Accessing the molecular logic associated with the presence, regulation and bioactivity of bacteriocins present in microbial communities of the gastrointestinal tract of pigs by in silico and in vitro approaches

Abstract

Pork protein consumption continues to grow worldwide, with Brazil producing approximately 4.4 million tons annually. However, intensive animal production allows the emergence of pathogenic microorganisms that can use these animals as a vector. Disease prevention and control in the agricultural sector has focused on the use of chemical additives and medicines, especially antibiotics. However, there is controversy about the impact of its use on antimicrobial resistance in humans since some antibiotics used in animals are also used in human therapy. Thus, the use of probiotics and their biomolecules, such as bacteriocins, in the prevention and treatment of bacterial infections in animals intended for human consumption, is considered an efficient alternative to the use of antimicrobials. Therefore, this project aims to carry out a genomic and molecular study, using in silico and in vitro techniques, on bacterial isolates from the gastrointestinal tract of pigs obtained in the thematic project FAPESP 2018/25511-1 and from the Pig Intestinal bacterial collection - PiBAC. For this, in the analyzed isolates, the composition of the genomes considered will be evaluated, also performing the prediction of bacteriocin-encoding genes, evaluation of their gene conservation by sequence analysis, and prediction of physical-chemical and structural parameters of these genes by computational approaches. The obtained results will enable the identification and application of new safe bacteriocinogenic strains in the context of animal nutrition, as well as the obtainment and identification of new bacteriocins and/or other compounds and their biotechnological role in the food, pharmaceutical and medical-veterinary context. (AU)