Lipoperoxidation and cyclooxygenases 1 and 2 inhibitory compounds from Iryanthera juruensis

Plants from Iryanthera genus have been traditionally used as food supplements by South American Indians. The MeOH extract of leaves of Iryanthera juruensis, one of the plants endemic to the Amazon region and consumed in Brazil, and the hexane extract from its seeds inhibited lipid peroxidation (LPO) and cyclooxygenase (COX-1 and -2)) enzymes in in vitro assays. Further analyses of these extracts yielded 5-deoxyflavones (1-5) from the leaf extract and sargachromenol (6), sargaquinoic acid (7), a novel juruenolic acid (8), omega-arylalkanoic acids (9a-c), and the lignan guaiacin (10) from the seed extract. Compounds 3-5 inhibited LPO by 86%, 77%, and 88% at 10 ppm, respectively, and compounds 6 and 9a-c showed inhibition at 76% and 78% at 100 ppm, respectively. However, compounds 7 and 8 were inactive and lignan 10 exhibited LPO inhibitory activity by 99% at 100 ppm compared to commercial antioxidants butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), and vitamin E. The flavones 1-5 also inhibited COX-1 and -2 enzymes by 50-65% at 100 ppm. Compound 6 showed high but nonselective inhibition of COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes, when compared to aspirin and Celebrex, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Compounds 7 and 10 inhibited COX-1 by 60% and 65% and COX-2 by 37% and 18%, respectively, whereas compounds 8 and 9a-c showed little or no activity against these enzymes.

Marine-derived quorum-sensing inhibitory activities enhance the antibacterial efficacy of tobramycin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Bacterial epiphytes isolated from marine eukaryotes were screened for the production of quorum sensing inhibitory compounds (QSIs). Marine isolate KS8, identified as a Pseudoalteromonas sp., was found to display strong quorum sensing inhibitory (QSI) activity against acyl homoserine lactone (AHL)-based reporter strains Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472 and CV026. KS8 supernatant significantly reduced biofilm biomass during biofilm formation (−63%) and in pre-established, mature P. aeruginosa PAO1 biofilms (−33%). KS8 supernatant also caused a 0.97-log reduction (−89%) and a 2-log reduction (−99%) in PAO1 biofilm viable counts in the biofilm formation assay and the biofilm eradication assay respectively. The crude organic extract of KS8 had a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 2 mg/mL against PAO1 but no minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) was observed over the concentration range tested (MBC > 16 mg/mL). Sub-MIC concentrations (1 mg/mL) of KS8 crude organic extract significantly reduced the quorum sensing (QS)-dependent production of both pyoverdin and pyocyanin in P. aeruginosa PAO1 without affecting growth. A combinatorial approach using tobramycin and the crude organic extract at 1 mg/mL against planktonic P. aeruginosa PAO1 was found to increase the efficacy of tobramycin ten-fold, decreasing the MIC from 0.75 to 0.075 µg/mL. These data support the validity of approaches combining conventional antibiotic therapy with non-antibiotic compounds to improve the efficacy of current treatments.

Sugarcane bagasse ozonolysis pretreatment: Effect on enzymatic digestibility and inhibitory compound formation

Sugarcane bagasse was pretreated with ozone to increase lignocellulosic material digestibility. Bagasse was ozonated in a fixed bed reactor at room temperature, and the effect of the two major parameters, ozone concentration and sample moisture, was studied. Acid insoluble and total lignin decreased whereas acid soluble lignin increased in all experiments. Pretreatment barely attacked carbohydrates, with cellulose and xylan recovery rates being >92%. Ozonolysis increased fermentable carbohydrate release considerably during enzymatic hydrolysis. Glucose and xylose yields increased from 6.64% and 2.05%, for raw bagasse, to 41.79% and 52.44% under the best experimental conditions. Only xylitol, lactic, formic and acetic acid degradation compounds were found, with neither furfural nor HMF (5-hydroxymethylfurfural) being detected. Washing detoxification provided inhibitor removal percentages above 85%, increasing glucose hydrolysis, but decreasing xylose yield by xylan solubilization. SEM analysis showed structural changes after ozonization and washing. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Porównawcza analiza strukturalno-funkcjonalna in silico białek STAT i IRF, w celu identyfikacji związków chemicznych, działających jako specyficzne inhibitory funkcjonalne

Wydział Biologii: Instytut Biologii Molekularnej i Biotechnologii

In Plant Activation: An inducible, hyperexpression platform for recombinant protein production in plants

In this study, we describe a novel protein production platform that provides both activation and amplification of transgene expression in planta. The In Plant Activation (INPACT) system is based on the replication machinery of tobacco yellow dwarf mastrevirus (TYDV) and is essentially transient gene expression from a stably transformed plant, thus combining the advantages of both means of expression. The INPACT cassette is uniquely arranged such that the gene of interest is split and only reconstituted in the presence of the TYDV-encoded Rep/RepA proteins. Rep/RepA expression is placed under the control of the AlcA:AlcR gene switch, which is responsive to trace levels of ethanol. Transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv Samsun) plants containing an INPACT cassette encoding the b-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter had negligible background expression but accumulated very high GUS levels (up to 10% total soluble protein) throughout the plant, within 3 d of a 1% ethanol application. The GUS reporter was replaced with a gene encoding a lethal ribonuclease, barnase, demonstrating that the INPACT system provides exquisite control of transgene expression and can be adapted to potentially toxic or inhibitory compounds. The INPACT gene expression platform is scalable, not host-limited, and has been used to express both a therapeutic and an industrial protein.

五枫藤、小驳骨和川西茶藨的化学成分研究

八月瓜属植物五枫藤(Holboellia latifolia Wall.)和驳骨草属植物小驳骨(Gendarussa vulgaris Nees)均为药用植物, 前者化学成分研究不深入, 后者的化学成分未见报道。川西茶藨(Ribes takare D. Don)为茶藨子属植物, 没有化学成分的报道。本论文对三个植物的化学成分和活性成分进行了研究, 主要通过色谱方法分离得到了48 个化合物, 采用波谱分析或与已知标准品对照等手段鉴定了它们的结构, 其中有1 个新的原小檗碱类化合物和3 个新的联苯类化合物,发现了具有细胞毒活性和α-葡萄糖苷酶抑制活性的化合物。1、从五枫藤地上部分的95%乙醇提取物中分离得到了12 个化合物: 五加苷K (1)、hederagenin 3-O- α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)- α-L-arabinopyranoside (2)、β-萘乙酸(3) 、3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-[β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)]-α-L-arabinopyranosyl oleanolic acid 28-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl ester (4) 、3-O- α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-O- β- D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)- α-L-arabinopyranosyl oleanolic acid (5) 、3-O-( β-D-glucopyranosiduronic acid)-oleanolic acid 28-O- β-D-glucopyranoside (6)、lup-20(29)-en-3-one (7)、lupeol (8)、β-谷甾醇(9)、齐墩果酸(10)、乌苏酸(11)、β-胡萝卜苷(12)。化合物1 对Lu-06、N-04 和Bre-04 癌细胞株的GI50 分别是0.77µg/mL、1.26 µg/mL 和1.55 µg/mL, 化合物2 对N-04 癌细胞株的GI50 为2.44 µg/mL。2、从小驳骨地上部分的95%乙醇提取物中分离得到了1 个原小檗碱类新化合物13-hydroxyl gusanlung A (25), β-谷甾醇(9)、齐敦果酸(10)、β-胡萝卜苷(12)、棕榈酸(1-)甘油酯(13)、棕榈酸(14)、阿苯哒唑(15)、阿苯哒唑砜(16)、阿苯哒唑亚砜(17)、aurantiamide acetate (18)、华良姜素(19)、芫花素(20)、(-)-丁香树酯醇(21)、gusanlung B (22) 、eupteleasaponinsⅤ acetate (23)、gusanlungA (24)、刺五加苷E (26)、岩白菜素(27)、咖啡酸(28)。化合物25 对肝癌细胞株(HepG2) 的GI50 为2.08 µg/mL。3、从川西茶藨地上部分的95%乙醇提取物中分离鉴定了22 个化合物: β-谷甾醇(9) 、β- 胡萝卜苷(12) 、O-acetyloleanolic aldehyde (29),4,7,8-trimethoxy-2,3-methylenedioxydibenzofuran (30) 、3', 5-dimethoxy-3, 4-methylenedioxybiphenyl (31) 、桦木醇(32) 、6,7-dimethoxy-1-methyl-3,4-dihydroquinolin-2-one (33)、3'-hydroxy-5-methoxy-3,4-methylenedioxybiphenyl (34) 、7-hydroxy-4,8-dimethoxy-2,3-methylenedioxydibenzofuran (35)、桦木醛(36)、没食子酸(37) 、6β- 羟基-4- 烯-3- 酮- 豆甾醇(38) 、5α, 8α-epidioxy-(22E,24R)-ergosta-6, 22-dien-3β-ol (39)、verrucofortine (40)、6-methoxycalpogoniumisoflavone A (41)、2-羟基二苯甲酮(42)、桦木酸(43), 3, 5-二甲氧基苯甲酸-4-O-β-D-吡喃葡萄糖苷(44)、洋芹素(45)、刺槐素(46)、水杨酸(47)、洋芹素-5-O- β-D-葡萄糖苷(48), 化合物30、31 和35 为新的联苯化合物。化合物30的α-葡萄糖苷酶抑制率为10.2% (1.00 mg/mL); 化合物35 的抑制率为17.2% (1.00mg/mL)。4、综述了1960 年以来原小檗碱类化合物药理活性研究进展。 Plants Holboellia latifolia Wall and Gendarussa vulgaris Nees, are used as folkmedicine. Ribes takare D. Don belongs to the genus Ribes. The three plants have notbeen chemically studied in detail. Chemical and bioactive study of three plants led tothe isolation of 48 compounds by chromatography. Their structures were elucidatedon the basis of spectroscopic evidence or comparison with authentic samples. Amongthe 48 componds isolated one protoberberine alkaloid and three biphenyls are newones. Cytotoxic and α-glucosidase inhibitory compounds had been found.1. Twelve compounds were isolated from the 95% ethanol extract of the aerial partof H. latifolia Wall. They were characterized as fellow: eleutheroside K (1),hederagenin-3-O- α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)- α-L-arabinopyranoside (2),2-naphthyl acetic acid (3),3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-[β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)]-α-L-arabinopyranosyl oleanolic acid 28-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl ester (4), 3-O- α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-O- β- D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)- α-L-arabinopyranosyl oleanolic acid (5),3-O-( β-D-glucopyranosiduronic acid)-oleanolic acid-28-O- β-D-glucopyranoside (6),lup-20(29)-en-3-one (7), lupeol (8), β-sitosterol (9), oleanolic acid (10), ursolicacid (11), and β-daucosterol (12). Compound 1 showed moderate cytotoxicity againstLu-06 (GI50, 0.77 µg/mL), N-04 (GI50, 1.26 µg/mL) and Bre0-4 (GI50=1.55 µg/mL)and compound 2 showed moderate cytotoxicity against N-04 (GI50=2.44 µg/mL).2. A new protoberberine alkaloid, 13-hydroxyl gusanlung A (25), was isolated fromthe aerial part of Gendarussa vulgaris Nees, together with β-sitosterol (9), oleanolicacid (10), β-daucosterol (12), glycerol monopalmitate (13), palmific acid (14),albendazole (15), albendazole sulphone (16), albendazole sufloxide (17), aurantiamideacetate (18), kumatakenin (19), genkwanin (20), (-)-syringaresinol (21), gusanlung B(22), eupteleasaponinsⅤ acetate (23), gusanlung A (24), eleutheroside E (26),bergenin (27) and caffeic acid (28). Compound 25 showed cytotoxicity against HepG2 cells (GI50, 2.08 µg/mL).3. Phytochemical study of the Ribes takare D. Don led to the isolation of three newbiphenyls, 4,7,8-trimethoxy-2,3-methylenedioxydibenzofuran (30), 3', 5-dimethoxy-3,4-methylenedioxybiphenyl (31) and 7-hydroxy-4,8-dimethoxy-2,3-methylenedioxydibenzofuran (35), along with nineteenknown compounds, β-sitosterol (9), β-daucosterol (12), O-acetyloleanolic aldehyde(29), betulin (32), 6,7-dimethoxy-1-methyl-3,4-dihydroquinolin-2-one (33),3'-hydroxy-5-methoxy-3, 4-methylenedioxybiphenyl (34), betulinic aldehyde (36),gallic acid (37), stigmast-4-en-6β-ol-3-one (38), 5α, 8α-epidioxy-(22E, 24R)-ergosta-6,22-dien-3β-ol (39), verrucofortine (40), 6-methoxycalpogonium isoflavone A (41),2-hydroxybenzophenone (42), betulinic acid (43), 3,5-dimethoxygallic acid-4-O- β-D-glucopryranoside (44), apigenin (45), acacetin (46), salicylic acid (47) andapigenin-5-O- β-D-glucopryranoside (48). α-Glucosidase inhibitory rates ofcompound 30 and 35 were respectively 10.2% and 17.2% at a concentration of 1.00 mg/mL).4. Pharmacological activities of protoberberines were summarized.

Bioethanol production from a sub-product of pulping industry

A vida da sociedade atual é dependente dos recursos fósseis, tanto a nível de energia como de materiais. No entanto, tem-se verificado uma redução das reservas destes recursos, ao mesmo tempo que as necessidades da sociedade continuam a aumentar, tornando cada vez mais necessárias, a produção de biocombustíveis e produtos químicos. Atualmente o etanol é produzido industrialmente a partir da cana-de-açúcar e milho, matérias-primas usadas na alimentação humana e animal. Este fato desencadeou o aumento de preços dos alimentos em todo o mundo e, como consequência, provocou uma série de distúrbios sociais. Os subprodutos industriais, recursos independentes das cadeias alimentares, têm-se posicionado como fonte de matérias-primas potenciais para bioprocessamento. Neste sentido, surgem os subprodutos gerados em grande quantidade pela indústria papeleira. Os licores de cozimento da madeira ao sulfito ácido (SSLs) são uma matériaprima promissora, uma vez que durante este processo os polissacarídeos da madeira são hidrolisados originando açúcares fermentáveis. A composição dos SSLs varia consoante o tipo de madeira usada no processo de cozimento (de árvores resinosas, folhosas ou a mistura de ambas). O bioprocessamento do SSL proveniente de folhosas (HSSL) é uma metodologia ainda pouco explorada. O HSSL contém elevadas concentrações de açúcares (35-45 g.L-1), na sua maioria pentoses. A fermentação destes açúcares a bioetanol é ainda um desafio, uma vez que nem todos os microrganismos são capazes de fermentar as pentoses a etanol. De entre as leveduras capazes de fermentar naturalmente as pentoses, destaca-se a Scheffersomyces stipitis, que apresenta uma elevada eficiência de fermentação. No entanto, o HSSL contém também compostos conhecidos por inibirem o crescimento de microrganismos, dificultando assim o seu bioprocessamento. Neste sentido, o principal objetivo deste trabalho foi a produção de bioetanol pela levedura S. stipitis a partir de HSSL, resultante do cozimento ao sulfito ácido da madeira de Eucalyptus globulus. Para alcançar este objetivo, estudaram-se duas estratégias de operação diferentes. Em primeiro lugar estudou-se a bio-desintoxicação do HSSL com o fungo filamentoso Paecilomyces variotii, conhecido por crescer em resíduos industriais. Estudaram-se duas tecnologias fermentativas diferentes para a biodesintoxicação do HSSL: um reator descontínuo e um reator descontínuo sequencial (SBR). A remoção biológica de inibidores do HSSL foi mais eficaz quando se usou o SBR. P. variotii assimilou alguns inibidores microbianos como o ácido acético, o ácido gálico e o pirogalol, entre outros. Após esta desintoxicação, o HSSL foi submetido à fermentação com S. stipitis, na qual foi atingida a concentração máxima de etanol de 2.36 g.L-1 com um rendimento de 0.17 g.g-1. P. variotti, além de desintoxicar o HSSL, também é útil na produção de proteína microbiana (SCP) para a alimentação animal pois, a sua biomassa é rica em proteína. O estudo da produção de SCP por P. variotii foi efetuado num SBR com HSSL sem suplementos e suplementado com sais. A melhor produção de biomassa foi obtida no HSSL sem adição de sais, tendo-se obtido um teor de proteína elevado (82,8%), com uma baixa concentração de DNA (1,1%). A proteína continha 6 aminoácidos essenciais, mostrando potencial para o uso desta SCP na alimentação animal e, eventualmente, em nutrição humana. Assim, a indústria papeleira poderá integrar a produção de bioetanol após a produção SCP e melhorar a sustentabilidade da indústria de pastas. A segunda estratégia consistiu em adaptar a levedura S. stipitis ao HSSL de modo a que esta levedura conseguisse crescer e fermentar o HSSL sem remoção de inibidores. Operou-se um reator contínuo (CSTR) com concentrações crescentes de HSSL, entre 20 % e 60 % (v/v) durante 382 gerações em HSSL, com uma taxa de diluição de 0.20 h-1. A população adaptada, recolhida no final do CSTR (POP), apresentou uma melhoria na fermentação do HSSL (60 %), quando comparada com a estirpe original (PAR). Após esta adaptação, a concentração máxima de etanol obtida foi de 6.93 g.L-1, com um rendimento de 0.26 g.g-1. POP possuía também a capacidade de metabolizar, possivelmente por ativação de vias oxidativas, compostos derivados da lenhina e taninos dissolvidos no HSSL, conhecidos inibidores microbianos. Por fim, verificou-se também que a pré-cultura da levedura em 60 % de HSSL fez com que a estirpe PAR melhorasse o processo fermentativo em HSSL, em comparação com o ensaio sem pré-cultura em HSSL. No entanto, no caso da estirpe POP, o seu metabolismo foi redirecionado para a metabolização dos inibidores sendo que a produção de etanol decresceu.

Defence of Agaricus bisporus against toxic secondary metabolites from Trichoderma aggressivum.

Trichoderma spp are effective competitors against other fungi because they are mycoparasitic and produce hydrolytic enzymes and secondary metabolites that inhibit the growth of their competitors. Inhibitory compounds produced by Trichoderma aggressivum, the causative agent of green mold disease, are more toxic to the hybrid off-white strains of Agaricus bisporus than the commercial brown strains, consistent with the commercial brown strain’s increased resistance to the disease. This project looked at the response of hybrid off-white and commercial brown strains of A. bisporus to the presence of T. aggressivum metabolites with regard to three A. bisporus genes: laccase 1, laccase 2, and manganese peroxidase. The addition of T. aggressivum toxic metabolites had no significant effect on MnP or lcc1 transcript abundance. Alternatively, laccase 2 appears to be involved in resistance to T. aggressivum because the presence of T. aggressivum metabolites results in higher lcc2 transcript abundance and laccase activity, especially in the commercial brown strain. The difference in laccase expression and activity between A. bisporus strains was not a result of regulatory or coding sequence differences. Alteration of laccase transcription by RNAi resulted in transformants with variable levels of laccase transcript abundance. Transformants with a low number of lcc transcripts were very sensitive to T. aggressivum toxins, while those with a high number of lcc transcripts had increased resistance. These results indicated that laccase activity, in particular that encoded by lcc2, serves as a defense response of A. bisporus to T. aggressivum toxins and contributes to green mold disease resistance in commercial brown strains.

Characterization of Bacteriocins from Bacillus licheniformis strain BTHT8 and Bacillus subtilis strain BTFK101 isolated from marine sediment

Pathogenic microorganisms such as Bacillus cereus, Listeria Monocytogenes and Staphylococcus sp have caused serious diseases, and consequently contributed to considerable economic loss in the food and agricultural industries. Antibiotics have been practically used to treat these pathogens since penicillin G was discovered more than half a century ago. Many different types of antibiotics have been discovered or synthesized to control pathogenic microorganisms. Repetitive use and misuse of antibiotics by the agricultural and pharmaceutical industries have caused the emergence of multidrug-resistant microorganisms, even to the strongest antibiotics currently available; therefore, the rapid development of more effective antimicrobial compounds is required to keep pace with demand. Bacteria were isolated from marine water and sediment samples collected from various locations off the coast of Cochin and salt pans of Tuticorin using pour plate technique. One hundred and twelve isolates were obtained. Seventeen isolates exhibiting antimicrobial activity were segregated after primary screening. The secondary screening which was aimed at selection of bacteria that produce proteinaceous inhibitory compounds, helped to select five strains viz. BTFK101, BTHT8, BTKM4, BTEK16 and BTSB22. The five isolates inhibited the growth of six Gram positive test organisms viz. B. cereus, B. circulans, B. coagulans, B. pumilus, Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium perfringens. After quantitative estimation of the bacteriocin production, the two strains BTFK101 and BTHT8 were selected for further study.

Glycogen phosphorylase inhibitors: a free energy perturbation analysis of glucopyranose spirohydantoin analogues

GP catalyzes the phosphorylation of glycogen to Glc-1-P. Because of its fundamental role in the metabolism of glycogen, GP has been the target for a systematic structure-assisted design of inhibitory compounds, which could be of value in the therapeutic treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The most potent catalytic-site inhibitor of GP identified to date is spirohydantoin of glucopyranose (hydan). In this work, we employ MD free energy simulations to calculate the relative binding affinities for GP of hydan and two spirohydantoin analogues, methyl-hydan and n-hydan, in which a hydrogen atom is replaced by a methyl- or amino group, respectively. The results are compared with the experimental relative affinities of these ligands, estimated by kinetic measurements of the ligand inhibition constants. The calculated binding affinity for methyl-hydan (relative to hydan) is 3.75 +/- 1.4 kcal/mol, in excellent agreement with the experimental value (3.6 +/- 0.2 kcal/mol). For n-hydan, the calculated value is 1.0 +/- 1.1 kcal/mol, somewhat smaller than the experimental result (2.3 +/- 0.1 kcal/mol). A free energy decomposition analysis shows that hydan makes optimum interactions with protein residues and specific water molecules in the catalytic site. In the other two ligands, structural perturbations of the active site by the additional methyl- or amino group reduce the corresponding binding affinities. The computed binding free energies are sensitive to the preference of a specific water molecule for two well-defined positions in the catalytic site. The behavior of this water is analyzed in detail, and the free energy profile for the translocation of the water between the two positions is evaluated. The results provide insights into the role of water molecules in modulating ligand binding affinities. A comparison of the interactions between a set of ligands and their surrounding groups in X-ray structures is often used in the interpretation of binding free energy differences and in guiding the design of new ligands. For the systems in this work, such an approach fails to estimate the order of relative binding strengths, in contrast to the rigorous free energy treatment.

An optimized method for the extraction of bacterial mRNA from plant roots infected with Escherichia coli O157:H7

Analysis of microbial gene expression during host colonization provides valuable information on the nature of interaction, beneficial or pathogenic, and the adaptive processes involved. Isolation of bacterial mRNA for in planta analysis can be challenging where host nucleic acid may dominate the preparation, or inhibitory compounds affect downstream analysis, e.g., quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qPCR), microarray, or RNA-seq. The goal of this work was to optimize the isolation of bacterial mRNA of food-borne pathogens from living plants. Reported methods for recovery of phytopathogen-infected plant material, using hot phenol extraction and high concentration of bacterial inoculation or large amounts of infected tissues, were found to be inappropriate for plant roots inoculated with Escherichia coli O157:H7. The bacterial RNA yields were too low and increased plant material resulted in a dominance of plant RNA in the sample. To improve the yield of bacterial RNA and reduce the number of plants required, an optimized method was developed which combines bead beating with directed bacterial lysis using SDS and lysozyme. Inhibitory plant compounds, such as phenolics and polysaccharides, were counteracted with the addition of high-molecular-weight polyethylene glycol and hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide. The new method increased the total yield of bacterial mRNA substantially and allowed assessment of gene expression by qPCR. This method can be applied to other bacterial species associated with plant roots, and also in the wider context of food safety.

Estudo da influência de compostos recalcitrantes na remoção de matéria orgânica biodegradável no tratamento de efluente de refinarias de petróleo

Petroleum Refinery wastewaters (PRW) have hart-to-degrade compounds, such as: phenols, ammonia, cyanides, sulfides, oils and greases and the mono and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons: benzene, toluene and xylene (BTX), acenaphthene, nitrobenzene and naphtalene. It is known that the microrganisms activity can be reduced in the presence of certain substances, adversely affecting the biological process of wastewater treatment. This research was instigated due the small number of studies regarding to this specific topic in the avaiable literature. This body of work ims to evaluate the effect of toxic substances on the biodegradability of the organic material found in PRW. Glucose was chosen as the model substrate due to its biodegradable nature. This study was divided into three parts: i) a survey of recalcitants compounds and the removal of phenol by using both biological and photochemical-biological processes; ii) biomass aclimation and iii) evaluation of the inhibitory effect certain compounds have on glucose biodegradation. The phenol degradation experiments were carried out in an activity sludge system and in a photochemical reactor. The results showed the photochemical-biological process to be more effective on phenol degradation, suggesting the superioruty of a combined photochemical-biological treatment when compared with a simple biological process for phenol removal from industry wastewaters. For the acclimation step, was used an activated sludge from industrial wastewaters. A rapid biomass aclimation to a synthetic solution composed of the main inhibitory compouns fpund in a PRW was obtained using the following operation condition: (pH = 7,0; DO ≥ 2,0 mg/L; RS = 20 days e qH = 31,2 and 20,4 hours), The last part was consisted of using respirometry evaluation toxicity effects of selected compounds over oxygen uptake rate to adaptated and non adaptated biomass in the presence of inhibitory compounds. The adaptated sludge showed greater degration capacity, with lower sensibility to toxic effects. The respirometry has proved to be very practical, as the techiniques used were simple and rapid, such as: Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Dissolved Oxygen (DO), and Volatile Suspended Solids (VSS). Using the latter it is possible to perform sludge selection to beggingthe process; thus allowing its use for aerobic treatment system`s behacior prediction

A Novel beta-Glucosidase from Sporidiobolus pararoseus: Characterization and Application in Winemaking

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Hematological and biochemical changes in a Phrynops geoffroanus (Schweigger, 1812) population in response to environmental stressors

Turtles are among the most endangered vertebrate groups, and the main threats to populations are environmental pollution and habitat degradation. The species Phrynops geoffroanus, popularly known as “Geoffroy’s side-necked turtle”, has proliferated in polluted environments, where adverse conditions could influence their living habits and physiological condition. Studies that monitor the effects of environmental pollution are key to understanding the species’ biology and designing effective conservation strategies. Thus, the analysis of hematological and biochemical parameters has been shown to be important in assessing the health of wild animals and risks for the animal and ecosystem. This study aimed to assess the environmental influence on the physiology of a P. geoffroanus population through the evaluation of antioxidant status and responses to environmental stressors, compared to specimens from a place under controlled conditions. Blood samples of 60 specimens were collected, 30 from the Felicidade Stream, polluted environment, within the city of São José do Rio Preto, and 30 from the “Reginaldo Uvo Leone” breeding farm, Tabapuã, SP, a place under controlled conditions, whose samples constituted the control group. They were evaluated by hemogram and by determining thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS), Trolox-equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and the activities of the antioxidant enzymes catalase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH). There was a wide variation in hematological parameters of P. geoffroanus from the urban environment. The red blood cell count and hemoglobin values were significantly less than those observed in animals from the breeding farm (P = 0.0004; P = 0.0371, respectively). There was a significant increase in the number of thrombocytes (P < 0.0001) and leukocytes (P < 0.0001) in the animals from Felicidade Stream. The stress indices were similar between the two groups (P = 0.4077). TBARS levels showed the cytotoxic potential of compounds in the urban environment, whose animals had elevated levels of lipid peroxidation (P < 0.0001), despite showing a response to environmental damages with increase in antioxidant capacity, as demonstrated by the TEAC assay (P = 0.0207). The lower catalase enzyme activity noted in individuals from the urban environment (P = 0.000184) could be due to the presence of inhibitory compounds. On the other hand, G6PDH activity was higher (P = 0.002962), where this enzyme acts in the generation of NADPH, which is used in several detoxification pathways. We conclude that environmental contamination can increase oxidative damages and generate physiological changes in this species. These data are very useful for the conservation of P. geoffroanus and turtles in general, and confirm that these techniques are effective in monitoring natural regions and that P. geoffroanus can serve as an environmental contamination bioindicator.

The role of cytoskeleton, components of inositol phospholipid signaling pathway and iron in Ehrlichia canis in vitro proliferation

Ehrlichia canis, etiologic agent of Canine Monocytic Ehrlichiosis, is an obligatory intracellular bacterium that parasitizes monocytes and macrophages. In this study we analyzed the role of the cytoskeleton specifically actin microfilaments and microtubules, components of inositol phospholipid signaling pathway such as phospholipase C (PLC), protein kinase (PTK) and calcium channels as well as the role of iron in the E. canis proliferation in DH82 cells. Different inhibitory compounds were used for each component: Cytochalasin D (inhibits actin polymerization), Nocodazole (inhibits microtubule polymerization), Neomycin (PLC inhibitor), Genistein (PTK inhibitor), Verapamil (calcium channel blocker) and Deferoxamine (iron chelator). We observed a significant decrease in the total number of bacteria in infected cells treated suggesting that these cellular components analized are essentials to E. canis proliferation.