Conservation and divergence within the clathrin interactome of <i>Trypanosoma cruzi</i>

Trypanosomatids are parasitic protozoa with a significant burden on human health. African and American trypanosomes are causative agents of Nagana and Chagas disease respectively, and speciated about 300 million years ago. These parasites have highly distinct life cycles, pathologies, transmission strategies and surface proteomes, being dominated by the variant surface glycoprotein (African) or mucins (American) respectively. In African trypanosomes clathrin-mediated trafficking is responsible for endocytosis and post-Golgi transport, with several mechanistic aspects distinct from higher organisms. Using clathrin light chain (TcCLC) and EpsinR (TcEpsinR) as affinity handles, we identified candidate clathrin-associated proteins (CAPs) in Trypanosoma cruzi; the cohort includes orthologs of many proteins known to mediate vesicle trafficking, but significantly not the AP-2 adaptor complex. Several trypanosome-specific proteins common with African trypanosomes, were also identified. Fluorescence microscopy revealed localisations for TcEpsinR, TcCLC and TcCHC at the posterior region of trypomastigote cells, coincident with the flagellar pocket and Golgi apparatus. These data provide the first systematic analysis of clathrin-mediated trafficking in T. cruzi, allowing comparison between protein cohorts and other trypanosomes and also suggest that clathrin trafficking in at least some life stages of T. cruzi may be AP-2-independent

Performance of IFAT, ELISA, direct parasitological examination and PCR on lymph node aspirates for canine visceral leishmaniasis diagnosis

Canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) is endemic in numerous Brazilian regions. The greatest difficulty in controlling the disease is the diagnostic limitation. In the present study, the most common tests employed for visceral leishmaniasis diagnosis were compared: immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT), immunoenzymatic assay (ELISA), direct parasitological examination and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Samples of lymph node aspirates and blood were collected from 100 dogs that lived in an endemic area (Bauru city, São Paulo state) and from 100 negative controls from a non-endemic area (Botucatu city, São Paulo state). Specificity of both IFAT and PCR was 100% whereas ELISA was 99%. Sensitivities were 97.77, 93.33 and 91.11% respectively for IFAT, ELISA and PCR

A922 Sequential measurement of 1 hour creatinine clearance (1-CRCL) in critically ill patients at risk of acute kidney injury (AKI)

Meeting abstrac

INSECTICIDE-TREATED BED NETS IN RONDÔNIA, BRAZIL: EVALUATION OF THEIR IMPACT ON MALARIA CONTROL

Mosquito nets treated with long-lasting insecticide (LLINs), when used in compliance with guidelines of the World Health Organization, may be effective for malaria vector control. In 2012, approximately 150,000 LLINs were installed in nine municipalities in the state of Rondônia. However, no studies have assessed their impact on the reduction of malaria incidence. This study analyzed secondary data of malaria incidence, in order to assess the impact of LLINs on the annual parasite incidence (API). The results showed no statistically significant differences in API one year after LLIN installation when compared to municipalities without LLINs. The adoption of measures for malaria vector control should be associated with epidemiological studies and evaluations of their use and efficiency, with the aim of offering convincing advantages that justify their implementation and limit malaria infection in the Amazon Region

Soil-atmosphere exchange of nitrous oxide, methane and carbon dioxide in a gradient of elevation in the coastal Brazilian Atlantic forest

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Soils of tropical forests are important to the global budgets of greenhouse gases. The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is the second largest tropical moist forest area of South America, after the vast Amazonian domain. This study aimed to investigate the emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O), carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) fluxes along an altitudinal transect and the relation between these fluxes and other climatic, edaphic and biological variables (temperature, fine roots, litterfall, and soil moisture). Annual means of N2O flux were 3.9 (+/- 0.4), 1.0 (+/- 0.1), and 0.9 (+/- 0.2) ng N cm(-2) h(-1) at altitudes 100, 400, and 1000 m, respectively. On an annual basis, soils consumed CH4 at all altitudes with annual means of -1.0 (+/- 0.2), -1.8 (+/- 0.3), and -1.6 (+/- 0.1) mg m(-2) d(-1) at 100 m, 400 m and 1000 m, respectively. Estimated mean annual fluxes of CO2 were 3.5, 3.6, and 3.4 mu mol m(-2) s(-1) at altitudes 100, 400 and 1000 m, respectively. N2O fluxes were significantly influenced by soil moisture and temperature. Soil-atmosphere exchange of CH4 responded to changes in soil moisture. Carbon dioxide emissions were strongly influenced by soil temperature. While the temperature gradient observed at our sites is only an imperfect proxy for climatic warming, our results suggest that an increase in air and soil temperatures may result in increases in decomposition rates and gross inorganic nitrogen fluxes that could support consequent increases in soil N2O and CO2 emissions and soil CH4 consumption.83733742Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)FAPESP [2005/57549-8]FAPESP [FAPESP 03/12595-7