APEX2-based proximity proteomic analysis identifies candidate interactors for Plasmodium falciparum knob-associated histidine-rich protein in infected erythrocytes.

The interaction of Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells (iRBCs) with the vascular endothelium plays a crucial role in malaria pathology and disease. KAHRP is an exported P. falciparum protein involved in iRBC remodelling, which is essential for the formation of protrusions or "knobs" on the iRBC surface. These knobs and the proteins that are concentrated within them allow the parasites to escape the immune response and host spleen clearance by mediating cytoadherence of the iRBC to the endothelial wall, but this also slows down blood circulation, leading in some cases to severe cerebral and placental complications. In this work, we have applied genetic and biochemical tools to identify proteins that interact with P. falciparum KAHRP using enhanced ascorbate peroxidase 2 (APEX2) proximity-dependent biotinylation and label-free shotgun proteomics. A total of 30 potential KAHRP-interacting candidates were identified, based on the assigned fragmented biotinylated ions. Several identified proteins have been previously reported to be part of the Maurer's clefts and knobs, where KAHRP resides. This study may contribute to a broader understanding of P. falciparum protein trafficking and knob architecture and shows for the first time the feasibility of using APEX2-proximity labelling in iRBCs.

Population structure and reproductive indicators of the surubim Pseudoplatystoma punctifer (Siluriformes, Pimelodidae) in the São Miguel River, Amazon basin, Brazil.

Fish is an important source of food and income for a significant portion of the Amazonian population, especially those who live along the rivers and lakes in the region. Pseudoplatystoma punctifer (Castelnau, 1855), known as surubim, is a species of Neotropical catfish widely exploited by fisheries and commercially valuable in the Guaporé River basin, Brazil. However, population dynamics are poorly known in the region. To understand the population structure and reproductive biology aspects of the surubim, monthly experimental fisheries were carried out in the São Miguel River, state of Rondônia, Brazil, between August 2020 and July 2021. The captured fish were weighed, and its gonads were removed and weighed for histological analyses (microscopic description) and classification of the maturation stages (macroscopic description). The collected gonads were fixed in 10% buffered formalin, dehydrated, cut into 4-µm-thick sections, and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. A total of 34 individuals were collected (20 females and 14 males), showing positive allometric growth and condition factor from 0.81 to 1.79 for females and males, respectively. Females were larger in size and weight than males. P. punctifer reaches its first maturation at an average length of 68.30 cm, indicating the importance of respecting the minimum capture size as an alternative to ensure the natural stocks of this fishery resource in the region. The results provide support for the establishment of public policies and actions for conservation, management, and regulation of fishing.

Anti-Protozoan Activities of Polar Fish-Derived Polyalanine Synthetic Peptides.

Chagas disease, sleeping sickness and malaria are infectious diseases caused by protozoan parasites that kill millions of people worldwide. Here, we performed in vitro assays of Pa-MAP, Pa-MAP1.9, and Pa-MAP2 synthetic polyalanine peptides derived from the polar fish Pleuronectes americanus toward Trypanosoma cruzi, T. brucei gambiense and Plasmodium falciparum activities. We demonstrated that the peptides Pa-MAP1.9 and Pa-MAP2 were effective to inhibit T. brucei growth. In addition, structural analyses using molecular dynamics (MD) studies showed that Pa-MAP2 penetrates deeper into the membrane and interacts more with phospholipids than Pa-MAP1.9, corroborating the previous in vitro results showing that Pa-MAP1.9 acts within the cell, while Pa-MAP2 acts via membrane lysis. In conclusion, polyalanine Pa-MAP1.9 and Pa-MAP2 presented activity against bloodstream forms of T. b. gambiense, thus encouraging further studies on the application of these peptides as a treatment for sleeping sickness.

Immunoproteomic and immunoinformatic approaches identify secreted antigens and epitopes from Staphylococcus saprophyticus.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common human infections that compromise women's health around the world, even though they can affect men and women of all ages. Bacterial species are the primary causative agents of UTIs, while Staphylococcus saprophyticus, a gram-positive bacterium, is especially important for uncomplicated infections in young women. Despite the number of antigenic proteins identified in Staphylococcus aureus and other bacteria of the genus, there is no immunoproteomic study in S. saprophyticus. In this context, since pathogenic microorganisms secrete important proteins that interact with hosts during infection, the present work aims to identify the exoantigens from S. saprophyticus ATCC 15305 by immunoproteomic and immunoinformatic approaches. We identified 32 antigens on the exoproteome of S. saprophyticus ATCC 15305 by immunoinformatic tools. By using 2D-IB immunoproteomic analysis, it was possible to identify 3 antigenic proteins: transglycosylase IsaA, enolase and the secretory antigen Q49ZL8. In addition, 5 antigenic proteins were detected by immunoprecipitation (IP) approach, where the most abundant were bifunctional autolysin and transglycosylase IsaA proteins. The transglycosylase IsaA was the only protein detected by all the tools approaches used in this study. In this work it was possible to describe a total of 36 S. saprophyticus exoantigens. Immunoinformatic analysis allowed the identification of 5 exclusive linear B cell epitopes from S. saprophyticus and 5 epitopes presenting homology with other bacteria that cause UTIs. This work describes, for the first time, the profile of exoantigens secreted by S. saprophyticus and can contribute to the identification of new diagnostic targets of UTIs, as well as to develop vaccines and immunotherapies against bacterial urinary infections.

Aedes aegypti Aag-2 Cell Proteome Modulation in Response to Chikungunya Virus Infection.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a single-stranded positive RNA virus that belongs to the genus Alphavirus and is transmitted to humans by infected Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus bites. In humans, CHIKV usually causes painful symptoms during acute and chronic stages of infection. Conversely, virus-vector interaction does not disturb the mosquito's fitness, allowing a persistent infection. Herein, we studied CHIKV infection of Ae. aegypti Aag-2 cells (multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 0.1) for 48 h through label-free quantitative proteomic analysis and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). TEM images showed a high load of intracellular viral cargo at 48 h postinfection (hpi), as well as an unusual elongated mitochondria morphology that might indicate a mitochondrial imbalance. Proteome analysis revealed 196 regulated protein groups upon infection, which are related to protein synthesis, energy metabolism, signaling pathways, and apoptosis. These Aag-2 proteins regulated during CHIKV infection might have roles in antiviral and/or proviral mechanisms and the balance between viral propagation and the survival of host cells, possibly leading to the persistent infection.

Early development of two commercially valuable fish from the lower Amazon River, Brazil (Characiformes: Serrasalmidae)

We described the early development of Myloplus asterias and M. lobatus, two fish species of the Serrasalmidae using morphological, meristic, and morphometric characteristics. These herbivores serrasalmids are heavily fished because of their commercial importance in the Amazon. The individuals were collected between 2016 and 2020 in the limnetic zone of open water and macrophyte stands in the Lower Amazon River floodplain. We tested different growth models to identify the development pattern of these species. During the initial ontogeny, these two species can be differentiated mainly by the myomeres total number, 37 to 39 in M. asterias vs. 40 to 41 in M. lobatus, the pigmentation pattern, and dorsal-fin ray numbers. These characteristics are effective in distinguishing these species from other serrasalmids. The morphometric relationships were also different between these two species, showing distinct patterns in growth between the analyzed features. An identification key for larvae of some sympatric Serrasalmidae species from the Amazon basin is presented. Our expectation is that this study will contribute to the knowledge of the initial ontogeny and the biology of fish species in the Neotropical region.(AU)

Descrevemos o desenvolvimento inicial de Myloplus asterias e M. lobatus, duas espécies de peixes da família Serrasalmidae usando características morfológicas, merísticas e morfométricas. Esses serrasalmídeos herbívoros são fortemente pescados devido à sua importância comercial na Amazônia. Os indivíduos foram coletados entre 2016 e 2020 na zona limnética de águas abertas e em bancos de macrófitas na planície de inundação do baixo rio Amazonas. Testamos diferentes modelos de crescimento para identificar o padrão de desenvolvimento dessas espécies. Durante a ontogenia inicial, essas duas espécies podem ser diferenciadas pelo número total de miômeros; 37 a 39 em M. asterias vs. 40 a 41 em M. lobatus; pelo padrão de pigmentação e número de raios da nadadeira dorsal. Essas características são eficazes para distinguir essas espécies de outros serrasalmídeos. As relações morfométricas também foram diferentes entre as duas espécies, com distintos padrões de crescimento entre as características analisadas. Uma chave de identificação para larvas de algumas espécies simpátricas de Serrasalmidae da bacia amazônica é apresentada. Nossa expectativa é que este estudo contribua para o conhecimento da ontogenia inicial e da biologia das espécies de peixes da região Neotropical.(AU)

Calcium in the Backstage of Malaria Parasite Biology.

The calcium ion (Ca2+) is a ubiquitous second messenger involved in key biological processes in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In Plasmodium species, Ca2+ signaling plays a central role in the parasite life cycle. It has been associated with parasite development, fertilization, locomotion, and host cell infection. Despite the lack of a canonical inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate receptor gene in the Plasmodium genome, pharmacological evidence indicates that inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate triggers Ca2+ mobilization from the endoplasmic reticulum. Other structures such as acidocalcisomes, food vacuole and mitochondria are proposed to act as supplementary intracellular Ca2+ reservoirs. Several Ca2+-binding proteins (CaBPs) trigger downstream signaling. Other proteins with no EF-hand motifs, but apparently involved with CaBPs, are depicted as playing an important role in the erythrocyte invasion and egress. It is also proposed that a cross-talk among kinases, which are not members of the family of Ca2+-dependent protein kinases, such as protein kinases G, A and B, play additional roles mediated indirectly by Ca2+ regulation. This statement may be extended for proteins directly related to invasion or egress, such as SUB1, ERC, IMC1I, IMC1g, GAP45 and EBA175. In this review, we update our understanding of aspects of Ca2+-mediated signaling correlated to the developmental stages of the malaria parasite life cycle.

Early ontogeny of Pimelodus blochii Valenciennes, 1840 (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae): Neotropical catfish.

Larval ontogeny of the long-whiskered catfish Pimelodus blochii Valenciennes, 1840 is described, providing useful characters for identification and determining the growth pattern throughout its development. Eighty-nine larvae classified in three stages (preflexion, flexion and postflexion) and 30 juveniles were analyzed, totaling 119 individuals. The specimens were collected monthly from January 2013 to May 2019 in the lower Amazon river. A suite of morphological, morphometric, and meristic data was used to describe the stages of development. Three analytical regression models were used: simple linear, quadratic and piecewise regressions. The larvae are characterized by small to moderate eyes, subinferior mouth, and long barbels (maxillary larger than the mental barbels), triangular-shaped adipose fin, and the final part of the intestine reaching half the body. Pigmentation consists of dendritic chromatophores distributed irregularly in the body, ventral region and head, intensifying in the flanks and dorsal region throughout development. The total number of myomeres has a mode of 42 muscle bundles, ranging from 40 to 42 (15 to 16 pre-and 25 to 26 post-anal) and the number of fin segments corresponded to: pectoral = I + 9, pelvic = 6, dorsal = I + 6 and anal = 11-12. All body variables showed discontinuous isometric growth, indicating a deceleration in the structural modeling of the body, between the flexion/post-flexion stages and acceleration in post-flexion/early juvenile period. Precisely when the formation of the fin rays, muscles and organs of the digestive system and ossification are observed, suggesting low morphological variation during ontogenetic development. Pimelodus blochii differs from other congeneric species in the lower Amazon river by meristic characters, which helps to correctly identify individuals in early stages of development.

Larvae of migratory Characiformes species in an archipelago in the Lower Amazon River

In the Amazon basin, most of the migratory Characiformes species represent an important fishing resource for local people. However, the lack of information about the main areas and periods of reproduction and the importance of certain environments for the maintenance of species may jeopardize the renewal of fish stocks. Thus, the aim was to examine the spatial and seasonal variation in the density of larvae of migratory Characiformes species in an archipelago in the Lower Amazon River and to assess the importance of this environment for the biological recruitment of the studied species. The capture of larvae was carried out in places close to restinga swamps, steep ruts,and inlet areas with a plankton net (300 μm) in monthly sampling from January to December 2013. An analysis of variance was used to verify differences in larval density between seasons and sampling months. A total of 30,997 larvae were captured and showed no significant differences in their distributions between habitats. However, a variationbetween the phases of the hydrological cycle was evident, in which the highest larval concentrations were observed during the flooding (17.72 larvae.10m-3) and the drought (1.33 larvae.10m-3). The study area has a great capacity to assist in the maintenance and renewal of regional fish stocks, as it is an important retention and nursery site for larvae of Characiformes that drift along the main channel of the Amazon River.

The effect of facilitated tucking position during painful procedure in pain management of preterm infants in neonatal intensive care unit: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the effects of facilitated tucking position during painful procedure in pain management of preterm infants. We searched MEDLINE, PEDro, SciELO and the Cochrane Library (until June 2019) for randomized controlled trials. An α value ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Heterogeneity among studies was examined with Cochran's Q and I2 statistic, in which values greater than 40% were considered indicative of high heterogeneity and random-effects model was chosen. Analyses were performed with Review Manager 5.3. Fifteen studies met the eligibility criteria, including 664 preterm infants. The meta-analyses showed a significant reduction in pain of - 1.02 (95% CI - 1.7 to - 0.4, N = 216) during endotraqueal suctioning for participants in the facilitated tucking position group (FTPG) compared with routine care group. The meta-analyses showed a non-significant difference in pain - 0.3 (95% CI - 2.05 to - 1.4, N = 88) during heel stick for participants in the FTPG compared with oral glucose group. The meta-analyses showed a non-significant difference in pain for participants in the FTPG compared with oral opioid group 0.2 (95% CI - 1.4 to 1.8, N = 140).Conclusion: Facilitated tucking position may improve the pain during painful procedures.What is Known:• Exposure of premature babies to painful procedures is associated with changes in brain development, regardless of other factors.• Facilitated tucking reduces the expression of pain in premature infants.What is New:• Facilitated tucking position was efficient in pain management of preterm infants when compared to routine care.• Facilitated tucking compared to opioid or oral glucose did not achieve a significant reduction in pain intensity.

A proteomic dataset of secreted proteins by three Staphylococcus saprophyticus strains.

This article presents a proteomic dataset generated from a comparative analysis of the exoproteome of Staphylococcus saprophyticus, ATCC 15305, 7108 and 9325 strains. The extract of secreted proteins were obtained after incubation of stationary phase cells in BHI medium. All samples were submitted to nano-ESI-UPLC-MSE, and the spectrum obtained was processed and analyzed by ProteinLynx Global Server (PLGS), Uniprot and Pedant databases, for identification, annotation and functional classification of proteins. Fold changes and protein relative abundances were properly reported. This report is related to the research article entitled "The exoproteome profiles of three Staphylococcus saprophyticus strains reveal diversity in protein secretion contents" (Oliveira et al., 2018). The proteomic data generated have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange Consortium, via the PRIDE partner repository, with a project number PXD008643, https://www.ebi.ac.uk/pride/archive/projects/PXD008643.

The exoproteome profiles of three Staphylococcus saprophyticus strains reveal diversity in protein secretion contents.

Staphylococcus saprophyticus is a gram-positive microorganism responsible for urinary tract infections (UTIs). Although some virulence factors are characterized, such as urease, autolysins, adhesins and hemagglutinins, large-scale proteomic studies have not been performed within this species. We performed the characterization of the exoproteome from three S. saprophyticus strains: the reference strain ATCC 15,305, a non-capsular strain 7108 and the 9325 strain containing a thick capsule which were cultured in BHI medium and culture supernatants were analysed by using mass spectrometry approach. We observed a core of 72 secreted proteins. In addition, it was possible to detect diversity in the protein profiles of the exoproteomes. Interestingly, strain 7108 presented no secretion of three antigenic proteins, including the classical SsaA antigen. In addition, the level of antigenic proteins secreted by strain 9325 was higher than in ATCC 15,305. This result was confirmed by Western blot analysis using anti-SsaA polyclonal antibodies, and no production/ secretion of SsaA was detected in strain 7108. Transcriptional data shows that 7108 strain produces transcripts encoding SsaA, suggesting post-transcriptional regulation occurs in this strain. Moreover, when compared with the other strains that were analyzed, it was possible to detect higher levels of proteases secreted by strain 7108 and higher levels of antigenic proteins and transglycosylases secreted by 9325 strain. The results reveal diversity in protein secretion among strains. This research is an important first step towards understanding the variability in S. saprophyticus exoproteome profile and could be significant in explaining differences among strains.

Repercussões da cirurgia bariátrica na qualidade de vida, no perfil bioquímico e na pressão arterial de pacientes com obesidade mórbida / Repercusiones de la cirugía bariátrica en la cualidad de vida, en el perfil bioquímico y en la presión arterial de pacientes con obesidad mórbida / Bariatric surgery repercussions on the quality of life, biochemical profile, and blood pressure of patients with morbid obesity

RESUMO A indicação da cirurgia bariátrica (CB) para perda de peso e redução de comorbidades associadas à obesidade é crescente. O objetivo do presente estudo foi analisar as repercussões da CB na qualidade de vida (QV), no perfil bioquímico e na pressão arterial (PA) de indivíduos obesos mórbidos em três momentos distintos: um mês antes, três meses depois e seis meses após a CB. Participaram da pesquisa 42 indivíduos com obesidade mórbida do programa de CB de um hospital da cidade de Juiz de Fora - MG, os quais foram aleatoriamente divididos em grupo intervenção (GI, n=21) e grupo controle (GC, n=21). O GI sofreu intervenção cirúrgica e o GC foi orientado a manter os afazeres diários usuais durante todo período do estudo, além de receberem acompanhamento nutricional. Foram avaliados a QV, o perfil bioquímico e a PA através do instrumento SF-36, do exame laboratorial de sangue obtido no prontuário dos pacientes e do esfigmomanômetro e estetoscópio, respectivamente. Os resultados demonstraram redução nas variáveis bioquímicas High-density lipoproteins (HDL), Low-density lipoproteins (LDL), Very Low-Density Lipoprotein (VLDL), colesterol, triglicerídeos, hemoglobina glicada, glicose, pressão arterial sistólica e pressão arterial diastólica no GI, após 6 meses de cirurgia. Houve melhora significativa nas variáveis relacionadas à QV, exceto nos aspectos emocionais. Conclui-se que a CB pode repercutir positivamente na maioria dos domínios da QV, na melhora do perfil bioquímico e na PA de pacientes obesos mórbidos após 3 e 6 meses de CB.

RESUMEN La indicación de la cirugía bariátrica (CB) para pérdida de peso y reducción de comorbidades asociadas a la obesidad es creciente. El objetivo del presente estudio ha sido analizar las repercusiones de la CB en la cualidad de vida (CV), en el perfil bioquímico y en la presión arterial (PA) de individuos obesos mórbidos en tres momentos distintos: un mes antes, tres meses después y seis meses después de la CB. Han participado de la investigación 42 individuos con obesidad mórbida del programa de CB de un hospital de la ciudad de Juiz de Fora - MG, los cuales han sido aleatoriamente divididos en grupo intervención (GI, n=21) y grupo control (GC, n=21). El GI ha tenido intervención quirúrgica y el GC ha sido orientado a mantener los quehaceres diarios usuales durante todo el período del estudio, además de recibir acompañamiento nutricional. Han sido evaluados la CV, el perfil bioquímico y la PA a través del instrumento SF-36, del examen de laboratorio de sangre que ha sido obtenido en el historial médico de los pacientes y del esfigmomanómetro y estetoscopio, respectivamente. Los resultados han demostrado la reducción en las variables bioquímicas High-density lipoproteins (HDL), Low-density lipoproteins (LDL), Very Low-Density Lipoprotein (VLDL), el colesterol, los triglicéridos, la hemoglobina glicosilada, la glucosa, la presión arterial sistólica y la presión arterial diastólica en el GI, después de 6 meses de cirugía. Ha habido mejora significativa en las variables que han sido relacionadas a la CV, excepto en los aspectos emocionales. Se concluye que la CB puede repercutir positivamente en la mayoría de los dominios de la CV, en la mejora del perfil bioquímico y en la PA de pacientes obesos mórbidos después de 3 y 6 meses de CB.

ABSTRACT The indication of bariatric surgery (BS) for weight loss and reduction of obesity-related comorbidities is increasing. The objective of this study was to analyze the repercussions of BS on quality of life (QOL), biochemical profile, and blood pressure (BP) of morbidly obese individuals at three different moments: one month before, three months after and six months after BS. The sample consisted of 42 morbidly obese individuals from the BS program of a hospital in the city of Juiz de Fora - MG, Brazil. They were randomly divided into intervention group (IG, n = 21) and control group (CG, n = 21). The IG underwent surgical intervention and the CG was instructed to maintain the usual daily tasks throughout the study period, besides receiving nutritional monitoring. The QOL, biochemical profile, and BP were evaluated through the SF-36 instrument, laboratory blood tests obtained in the patients' medical records, and with the sphygmomanometer and stethoscope, respectively. The results showed a reduction in the biochemical variables HDL, LDL, VLDL, cholesterol, triglycerides, glycated hemoglobin, glucose, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure in the IG 6 months after surgery. There was a significant improvement in the variables related to QQL, except in the emotional aspects. It can be concluded that BS can positively affect most QOL domains, improve the biochemical profile and BP of morbidly obese patients 3 and 6 months after BS.

Processo de enfermagem e sua aplicação em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva: revisão integrativa / Nursing process and its application in an Intensive Care Unit: integrative review

Objetivo: identificar na literatura, brasileira e internacional, a aplicação do processo de enfermagem em unidade de terapia intensiva, bem como as contribuições e limitações de sua implementação. Método: tratase de revisão integrativa realizada a partir da seguinte questão de pesquisa: Como ocorre a aplicação do processo de enfermagem na unidade de terapia intensiva? Foram consultadas as bases de dados Cinahl, Scopus, MedLine, Lilacs e Ibecs. A análise de dados partiu da ordenação e categorização do problema de pesquisa. Resultados: a partir da análise crítica dos artigos foram identificadas duas categorias: Processo de enfermagem e sua utilização na unidade de terapia intensiva; e Processo de enfermagem e suas contribuições/limitações na unidade de terapia intensiva. Conclusão: nas pesquisas de Enfermagem se percebeu a importância da aplicação do processo de enfermagem na unidade de terapia intensiva, pois, por meio desse instrumento norteador, o enfermeiro se torna capaz de realizar uma assistência de qualidade.(AU)

Objective: to identify in the Brazilian and international literature the nursing process application at an intensive care unit, as well as the contributions and limitations of its implementation. Method: this is an integrative review conducted through the following research question: How does the nursing process application happen at the intensive care unit? One accessed the databases CINAHL, SCOPUS, MEDLINE, LILACS, and IBECS. Data analysis started from the organization and categorization of the research problem. Results: through the critical analysis of papers two categories were identified: Nursing process and its use at the intensive care unit; and Nursing process and its contributions/limitations at the intensive care unit. Conclusion: in Nursing researches, one noticed the importance of nursing process application at the intensive care unit, since, through this guiding instrument, the nurse becomes able to provide a good quality care.(AU)

Objetivo: identificar en la literatura, brasileña e internacional, la aplicación del proceso de enfermería en unidad de cuidados intensivos, así como las contribuciones y las limitaciones de su implementación. Método: esta es una revisión integradora realizada desde la siguiente cuestión de investigación: ¿Cómo ocurre la aplicación del proceso de enfermería en la unidad de cuidados intensivos? Fueron consultadas las bases de datos Cinahl, Scopus, MedLine, Lilacs e Ibecs. El análisis de datos partió de la ordenación y categorización del problema de investigación. Resultados: desde el análisis crítico de los artículos fueron identificadas dos categorías: Proceso de enfermería y su utilización en la unidad de cuidados intensivos; y Proceso de enfermería y sus contribuciones/limitaciones en la unidad de cuidados intensivos. Conclusión: en las investigaciones de Enfermería se dio cuenta de la importancia de la aplicación del proceso de enfermería en la unidad de cuidados intensivos, pues, por medio de ese instrumento orientador, el enfermero se vuelve capaz de realizar una atención de calidad.(AU)

O significado do processo de enfermagem para alunos de graduação em enfermagem / The meaning of the nursing process for undergraduate nursing students

Objetivo: compreender o significado do processo de enfermagem para discentes e as dificuldades paraimplementá-lo. Método: trata-se de estudo qualitativo, seguindo a trajetória fenomenológica, com 21acadêmicos do último período de graduação em Enfermagem. As questões de pesquisa foram: “Como é paravocê o processo de enfermagem?” e “Quais são suas dificuldades para implementá-lo?”. Após as entrevistas,os discursos foram transcritos e analisados a partir das unidades de significado. O projeto de pesquisa foiaprovado pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa da Universidade José do Rosário Vellano, sob o Protocolo n.54/2008. Resultados: as unidades de significado foram: Instrumento metodológico; Função privativa doenfermeiro; Contextualizando o processo de enfermagem; Contribuições do processo de enfermagem; eLimitações para a realização do processo de enfermagem. Conclusão: o processo de enfermagem éimprescindível para orientar a assistência de enfermagem e o profissional que o utiliza será capaz deaprimorar habilidades cognitivas e psicomotoras.