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.

BRCA1 mutations in Brazilian patients

BRCA1 mutations are known to be responsible for the majority of hereditary breast and ovarian cancers in women with early onset and a family history of the disease. In this paper we present a mutational survey conducted in 47 Brazilian patients with breast/ovarian cancer, selected based on age at diagnosis, family history, tumor laterality, and presence of breast cancer in male patients. All 22 coding exons and intron-exon junctions were sequenced. Constitutional mutations were found in seven families, consisting of one insertion (insC5382) in exon 20 (four patients), one four base-pair deletion (3450-3453delCAAG) in exon 11 resulting in a premature stop codon (one patient), one transition (IVS17+2T> C) in intron 17 affecting a mRNA splicing site (one patient), and a C> T transition resulting in a stop-codon (Q1135X) in exon 11 (one patient). The identification of these mutations which are associated to hereditary breast and ovarian cancers will contribute to the characterization of the mutational spectrum of BRCA1 and to the improvement of genetic counseling for familial breast/ovarian cancer patients in Brazil.