HIV-1 subtypes among blood donors from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The prevalence of HIV infection in Brazil is one of the highest in the world. In addition, transfusion-transmitted HIV accounts for 2.3% of all AIDS cases in Brazil. The objective of this study was to evaluate genetic diversity and distribution of HIV-1 strains circulating in the blood-donor population. We characterized 43 seropositive blood units collected from volunteer blood donors residing throughout Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Viral RNA was extracted from plasma, reverse transcribed, and amplified by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using HIV group M degenerate primers. Genetic heterogeneity was evaluated by direct automated cycle sequencing of the following gene fragments: gag p24 (399 bp), env C2V3 (345 bp), and env gp41 (369 bp). Phylogenetic analysis reflected the complexity of the Brazilian HIV epidemic: the majority of specimens, 33 of 43 (76.7%) were subtype B, and 6 of 43 (14%) were subtype F. The remaining 4 samples (9.3%) involved potential mosaic viruses of subtypes B and F or B and D. This survey is the first to document HIV-1 genetic variation in the Brazilian blood-donor population.

PIP: Brazil has the highest prevalence of HIV infection in Latin America and one of the highest such prevalences in the world. By 1996, 110,000 AIDS cases had been cumulatively reported by the Brazil National AIDS Program. HIV-1 subtypes B and F have previously been described in Brazil, accounting for 85% and 15% of infections, respectively. Findings are presented from a study conducted to evaluate the genetic diversity and distribution of HIV-1 strains circulating in the blood donor population. The authors characterized 43 HIV-seropositive blood units collected from volunteer blood donors living throughout Rio de Janeiro. Viral RNA was extracted from plasma, reverse transcribed, and amplified by nested polymerase chain reaction using HIV group M degenerate primers. Genetic heterogeneity was assessed through the direct automated cycle sequencing of gene fragments gag p24 (399 bp), env C2V3 (345 bp), and env gp41 (369 bp). 33 of the 43 (76.7%) specimens were of subtype B and 6 (14%) of subtype F, while the remaining 4 (9.3%) involved potential mosaic viruses of subtypes B and F or B and D.

Producción de enzimas por streptomycoses sp cresciendo con caparazón de camarón como sustrato / Enzyme production of streptomyces up growing on shrimp shell as substrate

Se hizo un estudio comparativo en cuanto a la producción de enzimas por ima ceá de Streptomyces sp, utilizando como substrato caparazón de camarón desmineralizado ó quitina semipurificada. Se encontró que la producción de quitinasas está asociada al crecimiento microbiano cuando se usa como substrato caparazón de camarón, alcanzando una producción máxima de quitinasa, qutitosanasa, carboximetilcelulasa y de proteasa a las 96 h de incubación. Cuando el substrato fue la quitina, se obtuvo un máximo en la producción quitinolítica y quitosanolítica al alcanzar la fase de crecimiento estacionario. El crecimiento de Streptomyces sp fue mayor en caparazón de camarón que en quitina, siendo muy pequeñas las velocidades específicas de crecimiento tanto en caparazón de camarón como en quitina semipurificada