Anderson Cabral - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Anderson Cabral

Research paper thumbnail of Trophic and Microbial Patterns in the Ross Sea Area (Antarctica): Spatial Variability during the Summer Season

Journal of Marine Science and Engineering

In open regions of the Ross Sea, the role of the microbial community in the turnover of organic m... more In open regions of the Ross Sea, the role of the microbial community in the turnover of organic matter has scarcely been investigated; indeed, very little is known on how microbial distribution and functional diversity respond to environmental conditions and hydrographic structures. During the austral summer of 2017, two pelagic areas of the Ross Sea [the Drygalski Ice Tongue and the nearby Terra Nova Bay polynya (A area), and the continental Shelf Break area near Cape Adare (C area)] were studied at selected depths [surface, Deep Chlorophyll Maximum (DCM), Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW), deep waters]. Trophic properties [nutrient concentrations, particulate (POC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and its optically significant fraction (CDOM) were measured, together with the main hydrological variables. Microbial community abundance [total prokaryotes, living, dead, and actively respiring fraction, high- and low nucleic acid cells (HNA and LNA), pico- and nano-eukaryotes, culturable het...

Research paper thumbnail of Bacterial Community Associated with the Reef Coral Mussismilia braziliensis's Momentum Boundary Layer over a Diel Cycle

Frontiers in microbiology, 2017

Corals display circadian physiological cycles, changing from autotrophy during the day to heterot... more Corals display circadian physiological cycles, changing from autotrophy during the day to heterotrophy during the night. Such physiological transition offers distinct environments to the microbial community associated with corals: an oxygen-rich environment during daylight hours and an oxygen-depleted environment during the night. Most studies of coral reef microbes have been performed on samples taken during the day, representing a bias in the understanding of the composition and function of these communities. We hypothesized that coral circadian physiology alters the composition and function of microbial communities in reef boundary layers. Here, we analyzed microbial communities associated with the momentum boundary layer (MBL) of the Brazilian endemic reef coral Mussismilia braziliensis during a diurnal cycle, and compared them to the water column. We determined microbial abundance and nutrient concentration in samples taken within a few centimeters of the coral's surface ev...

Research paper thumbnail of Prokaryotic Abundance and Activity in Permafrost of the Northern Victoria Land and Upper Victoria Valley (Antarctica)

Microbial Ecology, 2017

Victoria Land permafrost harbours a potentially large pool of cold-affected microorganisms whose ... more Victoria Land permafrost harbours a potentially large pool of cold-affected microorganisms whose metabolic potential still remains underestimated. Three cores (BC-1, BC-2 and BC-3) drilled at different depths in Boulder Clay (Northern Victoria Land) and one sample (DY) collected from a core in the Dry Valleys (Upper Victoria Valley) were analysed to assess the prokaryotic abundance, viability, physiological profiles and potential metabolic rates. The cores drilled at Boulder Clay were a template of different ecological conditions (different temperature regime, ice content, exchanges with atmosphere and with liquid water) in the same small basin while the Dry Valleys site was very similar to BC-2 conditions but with a complete different geological history and ground ice type. Image analysis was adopted to determine cell abundance, size and shape as well as to quantify the potential viable and respiring cells by live/dead and 5-cyano-2,3ditolyl-tetrazolium chloride staining, respectively. Subpopulation recognition by apparent nucleic acid contents was obtained by flow cytometry. Moreover, the physiological profiles at community level by Biolog-Ecoplate™ as well as the ectoenzymatic potential rates on proteinaceous (leucineaminopeptidase) and glucidic (ß-glucosidase) organic matter and on organic phosphates (alkaline-phosphatase) by fluorogenic substrates were tested. The adopted methodological approach gave useful information regarding viability and metabolic performances of microbial community in permafrost. The occurrence of a multifaceted prokaryotic community in the Victoria Land permafrost and a large number of potentially viable and respiring cells (in the order of 10 4-10 5) were recognised. Subpopulations with a different apparent DNA content within the different samples were observed. The physiological profiles stressed various potential metabolic pathways among the samples and intense utilisation rates of polymeric carbon compounds and carbohydrates, mainly in deep samples. The measured enzymatic activity rates suggested the potential capability of the microbial community to decompose proteins and polysaccharides. The microbial community seems to be appropriate to contribute to biogeochemical cycling in this extreme environment.

Research paper thumbnail of Bio-optical characteristics along the Straits of Magallanes

Continental Shelf Research, 2016

The Straits of Magallanes at the tip of South America connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. T... more The Straits of Magallanes at the tip of South America connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The variability in the absorption characteristics by phytoplankton (a ph (440)), non-pigmented particles, NPP (a NPP (440)), and chromophoric dissolved organic matter, CDOM (a y (440)), measured along the Straits in late summer 2011 (R/V Melville MV1102 cruise), was analyzed. Satellite-derived monthly PAR data showed that at the time of the cruise the western sector was exposed to a low-light environment (~ 16 mol quanta m-2 d-1) while the eastern sector received higher irradiance (~ 28 mol quanta m-2 d-1). In the Patagonian Shelf total absorption was dominated by phytoplankton (up to 76%; a ph (440)=0.265 m-1), while in the Atlantic Sector of the

Research paper thumbnail of Bacterial Community Associated with the Reef Coral Mussismilia braziliensis's Momentum Boundary Layer over a Diel Cycle

Frontiers in microbiology, 2017

Corals display circadian physiological cycles, changing from autotrophy during the day to heterot... more Corals display circadian physiological cycles, changing from autotrophy during the day to heterotrophy during the night. Such physiological transition offers distinct environments to the microbial community associated with corals: an oxygen-rich environment during daylight hours and an oxygen-depleted environment during the night. Most studies of coral reef microbes have been performed on samples taken during the day, representing a bias in the understanding of the composition and function of these communities. We hypothesized that coral circadian physiology alters the composition and function of microbial communities in reef boundary layers. Here, we analyzed microbial communities associated with the momentum boundary layer (MBL) of the Brazilian endemic reef coral Mussismilia braziliensis during a diurnal cycle, and compared them to the water column. We determined microbial abundance and nutrient concentration in samples taken within a few centimeters of the coral's surface ev...

Research paper thumbnail of Prokaryotic Abundance and Activity in Permafrost of the Northern Victoria Land and Upper Victoria Valley (Antarctica)

Research paper thumbnail of Bio-optical characteristics along the Straits of Magallanes

Continental Shelf Research, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Microbial community diversity and physical–chemical features of the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean

Archives of Microbiology, 2014

influenced by the temperature, dissolved organic carbon, and depth, and three groups were defined... more influenced by the temperature, dissolved organic carbon, and depth, and three groups were defined [1. surface waters; 2. sub-superficial chlorophyll maximum (SCM) (48-82 m) and 3. deep waters (236-1,200 m)] according to the microbial composition. The microbial communities of deep water masses [South Atlantic Central water, Antarctic Intermediate water and Upper Circumpolar Deep water] are highly similar. Of the 421,418 predicted genes for SAO metagenomes, 36.7 % had no homologous hits against 17,451,486 sequences from the North Atlantic, South Atlantic, North Pacific, South Pacific and Indian Oceans. From these unique genes from the SAO, only 6.64 % had hits against the NCBI non-redundant protein database. SAO microbial communities share genes with the global ocean in at least 70 cellular functions; however, more than a third of predicted SAO genes represent a unique gene pool in global ocean. This study was the first attempt to characterize the taxonomic and functional community diversity of different water masses at SAO and compare it with the microbial community diversity of the global ocean, and SAO had a significant portion of endemic gene diversity. Microbial Abstract Microbial oceanography studies have demonstrated the central role of microbes in functioning and nutrient cycling of the global ocean. Most of these former studies including at Southwestern Atlantic Ocean (SAO) focused on surface seawater and benthic organisms (e.g., coral reefs and sponges). This is the first metagenomic study of the SAO. The SAO harbors a great microbial diversity and marine life (e.g., coral reefs and rhodolith beds). The aim of this study was to characterize the microbial community diversity of the SAO along the depth continuum and different water masses by means of metagenomic, physical-chemical and biological analyses. The microbial community abundance and diversity appear to be strongly Communicated by Erko Stackebrandt. Nelson Alves Junior and Pedro Milet Meirelles have contributed equally to this work.

Research paper thumbnail of Microbial community diversity and physical–chemical features of the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean

Archives of Microbiology, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Structuring of Bacterioplankton Diversity in a Large Tropical Bay

PLoS ONE, 2012

Structuring of bacterioplanktonic populations and factors that determine the structuring of speci... more Structuring of bacterioplanktonic populations and factors that determine the structuring of specific niche partitions have been demonstrated only for a limited number of colder water environments. In order to better understand the physical chemical and biological parameters that may influence bacterioplankton diversity and abundance, we examined their productivity, abundance and diversity in the second largest Brazilian tropical bay (Guanabara Bay, GB), as well as seawater physical chemical and biological parameters of GB. The inner bay location with higher nutrient input favored higher microbial (including vibrio) growth. Metagenomic analysis revealed a predominance of Gammaproteobacteria in this location, while GB locations with lower nutrient concentration favored Alphaproteobacteria and Flavobacteria. According to the subsystems (SEED) functional analysis, GB has a distinctive metabolic signature, comprising a higher number of sequences in the metabolism of phosphorus and aromatic compounds and a lower number of sequences in the photosynthesis subsystem. The apparent phosphorus limitation appears to influence the GB metagenomic signature of the three locations. Phosphorus is also one of the main factors determining changes in the abundance of planktonic vibrios, suggesting that nutrient limitation can be observed at community (metagenomic) and population levels (total prokaryote and vibrio counts).

Research paper thumbnail of Killer yeasts inhibit the growth of the phytopathogen Moniliophthora perniciosa, the causal agent of Witches' Broom disease

Brazilian Journal of Microbiology, 2009

Fruit and soil yeasts isolated from the Amazon, Atlantic Rainforests and an organic farm were scr... more Fruit and soil yeasts isolated from the Amazon, Atlantic Rainforests and an organic farm were screened for killer activity against yeasts. Killer yeasts were then tested against the phytopathogen Moniliophthora perniciosa (syn. Crinipellis perniciosa) and a Dipodascus capitatus strain and a Candida sp strain inhibited its growth.

Research paper thumbnail of Candida middelhoveniana sp. nov., a new yeast species found on the rhizoplane of organically cultivated sugarcane

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, 2011

A novel yeast species within the Metschnikowiaceae is described based on a strain from the sugarc... more A novel yeast species within the Metschnikowiaceae is described based on a strain from the sugarcane (Saccharum sp.) rhizoplane of an organically managed farm in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The D1/D2 domain of the large subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequence analysis showed that the closest related species were Candida tsuchiyae with 86.2% and Candida thailandica with 86.7% of sequence identity. All three are anamorphs in the Clavispora opuntiae clade. The name Candida middelhoveniana sp. nov. is proposed to accommodate this highly divergent organism with the type strain Instituto de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (IMUFRJ) 51965 T (=Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures (CBS) 12306 T , Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG)-70 T , DBVPG 8031 T) and the GenBank/EMBL/DDBJ accession number for the D1/D2 domain LSU rDNA sequence is FN428871. The Mycobank deposit number is MB 519801.

Research paper thumbnail of Salinity Drives the Virioplankton Abundance but Not Production in Tropical Coastal Lagoons

Microbial ecology, Jan 18, 2017

Viruses are the most abundant components of microbial food webs and play important ecological and... more Viruses are the most abundant components of microbial food webs and play important ecological and biogeochemical roles in aquatic ecosystems. Virioplankton is regulated by several environmental factors, such as salinity, turbidity, and humic substances. However, most of the studies aimed to investigate virioplankton regulation were conducted in temperate systems combining a limited range of environmental variables. In this study, virus abundance and production were determined and their relation to bacterial and limnological variables was assessed in 20 neighboring shallow tropical coastal lagoons that present wide environmental gradients of turbidity (2.32-571 NTU), water color (1.82-92.49 m(-1)), dissolved organic carbon (0.71-16.7 mM), salinity (0.13-332.1‰), and chlorophyll-a (0.28 to 134.5 μg L(-1)). Virus abundance varied from 0.37 × 10(8) to 117 × 10(8) virus-like-particle (VLP) mL(-1), with the highest values observed in highly salty aquatic systems. Salinity and heterotrophi...

Research paper thumbnail of Virioplankton Assemblage Structure in the Lower River and Ocean Continuum of the Amazon

mSphere

The Amazon River watershed and its associated plume comprise a vast continental and oceanic area.... more The Amazon River watershed and its associated plume comprise a vast continental and oceanic area. The microbial activities along this continuum contribute substantially to global carbon and nutrient cycling, and yet there is a dearth of information on the diversity, abundance, and possible roles of viruses in this globally important river. The aim of this study was to elucidate the diversity and structure of virus assemblages of the Amazon River-ocean continuum. Environmental viral DNA sequences were obtained for 12 locations along the river's lower reach (n = 5) and plume (n = 7). Sequence assembly yielded 29,358 scaffolds, encoding 82,546 viral proteins, with 15 new complete viral genomes. Despite the spatial connectivity mediated by the river, virome analyses and physical-chemical water parameters clearly distinguished river and plume ecosystems. Bacteriophages were ubiquitous in the continuum and were more abundant in the transition region. Eukaryotic viruses occurred mostly...

Research paper thumbnail of Virioplankton dynamics are related to eutrophication levels in a tropical urbanized bay

PloS one, 2017

Virioplankton are an important and abundant biological component of marine and freshwater ecosyst... more Virioplankton are an important and abundant biological component of marine and freshwater ecosystems. Often overlooked, aquatic viruses play an important role in biogeochemical cycles on a global scale, infecting both autotrophic and heterotrophic microbes. Viral diversity, abundance, and viral interactions at different trophic levels in aqueous environments are not well understood. Tropical ecosystems are less frequently studied than temperate ecosystems, but could provide new insights into how physical and chemical variability can shape or force microbial community changes. In this study, we found high viral abundance values in Guanabara Bay relative to other estuaries around the world. Viral abundance was positively correlated with bacterioplankton abundance and chlorophyll a concentrations. Moreover, prokaryotic and viral abundance were positively correlated with eutrophication, especially in surface waters. These results provide novel baseline data on the quantitative distribut...

Research paper thumbnail of Microbial Community Profile and Water Quality in a Protected Area of the Caatinga Biome

PLOS ONE, 2016

The Caatinga is a semi-arid biome in northeast Brazil. The Paraguaçú River is located in the Caat... more The Caatinga is a semi-arid biome in northeast Brazil. The Paraguaçú River is located in the Caatinga biome, and part of its course is protected by the National Park of Chapada Diamantina (PNCD). In this study we evaluated the effect of PNCD protection on the water quality and microbial community diversity of this river by analyzing water samples obtained from points located inside and outside the PNCD in both wet and dry seasons. Results of water quality analysis showed higher levels of silicate, ammonia, particulate organic carbon, and nitrite in samples from the unprotected area compared with those from protected areas. Pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA genes revealed that Burkholderiales was abundant in samples from all three sites during both seasons and was represented primarily by the genus Polynucleobacter and members of the Comamonadaceae family (e.g., genus Limnohabitans). During the dry season, the unprotected area showed a higher abundance of Flavobacterium sp. and Arthrobacter sp., which are frequently associated with the presence and/or degradation of arsenic and pesticide compounds. In addition, genes that appear to be related to agricultural impacts on the environment, as well as those involved in arsenic and cadmium resistance, copper homeostasis, and propanediol utilization, were detected in the unprotected areas by metagenomic sequencing. Although PNCD protection improves water quality, agricultural activities around the park may affect water quality within the park and may account for the presence of bacteria capable of pesticide degradation and assimilation, evidencing possible anthropogenic impacts on the Caatinga.

Research paper thumbnail of Structuring of Bacterioplankton Diversity in a Large Tropical Bay

PloS one, 2012

Structuring of bacterioplanktonic populations and factors that determine the structuring of speci... more Structuring of bacterioplanktonic populations and factors that determine the structuring of specific niche partitions have been demonstrated only for a limited number of colder water environments. In order to better understand the physical chemical and biological parameters that may influence bacterioplankton diversity and abundance, we examined their productivity, abundance and diversity in the second largest Brazilian tropical bay (Guanabara Bay, GB), as well as seawater physical chemical and biological parameters of GB. The inner bay location with higher nutrient input favored higher microbial (including vibrio) growth. Metagenomic analysis revealed a predominance of Gammaproteobacteria in this location, while GB locations with lower nutrient concentration favored Alphaproteobacteria and Flavobacteria. According to the subsystems (SEED) functional analysis, GB has a distinctive metabolic signature, comprising a higher number of sequences in the metabolism of phosphorus and aromatic compounds and a lower number of sequences in the photosynthesis subsystem. The apparent phosphorus limitation appears to influence the GB metagenomic signature of the three locations. Phosphorus is also one of the main factors determining changes in the abundance of planktonic vibrios, suggesting that nutrient limitation can be observed at community (metagenomic) and population levels (total prokaryote and vibrio counts).

Research paper thumbnail of Trophic and Microbial Patterns in the Ross Sea Area (Antarctica): Spatial Variability during the Summer Season

Journal of Marine Science and Engineering

In open regions of the Ross Sea, the role of the microbial community in the turnover of organic m... more In open regions of the Ross Sea, the role of the microbial community in the turnover of organic matter has scarcely been investigated; indeed, very little is known on how microbial distribution and functional diversity respond to environmental conditions and hydrographic structures. During the austral summer of 2017, two pelagic areas of the Ross Sea [the Drygalski Ice Tongue and the nearby Terra Nova Bay polynya (A area), and the continental Shelf Break area near Cape Adare (C area)] were studied at selected depths [surface, Deep Chlorophyll Maximum (DCM), Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW), deep waters]. Trophic properties [nutrient concentrations, particulate (POC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and its optically significant fraction (CDOM) were measured, together with the main hydrological variables. Microbial community abundance [total prokaryotes, living, dead, and actively respiring fraction, high- and low nucleic acid cells (HNA and LNA), pico- and nano-eukaryotes, culturable het...

Research paper thumbnail of Bacterial Community Associated with the Reef Coral Mussismilia braziliensis's Momentum Boundary Layer over a Diel Cycle

Frontiers in microbiology, 2017

Corals display circadian physiological cycles, changing from autotrophy during the day to heterot... more Corals display circadian physiological cycles, changing from autotrophy during the day to heterotrophy during the night. Such physiological transition offers distinct environments to the microbial community associated with corals: an oxygen-rich environment during daylight hours and an oxygen-depleted environment during the night. Most studies of coral reef microbes have been performed on samples taken during the day, representing a bias in the understanding of the composition and function of these communities. We hypothesized that coral circadian physiology alters the composition and function of microbial communities in reef boundary layers. Here, we analyzed microbial communities associated with the momentum boundary layer (MBL) of the Brazilian endemic reef coral Mussismilia braziliensis during a diurnal cycle, and compared them to the water column. We determined microbial abundance and nutrient concentration in samples taken within a few centimeters of the coral's surface ev...

Research paper thumbnail of Prokaryotic Abundance and Activity in Permafrost of the Northern Victoria Land and Upper Victoria Valley (Antarctica)

Microbial Ecology, 2017

Victoria Land permafrost harbours a potentially large pool of cold-affected microorganisms whose ... more Victoria Land permafrost harbours a potentially large pool of cold-affected microorganisms whose metabolic potential still remains underestimated. Three cores (BC-1, BC-2 and BC-3) drilled at different depths in Boulder Clay (Northern Victoria Land) and one sample (DY) collected from a core in the Dry Valleys (Upper Victoria Valley) were analysed to assess the prokaryotic abundance, viability, physiological profiles and potential metabolic rates. The cores drilled at Boulder Clay were a template of different ecological conditions (different temperature regime, ice content, exchanges with atmosphere and with liquid water) in the same small basin while the Dry Valleys site was very similar to BC-2 conditions but with a complete different geological history and ground ice type. Image analysis was adopted to determine cell abundance, size and shape as well as to quantify the potential viable and respiring cells by live/dead and 5-cyano-2,3ditolyl-tetrazolium chloride staining, respectively. Subpopulation recognition by apparent nucleic acid contents was obtained by flow cytometry. Moreover, the physiological profiles at community level by Biolog-Ecoplate™ as well as the ectoenzymatic potential rates on proteinaceous (leucineaminopeptidase) and glucidic (ß-glucosidase) organic matter and on organic phosphates (alkaline-phosphatase) by fluorogenic substrates were tested. The adopted methodological approach gave useful information regarding viability and metabolic performances of microbial community in permafrost. The occurrence of a multifaceted prokaryotic community in the Victoria Land permafrost and a large number of potentially viable and respiring cells (in the order of 10 4-10 5) were recognised. Subpopulations with a different apparent DNA content within the different samples were observed. The physiological profiles stressed various potential metabolic pathways among the samples and intense utilisation rates of polymeric carbon compounds and carbohydrates, mainly in deep samples. The measured enzymatic activity rates suggested the potential capability of the microbial community to decompose proteins and polysaccharides. The microbial community seems to be appropriate to contribute to biogeochemical cycling in this extreme environment.

Research paper thumbnail of Bio-optical characteristics along the Straits of Magallanes

Continental Shelf Research, 2016

The Straits of Magallanes at the tip of South America connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. T... more The Straits of Magallanes at the tip of South America connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The variability in the absorption characteristics by phytoplankton (a ph (440)), non-pigmented particles, NPP (a NPP (440)), and chromophoric dissolved organic matter, CDOM (a y (440)), measured along the Straits in late summer 2011 (R/V Melville MV1102 cruise), was analyzed. Satellite-derived monthly PAR data showed that at the time of the cruise the western sector was exposed to a low-light environment (~ 16 mol quanta m-2 d-1) while the eastern sector received higher irradiance (~ 28 mol quanta m-2 d-1). In the Patagonian Shelf total absorption was dominated by phytoplankton (up to 76%; a ph (440)=0.265 m-1), while in the Atlantic Sector of the

Research paper thumbnail of Bacterial Community Associated with the Reef Coral Mussismilia braziliensis's Momentum Boundary Layer over a Diel Cycle

Frontiers in microbiology, 2017

Corals display circadian physiological cycles, changing from autotrophy during the day to heterot... more Corals display circadian physiological cycles, changing from autotrophy during the day to heterotrophy during the night. Such physiological transition offers distinct environments to the microbial community associated with corals: an oxygen-rich environment during daylight hours and an oxygen-depleted environment during the night. Most studies of coral reef microbes have been performed on samples taken during the day, representing a bias in the understanding of the composition and function of these communities. We hypothesized that coral circadian physiology alters the composition and function of microbial communities in reef boundary layers. Here, we analyzed microbial communities associated with the momentum boundary layer (MBL) of the Brazilian endemic reef coral Mussismilia braziliensis during a diurnal cycle, and compared them to the water column. We determined microbial abundance and nutrient concentration in samples taken within a few centimeters of the coral's surface ev...

Research paper thumbnail of Prokaryotic Abundance and Activity in Permafrost of the Northern Victoria Land and Upper Victoria Valley (Antarctica)

Research paper thumbnail of Bio-optical characteristics along the Straits of Magallanes

Continental Shelf Research, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Microbial community diversity and physical–chemical features of the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean

Archives of Microbiology, 2014

influenced by the temperature, dissolved organic carbon, and depth, and three groups were defined... more influenced by the temperature, dissolved organic carbon, and depth, and three groups were defined [1. surface waters; 2. sub-superficial chlorophyll maximum (SCM) (48-82 m) and 3. deep waters (236-1,200 m)] according to the microbial composition. The microbial communities of deep water masses [South Atlantic Central water, Antarctic Intermediate water and Upper Circumpolar Deep water] are highly similar. Of the 421,418 predicted genes for SAO metagenomes, 36.7 % had no homologous hits against 17,451,486 sequences from the North Atlantic, South Atlantic, North Pacific, South Pacific and Indian Oceans. From these unique genes from the SAO, only 6.64 % had hits against the NCBI non-redundant protein database. SAO microbial communities share genes with the global ocean in at least 70 cellular functions; however, more than a third of predicted SAO genes represent a unique gene pool in global ocean. This study was the first attempt to characterize the taxonomic and functional community diversity of different water masses at SAO and compare it with the microbial community diversity of the global ocean, and SAO had a significant portion of endemic gene diversity. Microbial Abstract Microbial oceanography studies have demonstrated the central role of microbes in functioning and nutrient cycling of the global ocean. Most of these former studies including at Southwestern Atlantic Ocean (SAO) focused on surface seawater and benthic organisms (e.g., coral reefs and sponges). This is the first metagenomic study of the SAO. The SAO harbors a great microbial diversity and marine life (e.g., coral reefs and rhodolith beds). The aim of this study was to characterize the microbial community diversity of the SAO along the depth continuum and different water masses by means of metagenomic, physical-chemical and biological analyses. The microbial community abundance and diversity appear to be strongly Communicated by Erko Stackebrandt. Nelson Alves Junior and Pedro Milet Meirelles have contributed equally to this work.

Research paper thumbnail of Microbial community diversity and physical–chemical features of the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean

Archives of Microbiology, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Structuring of Bacterioplankton Diversity in a Large Tropical Bay

PLoS ONE, 2012

Structuring of bacterioplanktonic populations and factors that determine the structuring of speci... more Structuring of bacterioplanktonic populations and factors that determine the structuring of specific niche partitions have been demonstrated only for a limited number of colder water environments. In order to better understand the physical chemical and biological parameters that may influence bacterioplankton diversity and abundance, we examined their productivity, abundance and diversity in the second largest Brazilian tropical bay (Guanabara Bay, GB), as well as seawater physical chemical and biological parameters of GB. The inner bay location with higher nutrient input favored higher microbial (including vibrio) growth. Metagenomic analysis revealed a predominance of Gammaproteobacteria in this location, while GB locations with lower nutrient concentration favored Alphaproteobacteria and Flavobacteria. According to the subsystems (SEED) functional analysis, GB has a distinctive metabolic signature, comprising a higher number of sequences in the metabolism of phosphorus and aromatic compounds and a lower number of sequences in the photosynthesis subsystem. The apparent phosphorus limitation appears to influence the GB metagenomic signature of the three locations. Phosphorus is also one of the main factors determining changes in the abundance of planktonic vibrios, suggesting that nutrient limitation can be observed at community (metagenomic) and population levels (total prokaryote and vibrio counts).

Research paper thumbnail of Killer yeasts inhibit the growth of the phytopathogen Moniliophthora perniciosa, the causal agent of Witches' Broom disease

Brazilian Journal of Microbiology, 2009

Fruit and soil yeasts isolated from the Amazon, Atlantic Rainforests and an organic farm were scr... more Fruit and soil yeasts isolated from the Amazon, Atlantic Rainforests and an organic farm were screened for killer activity against yeasts. Killer yeasts were then tested against the phytopathogen Moniliophthora perniciosa (syn. Crinipellis perniciosa) and a Dipodascus capitatus strain and a Candida sp strain inhibited its growth.

Research paper thumbnail of Candida middelhoveniana sp. nov., a new yeast species found on the rhizoplane of organically cultivated sugarcane

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, 2011

A novel yeast species within the Metschnikowiaceae is described based on a strain from the sugarc... more A novel yeast species within the Metschnikowiaceae is described based on a strain from the sugarcane (Saccharum sp.) rhizoplane of an organically managed farm in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The D1/D2 domain of the large subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequence analysis showed that the closest related species were Candida tsuchiyae with 86.2% and Candida thailandica with 86.7% of sequence identity. All three are anamorphs in the Clavispora opuntiae clade. The name Candida middelhoveniana sp. nov. is proposed to accommodate this highly divergent organism with the type strain Instituto de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (IMUFRJ) 51965 T (=Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures (CBS) 12306 T , Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG)-70 T , DBVPG 8031 T) and the GenBank/EMBL/DDBJ accession number for the D1/D2 domain LSU rDNA sequence is FN428871. The Mycobank deposit number is MB 519801.

Research paper thumbnail of Salinity Drives the Virioplankton Abundance but Not Production in Tropical Coastal Lagoons

Microbial ecology, Jan 18, 2017

Viruses are the most abundant components of microbial food webs and play important ecological and... more Viruses are the most abundant components of microbial food webs and play important ecological and biogeochemical roles in aquatic ecosystems. Virioplankton is regulated by several environmental factors, such as salinity, turbidity, and humic substances. However, most of the studies aimed to investigate virioplankton regulation were conducted in temperate systems combining a limited range of environmental variables. In this study, virus abundance and production were determined and their relation to bacterial and limnological variables was assessed in 20 neighboring shallow tropical coastal lagoons that present wide environmental gradients of turbidity (2.32-571 NTU), water color (1.82-92.49 m(-1)), dissolved organic carbon (0.71-16.7 mM), salinity (0.13-332.1‰), and chlorophyll-a (0.28 to 134.5 μg L(-1)). Virus abundance varied from 0.37 × 10(8) to 117 × 10(8) virus-like-particle (VLP) mL(-1), with the highest values observed in highly salty aquatic systems. Salinity and heterotrophi...

Research paper thumbnail of Virioplankton Assemblage Structure in the Lower River and Ocean Continuum of the Amazon

mSphere

The Amazon River watershed and its associated plume comprise a vast continental and oceanic area.... more The Amazon River watershed and its associated plume comprise a vast continental and oceanic area. The microbial activities along this continuum contribute substantially to global carbon and nutrient cycling, and yet there is a dearth of information on the diversity, abundance, and possible roles of viruses in this globally important river. The aim of this study was to elucidate the diversity and structure of virus assemblages of the Amazon River-ocean continuum. Environmental viral DNA sequences were obtained for 12 locations along the river's lower reach (n = 5) and plume (n = 7). Sequence assembly yielded 29,358 scaffolds, encoding 82,546 viral proteins, with 15 new complete viral genomes. Despite the spatial connectivity mediated by the river, virome analyses and physical-chemical water parameters clearly distinguished river and plume ecosystems. Bacteriophages were ubiquitous in the continuum and were more abundant in the transition region. Eukaryotic viruses occurred mostly...

Research paper thumbnail of Virioplankton dynamics are related to eutrophication levels in a tropical urbanized bay

PloS one, 2017

Virioplankton are an important and abundant biological component of marine and freshwater ecosyst... more Virioplankton are an important and abundant biological component of marine and freshwater ecosystems. Often overlooked, aquatic viruses play an important role in biogeochemical cycles on a global scale, infecting both autotrophic and heterotrophic microbes. Viral diversity, abundance, and viral interactions at different trophic levels in aqueous environments are not well understood. Tropical ecosystems are less frequently studied than temperate ecosystems, but could provide new insights into how physical and chemical variability can shape or force microbial community changes. In this study, we found high viral abundance values in Guanabara Bay relative to other estuaries around the world. Viral abundance was positively correlated with bacterioplankton abundance and chlorophyll a concentrations. Moreover, prokaryotic and viral abundance were positively correlated with eutrophication, especially in surface waters. These results provide novel baseline data on the quantitative distribut...

Research paper thumbnail of Microbial Community Profile and Water Quality in a Protected Area of the Caatinga Biome

PLOS ONE, 2016

The Caatinga is a semi-arid biome in northeast Brazil. The Paraguaçú River is located in the Caat... more The Caatinga is a semi-arid biome in northeast Brazil. The Paraguaçú River is located in the Caatinga biome, and part of its course is protected by the National Park of Chapada Diamantina (PNCD). In this study we evaluated the effect of PNCD protection on the water quality and microbial community diversity of this river by analyzing water samples obtained from points located inside and outside the PNCD in both wet and dry seasons. Results of water quality analysis showed higher levels of silicate, ammonia, particulate organic carbon, and nitrite in samples from the unprotected area compared with those from protected areas. Pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA genes revealed that Burkholderiales was abundant in samples from all three sites during both seasons and was represented primarily by the genus Polynucleobacter and members of the Comamonadaceae family (e.g., genus Limnohabitans). During the dry season, the unprotected area showed a higher abundance of Flavobacterium sp. and Arthrobacter sp., which are frequently associated with the presence and/or degradation of arsenic and pesticide compounds. In addition, genes that appear to be related to agricultural impacts on the environment, as well as those involved in arsenic and cadmium resistance, copper homeostasis, and propanediol utilization, were detected in the unprotected areas by metagenomic sequencing. Although PNCD protection improves water quality, agricultural activities around the park may affect water quality within the park and may account for the presence of bacteria capable of pesticide degradation and assimilation, evidencing possible anthropogenic impacts on the Caatinga.

Research paper thumbnail of Structuring of Bacterioplankton Diversity in a Large Tropical Bay

PloS one, 2012

Structuring of bacterioplanktonic populations and factors that determine the structuring of speci... more Structuring of bacterioplanktonic populations and factors that determine the structuring of specific niche partitions have been demonstrated only for a limited number of colder water environments. In order to better understand the physical chemical and biological parameters that may influence bacterioplankton diversity and abundance, we examined their productivity, abundance and diversity in the second largest Brazilian tropical bay (Guanabara Bay, GB), as well as seawater physical chemical and biological parameters of GB. The inner bay location with higher nutrient input favored higher microbial (including vibrio) growth. Metagenomic analysis revealed a predominance of Gammaproteobacteria in this location, while GB locations with lower nutrient concentration favored Alphaproteobacteria and Flavobacteria. According to the subsystems (SEED) functional analysis, GB has a distinctive metabolic signature, comprising a higher number of sequences in the metabolism of phosphorus and aromatic compounds and a lower number of sequences in the photosynthesis subsystem. The apparent phosphorus limitation appears to influence the GB metagenomic signature of the three locations. Phosphorus is also one of the main factors determining changes in the abundance of planktonic vibrios, suggesting that nutrient limitation can be observed at community (metagenomic) and population levels (total prokaryote and vibrio counts).