Relationship of the protozoan Crithidia spp with bacterioma associated with the stingless bee Melipona scutellaris: chemical, ecological and pharmacological studies

• Grant number: 17/01188-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: June 01, 2017
• End date: May 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Organic Chemistry
• Agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Mônica Tallarico Pupo
• Grantee: Diego Carlos Rodriguez Hernandez
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/50954-0 - Novel therapeutic agents from the bacterial symbionts of Brazilian invertebrates, AP.BTA.TEM

Abstract

In recent decades, symbiotic microorganisms have demonstrated the ability to biosynthesize compounds with high biological potential, generating high attention in research in several areas. It is known that social insects are exposed to various abiotic and biotic environmental pressures by increasing of their susceptibility against natural enemies such as pathogens. Thus, these insects evolutionarily developed mechanisms of defenses associating with bacteria that act like bodyguard of the host against these enemies. In this context, within the scope of the ICBG project "Novel therapeutic agents from the bacterial symbionts of Brazilian invertebrates", this project aims to prioritize the study of the bacterioma associated with the stingless bees Melipona scutellaris and to verify if there is any interspecific relationship of protection mediated by secondary microbial metabolites against the protozoan Crithidia spp., which is associated with disease that leads to the collapse of bees colonies (CCD) and against other entomopathogenic microorganisms such as Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae and Paenibacillus larvae (Chemical Ecology). The use of chromatographic methods will allow to monitor, identify and isolate microbial secondary metabolites of interest, to be characterized with the extensive use of spectroscopic, spectrometric and other methods that are necessary (Chemistry of Natural Products). The knowledge of the protective ecological function of the characterized natural products may contribute more rationally to the discovery of compounds with antiprotozoal potential (Medicinal Chemistry), aligning ecological function to possible therapeutic function. (AU)

Scientific publications

(5)

(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)

RODRIGUEZ-HERNANDEZ, DIEGO; MELO, WEILAN G. P.; MENEGATTI, CARLA; LOURENZON, VITOR B.; DO NASCIMENTO, FABIO S.; PUPO, MONICA T.. Actinobacteria associated with stingless bees biosynthesize bioactive polyketides against bacterial pathogens. NEW JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY, v. 43, n. 25, p. 10109-10117, JUL 7 2019. (17/01188-4, 13/50954-0, 14/17620-4, 16/15576-3, 15/01001-6, 18/07153-0)

MENEGATTI, CARLA; LOURENZON, VITOR BRUNO; RODRIGUEZ-HERNANDEZ, DIEGO; DA PAIXAO MELO, WEILAN GOMES; GOMES FERREIRA, LEONARDO LUIZ; ANDRICOPULO, ADRIANO DEFINI; DO NASCIMENTO, FABIO SANTOS; PUPO, MONICA TALLARICO. Meliponamycins: Antimicrobials from Stingless Bee-Associated Streptomyces sp.. Journal of Natural Products, v. 83, n. 3, SI, p. 610-616, MAR 27 2020. (14/17620-4, 13/07600-3, 16/15576-3, 18/07153-0, 17/01188-4, 13/50954-0, 15/01001-6)

RIES, LAURE N. A.; PARDESHI, LAKHANSING; DONG, ZHICLIANG; TAN, KAELING; STEENWYK, JACOB L.; COLABARDINI, ANA CRISTINA; FERREIRA FILHO, JAIRE A.; DE CASTRO, PATRICIA A.; SILVA, LILIAN P.; PREITE, NYCOLAS W.; et al. The Aspergillus fumigatus transcription factor RglT is important for gliotoxin biosynthesis and self-protection, and virulence. PLOS PATHOGENS, v. 16, n. 7, JUL 2020. (17/14159-2, 17/21983-3, 18/25217-6, 17/07536-4, 17/01188-4, 13/50954-0, 14/00789-6, 13/07937-8, 16/07870-9, 19/09278-8, 16/03322-7)

RODRIGUEZ-HERNANDEZ, DIEGO. Secondary metabolites as a survival strategy in plants of high mountain habitats. Boletin Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Plantas Medicinales y Aromaticas, v. 18, n. 5, p. 444-458, SEP 2019. (17/01188-4)

MENEGATTI, CARLA; LOURENZON, VITOR BRUNO; RODRIGUEZ-HERNANDEZ, DIEGO; DA PAIXAO MELO, WEILAN GOMES; GOMES FERREIRA, LEONARDO LUIZ; ANDRICOPULO, ADRIANO DEFINI; DO NASCIMENTO, FABIO SANTOS; PUPO, MONICA TALLARICO. Meliponamycins: Antimicrobials from Stingless Bee-Associated Streptomyces sp.. Journal of Natural Products, v. 83, n. 3, p. 7-pg., 2020-03-27. (18/07153-0, 13/07600-3, 13/50954-0, 16/15576-3, 15/01001-6, 14/17620-4, 17/01188-4)