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| Author(s): |
Tássio Brito de Oliveira
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Doctoral Thesis |
| Press: | Rio Claro. 2016-12-20. |
| Institution: | Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Instituto de Biociências. Rio Claro |
| Defense date: | 2016-11-18 |
| Advisor: | Andre Rodrigues; Eleni Gomes |
| Abstract | |
Pressmud is derived from sugarcane juice filtrate (around 26 to 40 kg per ton of sugarcane) and it is mainly used as fertilizer in crops without prior treatment. Here, the fungal diversity present in both fresh and composting pressmud was revealed by 454 pyrosequencing. In addition, heat-tolerant fungi were isolated and surveyed for their repertoire of biomass-degrading enzymes (cellulase, xylanase, laccase and polygalacturonase). The fact that the taxonomy of such organisms is still obscure, we revised their taxonomy in the light of the recent changes adopted in the Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi and Plants. A wide range of opportunistic pathogens was found among the most abundant taxa in fresh pressmud, such as Lomentospora prolificans (43.13%), Trichosporon sp. (10.07%), Candida tropicalis (7.91%), and Hormographiella aspergillata (8.19%). This indicates that fresh pressmud may be a source of human pathogenic fungi, presenting a potential threat to human health if applied as fertilizer without treatment. Composting of the pressmud effectively reduces the load of such fungi. Furthermore, the composting system creates an interesting environment for fungi able to produce enzymes with biotechnological applications, since all the 110 isolates screened were able to produce at least one of the tested enzymes.Furthermore, comparative analysis of peptidases genes encoded by thermophilic (generally found in composting systems) and mesophilic fungi showed that thermophyly selected for thermostable enzymes. (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 12/14594-7 - Fungi in the pressmud composting: diversity, genomics and biotechnological potential |
| Grantee: | Tássio Brito de Oliveira |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate |