The Relationship between HERV, Interleukin, and Transcription Factor Expression in ZIKV Infected versus Uninfected Trophoblastic Cells.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an arbovirus with maternal, sexual, and TORCH-related transmission capabilities. After 2015, Brazil had the highest number of ZIVK-infected pregnant women who lost their babies or delivered them with Congenital ZIKV Syndrome (CZS). ZIKV triggers an immune defense in the placenta.

Development and characterization of a multimeric recombinant protein using the spike protein receptor binding domain as an antigen to induce SARS-CoV-2 neutralization.

Background: SARS-CoV2 virus, responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, has four structural proteins and 16 nonstructural proteins. S-protein is one of the structural proteins exposed on the virus surface and is the main target for producing neutralizing antibodies and vaccines. The S-protein forms a trimer that can bind the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) through its receptor binding domain (RBD) for cell entry.

Proposal of Model for Evaluation of Viral Kinetics of African/Asian/Brazilian- Strains (Step Growth Curve) in Trophoblastic Cell Lines.

The (ZIKV) epidemic brought new discoveries regarding arboviruses, especially flaviviruses, as ZIKV was described as sexually and vertically transmitted. The latter shows severe consequences for the embryo/fetus, such as congenital microcephaly and deficiency of the neural system, currently known as Congenital ZIKV Syndrome (CZS). To better understand ZIKV dynamics in trophoblastic cells present in the first trimester of pregnancy (BeWo, HTR-8, and control cell HuH-7), an experiment of viral kinetics was performed for African MR766 low passage and Asian-Brazilian IEC ZIKV lineages.

Development and characterization of 47 novel microsatellite markers for Vellozia squamata (Velloziaceae).

Unlabelled: •

Premise Of The Study: We developed and validated microsatellite primers for Vellozia squamata (Velloziaceae), an endemic species of the cerrado (Brazilian savannas), to investigate the influence of different fire regimes on its genetic diversity and population structure. •

Methods And Results: Using a selective hybridization method, we tested 51 SSR loci using a natural population of V. squamata and obtained 47 amplifiable loci.