Genetic Diversity and Identification of Species Through Microsatellite Analysis.

The genus contains about 500 species distributed worldwide but only a limited number of species have been studied for genetic diversity using molecular markers. In this study, a genetic analysis was conducted on three Vaccinium species (four cultivars of , four wild populations of , and two cultivars of ), for a total of 95 genotypes, using eight microsatellite (SSR) loci. A total of 57 alleles were detected.

Update on infections with in European wildlife and a report in a red fox, , in Portugal.

, also known as the "oriental eye worm", is a zoonotic parasitic nematode with a wide range of hosts, particularly wild and domestic carnivores, but also lagomorphs and humans. Currently, ocular thelaziosis presents an expanding distribution range throughout Europe, including Portugal. This study provides an update on .

subsp. in Wild Boar () in Portugal.

Paratuberculosis, or Johne's disease, caused by subsp. (MAP), is a chronic granulomatous enteritis affecting both domestic and wild ruminants. The agent was also found in wild mammals such as wild boar (); however, the role of wild mammals in the epidemiology of MAP is unclear.

Hunting for Answers: Assessing spp. Seroprevalence and Risks in Red Deer and Wild Boar in Central Portugal.

Between 2016 and 2023, a cross-sectional study was conducted in the central region of Portugal in order to better understand the epidemiology and public health risks resulting from the handling and consumption of game animals infected with spp. The seroprevalence and risk factors for spp. seropositivity were evaluated.

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Hepatitis E Virus in Wild Boar and Red Deer in Portugal.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a zoonotic foodborne virus with an annual infection prevalence of 20 million human cases, which seriously affects public health and economic development in both developed and developing countries. To better understand the epidemiology of HEV in Central Portugal, a cross-sectional study was conducted from 2016 to 2023 with sera samples from wild ungulates. The seroprevalence and risk factors for HEV seropositivity were evaluated in the present study.

First morphological and molecular isolation of Talaromyces marneffei in beech marten (Martes foina) in Portugal.

Talaromyces marneffei is a zoonotic fungus that mostly infects immunocompromised individuals. For the first time, this fungus was isolated in an adult beech marten (Martes foina) hit by a car, found dead in Penamacor, Portugal. During the necropsy, different samples (skin, fur, lymph nodes, lung, spleen, kidneys, and brain) were collected and processed for microbiology (including mycology) and molecular biology.

Seropositivity for in Wild Boar () and Red Deer () in Portugal.

Q fever is caused by the pathogen and is a zoonosis that naturally infects goats, sheep, and cats, but can also infect humans, birds, reptiles, or arthropods. A survey was conducted for the detection of antibodies against in a sample of 617 free-ranging wild ruminants, 358 wild boar () and 259 red deer (), in east-central Portugal during the 2016-2022 hunting seasons. Only adult animals were sampled in this study.

Talaromyces marneffei isolated from nasal swabs in Portugal.

Mycobiota are essential to the health of any living being, creating a balanced and complex interaction between bacteria, the immune system, and the tissue cells of the host. Talaromyces marneffei (also known as Penicillium marneffei) is a dimorphic fungus, endemic in South Asia, which often causes a life-threatening systemic fungal infection (called penicilliosis), particularly in immunocompromised hosts. Nasal swabs from 73 healthy volunteers were analysed to characterize their mycobiota, through its cultural characteristics, morphology, and molecular methods (PCR).

Molecular mechanisms involved in fruit cracking: A review.

Several fleshy fruits are highly affected by cracking, a severe physiological disorder that compromises their quality and causes high economical losses to the producers. Cracking can occur due to physiological, genetic or environmental factors and may happen during fruit growth, development and ripening. Moreover, in fleshy fruits, exocarp plays an important role, acting as a mechanical protective barrier, defending against biotic or abiotic factors.

Subcellular compartmentalization of aluminum reduced its hazardous impact on rye photosynthesis.

Aluminum (Al) toxicity limits crops growth and production in acidic soils. Compared to roots, less is known about the toxic effects of Al in leaves. Al subcellular compartmentalization is also largely unknown.

Al exposure increases proline levels by different pathways in an Al-sensitive and an Al-tolerant rye genotype.

Aluminium (Al) toxicity limits crop productivity, particularly at low soil pH. Proline (Pro) plays a role in protecting plants against various abiotic stresses. Using the relatively Al-tolerant cereal rye (Secale cereale L.

Effects of exogenous compound sprays on cherry cracking: skin properties and gene expression.

Background: Cherry fruit cracking is a costly problem for cherry growers. The effect of repeated sprayings (gibberellic acid - GA ; abscisic acid - ABA; salicylic acid - SA; glycine betaine - GB, and Ascophyllum nodosum - AN) combined with CaCl , on 'Sweetheart' cherry fruit-cracking characteristics was investigated. Cracking was quantified in terms of cracking incidence, crack morphology, confocal scanning laser microscopy, cuticular wax content, cell-wall modification, and cuticular wax gene expression.

Evaluating stress responses in cowpea under drought stress.

Drought impact on plants is an increasing concern under the climate change scenario. Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.

Silicon dioxide nanoparticles ameliorate the phytotoxic hazards of aluminum in maize grown on acidic soil.

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is a major constraint for crop production in acid soils. Therefore, looking for sustainable solutions to increase plant tolerance to Al toxicity is needed. Although several studies addressed the potential utilization of silica or silicon dioxide nanoparticles (SNPs) to ameliorate heavy metal phytotoxicity, the exact mechanisms underlying SNPs-induced stress tolerance are still unknown.

MS-222 short exposure induces developmental and behavioural alterations in zebrafish embryos.

MS-222 has been widely used as an anaesthetic in fish, thus, raising the need to infer about its toxicological safety during development. In this study, MS-222 toxicity in zebrafish embryos was evaluated after a 20-min exposure at different stages of development. Embryos exposed during the 256-cell stage displayed an increase in mortality, associated with defective early developmental pathways.

Isolation of Talaromyces marneffei from the Skin of an Egyptian Mongoose ( Herpestes ichneumon) in Portugal.

We report a case of Talaromyces marneffei skin infection in an Egyptian mongoose ( Herpestes ichneumon) in Portugal. The isolated fungus was identified through its mycologic characteristics, morphology, and PCR amplification.

Effects of heat stress in the leaf mitotic cell cycle and chromosomes of four wine-producing grapevine varieties.

Grapevine varieties respond differentially to heat stress (HS). HS ultimately reduces the photosynthesis and respiratory performance. However, the HS effects in the leaf nuclei and mitotic cells of grapevine are barely known.

Ketamine induction of p53-dependent apoptosis and oxidative stress in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos.

Ketamine is a widely used pharmaceutical that has been detected in water sources worldwide. Zebrafish embryos were used in this study to investigate the oxidative stress and apoptotic signals following a 24h exposure to different ketamine concentrations (0, 50, 70 and 90 mg L). Early blastula embryos (∼2 h post fertilisation-hpf) were exposed for 24 h and analysed at 8 and 26 hpf.

Genetic diversity and structure of Iberian Peninsula cowpeas compared to world-wide cowpea accessions using high density SNP markers.

Background: Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) is an important legume crop due to its high protein content, adaptation to heat and drought and capacity to fix nitrogen. Europe has a deficit of cowpea production.

Apoptosis-related genes induced in response to ketamine during early life stages of zebrafish.

Increasing evidence supports that ketamine, a widely used anaesthetic, potentiates apoptosis during development through the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis. Defects in the apoptotic machinery can cause or contribute to the developmental abnormalities previously described in ketamine-exposed zebrafish. The involvement of the apoptotic machinery in ketamine-induced teratogenicity was addressed by assessing the apoptotic signals at 8 and 24 hpf following 20min exposure to ketamine at three stages of early zebrafish embryo development (256 cell, 50% epiboly and 1-4 somites stages).

European cowpea landraces for a more sustainable agriculture system and novel foods.

Background: Genetic diversity is fundamental to breeding programs and consequently has an important role in obtaining new varieties. To properly use the genetic diversity present in germplasm collections, a good knowledge of the agro-morphological traits of each accession is needed. The aim of this study was to explore the production capacity of 24 cowpea landraces from southern Europe, through phenotypic characterization and evaluation in three different locations in Greece and Portugal.

Morphological and behavioral responses of zebrafish after 24h of ketamine embryonic exposure.

Ketamine, one anesthetic used as an illicit drug, has been detected both in freshwater and marine ecosystems. However, knowledge of its impact on aquatic life is still limited. This study aimed to test its effects in zebrafish embryos by analyzing its time- and dose-dependent developmental toxicity and long-term behavioral changes.

Detection of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in kidney samples of red deer (Cervus elaphus) in Portugal: Evaluation of different methods.

Paratuberculosis or Johne's disease, caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map), is a chronic granulomatous enteritis affecting both domestic and wild ruminants. The present work is part of a wider set of studies designed to assess the prevalence of paratuberculosis in free ranging red deer (Cervus elaphus).

Embryonic Stage-Dependent Teratogenicity of Ketamine in Zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Ketamine, a widely used anesthetic, has been shown to have NMDA receptor dependent and independent actions during zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryogenesis. Notwithstanding, the effects of developmental toxicity and the mechanisms of ketamine action on fish embryos are still not well understood, and its implications for early vertebrate development remains to be clarified. In this work, zebrafish embryos were exposed to ketamine (0.

Disruption of apoptosis pathways involved in zebrafish gonad differentiation by 17α-ethinylestradiol and fadrozole exposures.

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) sex determination seems to involve genetic factors (GSD) but also environmental factors (ESD), such as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that are known to mimic endogenous hormones and disrupt gonad differentiation. Apoptosis has also been proposed to play a crucial role in zebrafish gonad differentiation. Nevertheless, the interactions between EDCs and apoptosis have received little attention.