Molecular characterization of environmental mycobacteria and evaluation of degradation of hydrocarbons

Abstract

According to the List of Names of Bacteria, there are 149 species and 11 subspecies known in the genus Mycobacterium that are divided into, strict pathogens (Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex) and potentially pathogens denominated non-tuberculous mycobacteria NTM. Among these species, 63 species (42,28%) have been described since the year 2000. NTM are widely distributed in environment and are passed on by ingestion, inhalation, and inoculation from such sources. The continuous appearance of new medical and non-medical invasive techniques, the increasing number of procedures done, and yet the growing number of cases of patients having diseases leading to imunodepression in the last years have relation to the emerging characteristic of infections caused by NTM, bearing the fact that several outbreaks were described in the last few years including in Brazil. Studies estimate that 30% of isolated mycobacteria from water, soil, air, and patients, do not belong to any identified species. The large number of isolated environment mycobacteria non-identified by phenotypic and molecular techniques, which are usually employed for identification of clinic samples, suggests the existence of diversity in this group of bacteria and/or such techniques are not discriminating enough for identification of environment samples. This is the reason it is necessary a comparative study among identification techniques. One of the goals of this research is to evaluate the spectrometry of mass technique for identification of isolated environment mycobacteria in water and composting process from Fundação Parque Zoológico de São Paulo. The main advantages this technique presents are that results are fast and reliable. For some years the NTM called attention to other areas that are non-medical. Studies attest to the utility of NTM in bioremediation of soil and water contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (HPA). These compounds are the resulting from dye industries, petrol drilling exploration and their derivatives, and are highly toxic and cancerous. However, NTM are microorganisms little explored in relation to their potential for environment application. Another goal of this research is to characterize in a molecular way the isolated by Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis for posterior tests of degradation to hydrocarbon. (AU)