Diversidade de leveduras capazes de metabolizar hidrolisado hemicelulósico associadas ao intestino de besouros passalídeos (insecta, coleoptera, passalidae)

Abstract

Microorganisms and animal association was too important for evolutive success of Metazoa, principally for wood-feeding insects. Assuming that: i) xylophagous insects have symbiotic association to its intestinal microbiota; ii) microbial community of insects gut is a hyperdiverse habitat, with high richness in undescribed strains and species; iii) the knowledge about this microbiota can to provide tools for producing biofuels and other value-added chemical compounds; the aim of this work was to isolate and identify yeasts associated to intestinal content of Veturius transversus (Passalidae, Coleoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Metazoa), able to metabolize sugarcane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolyzate (SBHH) with xylitol production. After this, one of the isolates was selected to have its cultivation in SBHH characterized. Sugarcane bagasse hydrolysis was evaluated about obtaining total reducing sugar and D-xylose. Then, the yeasts were isolated and identified using biochemical profile and the nucleotide sequences of ribosomal genes (ITS). Each isolated strain was evaluated for ethanol and xylitol production, and lastly, the strain named VT01 had its growing in SBHH characterized. The hydrolysis method employed leads to obtaining, on average, 60,59 g/L of total reducing sugar, of which 71,13% is D-xylose. A total of 20 colonies were isolated, being 11 distinct biochemical profiles distributed at 3 clades. Except VT12 and VT13 strains, all isolates are able to producing xylitol, with high yield (average of 45,37%) observed to Geotrichum sp. (VT01). Futhermore, Geotrichum sp. (VT01) was able to consume the microbial inhibitors acetic acid (78,88 %), hydroxymethyl-furfural (83,47%) and furfural (98,78%). These results allow to conclude that: i) the isolated strains exhibit phenotypic variation, occurring differents biochemical profiles for the same species; ii) Geotrichum sp. (VT01) is the most promising isolate for xylitol production, showing high tolerance against microbial inhibitors; iii) furfural consumption by Geotrichum sp. (VT01) is performed in co-metabolism with glucose, being not used as carbon source for cell growth.