Physiological and genomic characterization of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum isolated from Indri indri in Madagascar.

AIMS: Indri indri is a lemur of Madagascar which is critically endangered. The analysis of the microbial ecology of the intestine offers tools to improve conservation efforts. This study aimed to achieve a functional genomic analysis of three Lactiplantibacillus plantarum isolates from indris. METHODS AND RESULTS: Samples were obtained from 18 indri; 3 isolates of Lp. plantarum were obtained from two individuals. The three isolates were closely related to each other, with <10 single nucleotide polymorphisms, suggesting that the two individuals shared diet-associated microbes. The genomes of the three isolates were compared to 96 reference strains of Lp. plantarum. The three isolates of Lp. plantarum were not phenotypically resistant to antibiotics but shared all 17 genes related to antimicrobial resistance that are part of the core genome of Lp. plantarum. The genomes of the three indri isolates of Lp. plantarum also encoded for the 6 core genome genes coding for enzymes related to metabolism of hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids. The phenotype for metabolism of hydroxycinnamic acids by indri isolates of Lp. plantarum matched the genotype. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple antimicrobial resistance genes and gene coding for metabolism of phenolic compounds were identified in the genomes of the indri isolates, suggesting that Lp. plantarum maintains antimicrobial resistance in defense of antimicrobial plant secondary pathogens and that their metabolism by intestinal bacteria aids digestion of plant material by primate hosts.

Bifidobacterium mellis sp. nov., isolated from the honey stomach of the honey bee Apis mellifera.

A novel Bifidobacterium strain, Bin7NT, was isolated from the honey stomach of the honey bee Apis mellifera. Cells are Gram-positive, non-motile, non-sporulating, facultative anaerobic and fructose 6-phosphate phosphoketolase-positive. Their optimal growth is at 37 °C in anaerobiosis in MRS (De Man, Rogosa and Sharpe) added with cysteine. The honey bee microbiota was composed of several phylotypes of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. Comparative analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity revealed that strain Bin7NT grouped with Bifidobacterium species originating from honey bees and was closely related to Bifidobacterium asteroides DSM 20089T (99.67 % similarity). However, the highest average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values of 94.88 and 60.6 %, respectively, were obtained with Bifidobacterium choladohabitans JCM 34586T. The DNA G+C content of the type strain is 60.8 mol%. The cell-wall peptidoglycan is of the A4ß l-Orn-d-Asp type. The main cellular fatty acids of strain Bin7NT are C18 : 1 ω9c, C16 : 0, C18 : 1 ω7c and C18 : 0. Phenotypic characterization and genotyping based on the genome sequences clearly show that this strain is distinct from the type strains of the so far recognized Bifidobacterium species. Thus, Bifidobacterium mellis sp. nov. (Bin7NT=DSM 29108T=CCUG 66113T) is proposed as novel Bifidobacterium species.

Desafios e possibilidades pa ra a implementação de uma educaçãoespecial e inclusiva na rede estadual de ensino de sergipe1 / Challenges and possibilities for implementing a special and inclusive education in the state education network of sergipe

RESUMO Este artigo é fruto de uma pesquisa realizada na Rede Estadual de Ensino de Sergipe acerca da implementação da Educação Especial na Perspectiva da Educação Inclusiva, conforme preconizam a legislação e as políticas públicas brasileiras. Para tanto, teve-se como objetivo apresentar os desafios e as possibilidades que entremeiam a implementação da Educação Especial e Inclusiva no locus supracitado. O estudo, de caráter qualitativo, foi desenvolvido sob a égide da Análise de Conteúdo, e a interpretação dos dados deu-se a partir de seis categorias emergentes: 1) Educação Especial; 2) Educação Inclusiva; 3) Formação Docente; 4) Profissionalidade Docente; 5) Dimensão Coletiva do Trabalho Pedagógico; e 6) Políticas Públicas Educacionais. Os resultados desvelaram que existem indícios de desenvolvimento de uma Educação Especial e Inclusiva, apesar de desafios como falta de investimentos por parte do poder público, sucateamento da educação e falta de formação continuada docente. Todavia, vislumbraram-se possibilidades para que esse contexto possa ser ressignificado na realidade sergipana.

ABSTRACT This article is the result of research carried out in the State Education Network of Sergipe, Brazil, about the implementation of Special Education from the perspective of Inclusive Education, as recommended by Brazilian legislation and public policies. Therefore, the aim was to present the challenges and possibilities that intertwine the implementation of Special and Inclusive Education in the aforementioned locus. The study, of a qualitative nature, was developed under the aegis of the Content Analysis, and the interpretation of the data was based on six emerging categories: 1) Special Education; 2) Inclusive Education; 3) Teacher Training; 4) Teaching Professionality; 5) Collective Dimension of Pedagogical Work; and 6) Education Public Policies. The results revealed that there are signs of development of a Special and Inclusive Education, despite challenges such as lack of investment by the public power, leaving education in ruins and lack of continuing teacher training. However, possibilities were envisioned so that this context may be re-signified in the reality of the state of Sergipe.

In Vitro Activity of Tea Tree Oil Vaginal Suppositories against Candida spp. and Probiotic Vaginal Microbiota.

The aim of this work is to evaluate the in vitro microbicidal activity of vaginal suppositories (VS) containing tea tree oil (TTO-VS) towards Candida spp. and vaginal probiotics. A total of 20 Candida spp. strains, taken from patients with vaginitis and from an established type collection, including reference strains, were analysed by using the CLSI microdilution method. To study the action of VS towards the beneficial vaginal microbiota, the sensitivity of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (DSM 10140) and Lactobacillus spp. (Lactobacillus casei R-215 and Lactobacillus acidophilus R-52) was tested. Both TTO-VS and TTO showed fungicidal activity against all strains of Candida spp. whereas placebo-VS or the Aloe gel used as controls were ineffective. The study of fractional fungicidal concentrations (FFC) showed synergistic interaction with the association between Amphotericin B and TTO (0.25 to 0.08 µg/ml, respectively) against Candida albicans. Instead, the probiotics were only affected by TTO concentration ≥ 4% v/v, while, at concentrations < 2% v/v, they remained viable. TTO-VS exhibits, in vitro, a selective fungicidal action, slightly affecting only the Bifidobacteriun animalis strain growth belonging to the vaginal microbiota. In vivo studies are needed to confirm the efficacy to prevent acute or recurrent vaginal candidiasis.

Effect of fructo-oligosaccharides and different doses of Bifidobacterium animalis in a weaning diet on bacterial translocation and Toll-like receptor gene expression in pigs.

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to study the possible synergic action of one prebiotic with increasing dietary doses of a probiotic strain of Bifidobacterium animalis on the translocation of bifidobacteria and on Toll-like receptor (TLR) gene expression in different organs of weaned piglets. METHODS: Sixty-four pigs, reared from 21 to 35 d of age, were fed eight different diets according to a 2 x 4 factorial design: a control diet or the control diet supplemented with three different levels of B. animalis (10(7), 10(9), 10(11) colony-forming units/d), crossed with 0% or 2% sugar beet fructo-oligosaccharides. Pigs were then sacrificed, and the jejunum mucosa, ileocecal lymph nodes, and liver were sampled to determine the presence of Bifidobacterium spp. DNA and to quantify the expression of TLR2-, TLR4-, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha-encoding genes. RESULTS: We found Bifidobacterium spp. genus-specific DNA in lymph nodes of subjects from all dietary treatments, including the control diet, but it increased with the bifidobacteria oral dose (P = 0.065). The linear effect of the dose of B. animalis on the expression of the TLR2-encoding gene in the lymph nodes was observed when fructo-oligosaccharides were added to the diet (P < 0.05). Tumor necrosis factor-alpha-encoding gene expression was positively correlated with TLR4- and TLR2-encoding gene expressions (P < 0.001 and P < 0.01, respectively) and negatively correlated with bifidobacteria DNA (P < 0.05). Moreover, the expression of the TLR4-encoding gene showed a positive correlation with TLR2-encoding gene expression (P < 0.001). In contrast, there was no correlation between expressions of the TLR2- and TLR4-encoding genes with the bifidobacteria DNA. CONCLUSION: Soon after weaning, the translocation of the commensal bacteria in the ileocecal lymph nodes is a physiologic process. Moreover, diet affects the expression of the TLR2-encoding gene.