Conformational features of cepacian: the exopolysaccharide produced by clinical strains of Burkholderia cepacia

Conformational energy calculations and molecular dynamics investigations, both in water and in dimethyl sulfoxide, were carried out on the exopolysaccharide cepacian produced by the majority of the clinical strains of Burkholderia cepacia, an opportunistic pathogen causing serious lung infection in patients affected by cystic fibrosis, the investigation was aimed at defining the structural and conformational features, which might be relevant for clarification of the structure-function relationships of the polymer. The molecular dynamics calculations were carried out by Ramachandran-type energy plots of the disaccharides that constitute the polymer repeating unit. The dynamics of an oligomer composed of three repeating units were investigated in water and in Me2SO, a non-aggregating solvent. Analysis of the time persistence of hydrogen bonds showed the presence of a large number of favourable interactions in water, which were less evident in Me2SO. The calculations on the cepacian chain indicated that polymer conformational features in water were affected by the lateral chains, but were also largely dictated by the presence of solvent. Moreover, the large number of intra-chain hydrogen bonds in water disappeared in Me2SO solution, increasing the average dimension of the polymer chains. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estímulo da solubilização de fosfato resultante da co-inoculação de Aspergillus niger e Burkholderia cepacia

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Biodegradação de naftaleno, fenantreno e diesel por isolados do gênero Burkholderia da Amazônia

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Macromolecular properties of cepacian in water and in dimethylsulfoxide

Cepacian is the exopolysaccharide produced by the majority of the so far investigated clinical strains of the Burkholderia cepacia complex. This is a group of nine closely related bacterial species that might cause serious lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients, in some cases leading to death. In this paper the aggregation ability and the conformational properties of cepacian chain were investigated to understand its role in biofilm formation. Viscosity and atomic force microscopy studies in water and in mixed (dimethylsulfoxide/water) solvent indicated the formation of double stranded molecular structures in aqueous solutions. Inter-residue short distances along cepacian chain were investigated by NOE NMR, which showed that two side chains of cepacian were not conformation ally free due to strong interactions with the polymer backbone. These interactions were attributed to hydrogen bonding and contributed to structure rigidity. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Opportunistic pathogens and elements of the resistome that are common in bottled mineral water support the need for continuous surveillance

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Indução da expressão e caracterização de uma fosfatase ácida ligada à membrana produzida por Burkholderia sp

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Synergistic action of both Aspergillus niger and Burkholderia cepacea in co-culture increases phosphate solubilization in growth medium

Co-inoculation of the fungus Aspergillus niger and the bacterium Burkholderia cepacia was undertaken to understand the interaction between different species of phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms (PSM). PSM were inoculated in a single or mixed (A. nigerB.similar to cepacia) culture. During 9 similar to days of incubation, microbial biomass was enhanced, accompanied with increases in the levels of soluble phosphate and titratable acidity, as well as increased acid phosphatase activity. Production of acids and levels of phosphate solubilization were greater in the co-culture of A.similar to nigerB.similar to cepacia than in the single culture. The quantity of phosphate solubilized by the co-culture ranged from 40.51 +/- 0.60 to 1103.64 +/- 1.21 similar to mu g similar to PO4 3-similar to mL-1 and was 922% higher than single cultures. pH of the medium dropped from 7.0 to 3.0 in the A.similar to niger culture, 3.1 in the co-culture, and 4.2 in the B.similar to cepacia culture. on the third day of postinoculation, acid production by the co-culture (mean 5.40 +/- 0.31 similar to mg NaOH mL-1) was 1990% greater than single cultures. Glucose concentration decreased almost completely (9799% of the starting concentration) by the ninth day of the incubation. These results show remarkable synergism by the co-culture in comparison with single cultures in the solubility of CaHPO4 under in vitro conditions. This synergy between microorganisms can be used in poor available phosphate soils to enhance phosphate solubilization.

Pulmonary, microbiological and hematological changes in Crotalus durissus terrificus (Serpentes, Viperidae) parasitized by nematodes of the genus Rhabdias (Nematoda, Rhabdiasidae)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Produção de biofilme por bastonetes gram negativos isolados de água de hemodiálise

No Brasil, 90% de pacientes com insuficiência renal crônica ou aguda dependem dos procedimentos de hemodiálise para remover produtos de degradação metabólica, excesso de água e de sais minerais do organismo, a fim de restaurar o equilíbrio ácido-base e eletrolítico. Entretanto, o processo de osmose reversa, que visa remover todos os íons da água, também remove o cloro, que exerce efeito bacteriostático sob diversas bactérias autóctones, que passam a se multiplicar na água. Entre os principais grupos dessas bactérias, estão os bastonetes Gram negativos não fermentadores (BGN) e os mais frequentemente associados a bacteremias, em pacientes de hemodiálise são Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia e Burkholderia cepacia. Essas bactérias podem produzir biofilmes, o que torna sua eliminação do encanamento quase impossível. Assim, o objetivo do trabalho foi a análise de água e do dialisato, da Unidade de Hemodiálise de um Hospital Universitário, na pesquisa dos três BGNs citados. Também foram utilizadas 42 cepas previamente isoladas do mesmo local. Entre as 67 amostras de água, foram isoladas 8 cepas de Pseudomonas aeruginosa e as 50 cepas foram submetidas à pesquisa do gene rpoS, um dos responsáveis pela produção de biofilme. Esse gene foi observado em 20 (40%) cepas, sendo 16 (80%) P. aeruginosa, seguida por 3 (15%) cepas de S. maltophilia e 1 (5%) de B. cepacia. Essas cepas foram submetidas à produção de biofilme a 35ºC (temperatura ótima de crescimento) e a 20ºC (temperatura média da água no encanamento da Unidade de Hemodiálise), em aço inoxidável (material de muitos instrumentos cirúrgicos), PVC (matéria prima da tubulação) e plástico de poliestireno (capacidade de produção de biofilmes em diferentes materiais). Em poliestireno, somente 1 (5%) cepa de P. aeruginosa produziu biofilme a 35ºC e a 20ºC, 2 (10%) cepas foram... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo)