On the distribution and conservation of the South American lizard genus Tropidurus Wied-Neuwied, 1825 (Squamata: Tropiduridae).

This study describes and analyzes the distribution of the lizard genus Tropidurus based on an updated database and the current taxonomy. General distributional patterns and endemism are identified, the distributions of several species are expanded and previous failures in the determination of specific names are corrected. I provide distributional maps for all species currently assigned to Tropidurus including all occurrence records collected and critical comments on the patterns documented and conservation.

A new species of the Scinax catharinae group (Anura, Hylidae) from Serra da Canastra, southwestern state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.

We describe Scinax pombali sp. n. a new species of treefrog of the Scinax catharinae group from Serra da Canastra, municipality of Capitólio (20°36'03''S, 46°17'34.9''W, 987 m a.s.l.), located in the Cerrado domains of the State of Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brazil. The new species is characterized by its small size, blotches and color pattern on dorsal surface and hidden regions of flanks and thighs, canthus rostralis lightly concave and well marked, absent nuptial pad, and lack of externally differentiated inguinal gland. Additionally, we describe the tadpole of this new species, which is characterized by the large-sized oral disc and presence of a large number of marginal papillae (two to three rows on its dorsal portion and some rows in unorganized arrangement on its lateroventral portion).

Biogeography of the lizard genus Tropidurus Wied-Neuwied, 1825 (Squamata: Tropiduridae): distribution, endemism, and area relationships in South America.

Based on comprehensive distributional records of the 23 species currently assigned to the lizard genus Tropidurus, we investigated patterns of endemism and area relationships in South America. Two biogeographic methods were applied, Parsimony Analysis of Endemicity (PAE) and Brooks Parsimony Analysis (BPA). Two areas of endemism were detected by PAE: the first within the domains of the semiarid Brazilian Caatinga, which includes seven endemic species, and the second in the region of the Serranía de Huanchaca, eastern Bolivia, in which three endemic species are present. The area cladograms recovered a close relationship between the Atlantic Forest and areas of the South American open corridor. The results revealed a close relationship among the provinces Caatinga (Cerrado, Parana Forest (Pantanal+Chaco)). The uplift of the Brazilian Central Plateau in the Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene (4-2 Myr BP) has been interpreted as a major event responsible for isolation and differentiation of biotas along these areas. However, we emphasize that without the establishment of a temporal framework concerning the diversification history of Tropidurus it is premature to correlate cladogenetic events with specific time periods or putative vicariant scenarios. The limiting factors hampering the understanding of the biogeographic history of this genus include (1) the absence of temporal references in relation to the diversification of distinct clades within Tropidurus; (2) the lack of an appropriate taxonomic resolution of the species complexes currently represented by widely distributed forms; and (3) the need for a comprehensive phylogenetic hypothesis. We suggest that these three important aspects should be prioritized in future investigations.

Association of HLA antigens and BCR-ABL transcripts in leukemia patients with the Philadelphia chromosome.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to verify the association between human leukocyte antigens and the bcr-abl fusion protein resulting from t(9;22)(q34;q11) in chronic leukemia myeloid and acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients. METHODS: Forty-seven bcr-abl positive individuals were evaluated. Typing was performed bymicrolymphocytotoxicity and molecular biological methods (human leukocyte antigens Class I and Class II). A control group was obtained from the data of potential bone marrow donors registered in the Brazilian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (REDOME). RESULTS: Positive associations with HLA-A25 and HLA-B18 were found for the b2a2 transcript, as well as a tendency towards a positive association with HLA-B40 and a negative association with HLA-A68. The b3a2 transcript showed positive associations with HLA-B40 and HLA-DRB1*3. CONCLUSION: The negative association between human leukocyte antigens and the BCR-ABL transcript suggests that binding and presentation of peptides derived from the chimeric protein are effective to increase a cytotoxic T lymphocyte response appropriate for the destruction of leukemic cells.