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It is estimated that 250 million people worldwide are affected by schistosomiasis. Disease transmission is related to the poor sanitation and hygiene habits that affect residents of impoverished regions in tropical and subtropical countries. The main species responsible for causing disease in humans are Schistosoma Mansoni, S. japonicum, and S. haematobium, each with different geographic distributions. Praziquantel is the drug predominantly used to treat this disease, which offers low effectiveness against immature and juvenile parasite forms. In addition, reports of drug resistance prompt the development of novel therapeutic approaches. Natural products represent an important source of new compounds, especially those obtained from plant sources. This review compiles data from several in vitro and in vivo studies evaluating various compounds and essential oils derived from plants with cercaricidal and molluscicidal activities against both juvenile and adult forms of the parasite. Finally, this review provides an important discussion on recent advances in molecular and computational tools deemed fundamental for more rapid and effective screening of new compounds, allowing for the optimization of time and resources.
Assuntos
Anti-Helmínticos , Produtos Biológicos , Esquistossomose , Humanos , Animais , Anti-Helmínticos/farmacologia , Anti-Helmínticos/uso terapêutico , Schistosoma haematobium , Produtos Biológicos/farmacologia , Produtos Biológicos/uso terapêutico , Esquistossomose/tratamento farmacológico , Esquistossomose/parasitologia , Praziquantel/farmacologia , Schistosoma mansoniRESUMO
The rapid and uniform establishment of crop plants in the field underpins food security through uniform mechanical crop harvesting. In order to achieve this, seeds with greater vigor should be used. Vigor is a component of physiological quality related to seed resilience. Despite this importance, there is little knowledge of the association between events at the molecular level and seed vigor. In this study, we investigated the relationship between gene expression during germination and seed vigor in soybean. The expression level of twenty genes related to growth at the beginning of the germination process was correlated with vigor. In this paper, vigor was evaluated by different tests. Then we reported the identification of the genes Expansin-like A1, Xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase 22, 65-kDa microtubule-associated protein, Xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase 2, N-glycosylase/DNA lyase OGG1 and Cellulose synthase A catalytic subunit 2, which are expressed during germination, that correlated with several vigor tests commonly used in routine analysis of soybean seed quality. The identification of these transcripts provides tools to study vigor in soybean seeds at the molecular level.
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Winemaking is a complex process involving two successive fermentations: alcoholic fermentation, by yeasts, and malolactic fermentation (MLF), by lactic acid bacteria (LAB). During MLF, LAB can contribute positively to wine flavor through decarboxylation of malic acid with acidity reduction and other numerous enzymatic reactions. However, some microorganisms can have a negative impact on the quality of the wine through processes such as biogenic amine production. For these reasons, monitoring the bacterial community profiles during MLF can predict and control the quality of the final product. In addition, the selection of LAB from a wine-producing area is necessary for the formulation of native malolactic starter cultures well adapted to local winemaking practices and able to enhance the regional wine typicality. In this sense, molecular biology techniques are fundamental tools to decipher the native microbiome involved in MLF and to select bacterial strains with potential to function as starter cultures, given their enological and technological characteristics. In this context, this work reviews the different molecular tools (both culture-dependent and -independent) that can be applied to the study of MLF, either in bacterial isolates or in the microbial community of wine, and of its dynamics during the process.
Assuntos
Fermentação , Lactobacillales , Microbiota/genética , Tipagem Molecular/métodos , Vinho/microbiologia , Biodiversidade , Lactobacillales/classificação , Lactobacillales/genética , Lactobacillales/metabolismo , Malatos/metabolismo , Técnicas Microbiológicas , RNA Ribossômico 16S/genética , Sequenciamento Completo do Genoma , LevedurasRESUMO
Antifungal susceptibility testing (AST) has come to establish itself as a mandatory routine in clinical practice. At the same time, the mycological diagnosis seems to have headed in the direction of non-culture-based methodologies. The downside of these developments is that the strains that cause these infections are not able to be studied for their sensitivity to antifungals. Therefore, at present, the mycological diagnosis is correctly based on laboratory evidence, but the antifungal treatment is undergoing a growing tendency to revert back to being empirical, as it was in the last century. One of the explored options to circumvent these problems is to couple non-cultured based diagnostics with molecular-based detection of intrinsically resistant organisms and the identification of molecular mechanisms of resistance (secondary resistance). The aim of this work is to review the available molecular tools for antifungal resistance detection, their limitations, and their advantages. A comprehensive description of commercially available and in-house methods is included. In addition, gaps in the development of these molecular technologies are discussed.
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Antimicrobial resistance is a major public health problem and is mainly due to the indiscriminate use of antimicrobials in human and veterinary medicine. The consumption of animal-based foods can contribute to the transfer of these genes between animal and human bacteria. Resistant and multi-resistant bacteria such as Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter spp. have been detected both in animal-based foods and in production environments such as farms, industries and slaughterhouses. This review aims to compile the techniques for detecting antimicrobial resistance using traditional and molecular methods, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages as well as the effectiveness and confidence of their results.
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Comunidades complexas de bactérias, fungos e vírus prosperam em nossa pele. A composição dessas comunidades depende das características da pele, como concentração das glândulas sebáceas, teor de umidade e temperatura, bem como da genética do hospedeiro e fatores ambientais exógenos. Estudos metagenômicos recentes descobriram uma diversidade surpreendente dentro desses ecossistemas e promoveram uma nova visão dos organismos comensais durantes as diferentes fases da vida humana. Portanto nesta revisão de literatura buscamos compreender as interações micróbio-hospedeiro e descobrir os fatores que impulsionam a colonização microbiana nos ajudará a entender a patogênese das doenças de pele e a desenvolver novas terapêuticas pro-microbianas e antimicrobianas.
Complex communities of bacteria, fungi and viruses thrive on our skin. The composition of these communities depends on the characteristics of the skin, such as concentration of sebaceous glands, moisture and temperature content, as well as the host's genetics and exogenous environmental factors. Recent metagenomic studies have discovered a surprising diversity within these ecosystems and have promoted a new view of commensal organisms during the different stages of human life. Thus, this review explores microbe-host interactions and discovering the factors that drive microbial colonization will help us understand the pathogenesis of skin diseases and develop new promicrobial and antimicrobial therapies
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The most common presentation of animal leptospirosis is the subclinical and silent chronic form, that can lead to important reproductive disorders. The diagnosis of this chronic form remains a challenge. The aim of the present study is to gather and critically analyse the current information about molecular tools applied to animal leptospirosis diagnosis, particularly the silent chronic presentation of the infection. Regarding clinical specimens, samples from urinary tract were the most used (69/102, 67·7%), while few studies (12/102, 11·8%) investigated samples from reproductive tract. Concerning the molecular methods applied, the most used is still the conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (46/102, 45%), followed by real-time PCR (38/102, 37·2%). The lipL32 gene is currently the most common target used for Leptospira detection, with 48% of studies applying this genetic marker. From all the studies, only few (21/102, 20·5%) performed gene sequencing. According to the majority of authors, current evidence suggests that lipL32-PCR is useful for an initial screening for Leptospira DNA detection in animal clinical samples. Posteriorly, if DNA sequencing could be performed on positive lipL32-PCR samples, we encourage the use of secY gene as a genetic marker. The molecular methods appear as the most important tools for the diagnosis of the chronic silent leptospirosis on domestic animals, reinforcing its evident impact not only on animal reproduction but also on a One Health context.
Assuntos
Proteínas da Membrana Bacteriana Externa/genética , Leptospira/genética , Leptospirose/diagnóstico , Leptospirose/veterinária , Lipoproteínas/genética , Canais de Translocação SEC/genética , Animais , Animais Domésticos , Técnicas de Diagnóstico Molecular/métodos , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase em Tempo Real/métodos , Sensibilidade e Especificidade , Análise de Sequência de DNARESUMO
Transfusion-transmitted malaria due to asymptomatic Plasmodium infections is a challenge for blood banks. There is a lack of data on the prevalence of asymptomatic infected blood donors and the incidence of transfusion-transmitted malaria in low endemicity areas worldwide. We estimated the frequency of blood donors harbouring Plasmodium in an area in which asymptomatic infections have been reported. Material and methods. To estimate the frequency of blood donors harbouring Plasmodium weused microscopy and molecular tools. Serological tests were applied to measure the exposure of candidates to Plasmodium antigens. Venous blood was collected from 91 candidates attending the"Pró-Sangue" Blood Centre Foundation in São Paulo, who lived in the municipality of Juquitiba, São Paulo, Brazil, where sporadic autochthonous cases of malaria have been described. Blood samples were used for parasitological, molecular and serological studies...
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Humanos , Malária/sangue , Malária/transmissão , Portador Sadio , Transfusão de SangueRESUMO
Advances in the classification of the human pathogen Histoplasma capsulatum (H. capsulatum) (ascomycete) are sustained by the results of several genetic analyses that support the high diversity of this dimorphic fungus. The present mini-review highlights the great genetic plasticity of H. capsulatum. Important records with different molecular tools, mainly single- or multi-locus sequence analyses developed with this fungus, are discussed. Recent phylogenetic data with a multi-locus sequence analysis using 5 polymorphic loci support a new clade and/or phylogenetic species of H. capsulatum for the Americas, which was associated with fungal isolates obtained from the migratory bat Tadarida brasiliensis. This manuscript is part of the series of works presented at the "V International Workshop: Molecular genetic approaches to the study of human pathogenic fungi" (Oaxaca, Mexico, 2012).
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Histoplasma/genética , Técnicas de Diagnóstico Molecular , Micologia/métodos , Animais , Quirópteros/microbiologia , DNA Fúngico/genética , Variação Genética , Técnicas de Genotipagem , Histoplasma/classificação , Histoplasma/isolamento & purificação , Histoplasma/fisiologia , Histoplasmose/microbiologia , Histoplasmose/veterinária , Humanos , México , Filogenia , Reprodução , Análise de Sequência de DNA , Especificidade da EspécieRESUMO
We tested the value of ethanol fuel as a killing solution in terms of sampling efficiency (species richness and accumulated abundance) and DNA preservation of Ensifera ground-dwelling specimens. Sampling efficiency was evaluated comparing abundance and species richness of pitfall sampling using 100% ethanol fuel, with two alternative killing solutions. We evaluated the DNA preservation efficiency of the killing solutions and of alternative storage solutions. Ethanol fuel was the most efficient killing solution, and allowed successful DNA preservation. This solution is cheaper than other preserving liquids, and is easily acquired near field study sites since it is available at every fuel station in Brazil and at an increasing number of fuel stations in the U.S. We recommend the use of ethanol fuel as a killing and storage solution, because it is a cheap and efficient alternative for large-scale arthropod sampling, both logistically and for DNA preservation. For open habitat sampling with high day temperatures, we recommend doubling the solution volume to cope with high evaporation, increasing its efficacy over two days.
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Hepatitis C is a serious public health problem because it infects 2% of world population. The new microbiological tools based on molecular biology are very useful to diagnose, prevent and treat this disease. This review shows the progress in these technologies, focusing in the importance of genotypes and viral quasispecies, as well as in the importance of the study of Ag of core and RNA detection. It also deals with the utility of the secuenciation in drugs resistance detection and virus epidemiology
La hepatitis C es un importante problema de salud pública, ya que afecta al 2% de la población mundial. Las nuevas técnicas microbiológicas basadas en la biología molecular proporcionan herramientas muy útiles para mejorar el diagnóstico, la prevención y el tratamiento de esta enfermedad. En esta revisión se exponen los últimos avances de estas técnicas, haciendo hincapié en la importancia de la genotipificación de las cuasiespecies virales y de la detección viral mediante la búsqueda del antígeno del core y del ARN viral, así como en la utilidad de la secuenciación en la detección de resistencia a fármacos y en el estudio de la epidemiología del virus
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Humanos , Técnicas Microbiológicas , Hepatite C , Diagnóstico , Microbiologia , Biologia MolecularRESUMO
The efficiency of soil DNA extraction using a bead beater homogenizer (Biospec Products - Germany) was compared to that obtained with a hand held mixer (Moulinex - Brazil). The hand held mixer costs 100 times less and extracted seven times more crude DNA than the bead beater.
A eficiência da extração de DNA do solo utilizando um homogeneizador bead beater (Biospec Products - Alemanha) foi comparada àquela obtida utilizando um homogeneizador manual (Moulinex - Brasil). O homogeneizador manual tem custo 100 vezes menor e revelou-se mais eficiente que o bead beater extraindo sete vezes mais DNA.