Leptospira interrogans sorovar Copenhageni e Icterohaemorrhagiae: relação evolutiva, diferenças genéticas e associação com desfecho clínico / Leptospira interrogans serovar Copenhageni and Icterohaemorrhagiae: evolutionary relationship, genetic differences and association with clinical outcome

A leptospirose é a zoonose mais disseminada mundialmente por infectar diversas espécies diferentes de animais mamíferos. Apresenta 22 espécies identificadas, sendo dez patogênicas, cinco intermediarias e sete saprofiticas, além de apresentar mais de 250 sorovares diferentes. Em Salvador, Leptospira interrogans sorovar Copenhageni é a causadora da epidemia urbana na cidade e apresenta ratos como seu hospedeiro reservatório. As formas clínicas da leptospirose podem variar de assintomática a formas graves. As manifestações clínicas mais graves envolve o desenvolvimento da síndrome Hemorrágica pulmonar severa, e óbito do paciente. Estudos para entender as diferenças genéticas entre as diferentes espécies e sorovares é de extrema importância para identificar fatores de virulência da bactéria, genes que possam está associado aos diferentes formas clinicas, e sua capacidade de se adaptar aos diferentes ambientes. Neste trabalho foi estudado o genoma de dois importantes serovares de L. interrogans, o sorovar Copenhageni e o serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae, e suas diferenças genéticas e associação com dados clínicos e epidemiológicos. Um total de 141 isolados...

There are 22 different species of Leptospira spp. in which 10 are pathogenic, 5 intermediate and 7 saprophytic species. In Salvador the Leptospira interrogans sorovar Copenhageni is the main serovar detected, responsible for the urban epidemics, and has rats as their main host. The clinical manifestations of leptospirosis can vary from asymptomatic form to severe disease like pulmonary hemorrhagic syndrome, and death. Studies to understand de genetic differences among the species and serovars are of great importance to identify virulence factors, genes that could be related to the different clinical manifestations and its capacity to adapt in different environments. Here, the genome of two epidemiologically important serovar of the L. interrogans, the serovar Copenhageni and serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae, and their genetic differences and the association of these differences with epidemiological and clinical data were studied. A total of 141 strains...

Single nucleotide polymorphism in genome-wide association of human population: a tool for broad spectrum service

Genome-wide patterns of variation across individuals provide most powerful source of data for uncovering the history of migration, expansion, and adaptation of the human population. The arrival of new technologies that type more than millions of the single nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs] in a single experiment has made SNP in genome-wide association [GWA] assay a prudent venture. SNPs represent the most widespread type of sequence variation in genomes, and known as valuable genetic markers for revealing the evolutionary history and common genetic polymorphisms that explain the heritable risk for common diseases. Characterizing the nature of gene variation in human populations and assembling an extensive catalog of SNPs in candidate genes in association with particular diseases are the major goals of human genetics. In this article we explore the recent discovery of SNP-GWA to revolutionize not only the process of genetic variation and disease detection but also the convention of preventative and curative medicine for future prospects

O desenvolvimento biológico em conexão com a guerra / The Biological development in connection with the war

O século XX foi cenário da construção de um sistema para a operacionalização da ciência estratégica das grandes potências, chamada Big Science. Este sistema é constituído por uma vasta rede institucional integrada, o "complexo militar-industrial-acadêmico", que desenvolve pesquisas estratégicas e direciona a ciência de ponta. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar a lógica desta construção sob a ótica do poder, fazendo um contraponto entre os desenvolvimentos tecnológicos da Física e da Biologia. Os movimentos de poder identificam algumas características que, em tese, refletem o incentivo para indução do desenvolvimento científico da modernidade, potencializado na era atômica com a fabricação de armas de destruição em massa, as armas de alta tecnologia. Nesta perspectiva, buscamos a relevância do desenvolvimento biológico de interesse político-militar, tomando por base a fabricação de três gerações de armas ao longo do século XX, com crescente posicionamento na corrida armamentista. Esta análise envolve as décadas de 1940 até 1980, na busca de demonstrar uma convergência técnico-política nas trajetórias do desenvolvimento biológico e da guerra biológica, que culminou numa conexão científico-militar no início da era biotecnológica.

The XX Century was the scenario for the construction of a system devoted to operationalizing the strategic science of the great potentials named the Big Science. This system comprehends a vast institutional and integrated network, the "military-industrial-academic complex", which carries out strategic research and guides high quality science. The objective of this study was to investigate the logics of such construction under the perspective of power, highlighting a counterpoint between the technological development of Physics and Biology. The power movement points to some characteristics, that theoretically reflect the incentive to the induction of the scientific development of modern times, potentialized during the atomic age by the manufacturing of high technology weapons. In this perspective one can search the relevance of the biological development of political-military interest in the three-generation manufacturing of weapons throughout the XX Century, and the participation in the armaments race. This historiographic analysis encompasses the decades of 1940 through 1980, in an attempt to show the ethnical-political convergence in the paths taken by the biological development and the biological war which eventually led to a scientific and military connection at the beginning of the biotechnological era.

DNA-UMSAgen, extracción de DNA genómica para diagnóstico molecular: método rápido y económico / UMSAgen DNA, genomic DNA extraction for molecular diagnosis: rapid and economical method

Introducción. El estudio del ácido desoxirribunocleico (DNA) es imprescindible para la medicina moderna; por ello, se ha diseñado diferentes técnicas para su extracción, cuyos costos son altos y de tiempo prolongado. En este trabajo se describe un método modificado de extracción de DNA (DNA-UMSAgen) basado en la técnica de Miller. Métodos. Las células mononucleares fueron obtenidas de sangre venosa periférica de un sujeto voluntario, para realizar 40 extracciones de DNA; 20 con el método modificado DNA_UMSAgen y otros 20 con el método clásico. Posteriormente se evaluó la concentración, calidad y utilidad de estos DNA extraidos. Resultados. La pureza del DNA extraido por el método DNA-UMSAgen es de 1,88 similar al de la técnica clásica 1,91, las concentraciones obtenidas son 20,4 ug/106 cel y 56ug/106 cel respectivamente. La evaluación por electroforesis en agarosa y la amplificación del exon 12 del gen JAK2 por PCR fue satisfactoria. Conclusión. El método DNA-UMSAgen es una alternativa de extracción de DNA genómico, rápido y económico, adecuado para paises en vias de desarrollo.

INTRODUCTIONDNA is the genetic material of the cell. Actually for its study, laboratory techniques are available that require its extraction free of impurities. This paper describes the DNA-UMSAgen method as an alternative for DNA extraction which is based on the Miller technique.METHODSThe mononuclear cells were obtained of venous peripheral blood of a voluntary subject, for to realize 40 DNA's extractions; 20 with the modified method DNA-UMSAgen and other 20 with the classic method. Later there was evaluated the concentration, quality and utility of these extracted DNA.RESULTSThe DNA purity extracted by the DNA-UMSAgen method is 1,88 similar to the classic technique 1,91, the concentration obtained were 20,4 ug/106 cells and 56ug/106 cells respectively. The evaluation by agarose gel electrophoresis and the amplification of the exon 12 of the JAK2 gen by PCR was successful.CONCLUSIONThe DNA-UMSAgen extraction method is a very acceptable fast, easy and inexpensive alternative method for underdeveloped countries for DNA extraction.