The Seasonal Variation of the Chemical Composition of Essential Oils from Porcelia macrocarpa RE Fries (Annonaceae) and Their Antimicrobial Activity

This study investigates the impact of seasonal variation on the chemical composition of essential oils from the leaves of Porcelia macrocarpa (Annonaceae) obtained over the course of one year (January-December 2011) and the chemical composition of the essential oils obtained from the ripe fruits of the same plant. Furthermore, the essential oils of the leaves were investigated with respect to their antimicrobial activity. the essential oils of the leaves contain a mixture of monoterpenes, one diterpene and several sesquiterpenes. the main components were identified as the sesquiterpenes germacrene D (29%-50%) and bicyclogermacrene (24%-37%). No significant variation was observed for the composition of the essential oil of the leaves over the course of the year, except for the month of November, when the ripe fruit were collected. in this month, substantially decreased concentrations of germacrene D (28.8 +/- 0.8%) and bicyclogermacrene (23.9 +/- 0.6%) were measured and the emergence of spathulenol (10.4 +/- 0.2%) was observed. the essential oils extracted from the ripe fruit revealed the presence of a variety of monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and hydrocarbons. the main constituents of these oils were neryl (8.8 +/- 0.2%) and geranyl (27.3 +/- 0.7%) formates, gamma-muurolene (10.3 +/- 0.9%) and dendrolasin (8.23 +/- 0.06%). the antimicrobial activity of the essential oil obtained from the leaves of P. macrocarpa towards a range of bacterial and yeast strains was examined. in order to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of essential oils obtained from the January collection of the leaves, broth microdilution assays were carried out, which showed a significant antimicrobial activity towards Cryptococcus neoformans serotypes A and D as well as C. gattii serotypes B and C.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Inst Ciencias Ambientais Quim & Farmaceut, BR-09972270 Diadema, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Alfenas, Inst Quim, BR-37130000 Alfenas, MG, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Inst Ciencias Ambientais Quim & Farmaceut, BR-09972270 Diadema, SP, BrazilCNPq: 300546/2012-2FAPESP: 2011/51739-0Web of Scienc

Core sampling test in large-scale compost cells for microorganism isolation

Composting is a process by which organic wastes are transformed into fertilizer, preventing excess organic matter accumulation. Microbes that carry out this transformation have application in biotechnology. Composting cell assembling is a complex process, it can reach several m(3) of diverse materials. It is desirable a sampling methodology that allows the microbial analysis, however, this matter has not yet been approached by other researchers. In this work we tested soil auger to probe large-scale compost piles at the Sao Paulo Zoo, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The criterion for auger selection was percentage loss of material and microbe isolation from samples.Tortuga Cia Zootecnica AgrariaConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Ciencias Biol, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Ciencias Biol, Sao Paulo, BrazilFAPESP: 2009/52030-5FAPESP: 2007/50536-3Web of Scienc

Microbial community structure and dynamics in thermophilic composting viewed through metagenomics and metatranscriptomics

Composting is a promising source of new organisms and thermostable enzymes that may be helpful in environmental management and industrial processes. Here we present results of metagenomicand metatranscriptomic-based analyses of a large composting operation in the Sao Paulo Zoo Park. This composting exhibits a sustained thermophilic profile (50 degrees C to 75 degrees C), which seems to preclude fungal activity. The main novelty of our study is the combination of time-series sampling with shotgun DNA, 16S rRNA gene amplicon, and metatranscriptome high-throughput sequencing, enabling an unprecedented detailed view of microbial community structure, dynamics, and function in this ecosystem. The time-series data showed that the turning procedure has a strong impact on the compost microbiota, restoring to a certain extent the population profile seen at the beginning of the processand that lignocellulosic biomass deconstruction occurs synergistically and sequentially, with hemicellulose being degraded preferentially to cellulose and lignin. Moreover, our sequencing data allowed near-complete genome reconstruction of five bacterial species previously found in biomass-degrading environments and of a novel biodegrading bacterial species, likely a new genus in the order Bacillales. The data and analyses provided are a rich source for additional investigations of thermophilic composting microbiology.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Provost's Office for Research of the University of Sao PauloCoordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Quim, Dept Bioquim, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Sao Paulo, Programa Pos Graduacao Interunidades Bioinformat, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Sao Paulo, Escola Artes Ciencias & Humanidades, Sao Paulo, Brazil|Fundacao Parque Zool Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Ciencias Biol, Sao Paulo, BrazilBiocomplex Inst Virginia, Blacksburg, VA USADepartamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilFAPESP: 2011/50870-6Web of Scienc

Genetical, cytological and molecular anal ysis of mut ants which affect morphogenesis in Aspergillus nidulans

A pesquisa na área da morfogênese e ciclo celular do fungo filamentoso Aspergillus nidulans começou a 30 anos atrás, a partir do isolamento dos mutantes que afetam o desenvolvimento do conidióforo e a progressão do ciclo celular. A análise molecular dos mutantes para a diferenciação do aparato assexual possibilitou o estabelecimento de uma via regulória do desenvolvimento que controla a organização espacial e temporal da celular-pé, da hifa aérea, da vesícula, da métula e da fiálide. Neste trabalho foram estudados dois genes que afetam a morfogênese e o ciclo celular em A. nidulans. Os resultados mostraram que o mutante bnA1 tem fenótipo distinto em todas as fases de vida do fungo, sendo importante desde a germinação do conídio até a diferenciação das estruturas reprodutivas assexuais, causando a formação de métulas e fiálides alongadas e multinucleadas. Este gene também exerce funções relevantes para o ciclo celular, uma vez que a mutação causa elevado índice mitótico, desintegração nuclear, e sensibilidade aos compostos que desestabilizam os microtúbulos. A segunda parte deste trabalho, apresenta a clonagem e o sequenciamento do gene aco586. Este, codifica um possível fator de transcrição, o qual tem homologia com a família de ativadores da transcrição CAAT enhancer binding protein (E/CBP), a qual é conhecida por controlar a diferenciação celular em vertebrados. Mutações no gene aco586, causam a diminuição do desenvolvimento assexual e sexual. Além disso, os conidióforos possuem morfologia anormal, desenvolvimento lento e assincrônico.The research in the field of morphogenesis and cell cycle in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans started 30 years ago, with the identification of mutants that affect development of the conidiophore and cell A. nidulans cycle progression. The molecular analysis of the developmental mutants have established the developmental regulatory pathway which contrais spatial and temporal organization of foot cell, aerial hyphae, vesicle, metulae and phialide. ln this paper two genes that affect morphogenesis of the conidiophore, as well as cell cycle regulation, were studied in A. nidulans The results showed that bnA1 mutant have a distinct phenotype in all stages of the life cycle of this fungus, since germination of the conidia through out reproductive cells, which present elongated and multinucleated metulae and phialide. This gene is also important for cell cycle regulation, since the mutation causes high mitotic índex, nuclear disintegration and hypersensitivity to anti-microtubule compounds. The second part of this work, presents the cloning and sequencing of aco586. This gene encodes a putative transcription factor, that shares homology to the CAAT enhancer binding protein family (E/CBP), which are known to contrai cellular differentiation in vertebrates. Mutations in aco586 gene decreases asexual and sexual development. Moreover, conidiophores have abnormal morphology and development is delayed and asynchronous

Isolation and characterization of deteriorated sectors of Abnc strain of Aspergillus nidulans

O fungo Aspergillus nidulans tem se mostrado um excelente organismo para os estudos de Genética, tanto clássica quanto molecular, graças a um grande número de mutantes, e à facilidade de manipulação do material genético. Neste trabalho foi utilizada a linhagem Abnc de A. nidulans. Esta linhagem possui um segmento do cromossomo I duplicado e translocado para o cromossomo II, que é responsável por uma grande instabilidade mitótica, detectada na forma de setores melhorados, deteriorados e heterocarióticos. Além disso, esta linhagem é portadora de uma mutação, bncA1, que causa a formação de conídios bi e trinucleados em uma frequência mais elevada do que nas linhagens selvagens. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar genética e citologicamente o comportamento dos setores deteriorados provenientes da linhagem Abnc. O ciclo sexual não pode ser conduzido devido à alta taxa de corpos de frutificação abortivos. As análises citológicas por meio de conidiogênese e coloração de núcleos pela técnica de Giemsa possibilitaram a detecção de morfologia característica determinada pela mutação bncA1, e algumas variações morfológicas provavelmente induzidas pela presença do determinante de deterioração.The filamentous fungi Aspergillus nidulans has been considerated an excellent standard organism to both, classical and molecular genetic studies, due to a great number of mutants and to its easy genetic manipulation. In this work a strain called Abnc was used. It holds a duplicated segment of chromosome I translocated to chromosome II, which leads to mitotic instability, causing 3 types of sectors to appear: improved, deteriorated and heterokariotic. Besides this duplication, the strain carries a mutation, bncA1 responsable for bi and trinucleated conidia formation. The goals of this work was to analyse deteriorated sectors coming from Abnc strain, by means of classical genetics and citology. Sexual cycle could not be conducted since a high degree of cleistotecia abortion was observed. Citological analysis using conidiogenesis and nuclear stainning with Giemsa have enable to detect morphological alterations due to bncA1 mutation and some morphological alterations caused by deteriotion

Characterization of novel hydrocarbon-degrading Gordonia paraffinivorans and Gordonia sihwensis strains isolated from composting.

Hydrocarbons are important environmental pollutants, and the isolation and characterization of new microorganisms with the ability to degrade these compounds are important for effective biodegradation. In this work we isolated and characterized several bacterial isolates from compost, a substrate rich in microbial diversity. The isolates were obtained from selective culture medium containing n-hexadecane, aiming to recover alkane-degraders. Six isolates identified as Gordonia by MALDI-TOF and 16S rRNA sequencing had the ability to degrade n-hexadecane in three days. Two isolates were selected for genomic and functional characterization, Gordonia paraffinivorans (MTZ052) and Gordonia sihwensis (MTZ096). The CG-MS results showed distinct n-hexadecane degradation rates for MTZ052 and MTZ096 (86% and 100% respectively). The genome sequence showed that MTZ052 encodes only one alkane degrading gene cluster, the CYP153 system, while MTZ096 harbors both the Alkane Hydroxylase (AH) and the CYP153 systems. qPCR showed that both gene clusters are induced by the presence of n-hexadecane in the growth medium, suggesting that G. paraffinivorans and G. sihwensis use these systems for degradation. Altogether, our results indicate that these Gordonia isolates have a good potential for biotransformation of hydrocarbons

Congress of Chemical Biology and Symposium of Biological Sciences Department

Essa publicação é a compilação dos resumos científicos apresentados no "III Congresso do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Química e IV Simpósio do Departamento de Ciências Biológicas"Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES