Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-10T18:08:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Manoela E Boff Zortea.pdf: 4020211 bytes, checksum: 0f828faa5dff1470fa28c16252974f2d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-02-16 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The diversity of use of polymeric materials causes concern because the use of non-renewable source for its production, as well as the environmental problems caused by the accumulation of the volume of solid waste generated. Seeking to minimize this problem were sought alternative products similar to plastics of petrochemical origin, one of them is the biodegradable polymer. The polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are polyesters synthesized by microorganisms from natural substances such as carbon and energy reserves, and accumulated by microbial cell in the form of intracellular granules, which may represent up to 80 % of the dry cell. The most studied polymer of this class is the polyhydroxybutyrate (P(3HB)) a biodegradable polymer that has similar features to the plastics from petroleum. This study aimed to develop for growth of bacteria Cupriavidus necator for the production of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) using medium supplemented with cassava bagasse, whey and soybean oil. The first crops were carried out using a 2³ factorial design, to obtain the best condition at this stage of growth with the supplements tested. Other experiments used medium limited in nitrogen and higher amounts of supplements. The results obtained from the experimental design showed that the highest biomass production during growth was obtained in experiments which showed through the three supplements in their central levels, followed by testing supplements containing cheese whey and soybean oil combined or the presence of only one of these two components. Four experiments with increasing concentrations of supplement showed that waste and cheese whey hydrolyzed starch presented as good culture media for growth of C. necator, and the increased production of cell biomass (5,8 g.L-1) at the time of the nutrient nitrogen limitation occurred in the culture containing 100 % hydrolyzed starch conversion factor and the best substrate was obtained in cells in medium containing the highest amount supplement cheese whey (50 %). / A diversidade de utilização de materiais poliméricos acarreta preocupação devido a utilização de fonte não renovável para a sua produção, bem como os problemas ambientais causados pelo acúmulo do volume de lixo sólido gerado. Procurando minimizar este problema buscaram-se alternativas de produtos semelhantes aos plásticos de origem petroquímica, uma delas é o polímero biodegradável. Os polihidroxialcanoatos (PHAs) são poliésteres sintetizados por micro-organismos como substâncias naturais de reserva de carbono e energia, sendo acumulados pela célula microbiana na forma de grânulos intracelulares, podendo representar até 80% da massa seca celular. O polímero mais estudado desta classe é o polihidroxibutirato (P(3HB)) um polímero biodegradável que possui características semelhantes às dos plásticos provenientes de petróleo. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo desenvolver estratégias de crescimento da bactéria Cupriavidus necator para produção de poli (3-hidroxibutirato), utilizando meio suplementado com bagaço de mandioca, soro de queijo e óleo de soja. Os primeiros cultivos foram realizados seguindo um planejamento experimental 2³, visando obter nesta etapa a melhor condição de crescimento com os suplementos testados. Os demais experimentos utilizaram meio limitado em nitrogênio e maior quantidade de suplementos. Os resultados obtidos através do planejamento experimental mostraram que as maiores produções de biomassa na fase de crescimento foram obtidas nos experimentos cujo meio apresentava os três suplementos em seus níveis centrais, seguido pelos ensaios que continham os suplementos soro de queijo e óleo de soja combinados ou somente a presença de um destes dois componentes. Quatro experimentos com aumento nas concentrações de suplemento mostraram que os resíduos soro de queijo e hidrolisado amiláceo apresentaram-se como bons meios de cultivo para o crescimento de C. necator, sendo que a maior produção de biomassa celular (5,8 g.L-1) no momento da limitação do nutriente nitrogênio ocorreu no cultivo contendo 100 % de hidrolisado amiláceo e o melhor fator de conversão de substrato em células foi obtido no meio contendo maior quantidade do suplemento soro de queijo (50 %).

This diploma thesis deals with the application of evolutionary engineering to PHA producing bacterial strains. The aim of the thesis is to prepare strains adapted to levulinic acid, a selected stress factor, by methods of evolutionary engineering, and then to characterize these strains. The theoretical part deals with evolutionary engineering and polyhydroxyalkanoates predominantly. The bacterial strain Cupriavidus necator H16 was used for evolutionary experiments. Levulinic acid and levulinic acid in the presence of the MMS mutagen were applied to prepare adapted strains. Selection of mutants was evaluated on the basis of growth potential and PHA content in biomass. Polymers produced by five obtained PHA-producing mutants and control were characterized using GC-FID, SEC-MALS, DSC and FT-IR. It was found that a higher content of 3HV in the copolymer led to a lower crystallinity and hence to a lower melting point, nevertheless, only the copolymer of the M0151 strain did not fit this trend. In addition to the characteristics of the polymers, the strains themselves were evaluated from the biochemical point of view by determining the activities of selected enzymes of the citrate, glyoxalate and 2-methylcitrate cycle, selected enzymes generating NADPH, levulic acid catabolism enzyme and PHA biosynthesis enzymes. On the basis of the obtained data, the possible adaptation strategies were discussed, when the E0575 strain was most differentiated from original culture. Values of specific enzyme activities were subjected to AHC and PCA statistical analysis methods.

This diploma thesis deals with the utilization of physico-chemical analysis in study on microbial stress–response. The main content of this work was to propose and optimize techniques and methods which are generally used in different industries. Two bacterial strains, Cupriavidus necator H16 and its mutant strain Cupriavidus necator PHB-4 producing polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) under certain conditions, were used as model microorganisms. Initially, microscopic teques such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), cryo scanning electron microscopy (cryo SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were proposed and tested for the characteriozation of morphological differences of bacteria. Furthermore, viscoelastic properties of bacteria were determined and compared by the oscillatory tests of the rheology method considering another type of samples. Thermal analysis methods, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) in particular, focused on water transport and behavior of intracellular water influenced by presence of the granules of PHB in bacteria. The last technique, utilized in the study, was dynamic and electrophoretic light dispersion during pH changes for characterization of the surface properties of bacteria such as size, zeta potential and the isoelectric point.

First artificial PHB granules were prepared under the terms of this thesis. The effect of used PHB solvent, ultrasonic bath temperature and time, solvent evaporation temperature and stabilizing agent nature was investigated using dynamic and electrophoretic light scattering. The most proper parameters were demonstrated at samples which were prepared by dissolving of PHB in chloroform, stabilizing with CTAB or lecithin, ultrasonifying at 35 °C followed by chloroform evaporating at 60 °C. Based on ATR-FTIR and Raman spectroscopy results, it was found out that PHB within the artificial granules were in crystalline form. The native PHB granules were isolated from Cupriavidus necator using either lysosyme, deoxyribonuclease and cell disruption by ultrasonification or digestion with alcalase, SDS and EDTA. Granules obtained by both isolation procedures were characterized by ATR-FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, light scattering techniques and DSC. According to the analyses results, the second mentioned procedure turned out to be more effective for obtaining the polymer in amorphous state. Furthermore, the polymer within granules recovered by using this procedure was thermally more stable. Last but not least, the native PHB granules samples were exposed to effect of acetone, lipase and sodium hypochlorite, assuming that polymer crystallinity should be increased by these chemicals in varying degrees. The highest degree of crystallinity was achieved after their treatment with lipase.

This study was undertaken to determine the sensitivity of grape downy mildew (DM, Plasmopara viticola) and powdery mildew (PM, Erysiphe necator) to commonly used single-site fungicides in Virginia and nearby states. DM and PM isolates were collected from 2005 to 2007. In grape leaf disc bioassays, 92% of the DM isolates were QoI (azoxystrobin)-resistant, but none were resistant to mefenoxam. Eighty-two percent of the PM isolates were QoI-resistant, but none were resistant to boscalid and quinoxyfen. The frequency of the G143A point mutation, which confers high levels of QoI resistance, was quantified in DM and PM isolates by real-time PCR. Most of the QoI-resistant DM and PM isolates contained >95% of the 143A allele. QoI-sensitive DM isolates contained less than 1% of 143A. One out of 145 and 14 out of 154 QoI-resistant DM and PM isolates (able to grow on azoxystrobin concentration ï ³ 1 µg/ml), respectively, contained less than 1% 143A. Most PM isolates exhibited reduced sensitivity to five DMI fungicides when compared to a sensitive subgroup (n=9) and compared to published reports for unexposed populations; the resistance factor (median EC50 of the entire isolate collection divided by median EC50 of sensitive subgroup) was highest for tebuconazole (360) and myclobutanil (350), followed by triflumizole (79), triadimefon (61), and fenarimol (53). Sensitivities to all five DMI fungicides, but also azoxystrobin, were moderately to strongly correlated (pairwise r-values ranging from 0.60 to 0.88). / Master of Science in Life Sciences

Development of fungicide resistance in fungal and oomycete pathogens is a serious problem in grape production. Quinoxyfen is a fungicide widely used against grape powdery mildew (Erysiphe necator). In 2013, E. necator isolates with reduced quinoxyfen sensitivity (designated as quinoxyfen lab resistance or QLR) were detected in Virginia. Field trials were conducted in 2014, 2015, and 2016 at the affected vineyard to determine to what extent quinoxyfen might still contribute to disease control. Powdery mildew control by quinoxyfen was good, similar to, or only slightly less, than that provided by myclobutanil and boscalid in all three years. The frequency of QLR in vines not treated with quinoxyfen declined only slowly over the three years, from 65% to 46%. Information about the mode of action of quinoxyfen is limited; previous research suggests that quinoxyfen interferes with the signal transduction process. We profiled the transcriptomes of QLR and sensitive isolates in response to quinoxyfen treatment, providing support for this hypothesis. Additional transcriptional targets of quinoxyfen were revealed to be involved in the positive regulation of the MAPK signaling cascade, pathogenesis, and sporulation activity. Grape downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola), another important grape pathogen, is commonly controlled by phosphite fungicides. A field trial and laboratory bioassays were conducted to determine whether P. viticola isolates from vineyards with suspected control failures showed reduced sensitivity against phosphite fungicides. Prophyt applied at 14-day intervals under high disease pressure provided poor downy mildew control in the field. Next-generation sequencing technologies were utilized to identify 391,930 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and generated a draft P. viticola genome assembly at ~130 megabase (Mb). Finally, field isolates of P. viticola collected from a Virginia vineyard with suspected mandipropamid control failure were bioassayed. The EC50 values of the isolates were >240 μg.ml-1 for mandipropamid, well above the field rate. The PvCesA3 gene of two resistant isolates was sequenced revealing that these isolates had a GGC-to-AGC substitution at codon 1105, the same mutation that has been found associated with CAA resistance elsewhere. / PHD

The effect of different types of sanitation facilities on soil contamination with geohelminth eggs and the associated risk factors were assessed in three informal settlements in Durban, South Africa. Adult members of 30 households in each settlement were interviewed to determine their knowledge, attitudes and perceptions on risk factors associated with geohelminth transmission. Two hundred soil samples were collected in each study settlement from areas considered potential sources of infection such as houses, pathways, sanitation facilities and washing areas. Of the total 600 soil samples collected, 190 (32%) were positive for geohelminth eggs with the eggs of Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and Taenia spp. being recovered. Quarry Road West, where open defaecation was the most common (80%), sanitation coverage the lowest (11%) and lack of knowledge on geohelminth transmission high (97%), showed the highest levels of soil contamination (mean = 102.55eggs/100g). Stool samples were also collected from 135 children aged 1-16 years living in the three study areas. Children were found to be infected with A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura with prevalences of 33.4 and 6.5%, respectively and corresponding geometric mean intensities of 5.6 and 0.87eggs/g faeces. Some children (9.6%) also harboured dual infections. No hookworm or tapeworm infections were recorded. The results show a direct link between high levels of soil contamination and increased prevalence and infection rates. Indiscriminate defaecation by community members is recognised as the main contributing factor of geohelminth eggs in soil. The type and the number of toilets provided to a community greatly influence the success of a sanitation facility. In order to effectively control geohelminth transmission, health education and antihelminthic treatment need to accompany sanitation programmes in these areas. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2011.

The diploma thesis is focused on the study of the mechanism of plasticization of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) in vivo, focusing mainly on methods of isolation native PHA granules and physical and chemical methods of initiation their phase transitions. The literature search prepared in this work deals with this microbial polyester and further focuses on individual methods of isolating PHA from bacterial cells. The main task of the experimental work was to optimize the isolation process of native PHA granules, as well as to design and test processes that initiate the PHA crystallization in isolated granules, as well as analytical procedures to correctly detect this phase transition. Isolation of PHA granules from Cupriavidus necator was performed by enzymes, centrifugation several times and sonication of the cells. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and an enzymatic method in which amorphous PHA is selectively degraded by PHA-depolymerase with turbidimetric detection of its loss in dispersion was used to detect PHA crystallization. Techniques based on fluorescence staining of granules (fluorescence spectroscopy and flow cytometry) were used in a more detailed study of the mechanism of PHA plasticization in granules. The results of the analyzes confirmed, among other things, that the optimized procedure makes it possible to isolate granules in the amorphous state, which remain amorphous even after drying and are comparable to native granules in their basic physicochemical properties.

This diploma thesis deals with application of evolutionary engineering on PHA producing bacterial strains. Two bacterial strains, Cupriavidus necator H16 and Halomonas halophila, were chosen for the evolutionary experiments. Copper cations (Cu2+) and sodium chloride (NaCl) were chosen as the selective pressure for C. necator H16; acetic acid (AA) and levulinic acid (LA) for Halomonas halophila. The adapted strains were during long-time evolutionary experiments characterized by GC-FID and SEC-MALS. The growth of the adapted strains was studied by the mean of optical density measurement. The amount of viable cells was determined by spectral FC after their expositon to selected stress factors. Specific enzyme activities of enzymes involved in citrate and glyoxalate cycle, enzymes generating NADPH, LA metabolism enzyme and PHA biosynthesis enzymes were determined. The adapted strains were compared with the wild-type of strains. The successfull adaptation of C. necator H16 adapted to Cu2+ was detected. Biomass and PHA production of both wild and adapted H. halophila strains cultivated in lignocellulosis waste were determined. It was found out that H. halophila adapted to the LA is capable of producing more PHA than the wild strain of this bacteria.

This thesis deals with the characterization of bacterial cells capable of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) accumulation. The dissertation thesis is written in the form of a discussed published publications which are attached to the thesis as appendixes. The work develops a study of the current topic of the protective functions of PHA and clarifies protective mechanisms against selected stressors. Firstly, we focused on the protective effects of PHA granules against UV radiation and osmotic stress, specifically hypotonic conditions. In the case of UV exposition, the cells protected themselves by scattering UV radiation on the intracellular granules protecting especially nucleoid. When exposed to osmotic stress, the amorphous state of PHA granules is very important since it is capable of stabilization of cell membranes under hypertonic stress, afterwards, bacterial cells can maintain their integrity during the subsequent hypotonic challenge. In general, the amorphous state of PHA granules is key to ensure the proper biological functions of PHA whether as storage or protective polymer. Therefore, in the next part of this work, we focused on the core of the stabilization mechanism that protects native PHA granules from crystallization and thus the intracellular polymer maintains in a thermodynamically unfavorable amorphous phase state. Based on experimental work, we applied selected stresses because we proposed a new model of stabilization of the amorphous state of PHA granules in vivo. It consists of two mechanisms, where small volumes of PHA granules reduce the rates of crystallization and at the same time the water present in the granules plays the role of a low molecular plasticizer. Due to the metabolic apparatus of bacterial cells, PHA are simultaneously synthesized and degraded which leads to an increment of intracellular concentration of monomers that also figure in the protective effect of PHA. In this context, we aimed at the description of the mechanism of cryoprotective effects of 3-hydroxybutyrate, the monomer of the most common of PHA, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate). Hence, we constructed an equilibrium and non-equilibrium phase diagram of the 3HB-water system to prove that 3HB is a very effective cryoprotectant. This fundamental understanding of the protective properties of PHA monomers could be also used in the food industry or cryopreservation of biological samples.