scholarly journals In Silico Molecular Studies of Antiophidic Properties of the Amazonian Tree Cordia nodosa Lam.

Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (22) ◽  
pp. 4160
Author(s):  
Luzuriaga-Quichimbo ◽  
Blanco-Salas ◽  
Muñoz-Centeno ◽  
Peláez ◽  
Cerón-Martínez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Binding Free Energy ◽  
Molecular Structures ◽  
Convention On Biological Diversity ◽  
Bioinformatic Tools ◽  
Bothrops Asper ◽  
Bothrops Atrox ◽  
Bothrops Pirajai

We carried out surveys on the use of Cordia nodosa Lam. in the jungles of Bobonaza (Ecuador). We documented this knowledge to prevent its loss under the Framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol. We conducted bibliographic research and identified quercetrin as a significant bioactive molecule. We studied its in silico biological activity. The selected methodology was virtual docking experiments with the proteins responsible for the venomous action of snakes. The molecular structures of quercetrin and 21 selected toxins underwent corresponding tests with SwissDock and Chimera software. The results point to support its antiophidic use. They show reasonable geometries and a binding free energy of −7 to −10.03 kcal/mol. The most favorable values were obtained for the venom of the Asian snake Naja atra (5Z2G, −10.03 kcal/mol). Good results were also obtained from the venom of the Latin American Bothrops pirajai (3CYL, –9.71 kcal/mol) and that of Ecuadorian Bothrops asper snakes (5TFV, –9.47 kcal/mol) and Bothrops atrox (5TS5, –9.49 kcal/mol). In the 5Z2G and 5TS5 L-amino acid oxidases, quercetrin binds in a pocket adjacent to the FAD cofactor, while in the myotoxic homologues of PLA2, 3CYL and 5TFV, it joins in the hydrophobic channel formed when oligomerizing, in the first one similar to α-tocopherol. This study presents a case demonstration of the potential of bioinformatic tools in the validation process of ethnobotanical phytopharmaceuticals and how in silico methods are becoming increasingly useful for sustainable drug discovery.

REFLORA: A Virtual Way to Share Information about Brazilian Plants

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Zappi ◽  
Rafaela Campostrini Forzza ◽  
E. Nic Lughadha
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Plant Conservation ◽  
Global Strategy ◽  
Convention On Biological Diversity ◽  
Herbarium Specimens ◽  
Type Specimens ◽  
Digital World ◽  
Brazilian Flora

This is an advance summary of a forthcoming article in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History. Please check back later for the full article. Brazilian flora, the richest in the world, has long been the subject of scholarly study. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, plant samples collected in Brazil were sent to European herbaria, where botanists documented the little-known flora and its potential uses. From the twentieth century onward, Brazil created research centers to house its biological collections, facilitating study by Brazilian professionals of their native biodiversity. However, many early specimens deposited in European collections have yet to be examined by taxonomists. In the early twenty-first century, cost-effective digitization techniques enabled large-scale repatriation of herbarium data. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation supported herbaria worldwide to digitize their collections, especially type-specimens, through the African, Latin American, and Global Plants Initiatives. A party to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Brazil responds to global challenges, such as the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which set sixteen targets for understanding and conserving plant diversity. In 2008, Brazil’s Environment Ministry tasked the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden (JBRJ) to coordinate a compilation of the Brazilian List of Plants, Algae, and Fungi (Brazilian List) by 2010, to meet GSPC Target 1. JBRJ tapped the expertise of more than 500 Brazilian and foreign taxonomists to develop and maintain a dynamic list that rapidly became the reference for Brazil's flora. In 2011, Brazil’s Science and Technology Ministry, recognizing the need to link knowledge from digitized plant specimens and the Brazilian List, funded the amalgamation of the Brazilian List with a new Virtual Herbarium dubbed “REFLORA.” Founded as a partnership among JBRJ, Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle (Paris), and the Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew, UK), REFLORA includes two components: (1) digitization of herbarium specimens and maintenance and update of the Brazilian List, and (2) capacity-building, including visits by Brazilian researchers to European collections to improve specimen identification and foster baseline research that directly impacts plant conservation. Both the Brazilian List and the Virtual Herbarium are interactive platforms incorporating feedback from scientists involved in the project. Changes to these databases appear immediately, making current taxonomic views regarding a specimen or a plant name available online worldwide. Their success has stimulated Brazilian zoologists to prepare a similar list, while the botanical community is already responding to GSPC’s 2020 target to build a digital World Flora. The Brazilian Flora project will be founded on the platforms and scientific community created by the Brazilian List.

Evolving Political Issues Affecting International Exchange of Arachis Genetic Resources

2001 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 132-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. A. Williams ◽  
D. E. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Resources ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Plant Genetic Resources ◽  
Benefit Sharing ◽  
Convention On Biological Diversity ◽  
International Exchange ◽  
Political Climate ◽  
Germplasm Exchange ◽  
World Food Security

Abstract While plant genetic resources continue to be essential for world food security, the exchange of these resources between countries has become increasingly encumbered during recent years. The free and open access to genetic resources that previously was considered the “common heritage of mankind” has been fundamentally changed by international multilateral agreements that recognize national sovereignty over genetic resources. Since the entry into force of the Convention on Biological Diversity in 1993, many countries have implemented laws regulating access to their genetic resources. The development of legislation in several countries comprising the primary areas of origin and diversity of Arachis makes issues associated with germplasm exchange particularly relevant to investigators working with peanut. This paper describes some recent USDA experiences with obtaining access in Latin American countries harboring peanut genetic resources. Also discussed are implications and prospects for future international germplasm exchange, including aspects of collaborative research and benefit sharing with germplasm donor countries. Within this new political climate, the establishment of mutually beneficial precedents for accessing foreign genetic resources will be crucial for ensuring the continued exchange, conservation, and use of Arachis germplasm in the future.

scholarly journals Combined Ligand/Structure-Based Virtual Screening and Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Steroidal Androgen Receptor Antagonists

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuwei Wang ◽  
Rui Han ◽  
Huimin Zhang ◽  
Hongli Liu ◽  
Jiazhong Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Dynamics ◽  
Androgen Receptor ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Binding Free Energy ◽  
Predictive Ability ◽  
Md Simulations ◽  
Qsar Model ◽  
Molecular Structures ◽  
Binding Modes ◽  
Dynamics Simulations

The antiandrogens, such as bicalutamide, targeting the androgen receptor (AR), are the main endocrine therapies for prostate cancer (PCa). But as drug resistance to antiandrogens emerges in advanced PCa, there presents a high medical need for exploitation of novel AR antagonists. In this work, the relationships between the molecular structures and antiandrogenic activities of a series of 7α-substituted dihydrotestosterone derivatives were investigated. The proposed MLR model obtained high predictive ability. The thoroughly validated QSAR model was used to virtually screen new dihydrotestosterones derivatives taken from PubChem, resulting in the finding of novel compounds CID_70128824, CID_70127147, and CID_70126881, whose in silico bioactivities are much higher than the published best one, even higher than bicalutamide. In addition, molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and MM/GBSA have been employed to analyze and compare the binding modes between the novel compounds and AR. Through the analysis of the binding free energy and residue energy decomposition, we concluded that the newly discovered chemicals can in silico bind to AR with similar position and mechanism to the reported active compound and the van der Waals interaction is the main driving force during the binding process.

Comparative Study on Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase of Plasmodium Species by Using In silico Method

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Mohd Fakharul Zaman Raja Yahya ◽  
Hasidah Mohd Sidek
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Nuclear Export ◽  
Nuclear Export Signal ◽  
Plasmodium Species ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Multiple Sequence ◽  
Bioinformatic Tools ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Human Plasmodium

Malaria parasites, Plasmodium can infect a wide range ofhosts including humans and rodents. There are two copies ofmitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in Plasmodium, namely MAPK1 and MAPK2. The MAPKs have been studied extensively in the human Plasmodium, P. falciparum. However, the MAPKs from other Plasmodium species have not been characterized and it is therefore the premise ofpresented study to characterize the MAPKs from other Plasmodium species-P. vivax, P. knowlesi, P. berghei, P. chabaudi and P.yoelli using a series ofpublicly available bioinformatic tools. In silico data indicates that all Plasmodium MAPKs are nuclear-localizedandcontain both a nuclear localization signal (NLS) anda Leucine-rich nuclear export signal (NES). The activation motifs ofTDYand TSH werefound to befully conserved in Plasmodium MAPK1 and MAPK2, respectively. The detailed manual inspection ofa multiple sequence alignment (MSA) construct revealed a total of 17 amino acid stack patterns comprising ofdifferent amino acids present in MAPK1 and MAPK2 respectively, with respect to rodent and human Plasmodia. 1t is proposed that these amino acid stack patterns may be useful in explaining the disparity between rodent and human Plasmodium MAPKs.

scholarly journals Challenging the State: Devolutionary Tenure Transitions for Saving and Expanding Forests

Human Ecology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liz Alden Wily
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Property Rights ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Convention On Biological Diversity ◽  
Property Relations ◽  
The Will ◽  
Customary Land

AbstractI address a contentious element in forest property relations to illustrate the role of ownership in protecting and expanding of forest cover by examining the extent to which rural communities may legally own forests. The premise is that whilst state-owned protected areas have contributed enormously to forest survival, this has been insufficiently successful to justify the mass dispossession of customary land-owning communities this has entailed. Further, I argue that state co-option of community lands is unwarranted. Rural communities on all continents ably demonstrate the will and capacity to conserve forests – provided their customary ownership is legally recognized. I explore the property rights reforms now enabling this. The replication potential of community protected forestlands is great enough to deserve flagship status in global commitments to expand forest including in the upcoming new Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

scholarly journals A global database of diversified farming effects on biodiversity and yield

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah K. Jones ◽  
Andrea C. Sánchez ◽  
Stella D. Juventia ◽  
Natalia Estrada-Carmona
Keyword(s):  
United Nations ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Convention On Biological Diversity ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Global Database ◽  
Diversified Farming Systems

AbstractWith the Convention on Biological Diversity conference (COP15), United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), and United Nations Food Systems Summit, 2021 is a pivotal year for transitioning towards sustainable food systems. Diversified farming systems are key to more sustainable food production. Here we present a global dataset documenting outcomes of diversified farming practices for biodiversity and yields compiled following best standards for systematic review of primary studies and specifically designed for use in meta-analysis. The dataset includes 4076 comparisons of biodiversity outcomes and 1214 of yield in diversified farming systems compared to one of two reference systems. It contains evidence from 48 countries of effects on species from 33 taxonomic orders (spanning insects, plants, birds, mammals, eukaryotes, annelids, fungi, and bacteria) of diversified farming systems producing annual or perennial crops across 12 commodity groups. The dataset presented provides a resource for researchers and practitioners to easily access information on where diversified farming systems effectively contribute to biodiversity and food production outcomes.

Asian Borderlands and the Legal Protection of Traditional Knowledge and Traditional Cultural Expressions

2013 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 1403-1433 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHRISTOPH ANTONS
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Property ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Traditional Knowledge ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Legal Protection ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Cultural Property ◽  
World Intellectual Property Organization ◽  
Convention On Biological Diversity ◽  
Nuanced Understanding

AbstractTraditional knowledge related to biodiversity, agriculture, medicine and artistic expressions has recently attracted much interest amongst policy makers, legal academics and social scientists. Several United Nations organizations, such as the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Convention on Biological Diversity under the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), have been working on international models for the protection of such knowledge held by local and indigenous communities. Relevant national, regional or provincial level legislation comes in the form of intellectual property laws and laws related to health, heritage or environmental protection. In practice, however, it has proven difficult to agree on definitions of the subject matter, to delineate local communities and territories holding the knowledge, and to clearly identify the subjects and beneficiaries of the protection. In fact, claims to ‘cultural property’ and heritage have led to conflicts and tensions between communities, regions and nations. This paper will use Southeast Asian examples and case studies to show the importance of concepts such as Zomia, ‘regions of refuge’ and mandala as well as ‘borderlands’ studies to avoid essentialized notions of communities and cultures in order to develop a nuanced understanding of the difficulties for national and international lawmaking in this field. It will also develop a few suggestions on how conflicts and tensions could be avoided or ameliorated.

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