La lignocellulose est le composant principal des parois végétales et donc le biopolymère végétal le plus abondant sur Terre. Sa transformation en molécules d’intérêt industriel est donc une voie prometteuse pour diminuer la consommation de ressources fossiles. Au sein de la plateforme des carboxylates, la transformation de la lignocellulose repose sur l’utilisation de communautés bactériennes. Mais s’ils sont augmentés par des approches de prétraitement du substrat, les rendements sont encore faibles. Afin de les améliorer, nous avons ici testé les capacités de dégradations de communautés microbiennes issues de l’enrichissement de rumen bovin et d’intestin de termites. Afin de caractériser l’effet de la source d’inoculum et du prétraitement du substrat sur le fonctionnement des communautés sélectionnées, une approche de séquençage 16S a été utilisée. Celle-ci a permis la comparaison des compositions de communautés obtenues, mais également de leurs dynamiques au cours de la transformation du substrat lignocellulosique. Les conditions de culture imposées semblent avoir un effet très fort sur la composition des communautés sélectionnées puisque malgré leurs différences, celles-ci présentent d’importantes similitudes et sont bien plus proches que ne l’étaient les inocula initiaux. Enfin, les communautés associées à la dégradation du substrat lignocellulosique montrent des dynamiques très marquées, caractérisées par une importante baisse de diversité et la dominance de quelques populations bactériennes seulement lors du maximum de dégradation. / Lignocellulose is the main component of vegetal cell wall and is thus the most abundant biopolymer on Earth. Its conversion into industrially relevant molecules is of concern to reduce fossil resources consumption. In the dedicated carboxylates platform, lignocellulose conversion relies on the metabolic potential of microbial consortia, but lignocellulose transformation rates can still be improved, despite substrate pretreatment approaches. In order to improve these rates, we here tested the transformation capacities of microbial communities originated from cow rumen and termite guts. 16S sequencing was used to characterize the effects of inoculum source and substrate pretreatment on the selected communities’ functioning. It allowed the comparison between obtained communities, but also between their dynamics during lignocellulose transformation. Culture conditions appeared to have a strong effect on the selected communities, which presented high similarities despite differences between initial inocula. Finally, communities associated to lignocellulose degradation showed marked dynamics, with a strong decrease in diversity indexes and the dominance of a few bacterial populations during the degradation maximum.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:26:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-08-05Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:29:24Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 guerra_al_me_sjrp.pdf: 4594193 bytes, checksum: 441ad838c49d255aeb995cc415bbc92e (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Os camarões do gênero Macrobrachium pertencem à família Palaemonidae. Habitam as proximidades do litoral e, também, ambientes de água doce. Com mais de cem espécies amplamente distribuídas pelas regiões tropicais e subtropicais do mundo, os palemonídeos possuem hábitos crípticos e noturnos. Particularmente na região noroeste do Estado de São Paulo, podemos encontrar várias espécies com importância econômica e ecológica consideráveis. Entretanto, existem poucos estudos na literatura relacionados ao conhecimento da biologia desses crustáceos. Assim, o presente trabalho objetivou analisar a variabilidade genética intra e interpopulacional, de amostras de duas espécies de camarões palemonídeos do gênero Macrobrachium (M. amazonicum e M. jelskii), coletadas em diferentes localidades, utilizando-se a análise das seqüências dos genes mitocondriais COI e rRNA 16S e, ainda, devido à problemática taxonômica existente entre essas duas espécies, também foi analisada a variabilidade genética interespecífica, utilizando-se os mesmos genes.. O cálculo dos índices de divergência genética intrapopulacionais apresentou valores baixos, refletindo uma provável estruturação genética destas populações. Apenas as populações de MjME e do CAUNESP apresentaram valores de divergência genética mais elevados, sugerindo um desequilíbrio na estruturação genética das mesmas, provavelmente causado por interferência antrópica e situação de cativeiro, respectivamente. Nas comparações interpopulacionais, envolvendo M. amazonicum, as taxas de divergência genética apresentaram uma ampla variação, também com média elevada. Os valores elevados nas comparações envolvendo a população do CAUNESP, permitiram descartar a hipótese da provável origem comum das populações de Macrobrachium, a partir de espécimes trazidos do Pará. Da mesma forma, as comparações... / The genus Macrobrachium (Bate, 1868) belongs to the Palaemonidae family. Their species are widely distributed in lakes, floodplains and rivers in tropical and subtropical regions of South America, having cryptic and nights habits. This genus presents nearly 210 known species with ecological and economic importance. Particulary in the northwestern state of São Paulo, we can find several species with considerable importance. However, there are few studies related to knowledge of the biology of these crustaceans. The aim this work was to analyze the genetic variability interpopulation, and interspecific of two Macrobrachium species (M. amazonicum and M. jelskii), using the mitochondrial gene sequence COI and 16S rRNA. Also, due to taxonomic problems between these two species we analyzed interspecific genetic variability, using the same genes. The intrapopulation rates of genetic divergence values were low, reflecting a probable genetic structure of these populations. Only populations MjME and CAUNESP showed higher divergence values, suggesting changes in their genetic structure of the same, probably caused by human interference and situation of captivity, respectively. In comparisons inferences involving M. amazonicum, rates of genetic divergence showed a wide range, also with high average. High values in comparisons involving the population of CAUNESP, allowed to reject the hypothesis of a probable common origin of populations the Macrobrachium specimens brought from State of Para. Interpopulation comparisons involving M. jelskii also showed high values of divergence, especially for the population collected from the Mendonça dam, whose genetic alteration in population structure was attributed to the frequent introduction of exotic specimens. The values of interspecific genetic divergence in the samples collected in the same geographic location were low for populations Adolfo (0.3%) ...(Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Orientador: Ana Lúcia Barretto Penna / Banca: Kátia Sivieri / Banca: Eleni Gomes / Resumo: No Brasil, o queijo Mussarela elaborado com leite de búfala, tem uma boa aceitação pelos consumidores e mercado em expansão. Entretanto, poucas são as pesquisas em âmbito nacional sobre a microbiota e influência das bactérias ácido-láticas utilizadas na produção, sobre a qualidade tecnológica deste queijo. O objetivo deste trabalho foi compor um banco de culturas representativo da microbiota isolada de queijo Mussarela fabricado com leite de búfala e efetuar a caracterização das bactérias ácido-láticas (BAL). Foram realizadas três coletas em dois laticínios (Laticínios A e B), em diferentes etapas do processo de fabricação, assim como no produto acabado (queijo Mussarela e soro de conservação) recém processado e com 14 e 28 dias de estocagem. Foi feita a contagem de colônias viáveis, isolamento dos mesófilos e termófilos, caracterização morfológica por coloração de Gram e teste de catalase. Foram obtidos 313 isolados que apresentaram características de BAL. As culturas isoladas das amostras do queijo do Laticínio B foram identificadas pela técnica de RAPD e sequenciamento do gene 16S rRNA e caracterizadas quanto à atividade acidificante, capacidade de utilizarem o citrato, atividade proteolítica e capacidade de produzirem compostos voláteis precursores de aromas. Para os dois laticínios, a população de microorganismos termófilos prevaleceu sobre os mesofilos. Os isolados foram identificados como Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus e Leuconostoc mesenteroides. A velocidade máxima de acidificação para os isolados variou de 0,0005 e 0,0305 unidades de pH por minuto após 20 min e 18 h 50 min do início do processo de fermentação, respectivamente para termófilos e mesófilos. O tempo... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: In Brazil, the Mozzarella cheese prepared with buffalo milk has a good acceptance and market expansion. However, there are few national studies about microflora and influence of lactic acid bacteria, used in production, on the technological quality of this cheese. The aim this study was to compose a representative bank of the microbial cultures isolated from Mozzarella cheese produced with buffalo milk and to characterize the lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Three collections were performed in two dairy (Dairy A and B) at different stages of the manufacturing process as well as the finished product (Mozzarella cheese and whey conservation) newly processed and with 14 and 28 days of storage. It was followed a count of viable colony, isolation of mesophiles and thermophiles, morphological characterization by Gram staining and catalase test. It was obtained 313 isolates that exhibited characteristics of LAB. The cultures isolated of the cheese samples of the cheese from the Dairy B were identified by RAPD and 16S rRNA gene sequencing and characterized by acidifying activity, ability to utilize citrate, proteolytic activity and ability to produce volatile compounds that are flavor precursors. At two dairies, the population of thermophilic microorganisms was higher than mesophylic. The isolates were identified as Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Leuconostoc mesenteroides. The top speed of acidification for the isolates ranged from 0.0005 and 0.0305 pH units per minute after 20 minutes and 18:50 of the beginning of the fermentation process, respectively for thermophiles and mesophiles. The time required to reach the pH 5.0 ranged from 4h50min to 60h the beginning of... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

A Terra Preta Antropogênica (TPA) tem essa denominação porque é encontrada em sítios arqueológicos, onde viveram grupos pré-históricos e é considerada um dos solos mais férteis do mundo. Nela é encontrada grande quantidade de material deixado por grupos indígenas como fragmentos cerâmicos, artefatos líticos, e especialmente carvão pirogênico. Estudos realizados com o carvão pirogênico verificaram que ele aumenta a capacidade de trocas catiônicas nesses solos. Por meio de microscopia de fluorencência, foi observada a presença de microrganismos habitando esse carvão, no entanto, não se sabe quais seriam. Devido à falta de informações sobre a diversidade bacteriana nessas estruturas, este trabalho estudou a diversidade bacteriana em amostras de carvão pirogênico de solos TPA coletadas nos sítios Lagoa Balbina (Amazônia Central- Amazonas) e Mina I (Amazônia Oriental - Pará), através de técnicas moleculares independentes de cultivo. O estudo visou também comparar essa diversidade com a encontrada no solo de onde carvão foi isolado. As estruturas de carvão foram separadas fisicamente dos solos e seu DNA genômico total extraído e usado como molde em reação de PCR utilizando oligonucleotídeos do gene 16S rRNA para o Domínio Bacteria. O produto da PCR foi clonado em vetor e os clones foram sequenciados e comparados com o banco de dados de 16S rRNA do RDPX. Com a construção das bibliotecas de clones do gene 16S rRNA a partir das amostras de carvão pirogênico observou-se que existe maior número de bactérias desconhecidas no carvão pirogênico do que no solo onde ele foi isolado. Acidobacteria foi o filo predominante nas bibliotecas de carvão pirogênico das duas localidades de estudo, assim como na biblioteca do solo do sítio Mina I. Já na biblioteca do solo do sítio Lagoa Balbina houve predominância do filo Firmicutes. Por meio do método de rarefação foi possível constatar uma menor riqueza de UTOs nas comunidades bacterianas presentes nas estruturas de carvão pirogênico quando comparado à riqueza de UTOs das comunidades bacterianas cujo habitat é o solo. Mas quando se compara a riqueza de UTOs entre as estruturas de carvão isoladas das duas localidades, observa-se que a riqueza é maior no sítio Mina I. Os valores obtidos com os índices de diversidade revelaram menor diversidade de UTOs nas bibliotecas obtidas para o carvão pirogênico das duas regiões estudadas se comparado dos valores para as bibliotecas obtidas do solo da mesma região. Os valores obtidos com os métodos não paramétricos revelaram maior riqueza de UTOs para as bibliotecas do carvão do sítio Mina I e solo TPA do sítio Balbina. A análise da PCA revelou que as bibliotecas do sítio Balbina mostraram-se altamente similares. Em adição, a análise com S-Libshuff, verificou que todas as bibliotecas comparadas são significativamente diferentes quanto à composição das comunidades bacterianas. O carvão pirogênico não é uma estrutura inerte, pois é capaz de ser habitado por diferentes bactérias e a sua estrutura da comunidade bacteriana é diferente daquela de onde ele foi segregado / Anthropogenic Dark Earth (ADE) has this denomination because it is found at archeological sites, where prehistoric groups lived, and it is considered one of the most fertile soils of the world. In this soil a great amount of material left by indigenous groups was found as ceramic fragments, lithic workmanships, and especially pyrogenic black carbon. Studies accomplished with the pyrogenic black carbon verified that it increases the capacity of cationic changes in soils. Through fluorescence microscopy, the presence of microorganisms was observed inhabiting that black carbon, however, this community is still unknown,due to the lack of information about the bacterial diversity in those structures.This work studied the bacterial diversity in samples of pyrogenic black carbon of ADE soils, collected at the sites Lagoa Balbina (Central Amazon) and Mina I (Oriental Amazon), through molecular techniques independent of cultivation. The study also sought to compare that diversity with the one of the soil where black carbon was isolated. The structures of black carbon were separate physically from the soils and total genomic DNA was extracted and used as template in a PCR reaction, using primers of the 16S rRNA gene for the Bacteria Domain. The PCR product was used for construction of clone libraries and the clones were sequenced and compared with the 16S rRNA of RDPX database. The 16S rRNA gene clone libraries from the samples of pyrogenic black carbon, it shown that is a larger number of unknown bacteria in the black carbon than in the soil where it was isolated. Acidobacteria was the predominant phylum in the pyrogenic black carbon libraries from the both studied places, as well as in the soil library from Mina I site. However in the library Lagoa Balbina site there was predominance of the phylum Firmicutes. Through the rarefaction method it was possible to verify a smaller richness of OTUs in the bacterial communities presents in the pyrogenic black carbon structures when compared to the OTUs richness of the bacterial soil communities.But, when the OTUs richness is compared among the isolated structures of pyrogenic black carbon of the two places, it is observed that the richness is higher in the Mina I site. The values from diversity indexes revealed smaller diversity of OTUs in the pyrogenic black carbon libraries when compared with the soil libraries for the two studied areas. The obtained values with the nonparametric methods revealed larger OTUs richness in the black carbon library of Mina I site and in the ADE soil library of the Balbina site. The PCA analysis showed that the libraries of the site Balbina site were highly similar. In addition, the analysis with S-Libshuff verified that all of the compared libraries were significantly different in bacterial communities composition. The pyrogenic black carbon is not an inert structure, once it is capable of being inhabited by different bacteria, and its bacterial community structure is different from that one where is was segregated

L'importation de ARNtLys CUU (tRK1) de levure dans les mitochondries humaines indique que la cellule humaine possède la machinerie pour importation d'ARNt. Dans la présente étude, nous montrons que le précurseur de la lysyl-ARNt synthétase mitochondriale peut interagir avec tRK1 et ses dérivés contenant les déterminants d'import mitochondrial, et facilite leur internalisation par les mitochondries humaines. L'efficacité de l'importation augmentait à l'addition de l'énolase, d'enzyme glycolytique fonctionnant comme ARN chaperon. La translocation de tRK1 et de ses dérivés dans la matrice mitochondriale dépend également d'une autre protéine, la polynucléotide phosphorylase (PNPase). Mutation ponctuelle pathogénique qui prévient la trimérisation de PNPase diminue l'importation des ARNr 5S et ARN MRP dans les mitochondries ceci affectant la traduction mitochondriale. La surexpression de PNPase induit une augmentation des ARN importé et complémente le déficit de traduction mitochondriale. / The import of yeast tRNALys (tRK1) into human mitochondria in the presence of cytosolic extract suggests that human cell possesses machinery for tRK1 import. Here, we show that precursor of mitochondrial lysyl-tRNA synthetase (preKARS2) interact with tRK1 and its derivatives containing tRK1 import determinants, and facilitates their import into isolated mitochondria and in vivo, when preKARS2 was overexpressed or downregulated. tRK1 import efficiency increased upon addition of glycolytic enzyme enolase, previously found as an actor of RNA import in yeast. We found that tRK1 and its derivatives translocate into mitochondrial matrix in polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase) dependent manner. Furthermore, a point mutation preventing trimerization of PNPase affect import of 5S rRNA and MRP RNA into mitochondria and subsequently mitochondrial translation. Overexpression of the wild-type PNPase induced an increase of 5S rRNA import into mitochondria and rescued translation.

As cianobactérias caracterizam-se como o grupo de micro-organismos fotoautotrófico mais abundante encontrado nas regiões polares. Representantes deste grupo realizam a fotossíntese oxigênica e também podem fixar o nitrogênio atmosférico. A maioria dos levantamentos da comunidade de cianobactérias na Antártica tem sido realizada apenas por meio de observações microscópicas de amostras ambientais. O isolamento de linhagens e consequentes estudos fisiológicos, bem como, análises independentes de cultivo ainda são escassos. Neste estudo a comunidade de cianobactérias de duas ilhas oceânicas da Antártica foi investigada utilizando abordagens moleculares dependentes e independentes de cultivo. O papel ecológico das cianobactérias como fornecedoras de formas assimiláveis de nitrogênio e o potencial genético para biossíntese de produtos naturais também foi avaliado. Sessenta e oito linhagens de cianobactérias foram isoladas a partir de diferentes substratos coletados. Elas pertencem às ordens Chroococcales, Pseudanabaenales, Oscillatoriales e Nostocales, famílias Xenococcaceae, Dermocarpellaceae, Pseudanabaenaceae, Oscillatoriaceae, Nostocaceae, Microchaetaceae e Rivulariaceae. Análises filogenéticas baseadas nas sequências de RNAr 16S dessas cianobactérias revelou a existência de agrupamentos: formado exclusivamente por sequência de linhagem isolada nesse trabalho; composto por sequências antárticas oriundas desse e de outros trabalhos desenvolvidos em outras regiões antárticas; e por sequências originárias de diversas regiões do mundo. Quarenta e uma linhagens apresentaram fragmento do gene nifH, responsável pela codificação do complexo enzimático da nitrogenase, o qual está envolvido na fixação biológica do nitrogênio (FBN). Formas unicelulares (Chroococcales), homocitadas (Pseudanabaenales e Oscillatoriales) e heterocitadas (Nostocales) apresentaram potencial genético para realização da FBN, e 18 delas foram submetidas aos testes de redução de acetileno (ARA) com alta sensibilidade de detecção. Todas as linhagens testadas exibiram alguma atividade em resposta a diferentes concentrações de oxigênio e/ou a luminosidade em diferentes condições de temperatura. Filogeneticamente, as sequências do gene nifH apresentaram três padrões distintos de agrupamento, o que pode estar relacionado aos eventos evolutivos envolvidos na distribuição e ou manutenção deste gene. A presença de genes e ou regiões intergênicas evidenciaram o elevado potencial genético dessas linhagens para sintetizar produtos naturais com interesse biotecnológico. A abundância no número de cópias do gene nifH relacionado às cianobactérias nas amostras de biofilme reforça a importância desse grupo de microorganismos como fornecedor de formas reduzidas de N para o ambiente antártico. A análise da comunidade de cianobactérias por meio do sequenciamento do RNAr 16S de DNA metagenômico evidenciou predominância de UTOs relacionadas às ordens Nostocales, Oscillatoriales e Pseudanabaenales, famílias Pseudanabaenaceae, Phormidiaceae, Nostocaceae e Rivulariaceae. A árvore filogenética contendo as sequências de cianobactérias cultivadas e não-cultivadas mostrou que somente parte da comunidade presente em biofilmes foi acessada por isolamento, indicando a complementariedade entre as duas abordagens utilizadas na análise da comunidade de cianobactérias / Cyanobacteria are characterized as the most abundant group of photoautotrophic microorganisms found in the polar regions. Members of this group perform oxygenic photosynthesis and many of them can also fix atmospheric nitrogen. Investigations on the cyanobacterial community have been made mainly applying microscopic observations of environmental samples. Cyanobacterial isolation, physiological studies and cultureindependent analyses are scarce. In this study the cyanobacterial community from two oceanic islands in Antarctica was investigated using culture-dependent and independent approaches. Also, the ecological role of this group of microorganisms as nitrogen-fixing organisms and the genetic potential for biosynthesis of natural products were evaluated. Sixty-eight cyanobacterial strains were isolated from different environmental samples. They belong to the orders Chroococcales, Pseudanabaenales, Oscillatoriales and Nostocales, families Xenococcaceae, Dermocarpellaceae, Pseudanabaenaceae, Oscillatoriaceae, Nostocaceae, Microchaetaceae and Rivulariaceae. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA sequences of these cyanobacteria revealed the existence of groups: exclusively formed by sequence of strain isolated in this work; intermixed sequences from this and other studies developed in other Antarctic regions; and sequences originated from different regions of the world. Fortyone cultured strains possess the nifH gene fragment encoding the nitrogenase enzyme complex, which is related to the biological nitrogen fixation (BNF). Unicellular (Chroococcales), homocytous (Pseudanabaenales and Oscillatoriales) and heterocytous forms (Nostocales) showed genetic potential for BNF, and 18 of them were subjected to acetylene reduction assay (ARA) coupled with a sensitive laser photoacoustic ethylene detector. All strains tested exhibited some nitrogenase activity in response to different concentrations of oxygen and or irradiance under different temperature conditions. Phylogenetically, the nifH gene sequences showed three distinct grouping patterns that may be related to the evolutionary events involved in the distribution and or maintenance of this gene. The presence of genes and or intergenic regions in these cyanobacterial strains underscores the genetic potential of them to synthesize natural products with biotechnological interest.The abundance of nifH gene copies related to cyanobacteria in biofilm samples highlights the importance of this group of microorganisms as suppliers of N reduced forms for Antarctic environment. The analysis of the cyanobacteria community revealed by 16S rRNA sequencing of metagenomic DNA showed a predominance of OTUs related to orders Nostocales, Oscillatoriales and Pseudanabaenales, families Pseudanabaenaceae, Phormidiaceae, Nostocaceae and Rivulariaceae. The phylogenetic tree containing Antarctic sequences from cultivated and uncultivated cyanobacteria showed that only part of this community in biofilms has been accessed by isolation, indicating the complementarity between the two approaches used in the analysis of cyanobacterial community

A Brachiaria brizantha é considerada uma das forrageiras preferidas entre os agropecuaristas por possuir elevada produção de forragem, tolerância ao calor e ao déficit hídrico, alta resposta à aplicação de fertilizantes, produção em grande massa de raízes e sementes, resistência à cigarrinha das pastagens (exceto as pertencentes ao gênero Mahanarva) e boa competição com plantas invasoras. É considerada a principal fonte de alimento para bovinos, sendo utilizada tanto na cria, recria, como na engorda dos animais. As bactérias fixadoras de nitrogênio ou diazotróficas são procariotos capazes de reduzir o N2 a NH3, forma assimilável pelos organismos, e também podem produzir hormônios vegetais, como ácido-indol-acético, que estimulam o crescimento radicular da planta. Estes micro-organismos apresentam grande importância para a manutenção dos ecossistemas. Sua associação com as raízes de plantas e seu efeito promotor quando associados à Brachiaria brizantha possibilitaria a recuperação de áreas de pastagens que apresentam deficiência de nitrogênio, o que é um mecanismo ainda pouco explorado. Com o objetivo de estudar esta possibilidade, foram escolhidas três áreas (Nova Odessa-SP, São Carlos- SP e Campo Verde-MT), preferencialmente onde o nitrogênio era limitante, constituídas por pastagem de Brachiaria brizantha para a amostragem de solo e raiz. Os três locais demonstraram a ocorrência de diazotróficos, após o isolamento e cultivo das bactérias em meio de cultivo semisólido sem adição de nitrogênio na forma combinada (JNFb). Foram obtidas 110 estirpes bacterianas e, após sorteio aleatório, 72 isolados foram mantidos para realização de testes a fim de se avaliar o potencial biotecnológico das bactérias. Destes, 10 demonstraram atividade da nitrogenase quando submetidos ao método de aumento na concentração de nitrogênio total (Ntotal) em meio de cultura. 57 isolados foram capazes de reduzir o gás acetileno a etileno quando submetidos à técnica de redução de acetileno. As estirpes bacterianas C4 (Pseudomonas sp.) e C7 (Azospirillum sp.), isoladas da rizosfera de Brachiaria brizantha da área de Campo Verde-MT, se destacaram das demais por apresentar atividade da nitrogenase muito superior até a de bactérias diazotróficas que foram incluídas na avaliação como testemunhas positivas. Outros 68 isolados produziram o hormônio vegetal ácido-indol-acético quando cultivados em meio de cultivo LB, na presença de triptofano. A produção variou de 0,39µg/mL a 195 µg/mL de AIA. Todos os 72 isolados foram utilizados em experimento em casa de vegetação para avaliar o efeito de inoculação em B. brizantha quando com eles inoculada. Avaliaram-se a matéria seca da parte aérea e raiz e o teor de nitrogênio total da parte aérea através do método micro-Kjeldhal. Nenhum isolado diferiu significativamente do controle sem inoculação bacteriana que continha a mesma dose de nitrogênio fornecido às plantas. O seqüenciamento parcial do gene 16S rRNA dos 72 isolados permitiu a caracterização de sete grupos genotípicos: Stenotrophomonas sp, Pseudomonas sp., Xanthomonas sp., Bacillus sp., Rhizobium sp, Sphingomonas sp. e Azospirillum sp. O gênero Stenotrophomonas sp. predominou (69%) nas três áreas de estudo. / Brachiaria brizantha is considered one of preferred fodders among farmers for having high forage yield, tolerance to heat and drought, high response to fertilizer application, large production of root mass and seeds, resistance to grassland leafhopper (except those belonging to the genus Mahanarva) and good competition with weeds. It is considered the main source of food for cattle, being used in the raising, breeding, and fattening of animals. The nitrogen fixing bacteria or diazotrophs are prokaryotes able to reduce N2 to NH3, which is assimilated by organisms, and may also produce plant hormones such as indole-acetic acid, which stimulates root growth. These micro-organisms have great importance for the maintenance of ecosystems. Their association with plant roots and their promoting effect when combined with Brachiaria brizantha enable recovery of nitrogen-deficient grazing areas, which is a mechanism still little explored. Therefore, three areas were chosen (Nova Odessa-SP, Sao Carlos-SP and Campo Verde-MT), preferably where nitrogen was limiting, consisting of Brachiaria brizantha from which samples of soil and roots were collected. The three sites showed the occurrence of diazotrophs after the isolation and cultivation of bacteria in semi-solid culture medium with no nitrogen added in the combined form (JNFb). It was obtained 110 bacterial strains and, after the raffle random, 72 were kept isolated for testing in order to assess the biotechnological potential of bacteria. From which, 10 showed nitrogenase activity when subjected to the method of total nitrogen concentration increase (N-total) in the culture medium. 57 isolates were able to reduce acetylene to ethylene when subjected to the acetylene reduction technique. The strains C4 (Pseudomonas sp.) and C7 (Azospirillum sp.), isolated from the rhizosphere of Brachiaria brizantha in the area of Campo Verde-MT, stood out from the others by presenting nitrogenase activity far superior to that of diazotrophs recommended as positive controls. Other 68 isolates produced the plant hormone indole-acetic acid when grown in LB culture medium in the presence of tryptophan. Production ranged from 0.39 g/mL to 195 g/mL of IAA. All 72 isolates were used in an experiment in a greenhouse to evaluate the effect of inoculation on B. brizantha. Evaluations were carried out on dry matter of shoot and root and total nitrogen content of the shoot through the micro-Kjeldahl method. None of the isolates differed significantly from the control without bacterial inoculation which contained the same amount of nitrogen supplied to plants. Partial sequencing of the 16S rRNA of the 72 isolates allowed the characterization of seven genotype groups: Stenotrophomonas sp., Pseudomonas sp., Xanthomonas sp., Bacillus sp., Rhizobium, Sphingomonas sp. and Azospirillum sp. The genus Stenotrophomonas sp. predominated (69%) in the three study areas.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi enriquecer consórcio microbiano a partir de mistura de lodo granular de digestor anaeróbio de fluxo ascendente sob condições fototróficas anoxigênicas. Por meio de técnica de biologia molecular foi possível identificar 17 unidades taxonômicas operacionais (UTO) no consórcio microbiano, dentre as quais seqüências similares a Rhodobacter, gênero amplamente citado nos estudos de produção de gás hidrogênio por bactérias fototróficas. Exames microscópicos do consórcio fototrófico indicaram predomínio de bacilos Gram-negativos. Ensaios sob condições fototróficas foram realizados com dois meios de cultivo (RCVB e FANG) e os seguintes substratos orgânicos: ácido acético, butírico, cítrico, lático e málico, empregados como fonte de carbono, tanto para o crescimento celular, como para a produção do gás hidrogênio. A relação C/N inicial foi 30/4 e posteriormente 15/2, com o objetivo de favorecer o crescimento celular e a produção do \'H IND.2\'. A concentração dos substratos foi determinada de forma com que essa relação se mantivesse a mesma. O crescimento celular e consumo dos ácidos orgânicos foram similares para os dois meios de cultivo empregados. Entretanto, a produção do gás hidrogênio foi maior nos ensaios com o meio FANG. Dentre os substratos utilizados o consumo dos ácidos cítrico e málico foram os maiores (~100%), para concentrações iniciais de 3,3 g/L e 2,6 g/L, respectivamente. O menor consumo 25% foi observado em meio RCVB e ácido acético (2,5 g/L). O crescimento da biomassa variou de 0,06 g/L a 1,1 g/L, enquanto que a velocidade máxima específica de crescimento variou de 0,4 a 0,2 g SSV/L.d entre os substratos utilizados. A menor e maior concentração de hidrogênio foram de 8,5 e 22 mmol \'H IND.2\'/L, para os reatores alimentados com ácido lático e málico em meio FANG, respectivamente. Pôde-se concluir que o consórcio fototrófico enriquecido foi capaz de utilizar os ácidos orgânicos para produção do gás hidrogênio. / The aim of this work was enrich a mixture of granular sludge of an up flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) under anoxygenic phototrophic conditions. The techniques of molecular biology identified 17 operational taxonomic units (UTO) in the microbial consortium among the sequences analised, which were similar to Rhodobacter, genus widely cited in studies of hydrogen gas production by phototrophic bacteria. Microscopic examinations of the phototrophic consortium showed predominance of Gram-negative bacilli. Tests were conducted under phototrophic conditions with two culture media (RCVB and FANG) and the following organic substrates: acetic, butyric, citric, lactic and malic acids that were used as carbon source for both cell growth and for the hydrogen gas production. The carbon nitrogen ratio (C/N) in the preliminaries tests was 30/4 and then it was changed to15/2 in order to improve the cell growth and hydrogen production. The concentration of substrates was determined for remain the same carbon/nitrogen ratio among the substrates. The cell growth and consumption of organic acids were similar for the two culture media used. However, the production of hydrogen gas was higher in trials with the medium FANG. Among the substrates used, the consumption of malic and citric acids were the highest (~100%) for initial concentrations of 3.3 g/L and 2.6 g/L, respectively. The shortest consumption (25%) was observed for the cells that grew on acetic acid, 2.5 g/L in RCVB culture medium. The growth of the biomass varied from 0.06 g/L to 1.1 g/L, whereas the maximum specific growth rate ranged from 0.4 to 0.2 g VSS/L.d between the substrates used. The lowest and highest concentrations of hydrogen were 8.5 and 22 mmol \'H IND.2\'/L for the reactor fed with lactic acid and malic acid in FANG\'s medium, respectively. It was concluded that the phototrophic consortium was able to use those organic acids for the production of hydrogen gas.

Abstract This thesis aimed at developing methods for tracking the environmental origins of microbial contaminants of the food chain. We worked on three targets: i) environmental mycobacteria ii) toxinogenic Bacillus species iii) post-harvest fungi in strawberry jam. Our aim was to develop methods for early detection of the above contaminants, which have the potential to endanger consumer health. We developed a novel method based on 16S rRNA hybridization for tracking the reservoirs of potentially pathogenic environmental mycobacteria in piggeries and soil. From 1010 to 1012 16S rRNA molecules of environmental mycobacteria were found per gram of peat, wood shavings and straw in piggeries with a high prevalence of infections. These beddings may thus be a source of mycobacteria for pigs. We found 1010–1011 of mycobacterial 16S rRNA molecules per gram of Finnish forest soil, indicating that the soil contained 107–109 mycobacteria per gram. These numbers exceed the previous cultivation-based estimates of mycobacterial content in Finnish soils. To elucidate the role of mastitis in the input of toxinogenic Bacillus into the dairy production chain, milks were sampled from mastitic cows. Twenty-three Bacillus isolates were screened for toxins using the sperm cell motility inhibition assay. Four of the six toxinogenic isolates found were identified as Bacillus pumilus and two as Bacillus licheniformis. The isolates produced toxic substances that were heat-stable (100 °C) and soluble in methanol, thus being of non-protein nature. The extracts prepared from the toxin-producing isolates disrupted the plasma membrane of exposed sperm cells at concentrations 1–15 μg ml-1 (B. pumilus) 20–30 μg ml-1 (B. licheniformis). The toxic action of the mastitis-associated B. licheniformis strains was similar to that of the lipopeptide lichenysin A. The genes for lichenysin synthetase were found in these strains by PCR. This study revealed that heat-stable toxin-producing strains of B. pumilus and B. licheniformis occur in milk of mastitic milking cows. They may enter the dairy production chain when milk of clinically healthy cows recovered from mastitis is sent to dairies. Many foodborne contaminant fungi are known to produce volatile organic compounds. We investigated the suitability of such metabolites as early indicators of fungal contamination of strawberry jam. We found that volatile organic compounds commonly produced by the contaminant fungi in strawberry jam were 2-pentanone, styrene, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 1,3-pentadiene and ethanol. The results indicate that these compounds could be used to detect fungal contamination of jam.

Background: Critically ill patients are at particular risk of developing bloodstream infection. Such infections are associated with the development of sepsis, leading to a marked increase in mortality rate. Early detection of the causative organism and appropriate antibiotic treatment are therefore critical for optimum outcome of patients with nosocomial infection. Current infection diagnosis is based on standard blood culture techniques. However, microbiological culture has a number of limitations, not least that it takes several days to confirm infection and is therefore not useful in directing the early treatment with antibiotics. New techniques based on the detection of pathogen DNA using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology have the potential to address these limitations but their clinical utility is still to be proved. Objectives: Develop and evaluate novel PCR-based approaches to bloodstream infection diagnosis in critical illness based on detection and identification of bacterial and fungal DNA in blood. Methods: A range of commercial and 'in-house' PCR-based assays for detection of bacterial and fungal DNA were developed and/or optimised for use in clinical blood samples. These included LightCycler SeptiFast, a CE-marked multi-pathogen assay for common bloodstream pathogens, BactScreen and GramScreen, broad spectrum bacterial assays based on 16S rRNA gene and real-time PCR assays developed to detect a range of clinically important fungal pathogens. Novel approaches to speciation of pathogen DNA using melting temperature (Tm) profiling and high resolution melting analysis (HRMA) were developed. Clinical evaluation of assays was either on blinded clinical isolates or blood samples from critically ill patients with clinical suspicion of bloodstream infection against conventional microbiological culture. Several techniques aimed at improving extraction of pathogen DNA from blood were also investigated. Results: The CE-marked commercial assay SeptiFast showed analytical sensitivity and specificity of 79% and 83% respectively. Concordance with positive culture results was good but high levels of 'false positives' were detected possibly attributed to detection of free pathogen DNA not associated with viable pathogens. The predictive value of a negative SeptiFast test was 98% suggesting that absence of pathogen DNA is a strong indicator of absence of infection. Further studies were aimed at detailed optimisation and validation of 16S rRNA gene real-time PCR assays for bacterial DNA. BactScreen and GramScreen were able to detect a broad range of clinically important bacteria down to <50 CFU/ml blood. A preliminary comparative evaluation against SeptiFast showed BactScreen gave excellent concordance with blood culture results with minimal false positive results compared to SeptiFast. Efficient extraction of pathogen DNA was shown to be a key factor in determining analytical sensitivity and several protocols were evaluated. Low cost approaches to speciation of bacterial DNA were developed by combining broad range real-time PCR with HRMA. A novel HRMA method based on Tm profiling was shown to identify 89% and 96% of blinded clinical isolates at species or genus level respectively. Real-time PCR/HRMA approaches were also successfully developed for detection and identification of fungal pathogens including a range of Candida and Aspergillus species associated with bloodstream fungal infection. Conclusions: These studies have highlighted some of the key factors that need to be considered when developing and validating PCR based assays for pathogen DNA detection in blood. A set of novel tools have been developed for rapid detection and identification of bacterial and fungal pathogens that could address the challenges of infection diagnosis based on pathogen DNA detection. Further work is required, not least in development of more efficient pathogen DNA extraction and detailed clinical validation but the tools described here have the potential to provide cost effective solutions to aid infection diagnosis that would be complementary to current culture-based methods. The provision of time critical information could have a positive impact on clinical decision-making leading to more effective management and treatment of patients with suspected bloodstream infection.