Detection and Characterization of Chitinases in Metagenomics Libraries from Mangrove located in the State of São Paulo

• Grant number: 11/18740-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: January 01, 2012
• End date: September 30, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Applied Ecology
• Principal Investigator: João Lúcio de Azevedo
• Grantee: Joelma Marcon
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 13/11263-2 - Detection and annotation of chitinases in metagenomics libraries from mangrove located in the State of São Paulo, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

The mangrove ecosystem is a coastal biome, located in the interface between the land and the sea, being characterized by the tidal regime, which confer unique characteristic to this system. The mangroves have high amounts of organic matter accumulated, such as cellulose, released in mangroves from plants, and chitin, from the decomposition of crustaceous. The main via for the nutrient cycling in this environment is based on the microbial activity, who promote the decomposition of the organic matter. Hence, it is possible to say that the microbial communities preset in this ecosystem compose the basis of the food chain, making this place very dependent and interconnected with the microbial activity. In bacteria, the chitinases engage diverse functions, as for example, the processing and the digestion of monomers of ß-(1,4) 2-acetoamido-2-deoxi -D-glucose (N-acetilglucosamina or GlcNAc), enhancing the availability of nutrients for the microbial metabolism. However, these enzymes also participate actively in the development of certain fungi, which have chitin composing their cell walls. Ecologically, the chitinases from bacteria have an essential role in the nutrient cycling in marine environments, where the chitin represent a great value within the organic matter content. In this context, it is suggested that mangroves harbor an unique diversity of chitinolytic enzymes, which are able to act under the prevailing unique environmental conditions of this ecosystem. Then, the objective of this project is the assessment of genes which codify for chitinases, and the further characterization of these genes, in metagenomic libraries from genomes. It would allow a wider view of the genomic organization, sinteny and genes for chitinases in mangroves.

Scientific publications

(4)

(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)

CASTRO, RENATA A.; QUECINE, MARIA CAROLINA; LACAVA, PAULO T.; BATISTA, BRUNA D.; LUVIZOTTO, DANICE M.; MARCON, JOELMA; FERREIRA, ANDERSON; MELO, ITAMAR S.; AZEVEDO, JOAO L.. Isolation and enzyme bioprospection of endophytic bacteria associated with plants of Brazilian mangrove ecosystem. SPRINGERPLUS, v. 3, JUL 28 2014. (11/18740-5, 11/05204-8, 04/13910-6)

SIA, ELIANDRA DE FREITAS; MARCON, JOELMA; LUVIZOTTO, DANICE MAZZER; QUECINE, MARIA CAROLINA; TSUI, SARINA; PEREIRA, JOSE ODAIR; PIZZIRANI-KLEINER, ALINE APARECIDA; AZEVEDO, JOAO LUCIO. Endophytic fungi from the Amazonian plant Paullinia cupana and from Olea europaea isolated using cassava as an alternative starch media source. SPRINGERPLUS, v. 2, 2013. (10/15192-4, 11/18740-5)

BONATELLI, M. L.; TSUI, S.; MARCON, J.; BATISTA, B. D.; KITAJIMA, E. W.; PEREIRA, J. O.; AZEVEDO, J. L.; QUECINE, M. C.. ANTAGONISTIC ACTIVITY OF FUNGI FROM ANTHRACNOSE LESIONS ON PAULLINIA CUPANA AGAINST COLLETOTRICHUM sp.. JOURNAL OF PLANT PATHOLOGY, v. 98, n. 2, p. 197-205, 2016. (11/18740-5, 11/05204-8, 10/15192-4, 10/14382-4)

MARCON, JOELMA; TAKETANI, RODRIGO GOUVEA; DINI-ANDREOTE, FRANCISCO; MAZZERO, GIULIA INOCENCIO; SOARES JUNIOR, FABIO LINO; MELO, ITAMAR SOARES; AZEVEDO, JOAO LUCIO; ANDREOTE, FERNANDO DINI. Draft Genome Sequence of Bacillus thuringiensis Strain BrMgv02-JM63, a Chitinolytic Bacterium Isolated from Oil-Contaminated Mangrove Soil in Brazil. GENOME ANNOUNCEMENTS, v. 2, n. 1, p. 2-pg., 2014-01-01. (12/06245-2, 11/18740-5)