Submitted by Hiolanda Rêgo (hiolandarego@gmail.com) on 2017-12-01T15:11:09Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dis_ICS_Ana Camila Mendes Andrade.pdf: 4035300 bytes, checksum: 69141acbb749819aaa3f01943a33691f (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-12-01T15:11:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dis_ICS_Ana Camila Mendes Andrade.pdf: 4035300 bytes, checksum: 69141acbb749819aaa3f01943a33691f (MD5) / FAPESB / A Caatinga é a única região natural exclusivamente brasileira, sendo, no entanto, a área menos conhecida dentre os demais biomas. Pouco se sabe sobre a diversidade microbiana da Caatinga e menos ainda sobre o potencial biotecnológico desta região, no que diz respeito, por exemplo, à bioprospecção enzimática. Um dos principais grupos de enzimas de interesse biotecnológico são as hidrolases, que catalisam a hidrólise de ligações covalentes da matéria orgânica e por isso podem ser aplicadas na conversão da biomassa vegetal, para a produção de biocombustíveis. Apesar das hidrolases representarem as principais enzimas com aplicações biotecnológicas para esse fim, outros grupos de enzimas envolvidas no metabolismo de carboidratos (CAZymes) também detém um papel importante neste processo. O presente trabalho se propõe a utilizar a abordagem metagenômica para analisar amostras de água do rio Paraguaçu e amostras de solo de uma localidade da Chapada Diamantina, quanto à presença de enzimas potencialmente aplicáveis na bioconversão de biomassa vegetal. O DNA metagenômico extraído das amostras foi sequenciado pelo método shotgun e foram realizadas duas estratégias de anotação: a anotação pela tecnologia de subsistemas e a anotação baseada em regiões conservadas das sequências de CAZymes. Observou-se que o solo e a água apresentaram diferenças nos seus perfis taxonômicos e na distribuição dos subsistemas e das famílias de CAZymes que predominaram em cada ambiente. O subsistema de carboidratos foi o mais abundante no solo e o segundo com maior contribuição na água. Os subsistemas clustering-based e de aminoácidos e derivados também estiveram dentre os mais representativos nos dois ambientes. Em relação às classes de CAZymes, as glicosil hidrolases foram dominantes no solo (~44%) enquanto que as glicosil transferases foram mais frequentes na água (~50%). Em relação aos principais táxons associados às CAZymes, a classe Planctomycetia apresentou contribuição de 29% nas amostras de solo e Alphaproteobacteria contribuiu com 27% nas amostras de água. O mesmo não aconteceu ao analisar a estrutura da comunidade microbiana total, na qual Actinobacteria foi a classe dominante no solo e Betaproteobacteria na água. Os resultados encontrados indicam o potencial biotecnológico da Caatinga. Determinados grupos de enzimas identificados no solo e na água podem desempenhar atividades na degradação de substratos de interesse industrial, como o amido, o xilano, a lignina e outros compostos lignocelulósicos, tornando este bioma uma interessante fonte para bioprospecção.

La fermentation des fibres alimentaires est l’une des fonctions majeures du microbiote intestinal humain. Les bactéries fibrolytiques synthétisent un grand nombre d’enzymes, appelées Glycoside Hydrolases (GH), indispensables à la déconstruction de la grande variété structurelle des polysaccharides pariétaux que nous ingérons. Au cours de ce travail, nous avons exploré, grâce à une approche de métagénomique fonctionnelle, l’organisation et les propriétés des systèmes enzymatiques bactériens impliqués dans la dégradation des glycanes de parois végétales dans l’intestin humain.En premier lieu, nous avons cherché à déterminer si les bactéries de la muqueuse iléale étaient capables de dégrader les fibres pariétales dans un contexte sain. Cette fonction étant généralement décrite pour le microbiote colique par extrapolation de travaux menés à partir de selles humaines, nos connaissances de la dégradation des fibres dans la partie haute du tractus digestif sont donc très limitées. Un total de 20 000 clones issus du métagénome bactérien d’une partie saine de la muqueuse iléale d’un individu a été criblé pour des activités de dégradation de la carboxymethylcellulose et du xylane, deux substrats modèles des polysaccharides pariétaux. Douze clones métagénomiques positifs nous ont permis de mettre en évidence un arsenal de gènes bactériens codant pour des GH et d’autres protéines impliquées dans le métabolisme des fibres alimentaires dont certains organisés en PUL (Polysaccharide Utilization Loci), des clusters de gènes spécialisés dans la dégradation des polysaccharides complexes. Ces gènes proviennent de chromosomes bactériens assignés au genre Bacteroides ou à des espèces de Clostridiales, et codent pour des enzymes capables de dégrader également des β-glucanes à liaisons mixtes. L’étude de la prévalence de ces gènes dans les métagénomes de référence indique que plusieurs d’entre eux proviendraient de souches bactériennes plutôt spécifiques de la muqueuse iléale. De plus, certaines enzymes présentent des propriétés inédites potentiellement intéressantes dans le domaine biotechnologique. Nos recherches ont donc permis de revisiter la fonction fibrolytique du microbiote intestinal chez l’Homme et de proposer une localisation de cette fonction dès l’intestin grêle.Dans un second temps, en utilisant une approche méthodologique similaire, nous avons étudié la capacité du microbiote fécal d’un individu obèse à dégrader des polysaccharides pariétaux complexes, en général moins consommés par les individus obèses. Au total, nous avons identifié 50 clones appartenant à 14 espèces bactériennes des phyla suivants : Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes et Actinobacteria. Les inserts métagénomiques portent des gènes codant pour différentes familles de GH, impliquées dans la dégradation des polysaccharides d’intérêt. Les premières analyses de la prévalence de ces gènes chez plus d’une centaine d’individus (obèses ou non), par interrogations des catalogues de gènes microbiens de référence, suggèrent des associations avec le statut phénotypique « obèse ». / Among the crucial functions of the intestinal microbiota, extracting energy from food such as dietary fibres is of major importance. Facing the huge diversity of incoming complex carbohydrates, the fibrolytic bacteria synthesize a set of diversified Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes (CAZymes) including Glycoside Hydrolases (GH) that specifically disrupt complex polysaccharides. Here, using functional metagenomic approaches, we explored the organization and properties of bacterial enzymatic systems involved in the breakdown of plant cell wall (PCW) glycans in the intestinal tract.Firstly, we investigated the capacity of the microbiota associated to the human ileum mucosa to degrade complex non-starch polysaccharides in a healthy context. This function has never been investigated in this part of the intestine, but it has been rather associated to microorganisms inhabiting the colon, due to more accessible fecal samples. Using a fosmid library derived from a healthy part of the human ileal mucosa, we screened 20,000 metagenomic clones for their activities against carboxymethylcellulose and xylan chosen as models of the major PCW polysaccharides from dietary fibres. Twelve positive clones revealed a broad range of CAZyme encoding genes from Bacteroides to Clostridiales species, as well as Polysaccharide Utilization Loci (PUL). Functional GH genes were identified and break-down products examined from different polysaccharides including mixed-linkage β-glucans. Revealed CAZymes and PUL were also examined for their prevalence in human gut microbiomes. Part of them belongs to unidentified strains rather specifically established in the ileum. Others were enzymes unclassified in identified GH families or with original properties addressing novel candidates for biotechnological applications. Thus, we evidenced for the first time that the ileal mucosa associated-microbiota encompasses the enzymatic potential for PCW complex polysaccharide degradation that might start in the small intestine.In a second time, by using the same methodology, we harvested the enzymatic capacities of the fecal microbiota from an obese person to disrupt complex polysaccharides from dietary fibres usually consumed in lower quantity in obese people. This study aimed at examining the links between genes encoding enzymes specifically dedicated to PCW complex carbohydrates and the obese phenotypic status using reference microbial gene catalogs. We screened a fecal metagenomic library from an obese individual on representative PCW substrates and identified 50 clones belonging to 14 different species from the Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria phyla. The metagenomic inserts harbor genes encoding enzymes from GH families specific from complex carbohydrate degradation. First querying of the prevalence of these genes in hundreds individuals (obese and control), using catalogs of reference microbial genes, suggest associations with the "obese" phenotypic status.

<p>Over the last two decades, mycoflorostic studies undertaken in Guyanese forests have uncovered hundreds of new fungal species and genera. One of the recovered fungal families was the Xylariaceae, although most were not identified to species. Members of this family play ecological roles as decomposers, endophytes, and pathogens of vascular plants and grass species. In addition, this group is increasingly recognized as a significant source of novel metabolic products with potential for applications in medicine, agriculture, and industrial biofuel. Given its potential, we took a more targeted approach to the documentation of this group. Our sampling efforts drawing on more than two decades of field collections yielded ca. 90 species in 12 genera, including a putative pathogen, <em>Xylaria karyophthora</em> of the seeds of <em>Chlorocardium</em> spp (Greenheart). Despite the significance of Greenheart to the Guyanese economy, little is known about the biology and ecology of this fungus. Due to the lack of available resources to study this fungus, our objectives were two-fold: first, to sequence and annotate the genome of <em>X. karyophthora</em> to provide a resource for genome-centric explorations, and to use this genome to infer the biology and ecology of this fungus. We focused on identifying and characterizing secretomes, viz. carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) and secondary metabolites biosynthetic gene clusters (SMBGCs) to infer the nutritional strategy of this fungus. Our results suggest that <em>X. karyophthora</em> has the capacity to act as both an endophyte and a pathogen. To make further inferences about the population, we used SSR markers to elucidate the genetic diversity and population structure of <em>X. karyophthora</em>. <em>X. karyophthora</em> populations have high genetic diversity, potentially exploiting both outcrossing and inbreeding reproductive strategies, and demonstrate a pattern consistent with human-mediated spread. This work will contribute information on new species and records of Xylariaceous fungi and their allies from Guyana with particular emphasis on unraveling the epidemiology, genetic diversity, and population structure of <em>X. karyophthora.</em></p>

Chez l’homme, la dégradation des fibres alimentaires est une des fonctions principales du microbiote colique. Elles ont de nombreux effets bénéfiques en santé humaine et pourtant les mécanismes microbiens mis en jeu dans leur dégradation restent encore largement méconnus. L’objectif de cette thèse était d’approfondir les connaissances sur la dégradation des polysaccharides pariétaux (hémicelluloses et pectines) par une espèce bactérienne prédominante du côlon de l’homme, Bacteroides xylanisolvens. L’analyse du transcriptome de B. xylanisolvens XB1AT a révélé l’existence de six et deux loci génomiques respectivement dédiés à la dégradation des pectines et des xylanes. Ces loci ou PULs (« Polysaccharide Utilization Loci ») sont connus chez Bacteroides pour coder pour des systèmes enzymatiques spécifiques d’un polysaccharide en particulier. L’analyse des CAZymes (Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes) codées par les PULs « pectinolytiques » a permis de proposer une cible polysaccharidique (homogalacturonane, rhamnogalaturonane de type I et II, arabinane) à cinq des six PULs identifiés. Les deux PULs « xylanolytiques » cibleraient les xylanes de faible complexité. La mutation du gène susC-like dans le PUL 49 et du gène HTCS (Hybrid Two-Component System) dans le PUL 43 a démontré l’importance respective de ces deux loci dans la fonction pectinolytique et xylanolytique de la bactérie. Le mutant HTCS a aussi permis de montrer pour la première fois que deux PUL peuvent être liés au niveau transcriptionnel. En présence de xylane, les données de protéomique ont souligné la surproduction par la bactérie d’une endo-xylanase possédant deux CBMs (Carbohydrate-Binding Modules). Cette enzyme modulaire pourrait être considérée comme un marqueur fonctionnel de la xylanolyse dans l’écosystème microbien intestinal. En conclusion, B. xylanisolvens déploie une machinerie enzymatique qui reflète la complexité des polysaccharides pariétaux de plantes. La plasticité métabolique de B. xylanisolvens vis-à-vis des fibres alimentaires contribue certainement à sa survie et son maintien dans le côlon humain. Des études d’écologie fonctionnelle ciblant la communauté fibrolytique intestinale sont encore nécessaires afin de mieux décrypter l’impact des fibres alimentaires et en particuliers des polysaccharides pariétaux sur le métabolisme microbien intestinal et par conséquent sur la santé humaine. / Dietary fiber degradation is a key function of the human gut microbiota. They have many beneficial effects on human health and yet microbial mechanisms involved in their degradation remain largely unknown. The aim of this thesis was to increase our knowledge on the degradation of plant cell wall polysaccharides (hemicelluloses and pectins) by a prominent human gut bacterial species, Bacteroides xylanisolvens. The transcriptome analysis of B. xylanisolvens XB1AT revealed the existence of six and two genomic loci dedicated to the degradation of pectins and xylan, respectively. These loci or PUL ("Polysaccharide Utilization Loci") are known to encode enzyme systems in Bacteroides that are specific to a particular polysaccharide. Analysis of the CAZymes (Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes) encoded by the "Pectinolytic" PULs allowed us to propose a polysaccharide target (homogalacturonan, type I and type II rhamnogalaturonane, arabinan) to five of the six identified PULs. The two identified "xylanolytic" PULs would target low complexity xylan. Mutation of the susC-like gene of PUL 49 and of the HTCS gene (Hybrid Two-Component System) of PUL 43 showed the importance of these two loci in pectinolytic and xylanolytic functions of the bacterium, respectively. The HTCS mutant also revealed for the first time that two PULs can be linked at the transcriptional level. With xylan, proteomic data highlighted the overproduction by the bacterium of an endo-xylanase with two CBMs (Carbohydrate-Binding Modules). This modular enzyme could be considered as a functional marker of xylan breakdown in the intestinal microbial ecosystem. In conclusion, B. xylanisolvens harbors an enzymatic machinery that reflects the complexity of plant cell wall polysaccharides. The metabolic plasticity of B. xylanisolvens towards dietary fibers certainly contributes to its fitness in the human gut. Functional and ecological studies targeting the intestinal fibrolytic community are still necessary to better understand the impact of dietary fibers and in particular plant cell wall polysaccharides on the intestinal microbial metabolism and consequently on human health.

Agarose and porphyran are related galactans that are only found within red marine algae. As such, marine microorganisms have adapted to using these polysaccharides as carbon sources through the acquisition of unique Carbohydrate Active enZymes (CAZymes). A recent metagenome study of the microbiomes from a Japanese human population identified putative CAZymes in several bacterial species, including Bacteroides plebeius that have significant amino acid sequence similarity with those from marine bacteria. Analysis of one potential CAZyme from B. plebeius (BpGH50) is described here. While displaying up to 30% sequence identity with β-agarases, BpGH50 has no detectable agarase activity. Its crystal structure reveals that the topology of the active site is much different than previously characterized agarases, while containing the same core catalytic machinery. It is unclear whether the enzyme has endo- or exo- activity; the large binding ‘groove’ is typical of an endo-acting enzyme, while a loop at one end of the groove may provide a terminal pocket for the substrate, which is suggestive of exo-activity. Furthermore, the enzyme contains a basic pocket that may dock a sulphated substrate, like porphyran. While no quantifiable porphyran activity was observed, properties of the putative active site suggest that this unusual enzyme may be specific on an unusual substrate, such as a porphyran-agarose hybrid. / Graduate

Consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) provides a cost effective cellulose processing strategy, in which enzyme production, substrate hydrolysis, and fermentation of sugars to ethanol are all carried out in a single step by microorganisms. For industrial-scale bioethanol production, CBP-enabling microbes must be able to both efficiently degrade lignocellulosic material to fermentable sugars and synthesize bioethanol with high yields. Microbes with these properties have so far not been identified. Developing naturally occurring cellulolytic isolates with CBP-relevant properties requires a comprehensive understanding of their lignocellulosic hydrolysis mechanism and metabolism. In my quest to find a suitable organism for potential use in CBP, I took to investigate the under-characterized anaerobic bacterium, Clostridium termitidis strain CT1112. C. termitidis produces fermentative hydrogen and ethanol from a variety of lignocellulose derived substrates. I sought to investigate the metabolism of C. termitidis on different substrates and the mechanisms of substrate hydrolysis using a combination of microscopy, comparative bioinformatics, and ‘Omic (transcriptomic and proteomic) analyses. Comparative bioinformatics analyses revealed higher numbers of genes encoding carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZymes) with the potential to hydrolyze a wide-range of carbohydrates, and ‘Omic analyses were used to quantify the levels of expression of CAZymes, including endoglucanases, exoglucanases, hemicellulases and cellulosomal components. While cellulases and cellulosome components were highly expressed on cellulose, xylanases and glucosidases were predominantly expressed on pentoses, and chitinases (as well as cellobiose phosphorylases) were significantly up-regulated on cellobiose. In addition to growth on xylan, the simultaneous consumption of two important lignocellulose constituents, cellobiose and xylose was also observed. The ability to metabolize both hexose and pentose sugars is a highly desirable feature of CBP-relevant organisms. Metabolic profiles in association with ‘Omics analyses showed that hexoses and pentoses are consumed via the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas and Pentose-Phosphate pathways, respectively, and that the genome content and expression profiles dictate end-product synthesis patterns. Genes and gene-products of enzymes in central metabolism and end-product synthesis were detected in high abundance under all substrate conditions, regardless of the amounts of end-products synthesized. The capabilities described thus far, identifies C. termitidis as a strain of interest for CBP. Further studies are, however, required for its development in to an industry-ready strain for biofuel production. / February 2016

<p>Lignocellulose is an ubiquitous source of fixed carbon that is presently underexploited for renewable energy technologies. Currently, producing enzyme cocktails that robustly degrade these feedstocks is a significant economic bottleneck. Anaerobic gut fungi native to the digestive tracts of ruminants and hindgut fermenters are widely understudied despite their inherent ability to degrade a significant portion (~50%) of the lignocellulose in herbivorous animals. Challenges in cultivation due to their strict oxygen sensitivity, and the lack of a central repository to maintain axenic stocks substantially impede the progress with anaerobic fungi. Yet, these microbes have evolved elegant strategies and may harbor novel biomass degrading enzymes that could be used to more efficiently hydrolyze lignocellulose. Developing these organisms through characterization and genome engineering will yield significant contributions to the bioenergy community by improving hydrolysis technologies.</p> <p>In this work, we report the isolation of four novel species of anaerobic gut fungi. A more complete characterization of one of our four fungal isolates is investigated, whereby the effects of substrate composition and the corresponding fungal growth rates are compared. I also explore the growth of one of our fungal isolates on transgenic poplar to understand how fungal growth and enzyme secretion adapt to variable lignin composition. Notably, no significant reductions in growth were observed highlighting the ability of anaerobic fungi to degrade diverse feedstocks regardless of lignin composition. I have additionally included preliminary work intended to identify what epigenetic regulational strategies exist for anaerobic fungi, and how they relate to carbohydrate active enzyme expression. We hope to leverage this knowledge to engineer base enzyme cocktails that release significant portions of the fermentable sugars in untreated or mildly treated plant biomass as a means to make bioenergy technologies more efficient.</p>

Submitted by Programa de Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia (mebiotec.ufba@gmail.com) on 2017-04-06T12:43:35Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Autorizada_Ana_Camila.pdf: 3305710 bytes, checksum: 21e3e0da4c2c81626cdb13b679acca0b (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Delba Rosa (delba@ufba.br) on 2017-06-29T14:38:53Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Autorizada_Ana_Camila.pdf: 3305710 bytes, checksum: 21e3e0da4c2c81626cdb13b679acca0b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-29T14:38:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Autorizada_Ana_Camila.pdf: 3305710 bytes, checksum: 21e3e0da4c2c81626cdb13b679acca0b (MD5) / FAPESB / A Caatinga é a única região natural exclusivamente brasileira, sendo, no entanto, a área menos conhecida dentre os demais biomas. Pouco se sabe sobre a diversidade microbiana da Caatinga e menos ainda sobre o potencial biotecnológico desta região, no que diz respeito, por exemplo, à bioprospecção enzimática. Um dos principais grupos de enzimas de interesse biotecnológico são as hidrolases, que catalisam a hidrólise de ligações covalentes da matéria orgânica e por isso podem ser aplicadas na conversão da biomassa vegetal, para a produção de biocombustíveis. Apesar das hidrolases representarem as principais enzimas com aplicações biotecnológicas para esse fim, outros grupos de enzimas envolvidas no metabolismo de carboidratos (CAZymes) também detém um papel importante neste processo. O presente trabalho se propõe a utilizar a abordagem metagenômica para analisar amostras de água do rio Paraguaçu e amostras de solo de uma localidade da Chapada Diamantina, quanto à presença de enzimas potencialmente aplicáveis na bioconversão de biomassa vegetal. O DNA metagenômico extraído das amostras foi sequenciado pelo método shotgun e foram realizadas duas estratégias de anotação: a anotação pela tecnologia de subsistemas e a anotação baseada em regiões conservadas das sequências de CAZymes. Observou-se que o solo e a água apresentaram diferenças nos seus perfis taxonômicos e na distribuição dos subsistemas e das famílias de CAZymes que predominaram em cada ambiente. O subsistema de carboidratos foi o mais abundante no solo e o segundo com maior contribuição na água. Os subsistemas clustering-based e de aminoácidos e derivados também estiveram dentre os mais representativos nos dois ambientes. Em relação às classes de CAZymes, as glicosil hidrolases foram dominantes no solo (~44%) enquanto que as glicosil transferases foram mais frequentes na água (~50%). Em relação aos principais táxons associados às CAZymes, a classe Planctomycetia apresentou contribuição de 29% nas amostras de solo e Alphaproteobacteria contribuiu com 27% nas amostras de água. O mesmo não aconteceu ao analisar a estrutura da comunidade microbiana total, na qual Actinobacteria foi a classe dominante no solo e Betaproteobacteria na água. Os resultados encontrados indicam o potencial biotecnológico da Caatinga. Determinados grupos de enzimas identificados no solo e na água podem desempenhar atividades na degradação de substratos de interesse industrial, como o amido, o xilano, a lignina e outros compostos lignocelulósicos, tornando este bioma uma interessante fonte para bioprospecção. / The Caatinga biome is the only natural area exclusively Brazilian, however, it is the area with the lowest number of scientific studies among other Brazilian biomes. The available knowledge about microbial diversity of Caatinga is very limited and even less is known about the biotechnological potential of this region, with regards, for example, to the enzyme bioprospecting. One of the major enzyme groups of interest for biotechnological purposes are hydrolases, which catalyze the hydrolysis of covalent bonds existent in organic matter and, therefore, can be applied in the conversion of plant biomass to be used in biofuels production. Despite the fact that hydrolases are the main enzyme group with biotechnological application for this purpose, other groups of enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism (CAZymes) also have an important role in this process. The present study aims to use the metagenomic approach in order to analyze freshwater samples from Paraguaçu river and soil samples from one location of Chapada Diamantina, seeking to detect the presence of potentially applicable enzymes in bioconversion of plant biomass. The metagenomic DNA extracted from samples was sequenced through the shotgun sequencing method and two annotation strategies were performed: the annotation through subsystems technology and the annotation based on conserved domains of CAZyme sequences. It was observed that the soil and freshwater presented differences on their taxonomic profiles and in relation to the subsystems and CAZymes families prevailing in each environment. The Carbohydrates subsystem was the most abundant in soil and had great contribution in freshwater samples. Other subsystems such as Amino acids and Derivatives also had greater contribution in both sites. Regarding CAZymes classes, glycoside hydrolases were dominant in soil (~44%) and glycosiltransferases in freshwater (~50%). In relation to the main taxons associated with CAZymes, the Planctomycetia class had 29% contribution in soil samples and Alphaproteobacteria contributed with 27% in freshwater samples. Nevertheless, the same scenario was not observed when the structure of microbial community was analysed as a whole, in which Actinobacteria was the ruling class in soil and Betaproteobacteria in freshwater. This results indicate the biotechnological potential of Caatinga, since certain groups of enzymes found both in soil and freshwater samples may have activities in degrading substrates of industrial interest such as starch, xylan, lignin and other lignocellulosic compounds.

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