphometric analysis showed that the number of type I collagen fibers was significantly higher in the specimens of the group T16 compared to the other groups. CONCLUSION: Brassica oleracea accelerated the wound healing process increasing the number of type I collagen fibers and the maturity of the newly formed tissue.

O nervo depressor aórtico (NDA) é, primariamente, um conjunto de fibras aferentes que transmitem informações oriundas de alterações da pressão arterial (PA) a partir dos barorreceptores arteriais (mecanorreceptores localizados no arco da aorta ou seio carótico) aos centros de controle cardiovascular localizados no sistema nervoso central (SNC). Este mecanismo é responsável pela regulação reflexa da função cardíaca e vascular, promovendo ajustes nos centros vasoconstritor e vasodilatador, atuando simultaneamente sobre os sistemas simpático e parassimpático. Fato este que, contribui para o aumento da atividade vagal cardíaca e inibição de descargas simpáticas para vasos e coração, garantindo a manutenção dos níveis pressóricos dentro de uma faixa de normalidade. Diversos neurotransmissores foram descritos atuando nos centros de controle cardiocirculatório localizados no tronco encefálico, mais especificamente no bulbo, participando da regulação da PA. Nestas regiões centrais, os neurotransmissores glutamato, GABA (Àcido Gama Aminobutírico) e substância P (SP) foram amplamente investigados. Entretanto, em nenhum destes trabalhos foi realizado um estudo detalhado, investigando a presença da SP em nervos depressores aórticos de forma direta, sendo esta informação ainda desconhecida. Acredita-se que a SP seja um transmissor do reflexo barorreceptor, atuando na modulação deste circuito, na tentativa de atenuar elevações da pressão sanguínea. Existe portanto a necessidade de uma investigação morfológica e imunohistoquímica com o intuito de promover o esclarecimento sobre os neurotransmissores presentes no NDA. Os nervos frênicos foram utilizados como controle positivo, já que neste território a SP já se encontra caracterizada. Inúmeros são os estudos que descrevem a existência da SP em nervos frênicos, fato este que justifica a aplicação do referido nervo como controle do NDA, foco de estudo deste projeto. Baseados nestas necessidades, o objetivo do presente estudo foi primeiramente o de promover a padronização da técnica imunohistoquímica (IHQ), bem como a verificação da viabilidade de utilização do glutaraldeído à 2,5% como um fixativo primário, auxiliando na identificação de neurotransmissores dentro do sistema nervoso periférico. Em seguida, a identificação e quantificação da SP em NDA de ratos normotensos através do método imunohistoquímico indireto (3,3\'- Diaminobenzidina \"DAB\") foram realizados. O referido estudo foi desenvolvido em duas etapas. A primeira parte corresponde a padronização e otimização da técnica de imunohistoquímica em nervos frênicos de ratos Wistar através da localização e caracterização da SP e da enzima colina acetiltransferase (CAT). A segunda fase, trata-se da identificação e quantificação da SP no NDA, sendo este, um possível neurotransmissor ou neuromodulador do reflexo barorreceptor. Para este estudo foram utilizados no total 38 ratos da linhagem Wistar (Rattus Norvegicus), normotensos, com 20 semanas de idade, machos e fêmeas. Deste total, 16 animais machos foram destinados à padronização da técnica de IHQ em nervos frênicos. E para a caracterização e quantificação da SP no NDA foram utilizados 22 ratos Wistar, sendo 12 machos e 10 fêmeas. Nossos resultados demonstram de forma inédita a presença da SP em fibras amielínicas (tipo C) e fibras de pequeno diâmetro (A-delta) no NDA de forma bastante pontualizada em segmentos proximais e difusa distalmente, sugerindo a existência de subpopulações de fibras amielínicas do tipo C. Estes achados confirmam inúmeras suposições de que a SP atue como um dos neurotransmissores de aferências barorreceptoras, podendo participar na modulação do Sistema Nervoso Autônomo (SNA), uma vez que encontra-se localizada em centros responsáveis pela regulação reflexa da PA. Adicionalmente, a análise do percentual de marcação positiva à SP entre os gêneros apresentou um aparente predomínio da SP em machos mas sem diferença significativa entre os grupos. De forma semelhante, a padronização imunohistoquímica em cortes transversais e longitudinais de nervos frênicos apresentaram uma imunomarcação positiva e aleatória da SP em conjuntos de fibras amielínicas (tipo C) e em fibras de pequeno diâmetro localizadas próximo a periferia do espaço endoneural, corroborando com a localização relatada em estudos morfológicos e ultraestruturais, assegurando a especificidade e a reprodutibilidade do método. Distintamente, as fibras de grande e médio diâmetro (A-alfa, beta e gama), consideradas fibras mielinizadas de condução rápida, foram imunorreativas à CAT em nervos frênicos. Por fim, espera-se que a identificação deste neuropeptídeo sirva de gatilho para que futuras pesquisas envolvendo a liberação de neurotransmissores em aferências barorreceptoras sejam explorados. Fato este, que contribuirá para a agregação de informações pertinentes à modulação ou transmissão da informação neural, propiciando desta forma melhor entendimento da comunicação e atividades barorreflexas associadas a mecanismos cardiovasculares. The aortic depressor nerve (ADN) is primarily a set of afferent fibers that transmit derived information of changes in arterial blood pressure (BP) from arterial baroreceptors (mechanoreceptors located in the aortic arch and carotid sinus) to sites of cardiovascular control located into central nervous system (CNS). This mechanism is responsible for the reflex regulation of cardiac and vascular function, promoting adjustments of vasoconstrictor and vasodilator centers, simultaneously acting on the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. In addition, contributes to increased cardiac vagal activity and inhibition of sympathetic discharges to vessels and heart, ensuring the maintenance of blood pressure levels within the normal range. Many neurotransmitters have been described operating in cardio-circulatory control centers located in the brainstem, more specifically in the bulb, participating in the regulation of BP. In these central regions, the neurotransmitters glutamate, GABA (Gamma Aminobutyric Acid) and substance P (SP) have been widely investigated. However, none of these works was carried out a detailed study, investigating the presence of SP in aortic depressor nerves directly, and this information is still unknown. It is believed that SP can be a transmitter at the synapse of the baroreceptor reflex, operating in the modulation of this circuit in an attempt to attenuate elevation of blood pressure. Therefore, there is a need to investigate a morphological and immunohistochemical approach in order to promote the clarification on the present neurotransmitters into ADN. The phrenic nerves were used as a positive control, already as substance P (SP) is characterized in this territory. There have been numerous studies describing the existence of SP in phrenic nerves, a fact that justifies the application of the nerve as control of the ADN, study focus of this project. Based on these requirements, the aim of the present study is two-fold. Firstly, it attempts to promote the standardization of the immunohistochemical (IHC) technique as well as the verification of the feasibility of using glutaraldehyde fixative as a primary, assisting in the identification of neurotransmitters in the peripheral nervous system (PNS). Subsequently, the identification and quantification of SP immunoreactivity in the ADN of normotensive rats by indirect immunohistochemical method (3,3\'-Diaminobenzidine \"DAB\") were done. The study was developed in two stages. The first part corresponds to standardization and optimization of immunohistochemical technique in phrenic nerves of Wistar rats through location and characterization of the SP and enzyme choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). The second phase is about the identification and quantification of the SP into ADN, being a possible neurotransmitter or neuromodulator from the baroreceptor reflex. For this study we used a total of 38 Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus), normotensive, 20 weeks old, male and female. From this total, 16 male animals were used for standardization of IHC technique in the phrenic nerves. Nonetheless, for the characterization and quantification of SP in ADN were used 22 Wistar rats, 12 males and 10 females. Our results showed an unprecedented manner the presence of SP in unmyelinated fibers (type C) and small diameter fibers (A-delta) into ADN, being quite focused on proximal segments and diffuse distally, suggesting the existence of subsets of unmyelinated fibers. These findings confirm numerous assumptions that the SP acts as a neurotransmitter from afferent baroreceptor and may participate in the modulation of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), since it is located in centers responsible for regulating reflex of BP. Further, an analysis of the percentage of positive SP staining between genders, presented an apparent predominance of SP in males but no significant difference between the groups were found. Similarly, IHC standardization in transverse and longitudinal sections of phrenic nerves showed a positive random and immunostaining of SP in sets of unmyelinated fibers (type C) and small diameter fibers located near the periphery of endoneural space, corroborating location reported on morphological and ultrastructural studies, ensuring the specificity and reproducibility of the method. Distinctly, the fibers of large and medium diameters (A-alpha, beta and gamma), considered myelinated fibers of fast conducting, were immunoreactive to ChAT in phrenic nerves. Finally, it is expected that the identification of neuropeptide serve as a trigger for that future studies involving the release of neurotransmitters into afferent baroreceptors be explored. These results could contribute to the aggregation of relevant information for the modulation and transmission of neural information, thus providing better understanding of communication and baroreflex activities associated with cardiovascular mechanisms.

Many large species have declined worldwide due to habitat fragmentation and poaching. The defaunation of large frugivores and the consequent reductions of seed dispersal services may have immediate effects on plant demography. Yet, the lasting effects of frugivore defaunation on microevolutionary processes of the plants they disperse remain understudied. We tested if the loss of large seed dispersers can lead to microevolutionary changes of a tropical palm. We show that frugivore defaunation is the main driver of changes in allelic frequency among populations. Turnover of alleles accounted for 100% of dissimilarity in allelic frequencies of individuals between defaunated and nondefaunated forests; and individuals from defaunated sites are 1.5 times more similar genetically than those found in pristine sites. Given that sizeable fractions of the palm fruit crops remain undispersed in defaunated sites due to lack of large-bodied frugivores, this distinct pattern of gene pool composition of early recruits may reveal strong dispersal limitation for specific genotypes, or collapses of gene flow between fragmented areas, or both. Because most of tropical tree species rely on seed dispersal by vertebrates, our results show that defaunation has a lasting effect on microevolutionary processes, with potential consequences for persistence under scenarios of environmental change.

Objective In this study we aimed to understand how extrinsic environmental factors measured in the watercourses and the surrounding landscape influence the ichthyofauna of first-order streams. Methods Data were collected within the Corumbataí River Basin, São Paulo, southeastern Brazil, during the dry season of 2012. We sampled the ichthyofauna in 13 stretches of streams distributed across four river sub-basins. The stretches differed in relation to the presence/absence of riparian forest, the predominant type of matrix and the percentage of forest. Response variables were species richness and the occurrence of functional groups and explanatory variables include both local and landscape structures from the surrounding environment. Local variables comprised the following water quality and structural attributes: pH, temperature, conductivity, turbidity, flow rate, depth, width, type of substrate. Landscape variables included presence/absence of riparian vegetation, type of vegetation, type of matrix, percentage of forest and canopy cover. Results A total of 268 individuals were recorded, which were distributed among 12 species. The landscape structure influenced the occurrence of functional groups in first-order streams, especially allochthonous-feeders, nektonic and hypoxia-intolerant species. The presence of riparian forest was the most important predictor. Species richness was negatively related to the presence of riparian vegetation, supporting the hypothesis that degraded landscapes lead to a reduction in diversity. Conclusion The protection of riparian vegetation is critical to the maintenance of ichthyofauna diversity in first-order streams. The presence or absence of riparian vegetation differently affected the occurrence of species depending on their functional characteristics, particularly those related to the tolerance to hypoxia, source of alimentary items and the position in the water column.