Artigos Aceitos para Publicação

A001-00 Modulation of gap and adherens junctional proteins in cultured nenonatal pancreatic islets Collares-Buzato CB, Leite AR, Boschero AC* The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of prolonged culturing and in vitro treatment with prolactin on the expression of the gap junction-associated connexin 43 and the adherens junction-associated b-catenin in cultured neonatal rat islets, using immunocytochemistry adn immunoblot techniques. A direct correlation was observed between the increased expression of both junctional proteins and an increase in insulin secretion in cultured neonatal islets. We concluded that prolonged culturing and in vitro treatment with prolactin induce modulation of gap and adherens junctional proteins in pancreatic islets, which may be an important event for in vitro maturation process of neonatal islet cells. Pancreas *E-mail: boschero@unicamp.br

A002-00 Genetic diversity in tropical maize inbred lines: heterotic group assignment and hybrid performance determined by RFLP markers Lanza LLB, de Souza Jr. Cl, Garcia AAF, Kono PMS, Mangolin CA, de Souza AP* Tropical maize inbred lines, eight derived from a Thai synthetic population (BR-105) and ten from a Brazilian composite population (BR-106), were assayed for RFLPs with 185 clone-enzyme combinations. The aim was to investigate genetic distances among tropical maize material and their relationship to heterotic group allocation and hybrid performance. Our results suggest that RFLP-based GDs are efficient and reliable to assess and allocate genotypes from tropical maize populations into heterotic groups. However, RFLP-based GDs are not suitable for predicting the performance of line crosses from genetically different heterotic groups. Plant Breeding *E-mail: anete@unicamp.br

A003-00 Desenvolvimento de Bracon vulgaris ashmead, ectoparasitóide de Pectinophora gossypiella saunders, em laboratório Carvalho SL, Fernandes WD, Patel PN, Habib MEM* B. J. Ecology *E-mail: mohamed@reitoria.unicamp.br

A004-00 Interações entre Bracon vulgaris ashmead e seus hospedeiros Anthonomus grandis Boheman e Pctinophora gossypiella Saunders em uma área de algodão submetida ao manejo integrado de pragas Carvalho SL, Fernandes WD, Patel PN, Habib MEM* B. J. Ecology *E-mail: mohamed@reitoria.unicamp.br

A005-00 Monitoramento do minador Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton, 1856 (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae) e de Seus inimigos naturais : Padronização metodológica da amostragem Paleari LM, Ferraz JMG, Fagundes GG, Habib MEM* Laranja *E-mail: mohamed@reitoria.unicamp.br

A006-00 The Use of Fruits and Seeds by Ants in the Atlantic Forest of Southeast Brazil Pizo MA, Oliveira PS* We surveyed the interactions between ants and fleshy diaspores in the Atlantic rainforest Brazil. During 2 ys of monthly samplings of fallen diaspores, 886 ant-diaspore interactions involving 36 ant species and 56 species of diaspores were recorded. Lipid-rich diaspores attracted a larger ant assemblage than those with lower contents of lipids. Interactions between ants and diaspores may be especially common in lowland rainforests where the abundance of ants is coupled with the year-round availability of fleshy diaspores. Biotropica 32 *E-mail:pso@unicamp.br

A007-00 Foraging ecology of attine ants in a Neotropical savanna: seasonal use of fungal substrate in the cerrado vegetation of Brazil Leal IR, Oliveira PS* We identified the material collected as fungal substrate by attines in the Brazilian cerrado (genera Cyphomyrmex, Mycetarotes, Mycocepurus, Myrmicocrypta, Sericomyrmex and Trachymyrmex). Attines collected material from 53 plant species The most primitive genera collected mainly insect feces and corpses, while the more derived ones relied on vegetative plant parts. Rresults indicate that lower attines present an opportunistic foraging behavior collecting items in the vicinity of their nests, and in accordance with the phenology of the cerrado vegetation. We briefly discuss some general evolutionary trends within the Attini. Insectes Sociaux 47 *E-mail: pso@unicamp.br

A008-00 Size and lipid content of nonmyrmecochorous diaspores: effects on the interaction with litter-foraging ants in the Atlantic rain forest of Brazil Pizo MA, Oliveira PS* We investigated how the size and lipid content of fruits affect the ant-diaspore interactions in the Atlantic forest. A total of 23 ant species were seen interacting with diaspores, and ant attendance was higher for lipid-rich diaspores than for lipid-poor ones. Removal rate and displacement distance were higher for small diaspores. Ant-derived benefits to diaspores -- secondary dispersal and/or increased germination -- varied among the plants. The size and the lipid-content of the diaspores were shown to be major determinants of the outcome of such interactions. Plant Ecology *E-mail: pso@unicamp.br

A009-00 Tending ants protect honeydew-producing whiteflies (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) Queiroz JM, Oliveira PS* We investigated the interaction between the honeydew-producing whitefly Aleurothrixus aepim and ants on Croton in a Brazilian forest. Adults emerged in significantly greater numbers from control (ants present) than from treatment (ants excluded) groups. Complete contamination by fungi was three times more frequent at treatment (39%) than at control (13%) groups. Control groups with low levels of ant-tending produced significantly fewer adults than those more frequently tended by ants. This is the first study to demonstrate ant-derived protection in honeydew-producing whiteflies. Environmental Entomology *E-mail: pso@unicamp.br

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