Omics analyzes of Mycobacteriaceae for the characterization of gene clusters involved in the degradation of substrates of industrial interest

• Grant number: 19/14137-4
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2020
• End date: February 28, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Biology and Physiology of Microorganisms
• Principal Investigator: Cristina Viana Niero
• Grantee: Cristina Viana Niero
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Luciano Antonio Digiampietri ; Sylvia Luisa Pincherle Cardoso Leão

Abstract

Non-tuberculosis bacteria, also called environmental bacteria, are microorganisms that adapt to different temperature, pH and oxygen conditions. Our hypothesis is that given these characteristics, this group of bacteria may contain robust enzymes with industrial utility. These data have motivated the studies of our research group in order to characterize NT and to evaluate its potential of biodegradation of compounds with biotechnological utility as well as to study its catabolic pathways. In previous studies, we constructed a collection with 382 NT isolates that were characterized by the analysis of three essential genes (16SrRNA, rpoBV and hsp65). The results revealed that 30% of these isolates belong to Mycobacteriaceae family, but are not related to any of the described species suggesting that they may be new species. Isolate groups from this collection had the qualitative ability to degrade the pectin, starch and pyrene substrates. It should be noted that to date there is no report of pectin and starch degradation for Mycobacteriaceae family bacteria. Based on these data, this work will study 10 isolates of NT bacteria in order to characterize them by complete genome sequencing and quantitative degradation analysis of the substrates. In addition, we propose to evaluate the gene expression of the isolates, under different physiological conditions "in vitro", through analysis of the respective transcriptomes. The analysis of the genomes will allow to position phylogenetically the isolates belonging to the genus Mycolicibacter or to describe them as new species. The joint analysis of genome and transcriptome results will allow the evaluation of genes and metabolic pathways that justify the phenotypic results of pectin, starch and pyrene degradation. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

SILVA, NATALIA MARIA; ROMAGNOLI, CAMILA LOPES; SANTIAGO, CAIO RAFAEL DO NASCIMENTO; DE LACERDA, JOAO PAULO AMORIM; LEAO, SYLVIA CARDOSO; DIGIAMPIETRI, LUCIANO ANTONIO; VIANA-NIERO, CRISTINA. Multi-Approach Characterization of Novel Pyrene-Degrading Mycolicibacterium austroafricanum Isolates Lacking nid Genes. MICROORGANISMS, v. 11, n. 6, p. 13-pg., 2023-06-01. (19/14137-4)