ABSTRACT Vitellogenins (Vtg) are glycolipophosphoproteins synthesized by oviparous vertebrates as yolk proteins precursors. These proteins have been studied for their role in reproduction and in endocrine disruption. In this work, we report the first proteomic study towards the characterization of Vtg from Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum, Piaractus brachypomus and Colossoma macropomum. Male specimens of each of the three fish species were estradiol-induced (experimental) and non-induced (control). The initial Vtg characterization was made by 2D protein gel electrophoresis of both groups The identification of the high molecular weight spots, presumed to be Vtgs, was assessed by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry analysis. A post-translational modification study was performed by differential staining of 2D gels in order to visualize phosphoproteins and glycoproteins. Plasma samples from the three species, induced with estrogen, showed three high molecular weight spots with variable isoelectric points. Post-translational modifications showed that Vtgs from P. brachypomus and C. macropomum presented a phosphorylated and glycosylated subunit, while the same subunit in P. fasciatum was only glycosylated. This characterization will help in the development of reliable immunoassays, which could be used for studies of endocrine disruption or for the improvement of artificial spawning, by uncovering the time of fish maturation or sex determination.

ABSTRACT Triorla Parks has been reported from the Nearctic and Neotropical regions with 10 described species: T. ambigua (Macquart), T. argyrogaster (Macquart), T. demifasciata (Macquart), T. interrupta (Macquart), T. nervosa (Macquart), T. parastriola Pamplona & Aires, T. rubidiventris (Macquart), T. spinosa Tomasovic, T. striola (Fabricius), and T. trichina Tomasovic. Two species, T. striola and T. parastriola, have been recorded from Brazil. This paper describes four new species of Triorla from Brazil: T. beckeri sp. nov., T. milineae sp. nov., T. paraensis sp. nov., and T. spatulata sp. nov., and includes comments on the morphology of T. parastriola. An identification key to the species of Triorla is provided.

A segunda espécie do gênero Neotropical, Wygodasilus Artigas & Papavero, 1995, Wygodasilus albisetus sp. nov., é descrita para Bahia, Brasil. São fornecidas descrições e ilustrações do hábito, asa e terminálias masculina e feminina.

The second species of the Neotropical genus Wygodasilus Artigas & Papavero, 1995, Wygodasilus albisetus sp. nov., is described from Bahia state, Brazil. The habitus, wing, male and female terminalia are described and illustrated.

Se desarrollo un procedimiento de Hibridación in situ no-isotópico y simplificado para la detección de papilomavirus humano (HPV) en citologías de rutina de Papanicolaou. El ensayo involucra un oligonucleotido (sonda maligna) el cual reconoce a los VPH de alto riesgo: 16 y 18, y otra que detecta VPH 6 y 11 (sonda benigna). Se adaptó completamente el sistema a los requerimientos de ginecólogos y citotecnólogos, asimilando sus protocolos y simplificando el ensayo de hibridación in situ. Se compararon 156 muestras clínicas, los niveles de detección tanto en hibridación in situ como en el ensayo de PCR (diseño original para este trabajo), se obtuvieron valores de co-positividad y co-negatividad cercanos a la unidad (> 0,98)

We developed a simplified and non-isotopic in situ hybridization procedure for the detection of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in routine Papanicolaou cervical smears. The assay involves one oligonucleotide (malignant probe) which recognizes high risk HPV 16 and 18, and another which detects HPV 6 and 11 (benign probe). We adapted the system to fulfill the requirements of gynecologists and cytologists, assimilating their protocols and simplifying the in situ hybridization assay. When we compared the detection levels reached by the in situ hybridization versus a ladder PCR assay in 156 clinical samples, original designed for this work, the kappa coefficient between both methods is 0.945, indicating a strong agreement between the ISH and the PCR assays

São descritas dez espécies novas de Alepia Enderlein do Brasil: A. biapicalis, A. clara, A. fumea, A. maculipennis, A. pinna, A. recurva e A. truncata da Bahia, A. lobata e A. obscura de São Paulo, e A. distincta do Paraná.

Ten new species of Alepia Enderlein from Brazil are described: A. biapicalis, A. clara, A. fumea, A. maculipennis, A. pinna, A. recurva and A. truncata from Bahia, A. lobata and A. obscura from São Paulo, and A. distincta from Paraná.

Foram selecionados seis açudes que margeiam a Estrada do Feijão (BA 052), nos municípios de Feira de Santana e Angüera, entre as coordenadas 39º30'-39º00'W e 12º00'-12º30'S. Com a finalidade de se conhecer a flora vascular dos mesmos, esses tipos de plantas foram coletadas de agosto/1996 a dezembro/1997. Registraram-se 121 espécies distribuídas em 46 famílias. As famílias mais representativas foram: Cyperaceae, com 18 espécies (14,9%), Poaceae, com 13 (10,7%), Asteraceae, com 10 (8,3%), Scrophulariaceae e Fabaceae, com 6 (5,0%). As espécies que ocorreram em todos os açudes foram Pistia stratiotes L. (Araceae), Echinochloa colona (L.) Link (Poaceae), Nymphaea ampla (Salisb.) DC. (Nymphaeaceae) e Oxycarium cubense (Poepp. & Kunth.) Lye (Cyperaceae).

Six ponds were studied between August/1996 and December/1997 at the edge of State Highway BA 052, in the municipalities of Feira de Santana and Angüera, 39º30'-39º00'W and 12º00'-12º30'S.With the aim to know their vascular flora, one hundred and twenty-one species of vascular plants were collected, representing 46 families. The most frequent families were: Cyperaceae with 18 species (14.9%), Poaceae with 13 (10.7%), Asteraceae with 10 (8.3%), Scrophulariaceae and Fabaceae with 6 (5.0%). The species which were recorded in all lakes were: Pistia stratiotes L. (Araceae), Echinochloa colona (L.) Link (Poaceae), Nymphaea ampla (Salisb.) DC. (Nymphaeaceae) and Oxycarium cubense (Poepp. & Kunth.) Lye (Cyperaceae).