Análisis de transferencia horizontal de genes en ensayos de biorremediación con grasas recalcitrantes / Analysing horizontal gene transfer in bioremediation trials using recalcitrant grease

El empleo de microorganismos como herramienta para la mineralización de contaminantes orgánicos es una práctica que ha tomado mucha fuerza gracias a su eficiencia y bajo costo. La transferencia horizontal vía conjugación de genes es un requerimiento básico para optimizar procesos de biorremediación, por esta razón, además de conocer la diversidad metabólica es fundamental entender las interacciones que ocurren en una comunidad bacteriana para potenciar los procesos de biorremediación en campo.En este estudio se busca evaluar el potencial de transferencia horizontal (TH), tanto in vitro como en microcosmos de suelo, de aislamientos de bacterias obtenidas de un pasivo ambiental de grasas provenientes de la explotación carbonífera del Cerrejón. Inicialmente se agruparon los aislamientos de acuerdo con sus patrones de resistencia a antibióticos: ampicilina, cloramfenicol, gentamicina, tetraciclina y kanamicina. El potencial de TH de las cepas Vlf4, Ot3, Ot6, Pgt4, Blf11 y Vlf13 fue evaluado in vitro en medio sólido Luria-Bertani (LB) donde se obtuvieron nuevos fenotipos a partir de los cruces Vlf13xOt6 y Pgt4xOt6, el nuevo fenotipo indica resistencia a los dos marcadores (ampR, kanR) y su morfología sugiere que el receptor, en los dos casos, es la cepa Ot6. Los parentales Vlf13, Pgt4 y Ot6 fueron identificados por amplificación del gen RNAr 16S como Pseudomonas sp., Pseudomonas sp. y Chryseobacterium sp., respectivamente, y los transconjugantes como Chryseobacterium sp. Posteriormente, estos dos cruces fueron sometidos a ensayos de transferencia horizontal en microcosmos de suelos, donde se hizo evidente nuevamente la presencia de TH a una menor tasa. Los resultados obtenidos indican la posibilidad de un potencial de transferencia horizontal de genes entre los aislamientos seleccionados, dando lugar a la probabilidad de formular en futuros estudios un consorcio de bacterias que demuestran tener esta ventaja adaptativa.

The use of microorganisms as a tool for the mineralization of organic pollutants is a practice that has begun to gain strength due to its efficiency and low cost. Horizontal gene transfer by conjugation is important for the optimization of bioremediation processes. For this reason it is fundamental to study the metabolic diversity of catabolic pathways, but we must also understand the microbial interactions occurring in bioremediation consortia. This will help us improve bioremediation in field.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the horizontal gene transfer (HGT) potential, in vitro and in soil microcosms, of bacterial strains isolated from grease samples obtained from a disposal site situated in the coal mine “Cerrejon”. Initially the isolates were grouped by selective markers: Ampicillin, chloramphenicol, gentamicin, tetracycline and kanamycin. The HGT potential of strains: Vlf4, Ot3, Ot6, Pgt4, Blf11 y Vlf13 was evaluated in vitro on Luria-Bertani LB agar. New phenotypes were obtained from matings between Vlf13xOt6 and Pgt4xOt6. The new phenotype indicates resistances to both antibiotic markers and its morphology suggests that isolate Ogt6 is the receptor in both cases. The parental strains Vlf13, Pgt4 and Ot6 were identified by RNAr 16S as Pseudomonas sp. Pseudomonas sp. and Chryseobacterium sp. respectively and the transconjugants as Chryseobacterium sp. Subsequently soil microcosms were conducted with Vlf13xOt6 and Pgt4xOt6 and new phenotypes were detected at a lower rate again but with the same possible receptor but. These results suggest the possibility of horizontal gene transfer potential within the selected isolates, giving the possibility of formulating, in future studies, a bacterial consortium with an adaptive advantage.

Conjugation by mosquito pathogenic strains of Bacillus sphaericus

A mosquito pathogenic strain of Bacillus sphaericus carried out the conjugal transfer of plasmid pAMß1 to other strains of its own and two other serotypes. However, it was unable to conjugate with mosquito pathogens from three serotypes, with B. sphaericus of other DNA homology groups or with three other species of Bacillus. Conjugation frequency was highest with a strain having an altered surface layer (S layer). Cojugal transfer of pAMß1 was not detected in mosquito larval cadavers. B. sphaericus 2362 was unable to imobilize pUB110 for transfer to strains that had served as recipients of pAMß1. These observations suggest that it is unlikely that genetically engineered B. sphaericus carrying a recombinant plasmid could pass that plamid to other bacteria.