Article
Environmental Sciences
Felipe Chagas Rocha Almeida, Diego Martins Magalhaes, Arodi Prado Favaris, Jonathan Rodriguez, Kamila Emmanuella Xavier Azevedo, Jose Mauricio Simoes Bento, Denise Araujo Alves
Summary: Pathogenic fungi may impact bee behavior and chemicals, allowing guard bees to detect pathogen-exposed bees and prevent them from entering the hive. This provides important insights into how bee colonies respond to potential infectious threats.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Prashant Waiker, Fabiano Carlos Pinto de Abreu, Danielle Luna-Lucena, Flavia Cristina Paula Freitas, Zila Luz Paulino Simoes, Olav Rueppell
Summary: This study provides new evidence for the association between high sociality and recombination rates in Hymenoptera, supporting the hypothesis that advanced social evolution in hymenopteran insects invariably selects for high genomic recombination rates.
Article
Neurosciences
Hidehiro Watanabe, Shoji Ogata, Nonoka Nodomi, Kosuke Tateishi, Hiroshi Nishino, Ryosuke Matsubara, Mamiko Ozaki, Fumio Yokohari
Summary: To maintain eusociality, ants can recognize subtle differences in cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs). It is debated whether peripheral or central neural mechanisms are responsible for CHC discrimination. In this study, single basiconic sensilla in Japanese carpenter ants were recorded to determine how CHCs are processed. The results showed that sensory neurons in the sensilla were electrically coupled and had the potential to discriminate different CHCs based on activated neuron patterns.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Ellen van Wilgenburg, Mario Mariotta, Neil Durie Tsutsui
Summary: The recognition system of ant colonies is influenced by genetic and diet-derived chemicals. However, dietary changes do not explain the unusual colony structure of introduced Argentine ants.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Arthur de Fouchier, Chloe Leroy, Abderrahman Khila, Patrizia d'Ettorre
Summary: Brood plays a critical role in social insect colonies as it contributes to the colony's fitness by producing future reproductive adults and increasing the workforce. Ant workers have evolved the ability to distinguish between nestmate and non-nestmate brood, especially in the early stages that require more resources. However, the chemical basis of this recognition and discrimination behavior remains understudied. In this study, we investigated the chemical cues and discrimination behavior of six ant species towards early brood, finding species-specific cues and discrimination against hetero-specific brood. We propose that the discrimination against non-nestmate brood may be an adaptation against brood parasitism.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Grayson J. Grume, Seth P. Biedenbender, Clare C. Rittschof, Quantifying Foraging, Simulated Robbing
Summary: When studying honey robbing behavior, it was found that robbing hives increased both foraging activity and nest defense, with guard bees becoming more defensive towards returning nestmates. Despite the aggressive nature of robbing foragers, colonies use social information to dynamically optimize foraging and defense behaviors in order to maximize benefits and minimize costs of this high-risk tactic.
Article
Entomology
David Alavez-Rosas, Daniel Sanchez-Guillen, Edi A. Malo, Leopoldo Cruz-Lopez
Summary: This study characterized the composition of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) in different castes and ages of Melipona solani bees. The results revealed differences in CHC composition between castes and ages, indicating their roles in nestmate recognition and age-based tasks.
JOURNAL OF APICULTURAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hannah R. Gellert, Daphne C. Halley, Zackary J. Sieb, Jody C. Smith, Gregory M. Pask
Summary: Ants and other eusocial insects use chemical signals for communication within the colony. Ants detect important information through cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) on their exoskeleton. The unique morphology of CHC-sensitive basiconic sensilla in ants shows adaptations for contact chemosensation. These specialized structures evolved to serve the functional requirements of eusocial communication.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gabriela Zorzal, Flavio Camarota, Marcondes Dias, Diogo M. Vidal, Eraldo Lima, Aline Fregonezi, Ricardo I. Campos
Summary: This study investigated aggression among individuals belonging to close and distant nests of the plant-ant Azteca muelleri, and found that the DE effect and spatial distance have significant impacts on ant aggressiveness, while the overall dissimilarities on CHC blend have no effect on ant aggressiveness.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Editorial Material
Entomology
Jaqueline Aparecida da Silva, Julia Jantsch Ferla, Angelo Pallini, Angel Roberto Barchuk, Marina Wolowski
Summary: This study reports the infestation and predatory effect of Tyrophagus putrescentiae in colonies of the stingless bee Frieseomelitta varia in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The infestation led to colony weakness and population demise, highlighting the need for special care in laboratory rearing and regular monitoring of stingless bee colonies.
JOURNAL OF APICULTURAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Marti Wittke, Lucas Baumgart, Florian Menzel
Summary: Organismal traits may experience conflicting selection pressures when fulfilling different functions simultaneously. In insects, the cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) layer is an important multifunctional trait. Acclimation affects nestmate recognition and inter-individual aggression among ants by influencing CHC composition. However, there is some degree of functional separation among CHC classes, and the role of each CHC is idiosyncratic. The need to maintain a certain phase behaviour of the CHC layer might be the main constraint for insects in optimizing all CHC functions independently.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Saad Naser AL-Kahtani, Kaspar Bienefeld
Summary: Nepotism is not a significant factor in the selection of queen larvae in honeybee colonies, but larvae from heavier eggs are preferred for queen rearing. While there are some indications that queens from heavier eggs may have advantages in reproductive success, the data are not sufficient to draw a significant conclusion.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Andre Rodrigues de Souza, Amanda Prato, Wilson Franca, Sircio Santos, Luan Dias Lima, Denise Araujo Alves, Rodrigo Cupertino Bernardes, Eduardo Fernando Santos, Fabio Santos do Nascimento, Maria Augusta Pereira Lima
Summary: A study has shown that both fungus-based biopesticides and neonicotinoid pesticides have lethal effects on predatory wasps and that the wasps are unable to differentiate between biopesticide-exposed and unexposed conspecifics. This suggests that fungus-based biopesticides may pose a potential threat to colony survival of predatory wasps.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Anna Papach, Federico Cappa, Rita Cervo, Leonardo Dapporto, Rammohan Balusu, Geoffrey R. Williams, Peter Neumann
Summary: Social insects use cuticular hydrocarbons for chemical recognition and communication, but parasites can exploit this for their advantage. Small hive beetles have a similar but lower chemical profile compared to honey bee hosts, and lack colony-specific chemical profiles. This is likely due to their free-flying behavior in the field, limiting the acquisition of specific chemical profiles. Small hive beetles do not use finely tuned chemical strategies to conceal their presence in host colonies and rely on behavioral adaptations.
Article
Entomology
Konrad Sebastian Frahnert, Karsten Seidelmann
Summary: Osmia cornuta is a solitary mason bee that utilizes natural existing cavities for nest construction, with females using a combination of visual and olfactory cues to recognize their own nest. The scent tags used by the bees are a mixture of body-derived substances enriched by external components, allowing for distinguishable but not perfectly matched individual odor bouquets. These scent tags, dominated by alkanes and alkenes, provide information not only on nest occupancy but also on species affiliation and constitution of the nest owner.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Camila de Souza Araujo, Daniel Amando Nery, Ana Paula de Oliveira, Raimundo Goncalves De Oliveira-Junior, Larissa Araujo Rolim, Norberto Peporine Lopes, Maria Francilene de Souza Silva, Claudia do O. Pessoa, Raimundo Braz-Filho, Livia Macedo Dutra, Josean Fechine Tavares, Lucas Silva Abreu, Marcelo Sobral da Silva, Jackson Roberto Guedes da Silva Almeida
Summary: A new nor-ent-kaurene diterpene and ten other compounds were isolated from the stems of Annona vepretorum. Their chemical structures were elucidated using spectroscopic methods. The cytotoxic activity of some compounds was evaluated and found to be low.
NATURAL PRODUCT RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Daniel Ferreira de Lima Neto, Vagner Fonseca, Ronaldo Jesus, Leonardo Hermes Dutra, Layssa Miranda de Oliveria Portela, Carla Freitas, Eduardo Fillizola, Breno Soares, Andre Luiz de Abreu, Sandeep Twiari, Vasco Azevedo, Aristoteles Goes-Neto, Arnaldo Correia de Medeiros, Norberto Peporine Lopes, Paolo Marinho de Andrade Zanotto, Rodrigo Bentes Kato
Summary: This study used the structure of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to examine the impact of mutations on the protein's stability and interaction with ACE-2 receptor. Molecular dynamics simulations and protein-protein docking experiments revealed that the mutations affected the stability of the protein and improved its interaction with ACE-2 receptor, particularly in the Gamma variant.
JOURNAL OF BIOMOLECULAR STRUCTURE & DYNAMICS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jose Luiz Liberato, Marcela Nunes Rosa, Matheus C. Romeiro Miranda, Joao Luis Callegari Lopes, Norberto Peporine Lopes, Leonardo Gobbo-Neto, Andreia C. K. Fontana, Wagner Ferreira Dos Santos
Summary: Lychnophora, also known as Brazilian arnica, is a South American flowering plant used in traditional medicine. Its active components, derived from chlorogenic acid and C-flavonoids, exhibit anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. In this study, it was found that chlorogenic acid and 4,5-di-O-[E]-caffeoylquinic acid from Lychnophora plants have neuroprotective effects in a rodent glaucoma model. The pretreatment with these compounds protected the retinal layers against damage and reduced neuronal death after ischemic insult.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Leticia da Silva Borges, Joao Henrique Carvalho Batista, Leandro Bozzini, Celso Donizete Lourenco Jr, Norberto Peporine Lopes, Giuliano Cesar Clososki, Ricardo Vessecchi
Summary: In this study, the gas-phase reactivity and fragmentation of seven 2-arene-2-oxazolines compounds were investigated using computational chemistry combined with mass spectrometry. Protonation studies revealed three major fragmentation pathways for the protonated molecules. These results can be applied for identifying 2-arene-2-oxazoline derivatives and monitoring reactions using electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry.
RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Rafael Carvalho da Silva, Tom Wenseleers, Cintia Akemi Oi, Fabio Santos do Nascimento
Summary: Chemical compounds, particularly hydrocarbons, play a crucial role in the recognition processes of social insects. In this study, we investigated the ability of females in the wasp species Mischocyttarus cerberus to discriminate between their own eggs and those of other species. By experimentally collecting eggs and offering them to different nests, we found that M. cerberus females can accurately discriminate eggs according to their origin. This discrimination skill is likely important for avoiding parasitism and maintaining the social integrity of the colony.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rafael Carvalho da Silva, Fabio Santos do Nascimento, Tom Wenseleers, Cintia Akemi Oi
Summary: Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are crucial for chemical communication in social insects, such as wasps. This study found caste-specific differences in CHCs, egg surface, and Dufour's gland composition among four wasp species. The presence of specific hydrocarbons in queen-laid eggs and Dufour's gland suggests their role as putative fertility signals regulating reproductive labor division.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Natalia S. S. Guimaraes, Vyctoria S. Ramos, Laura F. L. Prado-Souza, Rayssa M. Lopes, Gabriel S. Arini, Luis G. P. Feitosa, Ricardo R. Silva, Iseli L. Nantes, Debora C. Damasceno, Norberto P. Lopes, Tiago Rodrigues
Summary: The study found that rosemary is an aromatic herb with antimicrobial and antioxidant activities, which can be used as a condiment and in folk medicine. The study also found that a rosemary extract can protect liver mitochondria from oxidative damage in vitro and have antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects in vivo. These findings highlight the potent antioxidant activity of rosemary and its potential health benefits.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rafael Carvalho da Silva, Joao Marcelo Robazzi Bignelli Valente Aguiar, Cintia Akemi Oi, Jaqueline Eterna Batista, Martin Gurfa, Fabio Santos do Nascimento
Summary: Despite their role as pollinators and predators, the cognitive capacities of wasps, such as learning and memory, have been largely unexplored. In this study, we used Pavlovian conditioning to show that the neotropical wasp Mischocyttarus cerberus efficiently learns and remembers odor-sugar associations. However, differences in learning ability were observed between male and female wasps, possibly due to their different lifestyles. These findings highlight the importance of socioecological constraints on wasp cognition and provide a basis for further mechanistic studies on learning differences across ages and castes.
Article
Plant Sciences
Barbhara Mota Marinho, Victor Hugo Dantas Guimara, Daniel Silva Moraes, Guilherme Henrique Mendes Ribeiro, Rodrigo Moreira da Silva, Norberto Peporine Lopes, Andre Luiz Sena Guimara, Alfredo Mauricio Batista de Paula, Sergio Henrique Sousa Santos
Summary: The present study investigated the effects of Lychnophora ericoides ethanolic extract (EELE) on cutaneous wound healing and the underlying mechanisms. The results revealed that EELE significantly reduced the wound area, improved anatomical skin features, promoted collagen production and angiogenesis, and decreased the number of mast cells at the injury site. Real-time PCR data showed that EELE increased important factors for wound healing, such as FGF, VEGF, collagen formation, and the expression of the proliferative axis of the renin-angiotensin system.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Juliana Escher Toller-Kawahisa, Carlos Hiroji Hiroki, Camila Meirelles de Souza Silva, Daniele Carvalho Nascimento, Gabriel Azevedo Publio, Timna Varela Martins, Luis Eduardo Alves Damasceno, Flavio Protasio Veras, Paula Ramos Viacava, Fabio Yuji Sukesada, Emily Anne Day, Alessia Zotta, Tristram Alexander Jasper Ryan, Rodrigo Moreira da Silva, Thiago Mattar Cunha, Norberto Peporine Lopes, Fernando de Queiroz Cunha, Luke Anthony John O'Neill, Jose Carlos Alves-Filho
Summary: Neutrophils depend on glycolytic metabolism for their functions, including ROS production. This study shows that the glycolytic enzyme PKM2 regulates ROS production and bacterial killing in neutrophils.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Natalia N. Kato, Gabriel S. Arini, Ricardo Roberto Silva, Maria Elina Bichuette, Jose Augusto P. Bitencourt, Norberto P. Lopes
Summary: Caves are unique ecosystems with diverse biological and chemical diversity, with studies on cave microbiomes mainly focused on taxonomic classification and the exploration of their ability to produce secondary metabolites. The oligotrophic environment and limited energy input in caves differentiate the cave microorganisms from other microbiomes, creating a habitat that is yet to be fully understood in terms of its biology and chemical diversity. Multi-omics integration is an important strategy for studying the microbiome in caves and gaining a comprehensive understanding of its processes and diversity.
JOURNAL OF THE BRAZILIAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jacqueline Nakau Mendonca, Valquiria A. Polisel Jabor, Gabriel Santos Arini, Ricardo Roberto da Silva, Rafael Carvalho da Silva, Ricardo Vessecchi, Fabio Santos do Nascimento, Norberto Peporine Lopes
Summary: Juvenile hormone (JH III) is derived from the terpene biosynthetic pathway and plays a crucial role in reproductive and developmental processes across various species. This study utilizes tandem mass spectrometry combined with electrospray ionization to explore the dissociative behavior of JH III in the gas phase, providing diagnostic fragment-ions for accurate identification and measurement in biological samples.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Basil Minder, Jacqueline N. Mendonca, Taran Grant, Norberto P. Lopes
Summary: In recent years, there has been growing interest in understanding the chemistry and ecological role of natural products from various organisms. Some frog species use dietary alkaloids obtained from mites and ants as a chemical defense mechanism. However, the current analytical techniques used in these studies have limitations in detecting polar metabolites. This study aims to elucidate the fragmentation pathways of two toxins using a specialized mass spectrometry system, providing new insights and possibilities for the discovery of new polar analogues.
JOURNAL OF THE BRAZILIAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Juliane M. S. Silva, Flavia C. R. Vilar, Gabriel A. B. Lima, Elizangela M. Souza, Livia M. Dutra, Jackson R. G. S. Almeida, Larissa A. Rolim, Norberto P. Lopes, Ana P. Oliveira
Summary: The present study aimed to assess the toxic, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties of P. amboinicus essential oil. The results showed that the essential oil has weak antioxidant activity, is highly toxic against Artemia salina, and exhibits strong antibacterial activity, especially against Aeromonas hydrophila strains.
JOURNAL OF THE BRAZILIAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Correction
Biochemical Research Methods
Tiago Cabral Borelli, Gabriel Santos Arini, Luis G. P. Feitosa, Pieter C. Dorrestein, Norberto Peporine Lopes, Ricardo R. da Silva
Article
Behavioral Sciences
James A. Klarevas-Irby, Damien R. Farine
Summary: Little is known about how animals overcome temporal constraints on movement during dispersal. This study used GPS tracking of vulturine guineafowl and found that dispersers showed the greatest increase in movement at the same times of day when they moved the most prior to dispersal. These findings suggest that individuals face the same ecological constraints during dispersal as they do in daily life and achieve large displacements by maximizing movement when conditions are most favorable.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Simone Ciaralli, Martina Esposito, Stefano Francesconi, Daniela Muzzicato, Marco Gamba, Matteo Dal Zotto, Daniela Campobello
Summary: Male cuckoos may transfer nest location information to females as a nonmaterial nuptial gift through specific postures and behaviors, potentially influencing mating choices of female cuckoos.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Anne E. Aulsebrook, Rowan Jacques-Hamilton, Bart Kempenaers
Summary: Accelerometry and machine learning have been used to quantify mating behaviors of captive male ruffs. Different machine learning methods were compared and evaluated for their classification performance. The study highlights the challenges and potential pitfalls in classifying mating behaviors using accelerometry and provides recommendations and considerations for future research.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Maria G. Smith, Joshua B. LaPergola, Christina Riehl
Summary: This study analyzed individual contributions to parental care in the greater ani bird and found that workload inequality varied between groups of two and three pairs. However, there was no clear evidence of division of labour within the groups, suggesting individual differences in overall work performed.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Noah M. T. Smith, Reuven Dukas
Summary: Winner and loser effects are observed in many animals, and recent experiments suggest that they may also occur in humans. In two experiments involving video games and reading comprehension, participants who won in the first phase performed significantly better in the second phase compared to those who lost. The effect size was larger in the video game experiment, and men and women showed similar magnitudes of winner and loser effects.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Bianca J. L. Marcellino, Peri Yee, Shannon J. Mccauley, Rosalind L. Murray
Summary: This study examines the trade-off between mating effort and thermoregulatory behavior in dragonflies in response to temperature changes, and investigates the effect of wing melanin on these behaviors. The results indicate that as temperature increases, dragonflies reduce their mating effort and increase their thermoregulatory behavior.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Rafael Rios Moura, Paulo Inacio Prado, Joao Vasconcellos-Neto
Summary: This study examined the escape behavior and decision-making of Aglaoctenus castaneus spiders on different substrates. It was found that spiders inhabiting injurious substrates displayed shorter flight initiation distances and lower sensitivity to predators.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Luigi Baciadonna, Cwyn Solvi, Francesca Terranova, Camilla Godi, Cristina Pilenga, Livio Favaro
Summary: In this study, it was found that African penguins could use ventral dot patterns to recognize their lifelong partner and nonpartner colonymates. This challenges the previous assumption of limited visual involvement in penguin communication, highlighting the complex and flexible recognition process in birds.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Nick A. R. Jones, Jade Newton-Youens, Joachim G. Frommen
Summary: Environmental conditions, particularly temperature, have a significant impact on animal behavior. This study focused on aggression in Neolamprologus pulcher fish and found that aggression rates increased with temperature at lower levels, but decreased after reaching a peak. Additionally, the influence of high temperatures on aggression changed over time during the trials. These findings provide a more comprehensive understanding of the short-term effects of temperature on aggression and highlight the importance of considering non-linear changes in thermal performance.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Bruno Herlander Martins, Andrea Soriano-Redondo, Aldina M. A. Franco, Ines Carry
Summary: Human activities have affected the availability of resources for wildlife, particularly through the provision of anthropogenic food subsidies at landfill sites. This study explores the influence of age on landfill attendance and foraging behavior in white storks. Adult storks visit landfills more frequently and show dominance over juveniles in food acquisition. Juveniles have limited access to landfill resources and are forced to use lower quality areas.