Thesis (M.S.)--Michigan State University. Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences, 2006. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Nov. 20, 2008) Includes bibliographical references (p. 43-44). Also issued in print.

Orientador: Fernando Carlos Pagnocca / Banca: Sandra Regina Ceccato Antonini / Banca: Vanderlei Geraldo Martins / Resumo: Polybia ignobilis é uma vespa social que apresenta uma alimentação variável e inespecífica, consumindo outros insetos, pedaços de animais mortos, néctar, polpa de madeira e água. Dentro do ninho ocorre a trofalaxia, onde o alimento é distribuído entre os indivíduos da colônia através de secreção labial, podendo ocorrer entre adulto e larva ou apenas entre adultos, propiciando a dispersão de micro-organismos. A associação entre leveduras e insetos pode ser considerada transitória, onde os insetos podem atuar como vetores na dispersão desses micro-organismos sem benefício nutricional; por outro lado, também pode ser considerada como uma associação benéfica, onde o inseto utiliza as leveduras como complemento alimentar. O presente estudo teve como objetivos: caracterizar a comunidade de leveduras associadas à P. ignobilis; verificar se há relação entre a distribuição das leveduras nas diferentes castas da vespa e contribuir com a formação de um banco temático de leveduras isoladas de insetos sociais. Indivíduos do ninho de P. ignobilis e amostras de mel foram coletados no campus da UNESP - Rio Claro. O isolamento e identificação das estirpes foi feita de acordo com a metodologia clássica descrita em YARROW (1998). Foram isoladas 167 estirpes, sendo 59 do primeiro ninho e 108 do segundo. Após uma seleção baseada em análises morfológicas, bioquímicas e perfil de bandas de microsatélites (MSP-PCR) estirpes representativas de cada grupo, bem como as estirpes únicas foram identificadas pelo sequênciamento da região D1/D2 do rDNA 26S. Os resultados revelaram a prevalência no primeiro ninho dos gêneros Candida, Cryptococcus, Hanseniaspora e Rhodotorula, compreendendo 45% do total das estirpes, sendo as espécies mais freqüentes Candida azyma, Candida chrysomelidarum, Cryptococcus liquefaciens e Rhodotorula mucilaginosa. No segundo ninho, as espécies... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Polybia ignobilis is a social wasp that features a variable and unspecific alimentation, eats other insects, bits of dead animals, nectar, wood pulp and water. Inside the nest occurs trofalaxis, where food is distributed among individuals of the colony through labial secretion, it can occur between adult and larva or adults only, being vectors in the dispersion of microorganisms. The association between yeasts and insects can be considered temporary, where the insects serve as vectors in the dispersal of these micro-organisms without nutritional benefit; on the other hand, can also be regarded as a beneficial association, where the insect uses the yeasts as a food supplement. This present study aimed to characterize the yeast community associated with P. ignobilis; verify whether exists a relation between the distribution of yeasts in different varieties of wasp and contribute to the formation of a thematic database of yeasts isolated from social insects. Individuals from the nest of P. ignobilis and honey samples were collected on the campus of UNESP - Rio Claro. The isolation and identification of strains was made according to classical methodology described in YARROW (1998). We isolated 167 strains, 59 and 108 of the first and second nest. After a selection based on morphological, biochemical and microsatellite band profiles (MSP-PCR) representative strains of each group as well as unique strains were identified by sequencing the D1/D2 region of 26S rDNA. The results revealed the prevalence in the first nest of Candida, Cryptococcus, Hanseniaspora and Rhodotorula, comprising 45% of all strains, being the most frequent species Candida azyma, Candida chrysomelidarum, Cryptococcus liquefaciens and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa. In the second nest of the species that prevailed were Aureobasidium pullulans, Meyerozyma guillermondii. Some strains may constitute new... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:27:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-04-29Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:35:52Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 sousa_ps_me_rcla.pdf: 1485165 bytes, checksum: e9ca52a65116171ad1d3dcc0860839f6 (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Polybia ignobilis é uma vespa social que apresenta uma alimentação variável e inespecífica, consumindo outros insetos, pedaços de animais mortos, néctar, polpa de madeira e água. Dentro do ninho ocorre a trofalaxia, onde o alimento é distribuído entre os indivíduos da colônia através de secreção labial, podendo ocorrer entre adulto e larva ou apenas entre adultos, propiciando a dispersão de micro-organismos. A associação entre leveduras e insetos pode ser considerada transitória, onde os insetos podem atuar como vetores na dispersão desses micro-organismos sem benefício nutricional; por outro lado, também pode ser considerada como uma associação benéfica, onde o inseto utiliza as leveduras como complemento alimentar. O presente estudo teve como objetivos: caracterizar a comunidade de leveduras associadas à P. ignobilis; verificar se há relação entre a distribuição das leveduras nas diferentes castas da vespa e contribuir com a formação de um banco temático de leveduras isoladas de insetos sociais. Indivíduos do ninho de P. ignobilis e amostras de mel foram coletados no campus da UNESP - Rio Claro. O isolamento e identificação das estirpes foi feita de acordo com a metodologia clássica descrita em YARROW (1998). Foram isoladas 167 estirpes, sendo 59 do primeiro ninho e 108 do segundo. Após uma seleção baseada em análises morfológicas, bioquímicas e perfil de bandas de microsatélites (MSP-PCR) estirpes representativas de cada grupo, bem como as estirpes únicas foram identificadas pelo sequênciamento da região D1/D2 do rDNA 26S. Os resultados revelaram a prevalência no primeiro ninho dos gêneros Candida, Cryptococcus, Hanseniaspora e Rhodotorula, compreendendo 45% do total das estirpes, sendo as espécies mais freqüentes Candida azyma, Candida chrysomelidarum, Cryptococcus liquefaciens e Rhodotorula mucilaginosa. No segundo ninho, as espécies... / Polybia ignobilis is a social wasp that features a variable and unspecific alimentation, eats other insects, bits of dead animals, nectar, wood pulp and water. Inside the nest occurs trofalaxis, where food is distributed among individuals of the colony through labial secretion, it can occur between adult and larva or adults only, being vectors in the dispersion of microorganisms. The association between yeasts and insects can be considered temporary, where the insects serve as vectors in the dispersal of these micro-organisms without nutritional benefit; on the other hand, can also be regarded as a beneficial association, where the insect uses the yeasts as a food supplement. This present study aimed to characterize the yeast community associated with P. ignobilis; verify whether exists a relation between the distribution of yeasts in different varieties of wasp and contribute to the formation of a thematic database of yeasts isolated from social insects. Individuals from the nest of P. ignobilis and honey samples were collected on the campus of UNESP - Rio Claro. The isolation and identification of strains was made according to classical methodology described in YARROW (1998). We isolated 167 strains, 59 and 108 of the first and second nest. After a selection based on morphological, biochemical and microsatellite band profiles (MSP-PCR) representative strains of each group as well as unique strains were identified by sequencing the D1/D2 region of 26S rDNA. The results revealed the prevalence in the first nest of Candida, Cryptococcus, Hanseniaspora and Rhodotorula, comprising 45% of all strains, being the most frequent species Candida azyma, Candida chrysomelidarum, Cryptococcus liquefaciens and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa. In the second nest of the species that prevailed were Aureobasidium pullulans, Meyerozyma guillermondii. Some strains may constitute new... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Na presente pesquisa, utilizou-se a técnica molecular de Eletroforese em Gel de Gradiente Desnaturante (DGGE) e microscopia óptica (contraste de fase e fluorescência) para caracterizar a comunidade procarionte estabelecida em quatro biometanizadores de 50 L e em três biometanizadores de 5 L, cujo substrato principal foi a fração orgânica dos resíduos sólidos urbanos (FORSU) acrescida de serragem (12% nos biometanizadores de 50 L e 20% nos de 5 L) e lodo de esgoto (9% e 18% nos biometanizadores de 50 L; 40% e 60% nos de 5L). Pela análise do perfil das bandas de DGGE, verificou-se uma alteração na estrutura da comunidade de bactérias presentes no chorume dos biometanizadores de 50 L entre 60 e 120 dias de operação, período caracterizado pelo acúmulo de ácidos graxos voláteis, consumo crescente de alcalinidade, queda de pH e aumento da demanda química de oxigênio, resultando na baixa remoção de sólidos totais voláteis e na ausência de metano no biogás. Pela análise de microscopia de fluorescência, não foram detectadas metanogênicas em nenhuma das amostras de chorume dos biometanizadores de 50 L, sendo que as principais morfologias e formas de agrupamento visualizadas foram: bacilo, diplobacilos, vibrião, espirilo, diplococos e cocos em cadeia. Os biometanizadores de 5 L, por serem inoculados com maiores proporções de lodo de esgoto do que os biometanizadores de 50 L, apresentaram um processo mais equilibrado. Um dos tratamentos de 5 L (ETE 2) obteve a maior similaridade para o domínio Archaea entre o digestato e o respectivo inóculo, demonstrando a adaptação das arqueas exógenas ao substrato principal (FORSU), sendo esse o único tratamento para o qual detectou-se metano no biogás. Os resultados sugeriram que monitorar a comunidade microbiana que se desenvolve e atua no processo de biometanização pode trazer maior sensibilidade e especificidade na detecção e confirmação de instabilidades do sistema, garantindo intervenções somente quando necessário. / This dissertation addresses the use of the molecular technique of Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) and light microscopy (phase contrast and fluorescence) for the characterization of the prokaryotic community established in four 50 L reactors and in three 5 L reactors whose main substrate was the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes (OFMSW) plus sawdust (12% in 50 L reactors and 20% in 5 L reactors) and sewage sludge (9% and 18% in 50 L reactors; 40% and 60% in 5 L reactors). The analysis of the profile of DGGE bands revealed a change in the structure of the bacterial community present in the slurry of 50 L reactors between 60 and 120 days of operation, a period characterized by the accumulation of volatile fatty acids, increasing consumption of alkalinity, decrease in pH and increase in the chemical oxygen demand, which resulted in a lower removal of volatile total solids and absence of methane in the biogas. The fluorescence microscopy analysis detected no methanogenics in the slurry samples from 50 L reactors and the main morphologies and grouping forms displayed were bacillus, diplobacilos, vibrio, spirillum, diplococci and coconuts in chain. The 5 L reactors, inoculated with higher proportions of sewage sludge than the 50 L reactors, showed a more balanced process. One of the treatments (ETE 2) displayed the highest similarity for the Archaea domain between the digestato and the respective inoculum, which demonstrates the adaptation of the exogenous archaea to the main substrate (OFMSW). It was the only treatment in which methane was detected in the biogas. The results suggest the monitoring of the microbial community that develops and acts in the biomethanization process can provide higher sensitivity and specificity for the detection and confirmation of instability of the system and ensure interventions only when necessary.

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / Salt pans are a characteristic feature of many dry deserts. The microbial communities inhabiting salt pans are thought to be particularly complex and are generally dominated by halophilic microorganisms. Although saline pools are frequently found within the hyper-arid Namib Desert, the microbial communities of these saline sites have been scarcely investigated. The aim of the present study was to characterise the archaeal, bacterial and cyanobacterial diversity inhabiting these extreme saline pools using three culture independent molecular techniques (DGGE, T-RFLP and 16S rRNA clone libraries). The physiochemical results, mainly the conductivity readings recorded from the sampling sites, indicated that the Gobabeb (103.0mS/cm) region was less saline than the two Swakopmund [(Sps01) (150.0mS/cm) and Sps02 (180.0mS/cm)] sites. Results obtained from DGGE and T-RFLP data were in agreement for both bacterial and cyanobacterial analysis indicating that the Gobabeb site was more diverse than the two Swakopmund sites (Sps01 and Sps02). In comparison, the archaeal community profiles for DGGE and T-RFLP analysis were in agreement illustrating that the archaeal community were more abundant in the two extreme Swakopmund saline sites. Phylogenetic data obtained from 16S rRNA gene clone libraries identified halophilic phylotypes (Rhodothermaceae, Idiomarinaceae Puniceicoccaceae and Cyanobacteria/Chloroplast, Family VII) normally associated with salt rich sites. In addition, a large number of unclassified taxa were identified. To conclude, the study highlighted the presence of a rich microbial diversity present within the salt pans of the Namib Desert and establishes a platform for future investigations. / National Research Foundation

Global deserts occupy one-third of the Earth's surface and contribute significantly to organic carbon storage, a process at risk in dryland ecosystems that are highly vulnerable to climate-driven ecosystem degradation. The forces controlling desert ecosystem degradation rates are poorly understood, particularly with respect to the relevance of the arid-soil microbiome. Here we document correlations between increasing aridity and soil bacterial and archaeal microbiome composition along arid to hyperarid transects traversing the Atacama Desert, Chile. A meta-analysis reveals that Atacama soil microbiomes exhibit a gradient in composition, are distinct from a broad cross-section of nondesert soils, and yet are similar to three deserts from different continents. Community richness and diversity were significantly positively correlated with soil relative humidity (SoilRH). Phylogenetic composition was strongly correlated with SoilRH, temperature, and electrical conductivity. The strongest and most significant correlations between SoilRH and phylum relative abundance were observed for Acidobacteria, Proteobacteria, Planctomycetes, Verrucomicrobia, and Euryarchaeota (Spearman's rank correlation [r(s)] = >0.81; false-discovery rate [q] = <= 0.005), characterized by 10- to 300-fold decreases in the relative abundance of each taxon. In addition, network analysis revealed a deterioration in the density of significant associations between taxa along the arid to hyperarid gradient, a pattern that may compromise the resilience of hyperarid communities because they lack properties associated with communities that are more integrated. In summary, results suggest that arid-soil microbiome stability is sensitive to aridity as demonstrated by decreased community connectivity associated with the transition from the arid class to the hyperarid class and the significant correlations observed between soilRH and both diversity and the relative abundances of key microbial phyla typically dominant in global soils. IMPORTANCE We identify key environmental and geochemical factors that shape the arid soil microbiome along aridity and vegetation gradients spanning over 300 km of the Atacama Desert, Chile. Decreasing average soil relative humidity and increasing temperature explain significant reductions in the diversity and connectivity of these desert soil microbial communities and lead to significant reductions in the abundance of key taxa typically associated with fertile soils. This finding is important because it suggests that predicted climate change-driven increases in aridity may compromise the capacity of the arid-soil microbiome to sustain necessary nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration functions as well as vegetative cover in desert ecosystems, which comprise one-third of the terrestrial biomes on Earth.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The Eastern Antarctic Dry Valley region is a polar desert, where conditions of extreme aridity, high temperature fluctuations and high irradiation levels make it one of the most extreme environments on earth. Despite the harsh environment, the soils in this region yield a wide range of bacterial and eukaryotic phylotypes in greater abundance than previously believed. In the Dry Valleys, highly localized niche communities colonise the underside of translucent quartz rocks and present macroscopic growth. / South Africa

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / Microorganisms of the class Actinobacteria and domain Archaea are interesting from a biotechnological perspective owing to their metabolic attributes as producers of secondary metabolites and resilience under harsh environmental conditions respectively. Lake Magadi is a soda lake well studied in terms of its geology and limnology. Research attention has also been drawn to the microbial populations which thrive in this unique habitat but currently there are no reports on the assessment of its microflora using molecular methods. This study aimed to assess the actinobacterial and archaeal communities within Lake Magadi, Kenya a hypersaline –highly alkaline habitat using metagenomic methods as a preliminary study to identify potential candidates for exploitative biology Samples from two sites dubbed Lake Magadi station 2 (LM2) and Lake Magadi salt pan 4 (LMS4) within the Lake Magadi were analyzed using the 16S rRNA gene as a phylogenetic marker. Cluster analysis of taxon-specific 16S rDNA PCR-DGGE profiles revealed moderately heterogeneous actinobacterial and archaeal populations across the sample sites under investigation which is probably a reflection of the differences in abiotic conditions at the study sites. This observation was also confirmed from the multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) plot. PCR-based clonal libraries of actinobacterial and archaeal communities of both study sites retrieved a total of thirty-two clones (twenty actinobacterial and twelve archaeal) were sequenced. Analysis of the sequences revealed cultured and uncultured signatures of microorganisms typical of hypersaline and or highly alkaline niches. A few (3) sequences presented novelty (<96%) in identities with any previously identified organism. It was concluded that the species dominance at site LMS4 [situated within the salt flats of Lake Magadi and site for exploration of trona and its mineralized extensions (nacholite and gayllusite)] is likely to be dictated by anthropogenic stress since most of the microbial signals associated with the study site are typical of saline and or alkaline environmental samples exposed to especially mining but also agricultural and waste management practices. Isolation studies also revealed previously identified strains peculiar to hypersaline brines and sediments. The strains retrieved were affiliated to the taxonomically diverse genus Bacillus and Halomonas sp. The true applications and potential opportunities these isolates have for biotechnology have been well documented. Observations made from the culture dependent and culture independent methods suggests strongly that study site LMS4 is subjected to environmental conditions more severe than at site LM2. This study is a guide for future studies as it provides primary information on the haloalkaliphilic representatives of the actinobacteria phylum and domain Archaea within the soda lake environment. It can serve as a pedestal for investigation into the molecular machinery that supports the haloalkaliphilic lifestyles of inhabiting microorganisms and consequently give leads as to how they can be commercially exploited.

Presented diploma thesis is focused on use of DGGE to analysis and identification of selected microorganisms. PCR-DGGE is a method that allows direct characterization of the microbial community in the natural environment without necessity of cultivation. A literature review is devoted to the principle of the method, current applications and its limitations too. In experimental part microbial DNA was isolated and used as a template for PCR reaction. Microbial DNA was then amplified using the universal eukaryotic primers that target the D1/D2 domain of the 26S subunit of ribosomal DNA. To improve specificity and sensitivity of detection nested PCR was chosen using outer and inner primer pairs. Generated amplicons (250 bp) were consequently separated by DGGE. The analysis of selected microorganisms by DGGE technique was performed after optimization of electrophoresis conditions (in particular the denaturing gradient extent and separation time). Despite the optimization, mutual differentiation among individual yeast strains was not possible since each reference strain was represented by several bands in the same positions. In conclusion DGGE profile obtained from wine musts is discussed. Present bands suggest the major presence of non-Saccharomyces yeasts, yeast-like strain A. pullulans is present in the minority and Saccharomyces yeasts are probably present too. The technique remains open for further optimization, particularly as regards the conditions of polymerase chain reaction.

Altered gut microbial diversity has been associated with several chronic disease states, including heart failure. Stimulation of the vagus nerve, which innervates the heart and abdominal organs, is proving to be an effective therapeutic in heart failure. We hypothesized that cervical vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) could alter fecal flora and prevent aberrations observed in fecal samples from heart failure animals. To determine whether microbial abundances were altered by pressure overload (PO), leading to heart failure and VNS therapy, a VNS pulse generator was implanted with a stimulus lead on either the left or right vagus nerve before creation of PO by aortic constriction. Animals received intermittent, open-loop stimulation or sham treatment, and their heart function was monitored by echocardiography. Left ventricular end-systolic and diastolic volumes, as well as cardiac output, were impaired in PO animals compared with baseline. VNS mitigated these effects. Metagenetic analysis was then performed using 16S rRNA sequencing to identify bacterial genera present in fecal samples. The abundance of 10 genera was significantly altered by PO, 8 of which were mitigated in animals receiving either left- or right-sided VNS. Metatranscriptomics analyses indicate that the abundance of genera that express genes associated with ATP-binding cassette transport and amino sugar/nitrogen metabolism was significantly changed following PO. These gut flora changes were not observed in PO animals subjected to VNS. These data suggest that VNS prevents aberrant gut flora following PO, which could contribute to its beneficial effects in heart failure patients.