Distribution of alpha‐neoendorphin,ACTH (18–39) and beta‐endorphin (1–27) in the alpaca brainstem

Using an immunocytochemical technique, we have studied in the alpaca brainstem the distribution of immunoreactive structures containing prodynorphin (alpha‐neoendorphin)‐ and pro‐opiomelanocortin (adrenocorticotrophin hormone (18–39) (ACTH), beta‐endorphin (1–27))‐derived peptides. No peptidergic‐immunoreactive cell body was observed. Immunoreactive fibres were widely distributed, although in most of the brainstem nuclei the density of the peptidergic fibres was low or very low. In general, the distribution of the immunoreactive fibres containing the peptides studied was very similar. A close anatomical relationship occurred among the fibres containing alpha‐neoendorphin, ACTH or beta‐endorphin (1–27), suggesting a functional interaction among the three peptides in many of the brainstem nuclei. The number of fibres belonging to the prodynorphin system was higher than that of the pro‐opiomelanocortin system. A moderate/low density of immunoreactive fibres was observed in 65.11% (for alpha‐neoendorphin (1–27)), 18.18% (for ACTH) and 13.95% (for beta‐endorphin) of the brainstem nuclei/tracts. In the alpaca brainstem, a high density of immunoreactive fibres was not observed. The neuroanatomical distribution of the immunoreactive fibres suggests that the peptides studied are involved in auditory, motor, gastric, feeding, vigilance, stress, respiratory and cardiovascular mechanisms, taste response, sleep‐waking cycle and the control of pain transmission.     

Landscape composition is the major driver of the taxonomic and functional diversity of tropical frugivorous birds

Landscape Ecology - Anthropogenic land use and cover changes impact biodiversity worldwide. However, ecological groups are differently affected by landscape composition and configuration....     

Retroperitoneal perirenal pseudocyst in a Massese breed ram.

The macroscopic and microscopic features of a retroperitoneal perirenal pseudocyst in a 12-month-old ram without impairment of renal function are described. In humans and animals, uriniferous pseudocysts may be of traumatic origin, resulting from rupture of kidney, renal pelvis, or ureter, or congenital. Lymphatic pseudocysts may develop secondary to inflammatory obstruction of the hilar lymphatics after perinephritis or renal transplantation. In this case, histologic characteristics of the pseudocyst wall were suggestive of development from the parietal peritoneal layer encapsulating the kidney. This is the first case of retroperitoneal perirenal pseudocyst in a sheep.     

A follow-up of Beagle dogs intradermally infected with Leishmania chagasi in the presence or absence of sand fly saliva

In this study, we compare the development of infection and/or disease in Beagle dogs intradermally infected with Leishmania chagasi, in the presence or absence of Lutzomyia longipalpis saliva, with those of intravenously infected animals.Spleen samples of all the animals inoculated with parasites had positive polymerase chain reaction tests for Leishmania DNA. Positive spleen cultures for Leishmania were detected earlier (P < or = 0.018) and were more frequent (five out of the five animals) in intravenously infected animals than in the intradermally infected animals, in presence (two out of the six animals) or absence (three out of the five animals) of salivary gland lysate of L. longipalpis. Significant increase in serum antibodies against Leishmania was observed only in the intravenously infected group (P = 0.004). In addition, dogs with infection confirmed by isolation of amastigotes or detection of parasite DNA were, nevertheless, negative for anti-Leishmania antibodies up to 5 months or more after infection. Only animals of the intravenously infected group developed progressive decreases in hematocrit (Pearson r = -0.8076, P = -0.0026) and hemoglobin (Pearson r = -0.8403, P = 0.0012) during the infection period. No significant difference in the course of infection was observed between groups of intradermally infected animals. The data presented herein confirms that the intradermal inoculation of dogs with Leishmania produces an asymptomatic form of infection. It also fails to show an advantage in using L. longipalpis saliva as an infection-enhancing agent in experimental canine leishmaniasis.     

Characterization of a plasmid-encoded adhesin of an avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) strain isolated from a case of swollen head syndrome (SHS)

An avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) strain designated SHS4, isolated from a chicken with clinical signs of swollen head syndrome (SHS), adhered to but did not invade Hep-2 and tracheal epithelial cells. The PCR amplified fimA, csgA and tsh gene sequences. It produced Ia, Ib, E1, E3, K, and B colicins, but not colicin V and aerobactin. It harboured two plasmids of 60 and 98MDa and was resistant to streptomycin and tetracycline. Conjugation with a nalidixic acid (Na) resistant K-12 recipient strain (MS101) showed that the 98MDa plasmid did not transfer, whereas transfer of the 60MDa plasmid resulted in concomitant transfer of adhesion to Hep-2 and tracheal epithelial cells, production of the colicins Ia, E1, E3, and K, and the tsh-related DNA sequence. Transposon (TnphoA) mutagenesis of strain TR4 gave rise to strain Mut23, which lost its adhesive capacities, but was still able to express the same colicins as did strain TR4. PCR was able to amplify the tsh-related DNA sequence in this strain and a molecular probe based on transposon TnphoA indicated that the transposon was inserted in the 60MDa plasmid. Based on these results, we suggest that the 60MDa plasmid have adhesion genes, which may be responsible for the initial colonization of the upper respiratory tract of chickens.     

Genomic characterization of multidrug-resistant extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli isolated from grain culture soils

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli, mainly extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC), has been widely reported in infections worldwide. In agricultural soils, manure is a hotspot for the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and pathogenic bacteria; however, MDR bacteria have also been reported in soils with no history of manure use. In addition, cross-resistance and co-resistance have been described as responsible for the metal-driven selection of bacteria resistant to antimicrobials. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze three MDR E. coli isolates obtained from Brazilian grain culture soil samples with no history of manure use by whole-genome sequencing. The MDR E. coli isolates were recovered from soils from corn and coffee fields, and presented resistance to β-lactams, quinolones, aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, sulphonamides, and dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor. Resistome analysis showed ARGs to several antimicrobials (i.e., β-lactams, tetracyclines, aminoglycosides, sulphonamides, trimethoprim, phenicols, fosfomycin, and macrolides) as well as several metal resistance genes and antibacterial biocide resistance genes. In addition, known mutations in quinolone-resistance-determining regions of GyrA (Ser83Leu and Asp87Asn), ParE (Ser458Thr), and ParC (Ser80Ile) were also detected. Virulome analysis showed the presence of virulence genes (lpfA, mcmA, gad, mchF, iroN, cma, and iss) associated with ExPEC. Multidrug-resistant ExPEC isolates were assigned to phylogenetic group B1. The presence of MDR B1-ExPEC in soil samples shows the ability of these isolates to survive in soils. This study reports for the first time some sequence types (i.e., ST345, ST448, and ST1146) of MDR E. coli in Brazilian soils. Therefore, these findings contribute to the monitoring of antimicrobial resistance and surveillance studies based on whole-genome sequencing worldwide.     

Identification of sex in Carica papaya L. using RAPD markers

Brazil is currently the worlds largest producer of papaya (Carica papayaL.), producing fruits for both the domestic market and export. Only fruits from hermaphrodite plants are marketed because they have the necessary commercial characteristics, i.e. they are pear-shaped and have thicker flesh and a smaller internal cavity. Increased papaya yield has been limited mainly by the ratio of female to hermaphrodite (1: 2) plants normally occurring in orchards. This ratio causes great losses to papaya producers and the identification of the sex of seedlings during the nursery stage would be an important advance. In our study random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis was used to differentiate between the sexual forms of three commercial C. papaya cultivars belonging to the Solo group. RAPD assays using the BC210 primer were able to detect hermaphrodites in all of the cultivars tested. The BC210₄₃₈molecular marker was much better at papaya sex differentiation than other markers described in the literature. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.