MICROBIAL DIVERSITY: THE IMPORTANCE OF EXPLORATION ABOUT NEW SOURCES OF BIODIVERSITY

• Grant number: 13/25505-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: March 01, 2014
• End date: July 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Itamar Soares de Melo
• Grantee: Danilo Tosta Souza
• Host Institution: Embrapa Meio-Ambiente. Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA). Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento (Brasil). Jaguariúna , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Among the Brazilian ecosystems, some call particular attention due to unique combination of environmental conditions, resulting in evolution of species capable of colonizing strictly these habitats. Among these environments, there is a special emphasis on the Archipelago of San Peter and San Paul (ASPSP) located in the region equatorial North Atlantic Ocean which is located around 1.010 km of Natal - RN, halfway between the northeast Brazilian and the African continent. The archipelago consists of five major islands and numerous rocks, being one of the most inhospitable places in the country. The geological formation of the islands is unique worldwide and juts into the sea with steep slopes, being devoid of beaches, vegetation and water drinking. Despite the adverse conditions present in the emerged part of life, this set of islands are surrounded by rich biodiversity in the submerged part. In this scenario, we highlight the marine sponges, which are probably the most primitive extant metazoans, and are an excellent organism for the study of interactions between prokaryotes and higher organisms. In its environment, approximately 40-60% of the biomass sponge comprises micro-organisms, which allows the use sponges as a source of aquatics microbial communities. These microbiomes feature a variety of micro-organisms, from the organisms used in the diet of sponge bacterial symbionts and residents, constituting a natural reservoir of genetic diversity and secondary metabolites with biotechnological interest. The archipelago has a special appeal for exploration of interactions between sponges and microorganisms, as have some species of sponges exclusive occurrence still little affected by human action. This fact, coupled with the complete lack of such associations reinforces the interest of encouraging research in the region. Thus, this project aims to study the genetic diversity of bacteria associated with sponges. The exploration will focus on sponges with ecological and biotechnological interest restricted to the archipelago and will reveal the molecular diversity and functional characteristics of the microbiome of sponges.

Scientific publications

(7)

(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)

SOUZA, DANILO TOSTA; PAULINO DA SILVA, FABIO SERGIO; DA SILVA, LEONARDO JOSE; CREVELIN, EDUARDO JOSE; BERALDO MORAES, LUIZ ALBERTO; ZUCCHI, TIAGO DOMINGUES; MELO, ITAMAR SOARES. Saccharopolyspora spongiae sp nov., a novel actinomycete isolated from the marine sponge Scopalina ruetzleri (Wiedenmayer, 1977). INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY, v. 67, n. 6, p. 2019-2025, JUN 2017. (13/25505-8)

SOUZA, DANILO T.; GENUARIO, DIEGO B.; SILVA, FABIO SERGIO P.; PANSA, CAMILA C.; KAVAMURA, VANESSA N.; MORAES, FERNANDO C.; TAKETANI, RODRIGO G.; MELO, ITAMAR S.. Analysis of bacterial composition in marine sponges reveals the influence of host phylogeny and environment. FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY, v. 93, n. 1, JAN 2016. (13/03158-4, 14/26131-7, 13/08144-1, 13/25505-8)

SILVA, LEONARDO JOSE; SOUZA, DANILO TOSTA; GENUARIO, DIEGO BONALDO; VARGAS HOYOS, HAROLD ALEXANDER; SANTOS, SUIKINAI NOBRE; ROSA, LUIZ HENRIQUE; ZUCCHI, TIAGO DOMINGUES; MELO, ITAMAR SOARES. Rhodococcus psychrotolerans sp nov., isolated from rhizosphere of Deschampsia antarctica. ANTONIE VAN LEEUWENHOEK INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GENERAL AND MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY, v. 111, n. 4, p. 629-636, APR 2018. (13/25505-8, 14/26131-7)

MOITINHO, MARTA A.; BONONI, LAURA; SOUZA, DANILO T.; MELO, ITAMAR S.; TAKETANI, RODRIGO G.. Bacterial Succession Decreases Network Complexity During Plant Material Decomposition in Mangroves. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY, v. 76, n. 4, p. 954-963, NOV 2018. (13/03158-4, 13/23470-2, 13/25505-8)

PAULINO SILVA, FABIO SERGIO; SOUZA, DANILO TOSTA; ZUCCHI, TIAGO DOMINGUES; PANSA, CAMILA CRISTIANE; DE FIGUEIREDO VASCONCELLOS, RAFAEL LEANDRO; CREVELIN, EDUARDO JOSE; BERALDO DE MORAES, LUIZ ALBERTO; MELO, ITAMAR SOARES. Streptomyces atlanticus sp nov., a novel actinomycete isolated from marine sponge Aplysina fulva (Pallas, 1766). ANTONIE VAN LEEUWENHOEK INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GENERAL AND MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY, v. 109, n. 11, p. 1467-1474, NOV 2016. (13/25505-8)

BONONI, LAURA; TAKETANI, RODRIGO GOUVEA; SOUZA, DANILO TOSTA; MOITINHO, MARTA ALVES; KAVAMURA, VANESSA NESSNER; MELO, ITAMAR SOARES. Higher phylogenetic diversity prevents loss of functional diversity caused by successive drying and rewetting cycles. ANTONIE VAN LEEUWENHOEK INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GENERAL AND MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY, v. 111, n. 7, p. 1033-1045, JUL 2018. (13/25505-8)

SOUZA, DANILO TOSTA; PAULINO DA SILVA, FABIO SERGIO; DA SILVA, LEONARDO JOSE; CREVELIN, EDUARDO JOSE; BERALDO MORAES, LUIZ ALBERTO; ZUCCHI, TIAGO DOMINGUES; MELO, ITAMAR SOARES. Saccharopolyspora spongiae sp nov., a novel actinomycete isolated from the marine sponge Scopalina ruetzleri (Wiedenmayer, 1977). INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY, v. 67, n. 6, p. 7-pg., 2017-06-01. (13/25505-8)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

SOUZA, Danilo Tosta. Bioprospecting the bacterial diversity of marine sponges by culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches. 2016. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALA/BC) Piracicaba.