Carlos Américo Veiga Damasceno

Extraction, partial purification and characterization of a bacteriocin (fragilicin) produced by a strain of Bacteroides fragilis isolated from Callithrix penicillata

A strain of Bacteroides fragilis, isolated from the marmoset Callithrix penicillata, produced protein(s) with bacteriocin activity (fragicilin). Two active fractions (36 and 150 kDa) were isolated by chromatography. The bacteriocin exhibited iso- and heteroantagonism. It remained stable between pH 3 and 10 and at 60 degrees C for 24 h. Pronase, trypsin, proteinase K and type VII protease inactivated the bacteriocin, giving evidence of its protein nature.

Bacteriocin-like activity of Bacteriodes fragilis group isolated from marmosets

The ability of strains of the B. fragilis group, isolated from the oral cavity and intestine of marmosets, to produce bacteriorin-like substances in solid medium, in terms of auto-, iso- and heteroantagonism, was evaluated. Antagonistic activity was exhibited by 52% of the intestinal strains, 3 of which showed autoantagonistic activity. Three out of 9 oral strains isolated, tested against themselves, showed simultaneous isoantagonism to 4 indicator strains; but not autoantagonism. The same 9 oral strains, when tested against 16 reference strains, revealed interspecific activity only against 2 Gram-positive microorganisms. Higher activity, evaluated by the size of the inhibition halo, was observed in BHI-S agar, and greatest inhibition was obtained after 72 h of incubation.

Isolation and identification of strains of Bacteroides fragilis group from the digestive tract of Callithrix penicillata marmosets

Thirty-five strains of the Bacteroides fragilis group were isolated from oral and intestinal samples from 5 wild caught, captive Callithrix penicillata. Nine oral strains of Bacteroides fragilis (7) and Bacteroides distasonis (2), and 26 intestinal strains of Bacteroides fragilis (14) and Bacteroides distasonis (12) were identified.

Antimicrobial resistance and plasmid detection in strains of the Bacteroides fragilis group

Resistant populations of the Bacteroides fragilis group bacteria (two reference ones and two isolated from human and Callithrix penicillata marmoset) were obtained by the gradient plate technique, to clindamycin, penicillin G, metronidazole and mercuric chloride. All the four tested strains were originally susceptible to the four antimicrobial drugs at the breakpoint used in this study. MICs determination for the four cultures gave constant values for each antimicrobial, on the several steps by the gradient plate technique. The intestinal human B. fragilis strains showed three DNA bands, that could be representative of only two plasmids in the closed covalently circular (CCC) form with molecular weights of approximately 25 and 2.5 Md. The results do not permit an association between the presence of plasmid in the human strain with the susceptibility to the studied drugs. The four strains were beta-lactamase negative in the two methods used, and no particular chromosomal genetic resistance marker was demonstrated. The resistance (MIC) observed, after contact with penicillin G and mercuric chloride, were two-fold in the four tested strains.