Pedro Antonio Noguera | Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (original) (raw)

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Papers by Pedro Antonio Noguera

On the basis of the known cry gene sequences of Bacillus thuringiensis, three sets of primers wer... more On the basis of the known cry gene sequences of Bacillus thuringiensis, three sets of primers were designed from four conserved blocks found in the delta-endotoxin-coding region. The primer pairs designed amplify the regions between blocks 1 and 5, 2 and 5, and 1 and 4. In silico analyses indicated that 100% of the known three-domain cry gene sequences can be amplified by these sets of primers. To test their ability to amplify known and unknown cry gene sequences, 27 strains from the CINVESTAV (LBIT series) collection showing atypical crystal morphology were selected. Their DNA was used as the template with the new primer system, and after a systematic amplification and sequencing of the amplicons, each strain showed one or more cry-related sequences, totaling 54 different sequences harbored by the 27 strains. Seven sequences were selected on the basis of their low level of identity to the known cry sequences, and once cloning and sequencing of the complete open reading frames were done, three new cry-type genes (primary ranks) were identified and the toxins that they encode were designated Cry57Aa1, Cry58Aa1, and Cry59Aa1 by the B. thuringiensis Toxin Nomenclature Committee. The rest of the seven sequences were classified Cry8Ka2, Cry8-like, Cry20Ba1, and Cry1Ma1 by the committee. The crystal morphology of the selected strains and analysis of the new Cry protein sequences showed interesting peculiarities.

Females of the sand fly Lutzomyia ovallesi (Ortiz) (Diptera: Psychodidae) were fed with blood fro... more Females of the sand fly Lutzomyia ovallesi (Ortiz) (Diptera: Psychodidae) were fed with blood from various species of vertebrates and analyzed to determine energy reserves under laboratory conditions. L. ovallesi specimens were allowed to artificially feed to satiation through chicken membranes on blood from horse, dog, cow, chicken, goat, pig or human. Caloric reserves were calculated spectrophotometrically after females were homogenized in a solution of sodium dichromate and sulfuric acid. The caloric content of L. ovallesi varied according to the type of vertebrate blood on which it had fed. The highest content (cal/insect) was found in females fed on human blood (0.33), followed in decreasing order by dog, pig, cow, chicken, goat and horse (0.26). Statistical analysis showed significant differences (P < 0.05) among sources. The results showed that human and dog blood meals were more nutritionally efficient. The most inefficient diet for L. ovallesi was horse blood manifested by its poor nutritional quality. Resumen. Hembras del flebotomíneo Lutzomyia ovallesi (Ortiz) (Diptera: Psychodidae) fueron alimentadas con sangre proveniente de varias especies de vertebrados y analizadas para determinar las reservas energéticas en condiciones de laboratorio. Ejemplares de L. ovallesi se alimentaron artificialmente a repleción a través de membrana de pollo con sangre de caballo, perro, vaca, gallina, chivo, cerdo o humano. Las reservas calóricas se estimaron espectrofotométricamente, después de homogenizar las hembras en una solución de dicromato de sodio en ácido sulfúrico. El contenido calórico de L. ovallesi varió de acuerdo con el tipo de sangre con que se alimentaron. El mayor contenido calórico (cal/insect) fue encontrado en hembras alimentadas con sangre de humano (0,33), seguido en orden decreciente: perro, cerdo, vaca, pollo, chivo y caballo (0,26). El análisis estadístico mostró diferencias significativas (P<0.05) entre las fuentes. Los resultados mostraron que la sangre de humano y perro fueron más eficientes nutricionalmente. La dieta más ineficiente para L. ovallesi fue la sangre de caballo manifestada por su pobre calidad nutricional.

Chorion patterns on eggs of Lutzomyia ovallesi fed on seven types of blood were studied using sca... more Chorion patterns on eggs of Lutzomyia ovallesi fed on seven types of blood were studied using scanning microscopy. The results showed that the different blood sources produced no differences in the patterning. The eggs had a chorion with sinuous longitudinal bridges and a few transverse bridges that formed rectangular shapes. These results confirm that chorion patterns on the eggs of sand flies are a useful taxonomic parameter.

On the basis of the known cry gene sequences of Bacillus thuringiensis, three sets of primers wer... more On the basis of the known cry gene sequences of Bacillus thuringiensis, three sets of primers were designed from four conserved blocks found in the delta-endotoxin-coding region. The primer pairs designed amplify the regions between blocks 1 and 5, 2 and 5, and 1 and 4. In silico analyses indicated that 100% of the known three-domain cry gene sequences can be amplified by these sets of primers. To test their ability to amplify known and unknown cry gene sequences, 27 strains from the CINVESTAV (LBIT series) collection showing atypical crystal morphology were selected. Their DNA was used as the template with the new primer system, and after a systematic amplification and sequencing of the amplicons, each strain showed one or more cry-related sequences, totaling 54 different sequences harbored by the 27 strains. Seven sequences were selected on the basis of their low level of identity to the known cry sequences, and once cloning and sequencing of the complete open reading frames were done, three new cry-type genes (primary ranks) were identified and the toxins that they encode were designated Cry57Aa1, Cry58Aa1, and Cry59Aa1 by the B. thuringiensis Toxin Nomenclature Committee. The rest of the seven sequences were classified Cry8Ka2, Cry8-like, Cry20Ba1, and Cry1Ma1 by the committee. The crystal morphology of the selected strains and analysis of the new Cry protein sequences showed interesting peculiarities.

Females of the sand fly Lutzomyia ovallesi (Ortiz) (Diptera: Psychodidae) were fed with blood fro... more Females of the sand fly Lutzomyia ovallesi (Ortiz) (Diptera: Psychodidae) were fed with blood from various species of vertebrates and analyzed to determine energy reserves under laboratory conditions. L. ovallesi specimens were allowed to artificially feed to satiation through chicken membranes on blood from horse, dog, cow, chicken, goat, pig or human. Caloric reserves were calculated spectrophotometrically after females were homogenized in a solution of sodium dichromate and sulfuric acid. The caloric content of L. ovallesi varied according to the type of vertebrate blood on which it had fed. The highest content (cal/insect) was found in females fed on human blood (0.33), followed in decreasing order by dog, pig, cow, chicken, goat and horse (0.26). Statistical analysis showed significant differences (P < 0.05) among sources. The results showed that human and dog blood meals were more nutritionally efficient. The most inefficient diet for L. ovallesi was horse blood manifested by its poor nutritional quality. Resumen. Hembras del flebotomíneo Lutzomyia ovallesi (Ortiz) (Diptera: Psychodidae) fueron alimentadas con sangre proveniente de varias especies de vertebrados y analizadas para determinar las reservas energéticas en condiciones de laboratorio. Ejemplares de L. ovallesi se alimentaron artificialmente a repleción a través de membrana de pollo con sangre de caballo, perro, vaca, gallina, chivo, cerdo o humano. Las reservas calóricas se estimaron espectrofotométricamente, después de homogenizar las hembras en una solución de dicromato de sodio en ácido sulfúrico. El contenido calórico de L. ovallesi varió de acuerdo con el tipo de sangre con que se alimentaron. El mayor contenido calórico (cal/insect) fue encontrado en hembras alimentadas con sangre de humano (0,33), seguido en orden decreciente: perro, cerdo, vaca, pollo, chivo y caballo (0,26). El análisis estadístico mostró diferencias significativas (P<0.05) entre las fuentes. Los resultados mostraron que la sangre de humano y perro fueron más eficientes nutricionalmente. La dieta más ineficiente para L. ovallesi fue la sangre de caballo manifestada por su pobre calidad nutricional.

Chorion patterns on eggs of Lutzomyia ovallesi fed on seven types of blood were studied using sca... more Chorion patterns on eggs of Lutzomyia ovallesi fed on seven types of blood were studied using scanning microscopy. The results showed that the different blood sources produced no differences in the patterning. The eggs had a chorion with sinuous longitudinal bridges and a few transverse bridges that formed rectangular shapes. These results confirm that chorion patterns on the eggs of sand flies are a useful taxonomic parameter.