Diversity of plant growth-promoting bacteria associated with sugarcane

The sugarcane (Saccharum spp) presents economic importance, mainly for tropical regions, being an important Brazilian commodity. However, this crop is strongly dependent on fertilizers, mainly nitrogen (N). This study assessed the plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) associated with sugarcane that could be used as a potential inoculant to the crop. We evaluated the genetic diversity of PGPB in the plant tissue of sugarcane varieties (RB 867515, RB 1011, and RB 92579). The primer BOX-A1R was used to differentiate the similar isolated and further sequencing 16S rRNA ribosomal gene. The 16S rRNA gene showed the presence of seven different genera distributed into four groups, the genus Bacillus, followed by Paenibacillus (20%), Burkholderia (14%), Herbaspirillum (6%), Pseudomonas (6%), Methylobacterium (6%), and Brevibacillus (3%). The molecular characterization of endophytic isolates from sugarcane revealed a diversity of bacteria colonizing this plant, with a possible biotechnological potential to be used as inoculant and biofertilizers

Characteristics of nodule bacteria from Mimosa spp grown in soils of the Brazilian semiarid region.

The Brazilian Northeastern dry forest (Caatinga) is one of the diversification centers of Mimosa species. We determined the characteristics of native rhizobia isolates from nodules of Mimosa tenuiflora and Mimosa paraibana grown in pots with soils collected under Caatinga vegetation and compared the restriction ribosomal DNA profiles of the isolates with those of 16 reference strains. All plants formed abundant indeterminate nodules and all nodule isolates formed fast growing colonies. No colony altered the medium to an alkaline reaction and most of them produced low or medium amounts of extracellular polysaccharides. White and creamy colonies predominated among the isolates but orange and green colonies were present. Differences among the isolates from the Mimosa species tested are indicated by the greater phenotypic diversity of those obtained from M. tenuiflora. The analysis of the 16S rDNA gene suggests that the isolates from M. tenuiflora and M. paraibana are closely related and closer to B-rhizobia than to α-rhizobia. However, the similarity with all the tested B-rhizobia reference strains was relatively low suggesting that the isolates may belong to different bacteria species

Social and economic impacts of congenital Zika syndrome in Brazil: Study protocol and rationale for a mixed-methods study.

Global concern broke out in late 2015 as thousands of children in Brazil were born with microcephaly, which was quickly linked to congenital infection with Zika virus (ZIKV). ZIKV is now known to cause a wider spectrum of severe adverse outcomes-congenital Zika syndrome (CZS)-and also milder impairments. This study aimed to explore the social and economic impacts of CZS in Brazil. Data was collected through mixed methods across two settings: Recife City and Jaboatão dos Guararapes in Pernambuco State (the epicentre of the epidemic), and the city of Rio de Janeiro (where reports of ZIKV infection and CZS were less frequent). Data was collected May 2017-January 2018. Ethical standards were adhered to throughout the research. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with: mothers and other carers of children with CZS (approximately 30 per setting), pregnant women (10-12 per setting), men and women of child-bearing age (16-20 per setting), and health professionals (10-12 per setting). Thematic analysis was undertaken independently by researchers from at least two research settings, and these were shared for feedback. A case-control study was undertaken to quantitatively explore social and economic differences between caregivers of a child with CZS (cases) and caregivers with an unaffected child (controls). We aimed to recruit 100 cases and 100 controls per setting, from existing studies. The primary caregiver, usually the mother, was interviewed using a structured questionnaire to collect information on: depression, anxiety, stress, social support, family quality of life, health care and social service use, and costs incurred by families. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to compare outcomes for cases and controls. Costs incurred as a result of CZS were estimated from the perspective of the health system, families and society. Modelling was undertaken to estimate the total economic burden of CZS from those three perspectives

Structure and diversity of bacterial community in semiarid soils cultivated with prickly-pear cactus (Opuntia fi cus-indica (L.) Mill.).

Abstract: Studies evaluating the structure and diversity of bacterial communities in arid environments including the rhizosphere of local and adapted plant species are important. Therefore, we used a sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene for describing the structure and diversity of soil bacterial community in three zones: Agreste, Transition and Sertão. The bacterial community was clustered in 9,838 OTUs in Agreste, 8,388 OTUs in the transition, and 14,849 OTUs for Sertão. Among the most abundant phyla, Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria were abundant in Agreste and Sertão, respectively, while Actinobacteria were abundant in Transition and Sertão. Specifi c taxa of Proteobacteria, in Agreste, and Actinobacteria, in Sertão, exhibited differences according to biotic and abiotic conditions. Thus, the structure and diversity of bacterial community were different in these areas and were infl uenced by environmental and soil conditions.Artigo e20190183

Propriedades antimicrobianas e antioxidantes de extratos produzidos a partir de colonizados de basidiomicetos em tortas oleaginosas.

As tortas (resíduos da extração mecânica de óleo) da semente do pinhão-manso (TSPM) e do caroço de algodão (TCA) já se mostraram de grande interesse devido ao seu potencial como fonte proteica na nutrição animal, entretanto apresentam compostos tóxicos que poderiam limitar aplicações com esta finalidade. Alguns fungos do filo Basidiomycota, cogumelos comestíveis, podem ser cultivados nestes materiais e promover a destruição destes compostos tóxicos, além de produzir compostos com atividades antioxidante e antimicrobiana. Sendo assim, as tortas colonizadas por esses macrofungos poderiam ser uma alternativa ao uso de antibióticos utilizados como promotores de crescimento na nutrição animal. Este trabalho avaliou as atividades antioxidante e antimicrobiana de extratos de biomassas lignocelulósica-microbiana após a fase de colonização de TSPM e de TCA misturados com casca de coco-verde em diferentes proporções. Os macrofungos empregados foram da família Pleurotaceae (BRM055674) e da família Panaceae (BRM 044603), em TSPM e TCA, respectivamente. Extratos metanólicos foram produzidos a partir de cada substrato e após sua colonização com os fungos. A atividade antioxidante foi avaliada por meio de três métodos (FRAP, ABTS e DPPH). Os ensaios de atividade antimicrobiana foram realizados por teste de difusão de disco com os extratos contra bactérias patogênicas, Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 27154) e Salmonella enterica (ATCC 14028) e posteriormente calculada a concentração inibitória mínima (CIM). Em todos os fermentados houve redução na atividade antioxidante, possivelmente devido à produção de enzimas oxidativas pelos basidiomicetos. Os resultados sugerem que os extratos metanólicos obtidos a partir dos colonizados de macrofungo BRM055674 contendo 20% de TSPM em coco verde e com fungo BRM 044603 contendo 80% de TCA em coco verde possuem as melhores combinações de atividades antioxidante e leve atividade antimicrobiana (500 ug/mL), respectivamente