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Western hemisphere goats have European, African and Central Asian origins, and some local or rare breeds are reported to be adapted to their environments and economically important. By-in-large these genetic resources have not been quantified. Using 50 K SNP genotypes of 244 animals from 12 goat populations in United States, Costa Rica, Brazil and Argentina, we evaluated the genetic diversity, population structure and selective sweeps documenting goat migration to the “New World”. Our findings suggest the concept of breed, particularly among “locally adapted” breeds, is not a meaningful way to characterize goat populations. The USA Spanish goats were found to be an important genetic reservoir, sharing genomic composition with the wild ancestor and with specialized breeds (e.g. Angora, Lamancha and Saanen). Results suggest goats in the Americas have substantial genetic diversity to use in selection and promote environmental adaptation or product driven specialization. These findings highlight the importance of maintaining goat conservation programs and suggest an awaiting reservoir of genetic diversity for breeding and research while simultaneously discarding concerns about breed designations. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche Fil: do Prado Paim, Tiago. Universidade de Brasília; Brasil. Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Goiano, Fazenda Escola Campus Iporá; Brasil Fil: Assis Faria, Danielle. Universidade de Brasília; Brasil Fil: Hay, El Hamidi. USDA Agricultural Research Service. Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory; Estados Unidos Fil: McManus, Concepta. Universidade de Brasília; Brasil Fil: Lanari, María Rosa. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche; Argentina Fil: Chaverri Esquivel, Laura. Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica; Costa Rica Fil: Cascante, María Isabel. Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica; Costa Rica Fil: Jimenez Alfaro, Esteban. Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica; Costa Rica Fil: Mendez, Argerie. Instituto de Innovación y Transferencia en Tecnologia Agropecuaria; Costa Rica Fil: Faco, Olivardo. Embrapa Caprinos e Ovinos. Fazenda Três Lagoas; Brasil Fil: de Moraes Silva, Kleibe. Embrapa Caprinos e Ovinos. Fazenda Três Lagoas; Brasil Fil: Mezzadra, Carlos Alberto. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentina Fil: Mariante, Arthur. Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia. Parque Estação Biológica; Brasil Fil: Rezende Paiva, Samuel. Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia. Parque Estação Biológica; Brasil Fil: Blackburn, Harvey David. USDA. National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation; Estados Unidos

The aim of this study was to establish a peptidomic profile based on LC-MS/MS and random forest (RF) algorithm to distinguish the urinary peptidomic scenario of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with different stages of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Urine from 60 T2DM patients was collected: 22 normal (stage A1), 18 moderately increased (stage A2) and 20 severely increased (stage A3) albuminuria. A total of 1080 naturally occurring peptides were detected, which resulted in the identification of a total of 100 proteins, irrespective of the patients’ renal status. The classification accuracy showed that the most severe DKD (A3) presented a distinct urinary peptidomic pattern. Estimates for peptide importance assessed during RF model training included multiple fragments of collagen and alpha-1 antitrypsin, previously associated to DKD. Proteasix tool predicted 48 proteases potentially involved in the generation of the 60 most important peptides identified in the urine of DM patients, including metallopeptidases, cathepsins, and calpains. Collectively, our study lightened some biomarkers possibly involved in the pathogenic mechanisms of DKD, suggesting that peptidomics is a valuable tool for identifying the molecular mechanisms underpinning the disease and thus novel therapeutic targets.

Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) are a type of specialized glial cell currently considered as having a double function in the nervous system: one regenerative, and another immune. Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major agent of severe infections in humans, including meningitis. It is commonly found in the nasopharynx of asymptomatic carriers, and, under certain still unknown conditions, can invade the brain. We evaluated whether pneumococcal cells recovered from lysed OECs and microglia are able to survive by manipulating the host cell activation. An intracellular-survival assay of S. pneumoniae in OECs showed a significant number of bacterial CFU recovered after 3 h of infection. In contrast, microglia assays resulted in a reduced number of CFU. Electron-microscopy analysis revealed a large number of pneumococci with apparently intact morphology. However, microglia cells showed endocytic vesicles containing only bacterial cell debris. Infection of OEC cultures resulted in continuous NF-κB activation. The IFN-γ-induced increase of iNOS expression was reversed in infected OECs. OECs are susceptible to S. pneumoniae infection, which can suppress their cytotoxic mechanisms in order to survive. We suggest that, in contrast to microglia, OECs might serve as safe targets for pneumococci, providing a more stable environment for evasion of the immune system.