Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: RENATA LIMA DE FREITAS

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de DOUTORADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : RENATA LIMA DE FREITAS
DATE: 28/11/2025
TIME: 13:30
LOCAL: online
TITLE:

Detection of Toxoplasma gondii DNA by PCR in Boa constrictor snakes.

KEY WORDS:

Toxoplasma gondii, Boa constrictor, PCR.

PAGES: 60
BIG AREA: Ciências Agrárias
AREA: Medicina Veterinária
SUBÁREA: Patologia Animal
SPECIALTY: Anatomia Patologia Animal
SUMMARY:

Molecular detection of Toxoplasma gondii in Neotropical reptiles, specifically in snakes,
represents a critical gap in animal pathology and epidemiological surveillance concerning
this agent, justifying the urgent need to validate diagnostic methods for these species. This
study aimed to establish and apply a robust two-step diagnostic workflow to identify T.
gondii DNA in 13 individual snakes of the species Boa constrictor using conventional
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The methodology initially employed a tissue-pooling
strategy (brain, heart, liver, spleen, and kidney) to optimize sensitivity, followed by
confirmation in individual samples. The protocol established strict operational criteria,
classifying results as positive (clear band at 529 bp), weak positive (low-intensity band), or
negative (absence of specific amplification). In the first stage, screening the four initial
pools revealed the presence of parasitic DNA in three groups (two with clear amplification
and one with a weak signal), which led to the progression of 10 individual samples for the
subsequent confirmation stage. In summary, the analytical workflow proved to be
applicable and highly reproducible in reptiles, demonstrating a validated and sensitive
protocol for screening in B. constrictor. The results obtained not only confirm the
technique's applicability in non-conventional species but also underscore the importance of
integrating future molecular and pathological tools (such as sequencing and
anatomopathological and serological correlation) to elucidate tissue tropism and determine
the true magnitude of the infection in this significant host.

 

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 2932766 - ANDRESSA FERREIRA DA SILVA
Interno - 2318733 - DANIEL DE ALMEIDA BALTHAZAR
Interna - 3324429 - ANDRESA GUIMARAES
Externa à Instituição - Samira Salim Mello Gallo - UENF
Externo à Instituição - EDWARDS FRAZAO-TEIXEIRA - FIOCRUZ
Externo à Instituição - FAGNER DAMBROSO FERNANDES - UFSM
Externo à Instituição - GIDEÃO DA SILVA GALVÃO - UFRB