Radula and mandible of Biomphalaria (Planorbidae) of São Paulo, Brazil

The radular apparatus of Biomphalaria occidentalis Paraense, 1981, Biomphalaria oligoza Paraense, 1971, Biomphalaria peregrina (d’Orbigny, 1835), Biomphalaria schrammi (Crosse, 1864) and Biomphalaria tenagophila (d’Orbigny, 1835) from the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo, Brazil were analyzed from Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) micrographs. The data support the usage of characters of central, lateral and intermediate teeth in the species identification of Biomphalaria. The use of SEM provided additional quantitative and structural details to radula descriptions, which are extremely important for elucidating the taxonomy of Biomphalaria species...

Molecular and morphological identification of Biomphalaria species from the state of São Paulo, Brazil

DNA barcoding and morphological characters were used to identify adult snails belonging to the genus Biomphalaria from 17 municipalities in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The DNA barcode analysis also included twenty-nine sequences retrieved from GenBank. The final data set of 104 sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene was analyzed for K2P intraspecific and interspecific divergences, through tree-reconstruction methods (Neighbor-Joining, Maximum Likelihood and Bayesianinference), and by applying different models (ABGD, bPTP, GMYC) to partition the sequences according to the pattern of genetic variation. Twenty-seven morphological parameters of internal organs were used to identify specimens. The molecular taxonomy of Biomphalaria agreed with the morphological identification of specimens from the same collection locality. DNA barcoding may therefore be a useful supporting tool for identifying Biomphalaria snails in areas at risk for schistosomiasis...

Experimental study on reproduction of the freshwater snail Biomphalaria tenagophila (d’Orbigny, 1835)

The freshwater snail Biomphalaria tenagophila is one of the most important intermediate hosts of Schistosoma mansoni in the Neotropical region. It is a simultaneous hermaphrodite able to reproduce either by cross- or self-fertilization (SF). In this study, we investigated the mode of reproduction in a laboratory line of the snail seeking to understand the contribution of SF and cross-fertilization (CF) in the natural history of the species. Thirteen mature mutant albino B. tenagophila were paired during 24 h with wild pigmented snails (1alb:1pig). After being paired for 24 h, the albino snails were isolated in glass aquaria and during 70 days the number of albino and pigmented embryos was counted weekly. The excess rather than a deficit of albino snails obtained in the progeny supports the hypothesis that, in B. tenagophila, the mode of reproduction occurs by cross plus SF. The higher rate of selfing rather than CF progeny shows the potential of the species to colonize new, intermittent and unstable freshwater ecosystems...

Laboratório de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular - LBBM

O Laboratório de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular (LBBM) se aproxima hoje de um espaço de ciência, de prática e aplicação do conhecimento genético, evolutivo, ecológico, parasitológico, com alto poder de resolução de questões aplicadas à vigilância epidemiológica de doenças. As atividades do LBBM não podem ser resumidas ao simples uso da biologia molecular, como uma técnica ou um instrumento, como por exemplo, um microscópio...

Parâmetros aplicados à análise da produção científica da Superintendência de Controle de Endemias durante os anos 1975 a 2014

As atividades de pesquisa científica na Superintendência de Controle de Endemias (Sucen) respondem à missão institucional de produzir conhecimento para atender às demandas da sociedade quanto ao controle de vetores de doenças transmissíveis. A produção científica merece destaque, pois é através dela que o conhecimento produzido é difundido e democratizado. Desta forma são adquiridas informações para a solução de problemas ou adoção de alternativas para o desenvolvimento e integração sustentável de atividades específicas...