{"id":355,"date":"2016-09-24T14:40:14","date_gmt":"2016-09-24T14:40:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fitness2.mythemecloud.io\/?page_id=355"},"modified":"2025-11-13T10:45:17","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T13:45:17","slug":"home-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.usp.br\/cattapretalab\/","title":{"rendered":"HOME"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Catta-Preta Lab <\/h1>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Laboratory of Sexual and Evolutionary Cell Biology of Protists
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Exploring how sex and evolution shape the biology of parasitic protozoa<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Our model<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u00a0<\/p>

A single-celled parasite that hides\u00a0 secrets of sex, fusion, and evolution.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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We use Leishmania<\/i>, an early-diverging eukaryote and vector-borne parasite, as a model to uncover how sexual reproduction evolved. Understanding sex in Leishmania<\/i> uncovers fundamental rules of cell fusion and evolution shared across eukaryotes \u2014 from protists to animals.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The hidden sex
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In Leishmania<\/em>, sex is rare, hidden, and restricted to the sand fly vector, yet it has the potential to reshape its genome. By tracing fusion and hybridization within the vector, we reveal how sex contributes to adaptation and evolutionary innovation.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Our approach<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Sand fly infections<\/h3>

In vivo infections in sand flies allow us to trace when and where Leishmania<\/i> undergoes sexual reproduction.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Genetic Modification<\/h3>


We engineer Leishmania<\/i> to probe the pathways that control fusion, differentiation, and transmission.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Bioinformatic<\/h3>

We integrate genomic, transcriptomic, and single-cell datasets to uncover molecular signatures of sexual development in Leishmania<\/i>.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Big Picture

Ideas that shaped how we think about sex, evolution, and diversity<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/h3><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cSex is a paradox. It is the most wasteful, inefficient, and bizarre method of reproduction imaginable, yet it dominates the living world.\u201d<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Matt Ridley<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature<\/em>, 1993, chapter 1
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\u201cThe unity of life is revealed in the diversity of its solutions.\u201d<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Lynn Margulis<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Symbiotic Planet: A New Look at Evolution, <\/em>1998, chapter 'Gaia Is a Tough Bitch'<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u201cThe first sexual organisms were almost certainly single-celled.\u201d<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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John Maynard Smith<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
The Evolution of Sex, 1978, chapter 'The Problem of Sex'<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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<\/p>\n

“By tracing fusion and hybridization in Leishmania<\/span>, we reveal how ancient cellular mechanisms of sex continue to shape modern parasite diversity and evolution.”<\/i><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Get in Touch<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Collaborations, student projects, or seminars... Let\u2019s connect!
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAv. Prof. Lineu Prestes, n\u00ba 1374 \nButant\u00e3 - S\u00e3o Paulo - SP \nCEP 05508-000
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tccattapreta@usp.br\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/i>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJOIN THE LAB<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Catta-Preta Lab Laboratory of Sexual and Evolutionary Cell Biology of Protists Exploring how sex and evolution shape the biology of parasitic protozoa Our model \u00a0 A single-celled parasite that hides\u00a0 secrets of sex, fusion, and evolution. We use Leishmania, an early-diverging eukaryote and vector-borne parasite, as a model to uncover how sexual reproduction evolved. Understanding […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25006,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"ocean_post_layout":"full-width","ocean_both_sidebars_style":"","ocean_both_sidebars_content_width":0,"ocean_both_sidebars_sidebars_width":0,"ocean_sidebar":"0","ocean_second_sidebar":"0","ocean_disable_margins":"enable","ocean_add_body_class":"","ocean_shortcode_before_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_after_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_before_header":"","ocean_shortcode_after_header":"","ocean_has_shortcode":"","ocean_shortcode_after_title":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_bottom":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_bottom":"","ocean_display_top_bar":"default","ocean_display_header":"default","ocean_header_style":"","ocean_center_header_left_menu":"0","ocean_custom_header_template":"0","ocean_custom_logo":0,"ocean_custom_retina_logo":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_height":0,"ocean_header_custom_menu":"0","ocean_menu_typo_font_family":"0","ocean_menu_typo_font_subset":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_size":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_unit":"px","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_line_height":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_unit":"","ocean_menu_typo_spacing":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_unit":"","ocean_menu_link_color":"","ocean_menu_link_color_hover":"","ocean_menu_link_color_active":"","ocean_menu_link_background":"","ocean_menu_link_hover_background":"","ocean_menu_link_active_background":"","ocean_menu_social_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_links_color":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_color":"","ocean_disable_title":"on","ocean_disable_heading":"default","ocean_post_title":"","ocean_post_subheading":"","ocean_post_title_style":"","ocean_post_title_background_color":"","ocean_post_title_background":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_image_position":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_attachment":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_repeat":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_size":"","ocean_post_title_height":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay":0.5,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay_color":"","ocean_disable_breadcrumbs":"default","ocean_breadcrumbs_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_separator_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_hover_color":"","ocean_display_footer_widgets":"default","ocean_display_footer_bottom":"default","ocean_custom_footer_template":"0","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-355","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.usp.br\/cattapretalab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/355","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.usp.br\/cattapretalab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.usp.br\/cattapretalab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.usp.br\/cattapretalab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25006"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.usp.br\/cattapretalab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=355"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/sites.usp.br\/cattapretalab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/355\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1370,"href":"https:\/\/sites.usp.br\/cattapretalab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/355\/revisions\/1370"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.usp.br\/cattapretalab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}