Genomic Analysis of Skin Symbiotic Bacteria in Frogs as Potential Source of Volatile Compounds

• Grant number: 17/23725-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: February 28, 2018
• End date: August 27, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Biology and Physiology of Microorganisms
• Principal Investigator: Norberto Peporine Lopes
• Grantee: Andrés Eduardo Brunetti
• Supervisor: Miguel Vences Y Kilfitt
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Technology Braunschweig, Germany
• Associated to the scholarship: 14/20915-6 - Chemical ecology in anurans: characterization of volatile compounds and peptide pheromones from the skin secretions of frogs, BP.PD

Abstract

Microorganisms inhabited different regions of animal bodies and are known to participate in fundamental aspects of the host biology such as defense against pathogens and nutrition. In addition, a few studies in mammals highlight that bacteria harbored in scent glands may produce odorous compounds used by the host to communicate. In amphibians, the role of skin-associated bacteria has been examined in relation to protection against a pathogenic fungal disease, whereas others potential contributions remain unknown. The skin of amphibians has also been widely appreciated for research in organic chemistry and biochemistry because it stores a large diversity of bioactive molecules. Besides, hundreds of species from different taxonomic groups secrete volatile compounds, which in most cases are recognized for their characteristic smells. A few recent studies have made the first steps towards understanding the chemical diversity of these compounds. These studies include those published by our group and by the group of Prof. Miguel Vences. In particular, the studies of Prof. Vences were the first to demonstrate the presence of a volatile pheromone in amphibians. Despite these advances, most aspects of volatile compounds, mainly the biosynthetic origin and function, are almost completely unknown. The present project aims to survey the skin symbiotic bacteria as a potential source of volatile compounds in amphibians. Specifically, it will be based on genomic analysis of one bacteria strain that produce the same volatiles than it host. The study system may provide strong evidence of the influence of associated microbiota in amphibian odorous secretions, and also may contribute to understand the potential role of symbiotic interactions between amphibians and microbes for other secondary metabolites.

Scientific publications

(8)

(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)

TABOADA, CARLOS; BRUNETTI, ANDRES E.; LYRA, MARIANA L.; FITAK, ROBERT R.; FAIGON SOVERNA, ANA; RON, SANTIAGO R.; LAGORIO, MARIA G.; HADDAD, CELIO F. B.; LOPES, NORBERTO P.; JOHNSEN, SONKE; et al. Multiple origins of green coloration in frogs mediated by a novel biliverdin-binding serpin. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, v. 117, n. 31, p. 18574-18581, AUG 4 2020. (17/23725-1, 12/10000-5, 14/50342-8, 14/20915-6, 13/50741-7, 17/26162-8, 18/15425-0)

GONZALEZ, MABEL; PALACIOS-RODRIGUEZ, PABLO; HERNANDEZ-RESTREPO, JACK; GONZALEZ-SANTORO, MARCO; AMEZQUITA, ADOLFO; BRUNETTI, ANDRES E.; CARAZZONE, CHIARA. First characterization of toxic alkaloids and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the cryptic dendrobatid Silverstoneia punctiventris. Frontiers in Zoology, v. 18, n. 1, AUG 26 2021. (17/23725-1, 14/20915-6)

BRUNETTI, ANDRES E.; MARANI, MARIELA M.; SOLDI, RAFAEL A.; MENDONCA, JACQUELINE NAKAU; FAIVOVICH, JULIAN; CABRERA, GABRIELA M.; LOPES, NORBERTO P.. Cleavage of Peptides from Amphibian Skin Revealed by Combining Analysis of Gland Secretion and in Situ MALDI Imaging Mass Spectrometry. ACS OMEGA, v. 3, n. 5, p. 5426-5434, MAY 2018. (17/23725-1, 12/10000-5, 14/20915-6, 13/50741-7, 14/50265-3)

AILIN O'DONOHOE, M. E.; CELESTE LUNA, MARIA; REGUEIRA, ELEONORA; BRUNETTI, ANDRES E.; BASSO, NESTOR G.; LYNCH, JOHN D.; PEREYRA, MARTIN O.; HERMIDA, GLADYS N.. Diversity and evolution of the parotoid macrogland in true toads (Anura: Bufonidae). ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY, v. 187, n. 2, p. 453-478, OCT 2019. (14/20915-6, 17/23725-1)

CELESTE LUNA, MARIA; ROBERTO VASQUEZ-ALMAZAN, CARLOS; FAIVOVICH, JULIAN; EDUARDO BRUNETTI, ANDRES. Gland composition in sexually dimorphic skin structures of two species of Hylid frogs: Plectrohyla guatemalensis and Ptychohyla hypomykter. Amphibia-Reptilia, v. 40, n. 4, p. 523-529, 2019. (13/50741-7, 12/10000-5, 14/20915-6, 17/23725-1)

BRUNETTI, ANDRES E.; FUZO, CARLOS A.; AGUILAR, SILVANA; RIVERA-CORREA, MAURICIO; MARANI, MARIELA M.; LOPES, NORBERTO P.. The Significance of Hypervariability and Conserved Motifs in Antimicrobial Peptides from Tree Frogs. Journal of Natural Products, v. 86, n. 7, p. 9-pg., 2023-05-23. (17/23725-1, 20/02207-5, 14/20915-6)

BRUNETTI, ANDRES E.; BUNK, BOYKE; LYRA, MARIANA L.; FUZO, CARLOS A.; MARANI, MARIELA M.; SPROEER, CATHRIN; HADDAD, CELIO F. B.; LOPES, NORBERTO P.; OVERMANN, JOERG. olecular basis of a bacterial-amphibian symbiosis revealed by comparative genomics, modeling, and functional testin. ISME Journal, v. 16, n. 3, OCT 2021. (20/02207-5, 13/50954-0, 17/26162-8, 17/23725-1, 14/20915-6)

BRUNETTI, ANDRES E.; LYRA, MARIANA L.; MELO, WEILAN G. P.; ANDRADE, LAURA E.; PALACIOS-RODRIGUEZ, PABLO; PRADO, BARBARA M.; HADDAD, CELIO F. B.; PUPO, MONICA T.; LOPES, NORBERTO P.. Symbiotic skin bacteria as a source for sex-specific scents in frogs. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, v. 116, n. 6, p. 2124-2129, FEB 5 2019. (17/23725-1, 14/20915-6, 13/50741-7, 17/26162-8, 13/50954-0, 14/50265-3, 15/01001-6)