Biology subjects

Furtado, M.

Publications and source records attributed to Furtado, M..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Diversity of Mammal Fauna in a Remnant of the Atlantic Forest in the Middle of a Megalopolis

A remnant Atlantic Forest fragment within Sao Paulos urban environment supports six mammal species, with Didelphis being most abundant, while maintaining natural temporal activity patterns and successful reproduction, demonstrating the conservation value of small protected areas within megacities for preserving native wildlife despite intense anthropic pressure. The Forest Reserve of the Institute of Biosciences (FRIB) is a remnant of the Atlantic Forest located at the University of Sao Paulo, city of Sao Paulo campus, in Brazil. Despite urban pressures such as altered food resources, pollution, pathogens, and interactions with invasive and domestic species, several wildlife species persist, demonstrating adaptability to urban environments. This study aimed to sample the mammal species diversity of FRIB using camera traps. A total of 367 records of six mammal species were obtained over 107 days of sampling, between June and November 2024, resulting in 7,872 hours of sampling effort. The species recorded were Callithrix jacchus, Callithrix penicillata, Didelphis aurita, Didelphis albiventris, and unidentified species of the orders Chiroptera and Rodentia. Didelphis sp. was the most recorded genera with 201 records. These results highlight the significance of this forest fragment in protecting wild animals in an environment facing intense anthropic pressure. ResumoA Reserva Florestal do Instituto de Biociencias (FRIB) e um remanescente da Mata Atlantica situado na Universidade de Sao Paulo, em Sao Paulo, Brasil. Apesar das pressoes urbanas, como mudancas nos recursos alimentares, poluicao, patogenos e interacoes com especies invasoras ou domesticas, diversas especies de animais selvagens continuam existindo, evidenciando sua capacidade de adaptacao aos ambientes urbanos. O objetivo deste estudo foi amostrar a diversidade de especies de mamiferos da FRIB atraves de armadilhas fotograficas. Durante um periodo de 107 dias de amostragem, de junho e novembro de 2024, foram obtidos 367 registros de seis especies diferentes de mamiferos, totalizando 7.872 horas de esforco. As especies registradas foram Callithrix jacchus, Callithrix penicillata, Didelphis aurita, Didelphis albiventris, alem de especies nao identificadas das ordens Chiroptera e Rodentia. Didelphis sp. foi o genero com maior numero de registros (n=201). Esses resultados ressaltam a importancia desse fragmento florestal na protecao da fauna selvagem em um ambiente que enfrenta intensa pressao antropica.

zoology↗

bioRxiv2025

Alternative splicing dynamics during human cardiac development in vivo and in vitro

Cardiomyocytes differentiated in vitro from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC-CMs) are increasingly used in studies of disease mechanisms, drug development, toxicity testing, and regenerative medicine. Alternative splicing (AS), a crucial mechanism for regulating gene expression during development, plays a pivotal role in cardiac differentiation and maturation. However, the extent to which iPSC-CMs recapitulate native cardiac splicing patterns remains poorly understood. Here, we provide a comprehensive temporal map of AS regulation during human cardiac development. In addition to the major splicing changes occurring perinatally, we identify finely tuned prenatal splicing transitions. iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes globally recapitulate the transcriptome of prenatal cardiomyocytes, yet their splicing profiles remain heterogeneous, with certain events reflecting early embryonic patterns and others resembling those of later-stage heart development. Moreover, we uncover altered splicing events in iPSC-CMs, including mis-splicing of splicing factors. In conclusion, we present a resource of AS dynamics throughout human cardiac development and a catalog of splicing markers to assess cardiomyocyte maturation in vitro. Our findings provide critical insights into the limitations of iPSC-CM models and their utility in cardiovascular research.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2022

Targeting the Immune-Fibrosis Axis in Myocardial Infarction and Heart Failure

Cardiac fibrosis is causally linked to heart failure pathogenesis and adverse clinical outcomes. However, the precise fibroblast populations that drive fibrosis in the human heart and the mechanisms that govern their emergence remain incompletely defined. Here, we performed Cellular Indexing of Transcriptomes and Epitomes by sequencing (CITE-seq) in 22 explanted human hearts from healthy donors, acute myocardial infarction (MI), and chronic ischemic and non-ischemic cardiomyopathy patients. We identified a fibroblast trajectory marked by fibroblast activator protein (FAP) and periostin (POSTN) expression that was independent of myofibroblasts, peaked early after MI, remained elevated in chronic heart failure, and displayed a transcriptional signature consistent with fibrotic activity. We assessed the applicability of cardiac fibrosis models and demonstrated that mouse MI, angiotensin II/phenylephrine infusion, and pressure overload models were superior compared to cultured human heart and dermal fibroblasts in recapitulating cardiac fibroblast diversity including pathogenic cell states. Ligand-receptor analysis and spatial transcriptomics predicted interactions between macrophages, T cells, and fibroblasts within spatially defined niches. CCR2+ monocyte and macrophage states were the dominant source of ligands targeting fibroblasts. Inhibition of IL-1{beta} signaling to cardiac fibroblasts was sufficient to suppress fibrosis, emergence, and maturation of FAP+POSTN+ fibroblasts. Herein, we identify a human fibroblast trajectory marked by FAP and POSTN expression that is associated with cardiac fibrosis and identify macrophage-fibroblast crosstalk mediated by IL-1{beta} signaling as a key regulator of pathologic fibroblast differentiation and fibrosis.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2019

3D-Cardiomics: A spatial transcriptional atlas of the mammalian heart

Understanding spatial gene expression and regulation is key to uncovering developmental and physiological processes, during homeostasis and disease. Numerous techniques exist to gain gene expression and regulation information, but very few utilise intuitive true-to-life three-dimensional representations to analyze and visualize results. Here we combined spatial transcriptomics with 3D modelling to represent and interrogate, transcriptome-wide, three-dimensional gene expression and location in the mouse adult heart. Our study has unveiled specific subsets of genes that display complex spatial expression in organ sub-compartments. Also, we created a web-based user interface for spatial transcriptome analysis and visualization. The application may be accessed from http://3d-cardiomics.erc.monash.edu/.

systems biology↗