Microsatellite markers for the Cabreuva tree, Myroxylon peruiferum (Fabaceae), an endangered medicinal species from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

The Cabreúva tree, Myroxylon peruiferum, is an endangered tropical species from Brazil used in forest restoration projects. It is known for its medicinal properties. Eleven microsatellite markers were developed for this species, from a microsatellite-enriched library. Nine of these markers, characterized in 30 individuals from a semideciduous forest remnant population in southeast Brazil, were polymorphic, with allele numbers ranging from 2 to 8 per locus; expected and observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.103 to 0.757 and 0.107 to 0.704, respectively. One locus (Mpe-C04) showed significant deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, probably due to null alleles. Two other loci (Mpe-E09 and Mpe-H07) were monomorphic in this population. These microsatellite loci should be useful for future population genetic studies of this species.

Genetics and Molecular Research (2014)

The sarsaparilla market in the state of São Paulo (Brazil) and the challenges of cultivation

This study aimed to present information about the sarsaparilla sold in establishments in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, assess the genetic diversity of Smilax brasiliensis Spreng., Smilacaceae, and examine the growing conditions and productivity of five species of Smilax.The amount of sarsaparilla sold per month at most pharmacies was 0.4 kg on average. Herbal stores and markets sold averages of 9 kg and 8 kg per month, respectively. The weight of the underground biomass of S. fluminensis (188.3 g) is significantly higher than those of other species (28.3-79.6 g). The study demonstrated that high genetic diversity among the Smilax brasiliensis plants belonging to the CPQBA germplasm bank, which was confirmed by the results of the genotyping study that used a SSR marker on S. brasiliensis. The high consumption of sarsaparilla and the low yield of young plants cultivated from seeds with high genetic variability reinforce the need for further studies on the production of Smilaxspecies.

Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia (2014)
Marli K.M. Soaresa, Aline R. Martinsb, Ilio Montanari Juniorc, Glyn M. Figueirac, Maria I. Zucchid, Miklos M. Bajayd, Beatriz Appezzato-da-Glóriaa

Development and Characterization of Microsatellite Markers for the Medicinal Plant Smilax brasiliensis (Smilacaceae) and Related Species

  • Premise of the study: A new set of microsatellite or simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were developed for Smilax brasiliensis, which is popularly known as sarsaparilla and used in folk medicine as a tonic, antirheumatic, and antisyphilitic. Smilax brasiliensis is sold in Brazilian pharmacies, and its origin and effectiveness are not subject to quality control.
  • Methods and Results: Using a protocol for genomic library enrichment, primer pairs were developed for 26 microsatellite loci and validated in 17 accessions of S. brasiliensis. Thirteen loci were polymorphic and four were monomorphic. The primers successfully amplified alleles in the congeners S. campestrisS. cissoidesS. fluminensisS. goyazanaS. polyanthaS. quinquenerviaS. rufescens,S. subsessiliflora, and S. syphilitica.
  • Conclusions: The new SSR markers described herein are informative tools for genetic diversity and gene flow studies in S. brasiliensis and several congeners.

Applications in Plant Sciences (2013)

Aline R. Martins2,7, Aluana G. Abreu3, Miklos M. Bajay3, Priscilla M. S. Villela4, Carlos E. A. Batista3, Mariza Monteiro3, Alessandro Alves-Pereira3, Glyn M. Figueira5, José B. Pinheiro3, Beatriz Appezzato-Da-Glória2, and Maria I. Zucchi6


How can molecular ecology contribute to forest restoration?

The advance of scientific knowledge in various areas of molecular ecology has allowed the adoption of newstrategies, particularly in forest restoration. The fusion of multidisciplinary areas and the implementation ofmanagement methodologies in order to get better results in forest restoration are current realities. In order toreview the main ideas about the role of molecular techniques in the service of ecology restoration, this paperoutlines how forest recovery can benefit from genetic and genomic plant population studies. The next challenges inconservation genetics can be brought by the quest for more efficient forest restorations from the point of view ofbiodiversity as well as the ecological dynamics as a whole. It is believed that in the coming years we will observeintegrated strategies in molecular ecology with specific methodologies for restoration in tropical forests.

Journal of Biotechnology and Biodiversity (2013)

Marcos Bohrer Monteiro Siqueira, Patricia Sanae Sujii, Miklos Maximiliano Bajay, Carolina Grando, Kaiser Schwarcz, Camila Macrin, Maria Imaculada Zucchi

The genetic diversity of Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium brasilianum from human, simian and mosquito hosts in Brazil.

Plasmodium malariae is a protozoan parasite that causes malaria in humans and is genetically indistinguishable from Plasmodium brasilianum, a parasite infecting New World monkeys in Central and South America. P. malariae has a wide and patchy global distribution in tropical and subtropical regions, being found in South America, Asia, and Africa. However, little is known regarding the genetics of these parasites and the similarity between them could be because until now there are only a very few genomic sequences available from simian Plasmodium species. This study presents the first molecular epidemiological data for P. malariae and P. brasilianum from Brazil obtained from different hosts and uses them to explore the genetic diversity in relation to geographical origin and hosts. By using microsatellite genotyping, we discovered that of the 14 human samples obtained from areas of the Atlantic forest, 5 different multilocus genotypes were recorded, while in a sample from an infected mosquito from the same region a different haplotype was found. We also analyzed the longitudinal change of circulating plasmodial genetic profile in two untreated non-symptomatic patients during a 12-months interval. The circulating genotypes in the two samples from the same patient presented nearly identical multilocus haplotypes (differing by a single locus). The more frequent haplotype persisted for almost 3 years in the human population. The allele Pm09-299 described previously as a genetic marker for South American P. malariae was not found in our samples. Of the 3 non-human primate samples from the Amazon Region, 3 different multilocus genotypes were recorded indicating a greater diversity among isolates of P. brasilianum compared to P. malariae and thus, P. malariae might in fact derive from P. brasilianum as has been proposed in recent studies. Taken together, our data show that based on the microsatellite data there is a relatively restricted polymorphism of P. malariae parasites as opposed to other geographic locations.

Acta Trop. (2012)

Guimarães LO, Bajay MM, Wunderlich G, Bueno MG, Röhe F, Catão-Dias JL, Neves A, Malafronte RS, Curado I, Kirchgatter K.

Development of microsatellite markers for Qualea grandiflora (Vochysiaceae), a typical species of the Brazilian cerrado

• Premise of the study: Microsatellite primers were developed to investigate genetic diversity and population structure of Qualea grandiflora, a typical species of the Brazilian cerrado.

• Methods and Results: Eight microsatellite loci were isolated using an enrichment cloning protocol. These loci were tested on a population of 110 individuals of Q. grandiflora collected from a cerrado fragment in São Paulo State, Brazil. The loci polymorphism ranges from seven to 19 alleles and the average heterozygosity value is 0.568, while the average polymorphic information content is 0.799.

• Conclusions: The developed markers were found to be highly polymorphic, indicating their applicability to studies of population genetic diversity in Q. grandiflora.

Development and characterization of microsatellite markers for Hebanthe eriantha (Amaranthaceae)

• Premise of the study: Hebanthe eriantha (Amaranthaceae) is extensively collected and used in folk medicine. Microsatellite markers were developed and characterized to investigate the genetic structure and diversity of germplasm collections of this species.

• Methods and Results: Eleven highly polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed. The number of alleles observed for each locus ranged from two to eight. The observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.000 to 0.808 and 0.455 to 0.851, respectively.

• Conclusions: These results show the utility of microsatellite loci for studies of population genetics in H. eriantha, which are important for the future conservation and cultivation of this medicinal species.

American Journal of Botany (2011)


98 (10), e282-e283

GM Figueira, MM Bajay, CMS Silva, MI Zucchi, M Monteiro, MVN Rodrigues