The Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán (Autonomous University of Yucatan), or UADY, is an autonomous public university in the state of Yucatán, Mexico, with its central campuses located in the state capital of Mérida. It is the largest tertiary educational institution (Spanish: educación superior) in the state, offering some 41 different courses at the undergraduate or Bachelor's degree (licenciatura) level, and 26 postgraduate Master's degrees (maestrías). The institution was established in 1922 by then governor Felipe Carrillo Puerto as the Universidad Nacional del Sureste, but its lineage may be traced back to a Spanish Empire royal decree promulgated in 1611, that allowed for the creation of the Colegio de San Francisco Javier in Mérida.
Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is a global health problem with limited treatment options. The parasite's trans-sialidase (TS) protein family has been widely described as a key component in its life cycle. In this work, we present a comprehensive review of the TS family, including its molecular structure, phylogenetic relationships, and known functions. Based on in silico analyses, we propose that intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) present in the TS family may play a role in the spatial organization of these proteins. We also hypothesize that these IDRs could contribute to the formation of biomolecular condensates through liquid-liquid phase separation, providing a potential dynamic platform that is not fully explained by conventional structural models. In addition, we discuss recent advances in the application of the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing system to T. cruzi TS proteins. The available evidence indicates the multifunctional nature of these proteins, including enzymatic and non-enzymatic isoforms, as well as the presence of conserved motifs associated with host interactions and post-translational modifications. Taken together, this review integrates previous findings and proposes new hypotheses regarding additional functions of the TS family. The need for experimental studies to validate these proposals and clarify their relevance to the parasite's biology is emphasized. This approach could contribute to evaluating the potential of TS as a therapeutic target in Chagas disease.
The marine environment is a rich source of bioactive compounds with a wide range of applications. In this study, 65 extracts from sponges, ascidians, and a gorgonian collected from the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, were evaluated for their modulatory effects on the growth of four microalgal species. Some extracts were found to exhibit pronounced algicidal activity, while others promoted growth. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the extract from Haliclona (Rhizoniera) curacaoensis led to the identification of arenosclerins A and C as potent algicidal agents, active across all tested microalgae. In contrast, the extract from Halichondria melanadocia enhanced microalgal growth, and chemical analysis revealed the presence of medelamine A and B as putative growth-promoting compounds. This study provides a new report on microalgae-modulating activities of marine sponge metabolites. The dual activity observed, both inhibitory and stimulatory, not only contributes to our understanding of marine compound diversity but also underscores the potential of these marine-derived compounds for sustainable environmental management practices.
Plants with specialised pollination syndromes are less likely to become invasive compared to those with generalist syndromes, yet some highly invasive species have specialised syndromes. Few empirical studies have investigated the reproductive biology of invasive plants with specialised pollination syndromes, preventing a deep understanding of this apparent contradiction. Senna species (Fabaceae) exhibit the specialised buzz-pollination syndrome, and several Senna species are invasive globally. We assessed whether Senna obtusifolia could reproduce uniparentally via autonomous selfing, vector-mediated selfing, or without pollen (apomixis). We assessed whether it was pollen limited in either the studied native (Mexico) or invaded (Australia) regions. We experimentally manipulated pollinator access and pollen deposition in both regions and found that up to 40
American trypanosomiasis is an important public health problem in Latin America. To date, the chemotherapeutic agents used to treat this disease have been unsatisfactory, underscoring the need to develop new, more effective pharmaceuticals. The nanoparticles have demonstrated an excellent drug delivery system that helps protect unstable metabolites such as allicin. As a first step, in this study was carried out the in vitro trypanocidal activity of Allium sativum L., Amaryllidaceae, allicin, and A. sativum and allicin encapsulated in TiO2 and ZrO2 nanoparticles against Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigote forms, as well as the in vivo trypanocidal activity in BALB/c mice in the acute phase of infection with T. cruzi. This is the first report of allicin and ZrO₂-allicin activity against T. cruzi, revealing the potential employment of the ZrO2 nanoparticles to give advantages to metabolites as allicin.
The conversion of tropical forests into anthropogenic habitats changes the environmental quality, affecting the structure of ecological assemblages. By the assessment of alpha taxonomic diversity, key information on ecosystem stability and resilience can be provided regarding the conversion of natural habitats to anthropogenic ones. This study analyzed the effects of land use change in agricultural landscapes on dung beetle assemblages in the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico). The species composition (species distribution and its abundances) and taxonomic diversity (Hill numbers) of dung beetles were estimated in five habitats: seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTF), tree plantation, moringa, banana, and mango plantations. A total of 5,607 dung beetles belonging to 17 species were recorded. The species richness did not differ among the habitat types, however SDTF had a lower number of abundant species compared to tree and mango plantations. Also, SDTF and mango plantations had fewer dominant species compared to the other habitats. The high dung beetle diversity in all studied habitats indicates that the plantations and conserved SDTF may be acting synergistically to sustain dung beetle gamma diversity.
