Chemical and ecological study of actinobacterium MG28-1.10 isolated from winged males of Mycocepurus goeldii

• Grant number: 17/05920-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): July 01, 2017
• Effective date (End): December 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Organic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Mônica Tallarico Pupo
• Grantee: Gabriela Toninato de Paula
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The ecological role of chemical defenses produced by bacterial symbionts of fungus-growing ants (inhibit the growth of the garden pathogenic fungi, protecting the fungal cultivation and the host insect) is in line with the therapeutic requirements of antifungal, anticancer and antiparasitic drugs. Preliminary chemical and biological characterization of the actinobacterium MG28-1.10, isolated from winged males ants of the species Mycocepurus goeldii, provided subsidies for the selection of this strain as the object of study of this undergrad project. Therefore, this project proposes the chemical study of this actinobacterium, as well as the study of its ecological interaction with specialized parasitic fungi in the genus Escovopsis. In order to achieve this aim, the strain MG28-1.10 will be cultured in large scale, extracts will be prepared and bioactive compounds against Escovopsis will be isolated using chromatographic methods. Furthermore, we will pursue different approaches of co-cultivation using the microorganisms MG28-1.10 and Escovopsis. Thus, this project will contribute to the success of the identification of new bioactive substances using strategies based on the chemical and ecological interactions between microorganisms symbionts of ants and garden pathogenic fungi. (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)

ORTEGA, HUMBERTO E.; BATISTA, JR., JOAO M.; MELO, WEILAN G. P.; DE PAULA, GABRIELA T.; PUPO, MONICA T.. Structure and Absolute Configuration of Secondary Metabolites from Two Strains of Streptomyces chartreusis Associated with Attine Ants. Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society, v. 30, n. 12, SI, p. 2672-2680, DEC 2019. (15/07089-2, 13/50954-0, 14/25222-9, 14/14095-6, 17/05920-1, 15/01001-6)