Crescimento de mudas de maracujazeiro-doce inoculadas com fungos micorrízicos arbusculares e bactérias diazotróficas sob diferentes doses de fósforo

Conduziu-se o experimento em casa de vegetação com o objetivo de avaliar os efeitos da inoculação de fungos micorrízicos arbusculares (FMAs) e de bactérias diazotróficas endofíticas no crescimento de mudas de maracujazeiro-doce sob diferentes doses de fósforo. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualizados, em arranjo fatorial 3x2x4, sendo três tratamentos com fungos: Gigaspora margarita, Glomus clarum e controle (sem fungo); dois tratamentos com bactérias: Burkholderia sp. + Burkholderia silvatlantica e controle (sem bactéria); e quatro doses de fósforo: 0; 15; 30 e 60 mg dm-3, com quatro repetições. A unidade experimental foi composta por um vaso de 3,5 dm³ com três plantas. As mudas foram produzidas a partir de sementes e transplantadas para vasos, contendo mistura de solo e areia (1:2 v:v) esterilizada. Aos noventa dias após o transplante das mudas, foram avaliados: altura, diâmetro do caule, área foliar, massa seca da parte aérea, porcentagem de raízes colonizadas por fungos e enumeração de bactérias nas raízes. Independentemente da presença de bactérias diazotróficas, a inoculação com FMAs proporcionou incrementos na altura, massa seca de parte aérea, área foliar e diâmetro do caule das mudas de maracujazeiro-doce, nas doses de 0 e 15 mg dm-3 de P. As bactérias promoveram incrementos na altura e área foliar das mudas quando associadas ao FMA G. margarita, entretanto, sem a presença dos FMAs, estas reduziram a massa seca da parte aérea, independentemente das doses de P no substrato.

Hydrolytic activity of bacterial lipases in amazonian vegetable oils

The data presented describe the development of an enzymatic process in vegetable oils. Six bacterial lipases were tested for their ability to hydrolyze. For each lipase assay, the p-NPP method was applied to obtain maximum enzymatic activities. The lipase from Burkholderia cepacia (lipase B-10) was the most effective in buriti oil, releasing 4840 µmol p-NP mL-1. The lipase from Klebsiella variicola (lipase B-22) was superior in passion fruit oil, releasing 4140 µmol p-NP mL-1 and also in babassu palm oil, releasing 2934 µmol p-NP mL-1. Research into the bioprocessing of oils aims to provide added value for this regional raw material.

Imobilização de lipase por encapsulação em sílica aerogel

Lipase from Burkholderia cepacia was immobilized in a silica matrix and dried in high pressure carbon dioxide media (aerogel). The protic ionic liquid (PIL) was used in the immobilization process by encapsulation. The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of the drying technique using supercritical carbon dioxide in biocatalysts obtained through the sol-gel technique by evaluating temperature and pressure and, after selecting the best drying conditions, to investigate the application of the technique for the biocatalyst using ionic liquid as an additive in the immobilization process. The results for immobilized biocatalysts showed that the best conditions of pressure and temperature were 100 bar and 25 ºC, respectively, giving a total activity recovery yield of 37.27% without PIL (EN) and 44.23% with PIL (ENLI). The operational stability of the biocatalysts showed a half-life of 11.4 h for ENLI and 6 h for EN. Therefore, solvent extraction using supercritical CO2, besides shortening drying time, offers little resistance to the immobilization of lipases, since their macropores provide ample room for their molecules. The use of the ionic liquid as an additive in the process studied for the immobilization of enzymes produced attractive yields for immobilization and therefore has potential for industrial applications in the hydrolysis of vegetable oils.

Murcha bacteriana no estado do Amazonas, Brasil

Durante 1998 e 2000, a incidência de murcha bacteriana causada por Ralstonia solanacearum foi registrada em 25 municípios do estado do Amazonas. A bactéria foi encontrada nas seguintes espécies vegetais: Capsicum annuum, C. chinense, C. frutescens, Cucumis sativus, Heliconia sp., Lycopersicon esculentum, Melanthera discoidea, Moringa oleifera, Musa sp., Solanum melongena, S. gilo, e S. nigrum. Em tomateiros (Lycopersicon esculentum), a murcha bacteriana estava presente em todos os plantios. Em bananeiras (Musa spp.), a incidência do Moko foi menor nas várzeas dos rios Madeira e Negro do que nas dos rios Solimões e Amazonas. Caracterizaram-se 320 isolados de R. solanacearum, obtidos no levantamento, com relação a raça e a biovar. A biovar 1 predominou em todos os hospedeiros, com exceção de C. annuum e C. chinense, onde estirpes da biovar 3 foram maioria. Apenas 7,8% das estirpes foram da biovar N2. A sensibilidade de 56 estirpes da raça 1 a 23 bacteriocinas foi avaliada. As estirpes da biovar 3 apresentaram uma menor variabilidade, na sensibilidade a bacteriocinas do que as estirpes das biovares 1 e N2.

Lipase-catalyzed Approaches towards Secondary Alcohols: Intermediates for Enantiopure Drugs

The use of enantiopure intermediates for drug synthesis is a trend in pharmaceutical industry. Different physiological effects are associated with the enantiomers of chiral molecules. Thus, the safety profile of a drug based on an enantiopure active pharmaceutical ingredient is more reliable. Biocatalysis is an important tool to access enantiopure molecules. In biocatalysis, the advantage of selectivity (chemo-, regio- and stereoselectivity) is combined with the benefits of a green synthesis strategy. Chemoenzymatic syntheses of drug molecules, obtained by combining biocatalysis with modern chemical synthesis steps usually consists of fewer reaction steps, reduced waste production and improved overall synthetic efficiency both in yields and enantio- and/or diastereoselectivities compared with classical chemical synthesis. The experimental work together with the literature review clearly indicates that lipase catalysis is highly applicable in the synthesis of enantiopure intermediates of drug molecules as the basis to infer the correct stereochemistry. By lipase catalysis, enantiopure secondary alcohols used as intermediates in the synthesis of Dorzolamide, an antiglaucoma drug, were obtained. Enantiopure _-hydroxy nitriles as potential intermediates for the synthesis of antidepressant drugs with 1-aryl-3- methylaminopropan-1-ol structure were also obtained with lipases. Kinetic resolution of racemates was the main biocatalytic approach applied. Candida Antarctica lipase B, Burkholderia cepacia lipase and Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase were applied for the acylation of alcohols and the alcoholysis of their esters in organic solvents, such as in diisopropyl ether and tert-butyl methyl ether. Candida Antarctica lipase B was used under solvent free conditions for the acylation of ethyl 3-hydroxybutanoate.

DIVERSIDADE CULTURAL, MORFOLÓGICA E GENÉTICA DE DIAZOTRÓFICOS ISOLADOS DE NÓDULOS DE BRACATINGA1

RESUMO O nitrogênio é um dos macronutrientes essenciais aos seres vivos, o que o torna um dos fatores limitantes para o crescimento vegetal. Apenas uma parcela dos procariotos, os diazotróficos, possui a capacidade de reduzir o nitrogênio atmosférico para outras formas disponíveis às plantas. A bracatinga é uma espécie arbórea de importância econômica capaz de estabelecer simbiose mutualística com organismos diazotróficos, sendo os seus principais usos: produção de energia, madeira, forragem, indústria química de produtos naturais, apicultura, paisagismo e sombreamento e recuperação de áreas degradadas e zonas ripárias. Este estudo objetivou estabelecer relação entre a diversidade cultural e morfológica e a variabilidade genética dos isolados nodulantes em bracatinga de diferentes condições edafoclimáticas. Coletaram-se nódulos radiculares retirados ao acaso em sete áreas compreendidas entre o Vale do Itajaí, Planalto Sul e Meio-Oeste do Estado de Santa Catarina. Foi observada ampla diversidade cultural entre os diazotróficos presentes, havendo predomínio de isolados de rápido crescimento, de colônia com coloração branca leitosa, formato circular, borda lisa e superfície mucoide. Entre os parâmetros avaliados, a transparência da colônia, a produção de muco e a alteração do pH foram considerados relevantes para a diferenciação dos isolados. A caracterização taxonômica dos isolados foi realizada por comparação dos fragmentos sequenciados, sendo as espécies isoladas deste conjunto amostral pertencentes aos gêneros Burkholderia, Pantoea, Pseudomonas e Rhizobium.

EFEITOS DA INOCULAÇÃO COM BACTÉRIAS DIAZOTRÓFICAS E DA ADUBAÇÃO NITROGENADA NO CRESCIMENTO E NA QUALIDADE DE MUDAS DE Inga laurina (SW.) Willd. (Fabaceae)1

Inga laurina é uma espécie arbórea com ampla distribuição na América do Sul, útil para sistemas agroflorestais, restauração florestal e arborização urbana. Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar os efeitos da inoculação com bactérias fixadoras de nitrogênio (N) e da adubação nitrogenada no crescimento e qualidade de mudas de I. laurina. O experimento teve duração de 170 dias, e as mudas foram cultivadas em tubetes plásticos com 115 cm3 de capacidade, contendo uma mistura 9: 1 em volume de HS Florestal® e pó de fibra de coco como substrato. Foram analisados seis tratamentos, sendo quatro inoculações (Bradyrhizobium japonicum 1 - BJ1, Rhizobium miluonense - RM, Bradyrhizobium japonicum 2- BJ2 e Burkholderia cepacia - BC), o controle positivo - C+ (sem inoculação e com adubação nitrogenada semanal, 60 mg dm3 de N, na forma de ureia) e o controle negativo - C- (sem inoculação e sem adubação nitrogenada). Os tratamentos com inoculação foram pouco efetivos em relação ao crescimento das mudas, visto que as médias das variáveis de crescimento, da massa foliar específica (MFE) e do índice de qualidade de Dixon (IQD) foram significativamente superiores no C+, em comparação com os demais tratamentos. No entanto, os isolados RM e BJ2 foram efetivos na produção de nódulos, pois apresentaram os maiores valores médios da massa de matéria seca de nódulos (MSN). Além disso, os valores médios do índice de clorofila Falker (ICF) foram significativamente superiores nos tratamentos com inoculação em relação ao C-. Os melhores resultados entre os tratamentos com inoculação foram obtidos para RM, seguido de BJ2.

ISOLAMENTO E CARACTERIZAÇÃO DE BACTÉRIAS SOLUBILIZADORAS DE FOSFATO DA RIZOSFERA DE Eucalyptus sp.1

RESUMO A inoculação de micro-organismos solubilizadores de fosfato, em conjunto ou não com fungos micorrízicos, pode ser alternativa para a redução dos custos de produção de eucalipto por meio da diminuição dos gastos com fertilizantes fosfatados. Dessa forma, objetivou-se com este trabalho isolar e caracterizar bactérias solubilizadoras de fosfato da rizosfera de Eucalyptussp., visando à sua coinoculação com fungos ectomicorrízicos. Entre os 24 isolados de bactérias originários do solo rizosférico de eucalipto, 12 são do filo γ-Proteobacteria e pertencentes à família Enterobacteriaceae (Enterobacter, Kluyvera e Klebsiella); 9 do filo β-Proteobacteria (Burkholderia); 1 do filo Actinobacteria (Curtobacterium); e 1 do filo Firmicutes (Enterococcus). O índice de solubilização de fosfato, calculado dividindo-se o diâmetro do halo de clareamento pelo diâmetro da colônia, variou de 0 a 11, sendo Enterococcus avium a espécie com o maior potencial de solubilização de CaHPO4in vitro. A produção de acidez em meio glicose-extrato de levedura pelos isolados bacterianos rizosféricos foi significativa, no entanto a capacidade de solubilização de CaHPO4 não se correlacionou com a acidificação do meio. Alguns isolados bacterianos promoveram forte inibição do crescimento de Pisolithus sp., isolado H4111, enquanto outros não causaram esse fenômeno. Os isolados RE 56 (Enterococcus avium), RE 41 (Burkholderia cepacea), RE 52 e RE 30 (ambos Burkholderia pyrrocinia) foram aqueles que apresentaram maior potencial para utilização em experimentos de coinoculação com fungos ectomicorrízicos.

Studies on chemoenzymatic synthesis: Lipase-catalyzed acylation in multistep organic synthesis

In this thesis, biocatalysis is defined as the science of using enzymes as catalysts in organic synthesis. Environmental aspects and the continuously expanding repertoire of available enzymes have firmly established biocatalysis as a prominent means of chemo-, regio- and stereoselective synthesis. Yet, no single methodology can solve all the challenges faced by a synthetic chemist. Therefore, the knowledge and the skills to combine different synthetic methods are relevant. Lipases are highly useful enzymes in organic synthesis. In this thesis, an effort is being made to form a coherent picture of when and how can lipases be incorporated into nonenzymatic synthesis. This is attempted both in the literature review and in the discussion of the results presented in the original publications contained in the thesis. In addition to lipases, oxynitrilases were also used in the work. The experimental part of the thesis comprises of the results reported in four peer-reviewed publications and one manuscript. Selected amines, amino acids and sugar-derived cyanohydrins or their acylated derivatives were each prepared in enantio- or diastereomerically enriched form. Where applicable, attempts were made to combine the enzymatic reactions to other synthetic steps either by the application of completely separate sequential reactions with isolated intermediates (kinetic and functional kinetic resolution of amines), simultaneously occurring reactions without intermediate isolation (dynamic kinetic resolution of amino acid esters) or sequential reactions but without isolating the intermediates (hydrocyanation of sugar aldehydes with subsequent diastereoresolution). In all cases, lipase-catalyzed acylation was the key step by which stereoselectivity was achieved. Lipase from Burkholderia cepacia was a highly selective enzyme with each substrate category, but careful selection of the acyl donor and the solvent was important as well.

Factors associated with bacteremia due to multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacilli in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients

The epidemiology of bacteremia developing during neutropenia has changed in the past decade, with the re-emergence of Gram-negative (GN) bacteria and the development of multidrug resistance (MDR) among GN bacteria. We conducted a case-control study in order to identify factors associated with bacteremia due to multidrug-resistant Gram-negative (MDRGN) isolates in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. Ten patients with MDRGN bacteremia were compared with 44 patients with GN bacteremia without MDR. Bacteremia due to Burkholderia or Stenotrophomonas sp was excluded from analysis (3 cases), because the possibility of intrinsical resistance. Infection due to MDRGN bacteria occurred in 2.9% of 342 hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most frequent MDRGN (4 isolates), followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (3 isolates). Among non-MDRGN, P. aeruginosa was the most frequent agent (34%), followed by Escherichia coli (30%). The development of GN bacteremia during the empirical treatment of febrile neutropenia (breakthrough bacteremia) was associated with MDR (P < 0.001, odds ratio = 32, 95% confidence interval = 5_190) by multivariate analysis. Bacteremia due to MDRGN bacteria was associated with a higher death rate by univariate analysis (40 vs 9%; P = 0.03). We were unable to identify risk factors on admission or at the time of the first fever, but the occurrence of breakthrough bacteremia was strongly associated with MDRGN bacteria. An immediate change in the antibiotic regimen in such circumstances may improve the prognosis of these patients.

Diversity of 16S rRNA genes from bacteria of sugarcane rhizosphere soil

Sugarcane is an important agricultural product of Brazil, with a total production of more than 500 million tons. Knowledge of the bacterial community associated with agricultural crops and the soil status is a decisive step towards understanding how microorganisms influence crop productivity. However, most studies aim to isolate endophytic or rhizosphere bacteria associated with the plant by culture-dependent approaches. Culture-independent approaches allow a more comprehensive view of entire bacterial communities in the environment. In the present study, we have used this approach to assess the bacterial community in the rhizosphere soil of sugarcane at different times and under different nitrogen fertilization conditions. At the high taxonomic level, few differences between samples were observed, with the phylum Proteobacteria (29.6%) predominating, followed by Acidobacteria (23.4%), Bacteroidetes (12.1%), Firmicutes (10.2%), and Actinobacteria (5.6%). The exception was the Verrucomicrobia phylum whose prevalence in N-fertilized soils was approximately 0.7% and increased to 5.2% in the non-fertilized soil, suggesting that this group may be an indicator of nitrogen availability in soils. However, at low taxonomic levels a higher diversity was found associated with plants receiving nitrogen fertilizer. Bacillus was the most predominant genus, accounting for 19.7% of all genera observed. Classically reported nitrogen-fixing and/or plant growth-promoting bacterial genera, such as Azospirillum, Rhizobium, Mesorhizobium, Bradyrhizobium, and Burkholderia were also found although at a lower prevalence.

Evaluation of the environmental specificity of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) of probe (PSE1284)-positive cells extracted from rhizosphere soil

We explicitly tested for the first time the ‘environmental specificity’ of traditional 16S rRNAtargeted fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) through comparison of the bacterial diversity actually targeted in the environment with the diversity that should be exactly targeted (i.e. without mismatches) according to in silico analysis. To do this, we exploited advances in modern Flow Cytometry that enabled improved detection and therefore sorting of sub-micron-sized particles and used probe PSE1284 (designed to target Pseudomonads) applied to Lolium perenne rhizosphere soil as our test system. The 6-carboxyfluorescein (6-FAM)-PSE1284-hybridised population, defined as displaying enhanced green fluorescence in Flow Cytometry, represented 3.51±1.28% of the total detected population when corrected using a nonsense (NON-EUB338) probe control. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene libraries constructed from Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorted (FACS) -recovered fluorescent populations (n=3), revealed that 98.5% (Pseudomonas spp. comprised 68.7% and Burkholderia spp. 29.8%) of the total sorted population was specifically targeted as evidenced by the homology of the 16S rRNA sequences to the probe sequence. In silico evaluation of probe PSE1284 with the use of RDP-10 probeMatch justified the existence of Burkholderia spp. among the sorted cells. The lack of novelty in Pseudomonas spp. sequences uncovered was notable, probably reflecting the well-studied nature of this functionally important genus. To judge the diversity recorded within the FACS-sorted population, rarefaction and DGGE analysis were used to evaluate, respectively, the proportion of Pseudomonas diversity uncovered by the sequencing effort and the representativeness of the Nycodenz® method for the extraction of bacterial cells from soil.

DGGE with genomic DNA: Suitable for detection of numerically important organisms but not for identification of the most abundant organisms

Identification of all important community members as well as of the numerically dominant members of a community are key aspects of microbial community analysis of bioreactor samples. A systematic study was conducted with artificial consortia to test whether denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGCE) is a reliable technique to obtain such community data under conditions where results would not be affected by differences in DNA extraction efficiency from cells. A total of 27 consortia were established by mixing DNA extracted from Escherichia coli K12, Burkholderia cepacia and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia in different proportions. Concentrations of DNA of single organisms in the consortia were either 0.04, 0.4 or 4 ng/mu l. DGGE-PCR of genomic DNA with primer sets targeted at the V3 and V6-V8 regions of the 16S rDNA failed to detect the three community members in only 7% of consortia, but provided incorrect information about dominance or co-dominance for 85% and 89% of consortia with the primer sets for the V6-V8 and V3 regions, respectively. The high failure rate in detection of dominant B. cepacia with the primers for the V6-V8 region was attributable to a single nucleoticle primer mismatch in the target sequences of both, the forward and reverse primer. Amplification bias in PCR of E. coli and S. maltophilia for the V6-V8 region and for all three organisms for the V3 region occurred due to interference of genomic DNA in PCR-DGGE, since a nested PCR approach, where PCR-DGGE was started from mixtures of 16S rRNA genes of the organisms, provided correct information about the relative abundance of original DNA in the sample. Multiple bands were not observed in pure culture amplicons produced with the V6-V8 primer pair, but pure culture V3 DGGE profiles of E. coli, S. maltophilia and B. cepacia contained 5, 3 and 3 bands, respectively. These results demonstrate DGGE was suitable for identification of all important community members in the three-membered artificial consortium, but not for identification of the dominant organisms in this small community. Multiple DGGE bands obtained for single organisms with the V3 primer pair could greatly confound interpretation of DGGE profiles. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bactérias diazotróficas associadas a raízes e colmos de cultivares de sorgo

Os danos ao ambiente, bem como os custos econômicos relacionados à adubação nitrogenada têm estimulado a busca por alternativas que possam diminuir a utilização deste fertilizante sem que haja diminuição na produtividade. Uma das possibilidades é a utilização de bactérias diazotróficas que podem se associar a plantas de sorgo para fixar nitrogênio gasoso (N2) e/ou produzir substâncias promotoras de crescimento de plantas (PCPs). Outra possibilidade é a seleção de genótipos eficientes na associação com bactérias diazotróficas, já que a eficiência na associação depende de características específicas das plantas. Deste modo, o presente estudo objetivou avaliar a ocorrência e a localização de bactérias diazotróficas associadas ao sorgo, selecionar cultivares eficientes na associação com bactérias diazotróficas, bem como identificar os isolados mais eficientes em fixar nitrogênio e produzir PCPs. A atividade experimental foi realizada em duas etapas. Na primeira etapa foram utilizados 14 cultivares de sorgo forrageiro em vasos e, na segunda, seis cultivares de sorgo granífero em campo. A seleção dos cultivares de sorgo foi baseada na eficiência de absorção de nitrogênio, através da quantificação de matéria seca e do teor de nitrogênio total da parte aérea das plantas. Para o isolamento das bactérias diazotróficas foi utilizado meio de enriquecimento semi-sólido. Após, quantificou-se a produção de PCPs e os níveis de N2 fixados pelos isolados, a fim de selecionar os mais eficientes. A matéria seca e o teor de N no tecido dos cultivares avaliados foram influenciados pela adubação nitrogenada. A presença de bactérias diazotróficas foi constatada em todos os cultivares de sorgo avaliados. Através da análise de similaridade, verificou-se que, em ambos experimentos, foram formados quatro grupos de isolados, sendo que três se agruparam com 100% de similaridade com as estirpes padrões Burkholderia tropica Ppe8 (ATCC BAA-831), Herbaspirillum seropedicae Z67 (ATCC 35892) e Azospirillum. brasilense Sp7 (ATCC 29145). A distribuição das bactérias isoladas em ambos experimentos foi influenciada pelo genótipo da planta. Além do genótipo, a localização das bactérias isoladas das plantas de sorgo granífero foi influenciada pela adubação nitrogenada, sendo que as raízes foram o sítio preferencial de colonização das bactérias nestes cultivares. Todos os isolados foram aptos em fixar nitrogênio e produzir ácido indol-acético in vitro.

Auxin-producing bacteria isolated from the roots of Cattleya walkeriana, an endangered Brazilian orchid, and their role in acclimatization

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)