Williamsia aurantiacus sp. nov. a novel actinobacterium producer of antimicrobial compounds isolated from the marine sponge.

An antibiotic-producing actinobacterium, designated isolate B375T, was isolated from marine sponge Glodia corticostylifera collected from Praia Guaecá, São Paulo, Brazil (23°49S; 45°25W), and its taxonomic position established using data from a polyphasic study. The organism showed a combination of morphological, physiological, biochemical and chemotaxonomic characteristics consistent with its classification in the genus Williamsia. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that the strain B375T was most closely related to Williamsia serinedens DSM 45037T and Williamsia spongiae DSM 46676T and having 99.43% and 98.65% similarities, respectively, but was distinguished from these strains by a low level of DNA-DNA relatedness (53.2-63.2%) and discriminatory phenotypic properties. Chemotaxonomic investigations revealed the presence of cell-wall chemotype IV and N-glycolated muramic acid residues present in the wall cells. The cells contained C16:0 (23.3%), C18:0 10-methyl (23.2%) and C18:1 ω9c (21.6%) as the major cellular fatty acids. The strain B375T inhibited growing of Staphylococcus aureus and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides strains and was considered a producer of antimicrobial compounds. Based on the data obtained, the isolate B375T (= CBMAI 1090T = DSM 46677T) should, therefore, be classified as the type strain of a novel species of the genus Williamsia, for which the name Williamsia aurantiacus sp. nov. is proposed.

Gordonia didemni sp. nov. an actinomycete isolated from the marine ascidium Didemnum sp.

A novel actinobacterium, designated isolate B204(T), was isolated from a marine ascidian Didemnum sp., collected from São Paulo, Brazil, and its taxonomic position established using data from a polyphasic study. The organism showed a combination of chemotaxonomic and morphological characteristics consistent with its classification in the genus Gordonia and formed a distinct phyletic line in the Gordonia 16S rRNA gene tree. It was closely related to Gordonia terrae DSM 43249(T) (99.9 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity) and Gordonia lacunae DSM 45085(T) (99.3 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity) but was distinguished from these strains by a moderate level of DNA-DNA relatedness (63.0 and 54.7 %) and discriminatory phenotypic properties. Based on the data obtained, the isolate B204(T) (=CBMAI 1069(T) = DSM 46679(T)) should therefore be classified as the type strain of a novel species of the genus Gordonia, for which the name Gordonia didemni sp. nov. is proposed.

Marmoricola aquaticus sp. nov., an actinomycete isolated from a marine sponge.

A novel marine actinomycete, designated B374(T), was isolated from a marine sponge, Glodia corticostylifera, which was collected from São Paulo, Brasil. The taxonomic position of B374(T) was established by using data derived from a polyphasic approach. The organism showed a combination of chemotaxonomic and morphological characteristics consistent with its classification in the genus Marmoricola and it formed a distinct phyletic line in the clade of the genus Marmoricola, based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. Strain B374(T) was most closely related to Marmoricola aequoreus SST-45(T) (98.5% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity), but was distinguished from this strain and from the other type strains of species of the genus Marmoricola on the basis of a combination of phenotypic properties. The data obtained, therefore, indicates that isolate B374(T) ( = CBMAI 1089(T) = DSM 28169(T)) should be classified as a novel species of the genus Marmoricola, for which the name Marmoricola aquaticus sp. nov. is proposed.

The genome of Anopheles darlingi, the main neotropical malaria vector.

Anopheles darlingi is the principal neotropical malaria vector, responsible for more than a million cases of malaria per year on the American continent. Anopheles darlingi diverged from the African and Asian malaria vectors ∼100 million years ago (mya) and successfully adapted to the New World environment. Here we present an annotated reference A. darlingi genome, sequenced from a wild population of males and females collected in the Brazilian Amazon. A total of 10 481 predicted protein-coding genes were annotated, 72% of which have their closest counterpart in Anopheles gambiae and 21% have highest similarity with other mosquito species. In spite of a long period of divergent evolution, conserved gene synteny was observed between A. darlingi and A. gambiae. More than 10 million single nucleotide polymorphisms and short indels with potential use as genetic markers were identified. Transposable elements correspond to 2.3% of the A. darlingi genome. Genes associated with hematophagy, immunity and insecticide resistance, directly involved in vector-human and vector-parasite interactions, were identified and discussed. This study represents the first effort to sequence the genome of a neotropical malaria vector, and opens a new window through which we can contemplate the evolutionary history of anopheline mosquitoes. It also provides valuable information that may lead to novel strategies to reduce malaria transmission on the South American continent. The A. darlingi genome is accessible at www.labinfo.lncc.br/index.php/anopheles-darlingi.

Antiviral activity of Bacillus sp. isolated from the marine sponge Petromica citrina against bovine viral diarrhea virus, a surrogate model of the hepatitis C virus.

The Hepatitis C virus causes chronic infections in humans, which can develop to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The Bovine viral diarrhea virus is used as a surrogate model for antiviral assays for the HCV. From marine invertebrates and microorganisms isolated from them, extracts were prepared for assessment of their possible antiviral activity. Of the 128 tested, 2 were considered active and 1 was considered promising. The best result was obtained from the extracts produced from the Bacillus sp. isolated from the sponge Petromica citrina. The extracts 555 (500 µg/mL, SI>18) and 584 (150 µg/mL, SI 27) showed a percentage of protection of 98% against BVDV, and the extract 616, 90% of protection. All of them showed activity during the viral adsorption. Thus, various substances are active on these studied organisms and may lead to the development of drugs which ensure an alternative therapy for the treatment of hepatitis C.

Predicting the proteins of Angomonas deanei, Strigomonas culicis and their respective endosymbionts reveals new aspects of the trypanosomatidae family.

Endosymbiont-bearing trypanosomatids have been considered excellent models for the study of cell evolution because the host protozoan co-evolves with an intracellular bacterium in a mutualistic relationship. Such protozoa inhabit a single invertebrate host during their entire life cycle and exhibit special characteristics that group them in a particular phylogenetic cluster of the Trypanosomatidae family, thus classified as monoxenics. In an effort to better understand such symbiotic association, we used DNA pyrosequencing and a reference-guided assembly to generate reads that predicted 16,960 and 12,162 open reading frames (ORFs) in two symbiont-bearing trypanosomatids, Angomonas deanei (previously named as Crithidia deanei) and Strigomonas culicis (first known as Blastocrithidia culicis), respectively. Identification of each ORF was based primarily on TriTrypDB using tblastn, and each ORF was confirmed by employing getorf from EMBOSS and Newbler 2.6 when necessary. The monoxenic organisms revealed conserved housekeeping functions when compared to other trypanosomatids, especially compared with Leishmania major. However, major differences were found in ORFs corresponding to the cytoskeleton, the kinetoplast, and the paraflagellar structure. The monoxenic organisms also contain a large number of genes for cytosolic calpain-like and surface gp63 metalloproteases and a reduced number of compartmentalized cysteine proteases in comparison to other TriTryp organisms, reflecting adaptations to the presence of the symbiont. The assembled bacterial endosymbiont sequences exhibit a high A+T content with a total of 787 and 769 ORFs for the Angomonas deanei and Strigomonas culicis endosymbionts, respectively, and indicate that these organisms hold a common ancestor related to the Alcaligenaceae family. Importantly, both symbionts contain enzymes that complement essential host cell biosynthetic pathways, such as those for amino acid, lipid and purine/pyrimidine metabolism. These findings increase our understanding of the intricate symbiotic relationship between the bacterium and the trypanosomatid host and provide clues to better understand eukaryotic cell evolution.