Biotechnological potential of microorganisms from landfill leachate: isolation, antibiotic resistance and leachate discoloration.

Disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW) can be considered a risk to human health representing a great environmental problem in several countries. MSW landfills are a significant source of toxic elements in the environment. Microorganisms able to thriving in leachate wastewater may exhibit metabolic machinery to synthesize a wide range of enzymes able to degrade and/or discolor toxic compounds from leachate. The use of non-pathogenic microbial cells for human health, recovered from leachate for biotechnological application, can be considered a promising approach in bioremediation processes of toxic compounds found in these environments. The present work aimed to the isolation, antibiotic resistance evaluation and leachate discoloration by microorganisms isolated from landfill leachate of Foz do Iguaçu. Forty bacteria and fifteen filamentous fungi were isolated. From these, six bacterial showed resistance at least one tested antibiotic, while six fungal isolates showed resistance to the antimycotic nystatin. CCMIBA_4L (unidentified bacteria) and Paecilomyces sp. CCMIBA_5N, were able to discolor 19.15% and 25.26% of the leachate, respectively. The results of the present work encourage future studies to characterize the enzymes involved in the discoloration and degradation of the leachate. The findings demonstrated the potential for the use of microorganisms from landfill leachate as bioremediation tools.

Pyrene degradation by marine-derived ascomycete: process optimization, toxicity, and metabolic analyses.

Marine-derived fungi are relevant genetic resources for bioremediation of saline environments/processes. Among the five fungi recovered from marine sponges able to degrade pyrene (Py) and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), Tolypocladium sp. strain CBMAI 1346 and Xylaria sp. CBMAI 1464 presented the best removal rates of Py and BaP, respectively. Since the decrease in BaP was related to mycelial adsorption, a combined strategy was applied for the investigation of Py degradation by the fungus Tolypocladium sp. CBMAI 1346. The selected fungus was able to degrade about 95% of Py after 7 days of incubation (optimized conditions), generating metabolites different from the ones found before optimization. Metabolites and transcriptomic data revealed that the degradation occurred mainly by the cytochrome P450 pathway. Putative monooxygenases and dioxygenases found in the transcriptome may play an important role. After 21 days of degradation, no toxicity was found in the optimized culture conditions. The findings from the present study highlight the potential of marine-derived fungi to degrade environmental pollutants and convey innovative information related to the metabolism of pyrene.

Rapid discrimination of fungal strains isolated from human skin based on microbial volatile organic profiles.

Studies of the microbiota of human skin have gained attention mainly because of its high complexity. Volatile metabolites that emerge from the microbiota play a significant role in fungus metabolism, acting on fungal development, defense, and protection against stress, communication, and pathogenicity. The present study evaluated volatile organic profiles, based on headspace-solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We sought to define the optimal experimental conditions for such identification. Chromatograms from 15 fungi were evaluated and discriminated by principal component analysis. The volatile metabolite profiles that were putatively identified in the present study (e.g 2­isopropyl­5­methyl­cyclohex­3­en­1­one, 3/2­methyl­1­butanol, isopentyl ethanoate, phenyl ethanol) allowed the discrimination of different microorganisms from human skin. The present methodology may be a more rapid way of identifying microorganisms compared with conventional methods of microbiological identification.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons degradation by marine-derived basidiomycetes: optimization of the degradation process

ABSTRACT Pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) are high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) recalcitrant to microbial attack. Although studies related to the microbial degradation of PAHs have been carried out in the last decades, little is known about degradation of these environmental pollutants by fungi from marine origin. Therefore, this study aimed to select one PAHs degrader among three marine-derived basidiomycete fungi and to study its pyrene detoxification/degradation. Marasmiellus sp. CBMAI 1062 showed higher levels of pyrene and BaP degradation and was subjected to studies related to pyrene degradation optimization using experimental design, acute toxicity, organic carbon removal (TOC), and metabolite evaluation. The experimental design resulted in an efficient pyrene degradation, reducing the experiment time while the PAH concentration applied in the assays was increased. The selected fungus was able to degrade almost 100% of pyrene (0.08 mg mL-1) after 48 h of incubation under saline condition, without generating toxic compounds and with a TOC reduction of 17%. Intermediate metabolites of pyrene degradation were identified, suggesting that the fungus degraded the compound via the cytochrome P450 system and epoxide hydrolases. These results highlight the relevance of marine-derived fungi in the field of PAH bioremediation, adding value to the blue biotechnology.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons degradation by marine-derived basidiomycetes: optimization of the degradation process.

Pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) are high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) recalcitrant to microbial attack. Although studies related to the microbial degradation of PAHs have been carried out in the last decades, little is known about degradation of these environmental pollutants by fungi from marine origin. Therefore, this study aimed to select one PAHs degrader among three marine-derived basidiomycete fungi and to study its pyrene detoxification/degradation. Marasmiellus sp. CBMAI 1062 showed higher levels of pyrene and BaP degradation and was subjected to studies related to pyrene degradation optimization using experimental design, acute toxicity, organic carbon removal (TOC), and metabolite evaluation. The experimental design resulted in an efficient pyrene degradation, reducing the experiment time while the PAH concentration applied in the assays was increased. The selected fungus was able to degrade almost 100% of pyrene (0.08mgmL-1) after 48h of incubation under saline condition, without generating toxic compounds and with a TOC reduction of 17%. Intermediate metabolites of pyrene degradation were identified, suggesting that the fungus degraded the compound via the cytochrome P450 system and epoxide hydrolases. These results highlight the relevance of marine-derived fungi in the field of PAH bioremediation, adding value to the blue biotechnology.

Laccase production in bioreactor scale under saline condition by the marine-derived basidiomycete Peniophora sp. CBMAI 1063.

Laccase production in saline conditions is still poorly studied. The aim of the present study was to investigate the production of laccase in two different types of bioreactors by the marine-derived basidiomycete Peniophora sp. CBMAI 1063. The highest laccase activity and productivity were obtained in the Stirred Tank (ST) bioreactor, while the highest biomass concentration in Air-lift (AL) bioreactor. The main laccase produced was purified by ion exchange and size exclusion chromatography and appeared to be monomeric with molecular weight of approximately 55 kDa. The optimum oxidation activity was obtained at pH 5.0. The thermal stability of the enzyme ranged from 30 to 50 °C (120 min). The Far-UV Circular Dichroism revealed the presence of high ß-sheet and low α-helical conformation in the protein structure. Additional experiments carried out in flask scale showed that the marine-derived fungus was able to produce laccase only in the presence of artificial seawater and copper sulfate. Results from the present study confirmed the fungal adaptation to marine conditions and its potential for being used in saline environments and/or processes.

Improvement in extracellular protease production by the marine antarctic yeast Rhodotorula mucilaginosa L7.

Microorganisms from extreme and restrictive eco systems, such as the Antarctic continent, are of great interest due to their ability to synthesize products of commercial value. Among these, enzymes from psychrotolerant and psychrophilic microorganisms offer potential economical benefits due to their high activity at low and moderate temperatures. The cold adapted yeast Rhodotorula mucilaginosa L7 was selected out of 97 yeasts isolated from Antarctica as having the highest extracellular proteolytic activity in preliminary tests. The present study was aimed at evaluating the effects of nutrient composition (peptone, rice bran extract, ammonium sulfate, sodium chloride) and physicochemical parameters (temperature and pH) on its proteolytic activity. A 26-2 fractional factorial design experiment followed by a central composite design (CCD 23) was performed to optimize the culture conditions and improve the extracellular proteolytic activity. The results indicated that the presence of peptone in the medium was the most influential factor in protease production. Enzymatic activity was enhanced by the interaction between low glucose and peptone concentrations. The optimization of culture conditions with the aid of mathematical modeling enabled a c. 45% increase in proteolytic activity and at the same time reduced the amount of glucose and peptone required for the culture. Thus culture conditions established in this work may be employed in the biotechnological production of this protease.

Enhanced textile dye decolorization by marine-derived basidiomycete Peniophora sp. CBMAI 1063 using integrated statistical design.

In the present study, the biotechnological potential of the marine-derived fungus Peniophora sp. CBMAI 1063 was investigated in relation to Reactive Black 5 (RB5) dye decolorization and degradation using an integrated statistical design composed of Plackett-Burman design (P&B), central composite design (CCD), and response surface methodology (RSM). RB5 dye was effectively decolorized (94 %) in saline conditions, without any detection of mutagenic compounds, and simultaneously, 57 % of total organic carbon (TOC) was removed in 7 days. The activity of lignin peroxidase (LiP) was not detected during the process. The gene expression of laccase (Lac) and manganese peroxidase (MnP) enzymes produced during the process was evaluated, and results from this experiment coupled with LC-MS analyses revealed that in the early stage of dye decolorization, a higher MnP gene expression and significant enzymatic activity was detected in Peniophora sp. CBMAI 1063 with the formation of p-Base and TAHNDS compounds. This paper reports innovative data related to the textile dye decolorization by the marine-derived basidiomycete Peniophora sp. CBMAI 1063, showing the metabolites formed and enzymatic action throughout the process in saline condition. The strategy used showed to be an efficient statistical approach that provides an attractive solution for the screening and simultaneous optimization of the degradation process.

Marine-derived fungi: diversity of enzymes and biotechnological applications.

The ocean is considered to be a great reservoir of biodiversity. Microbial communities in marine environments are ecologically relevant as intermediaries of energy, and play an important role in nutrient regeneration cycles as decomposers of dead and decaying organic matter. In this sense, marine-derived fungi can be considered as a source of enzymes of industrial and/or environmental interest. Fungal strains isolated from different substrates, such as invertebrates, decaying wood, seawater, sediments, and mangrove detritus, have been reported to be producers of hydrolytic and/or oxidative enzymes, with alginate lyase, amylase, cellulase, chitinase, glucosidase, inulinase, keratinase, ligninase, lipase, nuclease, phytase, protease, and xylanase being among the enzymes produced by fungi of marine origin. These enzymes present temperature and pH optima ranging from 35 to 70(∘)C, and 3.0 to 11.0, respectively. High-level production in bioreactors is mainly performed using submerged-state fermentation. Certain marine-derived fungal strains present enzymes with alkaline and cold-activity characteristics, and salinity is considered an important condition in screening and production processes. The adaptability of marine-derived fungi to oceanic conditions can be considered an attractive point in the field of fungal marine biotechnology. In this review, we focus on the advances in discovering enzymes from marine-derived fungi and their biotechnological relevance.

Evaluating methods for the isolation of marine-derived fungal strains and production of bioactive secondary metabolites

In the present investigation we evaluate methods for the isolation and growth of marine-derived fungal strains in artificial media for the production of secondary metabolites. Inoculation of marine macroorganisms fragments in Petri dishes proved to be the most convenient procedure for the isolation of the largest number of strains. Among the growth media used, 3% malt extract showed the best result for strains isolation and growth, and yielded the largest number of strains from marine macroorganisms. The percentage of strains isolated using each of the growth media which yielded cytotoxic and/or antibiotic extracts was in the range of 23-35%, regardless of the growth media used. Further investigation of extracts obtained from different marine-derived fungal strains yielded several bioactive secondary metabolites, among which (E)-4-methoxy-5-(3-methoxybut-1-enyl)-6-methyl-2H-pyran-2-one is a new metabolite isolated from the Penicillium paxilli strain Ma(G)K.

Laccase activity and putative laccase genes in marine-derived basidiomycetes.

Studies of laccases from marine-derived fungi are limited. In the present work, putative laccase genes from three marine-derived basidiomycetes and their laccase activities were evaluated. High amounts of laccase were produced by the fungal strains Marasmiellus sp. CBMAI 1062 (971.2UL⁻¹) and Peniophora sp. CBMAI 1063 (709.03UL⁻¹) when grown for 21d at 28°C in MA2ASW medium prepared with artificial seawater. Marine-derived basidiomycetes produced multiple distinct laccase sequences of about 200bp with 73-90% similarity to terrestrial basidiomycete laccases. Marasmiellus sp. CBMAI 1062 and Tinctoporellus sp. CBMAI 1061 showed the greatest laccase gene diversity with three and four distinct putative laccase sequences, respectively. This is the first report of laccase genes from marine-derived fungi, and our results revealed new putative laccases produced by three basidiomycetes.

Microbial diversity associated with algae, ascidians and sponges from the north coast of São Paulo state, Brazil.

Little is known about the microbial diversity associated with marine macroorganisms, despite the vital role microorganisms may play in marine ecosystems. The aim of the present study was to investigate the diversity of bacteria and fungi isolated from eight marine invertebrate and one algae samples. Data derived from ARDRA and sequencing analyses allowed the identification of marine-derived microorganisms isolated from those samples. Microbial strains identified up to the genus level revealed 144 distinct ribotypes out of 256 fungal strains and 158 distinct ribotypes out of 181 bacterial strains. Filamentous fungi were distributed among 24 different genera belonging to Ascomycota, Zygomycota and Basidiomycota, some of which had never been reported in the literature as marine invertebrate-inhabiting fungi (Pestalotiopsis, Xylaria, Botrysphaeria and Cunnninghamella). Bacterial isolates were affiliated to 41 different genera, being Bacillus, Ruegeria, Micrococcus, Pseudovibrio and Staphylococcus the most abundant ones. Results revealed an unexpected high microbial diversity associated to the macroorganisms which have been collected and suggested the selection of certain microbial taxonomic groups according to the host. The combined data gathered from this investigation contribute to broaden the knowledge of microbial diversity associated to marine macroorganisms, including as a promising source for the discovery of new natural products.