Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2018-06-12T11:58:26Z No. of bitstreams: 0 / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2018-06-14T12:44:23Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2018-06-14T12:44:23Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2018-02-26 / A família Cycloposthiidae (Ciliophora, Trichostomatia) inclui protozoários ciliados simbiontes intestinais de mamíferos herbívoros conhecidos por contribuir de forma significativa no metabolismo digestivo de seus hospedeiros. Atualmente, é representada por 69 espécies, divididas em 17 gêneros. Entretanto, devido à ausência de padrão metodológico para descrições de espécies, bem como diversas outras incongruências taxonômicas, a sistemática da família Cycloposthiidae necessita de ampla reformulação. Estudos recentes tem demonstrado que a família Cycloposthiidae não é monofilética, porém, há escassez de dados molecures para investigar tais relações. Esta dissertação encontra-se dividida em duas seções. A Seção 1 apresenta breve revisão taxonômica da família Cycloposthiidae, com dados sobre taxonomia, morfologia, checklist de espécies, hospedeiros e distribuição geográfica, e discute a validade dos táxons pertencentes à família, a fim de refletir sobre a sistemática do grupo. A Seção 2 apresenta dados sobre filogenia molecular de representantes da família Cycloposthiidae e fornece dez novas sequências, sendo nove de representantes do gênero Cycloposthium e uma do gênero Monoposthium, a fim de investigar a relação entre os membros da família Cycloposthiidae e demais ciliados tricostomatídeos, e investigar a evolução de alguns caracteres morfológicos dentro do gênero Cycloposthium. Deste modo, ressalta-se a importância de conhecer melhor os representantes da família Cycloposthiidae, a considerar sua diversidade, amplo espectro de hospedeiros nos quais estas espécies ocorrem e sua importância na digestão desses animais. / The family Cycloposthiidae (Ciliophora, Trichostomatia) includes symbiotic intestinal ciliates of herbivorous mammals known to contribute significantly to the digestive metabolism of their hosts. Currently, it is represented by 69 species, divided into 17 genera. However, because to the absence of a methodological pattern for species descriptions, as well as several other taxonomic incongruities, the systematics of the family Cycloposthiidae requires extensive reformulation. Recent studies have shown that the family Cycloposthiidae is not monophyletic, however, there is a paucity of molecular data to investigate such relationships. This dissertation is divided into two sections. Section 1 presents a brief taxonomic review of the family Cycloposthiidae, with data on taxonomy, morphology, species checklists, hosts and geographic distribution, and discusses the validity of taxa belonging to the family, with the objective to reflect on the group's systematics. Section 2 presents data on molecular phylogeny of representatives of the family Cycloposthiidae and provides ten new sequences, nine of which are representatives of the genus Cycloposthium and one of the genus Monoposthium, with the objective to investigate the relationships between the members of the family Cycloposthiidae and other tricostomatids ciliates, and to investigate the evolution of some characters within the genus Cycloposthium. In this way, it is emphasized the importance of knowing better the family Cycloposthiidae, to consider its diversity, wide spectrum of hosts where the family occurs and its importance in the digestion of these animals.

Parmi les arthropodes, les tiques sont les plus importants vecteurs de pathogènes en termes de diversité et sont la première cause de transmission de maladies vectorielles en Europe et Amérique du Nord. Si ces pathogènes font l'objet de nombreux travaux, les tiques hébergent aussi d'autres symbiotes qui contribuent de manière importante à leur phénotype. Au cours des dernières années, de nombreuses bactéries symbiotiques ont ainsi été recensées chez les tiques. Parmi celles-ci des bactéries présentant une forte homologie avec Coxiella burnetii ont été découvertes. Contrairement à C. burnetii, l'agent responsable de la fièvre Q, les Coxiella-like endosymbiotiques (Coxiella-LE) ne semblent pas capables d'infecter d'autres hôtes que les tiques. Elles font partie des symbiotes à transmission maternelle les plus répandus chez les espèces de tiques et pourraient jouer un rôle important dans la biologie de ces arthropodes. Des premiers éléments suggèrent en effet, que les Coxiella-LE pourraient avoir un rôle nutritionnel en synthétisant vitamines B et cofacteurs absents de l'alimentation de leur hôte tique. Pour comprendre les relations entretenues entre les Coxiella-LE et leurs hôtes je me suis intéressé,au cours de mes travaux de thèse, a l'évolution du genre Coxiella. Pour cela des approches d'analyses phylogénétiques et de génomique comparative ont été utilisées. J'ai ainsi participe à l'établissement de la phylogénie du genre Coxiella par Multi-Locus Sequence Typing (MLST), qui a permis de mettre en évidence la diversité de ce genre bactérien. De manière intéressante C. burnetii émerge au sein d'un de ces clades de bactéries endosymbiotiques de tiques, ce qui semble témoigner d'une récente transition vers la pathogénie. Nous avons séquencé deux nouveaux génomes de Coxiella-LE afin de réaliser une étude de génomique comparative. Tous les génomes de Coxiella étudiés, y compris ceux de C. burnetii, possèdent les gènes nécessaires à la biosynthèse des vitamines B et des cofacteurs, retrouvés habituellement chez les symbiotes nutritionnels d'arthropodes hématophages. Cette découverte renforce l'idée d'un rôle important des Coxiella-LE pour leur hôte tique et, d'après la phylogénie, l'ancêtre commun de ces bactéries serait donc un endosymbiote mutualiste de tique. Pourtant des traces de gènes impliqués dans la virulence de Coxiella burnetii ont été retrouvées dans des génomes appartenant à des clades distincts de Coxiella-LE, ce qui semble plutôt indiquer des pertes récurrentes de la virulence. De plus, différents niveaux d'érosion génomique sont retrouvés dans les génomes de Coxiella-LE étudiés, ce qui indiquerait de fréquents transferts d'hôtes. De tels transferts expliqueraient l'absence de co-cladogenese entre la phylogénie des Coxiella-LE et celle de leur hôte, une caractéristique originale pour un symbiote qui semble obligatoire. Par ailleurs, plusieurs symbiotes à transmission maternelle peuvent être retrouvés chez les tiques, le deuxième axe de ma thèse s'intéresse à l'impact de ces co-infections. Pour cela une population de tiques appartenant à l'espèce Dermacentor marginatus a été étudiée. Cette espèce est, en effet, fréquemment infectée par des bactéries Coxiella-LE, Rickettsia et Spiroplasma et différents statuts d'infection peuvent être observés chez les individus. Aucune compétition n'a été démontrée entre ces bactéries, puisqu’aucune n'interfère avec la transmission et la densité des autres. Néanmoins, en cas de triple infection, la valeur adaptative des hôtes est fortement diminuée avec une réduction importante de leur taille (10%). La transmission verticale de ces symbiotes n'étant pas complète, il devient alors difficile de comprendre comment ces bactéries atteignent de si fortes prévalences au sein de la population avec des coûts associés aussi importants [etc…] / Among arthropods, ticks are the most important vectors of pathogens in terms of diversity and are the leading cause of transmission of vector-borne diseases in Europe and North America. While these pathogens are the most studied, ticks also harbor other symbionts that contribute significantly to their phenotype. Recently many symbiotic bacteria have been described in ticks. Among them, bacteria exhibiting strong homology with Coxiella burnetii have been discovered. Unlike C. burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever, Coxiella-Like Endosymbiont (Coxiella-LE) seems unable to infect other hosts than ticks. They are among the most widespread maternally-inherited symbionts in tick species and could play an important role in their biology. Coxiella-LE may indeed have a nutritional role by synthesizing B vitamins and cofactors absent from their host's diet. To understand the interaction between Coxiella-LE and their hosts, my thesis work focused on the evolution of the Coxiella genus. For this purpose, phylogenetic analyzes and comparative genomic approaches have been carried out. I have participated in the establishment of the phylogeny of the Coxiella genus by Multi-Locus Sequence Typing (MLST), which highlights the diversity of this bacterial genus. Interestingly C. burnetii emerges within one of these clads of tick endosymbiotic bacteria, which may suggest a recent transition towards pathogenicity. Two new genomes of Coxiella-LE were sequenced to perform comparative genomic analyses. All Coxiella genomes studied, including those of C. burnetii, possess the genes encoding for the biosynthesis of B vitamins and cofactors, as usually found in nutritional symbionts of blood-sucking arthropods. This result strengthens the idea of an important role of Coxiella-LE for their host ticks and, according to the phylogeny, the common ancestor of these bacteria was therefore a mutualistic tick endosymbiont. However, traces of genes involved in the virulence of C. burnetii have been found in genomes belonging to distinct clads of Coxiella-LE, which rather indicate recurrent losses of virulence. Moreover, different levels of genomic erosion are found in the genomes of Coxiella-LE studied, which could indicate different transitions towards the mutualistic way of life. Such recurrent transfers would explain the absence of cocladogenesis between Coxiella-LE and their host phylogeny, an uncommon feature for an obligatory symbiont. As several maternally-inherited symbionts can be found in ticks, the second axis of my thesis has focused on the impact of co-infections. For this purpose, a population of ticks belonging to the species Dermacentor marginatus was studied. This species is frequently infected with Coxiella-LE, Rickettsia and Spiroplasma bacteria and different infection status can be observed in individuals from a single population. No competition has been demonstrated between these bacteria, since none interferes with the transmission and density of the others. However, in case of triple infection, the fitness of the host appears greatly reduced with a significant reduction in size (10%). Since vertical transmission of these symbionts is incomplete, understanding how these symbionts and co-infections are maintained despite this significant cost remains an open question. If the symbiotic strategies of these symbionts are still unknown, it is likely that their transmission is not only maternal, but also horizontal [etc…]

Les invasions biologiques ont des conséquences écologiques telles que l'émergence de pathogènes et de ravageurs. Les populations invasives font face à de nouvelles conditions biotiques et abiotiques qu'elles doivent surmonter. Ces invasions biologiques sont des systèmes modèles pour étudier l'évolution sur de courtes échelles de temps car elles nécessitent une adaptation rapide qui fait intervenir différents processus (sélection naturelle, dérive, plasticité phénotypique). Du fait des introductions multiples et de l'hybridation, une augmentation de la variabilité génétique nucléaire peut-être observée dans ces populations, support d'une réponse adaptative plus rapide. De plus, chez les insectes, les symbiotes peuvent jouer un rôle important dans l'adaptation, contribution encore largement inconnue. Le ravageur de culture Bemisia tabaci est un complexe d'espèces dont les barrières reproductives sont peu connues et dont les différentes entités --- les cytotypes --- présentent des cortèges symbiotiques qui leur sont spécifiques. Grâce à une description de la dynamique spatio-temporelle de ces cytotypes, en contexte invasif en France et plus largement dans le bassin méditerranéen, nous avons constaté la présence simultanée de deux de ces entités et nous nous sommes interrogés sur un éventuel remplacement ou une coexistence. Cette situation originale nous a permis de tester leurs limites reproductives grâce à des microsatellites et des tests comportementaux, ainsi que la possibilité de transferts horizontaux de bactéries. Transferts que nous avons tenté de reproduire en laboratoire. Nous avons aussi développé des marqueurs RADSeq pour de futures analyses génomiques / Biological invasions have ecological consequences such as the emergence of pathogens and pests. Invasive populations face new biotic and abiotic conditions that they have to overcome.These biological invasions are model systems to study the evolution over short time scales because they require rapid adaptation that involves different processes (natural selection, drift, phenotypic plasticity).Because multiple introductions and hybridization, an increase in the nuclear genetic variability may be observed in these populations, supporting a faster adaptive response.Moreover, in insects, symbionts can play an important role in adaptation, a contribution largely unknown yet.Bemisia tabaci crop pest is a complex of species whose reproductive barriers are poorly known and whose different entities --- the cytotypes --- have symbiotic associations specific to them.Through a spatio-temporal dynamics description of these cytotypes in invasive context in France and more widely in the Mediterranean bassin, we found the simultaneous presence of both of these entities and we wondered about a possible replacement or coexistence.This peculiar situation has allowed us to test their reproductive boundaries with microsatellites and behavioral tests, as well as the possibility of horizontal transfer of bacteria. Transfers that we tried to reproduce in the laboratory. We have also developed RADSeq markers for future genomic analyzes

Insects form close partnerships, or symbioses, with bacteria. These partnerships allow the insects to use resources that would be unavailable to them otherwise. Certain insects, hemipterans, are able to feed on nutrient-poor plant-sap because these bacteria supplement their diets. While this association is beneficial for both the insect and bacteria, it also comes with consequences: the genomes of bacterial symbionts typically undergo extreme degradation, becoming small and lacking many genes necessary for typical bacterial functioning. In the Hemiptera, aphids, mealybugs, cicadas, true bugs,and their relatives, these bacterial partnerships tend to be stable over millions of years. However, adelgids (Aphidoidea: Adelgidae) are highly unusual in that their symbiotic bacteria have been frequently replaced. These replacements offer a unique opportunity to explore the effects of symbiont role and age on symbiont genome degradation. My dissertation uses the pattern of adelgid symbiont gains and losses to understand the process of symbiont replacements and co-symbiont gain. I accomplished this by sequencing and annotating the genomes of adelgid symbionts from across the family, first focusing on the symbionts from a pest species, then expanding to representatives from across the family, and finally conducting an in-depth exploration of how the genomes of a symbiont found in two branches of the adelgids varies between species. Through this work I demonstrate that adelgid symbionts are nutritional providers, they have a unique pattern for distributing the work of providing nutrients between the symbiont pairs, and that a symbiont’s precedence, whether it was there first or whether it joined another symbiont, has an impact on genome degradation.

No description available.

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O interesse de compreender comportamento de insetos envolvidos em processos de invasão biológica, sobretudo em relação a seus hospedeiros tem aumentado em razão da relevância do assunto para introdução de pragas exóticas em novas áreas. Dentre as espécies de drosofilídeos, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura, 1931) (Diptera: Drosophilidae), de origem asiática, tornou-se praga em diversos países por atacar pequenos frutos de tegumento fino, já que dispõe de ovipositor adaptado para essa ação. Por ser inseto polífago, vários estudos têm investigado preferência, atratividade, e atributos que levam a destacar os potenciais hospedeiros da espécie. A despeito de estudos já desenvolvidos, ainda não havia sido verificado se a viabilidade ecológica dessa espécie poderia ser influenciada em condições de troca de frutos hospedeiros. Assim, no presente estudo foram avaliadas variáveis biológicas como fecundidade e período de oviposição, associados ao tempo de sobrevivência quando submetidos à troca de frutos hospedeiros, em particular de framboesa para o morango, bem como os fisiológicos, como a concentração de nutrientes em indivíduos de D. suzukii. Analisou-se também a microbiota associada aos indivíduos utilizados no experimento de troca de frutos, através de metagenômica. Os resultados encontrados indicam que a fecundidade foi significativamente maior na framboesa do que no morango, e entre as gerações que estavam no morango. O período de oviposição foi maior para os insetos que continuaram na framboesa, e a proporção de prole viável foi maior no morango. Além disso, foi visto que a quantidade de ovos está associada ao tempo de sobrevivência no fruto. Os resultados sobre a metagenômica mostraram que apesar de não haver diferença significativa em relação à comunidade de simbiontes nos diferentes tratamentos, ambas as populações e as gerações tiveram alta diversidade e equitabilidade. As populações do sul e sudeste diferem quanto a presença de Wolbachia, indicando que o simbionte está presente apenas nos indivíduos do sudeste. / Understanding the behaviour of insects in a biological invasion context, mainly in relation to their hosts, has become very important, because of the multitude of effects in the community that arise from the introduction of exotic pests in new areas. Within the species of drosofilids, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura, 1931) (Diptera: Drosophilidae), became a pest in several countries, attacking small fruits and berries. As it is considered polyphagous, many studies have investigated the preference, attractiveness, and attributes of potential hosts. Thus far, no study has verified if the ecological viability was driven by fruit-host shift. In the present study, we analyse fecundity and oviposition period jointly with survival times of D. suzukii when submitted to fruit shift, in particular from raspberry to strawberry. We also study the effects on physiological attributes, such as the concentration of nutrients in individuals of D. suzukii. It was also analyzed the microbiota associated to these individuals that were used in the host shift experiment, through metagenomics. Our results showed that fecundity was significantly higher in raspberry than in strawberry. The oviposition period was higher for insects that continued in the raspberry, and the proportion of viable offspring was higher in the strawberry. Furthermore, we found that the number of eggs is related to the survival time in the fruit. No significant difference was observed in the macronutrient concentration, indicating that changes in host do not affect this physiological aspect. The metagenomic data showed that although there is no significant difference in relation to the symbiont community in the different treatments, both populations and generations had high diversity and equitability. The Southeast population has Wolbachia symbiont, differing from the south population.

Este estudo descreve a diversidade e composição das comunidades bacterianas associadas a cinco esponjas marinhas, e o potencial destes microrganismos como produtores de substâncias bioativas com propriedades fungicidas. As esponjas vivem em simbiose com microrganismos que apresentam alto interesse ecológico, evolutivo e biotecnológico. Contudo, este sistema microbiano permanece pobremente entendido. Para totalmente compreender a biologia desses animais é necessário descrever os fatores ecológicos e evolutivos influenciando a estrutura e dinâmica de sua microbiota. Nesta tese é defendida a hipótese de que a composição taxonômica e estrutura das comunidades bacterianas se correlaciona com o parentesco filogenético de seus hospedeiros. Neste trabalho, as comunidades bacterianas associadas às esponjas Aplysina fulva, Aiolochroia crassa, Chondrosia collectrix, Didiscus oxeata e Scopalina ruetzleri foram examinadas usando a plataforma Ion torrent para sequenciamento parcial do gene 16S rRNA. A água do mar circundante aos espécimes foram coletadas para comparações com a microbiota de esponjas. As análises detectaram um complexo e específico sistema microbiano vivendo em esponjas, com as unidades taxonômicas operacionais dominantes classificadas nos filos: Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Proteobacteria e Gemmatimonadetes. Apesar da ocorrência simpátrica dos espécimes, as comunidades bacterianas diferiram significativamente entre as espécies de esponjas e a água do mar. Contudo, foi observado que as comunidades bacterianas habitando esponjas filogeneticamente mais próximas (A. fulva e A. crassa) são mais similares uma para com a outra, do que quando comparado com as comunidades em um táxon mais distante filogenitacamente (C. collectrix). O isolamento de bactérias foi realizado nas esponjas D. oxeata e S. ruetzleri. Cinquenta e seis linhagens foram isoladas e classificadas em três filos: Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria e Firmicutes. As análises filogenéticas indicaram cinco possíveis novas espécies bacterianas. Com base na taxonomia polifásica, um dos isolados, denominado ASPSP 40, foi caracterizado como pertencente a uma nova espécie do gênero Saccharopolyspora, para qual o nome Saccharopolyspora spongiae sp. nov. foi proposto. Dois isolados bacterianos demonstraram forte atividade antagônica contra as seguintes espécies de Pythium: P. aphanidermatum, P. graminicola e P. ultimum. Os metabólitos secundários desses isolados, assim identificados como pertencentes aos gêneros Terrabacter sp. ASPSP 140 e Bacillus sp. ASPSP 434, foram identificados por LC-MS/MS como sendo uma mistura de dipepitídeos cíclicos pertencentes à classe das dicetopiperazinas (DKP). Este é o primeiro relato da atividade fungicida e, consequentemente, a detecção de DKP a partir do gênero Terrabacter. / This study describes the diversity of associated bacterial communities to five marine sponges, and the potential of these microorganisms as producers of bioactive substances with fungicidal properties. Sponges live in symbiosis with microorganisms that have a high ecological interest, evolutionary and biotechnological. However, this microbial system remains poorly understood. To fully understand sponge biology, it is necessary to describe the ecological and evolutionary factors that influence the structure and dynamics of their microbial communities. In this work, it is supported the hypothesis that the taxonomic composition and structure of bacterial communities correlate with phylogenetic relatedness of their corresponding hosts. Bacterial communities associated with the sponges Aplysina fulva, Aiolochroia crassa, Chondrosia collectrix, Didiscus oxeata and Scopalina ruetzleri were examined using the Ion Torrent platform for partial sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Seawater surrounding specimens were collected for comparisons. The analysis detected a complex and specific microbial system living in sponges, with the operational taxonomic units dominant classified in the phyla: Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Proteobacteria and Gemmatimonadetes. Despite sympatric occurrence of the specimens, the studied sponges presented different bacterial compositions that differed from those observed in seawater. However, lower dissimilarities in bacterial communities were clearly observed within sponges from the same phylogenetic group (A. fulva and A. crassa). Isolation of bacteria was done from the sponges D. oxeata and S. ruetzleri. Fifty-six strains were isolated and classified into three phyla: Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria and Firmicutes. Phylogenetic analysis indicated five possible novel bacterial species. Based in a polyphasic taxonomy approach, one of the isolates denominated ASPSP 40 was identified as belonging to a novel species of the genus Saccharopolyspora for which the name, Saccharopolyspora spongiae sp. nov. has been proposed. All bacterial isolates were evaluated by their antagonisms against Pythium species. Two of them, Terrabacter sp. ASPSP 140 and Bacillus sp. ASPSP 434 demonstrated strong potential in inhibiting the following species P. aphanidermatum, P. ultimum and P. graminicola. The bioactive secondary metabolites of both, characterized by LC-MS/MS, were identified as a mixture of cyclic dipepitides belonging to the class of diketopiperazine (DKP). This is the first report of fungicidal activity, and thus the detection of DKP of the genus Terrabacter.

Este estudo descreve a diversidade e composição das comunidades bacterianas associadas a cinco esponjas marinhas, e o potencial destes microrganismos como produtores de substâncias bioativas com propriedades fungicidas. As esponjas vivem em simbiose com microrganismos que apresentam alto interesse ecológico, evolutivo e biotecnológico. Contudo, este sistema microbiano permanece pobremente entendido. Para totalmente compreender a biologia desses animais é necessário descrever os fatores ecológicos e evolutivos influenciando a estrutura e dinâmica de sua microbiota. Nesta tese é defendida a hipótese de que a composição taxonômica e estrutura das comunidades bacterianas se correlaciona com o parentesco filogenético de seus hospedeiros. Neste trabalho, as comunidades bacterianas associadas às esponjas Aplysina fulva, Aiolochroia crassa, Chondrosia collectrix, Didiscus oxeata e Scopalina ruetzleri foram examinadas usando a plataforma Ion torrent para sequenciamento parcial do gene 16S rRNA. A água do mar circundante aos espécimes foram coletadas para comparações com a microbiota de esponjas. As análises detectaram um complexo e específico sistema microbiano vivendo em esponjas, com as unidades taxonômicas operacionais dominantes classificadas nos filos: Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Proteobacteria e Gemmatimonadetes. Apesar da ocorrência simpátrica dos espécimes, as comunidades bacterianas diferiram significativamente entre as espécies de esponjas e a água do mar. Contudo, foi observado que as comunidades bacterianas habitando esponjas filogeneticamente mais próximas (A. fulva e A. crassa) são mais similares uma para com a outra, do que quando comparado com as comunidades em um táxon mais distante filogenitacamente (C. collectrix). O isolamento de bactérias foi realizado nas esponjas D. oxeata e S. ruetzleri. Cinquenta e seis linhagens foram isoladas e classificadas em três filos: Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria e Firmicutes. As análises filogenéticas indicaram cinco possíveis novas espécies bacterianas. Com base na taxonomia polifásica, um dos isolados, denominado ASPSP 40, foi caracterizado como pertencente a uma nova espécie do gênero Saccharopolyspora, para qual o nome Saccharopolyspora spongiae sp. nov. foi proposto. Dois isolados bacterianos demonstraram forte atividade antagônica contra as seguintes espécies de Pythium: P. aphanidermatum, P. graminicola e P. ultimum. Os metabólitos secundários desses isolados, assim identificados como pertencentes aos gêneros Terrabacter sp. ASPSP 140 e Bacillus sp. ASPSP 434, foram identificados por LC-MS/MS como sendo uma mistura de dipepitídeos cíclicos pertencentes à classe das dicetopiperazinas (DKP). Este é o primeiro relato da atividade fungicida e, consequentemente, a detecção de DKP a partir do gênero Terrabacter. / This study describes the diversity of associated bacterial communities to five marine sponges, and the potential of these microorganisms as producers of bioactive substances with fungicidal properties. Sponges live in symbiosis with microorganisms that have a high ecological interest, evolutionary and biotechnological. However, this microbial system remains poorly understood. To fully understand sponge biology, it is necessary to describe the ecological and evolutionary factors that influence the structure and dynamics of their microbial communities. In this work, it is supported the hypothesis that the taxonomic composition and structure of bacterial communities correlate with phylogenetic relatedness of their corresponding hosts. Bacterial communities associated with the sponges Aplysina fulva, Aiolochroia crassa, Chondrosia collectrix, Didiscus oxeata and Scopalina ruetzleri were examined using the Ion Torrent platform for partial sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Seawater surrounding specimens were collected for comparisons. The analysis detected a complex and specific microbial system living in sponges, with the operational taxonomic units dominant classified in the phyla: Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Proteobacteria and Gemmatimonadetes. Despite sympatric occurrence of the specimens, the studied sponges presented different bacterial compositions that differed from those observed in seawater. However, lower dissimilarities in bacterial communities were clearly observed within sponges from the same phylogenetic group (A. fulva and A. crassa). Isolation of bacteria was done from the sponges D. oxeata and S. ruetzleri. Fifty-six strains were isolated and classified into three phyla: Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria and Firmicutes. Phylogenetic analysis indicated five possible novel bacterial species. Based in a polyphasic taxonomy approach, one of the isolates denominated ASPSP 40 was identified as belonging to a novel species of the genus Saccharopolyspora for which the name, Saccharopolyspora spongiae sp. nov. has been proposed. All bacterial isolates were evaluated by their antagonisms against Pythium species. Two of them, Terrabacter sp. ASPSP 140 and Bacillus sp. ASPSP 434 demonstrated strong potential in inhibiting the following species P. aphanidermatum, P. ultimum and P. graminicola. The bioactive secondary metabolites of both, characterized by LC-MS/MS, were identified as a mixture of cyclic dipepitides belonging to the class of diketopiperazine (DKP). This is the first report of fungicidal activity, and thus the detection of DKP of the genus Terrabacter.

No description available.