The objective of this study was to perform a malacological assessment at the Ibirité reservoir watershed in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais) and to evaluate the natural infestation rate of Biomphalaria straminea (Gastropoda: Planorbidae) by Schistosoma mansoni (Platyhelminthes: Trematoda) and Chaetogaster limnaei (Oligochaeta: Naididae). The samples were collected from J...

Ul t ras t ruc tura l fibrils consisting of densely packed microfilaments, s imdar in size to the th in filaments of striated muscle, have been observed in the p lasmodium of the acellular slime mold Ph)'sarum pol)'cephalum (Rhea, 1966; Wohl fa r th Bot termann, 1964) A prote in wi th sedimenta t ion characteristics and ATPase activity typical of muscle myosin is also extractable f rom shme mol...

The handedness of gastropods is genetically determined, but the molecular nature of the gene responsible and the associated mechanisms remain unknown. In order to characterize the chiromorphogenesis pathway starting from the gene to the left-right asymmetric body plan, we have closely analyzed the cytoskeletal dynamics of the Physa (P.) acuta embryo, a fresh water non-dimorphic sinistral snail,...

The extensive use of nanoparticles in a variety of applications has raised great concerns regarding theirbiological effects and environmental fate. Silver nanoparticle, often referred to as nanosilver (n-Ag), maycause health problems because of its wide and ever growing use in many applications. n-Ag is used intreatments of wounds, disinfection of water and/or air and coatings textiles. n-Ag is...