Insights Into the Ecological Role of Pseudomonas spp. in an Ant-plant Symbiosis

Autor(es)

Fukuda, Taise T. H. ^[1] ; Pereira, Camila F. ^[1] ; Melo, Weilan G. P. ^[1] ; Menegatti, Carla ^[1] ; Andrade, Paulo H. M. ^[2] ; Groppo, Milton ^[3] ; Lacava, Paulo T. ^[2] ; Currie, Cameron R. ^[4] ; Pupo, Monica T. ^[1]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Pharmaceut Sci Ribeirao Preto, Ribeirao Preto - Brazil

^[2] Univ Fed Sao Carlos, Ctr Biol & Hlth Sci, Dept Morphol & Pathol, Lab Microbiol & Biomol, Sao Carlos - Brazil

^[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Philosophy Sci & Letters Ribeirao Preto, Dept Biol, Lab Plant Systemat, Ribeirao Preto - Brazil

^[4] Univ Wisconsin, Dept Bacteriol, Madison, WI 53706 - USA

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY; v. 12, FEB 1 2021.
• Citações Web of Science: 2

Resumo

In the myrmecophytic mutualistic relationship between Azteca ants and Cecropia plants both species receive protection and exchange nutrients. The presence of microorganisms in this symbiotic system has been reported, and the symbiotic role of some fungi involved in the myrmecophytic interactions has been described. In this work we focus on bacteria within this mutualism, conducting isolations and screening for antimicrobial activities, genome sequencing, and biochemical characterization. We show that Pantoea, Rhizobium, Methylobacterium, Streptomyces and Pseudomonas are the most common cultivable genera of bacteria. Interestingly, Pseudomonas spp. isolates showed potent activity against 83% of the pathogens tested in our antimicrobial activity assays, including a phytopathogenic fungus isolated from Cecropia samples. Given the predicted nitrogen limitations associated with the fungal patches within this myrmecophyte, we performed nitrogen fixation analyses on the bacterial isolates within the Proteobacteria and show the potential for nitrogen fixation in Pseudomonas strains. The genome of one Pseudomonas strain was sequenced and analyzed. The gene cluster involved in the biosynthesis of cyclic lipodepsipeptides (CLPs) was identified, and we found mutations that may be related to the loss of function in the dual epimerization/condensation domains. The compound was isolated, and its structure was determined, corresponding to the antifungal viscosinamide. Our findings of diazotrophy and production of viscosinamide in multiple Pseudomonas isolates suggests that this bacterial genus may play an important role in the Cecropia-Azteca symbiosis. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 16/15576-3 - Produtos naturais envolvidos na simbiose entre actinobactérias e insetos sociais
• Beneficiário: Carla Menegatti
• Linha de fomento: Bolsas no Brasil - Doutorado
• Processo FAPESP: 16/26230-0 - Estudo da simbiose Cecropia-Azteca: interações microbianas interespecíficas como eliciadores de atividade antimicrobiana
• Beneficiário: Camila Fiori Pereira
• Linha de fomento: Bolsas no Brasil - Iniciação Científica
• Processo FAPESP: 17/17305-0 - Estudo da simbiose bacteriana no sistema Cecropia-Azteca por meio de ferramentas químicas e genéticas
• Beneficiário: Taise Tomie Hebihara Fukuda
• Linha de fomento: Bolsas no Exterior - Estágio de Pesquisa - Doutorado Direto
• Processo FAPESP: 13/50954-0 - Novos agentes terapêuticos obtidos de bactérias simbiontes de invertebrados brasileiros
• Beneficiário: Mônica Tallarico Pupo
• Linha de fomento: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Programa BIOTA - Temático
• Processo FAPESP: 15/26349-5 - Estudo químico e ecológico de microrganismos associados à simbiose Cecropia-Azteca
• Beneficiário: Taise Tomie Hebihara Fukuda
• Linha de fomento: Bolsas no Brasil - Doutorado Direto
• Processo FAPESP: 15/01001-6 - Descobrindo a diversidade simbionte bacteriana associada com formigas agricultoras em diferentes biomas brasileiros
• Beneficiário: Weilan Gomes da Paixão Melo
• Linha de fomento: Bolsas no Brasil - Pós-Doutorado
• Processo FAPESP: 19/19099-3 - Análise genômica de linhagens de Pseudonocardia produtoras de antibióticos associadas com formigas da tribo Attini
• Beneficiário: Weilan Gomes da Paixão Melo
• Linha de fomento: Bolsas no Brasil - Programa Capacitação - Treinamento Técnico