Seminario de Título entregado a la Universidad de Chile en cumplimiento parcial de los requisitos para optar al Título de Ingeniera en Biotecnología Molecular. / El océano comprende el 71% de la superficie de la Tierra, participando en el control del clima, y proveyendo más del 50% del oxígeno disponible en la atmósfera. Las comunidades microbianas que habitan los ambientes marinos se caracterizan por ser determinantes en la producción primaria, además de ser diversas en sus funciones y distribución, siendo fundamentales en la mantención de los ciclos biogeoquímicos. Éstas poseen distintas estrategias para habitar estos ambientes, ya que en estos existen variaciones en los factores abióticos, tales como temperatura, disponibilidad de oxígeno o salinidad, que determinan cambios a nivel biótico. El dinamismo de los ambientes marinos favorece el intercambio de información genética mediado por la transferencia horizontal de genes (HGT). Está descrito que la conjugación es el mecanismo que posee una mayor tasa de ocurrencia en estos ambientes, por lo que estudiar los elementos genéticos móviles (EGM) conjugativos resulta necesario para comprender que genes son potencialmente transferidos. Este proceso se inicia cuando la enzima relaxasa, codificada por el EGM identifica el origen de transferencia (oriT) en el ADN del elemento a transferir, y realiza el corte con el que se inicia la movilización del elemento conjugativo a la célula receptora por medio del sistema de secreción de tipo IV (T4SS). Esta misma relaxasa es la que empalma el ADN transferido. Lo particular de esta enzima, es que es un elemento ubicuo para los elementos conjugativos, lo que la convierte junto a los genes que la codifican (genes mob) en marcadores de movilidad génica por conjugación, y por tanto en un sistema de clasificación de estos elementos. Se ha descrito que los genes transferidos en plásmidos movilizables o conjugativos son capaces de conferir capacidades adaptativas a determinados microorganismos, tales como resistencia a antibióticos o a metales pesados, mientras que a nivel comunitario su efecto aún requiere de mayor estudio. En este seminario de título se planteó la búsqueda e identificación de relaxasas y genes mob, tanto in sílico como in situ, en muestras marinas de la región de Valparaíso. In sílico, se identificaron 28 proteínas con dominios funcionales descritos para relaxasas mediante la utilización de modelos ocultos de Markov (HMM) en un metagenoma obtenido desde el proyecto “TARA Oceans”, correspondiente a una estación ubicada frente a las costas de la región central de Chile, realizando además una cuantificación de los genes mob correspondientes a las proteínas identificadas, obteniendo que más del 70% de las lecturas reclutadas respondían a sólo dos familias de relaxasas (MOBP y MOBH). Para el estudio in situ se analizaron muestras marinas colectadas de una zona intermareal en Montemar, región de Valparaíso, en los meses de enero, marzo y julio de 2018. Estas muestras se trataron utilizando distintos protocolos de extracción de ADN, diferenciando ADN total y ADN plasmidial. Se evaluó la presencia de genes codificantes para relaxasas en los distintos tratamientos de las muestras mediante DPMT (Degenerate Primer Mob Typing) donde se logró identificar la presencia de la familia MOBQu mediante esta técnica. Posteriormente se realizó una cuantificación del gen codificante para esta familia mediante q-PCR, obteniendo que la muestra extraída con un kit comercial para extracción de ADN plasmidial se encontraba enriquecida en estos genes. Con estos resultados podemos demostrar que estas estrategias permitieron la identificación de relaxasas y los genes que las codifican en sistema marino, y así inferir la presencia de elementos conjugativos en estos. / The ocean comprises 71% of the Earth's surface, participating in climate control, and providing more than 50% of the oxygen available in the atmosphere. The microbial communities that inhabit marine environments are characterized by being determinant in primary production, diverse in their functions and distribution, and fundamental in the maintenance of biogeochemical cycles. These communities have different strategies to inhabit these environments, since in these there are variations in the abiotic factors, such as temperature, availability of oxygen or salinity, which determine changes at the biotic level. The dynamism of marine environments favors the exchange of genetic information by horizontal gene transfer (HGT). It is reported that conjugation is the mechanism that has a higher rate of occurrence in these environments, so studying the conjugative mobile genetic elements (EGM) is necessary to understand which genes are potentially transferred. This process is initiated when the relaxase enzyme, encoded by the EGM, identifies the origin of transfer (oriT) in the DNA of the element to be transferred, and performs the cut with which the mobilization of the conjugative element to the recipient cell is initiated through the Type IV secretion system (T4SS). This same relaxase enzyme is the one that splices the transferred DNA. A particular issue about this enzyme is that it is a ubiquitous element for the conjugative elements, which converts it together with the genes that code it (mob genes) into markers of gene mobility by conjugation, and therefore in a classification system of these elements. It has been reported that genes transferred in mobilizable or conjugative plasmids are able to confer adaptive capacities to certain microorganisms, such as resistance to antibiotics or heavy metals, while at the community level their effect still requires further V-ix study. In this work we proposed the search and identification of relaxases and mob genes, both in silico and in situ, in marine samples from the Valparaíso region. In silico, 28 proteins with functional domains described for relaxases were identified by using hidden Markov models (HMM) in a metagenome obtained from the "TARA Oceans" project, corresponding to a station located off the coasts of the central region of Chile, also carrying out a quantification of the mob genes corresponding to the identified proteins, obtaining that more than 70% of the readings recruited responded to only two families of relaxases (MOBP and MOBH). For the in situ study, marine samples collected from an intertidal zone in Montemar, Valparaíso region, in the months of January, March and July 2018 were analyzed. These samples were subjected to different protocols for total DNA and plasmid DNA extraction, evaluating the presence of genes coding for relaxases in the different treatments of the samples by means of DPMT (Degenerate Primer Mob Typing) where it was possible to identify the presence of the MOBQu family. A quantification of the gene coding for this family was performed by q-PCR, obtaining that the sample extracted with a commercial kit for plasmid DNA extraction was enriched in these genes. With these results we can demonstrate that these strategies allowed the identification of relaxases and the genes that codify them in the marine system, and thus infer the presence of conjugative elements in them.

O processo de domesticação e posterior melhoramento das plantas cultivadas foram essenciais para o sustento do crescimento populacional observado na recente história da humanidade. Porém, no processo de melhoramento das culturas não foi considerado o importante papel que o microbioma rizosférico desempenha nas plantas. Neste contexto, esta pesquisa foi direcionada ao estudo do microbioma rizosférico do feijoeiro, considerando um genótipo selvagem e outro cultivado, a fim de determinar a composição e funcionalidade do microbioma em cada rizosfera. Assim, para testar a hipótese de que materiais ancestrais têm maior capacidade de hospedar micro-organismos benéficos na rizosfera quando comparados a cultivares modernas, os genótipos de feijão cultivado IAC Alvorada e selvagem Wild Mex foram cultivados em Terra Preta da Amazônia (TPA), solo caracterizado por abrigar uma grande diversidade microbiana. O DNA total do solo rizosférico de cada genótipo de feijão e do bulk soil foi extraído para realizar o sequenciamento metagenômico usando a plataforma Illumina MiSeq. O solo rizosférico também foi usado para isolar e selecionar bactérias antagonistas a fungos radiculares patógenos do feijoeiro, Rhizoctonia solani e Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. phaseoli. A abordagem dependente de cultivo permitiu recuperar 11 bactérias que apresentaram atividade antagônica in vitro contra os patógenos avaliados, os isolados bacterianos foram identificados como pertencentes aos gêneros Streptomyces, Kitasatospora, Alcaligenes, Achromobacter, Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas, Brevibacillus e Paenibacillus. A abordagem independente de cultivo revelou que a composição da comunidade microbiana na rizosfera do feijão selvagem Wild Mex foi caracterizada pela maior abundância relativa dos filos bacterianos Acidobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Gemmatimonadetes, e do filo fúngico Glomeromycota quando comparada com a composição da rizosfera do genótipo cultivado IAC Alvorada, a qual foi constituída em maior proporção pelos filos bacterianos Firmicutes, Planctomycetes, Deinococcus-Thermus e pelo filo fúngico Ascomycota. No nível taxonômico de gênero, a comunidade microbiana da rizosfera do feijão selvagem Wild Mex apresentou maior frequência relativa de gêneros fixadores do nitrogênio, nitrificadores, antagonistas e promotores do crescimento vegetal. A rizosfera do feijão selvagem Wild Mex apresentou maior abundância relativa de funções relacionadas à fixação do nitrogênio, produção de sideróforos e de ácido indol acético (AIA), quando comparada com o genótipo cultivado IAC Alvorada. O padrão de distribuição observado na análise de ordenação das funções no microbioma da rizosfera do feijão selvagem Wild Mex foi diferente do padrão encontrado no bulk soil e na rizosfera do feijão cultivado IAC Alvorada. Os resultados indicaram que o genótipo selvagem é mais seletivo no recrutamento de micro-organismos e funções na rizosfera quando comparado com o cultivar moderno. Em conclusão, os resultados revelaram que o processo de domesticação e melhoramento genético das plantas cultivadas potencialmente debilitou a capacidade do hospedeiro em selecionar e sustentar micro-organismos e funções benéficas na rizosfera. / The process of domestication and subsequent plant breeding were key to support human population growth over the last decades. However, plant breeding has neglected the important role of the rhizosphere microbiome on plant performance. In this context, this research aimed the study of common bean rhizosphere microbiome in a wild and in a cultivated genotype to determine the composition and functionality of their microbial community. We tested the hypothesis that ancestor materials have higher ability to host beneficial microorganisms in the rhizosphere when compared to modern cultivars. The common bean genotype IAC Alvorada and wild common bean Wild Mex were grown in highly biodiverse soil (Amazonian Dark Earth - ADE) and the total DNA from bulk soil and each common bean rhizosphere was extracted for sequencing by using Illumina MiSeq platform. In addition, rhizosphere soil was also used to isolate and select antagonistic bacteria against soil borne pathogens Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. phaseoli. Using cultivation-dependent approach, 11 bacteria were isolated and showed antagonistic in vitro activity against the evaluated pathogens. The bacterial isolates were identified belonging to Streptomyces, Kitasatospora, Alcaligenes, Achromobacter, Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas, Brevibacillus and Paenibacillus genus. The cultivation- independent approach revealed that microbial community composition in the Wild Mex bean rhizosphere was characterized by higher relative abundance of bacterial phyla Acidobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Gemmatimonadetes and fungal phylum Glomeromycota when compared with IAC Alvorada cultivated bean, which showed a higher relative abundance of bacterial phyla Firmicutes, Planctomycetes, Deinococcus-Thermus and fungal phylum Ascomycota. Wild Mex rhizosphere microbiome showed higher relative frequency of nitrogenfixing, nitrifying, antagonists and plant growth promoting microorganisms. The wild bean also showed higher relative abundance of functions related to nitrogen fixation, siderophore and indole acetic acid (IAA) production, when compared with IAC Alvorada bean. The distribut ion pattern observed in the functions ordination analysis of Wild Mex was different from the bulk soil and IAC Alvorada patterns. The results showed that wild genotype is more selective for recruiting microorganisms and functions in the rhizosphere when compared with modern cultivar. In conclusion, the results revealed that domestication and plant breeding potentially undermined rhizosphere microbiome composition and functions debilitating the host\'s abilit y to select and support beneficial microbes.

O processo de domesticação e posterior melhoramento das plantas cultivadas foram essenciais para o sustento do crescimento populacional observado na recente história da humanidade. Porém, no processo de melhoramento das culturas não foi considerado o importante papel que o microbioma rizosférico desempenha nas plantas. Neste contexto, esta pesquisa foi direcionada ao estudo do microbioma rizosférico do feijoeiro, considerando um genótipo selvagem e outro cultivado, a fim de determinar a composição e funcionalidade do microbioma em cada rizosfera. Assim, para testar a hipótese de que materiais ancestrais têm maior capacidade de hospedar micro-organismos benéficos na rizosfera quando comparados a cultivares modernas, os genótipos de feijão cultivado IAC Alvorada e selvagem Wild Mex foram cultivados em Terra Preta da Amazônia (TPA), solo caracterizado por abrigar uma grande diversidade microbiana. O DNA total do solo rizosférico de cada genótipo de feijão e do bulk soil foi extraído para realizar o sequenciamento metagenômico usando a plataforma Illumina MiSeq. O solo rizosférico também foi usado para isolar e selecionar bactérias antagonistas a fungos radiculares patógenos do feijoeiro, Rhizoctonia solani e Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. phaseoli. A abordagem dependente de cultivo permitiu recuperar 11 bactérias que apresentaram atividade antagônica in vitro contra os patógenos avaliados, os isolados bacterianos foram identificados como pertencentes aos gêneros Streptomyces, Kitasatospora, Alcaligenes, Achromobacter, Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas, Brevibacillus e Paenibacillus. A abordagem independente de cultivo revelou que a composição da comunidade microbiana na rizosfera do feijão selvagem Wild Mex foi caracterizada pela maior abundância relativa dos filos bacterianos Acidobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Gemmatimonadetes, e do filo fúngico Glomeromycota quando comparada com a composição da rizosfera do genótipo cultivado IAC Alvorada, a qual foi constituída em maior proporção pelos filos bacterianos Firmicutes, Planctomycetes, Deinococcus-Thermus e pelo filo fúngico Ascomycota. No nível taxonômico de gênero, a comunidade microbiana da rizosfera do feijão selvagem Wild Mex apresentou maior frequência relativa de gêneros fixadores do nitrogênio, nitrificadores, antagonistas e promotores do crescimento vegetal. A rizosfera do feijão selvagem Wild Mex apresentou maior abundância relativa de funções relacionadas à fixação do nitrogênio, produção de sideróforos e de ácido indol acético (AIA), quando comparada com o genótipo cultivado IAC Alvorada. O padrão de distribuição observado na análise de ordenação das funções no microbioma da rizosfera do feijão selvagem Wild Mex foi diferente do padrão encontrado no bulk soil e na rizosfera do feijão cultivado IAC Alvorada. Os resultados indicaram que o genótipo selvagem é mais seletivo no recrutamento de micro-organismos e funções na rizosfera quando comparado com o cultivar moderno. Em conclusão, os resultados revelaram que o processo de domesticação e melhoramento genético das plantas cultivadas potencialmente debilitou a capacidade do hospedeiro em selecionar e sustentar micro-organismos e funções benéficas na rizosfera. / The process of domestication and subsequent plant breeding were key to support human population growth over the last decades. However, plant breeding has neglected the important role of the rhizosphere microbiome on plant performance. In this context, this research aimed the study of common bean rhizosphere microbiome in a wild and in a cultivated genotype to determine the composition and functionality of their microbial community. We tested the hypothesis that ancestor materials have higher ability to host beneficial microorganisms in the rhizosphere when compared to modern cultivars. The common bean genotype IAC Alvorada and wild common bean Wild Mex were grown in highly biodiverse soil (Amazonian Dark Earth - ADE) and the total DNA from bulk soil and each common bean rhizosphere was extracted for sequencing by using Illumina MiSeq platform. In addition, rhizosphere soil was also used to isolate and select antagonistic bacteria against soil borne pathogens Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. phaseoli. Using cultivation-dependent approach, 11 bacteria were isolated and showed antagonistic in vitro activity against the evaluated pathogens. The bacterial isolates were identified belonging to Streptomyces, Kitasatospora, Alcaligenes, Achromobacter, Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas, Brevibacillus and Paenibacillus genus. The cultivation- independent approach revealed that microbial community composition in the Wild Mex bean rhizosphere was characterized by higher relative abundance of bacterial phyla Acidobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Gemmatimonadetes and fungal phylum Glomeromycota when compared with IAC Alvorada cultivated bean, which showed a higher relative abundance of bacterial phyla Firmicutes, Planctomycetes, Deinococcus-Thermus and fungal phylum Ascomycota. Wild Mex rhizosphere microbiome showed higher relative frequency of nitrogenfixing, nitrifying, antagonists and plant growth promoting microorganisms. The wild bean also showed higher relative abundance of functions related to nitrogen fixation, siderophore and indole acetic acid (IAA) production, when compared with IAC Alvorada bean. The distribut ion pattern observed in the functions ordination analysis of Wild Mex was different from the bulk soil and IAC Alvorada patterns. The results showed that wild genotype is more selective for recruiting microorganisms and functions in the rhizosphere when compared with modern cultivar. In conclusion, the results revealed that domestication and plant breeding potentially undermined rhizosphere microbiome composition and functions debilitating the host\'s abilit y to select and support beneficial microbes.

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El manejo de los suelos puede impactar sobre la composición y actividad de las comunidades microbianas, en consecuencia existe preocupación sobre el uso responsable y mantenimiento de la diversidad microbiana de los suelos agrícolas para un manejo sustentable del agroecosistema. En esta tesis se trabajó en un ensayo de sistemas de labranza en sistemas mixtos del Sur-Oeste Bonaerense iniciado en el año 1999. Ante la falta de antecedentes a nivel microbiológico en el ensayo, siendo que los microorganismos cumplen un rol fundamental en los agroecosistemas, se decidió evaluar cómo afectan los sistemas de manejo agrícola a la abundancia de grupos funcionales microbianos (Bacterias Nitrificantes [BN], Reductoras de Nitrato [BRN] y Desnitrificantes [BD]) y a la actividad microbiana a través de la liberación de dióxido de carbono. Paralelamente se evaluó en los suelos la presencia del gen amoA que codifica para el sitio activo de la enzima Amonio Monooxigenasa, y de los genes que codifican para las enzimas de las diferentes etapas de la desnitrificación, y se aislaron y caracterizaron bacterias potencialmente desnitrificantes. Además, en esta tesis se diseñó un ensayo de degradación de rastrojo en microcosmos, para evaluar el efecto de diferentes niveles de humedad y de fertilización en el suelo sobre la actividad microbiana, analizando la actividad enzimática y la biomasa activa. Los primeros dos años de muestreo (2009 y 2010) se caracterizaron por tener escasez de lluvia. Mostraron baja abundancia de la microbiota y en general en cada fecha individual de muestreo no se detectaron efectos de los sistemas de manejo, sino que la variación estuvo dada entre fechas de muestreos. En el caso de las BN no se pudo estimar el número, lo cual se adjudica a la dificultad para cultivar estas bacterias, y su alta dependencia a una adecuada humedad en el suelo. El tercer año (2011), hubo mayores precipitaciones, sin embargo, en pocas ocasiones se encontraron diferencias significativas entre los tratamientos de una misma fecha de muestreo, y tal como sucedió en los primeros años, la variación se dio entre fechas. La respiración basal del suelo en general fue mayor en los primeros 5 cm del suelo y bajo siembra directa; y en el caso del manejo del verdeo, se detectó mayor respiración en los suelos no pastoreados. Los estudios con tecnología independiente de cultivo revelaron la presencia de BN con secuencia del gen amoA altamente conservada, a diferencia de las BD que mostraron mayor variación en la secuencia del gen nosZ. Se caracterizaron morfológicamente los aislamientos potencialmente desnitrificadores, los cuales presentaron diferentes modelos de crecimiento. De los cincuenta y siete aislamientos obtenidos, en más de la mitad se confirmó la presencia tanto del gen nirK como nosZ (que codifican para las enzimas nitrito reductasa de cobre y óxido nitroso reductasa, respectivamente), mientras que en el resto solo se detectó el primero de ellos, lo que indica la presencia de bacterias desnitrificadoras parciales (presencia de nirK) y completas (presencia de nirK y nosZ). Además, las cepas desnitrificadoras completas mostraron variaciones fisiológicas, tanto en formas de crecimiento como en el consumo de sustratos carbonados; y se secuenciaron e identificaron tres aislamientos (Cellulosimicrobium sp. NEAU-Z02, Bacillus pumilus strain UFV-E34 y Stenotrophomonas sp. CK6), que ya han sido encontrados en suelos, y han sido estudiados por su capacidad reductora de nitrato y desnitrificante. Finalmente, el estudio en microcosmos, mostró que las variables evaluadas son sensibles a los niveles de humedad en el suelo y que la degradación de rastrojo en este tipo de suelos es lenta. En conclusión, en estos ambientes frágiles las condiciones ambientales generadas por la marcada estacionalidad influyen en la dinámica microbiana, e incluso pueden superar los efectos de manejo del suelo. En los suelos semiáridos bonaerenses evaluados es factible la incorporación de la siembra directa, mientras que la incorporación de animales para pastoreo puede generar condiciones favorables para el desarrollo de BRN y BD, lo que puede provocar pérdidas de nitrógeno. / Soil management can impact on microbial communities's composition and activity, therefore there is concern about the responsible use and maintenance of the microbial diversity of agricultural soils for a sustainable management of the agroecosystem. This Thesis was done on a trial of tillage systems in mixed systems of the South-West of Buenos Aires started in 1999. Given the absence of microbiological antecedents, being that microorganisms play a fundamental role in agroecosystems, it was decided to evaluate how agricultural management systems affect the abundance of microbial functional groups (Nitrifying Bacteria [BN], Nitrate Reducing Bacteria [BRN] and Denitrifying Bacteria [BD]) and microbial activity through carbon dioxide´s release. At the same time, the presence of the amoA gene that codes for the active site of the enzyme Ammonium Monoxygenase, and of the genes that code for the enzymes of the different denitrification stages was evaluated, and potentially denitrifying bacteria were isolated and characterized. In addition, it was designed a trial of degradation of stubble in microcosms, to evaluate the effect of different levels of moisture and fertilization in the soil on microbial activity, analyzing the enzymatic activity and active biomass. The first two years of sampling (2009 and 2010) were characterized by low rainfall. They showed low abundance of the microbiota and in general, on each individual sampling date, no effects of the management systems were detected, but the variation was given between sampling dates. Abundance of BN could not be estimated, which is attributed to the difficulty in cultivating these bacteria, and their high dependence on adequate soil moisture. The third year (2011), there was greater rainfall, however, in few occasions significant differences were found between the treatments of the same sampling date, and as it happened in the first years, the variation occurred between dates. The basal respiration of the soil in general was greater in the first 5 cm of the soil and under zero-tillage; and in the case of greening management, greater respiration was detected in ungrazed soils. The studies with independent culture technology revealed the presence of BN with sequence of the highly conserved amoA gene, unlike the BD that showed greater variation in the sequence of the nosZ gene. Potentially denitrifying isolates, which presented different growth models, were morphologically characterized. Of the fifty-seven isolates obtained, more than half confirmed the presence of both nirK and nosZ genes (which encode the copper nitrite reductase and nitrous oxide reductase enzymes, respectively), while in the rest it was only detected the first one, which indicates the presence of partial denitrifying bacteria (presence of nirK) and complete bacteria (presence of nirK and nosZ). In addition, the complete denitrifying strains showed physiological variations, both in growth forms and in the consumption of carbon substrates; and three isolates, which have already been found in soils and have been studied for their nitrate-reducing and denitrifying capacity, were identified (Cellulosimicrobium sp. NEAU-Z02, Bacillus pumilus strain UFV-E34 and Stenotrophomonas sp.CK6). Finally, the study in microcosms showed that the evaluated variables are sensitive to soil moisture levels and that the stubble degradation in this type of soil is slow. In conclusion, in these fragile environments the environmental conditions generated by the marked seasonality influence the microbial dynamics, and can even overcome the effects of soil management. In the evaluated semi-arid soils of Buenos Aires, the incorporation of zero-tillage is feasible, while the incorporation of animals for grazing can generate favorable conditions for the development of BRN and BD, which can cause nitrogen losses.

Atividades humanas podem causar degradação e impedir que serviços ambientais cheguem á sociedade. Evitá-la demanda constante monitoramento, que pode ser realizado com indicadores ambientais. Buscamos selecionar indicadores da exploração de petróleo nas comunidades microbianas de riachos da Amazônia, Mata Atlântica, Cerrado e Caatinga. Avaliamos as diversidades taxonômica (Sequenciamento 16S) e funcional (GeoChip 5.0M) e comparamos os resultados de amostras de água, sedimento, biofilme e solo das margens de riachos influenciados por campos de petróleo com áreas de referência. Todas as estações apresentaram alta riqueza, baixa similaridade taxonômica e alta similaridade funcional. Impactos da atividade de exploração de petróleo foram relacionados ao uso do solo e não à contaminação por hidrocarbonetos, já que as estações não tinham histórico de vazamentos. Os indicadores identificados não foram atreldos a grupos taxonômicos ou atividades metabólicas específicas, sendo mais promissora a utilização de um conceito baseado em sequencias genéticas indicadoras. / Human activities can cause degradation and prevent environmental services from reaching society. Avoid it demand constant monitoring, which can be carried out with environmental indicators. We sought to select indicators of oil exploration in the microbial communities of streams in the Amazon, Atlantic Forest, Cerrado and Caatinga morphoclimatic domains. We evaluated taxonomic (16S Sequencing) and functional (GeoChip 5.0M) diversity and compared the results from water, sediment, biofilm and soil (from the margins of streams) samples influenced by oil fields with reference areas. All of them presented high richness, low taxonomic similarity and high functional similarity. Impacts of the oil exploration activity are related to the use of soil and not to hydrocarbon contamination, since the sampling stations we choose are historically not affected by oil spills. The indicators we identified are not related to taxonomic groups or specific metabolic activities, and the use of a concept based on indicator sequences is more promising.

Submitted by Ana Damasceno (ana.damasceno@unipampa.edu.br) on 2016-10-31T16:19:59Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Sequenciamento por Ion Torrent revela padrões de interação e distribuição de comunidades microbianas em um perfil de solo ornitogênico da Ilha Seymour, Península Antártica.pdf: 907768 bytes, checksum: 05c430f88f8f32e041e763c1d453d54a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-31T16:19:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Sequenciamento por Ion Torrent revela padrões de interação e distribuição de comunidades microbianas em um perfil de solo ornitogênico da Ilha Seymour, Península Antártica.pdf: 907768 bytes, checksum: 05c430f88f8f32e041e763c1d453d54a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / Neste estudo, foram analisadas e comparadas comunidades bacterianas do solo de uma pinguineira da Ilha Seymour (Península Antártica) em termos de abundância, estrutura, diversidade e rede de interações, a fim de se identificar padrões de interação entre os vários grupos de bactérias presentes em solos ornitogênicos em diferentes profundidades (camadas). A análise das sequências revelou a presença de oito filos distribuídos em diferentes proporções entre as Camadas 1 (0-8 cm), 2 (20-25 cm) e 3 (35-40 cm). De acordo com os índices de diversidade, a Camada 3 apresentou os maiores valores de riqueza, diversidade e uniformidade quando comparado com as Camadas 1 e 2. Em termos de estrutura da comunidade microbiana, a análise UniFrac mostrou que as comunidades microbianas das três camadas foram muito diferentes umas das outras. A análise de redes revelou a existência de um padrão único de interações no qual a rede microbiana formou uma topologia de agrupamento, mas não estruturado em módulos, como de costume em comunidades biológicas. Da mesma forma, através da utilização de análise de redes, foi possível identificar táxons específicos como sendo potencialmente importantes para a estruturação e funcionamento da comunidade microbiana. Além disso, as análises de simulação indicaram que a perda de grupos importantes de microorganismos pode alterar significativamente os padrões de interação dentro da comunidade microbiana. Estes resultados fornecem novos insights sobre as interações bacterianas e ecologia microbiana desse importante, mas ameaçado ambiente. / In this study, we analyzed and compared the soil bacterial communities from a penguin rookery site at Seymour Island (Antarctic Peninsula) in terms of abundance, structure, diversity and interaction network in order to identify interaction patterns among the various groups of bacteria presented in an ornithogenic site at three depths (layers). The analysis of the sequences revealed the presence of 8 phyla distributed in different proportions among the Layers 1 (0-8 cm), 2 (20-25 cm) and 3 (35-40 cm). According to the diversity indexes, Layer 3 presented the highest values of richness, diversity and evenness when compared to Layers 1 and 2. In terms of bacterial community structure, the unweighted and weighted UniFrac analysis showed that the soil bacterial communities from the three layers were quite different from each other. Network analysis revealed the existence of a unique pattern of interactions in which the soil microbial network formed a clustered topology, but not structured in modules, as usual in biological communities. In addition, through the use of network analysis, it was possible to identify specific taxa as potentially important for the structuring and functioning of the microbial community. Furthermore, simulation analyzes indicated that the loss of potential keystone groups of microorganisms may significantly alter the patterns of interactions within the microbial communityThese findings provide new insights into the bacterial interactions and microbial ecology of this important, but threatened environment.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are pollutants of great concern due to their toxicity, ubiquitous distribution and environmental persistence. Generally, the PAHs are found as part of complex mixtures such as crude oil and derivatives, and mineral coal. Mismanagement during industrial operations, and accidental spills result in the contamination of wide areas with potential risk for the public health and negative impact in the local economy. Nowadays, there is a considerable interest in the use of biological procedures to clean up polluted environments because of their pollutant removal efficiency, feasibility and associated low cost. Bioremediation experiences are based on the ability that microorganisms (bacteria, algae and fungi) possess in degrading a wide range of pollutants, including PAHs containing from two to five aromatic rings. The microbial biodegradation of low molecular weight (LMW) PAHs has been extensively studied revealing a variety of bacteria capable to efficiently degrade these pollutants. The studies with high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs, more recalcitrant and with higher toxicity, indicate that in soil environments this compounds are generally degraded by members of the group Actinobacteria. However, little is known about HMW-PAH degradation in marine environments. Recent studies carried out with marine consortia and isolates have identified a few genera as PAHs degraders in sea waters, but no associations have been established between pyrene degradation and actinobacteria in such environments. Here, with the study of a pyrene microbial marine consortium, we provide the first evidence on the key role of actinobacteria in the removal of pyrene from polluted marine shorelines. Moreover, the detailed analysis of the community structure of the microbial consortium have revealed the presence of a bacterial strain not classifiable in the previously described genus, that have been isolated, thoroughly characterized and proposed as a type strain of a new genus and species. Bioremediation experiences do not always produce the desired results. PAHs are usually degraded until certain limit after which degradation is hardly observed. This phenomenon may be mainly caused by the low bioavailiability and limited concentration of nutrients. PAHs are usually found in non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs), which results in a slow partition of these components into the aqueous phase and their persistence in to the environment for long periods. In order to enhance microbial degradation and reduce the residual PAH concentration in polluted environments, we have conducted an experiment in which the effect of an oleophilic fertilizer has been evaluated. We also have targeted the possible nutritional deficiencies during bioremediation and have examined the biodegradation of PAHs and potential accumulation of partially oxidized metabolites, more available and toxic than their parent PAHs. Finally, we have evaluated the efficiency of sunflower rhizosphere in PAH removal from polluted soils that have undergone extensive remediation but still contain intolerable levels of pollutants. The results indicate that the sunflower rhizosphere enhance the removal of PAHs by promoting the selective growth of degradative bacteria, incrementing the bioaccesibility and possible favouring the degrading processes through specific mechanism associated with the composition of the roots exudates. These results represent a promising alternative for increasing bioremediation in a sustainable and cost-efficient manner. / Los hidrocarburos aromáticos policíclicos son un grupo de contaminantes que suscitan gran preocupación debido a su toxicidad, amplia distribución y persistencia en el medio ambiente. Generalmente, los HAPs se encuentran formando parte de mezclas complejas como crudos de petróleo, carbón mineral y derivados. La mala gestión durante las operaciones industriales, y los vertidos accidentales causan amplias áreas contaminadas que conllevan un importante riesgo para la salud pública junto con un impacto negativo en la economía local. Actualmente, hay un notable interés en el uso de procedimientos biológicos para descontaminar emplazamientos debido a la eficiencia en la eliminación, viabilidad y bajo coste asociado de estos métodos. Las experiencias de biorremediación se basan en la capacidad de los microorganismos (bacterias, algas y hongos) de degradar una amplia variedad de contaminantes, incluyendo HAPs. La degradación microbiana de HAPs de bajo peso molecular ha sido ampliamente estudiada revelando numerosas bacterias capaces de eliminar eficientemente estos compuestos. Los estudios realizados con HAPs de alto peso molecular, más recalcitrantes y con mayor toxicidad, han mostrado que en suelos la degradación de estos compuestos es principalmente llevada a cabo por miembros del grupo Actinobacteria. Sin embargo, se desconoce la degradación de HAPs de elevado peso molecular en ambientes marinos. Estudios recientes llevados a cabo en consorcios marinos han identificado algunos géneros degradadores de HAPs en agua de mar, pero no se han establecido asociaciones entre el pireno y actinobacterias. Aquí, con el estudio del consorcio marino degradador de pireno, nosotros proveemos la primera evidencia del papel de las actinobacterias en la eliminación del pireno de costas marinas. Además, el análisis de la estructura de la comunidad bacteriana nos reveló la presencia de una cepa no clasificable en los géneros previamente descritos, que fue aislada, profundamente caracterizada y propuesta como cepa tipo de un nuevo género y especie. Las experiencias de biorremediación no siempre producen los resultados deseados. A menudo. los HAPs son degradados hasta cierto límite tras el cual la degradación apenas es observada. Este fenómeno puede ser causado principalmente por la baja disponibilidad y limitación de nutrientes. Los HAPs generalmente se encuentran formando parte de fases líquidas no acuosas (FLNAs), lo que resulta en una lenta partición de estos compuestos hacia la fase acuosa y por tanto en una persistencia medioambiental. Con el fin de incrementar la degradación microbiana y reducir la concentración residual de los HAPs en ambientes contaminados, se realizó un experimento en el cual se evaluaba el efecto de un fertilizante oleofílico. También se examinaron las posibles deficiencias nutricionales y la acumulación de metabolitos parcialmente oxidados resultantes de la degradación, los cuales son más disponibles y tóxicos que sus parentales. Finalmente, hemos evaluado la eficiencia de la rizosfera de girasol en la eliminación de HAPs de suelos contaminados con HAPs que han sido sometidos a una extensiva remediación, pero que contienen niveles inaceptables de HAPs. Los resultados indican que la rizosfera de girasol aumentó la eliminación de HAPs promoviendo el crecimiento selectivo de bacterias degradadoras y favoreciendo los procesos de degradación a través de mecanismos asociados con la composición de los exudados. Los resultados representan por tanto una alternativa prometedora para potenciar la biorremediación de una manera sostenible y rentable.

Los embutidos fermentados ligeramente acidificados son un grupo de productos tradicionales mediterráneos, caracterizados por un pH superior a 5,3.Para un control eficiente de la seguridad microbiológica de los embutidos se necesitan técnicas rápidas para la identificación y recuento de los microorganismos patógenos a estudiar. En el presente trabajo, se desarrolló una técnica para la enumeración de L. monocytogenes que combinó el método del número más probable y la identificación mediante PCR específica. Para la detección de Salmonella spp. y L. monocytogenes se desarrolló un sistema de PCR-multiplex que permitió la identificación de ambos patógenos de forma simultánea en una sola reacción.El estudio de la calidad microbiológica de los embutidos fermentados ligeramente acidificados se completó con la caracterización de las comunidades microbianas más importantes en estos productos. Se identificaron a nivel de especie los aislados de bacterias del ácido láctico (BAL), de enterococos y de cocos gram-positivos catalasa-positivos (CGC+). Posteriormente se realizó una tipificación molecular de los mismos mediante RAPD y análisis del perfil plasmídico y se estudiaron las principales características de interés higiénico-sanitario y tecnológico de las cepas.Mediante PCR se identificó Lactobacillus sakei como la especie predominante (74%), seguida por Lactobacillus curvatus (21,2%). La actividad aminoácido-descarboxilasa se asoció a la especie L. curvatus (el 66% de los aislados presentaron esta actividad).La identificación de los enterococos se realizó mediante PCR-multiplex y por secuenciación del gen sodA. Enterococcus faecium fue la especie de enterococos predominante (51,9%) seguida por Enterococcus faecalis (14,2%).Todas las cepas de E. faecalis presentaron genes asociados a factores de virulencia. E. faecalis presentó mayor resistencia a antibióticos que el resto de las especies de enterococos estudiadas. Tan sólo una cepa de E. faecium presentó el genotipo vanA (que confiere resistencia de alto nivel a la vancomicina).La identificación de los aislados de CGC+ (mediante PCR específica y amplificación de la región intergénica 16S-23S ARNr) demostró que Staphylococcus xylosus es la especie predominante en los embutidos fermentados ligeramente acidificados (80,8%).La amina biógena más común en los CGC+ fue la feniletilamina, producida por un 10,8% de aislados. Un pequeño porcentaje de aislados fueron mecA+ (4,6%), presentando además resistencia a múltiples antibióticos. El potencial enterotoxigénico de las cepas de CGC+ fue muy reducido (3,3% de los aislados), detectándose únicamente el gen entC.El estudio pormenorizado de las comunidades bacterianas de interés permitió la selección de 2 cepas de L. sakei y 2 cepas de S. xylosus con características tecnológicas e higiénico-sanitarias óptimas. Para evaluar su efectividad como cultivos iniciadores se elaboraron dos tipos de embutidos ligeramente ácidos, chorizo y fuet, inoculados con microorganismos patógenos (Salmonella spp., L. monocytogenes y S. aureus). El uso de cultivos iniciadores permitió el control de L. monocytogenes, Enterobacteriaceae y Enterococcus así como del contenido en aminas biógenas. Los recuentos de Salmonella spp. disminuyeron de forma significante durante la maduración de los embutidos, independientemente del uso de cultivos iniciadores. El uso del tratamiento de alta presión (400 MPa) en los embutidos madurados consiguió la ausencia de Salmonella spp. en los lotes tratados. / Low-acid fermented meat products (final pH, 5.3 to 6.2) are a group of traditional Mediterranean products with a great diversity within the regions.To control the microbial quality of this kind of sausages is necessary to use rapid methods able to produce results quickly and reliably. In this study, a highly sensitive PCR-based method to detect and quantify L. monocytogenes in fermented sausages was developed. This method combined the high sensitivity of the most-probable-number method with a L. monocytogenes specific PCR assay. Also a multiplex-PCR based method for the simultaneous identification of L. monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. was designed. The study of the microbial quality of the slightly fermented sausages was followed by the characterization of the microbial communities of this kind of products. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB), enterococci and Gram-positive catalase-positive cocci (GCC+) were identified at species level. RAPD-PCR and plasmid profiling were used to evaluate the genetic diversity within species and to identify identical isolates of the same strain. Safety and hygienic properties were also studied in order to characterize the isolates in detail. With this aim, bacteriocin production, biogenic amine production and antibiotic susceptibility were determined. By species-specific PCR, Lactobacillus sakei was identified as the predominant LAB (74%) followed by Lactobacillus curvatus (21.2%) and Leuconostoc mesenteroides (4.8%). The production of biogenic amines was mainly related to the species L. curvatus (66% of the isolates were biogenic amine-producers).Species-specific PCR and partial sequencing of sodA gene were used to identify enterococcal population. Enterococcus faecium was the most frequently isolated species (51.9%) followed by Enterococcus faecalis (14,2%). All the E. faecalis strains carried virulence genes. E. faecalis showed higher antibiotic resistance than the other species. Only one E. faecium strain showed vanA genotype (high-level resistance to glycopeptides).Species-specific PCR and amplification of the 16S-23S rDNA intergenic region were used to identify GCC+ population. Staphylococcus xylosus was the predominant species (80.8%) in this kind of sausages.Tyramine was the most intense biogenic amine produced, although by only 4.6% of the GCC+ isolates. Phenylethylamine was more frequently detected (10.8% of isolates) but at lower levels. A low percentage of isolates (4.6%) showed mecA genes displaying also resistance to multiple antibiotics. Only 3.3% of isolates showed staphylococcal enterotoxins genes, all identified as entC gene.The study of the safety and technological properties of the isolates allowed to select 2 strains of L. sakei and 2 strains of S. xylosus on the basis of their technological and safety characteristics. To evaluate their suitability as starter cultures two types of low acid fermented sausages, fuet and chorizo, were manufactured. Batters were inoculated with L. monocytogenes, S. enterica and S. aureus. Starter cultures were able to control the growth of L. monocytogenes, Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcus and the biogenic amine content. Salmonella spp counts decreased significantly during ripening independently of the use of starter culture and product.High hydrostatic pressure treatment was necessary to assure absence of Salmonella spp. in final products.