Viability of erythrocytes in canine packed red blood cells stored in CPDA-1 is related to the presence of Mycoplasma haemocanis

Hemotropic mycoplasmas are associated with subclinical disease in dogs and should be identified in blood donors. The objective was to investigate the presence and effect of M. haemocanis in units of packed red blood cells (pRBC) during storage. Canine donors (n = 10) were screened for M. haemocanis by quantitative real-time PCR. pRBCs were obtained from 5 hemoplasma negative dogs and 5 hemoplasma positive dogs. Each pRBC was aliquoted into two 100 mL transfer bags and stored at 4 °C. M. haemocanis loads and biochemical variables (pH, bicarbonate, potassium, sodium, chlorite, glucose, lactate, ammonia, PCV, and % hemolysis) were evaluated on days 1, 7, 18, and 29. M. haemocanis loads increased in pRBC from day 1-29 of storage. Glucose decreased and lactate increase faster in pRBC with M. haemocanis. This study contributes to understand hemoplasma metabolism and reinforces that dog donors should be tested for hemoplasmas.

Pupipara (Diptera, Hippoboscidae) in wild birds attended at a rehabilitation center in southern Brazil

The hippoboscids are cosmopolitan permanent obligate hematophagous ectoparasites of birds, domestic and wild mammals and, occasionally, humans. Some species may act as vectors or hosts of etiological pathogenic agents. The aims of this study were to report on the first cases of Hippoboscidae in Crax blumenbachii and Parabuteo unicinctus; to provide new reports from Brazil on Tyto furcata and Asio stygius parasitized by Icosta americana; to report on individuals of Bubo virginianus, Falco sparverius and Accipiter striatus parasitized by genera Ornithoctona; and to provide new reports on parasitism of O. erythrocephala in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The birds of prey and C. blumenbachii were attended at a rehabilitation center in Porto Alegre and at a veterinary hospital in Cruz Alta. These new records demonstrate the huge gap that exists regarding studies on avian ectoparasites and highlight potential vectors of hemoparasites for the bird species studied.

Discrimination of Brazilian arabica green coffee samples by chlorogenic acid composition

Coffee is basically consumed for the pleasure given by its taste and aroma, that is, the quality and acceptance of the coffee beverage are directly related to its sensorial characteristics. Thus, nowadays coffee quality is basically evaluated by sensorial analysis. However, together with this kind of analysis, it should be important to have available more objective chemical methods to assess coffee quality. One possible approach could be based on the analysis of chlorogenic acids (CGA), since they are considered precursors of coffee flavour and pigments during roasting. In the present work, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of chlorogenic acids was applied to six different Brazilian arabica green coffee samples which were previously characterised by sensorial analysis. The results showed the potential to correlate the chemical data, evaluated by the Principal Components Analysis (PCA) statistical method, with sensorial analysis in order to discriminate the quality of the samples. It was observed that the 3,4-dicaffeoylquinic (3,4-diCQA) and 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic (3,5-diCQA) isomers are very important for grouping the coffees into good and bad samples.

Flocculation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is induced by transformation with the GAP1 gene from Kluyveromyces marxianus

A non-flocculent strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was transformed with the GAP1 gene which encodes p37, a GAPDH-like protein present in the cell wall of Kluyveromyces marxianus flocculent cells. The transformed cells were characterized with respect to flocculation behaviour, morphology, growth, cell wall integrity and GAPDH activity. A flocculent phenotype was acquired by the transformed cells, showing a behaviour in respect to flocculation/deflocculation very similar to that of K. marxianus. The presence of p37 in the cell wall was assessed by immunoprecipitation of biotinylated cell wall proteins and an accumulation of p37 was evident in the cell wall of transformed cells. This result was confirmed by studies using a chimeric protein resulting from fusing the p37 with a yeast-enhanced green fluorescent protein, yEGFP. The recombinant protein was localized mainly in the cell wall of the transformed strain, although the presence of p37 in the cytosol was indicated by an increase in GAPDH activity. Calcofluor white sensitivity tests indicated that the cell wall structure is affected by the accumulation of p37. These results provided further evidence of p37 function regarding flocculation and that although lacking a N-terminal signal peptide p37 is targeted to the cell wall.