Manuela da Silva

Marine-derived filamentous fungi and their potential application for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon bioremediation.

Eight marine-derived fungi that were previously selected for their abilities to decolorize RBBR dye were subjected to pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene degradation. The fungus Aspergillus sclerotiorum CBMAI 849 showed the best performance with regard to pyrene (99.7%) and benzo[a]pyrene (76.6%) depletion after 8 and 16 days, respectively. Substantial amounts of benzo[a]pyrene (>50.0%) depletion were also achieved by Mucor racemosus CBMAI 847. Therefore, these two fungal strains were subjected to metabolism evaluation using the HPLC-DAD-MS technique. The results showed that A. sclerotiorum CBMAI 849 and M. racemosus CBMAI 847 were able to metabolize pyrene to the corresponding pyrenylsulfate and were able to metabolize benzo[a]pyrene to benzo[a]pyrenylsulfate, suggesting that the mechanism of hydroxylation is mediated by a cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase, followed by conjugation with sulfate ions. Because these fungi were adapted to the marine environment, the strains that were used in the present study are considered to be attractive targets for the bioremediation of saline environments, such as ocean and marine sediments that are contaminated by PAHs.

Cutaneous mucormycosis in a young, immunocompetent girl

We report a case of cutaneous mucormycosis in a healthy, immunocompetent young girl (age 14 years). The patient had a 5-year history of a slowly enlarging, erythematous plaque with slight elevated, scaling, circinate borders on the right thigh. Histopathology showed a granulomatous infiltrate with broad, pale, non-septate hyphae. Mycological study identified Mucor hiemalis (Wehmer).

Degradation and detoxification of three textile Azo dyes by mixed fungal cultures from semi-arid region of Brazilian Northeast

The aim of this work was to study the degradation and detoxification of three textile azo dyes (Reactive Red 198, Reactive Red 141 and Reactive Blue 214) by mixed fungal cultures from semi-arid region of Brazilian Northeast. Sediment samples of twenty water reservoirs in the surroundings of Serra da Capivara National Park, area of environmental preservation in the caatinga in the State of Piaui, with semi-arid climate, were evaluated in order to select the consortia of fungi capable to degrade and detoxify these dyes. The mixed fungal culture from Caldeirao Escuridao (CE) reservoir was the most efficient in the degradation and detoxification of the dyes tested.

Morphological and biochemical characterization of the aetiological agents of white piedra

The Trichosporon genus is constituted by many species, of which Trichosporon ovoides and Trichosporon inkin are the causative agents of white piedra. They can cause nodules in genital hair or on the scalp. At present, Brazilian laboratory routines generally do not include the identification of the species of Trichosporon genus, which, although morphologically and physiologically distinct, present many similarities, making the identification difficult. The aim of this study was to identify the aetiological agents at the species level of white piedra from clinical specimens. Therefore, both the macro and micro morphology were studied, and physiological tests were performed. Trichosporon spp. was isolated from 10 clinical samples; T. ovoides was predominant, as it was found in seven samples, while T. inkin was identified just in two samples. One isolate could not be identified at the species level. T. inkin was identified for the first time as a white piedra agent in the hair shaft on child under the age of 10.

Cryptococcus neoformans carried by Odontomachus bauri ants

Cryptococcus neoformans is the most common causative agent of cryptococcosis worldwide. Although this fungus has been isolated from a variety of organic substrates, several studies suggest that hollow trees constitute an important natural niche for C. neoformans. A previously surveyed hollow of a living pink shower tree (Cassia grandis) positive for C. neoformans in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was chosen for further investigation. Odontomachus bauri ants (trap-jaw ants) found inside the hollow were collected for evaluation as possible carriers of Cryptococcus spp. Two out of 10 ants were found to carry phenoloxidase-positive colonies identified as C. neoformans molecular types VNI and VNII. The ants may have acted as a mechanical vector of C. neoformans and possibly contributed to the dispersal of the fungi from one substrate to another. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the association of C. neoformans with ants of the genus Odontomachus.

The U.S. Culture Collection Network Responding to the Requirements of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing

ABSTRACT The U.S. Culture Collection Network held a meeting to share information about how culture collections are responding to the requirements of the recently enacted Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The meeting included representatives of many culture collections and other biological collections, the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Secretariat of the CBD, interested scientific societies, and collection groups, including Scientific Collections International and the Global Genome Biodiversity Network. The participants learned about the policies of the United States and other countries regarding access to genetic resources, the definition of genetic resources, and the status of historical materials and genetic sequence information. Key topics included what constitutes access and how the CBD Access and Benefit-Sharing Clearing-House can help guide researchers through the process of obtaining Prior Informed Consent on Mutually Agreed Terms. U.S. scientists and their international collaborators are required to follow the regulations of other countries when working with microbes originally isolated outside the United States, and the local regulations required by the Nagoya Protocol vary by the country of origin of the genetic resource. Managers of diverse living collections in the United States described their holdings and their efforts to provide access to genetic resources. This meeting laid the foundation for cooperation in establishing a set of standard operating procedures for U.S. and international culture collections in response to the Nagoya Protocol.

Nosocomial candidiasis in Rio de Janeiro State: Distribution and fluconazole susceptibility profile

One hundred and forty-one Candida species isolated from clinical specimens of hospitalized patients in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during 2002 to 2007, were analized in order to evaluate the distribution and susceptibility of these species to fluconazole. Candida albicans was the most frequent species (45.4%), followed by C. parapsilosis sensu lato (28.4%), C. tropicalis (14.2%), C. guilliermondii (6.4%), C. famata (2.8%), C. glabrata (1.4%), C. krusei (0.7%) and C. lambica (0.7%). The sources of fungal isolates were blood (47.5%), respiratory tract (17.7%), urinary tract (16.3%), skin and mucous membrane (7.1%), catheter (5.6%), feces (2.1%) and mitral valve tissue (0.7%). The susceptibility test was performed using the methodology of disk-diffusion in agar as recommended in the M44-A2 Document of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). The majority of the clinical isolates (97.2%) was susceptible (S) to fluconazole, although three isolates (2.1%) were susceptible-dose dependent (S-DD) and one of them (0.7%) was resistant (R). The S-DD isolates were C. albicans, C. parapsilosis sensu lato and C. tropicalis. One isolate of C. krusei was resistant to fluconazole. This work documents the high susceptibility to fluconazole by Candida species isolated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The new Brazilian legislation on access to the biodiversity (Law 13,123/15 and Decree 8772/16)

he Provisional Act (Medida Provisória – MP) 2,186-16, of ugust 23, 2001, was the first legal framework to regulate ccess to Genetic Heritage (GH)1 and Associated Traditional nowledge (ATK)2 in Brazil for purposes of scientific research, ioprospecting, and technological development. This MP was lso responsible for the creation of the Genetic Heritage anagement Council (CGen). However, this MP had very egative impact on scientific research, displeasing the acaemic community, which felt obstructed by bureaucratization nd criminalized by administrative penalties, discouraging esearch & Development (R&D) of Brazilian biodiversity esources. The construction of a new legislation was complex, considring the different interests and visions among diverse sectors f civil society, represented by the academia, business sector, nd holders of associated traditional knowledge, as well as the ifferent sectors of government. Thus, it was almost 15 years efore the publication of the “New Law on Biodiversity”, Law 3,123 of May 20, 2015, which came into force on November 17, 016. However, regulation occurred only six months after the

Evaluation of a fungal collection as certified reference material producer and as a biological resource center

Considering the absence of standards for culture collections and more specifically for biological resource centers in the world, in addition to the absence of certified biological material in Brazil, this study aimed to evaluate a Fungal Collection from Fiocruz, as a producer of certified reference material and as Biological Resource Center (BRC). For this evaluation, a checklist based on the requirements of ABNT ISO GUIA34:2012 correlated with the ABNT NBR ISO/IEC17025:2005, was designed and applied. Complementing the implementation of the checklist, an internal audit was performed. An evaluation of this Collection as a BRC was also conducted following the requirements of the NIT-DICLA-061, the Brazilian internal standard from Inmetro, based on ABNT NBR ISO/IEC 17025:2005, ABNT ISO GUIA 34:2012 and OECD Best Practice Guidelines for BRCs. This was the first time that the NIT DICLA-061 was applied in a culture collection during an internal audit. The assessments enabled the proposal for the adequacy of this Collection to assure the implementation of the management system for their future accreditation by Inmetro as a certified reference material producer as well as its future accreditation as a Biological Resource Center according to the NIT-DICLA-061.

Propazine degradation by intra- and extracellular enzymes from Pleurotus ostreatus INCQS 40310

Abstract The propazine herbicide has been used worldwide in different crops of economic relevance. Due to its recalcitrance and leaching capacity, propazine is often found in water bodies in several countries above the allowed levels. Besides preventing contamination, it is crucial to improve the current degradation processes. Within this context, the aim of the present study was the evaluation of propazine degradation by Pleurotus ostreatus INCQS 40310, considering the contribution of intra- and extracellular enzymes during the process. Two culture media were used, namely PMP 7 and PMP 12, which were previously optimized through factorial design for atrazine degradation. The best results for propazine degradation were obtained from P. ostreatus INCQS 40310 cultivated in PMP 12 culture medium. Pleurotus ostreatus INCQS 40310 grown in PMP 12 degraded 90% of the propazine after 32 d. In a separate experiment that used only resting cells of P. ostreatus INCQS 40310, which were previously washed with phosphate buffer, 37.5% propazine degradation was observed after 7 d (32 d of cultivation in PMP 12 for growth and 7 d of resting cell incubation), which indicates the participation of intracellular enzymes. However, when the same degradation test was conducted using crude supernatant obtained from P. ostreatus INCQS 40310 cultivation, 31% of the propazine was degraded in PMP 12 after 7 d suggesting that extracellular enzymes are also involved. The highest percentage of propazine degradation, 90%, was only obtained during the full cultivation of P. ostreatus INCQS 40310. In addition, the isolated tests with resting cells and crude supernatant showed the participation of intra- and extracellular enzymes in a complementary manner and suggested the synergistic action of both.