Avaliação da atividade celulolítica e prospecção de metabólitos secundários em fungos filamentosos isolados em associação com cupins (Insecta: Blattodea: Isoptera)
Data
2022-12-20
Autores
Silva, Giordanno Di Gioia 
Orientadores
Okamoto, Débora Noma
Tipo
Trabalho de conclusão de curso
Título da Revista
ISSN da Revista
Título de Volume
Resumo
Os cupins são insetos capazes de degradar a celulose, capacidade proveniente de interações simbióticas com micro-organismos produtores de celulases, além da produção endógena dos térmitas. A espécie Anoplotermes pacificus ocorre na Mata Atlântica e constrói seus ninhos em meio à serrapilheira. Sua alimentação é composta por celulose em estágios avançados de decomposição presente no solo. A celulose é um dos principais constituintes da parede celular de vegetais e na natureza sua decomposição ocorre principalmente pela ação de micro-organismos, especialmente por bactérias e fungos. Além de importantes decompositores, os fungos também são amplamente estudados por conta de seus metabólitos secundários que podem ser de interesse farmacêutico. A associação de cupins com fungos pode ser importante não apenas para fins nutricionais, como também para fins de defesa contra patógenos. Uma forma de se investigar esse tipo de associação é pela análise dos metabólitos produzidos por esses fungos, entretanto, as formas tradicionais de cultivo em laboratório ocorrem com os micro-organismos de maneira isolada. Nos ambientes naturais os micro-organismos não se encontram isolados, de forma que ao serem cultivados dessa maneira é esperado que deixem de produzir metabólitos relacionados aos diferentes tipos de interações que ocorreriam no meio natural. Com isso, o crescimento combinado de dois ou mais micro-organismos se apresenta como uma forma de mimetizar em laboratório algumas das interações que ocorrem na natureza e promover a produção de metabólitos secundários. Diante do exposto, este trabalho teve como objetivo investigar a associação cupins-fungo na espécie A. pacificus. Isso se deu pela avaliação da atividade celulolítica dos fungos através do ensaio da Unidade de Papel de Filtro (FPase) e pela investigação das induções metabólicas, decorrentes das interações microbianas promovidas por co-culturas, através de dados de CLAE-DAD. Os resultados obtidos indicam atividade celulolítica em fungos isolados a partir do trato intestinal do cupim e indução de aumento da produção de determinados metabólitos em decorrência das interações microbianas em algumas co-culturas. O presente trabalho contribuiu para ampliação do conhecimento acerca das interações entre A. pacificus e sua microbiota fúngica associada, com destaque para a possibilidade de associações nutricionais e defensivas.
Termites are insects capable of degrading cellulose. This derives from symbiotic interactions with cellulase producing microorganisms, as well as endogenous synthesis. The species Anoplotermes pacificus occurs in the Atlantic Forest and builds its nests in the forest floor. Its diet consists of cellulose in advanced stages of decomposition present in the soil. Cellulose is one of the main constituents of the cell wall of vegetables and in nature its decomposition occurs mainly by the action of microorganisms, especially by bacteria and fungi. In addition to being important decomposers, fungi are also widely studied for their secondary metabolites that may be of pharmaceutical interest. The association of termites with fungi may be important not only for nutritional purposes, but also for defense purposes against pathogens. One way to investigate this type of association is by analyzing the metabolites produced by these fungi, however, the traditional forms of laboratory cultivation occur with isolated microorganisms. In natural environments, microorganisms are not isolated, so that when they are cultivated in this way, it is expected that they will stop producing metabolites related to the different types of interactions that would occur in the natural environment. Thus, the combined growth of two or more microorganisms presents itself as a way to mimic in the laboratory some of the interactions that occur in nature and promote the production of secondary metabolites. Given the above, this work aimed to investigate the termites-fungus association in the species A. pacificus. This was done by evaluating the cellulolytic activity of fungi through the Filter Paper Unit (FPase) assay and by investigating metabolic inductions, resulting from microbial interactions promoted by co-cultures, through HPLC-DAD data. The results indicate cellulolytic activity in fungi isolated from the termite intestinal tract and induction of increased production of certain metabolites as a result of microbial interactions in some co-cultures. This work contributed to the expansion of knowledge about the interactions between A. pacificus and its associated fungal microbiota, with emphasis on the possibility of nutritional and defensive associations.
Termites are insects capable of degrading cellulose. This derives from symbiotic interactions with cellulase producing microorganisms, as well as endogenous synthesis. The species Anoplotermes pacificus occurs in the Atlantic Forest and builds its nests in the forest floor. Its diet consists of cellulose in advanced stages of decomposition present in the soil. Cellulose is one of the main constituents of the cell wall of vegetables and in nature its decomposition occurs mainly by the action of microorganisms, especially by bacteria and fungi. In addition to being important decomposers, fungi are also widely studied for their secondary metabolites that may be of pharmaceutical interest. The association of termites with fungi may be important not only for nutritional purposes, but also for defense purposes against pathogens. One way to investigate this type of association is by analyzing the metabolites produced by these fungi, however, the traditional forms of laboratory cultivation occur with isolated microorganisms. In natural environments, microorganisms are not isolated, so that when they are cultivated in this way, it is expected that they will stop producing metabolites related to the different types of interactions that would occur in the natural environment. Thus, the combined growth of two or more microorganisms presents itself as a way to mimic in the laboratory some of the interactions that occur in nature and promote the production of secondary metabolites. Given the above, this work aimed to investigate the termites-fungus association in the species A. pacificus. This was done by evaluating the cellulolytic activity of fungi through the Filter Paper Unit (FPase) assay and by investigating metabolic inductions, resulting from microbial interactions promoted by co-cultures, through HPLC-DAD data. The results indicate cellulolytic activity in fungi isolated from the termite intestinal tract and induction of increased production of certain metabolites as a result of microbial interactions in some co-cultures. This work contributed to the expansion of knowledge about the interactions between A. pacificus and its associated fungal microbiota, with emphasis on the possibility of nutritional and defensive associations.