Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, Computer Science, Neuroscience, Animal Science and Zoology
18
Scopus Publications
Scopus Publications
First neurotranscriptome of adults Tambaquis (Colossoma macropomum) with characterization and differential expression between males and females Josy Miranda, Ivana Veneza, Charles Ferreira, Paula Santana, Italo Lutz, Carolina Furtado, Patrick Pereira, Luan Rabelo, Cristovam Guerreiro-Diniz, Mauro Melo, Iracilda Sampaio, Marcelo Vallinoto, Grazielle Evangelista-Gomes Scientific Reports, 2024 The Tambaqui is one of the most representative Amazon fish species, being highly exploited in fisheries, aquaculture and as a research model. Nonetheless, data about functional genome are still required to evaluate reproductive and nutrition parameters as well as resistance to pathogens. The of next-generation sequencing has allows assessing the transcriptional processes in non-model species by providing comprehensive gene collections to be used as a database in further genomic applications and increased performance of captive populations. In this study, we relied on RNAseq approach to generate the first transcriptome of the telencephalon from adult males and females of Colossoma macropomum, resulting in a reference dataset for future functional studies. We retrieved 896,238 transcripts, including the identification of 267,785 contigs and 203,790 genes. From this total, 91 transcripts were differentially expressed, being 63 and 28 of them positively regulated for females and males, respectively. The functional annotation resulted in a library of 40 candidate genes for females and 20 for males. The functional enrichment classes comprised reproductive processes (GO:0,048,609; GO:0,003,006; GO:0,044,703; GO:0,032,504; GO:0,019,953) being related to sex differentiation (e.g., SAFB) and immune response (e.g., SLC2A6, AHNAK, NLRC3, NLRP3 and IgC MHC I alpha3), thus indicating that the genes in the neurotranscriptome of Tambaqui participate in sex differentiation and homeostasis of captive specimens. These data are useful to design the selection of genes related to sex determination and animal welfare in raising systems of Tambaqui.
Aquatic invertebrate diversity in tank bromeliads in an enclaved wet forest in Brazil’s semiarid region Íttalo Luã Silva Medeiros, André Laurênio de Melo, Mauro de Melo Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment, 2024 Phytotelmata bromeliads provide microhabitats for many organisms and maintain high aquatic diversity within Neotropical forests. However, they are more vulnerable to different environmental stressors that shape community structure. While most studies have been carried out in large rainforests, gaps remain about the bromeliad-dwelling community for the wettest points in the Caatinga domain (Brazilian semiarid region). Here, we investigated the influence of abiotic and temporal variables and bromeliad size on community structure between urban and forest sectors. Between 2014 and 2017, we randomly selected 20 urban and 40 forest bromeliads and compared functional groups of invertebrates for richness, abundance, and diversity. We recorded 41 morphospecies, especially Rotifera (19) and Insecta (13). Urban bromeliads exhibited higher richness of filter-feeder, while forest fragment bromeliads were dominated by predators, shredders, and gatherers. We did not observe differences in community structure regarding bromeliad size. However, the wetter period exhibited higher species richness, and higher diversity was associated with the highest rainfall. This study presents for the first time a list of aquatic microinvertebrate species and the influence of environmental parameters on the community structure associated with bromeliads of Caatinga. We have also expanded the list of species associated with phytotelmata in the Neotropical region.
Molecular Changes in the Brain of the Wintering Calidris pusilla in the Mangroves of the Amazon River Estuary Patrick Douglas Corrêa Pereira, Ediely Pereira Henrique, Emanuel Ramos da Costa, Anderson de Jesus Falcão, Mauro André Damasceno de Melo, Maria Paula Cruz Schneider, Rommel Mario Rodriguez Burbano, Daniel Guerreiro Diniz, Nara Gyzely de Morais Magalhães, David Francis Sherry, Cristovam Wanderley Picanço Diniz, Cristovam Guerreiro-Diniz International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2023 Migrant birds prepare differently to fly north for breeding in the spring and for the flight to lower latitudes during autumn, avoiding the cold and food shortages of the Northern Hemisphere’s harsh winter. The molecular events associated with these fundamental stages in the life history of migrants include the differential gene expression in different tissues. Semipalmated sandpipers (Calidris pusilla) are Arctic-breeding shorebirds that migrate to the coast of South America during the non-breeding season. In a previous study, we demonstrated that between the beginning and the end of the wintering period, substantial glial changes and neurogenesis occur in the brain of C. pusilla. These changes follow the epic journey of the autumn migration when a 5-day non-stop transatlantic flight towards the coast of South America and the subsequent preparation for the long-distance flight of the spring migration takes place. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the differential gene expressions observed in the brains of individuals captured in the autumn and spring windows are consistent with the previously described cellular changes. We searched for differential gene expressions in the brain of the semipalmated sandpiper, of recently arrived birds (RA) from the autumnal migration, and that of individuals in the premigratory period (PM) in the spring. All individuals were collected in the tropical coastal of northern Brazil in the mangrove region of the Amazon River estuary. We generated a de novo neurotranscriptome for C. pusilla individuals and compared the gene expressions across libraries. To that end, we mapped an RNA-Seq that reads to the C. pusilla neurotranscriptome in four brain samples of each group and found that the differential gene expressions in newly arrived and premigratory birds were related with neurogenesis, metabolic pathways (ketone body biosynthetic and the catabolic and lipid biosynthetic processes), and glial changes (astrocyte-dopaminergic neuron signaling, astrocyte differentiation, astrocyte cell migration, and astrocyte activation involved in immune response), as well as genes related to the immune response to virus infections (Type I Interferons), inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β, TNF, and NF-κB), NLRP3 inflammasome, anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10), and cell death pathways (pyroptosis- and caspase-related changes).
Interpopulational genetic diversity in the medically important scorpion Tityus obscurus (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from northeastern Brazilian Amazonia Pedro Pereira de Oliveira PARDAL, Johne Souza COELHO, Joaquim Martins da SILVA, Bruno Rafael Ribeiro ALMEIDA, Hipócrates Menezes CHALKIDIS, Adolfo BORGES, Edna Aoba Yassui ISHIKAWA, Cristovam Guerreiro DINIZ, Guilherme da Cruz SANTOS-NETO, Mauro André Damasceno de MELO Acta Amazonica, 2023 Scorpion envenoming is considered a public health problem in Brazil. A recent study described a variation in the clinical outcome of envenoming by Tityus obscurus in two populations separated by 850 km in the northeastern Amazon region. Our aim was to evaluate whether such clinical and toxinological variations are associated with underlying differences in genetic diversity between these two T. obscurus populations. We obtained DNA from five individuals of each population, in the municipalities of Belém and Santarém, located east and west of the state of Pará, Brazil, respectively. Gene regions encoding mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) markers cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and ribosomal 16S RNA (16S) were amplified and sequenced. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inferences (BA) for both molecular data (COI and 16S). The sampled T. obscurus populations corresponded to two distinct mtDNA lineages (genetic distance COI K2 P = 0.08 to 0.13; 16S K2 P = 0.10 to 0.11) with no shared mutations between groups and well supported by ML and BA inferences. Based on the divergence values found between eastern and western populations (COI, 0.07 to 0.12; 16S, 0.10), our study confirms the genetic heterogeneity of T. obscurus populations within the state of Pará, which correlates with observed venom and clinical differences, and reinforces the need for mapping the distribution of haplotypes throughout the geographic range of T. obscurus, to aid in future epidemiological, toxinological, and evolutionary studies.
Genes, inflammatory response, tolerance, and resistance to virus infections in migratory birds, bats, and rodents Patrick Douglas Corrêa Pereira, Daniel Guerreiro Diniz, Emanuel Ramos da Costa, Nara Gyzely de Morais Magalhães, Anderson de Jesus Falcão da Silva, Jéssica Gizele Sousa Leite, Natan Ibraim Pires Almeida, Kelle de Nazaré Cunha, Mauro André Damasceno de Melo, Pedro Fernando da Costa Vasconcelos, José Antonio Picanço Diniz, Dora Brites, Daniel Clive Anthony, Cristovam Wanderley Picanço Diniz, Cristovam Guerreiro-Diniz Frontiers in Immunology, 2023 Normally, the host immunological response to viral infection is coordinated to restore homeostasis and protect the individual from possible tissue damage. The two major approaches are adopted by the host to deal with the pathogen: resistance or tolerance. The nature of the responses often differs between species and between individuals of the same species. Resistance includes innate and adaptive immune responses to control virus replication. Disease tolerance relies on the immune response allowing the coexistence of infections in the host with minimal or no clinical signs, while maintaining sufficient viral replication for transmission. Here, we compared the virome of bats, rodents and migratory birds and the molecular mechanisms underlying symptomatic and asymptomatic disease progression. We also explore the influence of the host physiology and environmental influences on RNA virus expression and how it impacts on the whole brain transcriptome of seemingly healthy semipalmated sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) and spotted sandpiper (Actitis macularius). Three time points throughout the year were selected to understand the importance of longitudinal surveys in the characterization of the virome. We finally revisited evidence that upstream and downstream regulation of the inflammatory response is, respectively, associated with resistance and tolerance to viral infections.
Shorebirds’ Longer Migratory Distances Are Associated With Larger ADCYAP1 Microsatellites and Greater Morphological Complexity of Hippocampal Astrocytes Diego de Almeida Miranda, Juliana Araripe, Nara G. de Morais Magalhães, Lucas Silva de Siqueira, Cintya Castro de Abreu, Patrick Douglas Corrêa Pereira, Ediely Pereira Henrique, Pedro Arthur Campos da Silva Chira, Mauro A. D. de Melo, Péricles Sena do Rêgo, Daniel Guerreiro Diniz, David Francis Sherry, Cristovam W. P. Diniz, Cristovam Guerreiro-Diniz Frontiers in Psychology, 2022 For the epic journey of autumn migration, long-distance migratory birds use innate and learned information and follow strict schedules imposed by genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, the details of which remain largely unknown. In addition, bird migration requires integrated action of different multisensory systems for learning and memory, and the hippocampus appears to be the integration center for this task. In previous studies we found that contrasting long-distance migratory flights differentially affected the morphological complexity of two types of hippocampus astrocytes. Recently, a significant association was found between the latitude of the reproductive site and the size of the ADCYAP1 allele in long distance migratory birds. We tested for correlations between astrocyte morphological complexity, migratory distances, and size of the ADCYAP1 allele in three long-distance migrant species of shorebird and one non-migrant. Significant differences among species were found in the number and morphological complexity of the astrocytes, as well as in the size of the microsatellites of the ADCYAP1 gene. We found significant associations between the size of the ADCYAP1 microsatellites, the migratory distances, and the degree of morphological complexity of the astrocytes. We suggest that associations between astrocyte number and morphological complexity, ADCYAP1 microsatellite size, and migratory behavior may be part of the adaptive response to the migratory process of shorebirds.
Contrasting migratory journeys and changes in hippocampal astrocyte morphology in shorebirds Ediely Pereira Henrique, Marcus Augusto de Oliveira, Dario Carvalho Paulo, Patrick Douglas Corrêa Pereira, Cleyssian Dias, Lucas Silva de Siqueira, Camila Mendes de Lima, Diego de Almeida Miranda, Péricles Sena do Rego, Juliana Araripe, Mauro André Damasceno de Melo, Daniel Guerreiro Diniz, Nara Gyzely de Morais Magalhães, David Francis Sherry, Cristovam Wanderley Picanço Diniz, Cristovam Guerreiro Diniz European Journal of Neuroscience, 2021 Semipalmated sandpiper ( Calidris pusilla ) migration to the Southern Hemisphere includes a 5‐day non‐stop flight over the Atlantic Ocean, whereas semipalmated plover ( Charadrius semipalmatus ) migration, to the same area, is largely over land, with stopovers for feeding and rest. We compared the number and 3D morphology of hippocampal astrocytes of Ch. semipalmatus before and after autumnal migration with those of C. pusilla to test the hypothesis that the contrasting migratory flights of these species could differentially shape hippocampal astrocyte number and morphology. We captured individuals from both species in the Bay of Fundy (Canada) and in the coastal region of Bragança (Brazil) and processed their brains for selective GFAP immunolabeling of astrocytes. Hierarchical cluster analysis of astrocyte morphological features distinguished two families of morphological phenotypes, named type I and type II, which were differentially affected after migratory flights. Stereological counts of hippocampal astrocytes demonstrated that the number of astrocytes decreased significantly in C. pusilla , but did not change in Ch. semipalmatus . In addition, C. pusilla and Ch. semipalmatus hippocampal astrocyte morphological features were differentially affected after autumnal migration. We evaluated whether astrocyte morphometric variables were influenced by phylogenetic differences between C. pusilla and Ch. semipalmatus , using phylogenetically independent contrast approach, and phylogenetic trees generated by nuclear and mitochondrial markers. Our findings suggest that phylogenetic differences do not explain the results and that contrasting long‐distance migratory flights shape plasticity of type I and type II astrocytes in different ways, which may imply distinct physiological roles for these cells.
Microglial Morphology Across Distantly Related Species: Phylogenetic, Environmental and Age Influences on Microglia Reactivity and Surveillance States Dario Carvalho-Paulo, João Bento Torres Neto, Carlos Santos Filho, Thais Cristina Galdino de Oliveira, Aline Andrade de Sousa, Renata Rodrigues dos Reis, Zaire Alves dos Santos, Camila Mendes de Lima, Marcus Augusto de Oliveira, Nivin Mazen Said, Sinara Franco Freitas, Marcia Consentino Kronka Sosthenes, Giovanni Freitas Gomes, Ediely Pereira Henrique, Patrick Douglas Côrrea Pereira, Lucas Silva de Siqueira, Mauro André Damasceno de Melo, Cristovam Guerreiro Diniz, Nara Gyzely de Morais Magalhães, José Antonio Picanço Diniz, Pedro Fernando da Costa Vasconcelos, Daniel Guerreiro Diniz, Daniel Clive Anthony, David Francis Sherry, Dora Brites, Cristovam Wanderley Picanço Diniz Frontiers in Immunology, 2021 Microglial immunosurveillance of the brain parenchyma to detect local perturbations in homeostasis, in all species, results in the adoption of a spectrum of morphological changes that reflect functional adaptations. Here, we review the contribution of these changes in microglia morphology in distantly related species, in homeostatic and non-homeostatic conditions, with three principal goals (1): to review the phylogenetic influences on the morphological diversity of microglia during homeostasis (2); to explore the impact of homeostatic perturbations (Dengue virus challenge) in distantly related species (Mus musculus and Callithrix penicillata) as a proxy for the differential immune response in small and large brains; and (3) to examine the influences of environmental enrichment and aging on the plasticity of the microglial morphological response following an immunological challenge (neurotropic arbovirus infection). Our findings reveal that the differences in microglia morphology across distantly related species under homeostatic condition cannot be attributed to the phylogenetic origin of the species. However, large and small brains, under similar non-homeostatic conditions, display differential microglial morphological responses, and we argue that age and environment interact to affect the microglia morphology after an immunological challenge; in particular, mice living in an enriched environment exhibit a more efficient immune response to the virus resulting in earlier removal of the virus and earlier return to the homeostatic morphological phenotype of microglia than it is observed in sedentary mice.
Differential Change in Hippocampal Radial Astrocytes and Neurogenesis in Shorebirds With Contrasting Migratory Routes Camila Mendes de Lima, Patrick Douglas Corrêa Pereira, Ediely Pereira Henrique, Marcus Augusto de Oliveira, Dario Carvalho Paulo, Lucas Silva de Siqueira, Daniel Guerreiro Diniz, Diego Almeida Miranda, Mauro André Damasceno de Melo, Nara Gyzely de Morais Magalhães, David Francis Sherry, Cristovam Wanderley Picanço Diniz, Cristovam Guerreiro Diniz Frontiers in Neuroanatomy, 2019 Little is known about environmental influences on radial glia-like α cells (radial astrocytes) and their relation to neurogenesis. Because radial glia participates in adult neurogenesis and astrogenesis, we investigated this question in two migratory shorebirds which complete their autumnal migration using contrasting migratory routes. Before their flights to South America, birds make a stopover at the Bay of Fundy in Canada, and from there the semipalmated sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) crosses the Atlantic Ocean in a non-stop 5-day flight, whereas the semipalmated plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) mostly flies overland with stopovers for rest and feeding. We previously demonstrated in these species differential effects of their contrasting flights on the number and morphology of hippocampal stellate astrocytes following migration to South America and reduced hippocampal neurogenesis in C. pusilla during its stopover in the Bay of Fundy before its transatlantic flight. Here we compared the number of young DCX-immunolabeled neurons, the number of stellate astrocytes, and three-dimensional reconstructions of radial glial-like α cells in the hipocampal V region between C. pusilla and C. semipalmatus before and after autumn migration. We found that compared with migrating birds, the morphological complexity of radial glial-like α cells of wintering birds significantly increased in C. semipalmatus and decreased in C. pusilla and this was associated with the total number of DCX young neurons. Compared with migrating birds in the Bay of Fundy, wintering C. pusilla showed significant reduction in the number of hippocampal Type I and Type II astrocytes, whereas C. semipalmatus did not change its total numbers. Although C. pusilla and C. semipalmatus differ phylogenetically and in other ways, it may be significant that morphological complexity of radial astrocytes and neurogenesis of wintering birds was greater in the semipalmated plover which probably relies more on visuospatial information for navigation. We suggest that the continuous non-stop flight of the semipalmated sandpiper and the migratory flight with stopovers for feeding and rest of the semipalmated plover differentially affected radial astrocyte morphology and neurogenesis.
Hippocampal astrocytes in migrating and wintering semipalmated Sandpiper calidris pusilla Dario Carvalho-Paulo, Nara G. de Morais Magalhães, Diego de Almeida Miranda, Daniel G. Diniz, Ediely P. Henrique, Isis A. M. Moraes, Patrick D. C. Pereira, Mauro A. D. de Melo, Camila M. de Lima, Marcus A. de Oliveira, Cristovam Guerreiro-Diniz, David F. Sherry, Cristovam W. P. Diniz Frontiers in Neuroanatomy, 2018
From Indo-Pacific to Atlantic Ocean: Problemsand risks related to an exotic oyster introduction case Oysters Biology Consumption and Ecological Importance, 2014
