A multi-resistant strain of Vibrio parahaemolyticus was isolated from a tropical estuary in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Genome sequencing was conducted to establish the molecular basis of antibiotic resistance in this organism. The genetic content of this strain revealed it to be a non-virulent lineage that nevertheless possesses several antibiotic resistance determinants.

A comunidade dos tintinídeos da região de Abrolhos (Bahia, Brasil) foi estudada durante o período de fevereiro de 2012. Nossas hipóteses são de que a estrutura da comunidade dos tintinídeos varia em uma escala temporal curta (fotoperíodo), além de variar espacialmente, tanto em curta escala (sobre o recife e distante dele) como em larga escala (distância da área recifal em relação à costa). Três áreas em Abrolhos foram estudadas. Em cada área foram delimitados dois pontos de amostragem, nos quais se coletou tintinídeos através de arrastos horizontais subsuperficiais de rede de plâncton (20 μm abertura de malha), a cada 6 horas, ao longo de 24 horas. 24 espécies foram encontradas, sendo todas de distribuição nerítica, cosmopolita e de águas quentes. A única hipótese não rejeitada está relacionada com a variabilidade da comunidade em uma escala espacial extensa. Existem diferenças significativas entre as três áreas estudadas (ANOVA p = 0,017). Análises de agrupamento realizadas com as espécies revelaram um gradiente continente-oceano. Existe uma comunidade típica do arco interno, formada basicamente por espécies neríticas, além de uma comunidade típica do arco externo, formada basicamente por espécies hialinas cosmopolitas e de águas quentes. O grande fator influenciando a comunidade dos tintinídeos em Abrolhos é a distância da costa.

The tintinnid community in the region of Abrolhos (Bahia, Brazil) was studied during February 2012. We hypothesized that the tintinnid community structure varies significantly over a short temporal scale (photoperiod), as well as spatially over a short scale (on and away from the reefs), and a broad scale (distance of the reef area from the coast). Three areas in Abrolhos were studied. Two sampling points were delimited in each area, where the tintinnids were collected by horizontal subsurface plankton net (20 μm mesh-size) hauls. Sampling was undertaken every 6 hours, during 24 hours in each area. 24 species were found, all of which are of neritic, cosmopolitan, and of warm-water distribution. The only hypothesis that is not rejected is that related to variability on an extensive spatial scale. There are significant differences between the samples collected in the three areas studied (ANOVA p = 0.017). The clustering of the species highlights a continent-ocean gradient. There is one community typical of the internal arc, composed mainly of neritic agglutinated tintinnids, and another community typical of the external arc, composed mainly of hyaline warm-water and cosmopolitan tintinnids. The factor which exercises the greatest influence on the tintinnid community in the Abrolhos region is the distance from the coast.

An online scheme to assign Stenotrophomonas isolates to genomic groups was developed using the multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA), which is based on the DNA sequencing of selected fragments of the housekeeping genes ATP synthase alpha subunit (atpA), the recombination repair protein (recA), the RNA polymerase alpha subunit (rpoA) and the excision repair beta subunit (uvrB). This MLSA-based scheme was validated using eight of the 10 Stenotrophomonas species that have been previously described. The environmental and nosocomial Stenotrophomonas strains were characterised using MLSA, 16S rRNA sequencing and DNA-DNA hybridisation (DDH) analyses. Strains of the same species were found to have greater than 95% concatenated sequence similarity and specific strains formed cohesive readily recognisable phylogenetic groups. Therefore, MLSA appeared to be an effective alternative methodology to amplified fragment length polymorphism fingerprint and DDH techniques. Strains of Stenotrophomonas can be readily assigned through the open database resource that was developed in the current study (www.steno.lncc.br/).