With the aim of a better characterization of the somatic recombination process in Trichoderma pseudokoningii, a progeny from crossings between T. pseudokoningii strains contrasting for auxotroph markers was characterized by RAPD markers and PFGE (electrophoretic karyotype). Cytological studies of the conidia, conidiogenesis and heterokaryotic colonies were also performed. The genotypes of the majority of the recombinant strains analyzed were similar to only one of the parental strains and the low frequency of polymorphic RAPD bands suggested that the nuclear fusions may not occur into the heterokaryon. In some heterokaryotic regions the existence of intensely staining hyphae might be related to cell death. We proposed that a mechanism of somatic recombination other than parasexuality might occur, being related to limited vegetative compatibility after postfusion events, as described for other Trichoderma species.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a expressão, por RT-qPCR, dos genes de nodulação nodC e nodW e do gene nopP da estirpe CPAC 15, que provavelmente atuam na infecção das raízes da soja. Foram realizados dois experimentos. No primeiro, a expressão dos genes foi avaliada nas células após a incubação com genisteína por 15 min, 1, 4 e 8 horas. Os resultados revelaram que os três genes apresentaram maior expressão imediatamente após o contato com o indutor (15 min). No segundo experimento, a bactéria foi cultivada na presença de indutores (genisteína ou exsudatos de sementes de soja) por 48 horas. A expressão dos três genes foi maior na presença de genisteína, com valores de expressão para nodC, nodW e nopP superiores ao controle. Os resultados obtidos confirmam a funcionalidade dos três genes na estirpe CPAC 15, com ênfase para o nopP, cuja funcionalidade em Bradyrhizobium japonicum foi descrita pela primeira vez.

The objective of this work was to evaluate, by RT-qPCR, the expression of the nodC and nodW nodulation genes and of the nopP gene of the CPAC 15 strain, which probably play a role in the infection of soybean roots. Two experiments were done. In the first, the gene expression was evaluated in cells after incubation with genistein for 15 min, 1, 4 and 8 hours. Results showed that the three genes showed higher expression immediately after contact with the inducer (15 min). In the second experiment, the bacterium was grown in the presence of inducers (genistein or soybean seed exudates) for 48 hours. The expression of the three genes was greater when induced by genistein, and the expression of nodC, nodW and nopP had higher values than the control. The results confirm the functionality of the three genes in the CPAC 15 strain, with an emphasis on the nopP, whose functionality in Bradyrhizobium japonicum was described for the first time.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi definir, para as condições edafoclimáticas do Brasil, níveis aceitáveis de dispersão de alguns parâmetros biológicos, utilizados em estudos de impacto ambiental de novas tecnologias usadas na cultura da soja. Dois ensaios com soja convencional e transgênica foram conduzidos em 11 municípios de seis estados e no Distrito Federal; os parâmetros avaliados foram: carbono e nitrogênio da biomassa microbiana, respiração basal e quociente metabólico microbiano, eletroforese do DNA do solo em géis desnaturantes (DGGE), fixação biológica do nitrogênio, população de rizóbios, número e massa de nódulos secos, ocupação dos nódulos pelas estirpes de Bradyrhizobium, massa de matéria seca da parte aérea, nitrogênio total e nitrogênio como ureídos na parte aérea. A variabilidade temporal de: carbono e nitrogênio, da biomassa microbiana, da respiração basal e do quociente metabólico microbiano foi adequada, e o coeficiente de variação máximo aceitável foi estimado em 35%. A homogeneidade entre repetições, tratamentos e coletas foi confirmada por DGGE. Em solos pobres em nitrogênio, os parâmetros de massa de nódulos e massa da parte aérea, com coeficiente de variação máximo de 33 e 18%, respectivamente, foram adequados para avaliar a fixação biológica do N, que contribuiu com 72 a 88% do nitrogênio total da parte aérea.

The objective oh this work was to define, for edaphoclimatic conditions of Brazil, acceptable levels of dispersion of some biological parameters, used in studies of environmental impact due to the adoption of new technologies with the soybean crop. Two experiments were performed in eleven counties, in six states and in the Federal District, with conventional and transgenic soybean. Evaluated parameters were: carbon and nitrogen of the microbial biomass, microbial respiration, microbial metabolic quotient, electrophoresis of soil DNA in denaturating gradient gel (DGGE), biological nitrogen fixation, number of rhizobial cells, nodule number and nodule dry weight, nodule occupancy by Bradyrhizobium strains, shoot dry weight, total nitrogen in shoot and nitrogen as ureides in shoot. The temporal variability for carbon and nitrogen of microbial biomass, microbial respiration and microbial metabolic quotient was adequate, and the maximum coefficient of variation was estimated at 35%. The homogeneity between replicates, treatments and harvests was confirmed by the DGGE method. In N-poor soils, the parameters of nodules and shoot dry weight, with maximum coefficient of variation 33 and 18%, respectively, were adequate for evaluation of biological nitrogen fixation, which contributed from 72 to 88% of total nitrogen in shoot.

ABC transporters represent one of the largest superfamilies of active membrane transport proteins (MTPs) with a highly conserved ATPase domain that binds and hydrolyzes ATP, supplying energy for the uptake of a variety of nutrients and for the extrusion of drugs and metabolic wastes. The complete genomes of a non-pathogenic (J) and pathogenic (7448) strain of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, as well as of a pathogenic (53) strain of Mycoplasma synoviae have been recently sequenced. A detailed study revealed a high percentage of CDSs encoding MTPs in M. hyopneumoniae strains J (13.4%), 7448 (13.8%), and in M. synoviae 53 (11.2%), and the ABC systems represented from 85.0 to 88.6% of those CDSs. Uptake systems are mainly involved in cell nutrition and some might be associated with virulence. Exporter systems include both drug and multidrug resistant systems (MDR), which may represent mechanisms of resistance to toxic molecules. No relation was found between the phylogeny of the ATPase domains and the lifestyle or pathogenicity of Mycoplasma, but several proteins, potentially useful as targets for the control of infections, were identified.

Com o objetivo de se caracterizar o processo de recombinação somática em Trichoderma pseudokoningii, foram realizados cruzamentos via anastomose de hifas entre duas linhagens desta espécie, contrastantes para os marcadores de auxotrofia. Foram realizados quatro cruzamentos, sendo analisadas um total de 1052 colônias obtidas a partir de suspensões de conídios provenientes das colônias heterocarióticas. Foram analisadas sessenta e oito colônias recombinantes em quatro gerações de crescimento, sendo verificados os marcadores de auxotrofia. Das 68 colônias, 58 se mostraram estáveis após quatro gerações de crescimento e as colônias restantes permaneceram instáveis, revertendo para as marcas de uma das linhagens parentais. A maioria das colônias se mostrou instável através das gerações de subcultivo, e após quatro gerações de crescimento estas apresentaram as marcas de auxotrofia leu ino met (auxotrofia para leucina, inositol e metionina, respectivamente). As colônias recombinantes instáveis apresentaram bordas irregulares de crescimento, esporulação esparsa e a freqüente formação de setores. Os resultados sugerem a ocorrência de mecanismos de recombinação no heterocário (recombinação somática), diferente daqueles descritos para o ciclo parassexual ou parameiose, sendo proposto a ocorrência da degradação no heterocário de núcleos provenientes de uma das linhagens parentais (parental não prevalente) e a incorporação de fragmentos cromossômicos nos núcleos íntegros da outra linhagem parental (parental prevalente). No entanto a parameiose, como originalmente descrita, não pode ser excluída.

Crossing experiments via hyphal anastomosis between two strains contrasting for auxotrophic markers of Trichoderma pseudokoningii were conducted to characterize the somatic recombination process in this specie. Four crossings were made and a total of 1052 colonies obtained from conidial suspensions of the heterokaryotic colonies were analyzed. Sixty-eight recombinant colonies, from four growing generations, were analyzed for the auxotrophic markers. Of the 68 colonies analyzed, 58 were stable after four generations and the remainders were unstable, reverting to one of the parentals. Most of the recombinant colonies were unstable through subculture and after four growing generations they showed the leu ino met markers (auxotrophic for leucin, inositol and metionin respectively). The unstable recombinant colonies showed irregular growing borders, sparse sporulation and frequent sector formation. The results suggest the occurrence of recombination mechanisms in the heterokaryon (somatic recombination), different from those described for the parasexual cycle or parameiosis. Therefore, we proposed the ocurrence of nuclei degradation from one parental (non prevalent parental) in the heterokaryon and that the resulting chromosomal fragments may be incorporated into whole nuclei of the another parental (prevalent parental). However the parameiosis as originally described cannot be excluded.