Agenda IB
Valéria Helena Alves Cagnon Quitete
The Laboratory of Reproductive Biology has studied the prostatic microenvironmental changes such as proliferative lesions associated or not with the aging process. The prostatic stroma dynamics as well as the stroma-epithelium interaction have also been the focus of our research, due to the main roles of these glandular compartments in the development and progression of the prostatic lesions associated with inflammation; angiogenesis; and oxidative stress. These studies have used different therapies, including those with natural compounds such as Brazilian berries, and a transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (Tramp) model. In addition to this, biological techniques for instance, immunohistochemistry; western blotting; microdissection; morphology; stereology and PCR have been used. Others studies using human prostatic cells (in vitro) focusing on prostatic cancer; hormonal imbalance; and biological processes (angiogenesis; inflammation; and oxidative stress) have also been developed.
Marcelo Carnier Dornelas
In the past our group has shown the conservation of the LEAFY gene function and expression patterns during vegetative-to-reproductive transition in tropical tree species. More recently we have been interested on the role of MADS-box genes in defining floral organ morphology and size, using Arabidopsis and passionfruit as models. Current work in our group focus on the molecular networks controlling plant development, taking into account the influences of genomic evolution and the effects of hormones such as auxins, cytokinins and gibberellins. Besides still being concentrated in studying gene function and expression patterns during vegetative-to-reproductive transition, we recently enlarged our interests into floral organ development and evolution as well as tropical fruit development.