Orientador: Felipe Wanderley Amorim / Resumo: As mudanças globais mediadas pela ação antrópica estão alterando a biodiversidade e os ecossistemas em um ritmo acelerado. Um dos principais impulsionadores dessas mudanças é a introdução de espécies exóticas em ecossistemas nativos. Entre os grupos de organismos afetados por este processo, o das plantas é reconhecido um dos mais preocupantes, uma vez que a produção primária limita o tamanho e a composição das comunidades e participa através de efeitos em cascata em interações multi-tróficas. Uma das principais relações ecológicas influenciada por esse efeito é a relação entre plantas e polinizadores, cujo papel é importante para estrutura e funcionamento das comunidades biológicas, não apenas porque as plantas fornecem recursos alimentares essenciais para muitos grupos de animais que visitam flores, mas também porque o sucesso reprodutivo da maioria das plantas com flores depende dos serviços bióticos fornecidos por estes animais. Neste contexto, a introdução de espécies de plantas exóticas invasoras pode ter impactos críticos nas interações planta-polinizador ao nível da comunidade, principalmente através da competição com espécies nativas. Como as interações planta-polinizador são cruciais para determinar a estrutura da comunidade, nesse estudo nós testamos como o crescimento rápido de uma gramínea invasora altera a composição das espécies de plantas nativas em um campo cerrado, juntamente com os impactos deste processo sobre a estrutura das interações planta-polinizador. ... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The global change mediated by anthropic action is altering biodiversity and ecosystems in a fast pace. One major driver of these changes is the introduction of alien species in native ecosystems. Among the groups of organisms that are affected by this process, plants are recognized to be one of the most concern, since primary production limit global communities’ sizes and composition, and participate through cascade effects on multitrophic interactions. One crucial type of interaction that is influenced by this effect is the plant-pollinator relationship, which have an important role in the structure and functioning of biological communities, not only because plants provide essential food resources for many groups of animals that visit flowers, but also because the reproductive success of most flowering plants depends on the biotic services provided by animals. In this context, the introduction of invasive alien plant species may have critical impacts on plant-pollinator interactions at community level, mainly through competition with native species. Since plantpollinator interactions are determinants of community structure, here we evaluated how the rising of a fast-growing invasive alien grass species changes plant species composition of a Neotropical grassland community along with its impacts on the structure of plant-pollinator interactions. For this, we analyzed the changes in community composition and plantpollinator interactions over time, through the temporal turnover... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Dans le contexte des changements globaux, la biodiversité en Méditerranée est menacée, notamment par une sécheresse plus intense, avec des modifications probables du fonctionnement des écosystèmes. Cette thèse étudie l’effet de la sécheresse accrue sur la végétation et la modulation des effets par la diversité végétale, par une expérimentation d’exclusion de pluie dans une garrigue au nord de Marseille avec un gradient naturel de diversité. Les performances des 4 arbustes dominants, la diversité spécifique et fonctionnelle, les relations interspécifiques et la relation diversité-productivité de la garrigue ont été étudiés sous deux niveaux de pluieAprès 2,5 années, les effets de la sécheresse accrue sur la performance des 4 arbustes dépendent de l’espèce et du paramètre évalués et peuvent être modulés par la diversité des co-dominantes. Q.coccifera parait plus résistante et résiliente, suivie de R.officinalis et finalement de C.albidus et U.parviflorus. Ceci s’explique en partie par leurs différentes stratégies d’acquisition, utilisation et conservation du carbone et de l’eau. Les traits foliaires et la diversité fonctionnelle et spécifique ne sont pas affectés significativement par la réduction des pluies, mais dépendent du nombre, l’identité et le recouvrement des dominantes. Au vu de l’effet différentiel de la sécheresse accrue sur les espèces dominantes, on peut s’attendre à un effet négatif indirect de la sécheresse sur la biodiversité et donc sur le fonctionnement de la garrigue. On confirme l’importance d’intégrer les facteurs biotiques dans les modèles visant à prévoir le fonctionnement et les services des écosystèmes dans le cadre du changement climatique. / In the global change context, the biodiversity in the Mediterranean is under threat, mainly due to the more intense drought, which could lead to modification of ecosystem functioning. This thesis focuses on the effects of higher drought on the aboveground vegetation and the modulation of these effects by plant diversity thanks to a precipitation exclusion experiment in a shrubland in the south of France whith a natural diversity gradient. The 4 dominant shrub species performances, the specific and functional diversity, the interspecific interaction, and the biodiversity-productivity relationship were studied under 2 rain levelsAfter 2,5 years the effects of increased drought on the 4 dominant shrub performances was species- and parameter-dependant and can be modulated by the diversity of the co-dominant species. Q. coccifera seems the most resistant and resilient, followed by R. officinalis and finally by C. albidus and U. parviflorus. This is partly explained by the different strategies of acquisition, utilization and conservation of carbon and water of the four species. The leaf traits, the functional and specific diversity are not significantly affected by the precipitation decrease, but they depend on the number, the identity and the cover of the dominant shrubs. Given the differential effect of higher drought on the dominant species performances, we could expect an indirect negative effect of drought on the shrubland diversity and so on ecosystem functioning. We confirm the importance of taking into account the biotic factors in models aiming to predict the ecosystem functioning and environmental risks and services under future in the climate change context

\"Terra Preta de Índio\" (TPI) é um termo utilizado para designar horizontes antrópicos A em solos Amazônicos. Estes solos se destacam pela alta concentração de nutrientes, matéria orgânica e carvão pirogênico. Do ponto de vista microbiológico, a importância destes solos reside no fato de que constituem um habitat de alta diversidade microbiana, sendo também um ambiente propício para a realização de processos de biodegradação, amplamente dependente de enzimas microbianas, como as dioxigenases, que podem utilizar hidrocarbonetos aromáticos como fonte de carbono e energia. Neste contexto, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo o estudo da diversidade funcional de genes catabólicos e também de bactérias potencialmente degradadoras de hidrocarbonetos, com base em métodos de isolamento e cultivo, seguidos de abordagens moleculares (sequenciamento e quantificação de genes que codificam para a enzima dioxigenase), além do estudo da influência da incubação desses solos com hidrocarbonetos aromáticos, na diversidade e quantidade de cópias de genes catabólicos. Este trabalho pretende aprimorar a compreensão da relação entre a abundância, riqueza, diversidade e funcionalidade destes genes em bactérias presentes em amostras de solo de TPI, comparativamente à amostras de seus solos originais, também chamados de adjacentes (ADJ) e sob diferentes cultivos (floresta secundária - FS e cultívo agrícola - CULT). Os resultados gerados a partir do isolamento e bioensaio mostraram grande diversidade de gêneros e espécies descritas como degradadores de compostos aromáticos e foi possível observar a predominância de gêneros bacterianos estreitamente relacionados a processos de biodegradação, como por exemplo, Pseudomonas, Burkholderia, Sphingomonas além de representantes dos gêneros Bacillus, Enterobacter, Serratia, entre outros. Com esses resultados foi possível observar diferenças nas comunidades bacterianas quando comparados os diferentes sítios analisados. Alguns gêneros foram exclusivos de cada sítio, o que mostra uma diferença na comunidade bacteriana de acordo com o tipo de solo (TPI e ADJ) e seu uso (FS e CULT), sendo que os solos de TPI apresentaram maior quantidade e número de filotipos potencialmente degradadores do que os sítios ADJ o que demonstra o imenso potencial das bactérias dos solos de TPI para processos de importância biotecnológica. As bibliotecas de clones e o pirosequenciamento do gene catabólico bph mostraram maior diversidade e riqueza de espécies nos sítios de TPI quando comparados com os sítios ADJ. A abundância deste gene determinada por PCR quantitativa mostrou uma maior quantidade de cópias em solos de TPI comparados aos solos ADJ. Os resultados dos microcosmos permitiram observar uma mudança na estrutura da comunidade em relação aos genes de degradação, após a incubação dos solos com compostos aromáticos, além de mostrar um aumento do número de cópias do gene catabólico após a incubação dos solos. De maneira geral este trabalho demonstrou o potencial dos solos de Terra Preta para estudo da diversidade funcional de genes catabólicos e permitiu observar que a diversidade deste gene é mais influênciada pelo tipo de solo (TPI ou ADJ) do que pela cobertura vegetal (floresta secundária ou cultivo agrícola) / \"Amazon Dark Earths\" (ADE) is a term used to describe the anthropic horizons in Amazon soils. These soils are characterized by high concentrations of nutrients, organic matter and black carbon. From the microbiological point of view, the importance of these soils mainly resides in the fact that they constitute a highly diverse microbial habitat, and also an environment for performing various biodegradation processes largely dependent of microbial enzymes, as dioxygenases, that can transform organic compounds in source of carbon and energy. In this context, this study aimed to analyze the functional diversity of bacteria catabolic genes and also analyze potentially hydrocarbons degrader bacteria, based on methods of isolation and culture, followed by molecular approaches (sequencing and quantification of genes encoding the dioxygenase enzyme) additionally to a study of aromatic hydrocarbons incubation of soils and its influence in the diversity and quantity of the catabolic gene. This study aims to understand the relationship between the abundance, richness, diversity and functionality of these genes in ADE soil samples compared to their original soil samples, also called adjacent soils (ADJ), under different land uses (secondary forest - SF and agricultural cultivation - CULT). The results generated from the isolation and bioassay showed wide variety of genera and species described as degrading aromatic compounds and it was possible to observe the predominance of bacterial genera closely related to biodegradation processes, e.g., Pseudomonas, Burkholderia, Sphingomonas and representatives the genera Bacillus, Enterobacter, Serratia, among others. With these results was also observed differences in bacterial communities compared the different sites analyzed. Some genera were unique to each site, which shows a difference in bacterial community according to the soil type (ADE and ADJ) and its use (FS and CULT), and the ADE soils showed a higher amount and number of phylotypes potentially degrading than the ADJ sites which demonstrates the immense potential of ADE soils in bacteria processes with biotechnological importance. The clone libraries and pyrosequencing of catabolic bph gene showed greater diversity and species richness at TPI sites when compared to ADJ sites. The abundance of this gene determined by quantitative PCR showed a greater number of copies of this gene in TPI soils compared to ADJ soils. The results of the microcosms allowed observing changes in the community structure of bph gene after incubation of soil. In this study it was observed a rise in the number of catabolic gene copies after the incubation. Generally this work demonstrated the potential of ADE soils for functional diversity study of catabolic genes and allowed to observe that the diversity of this gene is more influenced by soil type (ADE or ADJ) than by land uses (secondary forest or agricultural cultivation)

The biological diversity of reef-fish in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) from 1999 – 2016 was evaluated in terms of abundance, biomass, species richness, evenness, Shannon diversity, Simpson diversity, and functional diversity, using observations collected by multiple agencies and institutions under the Reef Visual Census (RVC) program. To compare the different diversity indices species richness, Shannon diversity, Simpson diversity, and functional diversity were converted into effective number of species. I examined the seven indices by no-take marine zones, in seven benthic habitat strata, and across the three-distinct geographic subregions in the Florida Keys domain (Upper, Middle, and Lower Keys). The objective was to describe changes in reef fish community responses through time and space in the Florida Keys, and to determine whether patterns in reef fish diversity indices were attributable to levels of protection, benthic habitat strata, or geographic subregion. The goal was to develop a framework for reef fish biodiversity assessments that can inform management and policy in the FKNMS, and support updates to the periodic Condition Reports generated by the Sanctuary. Diversity indices (with the exception of evenness) were significantly higher in no-take marine zones compared to areas open to fishing. All indices were significantly different by strata type. High Relief Reef habitats had the highest abundance, biomass, richness, Simpson diversity, Shannon diversity, and functional diversity, but had moderate evenness values. The biodiversity metrics for the Upper Keys and Lower Keys were not significantly different, but both of these areas were significantly different from the Middle Keys for all indices except species richness, which did not vary by subregion. Generalized additive models revealed that the principal driver across indices was habitat structure (strata and depth). Time (year), space (latitude, longitude), and no-take marine zones (0, unprotected and 1, protected) explained roughly similar proportions of deviance across all indices. Simpson diversity, Shannon diversity, and functional diversity showed similar trends in no-take marine zones, strata, and subregion through time. The Florida Keys is characterized as having relatively low functional diversity due to a few common traits shared by many individuals and many rare traits shared by a few individuals. This suggests that the Florida Keys reef fish are less vulnerable to functional loss due to high functional redundancy among species. However, functionally rare traits, those possessed by few individuals, are vulnerable to functional loss and will have a larger impact on ecosystem functioning than species that share similar traits. Low functional diversity also suggests lower adaptability to environmental perturbations. Given the minimal robustness of traits, the ecosystem is less likely to possess functions that can withstand disturbances. The impacts of two types of perturbations were examined in a qualitative manner: hurricanes and cold-temperature events. Disturbance by hurricanes in 2004 and 2005 and the extreme cold event of January 2010 had a high impact on reef fish community composition. Between 2004 and 2006, following two consecutive years of hurricanes, abundance of reef fish declined 31%, biomass declined 53%, species richness declined 18%, Simpson diversity declined 12%, Shannon diversity declined 14%, and functional diversity declined 8%. Following a year without hurricanes in 2007 abundance of reef fish increased 11%, biomass increased 13%, richness increased 14%, Simpson and Shannon diversity increased 10%, and functional diversity increased 6%. After the January 2010 extreme cold event, reef fish abundance and biomass also declined 17%, richness declined 10%, Simpson diversity and Shannon diversity declined 5% and 6%, and functional diversity declined 2%. All matrices increased the following year, where abundance increased 13%, biomass increased 31%, richness increased 13%, Simpson diversity increased 7%, Shannon diversity increased 10%, and functional diversity increased 8%. Based on my findings and literature review, to better preserve biodiversity and enhance ecosystem functioning, I recommend prioritizing conservation efforts in source habitats (e.g., High Relief Reefs) and habitats with varying complexity by implementing corridor reserves that facilitate the natural migration of organisms between different habitat types. I also recommend prioritizing preservation of species that possess functionally rare traits with few individuals (e.g., cleaner species) by preserving areas with greater functional diversity (e.g., Higher Relief Reefs and Forereef Deep Linear Reefs).

Microbial fuel cells were designed and operated using waste activated sludge as a substrate and as a source of microorganisms for the anodic chamber. Waste activated sludge provided a bacterial consortium predisposed to the solubilization of particulate matter and utilization of substrates commonly found in wastewater. Dissolved oxygen and ferricyanide were used as the electron acceptors in the catholytes. Microbial fuel cell comparisons were made while operating under identical conditions but using the two different electron acceptors. Comparisons were based on the electricity production observed during MFC operation, wastewater quality of the waste activated sludge anolytes and the community level physiological profiling of the microbial communities in the anolytes. Electrons liberated during substrate utilization in the anodic chamber traveled to the cathodic chamber where they reduced the electron acceptors. The anode and cathode chambers were connected by a Nafion ® proton exchange membrane to allow for cation migration. Various soluble carbon sources were dosed to the microbial fuel cells at measured intervals during operation via direct injection to the anolyte. During bovine serum albumin dosing, average power production levels reached 0.062 mW and 0.122 mW for the dissolved oxygen microbial fuel cell and the ferricyanide microbial fuel cell, respectively. These were 100% and 25% greater than the power production levels observed throughout the rest of the study. Increases in current production were observed following the dosing of sodium acetate, glucose and bovine serum albumin. No increase in current was observed following glycerol dosing. Sodium acetate dosing triggered an immediate response, while glucose and bovine serum albumin responded in approximately 2 minutes. A chemical oxygen demand mass balance was calculated for both microbial fuel cells. The lack of balance closure was attributed to unmeasured methane production. An accumulation of particulate waste activated sludge components was observed for both microbial fuel cells. The anolyte pH during operation was typically less than waste activated sludge pH, which was attributed to volatile fatty acid accumulation in the anolytes during fermentation processes. Community level physiological profiling was accomplished through the analysis of ecological data obtained with BIOLOG ® ECOplates. Samples were plated and analyzed under anaerobic conditions, mimicking the environment in the anode chamber of the MFCs. ECOplate data were transformed by a logarithmic function prior to principle component analysis. The community level physiological profiling indicated that shifts in the microbial community profile, as measured through the carbon source utilization patterns, occurred throughout acclimation and following the dosing of various carbon source substrates. Shifts due to glycerol dosing differed from shifts due to the dosing of sodium acetate, glucose and bovine serum albumin.

Microbial fuel cells were designed and operated using waste activated sludge as a substrate and as a source of microorganisms for the anodic chamber. Waste activated sludge provided a bacterial consortium predisposed to the solubilization of particulate matter and utilization of substrates commonly found in wastewater. Dissolved oxygen and ferricyanide were used as the electron acceptors in the catholytes. Microbial fuel cell comparisons were made while operating under identical conditions but using the two different electron acceptors. Comparisons were based on the electricity production observed during MFC operation, wastewater quality of the waste activated sludge anolytes and the community level physiological profiling of the microbial communities in the anolytes. Electrons liberated during substrate utilization in the anodic chamber traveled to the cathodic chamber where they reduced the electron acceptors. The anode and cathode chambers were connected by a Nafion ® proton exchange membrane to allow for cation migration. Various soluble carbon sources were dosed to the microbial fuel cells at measured intervals during operation via direct injection to the anolyte. During bovine serum albumin dosing, average power production levels reached 0.062 mW and 0.122 mW for the dissolved oxygen microbial fuel cell and the ferricyanide microbial fuel cell, respectively. These were 100% and 25% greater than the power production levels observed throughout the rest of the study. Increases in current production were observed following the dosing of sodium acetate, glucose and bovine serum albumin. No increase in current was observed following glycerol dosing. Sodium acetate dosing triggered an immediate response, while glucose and bovine serum albumin responded in approximately 2 minutes. A chemical oxygen demand mass balance was calculated for both microbial fuel cells. The lack of balance closure was attributed to unmeasured methane production. An accumulation of particulate waste activated sludge components was observed for both microbial fuel cells. The anolyte pH during operation was typically less than waste activated sludge pH, which was attributed to volatile fatty acid accumulation in the anolytes during fermentation processes. Community level physiological profiling was accomplished through the analysis of ecological data obtained with BIOLOG ® ECOplates. Samples were plated and analyzed under anaerobic conditions, mimicking the environment in the anode chamber of the MFCs. ECOplate data were transformed by a logarithmic function prior to principle component analysis. The community level physiological profiling indicated that shifts in the microbial community profile, as measured through the carbon source utilization patterns, occurred throughout acclimation and following the dosing of various carbon source substrates. Shifts due to glycerol dosing differed from shifts due to the dosing of sodium acetate, glucose and bovine serum albumin.

Human actions have led to the destruction or degradation of natural habitats in virtually all parts of the Earth. Ecosystem restoration is one method to mitigate the effects of habitat loss. But restoration ecology is a young discipline and there is much left to be learned about how to effectively restore ecosystem functioning. This dissertation examines how soil amendments and planted herbaceous species diversity affect the restoration of ecosystem functions in wetlands, while also testing basic ecological questions that help us understand ecosystem function. Using data from the greenhouse and from the biodiversity and ecosystem function field experiment in Duke Forest, in Durham, NC, I examine how plant trait diversity, average plant traits, and environmental conditions influence nitrogen (N) removal from restored wetlands. Field data collected from a restored wetland in Charlotte, NC, enables me to examine how soil organic amendments influence the development of soil properties, processes, and plant communities. Finally, combining field data from both sites, I compare how soil properties influence denitrification potential in both restored wetlands. One unanswered question in the research relating biodiversity and ecosystem function is whether species diversity or species traits are more important drivers of ecosystem function. The first portion of my dissertation poses several hypotheses about how plant traits, plant trait diversity (calculated as a multivariate measure of plant trait diversity), and environmental conditions are likely to influence two ecosystem functions, biomass N and denitrification potential (DEA), and then examines these hypotheses in a restored wetland in the Piedmont of N.C. Using multiple linear regression, I demonstrate that functional diversity (FD), of traits important for plant growth had no effect on biomass N, but two plant traits, leaf area distribution ratio (LADR) and water use efficiency (WUE), had strong negative effects. Soil inorganic N also had a positive effect. For DEA, FD of traits related to denitrification also did not have a significant effect, but there was evidence of a weak positive effect. Two plant traits had positive effects on DEA, aboveground biomass and aboveground biomass C:N ratio; two traits, belowground biomass C:N ratio and root porosity, had negative effects. Soil inorganic N and soil organic matter also had positive effects on DEA. Results from a Principal Components Analysis (PCA) clustering plant species in trait-space, suggest that <em>Carex</em>, <em>Scirpus</em>, and <em>Juncus</em> species tend to be associated with traits that maximize biomass N, while there is no specific region of trait space or set of species that correspond to high DEA. Instead, there are multiple plant trait combinations that can lead to high DEA. These results suggest that, even though plant diversity (as measured by FD) does not significantly influence biomass N or denitrification, plant trait diversity is important to maintaining multiple ecosystem functions simultaneously. Restored wetlands tend to have lower levels of soil organic matter than natural reference wetlands. Low soil organic matter can limit nutrient cycling as well as plant survival and growth in restored wetlands. In the second portion of my dissertation, I examine how soil compost amendments influence the development of soil properties and processes as well as plant communities at a restored wetland in Charlotte, NC. Using two-way analyses of variance, multiple comparisons of means, and regression, I determine that available N and phosphorus (P) increase with increasing soil organic matter in both the low and high marsh. Total microbial biomass (MB) and microbial activity (measured by denitrification potential (DEA)) also significantly increase with increasing organic matter in both marsh communities, as does soil moisture. Neither total plant biomass (in the low marsh), nor plant species richness (in the high or low marsh) demonstrate any consistent patterns with soil organic matter level in the first three years post-restoration. These results suggest that compost amendments can positively influence some soil properties (i.e. soil available N, P, microbial biomass, and soil moisture) and some ecosystem functions including nutrient cycling (such as denitrification potential), but may have limited early impacts on plant communities. In restoration ecology there is a general assumption that restoring ecosystem structure will also restore ecosystem function. To test this fundamental assumption, I examine whether two restored wetlands demonstrate similar general relationships between soils variables (i.e. do the two systems have similar soil ecosystem structure), and whether the importance of each soil relationship is the same at both systems (i.e. do the two systems demonstrate the same soil function). I use structural equation modeling to both pose hypotheses about how systems function and to test them using field data. I determine that the same model structure of soil relationships is supported by data from these two distinct, yet typical urban restored wetland ecosystems (that is, the two systems have similar soil structure). At both systems higher soil organic matter is the most important predictor of higher DEA; however, most of the other relationships between soils variables are different at each system (that is, the two systems are not functioning in the same way). These results suggest that some fundamental relationships between soil properties and microbial functioning persist even when restored wetlands have very different land-use histories, plant communities, and soil conditions. However, restoring similar soil ecosystem structure does not necessarily lead to the restoration of similar soil function. Ultimately, I hope this research advances our understanding of how ecosystems function and improves future wetland restoration efforts. / Dissertation

Der Mensch besitzt ~25 funktionelle Bitterrezeptoren (TAS2R), die für die Wahrnehmung potenziell toxischer Substanzen in der Nahrung verantwortlich sind. Aufgrund der großen genetischen Variabilität der TAS2R-Gene könnte es eine Vielzahl funktionell unterschiedlicher TAS2R-Haplotypen geben, die zu Unterschieden der Bitterwahrnehmung führen. Dies konnte bereits in funktionellen Analysen und sensorischen Studien für einzelne Bitterrezeptoren gezeigt werden. In dieser Arbeit wurden die häufigsten Haplotypen aller 25 Bitterrezeptoren verschiedener Ethnien funktionell charakterisiert. Das Ziel war eine umfassende Aussage über die funktionelle Diversität der TAS2Rs, die die molekulare Grundlage für individuelle Bitterwahrnehmung bildet, treffen zu können. Fehlende Varianten wurden aus genomischer DNA kloniert oder durch gezielte Mutagenese bereits vorhandener TAS2R-Konstrukte generiert. Die funktionelle Analyse erfolgte mittels Expression der TAS2R-Haplotypen in HEK293TG16gust44 Zellen und anschließenden Calcium-Imaging-Experimenten mit zwei bekannten Agonisten. Die Haplotypen der fünf orphanen TAS2Rs wurden mit über hundert Bitterstoffen stimuliert. Durch die gelungene Deorphanisierung des TAS2R41 in dieser Arbeit, wurden für die 21 aktivierbaren TAS2Rs 36 funktionell-unterschiedliche Haplotypen identifiziert. Die tatsächliche funktionelle Vielfalt blieb jedoch deutlich hinter der genetischen Variabilität der TAS2Rs zurück. Neun Bitterrezeptoren wiesen funktionell homogene Haplotypen auf oder besaßen nur eine weltweit vorherrschende Variante. Funktionell heterogene Haplotypen wurden für zwölf TAS2Rs identifiziert. Inaktive Varianten der Rezeptoren TAS2R9, TAS2R38 und TAS2R46 sollten die Wahrnehmung von Bitterstoffen wie Ofloxacin, Cnicin, Hydrocortison, Limonin, Parthenolid oder Strychnin beeinflussen. Unterschiedlich sensitive Varianten, besonders der Rezeptoren TAS2R47 und TAS2R49, sollten für Agonisten wie Absinthin, Amarogentin oder Cromolyn ebenfalls zu phänotypischen Unterschieden führen. Wie für den TAS2R16 bereits gezeigt, traten Haplotypen des funktionell heterogenen TAS2R7 und TAS2R41 ethnien-spezifisch auf, was auf lokale Anpassung und verschiedene Phänotypen hinweisen könnte. Weiterführend muss nun eine Analyse der funktionell-variablen TAS2Rs in sensorischen Tests erfolgen, um ihre phänotypische Relevanz zu prüfen. Die Analyse der funktionsmodulierenden Aminosäurepositionen, z.Bsp. des TAS2R44, TAS2R47 oder TAS2R49, könnte weiterführend zum besseren Verständnis der Rezeptor-Ligand- und Rezeptor-G-Protein-Interaktion beitragen. / Bitter taste perception varies markedly from person to person, due to a high number of polymorphisms present in the 25 known functional bitter receptors (TAS2Rs). These polymorphisms lead to a number of haplotypes for each receptor, which are common in different populations, but vary in frequency. The individual combination of receptor variants seems to determine the person’s sensitivity of bitter perception, as could already be shown for single TAS2Rs. Bitter is an aversive taste quality, indicating the ingestion of harmful substances. Different sensitivity could have an impact on food choice. In order to characterize functional consequences of the genetic diversity, we performed calcium imaging experiments with all main haplotypes for the 25 bitter receptors. The obtained information about receptor properties enables us on the one hand to analyze structure-function relationships and on the other hand gives us the functional diverse candidates to focus on in psychophysical studies. The overall aim is to show genotype-phenotype correlation for bitter taste perception and their impact on food choice and therefore diet and health. Our first aim was to identify agonists for the 5 receptors, which could not be deorphaned in previous screens. We challenged all main haplotypes of these TAS2Rs with 106 bitter compounds and could identify the antibiotic chloramphenicol as agonist for bitter receptor TAS2R41. In total we identified 36 functionally different receptor variants of the 21 deorphaned TAS2Rs. Main haplotypes of nine TAS2Rs were functionally homogeneous while twelve TAS2Rs possessed between two and three functionally heterogeneous receptor variants. In summary the observed functional diversity is not as big as expected. Based on our in vitro findings the shown functional diversity of these twelve bitter receptors might be the molecular basis for individual differences in bitter taste perception and will be further analyzed in psychophysical studies.

This dissertation addresses large-scale trends in composition, density, taxonomic and functional diversity in deep-sea benthic polychaete communities in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). The study includes samples from two major sampling programs: the Deep Gulf of Mexico Benthos (DGoMB) program (2000–2002) (51 stations, 200-3700 m) and the SIGSBEE program (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México), 2008-2010 (27 stations on the Sigsbee Abyssal Plain). Polychaete density decreased exponentially with depth. Alpha diversity did not show a mid-depth maximum and reached its peak near the Mississippi trough. Feeding guild diversity was also highest in the Mississippi trough. The environmental parameters that determine diversity and density of polychaete assemblages and species distribution ranges were examined. Depth, export flux of particulate organic carbon (POC), percent sand and silt were the best predictors of heterogeneity of polychaetes in the GoM. We performed an ecological niche modeling analysis (ENM) based on ‘presence-only’ data of four cosmopolitan species belonging to the Cirratulidae and Spionidae in the GoM. The GoM, being a semi-enclosed ocean basin, offers complex topographic features and hydrographic processes. Comparisons of the overall polychaete diversity and richness patterns from this study for this region indicate a strong geographic variation with increasing depth and distance from the shore. Additionally, the environmental gradients observed play a major role in shaping the spatial distribution of polychaete communities in this region.

\"Terra Preta de Índio\" (TPI) é um termo utilizado para designar horizontes antrópicos A em solos Amazônicos. Estes solos se destacam pela alta concentração de nutrientes, matéria orgânica e carvão pirogênico. Do ponto de vista microbiológico, a importância destes solos reside no fato de que constituem um habitat de alta diversidade microbiana, sendo também um ambiente propício para a realização de processos de biodegradação, amplamente dependente de enzimas microbianas, como as dioxigenases, que podem utilizar hidrocarbonetos aromáticos como fonte de carbono e energia. Neste contexto, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo o estudo da diversidade funcional de genes catabólicos e também de bactérias potencialmente degradadoras de hidrocarbonetos, com base em métodos de isolamento e cultivo, seguidos de abordagens moleculares (sequenciamento e quantificação de genes que codificam para a enzima dioxigenase), além do estudo da influência da incubação desses solos com hidrocarbonetos aromáticos, na diversidade e quantidade de cópias de genes catabólicos. Este trabalho pretende aprimorar a compreensão da relação entre a abundância, riqueza, diversidade e funcionalidade destes genes em bactérias presentes em amostras de solo de TPI, comparativamente à amostras de seus solos originais, também chamados de adjacentes (ADJ) e sob diferentes cultivos (floresta secundária - FS e cultívo agrícola - CULT). Os resultados gerados a partir do isolamento e bioensaio mostraram grande diversidade de gêneros e espécies descritas como degradadores de compostos aromáticos e foi possível observar a predominância de gêneros bacterianos estreitamente relacionados a processos de biodegradação, como por exemplo, Pseudomonas, Burkholderia, Sphingomonas além de representantes dos gêneros Bacillus, Enterobacter, Serratia, entre outros. Com esses resultados foi possível observar diferenças nas comunidades bacterianas quando comparados os diferentes sítios analisados. Alguns gêneros foram exclusivos de cada sítio, o que mostra uma diferença na comunidade bacteriana de acordo com o tipo de solo (TPI e ADJ) e seu uso (FS e CULT), sendo que os solos de TPI apresentaram maior quantidade e número de filotipos potencialmente degradadores do que os sítios ADJ o que demonstra o imenso potencial das bactérias dos solos de TPI para processos de importância biotecnológica. As bibliotecas de clones e o pirosequenciamento do gene catabólico bph mostraram maior diversidade e riqueza de espécies nos sítios de TPI quando comparados com os sítios ADJ. A abundância deste gene determinada por PCR quantitativa mostrou uma maior quantidade de cópias em solos de TPI comparados aos solos ADJ. Os resultados dos microcosmos permitiram observar uma mudança na estrutura da comunidade em relação aos genes de degradação, após a incubação dos solos com compostos aromáticos, além de mostrar um aumento do número de cópias do gene catabólico após a incubação dos solos. De maneira geral este trabalho demonstrou o potencial dos solos de Terra Preta para estudo da diversidade funcional de genes catabólicos e permitiu observar que a diversidade deste gene é mais influênciada pelo tipo de solo (TPI ou ADJ) do que pela cobertura vegetal (floresta secundária ou cultivo agrícola) / \"Amazon Dark Earths\" (ADE) is a term used to describe the anthropic horizons in Amazon soils. These soils are characterized by high concentrations of nutrients, organic matter and black carbon. From the microbiological point of view, the importance of these soils mainly resides in the fact that they constitute a highly diverse microbial habitat, and also an environment for performing various biodegradation processes largely dependent of microbial enzymes, as dioxygenases, that can transform organic compounds in source of carbon and energy. In this context, this study aimed to analyze the functional diversity of bacteria catabolic genes and also analyze potentially hydrocarbons degrader bacteria, based on methods of isolation and culture, followed by molecular approaches (sequencing and quantification of genes encoding the dioxygenase enzyme) additionally to a study of aromatic hydrocarbons incubation of soils and its influence in the diversity and quantity of the catabolic gene. This study aims to understand the relationship between the abundance, richness, diversity and functionality of these genes in ADE soil samples compared to their original soil samples, also called adjacent soils (ADJ), under different land uses (secondary forest - SF and agricultural cultivation - CULT). The results generated from the isolation and bioassay showed wide variety of genera and species described as degrading aromatic compounds and it was possible to observe the predominance of bacterial genera closely related to biodegradation processes, e.g., Pseudomonas, Burkholderia, Sphingomonas and representatives the genera Bacillus, Enterobacter, Serratia, among others. With these results was also observed differences in bacterial communities compared the different sites analyzed. Some genera were unique to each site, which shows a difference in bacterial community according to the soil type (ADE and ADJ) and its use (FS and CULT), and the ADE soils showed a higher amount and number of phylotypes potentially degrading than the ADJ sites which demonstrates the immense potential of ADE soils in bacteria processes with biotechnological importance. The clone libraries and pyrosequencing of catabolic bph gene showed greater diversity and species richness at TPI sites when compared to ADJ sites. The abundance of this gene determined by quantitative PCR showed a greater number of copies of this gene in TPI soils compared to ADJ soils. The results of the microcosms allowed observing changes in the community structure of bph gene after incubation of soil. In this study it was observed a rise in the number of catabolic gene copies after the incubation. Generally this work demonstrated the potential of ADE soils for functional diversity study of catabolic genes and allowed to observe that the diversity of this gene is more influenced by soil type (ADE or ADJ) than by land uses (secondary forest or agricultural cultivation)