Characterization of methanotrophic community and its isolates from Bertioga´s mangroves, São Paulo

• Grant number: 09/06601-0
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): September 01, 2009
• Effective date (End): June 30, 2010
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Oceanography
• Principal Investigator: Vivian Helena Pellizari
• Grantee: Débora Do Carmo Linhares
• Home Institution: Instituto Oceanográfico (IO). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 04/13910-6 - Biodiversity and functional activities of microorganisms from mangrove of the State of São Paulo, AP.BTA.TEM

Abstract

Methanotrophic bacteria are unique in their ability of using methane as the only source of carbon and energy, and it is believed that they form some kind of biological barrier for this gas, in the soils. Methane is one of the most important Green House gases. Mangroves, today endangered ecosystems, occur throughout Brazilian coast, present large potential for methane production, are highly productive and their microbial community is little studied. This work complements the studies of the Project - Biota FAPESP that proposes researching the functional diversity of microorganisms from mangroves of São Paulo. The present work's objective is verifying the occurrence of methanotrophic bacteria and characterizing its community and isolates to be researched in samples of contaminated and not contaminated sediment of Bertioga's mangrove. It is intended to associate biodiversity results to environmental data, including methane emission/consumption rates by the sediment. Cultivation for isolation will be done using saline NMS medium into sealed flasks with controlled atmosphere of 10% methane in atmospheric air. Methane consumption will be evidenced by gas chromatography (CG/FID). Community characterization during cultivation will be done through DGGE. Phylogenetic analysis of this community will be carried out through metagenomic analysis with the construction of genomic libraries from the functional gene pmoA, exclusive of methanotrophs, and obtention of diversity and richness indexes. (AU)