Publications by authors named "Antonio Chalfun Junior"

Gene expression through RT-qPCR can be performed by the relative quantification method, which requires the expression normalization through reference genes. Therefore, it is essential to validate, experimentally, the candidate reference genes. Thus, although there are several studies that are performed to identify the most stable reference genes, most them validate genes for very specific conditions, not exploring the whole potential of the research since not all possible combinations of treatments and/or conditions of the study are explored.

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The hop phenological cycle was described in subtropical condition of Brazil showing that flowering can happen at any time of year and this was related to developmental molecular pathways. Hops are traditionally produced in temperate regions, as it was believed that vernalization was necessary for flowering. Nevertheless, recent studies have revealed the potential for hops to flower in tropical and subtropical climates.

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Article Synopsis
  • Noncoding and coding RNAs play crucial roles in the growth, development, and stress responses of plants, particularly during the transition from vegetative to reproductive stages in Coffea arabica.
  • Researchers sequenced small RNA libraries and combined this data with messenger RNA sequencing to identify different transcript types at key developmental stages.
  • The analysis revealed that various small RNAs accumulate in a stage-specific manner, with particular emphasis on miRNAs and their association with hormonal responses and transcription factor expression during floral development.
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  • Human society has developed by selectively breeding plants for better food supply, but climate change threatens this progress by affecting photosynthesis through rising temperatures and greenhouse gases.
  • The focus is on how small RNAs (sRNAs) can help manage gene expression in plants, especially respond to environmental changes, and could aid in improving crops to ensure food security.
  • The text emphasizes the need for further research on the impact of climate change on coffee plants and the potential role of sRNAs in enhancing their resilience and productivity.
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  • * L-DOPA, a compound related to Parkinson's disease treatment, was selected for analysis from the identified compounds, showing coffee plants as a natural source.
  • * The research highlights various metabolic pathways, particularly those for isoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis, and suggests that improved analytical techniques could further characterize beneficial coffee metabolites for medical use.
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The properties presented by Candida viswanathii's lipases turn this specie into a promising producer of potentially applicable lipases in several industrial sectors, such as: food, textiles, in the oleochemical and paper industries, and also in different pharmaceutical applications. However, studies for elucidating growth and developmental processes at the molecular level in this species are still incipient. Performing such kinds of studies often rely on the use of the RT-qPCR, which is a highly sensitivity technique, but whose parameters must be carefully planned for achieving reliable data.

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Evolution has long been considered to be a conservative process in which new genes arise from pre-existing genes through gene duplication, domain shuffling, horizontal transfer, overprinting, retrotransposition, etc. However, this view is changing as new genes originating from non-genic sequences are discovered in different organisms. Still, rather limited functional information is available.

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Unlabelled: Ethylene regulates different aspects of the plant's life cycle, such as flowering, and acts as a defense signal in response to environmental stresses. Changes induced by water deficit (WD) in gene expression of the main enzymes involved in ethylene biosynthesis, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase (ACS) and oxidase (ACO), are frequently reported in plants. In this study, coffee () and family genes were characterized and their expression profiles were analyzed in leaves, roots, flower buds, and open flowers from plants under well-watered (WW) and water deficit (WD) conditions.

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  • The process of floral initiation in tropical perennials, particularly in Coffea sp. L., is not well understood, especially in relation to environmental factors and florigen behavior.
  • Researchers identified key flowering-related genes in coffee and found that overexpression of CaFT1 led to early flowering in Arabidopsis, indicating its role as a florigen in coffee.
  • The study reveals that while CaFT1 expression is influenced by seasonal changes, temperature-responsive genes do not align with flowering, suggesting complex regulatory pathways that allow for flexible floral induction in tropical species.
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The effects of selenium (Se) on plant metabolism have been reported in several studies triggering plant tolerance to abiotic stresses, yet, the effects of Se on coffee plants under chilling stress are unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of foliar Se application on coffee seedlings submitted to chilling stress and subsequent plant recovery. Two species, cv.

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Bacillus subtilis is a versatile bacterial species able to produce surfactin, a lipopeptide biosurfactant. We carried out the phylogenomic characterization and pangenomic analyses using available B. subtilis complete genomes.

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MADS-box transcription factors (TFs) are involved in multiple plant development processes and are most known during the reproductive transition and floral organ development. Very few genes have been characterized in the genome of L. (Cannabaceae), an important crop for the pharmaceutical and beverage industries.

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Coffee ( L.) presents an asynchronous flowering regulated by an endogenous and environmental stimulus, and anthesis occurs once plants are rehydrated after a period of water deficit. We evaluated the evolution of Abscisic Acid (ABA), ethylene, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) content, ACC oxidase (ACO) activity, and expression analysis of the 1 () transporter, in the roots, leaves, and flower buds from three coffee genotypes ( L.

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Background: Periodontal disease is one of the most frequent comorbidities in diabetic patients and can contribute to poor blood glucose control.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of ingesting different doses of beta-glucans (BG) isolated from Saccharomyces cerevisiae on alveolar bone loss (ABL) and inflammatory/metabolic parameters in normal and diabetic rats with ligature-induced periodontal disease (PD).

Design: Sixty male rats were assigned into two groups: non-diabetic or diabetic (i.

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With the progressive loss of fungicide efficacy against , the causal agent of Asian soybean rust (ASR), alternative methods to protect soybean crops are needed. Resistance induction is a low impact alternative and/or supplement to fungicide applications that fortifies innate plant defenses against pathogens. Here, we show that a microbial fermentation product (MFP) induces plant defenses in soybean, and transcriptional induction is enhanced with the introduction of ASR.

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The projected impact of global warming on coffee production may require the heat-adapted genotypes in the next decades. To identify cellular strategies in response to warmer temperatures, we compared the effect of elevated temperature on two commercial L. genotypes exploring leaf physiology, transcriptome, and carbohydrate/protein composition.

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Bud necrosis (BN) is a common disorder that affects Vitis vinifera L. and reduces its potential yield. To minimize the losses caused by BN, the double pruning management was applied in Brazilian Southeast vineyards.

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The initial stimulation of photosynthesis under elevated CO concentrations (eCO) is often followed by a decline in photosynthesis, known as CO acclimation. Changes in N levels under eCO can have different effects in plants fertilized with nitrate (NO) or ammonium (NH) as the N source. NO assimilation consumes approximately 25% of the energy produced by an expanded leaf, whereas NH requires less energy to be incorporated into organic compounds.

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Cultivated tomato, Solanum lycopersicum, is one of the most common fruits in the global food industry. Together with the wild tomato Solanum pennellii, it is widely used for developing better cultivars. MicroRNAs affect mRNA regulation, inhibiting its translation and/or promoting its degradation.

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Anthocyanins are naturally occurring flavonoids derived from the phenylpropanoid pathway. There is increasing evidence of the preventative and protective roles of anthocyanins against a broad range of pathologies, including different cancer types and metabolic diseases. However, most of the fresh produce available to consumers typically contains only small amounts of anthocyanins, mostly limited to the epidermis of plant organs.

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Background: Species in the Solanaceae family are known for producing plethora of specialized metabolites. In addition to biosynthesis pathways, a full comprehension of secondary metabolism must also take into account the transport and subcellular compartmentalization of substances. Here, we examined the MATE (Multidrug and Toxic Compound Extrusion, or Multi-Antimicrobial Extrusion) gene family in the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) genome with the objective of better understanding the transport of secondary metabolites in this model species.

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Fourteen Nellore and 14 Angus young bulls with BW of 381±11.8kg were randomly assigned into 2 feeding groups (whole shelled corn without forage (WSC) or corn silage and ground corn (GC)) to evaluate chemical composition and expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism in the longissimus thoracis (LT). We hypothesized that bulls fed the WSC diet have greater amounts of intramuscular fat and Angus have higher expression levels of PPAR and SREBF.

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Article Synopsis
  • MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and small-interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are key components of RNA silencing pathways, with miRNAs originating from hairpin structures and siRNAs from double-stranded RNA; both are processed by DICER-like enzymes and utilized by ARGONAUTE for gene silencing.* -
  • In the economically significant plant Coffea canephora, researchers discovered 11 AGO proteins, 9 DCL proteins (including a novel DCL1-like), and 8 RDR proteins, along with 235 miRNA precursors and 317 mature miRNAs, charting their roles in gene regulation.* -
  • The study emphasizes the complex interplay of small RNAs in coffee, revealing
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Streptococcus agalactiae is one of the most common pathogens leading to mastitis in dairy herds worldwide; consequently, the pathogen causes major economic losses for affected farmers. In this study, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), genotypic capsular typing by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and virulence gene detection were performed to address the molecular epidemiology of 59 bovine (mastitis) S. agalactiae isolates from 36 dairy farms located in the largest milk-producing mesoregions in Brazil (Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Paraná, and Pernambuco).

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Natural flowering can cause serious scheduling problems in the pineapple (Ananas comosus) industry and increase harvest costs. Pineapple flowering is thought to be triggered by increased ethylene levels and artificial forcing of pineapple flowering is a common practice to promote flowering synchronisation. However, little is known about the early hormonal and molecular changes of pineapple flowering induction and development.

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