Toxoplasma gondii isolates are highly diverse in domestic animals from Brazil. However, little is known about the genetics of this parasite from wild mammals in the same region. Reveal genetic similarity or difference of T. gondii among different animal populations is necessary for us to understand transmission of this parasite. Here we reported isolation and genetic characterisation of three T. gondii isolates from wild animals in Brazil. The parasite was isolated by bioassay in mice from tissues of a young male red handed howler monkey (Alouatta belzebul), an adult male jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi), and an adult female black-eared opossum (Didelphis aurita). The monkey and the jaguarundi had inhabited the Zoo of Parque Estadual Dois Irmãos, Pernambuco State, Northeastern Brazil, for 1 year and 8 years, respectively. The wild black-eared opossum was captured in São Paulo State, Southeastern Brazil, and euthanised for this study because it was seropositive for T. gondii (titre 1:100 by the modified agglutination test, MAT). Ten PCR-RFLP (Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism) markers, SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1 and Apico, were used to genotype the isolates. T. gondii was isolated from the brain and heart homogenate of the monkey, the muscle homogenate of the jaguarundi, and the heart homogenate of the black-eared opossum. This was the first isolation of T. gondii from a neotropical felid from Brazil. The isolate from the monkey (TgRhHmBr1) was not virulent in mice, whereas the isolates from the jaguarundi (TgJagBr1) and the black-eared opossum (TgOpBr1) were virulent in mice. The genotype of the isolate from the monkey has been identified in isolates from a goat and ten chickens in the same region of Brazil, suggesting that it may be a common lineage circulating in this region. The genotypes of the isolates from the jaguarundi and the black-eared opossum have not been previously reported. Although there are already 88 genotypes identified from a variety of animal hosts in Brazil, new genotypes are continuously being identified from different animal species, indicating an extremely high diversity of T. gondii in the population.

Fish germ cell transplantation presents several important potential applications for aquaculture, including the preservation of germplasm from endangered fish species with high genetic and commercial values. Using this technique in studies developed in our laboratory with adult male Nile tilapias (Oreochromis niloticus), all the necessary procedures were successfully established, allowing the production of functional sperm and healthy progeny approximately 2months after allogeneic transplantation. In the present study, we evaluated the viability of the adult Nile tilapia testis to generate sperm after xenogeneic transplant of germ cells from sexually mature Jundia catfish (Rhamdia quelen) that belong to a different taxonomic order. Therefore, in order to investigate at different time-periods post-transplantation, the presence and development of donor PKH26 labeled catfish germ cells were followed in the tilapia seminiferous tubules. From 7 to 20days post-transplantation, only PKH26 labeled spermatogonia were observed, whereas spermatocytes at different stages of development were found at 70days. Germ cell transplantation success and progression of spermatogenesis were indicated by the presence of labeled PKH26 spermatids and sperm on days 90 and 120 post-transplantation, respectively. Confirming the presence of the catfish genetic material in the tilapia testis, all recipient tilapias evaluated (n=8) showed the genetic markers evaluated. Therefore, we demonstrated for the first time that the adult Nile tilapia testis offers the functional conditions for development of spermatogenesis with sperm production from a fish species belonging to a different order, which provides an important new venue for aquaculture advancement.

Avaliou-se a trajetória genética do crescimento de codornas de corte (pesos corporais nos dias 1, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 e 42 de idade) de dois grupos genéticos, por modelos de regressão aleatória, sob modelo animal, obtendo-se estimativas de parâmetros genéticos visando definir a idade que resultaria em maior resposta à seleção. Foram pesadas 2.432 e 2.478 codornas, respectivamente, dos grupos genéticos EV1 e EV2, obtidas em três gerações de seleção. Os parâmetros genéticos foram estimados utilizando-se a sub-rotina Dxmrr do DFReml. As estimativas de herdabilidade dos pesos corporais variaram, respectivamente, de 0,01 a 0,50, para o grupo genético EV1, e de 0,01 a 0,10, para o EV2, sendo as maiores estimativas obtidas para peso corporal no 42º dia de idade, em ambos os grupos genéticos. As correlações genéticas entre o peso a um dia e os demais pesos corporais, em ambos os grupos, foram negativas, e as correlações de ambiente permanente, de modo geral, foram maiores para EV2. Pode-se concluir que, para ambos os grupos, a seleção é mais eficiente se realizada no 42º dia de idade, porém respostas poderiam ser obtidas se as codornas fossem selecionadas em idades mais jovens para o grupo EV1.

Uso de redes neurais artificais na predição de valores genéticos para peso aos 205 dias em bovinos da raça Tabapuã

RESUMOEstudou-se a exigência de metionina + cistina total para codornas de corte em crescimento durante os períodos inicial (sete a 21 dias) e final (22 a 42 dias de idade). O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado, com cinco repetições de 13 codornas por unidade experimental. Os tratamentos consistiram de seis níveis de metionina + cistina total (0,73; 0,79; 0,85; 0,91; 0,97 e 1,03%). Foram estudadas as variáveis: ganho de peso (g), peso final no período (g), consumo de dieta (g) e conversão alimentar (g de dieta/g de peso). As respostas de desempenho foram obtidas por meio de modelos de regressão linear e quadrática. Codornas de corte alimentadas com dietas contendo 0,95% de metionina + cistina total no período inicial (sete a 21 dias) e 0,73% de metionina + cistina total no período final (22 a 42 dias) de criação obtêm máximo ganho de peso.Palavras-chave: codorna, exigência nutricional, aminoácido, ganho de peso, consumo alimentar, conversão alimentar ABSTRACT Total methyonine + cystine requirements during the initial (7-21 days of age) and final period ( 22-