The Evaluation of Folic Acid-Deficient or Folic Acid-Supplemented Diet in the Gestational Phase of Female Rats and in Their Adult Offspring Subjected to an Animal Model of Schizophrenia.

Although folic acid (FA) supplementation is known to influence numerous physiological functions, especially during pregnancy, little is known about its direct effects on the mothers' health. However, this vitamin is essential for the health of the mother and for the normal growth and development of the fetus. Thus, the aim of this study was (1) to evaluate the cognitive effects and biochemical markers produced by the AIN-93 diet (control), the AIN-93 diet supplemented with different doses of FA (5, 10, and 50 mg/kg), and a FA-deficient diet during pregnancy and lactation in female mother rats (dams) and (2) to evaluate the effect of maternal diets on inflammatory parameters in the adult offspring which were subjected to an animal model of schizophrenia (SZ) induced by ketamine (Ket). Our study demonstrated through the Y-maze test that rats subjected to the FA-deficient diet showed significant deficits in spatial memory, while animals supplemented with FA (5 and 10 mg/kg) showed no deficit in spatial memory. Our results also suggest that the rats subjected to the FA-deficient diet had increased levels of carbonylated proteins in the frontal cortex and hippocampus and also increased plasma levels of homocysteine (Hcy). Folate was able to prevent cognitive impairments in the rats supplemented with FA (5 and 10 mg/kg), data which may be attributed to the antioxidant effect of the vitamin. Moreover, FA prevented protein damage and elevations in Hcy levels in the rats subjected to different doses of this vitamin (5, 10, and 50 mg/kg). We verified a significant increase of the anti-inflammatory cytokine (interleukin-4 (IL-4)) and a reduction in the plasma levels of proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6 (IL-6)) and TNF-α) in the dams that were subjected to the diets supplemented with FA (5, 10, and 50 mg/kg), showing the possible anti-inflammatory effects of FA during pregnancy and lactation. In general, we also found that in the adult offspring that were subjected to an animal model of SZ, FA had a protective effect in relation to the levels of IL-4, IL-6, and TNF-α, which indicates that the action of FA persisted in the adult offspring, since FA showed a lasting effect on the inflammatory response, which was similar in both the dams and their offspring. In conclusion, the importance of supplementation with FA during pregnancy and lactation should be emphasized, not only for the benefit of the offspring but also for the health of the mother. All this is due to the considerable protective effect of this vitamin against oxidative damage, cognitive impairment, hyperhomocysteinemia, immune function, and also its ability in preventing common processes in post-pregnancy stages, as well as in reducing the risks of neurodevelopmental disorders and enhancing fetal immune development.

Andropogon bicornis (Poales, Poaceae): a hibernation site for Pentatomoidea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) in a rice-growing region of Southern Brazil.

Tussocks of Andropogon bicornis (Poaceae) make up a significant part of the landscape of the rice-growing region of south Brazil. However, little is known about their role in maintaining insect diversity in anthropized regions. We tested the hypothesis that A. bicornis is a hibernation site for Pentatomoidea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) by analyzing the composition, structure, and diversity of pentatomoid assemblages over the course of a year. A total of 208 tussocks were removed at fortnightly intervals from April 2010 to March 2011. We collected 3,423 pentatomoid specimens belonging to 22 species distributed in 13 genera of three families, Pentatomidae, Scutelleridae, and Thyreocoridae. The most common species was Tibraca limbativentris Stål, the main rice pest in southern Brazil, followed by Oebalus ypsilongriseus (De Geer) and Edessa meditabunda (Fabricius). Abundance and species richness were the lowest in January, February, and March and the highest in July, August, and September. A combination of high species diversity observed during the colder months, including several unrelated to rice, and the absence of immature specimens in the tussocks strengthens the hypothesis that A. bicornis is a hibernation site for pentatomoids in the region.

Monosomic and molecular mapping of adult plant leaf rust resistance genes in the Brazilian wheat cultivar Toropi.

Leaf rust is one of the most destructive diseases affecting wheat worldwide. The most effective way to control it is to use resistant cultivars. Resistance based on slow-rusting adult plant resistance (APR) genes has proven to be the best method for developing cultivars with durable resistance. A source of slow-rusting APR for leaf rust is the Brazilian wheat cultivar Toropi. The Toropi/IAC 13 F2 and F7 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) were developed in previous studies. Phenotypic analysis of the F2 and F7 RILs showed that 2 recessive genes that were temporarily named trp-1 and trp-2 conferred APR in Toropi. In the present study, we used monosomic families and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), sequence-tagged site, and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers to map trp-1 and trp-2 on wheat chromosomes. Analysis of the F2 monosomic RIL showed that trp- 1 and trp-2 were located on chromosomes 1A and 4D, respectively. AFLP analysis of the F7 RIL identified 2 independent AFLP markers, XPacgMcac3 and XPacgMcac6, which were associated with Toropi APR. These markers explained 71.5% of the variation in the phenotypic data in a multiple linear regression model. The AFLP markers XPacg/ Mcac3 and XPacg/Mcac6 were anchored by SSR markers previously mapped on the short arms of chromosomes 1A (1AS) and 4D (4DS), respectively. The trp-2 gene is the first leaf rust resistance gene mapped on wheat chromosome 4DS. The mapping of trp-1 and trp-2 provides novel and valuable information that could be used in future studies involving the fine mapping of these genes, as well as in the identification of molecular markers that are closely related to these genes for marker-assisted selection of this important trait in wheat.

Inheritance of Adult Plant Leaf Rust Resistance in the Brazilian Wheat Cultivar Toropi.

Adult plant resistance to leaf rust in the Brazilian wheat cultivar Toropi (Triticum aestivum) was studied in crosses with the susceptible cultivar IAC 13. Cvs. Toropi and IAC 13 are susceptible at the seedling stage to race LCG-RS of Puccinia triticina Erikss., and to all other known Brazilian leaf-rust races. Thus, the resistance observed in Toropi in the field was due to adult plant-resistance genes. In the greenhouse at the adult plant stage, resistance segregated in a 7:9 ratio for two complementary recessive genes. Additionally, two recessive genes for leaf-tip necrosis were identified in the greenhouse environment. Necrosis was expressed when the two homozygous recessive genes occurred together in the F2, independently of the response to leaf rust. The resistance and leaf-necrosis genes differ from those previously reported in wheat. Segregation for leaf-rust resistance in the field at Passo Fundo, Brazil, fit a 1:3 ratio for a single recessive gene. With a different pathogen race, and in crosses of cvs. Toropi and ThatcherLr34, two recessive genes and a dominant gene for resistance were detected in the field in Mexico. The dominant gene was likely Lr34 from cv. ThatcherLr34 and the two recessive genes were likely those detected in the greenhouse adult plants tests at Passo Fundo.