Henrique Fragoso dos Santos

Fluminense Federal Universirty · Marine Biology

A licófita amazônica Isoëtes cangae é uma planta submersa encontrada exclusivamente no Lago do Amendoim, na Serra dos Carajás. Devido à sua ocorrência restrita, à introdução de peixes herbívoros exóticos e às atividades de mineração em sítios próximos, e aos efeitos da crise climática iminente, essa espécie encontra-se criticamente ameaçada. Portan...

Diferentemente dos demais ecossistemas lacustres comumente estudados na Região Amazônica, típicos de planícies de inundação e de terra firme, os lagos de altitude estão estabelecidos sobre crostas lateríticas e são acumuladores de águas pluviais. Boa parte desses ecossistemas encontra-se na Flona de Carajás, no sudeste do Pará, em meio às suas serr...

Isoetes cangae is a native plant found only in a permanent pond in Serra dos Carajás in the Amazon region. Plant-associated microbial communities are recognized to be responsible for biological processes essential for the health, growth, and even adaptation of plants to environmental stresses. In this sense, the aims of this work were to isolate, i...

In 2019, the largest oil spill ever recorded in tropical oceans in terms of extent occurred in Brazil. The oil from the spill was collected directly from the environment and used in an exposure experiment with the endangered reef-building coral Mussismilia harttii. The treatments of the experiment were control (without oil), 1% oil, 2.5% oil, and d...

Coral reefs are marine environments with notable biodiversity, considered rich in organisms that produce active molecules. The microorganisms present in coral tissue play different roles that are not yet fully understood. The study of the microbiota can explain how microorganisms influence the health of corals and their participation in defense mec...

The collapse of the Fundão tailings dam (Minas Gerais, Brazil) was the largest environmental disaster in Brazil's history and in the world mining industry. This disaster carried approximately 55 million m³ of iron ore tailings along the rivers and the lagoons of the Doce river basin. Although multiple studies assessed the impact on microbial commun...

Archaea comprise a unique domain of organisms with distinct biochemical and genetic differences from bacteria. Methane-forming archaea, methanogens, constitute the predominant group of archaea in the human gut microbiota, with Methanobrevibacter smithii being the most prevalent. However, the effect of methanogenic archaea and their methane producti...

Despite the great ecological and economic importance of coral reefs, these ecosystems are especially sensitive to environmental changes and vulnerable to impacts from various anthropogenic activities, including contamination by oil spills. Oil spills occur worldwide, mostly in marine environments, and have been reported for decades. Furthermore, th...

Dysbiosis is recognized as a new cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor in hemodialysis (HD) patients because it is linked to increased generation in the gut of uremic toxins such as trimethylamine N-Oxide (TMAO) from dietary precursors (choline, betaine, or L-carnitine). Nutritional strategies have been proposed to modulate the gut microbiota an...

The failure of the Fundão Dam, considered the world's largest mining disaster, released more than 55 million m³ of ore tailings into the environment. The sediment plume formed by water and tailings spread along approximately 663 km of water bodies of the Doce River basin. It reached the Atlantic Ocean sixteen days after the dam failure. However, th...

The rupture of the Fundão dam (Mariana, MG, southeast Brazil) released a huge flood of mine tailings to Doce river basin and its adjacent coastal area, in November 2015. This catastrophic event exposed aquatic communities to metal contamination related to mine tailings, but its biological effects are still poorly understood. This study investigates...

Scope Resistant starch type-2 (RS2), can mitigate inflammation and oxidative stress in hemodialysis (HD) patients. However, there is still a lack of knowledge on the impact of the RS2 on the gut microbiota community in these patients. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of enriched RS2 cookies on the gut microbiome in HD patients. Metho...

Introdução Os projetos de atividades industriais de mineração na Serra dos Carajás são acompanhados por expedições científicas e pesquisas botânicas. Os estudos levaram à descrição de duas espécies do gênero Isoetes L. (I. can-gae e I. serracarajensis), endêmicas dos campos rupes-tres ferruginosos (cangas), que ocorrem no topo dessas serras (Pereir...

Background Beginning in the last century, coral reefs have suffered the consequences of anthropogenic activities, including oil contamination. Chemical remediation methods, such as dispersants, can cause substantial harm to corals and reduce their resilience to stressors. To evaluate the impacts of oil contamination and find potential alternative s...

PurposeDysbiosis has been identified in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The aim of this study was to carry out a systematic review of an electronic research that was carried out on articles published between January 2008 and September 2018.Methods Eight studies were selected after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria.ResultsAll articl...

Bacterial communities of two critically endangered rays from the South Atlantic, the butterfly ray (Gymnura altavela) and the groovebelly ray (Dasyatis hypostigma), were described using 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding. The study characterized the bacterial communities associated with (i) G. altavela in natural (in situ) and aquarium (ex situ) settings,...

Bacterial communities of two critically endangered rays from the South Atlantic, the butterfly ray (Gymnura altavela) and the groovebelly ray (Dasyatis hypostigma), were described using 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding. The study characterized the bacterial communities associated with (i) G. altavela in natural (in situ) and aquarium (ex situ) settings...

The Brazilian coast was recently affected by the largest oil in its history. We exposed polyps of the South Atlantic reef-building coral Mussismilia harttii to 5 g of heavy crude oil collected from the spill. Polyps were able to remove the oil in less than two hours after exposure, through the production of mucus and gas bubbles. These findings are...

Background & aim: This study compared the oral bacteriome between HIV-1-infected and non-HIV-1-infected Brazilian children/teenagers. Methods: Whole saliva, biofilm from the dorsal surface of the tongue, and biofilm from supragingival and subgingival sites were collected from 27 HIV-1-infected and 30 non-HIV-1-infected individuals. Bacterial gen...

Although numerous studies have been carried out on the impacts of oil spills on coral physiology, most have relied on laboratory assays. This scarcity is partly explained by the difficulty of reproducing realistic conditions in a laboratory setting or of perform‐ ing experiments with toxic compounds in the field. Mesocosm systems provide the opport...

Background and Aim: This study compared the oral bacteriome between HIV‐1‐infected and non‐HIV‐1‐infected Brazilian children/teenagers. Methods: Whole saliva, biofilm from the dorsal surface of the tongue and biofilm from supragingival and subgingival sites were collected from 27 HIV‐1‐infected and 30 non‐HIV‐1‐infected individuals. Bacterial genom...

Objective: This study investigated the presence of Enterococcus faecalis in primary teeth with primary root canal infections and related to the possible failure of pulpectomy outcome after 36 months. Material and methods: Root canal samples were obtained from 25 out of 244 patients using the sterile paper cone method. The identification of E. faeca...

The hologenome theory of evolution (HTE), which is under fierce debate, presupposes that parts of the microbiome are transmitted from one generation to the next [vertical transmission (VT)], which may also influence the evolution of the holobiont. Even though bacteria have previously been described in early life stages of corals, these early life s...

Richness indexes for bacterial communities associated with different life stages of Mussismilia hispida and surrounding seawater. (A) Phylogenetic distance, (B) Chao and (C) Observed OTUs. W0d: seawater at the spawning event, W5d: seawater 5 days after the spawning event, G0d: Bundles at the spawning event, L5d: coral planula larvae, 5 days a.f., a...

Light microscopy micrograph of a thin section of M. hispida bundles, highlighting male and female gametes. F: female gametes. M: spermatic cysts.

Permutational statistical (PERMANOVA) analyses of DGGE and sequencing data to assess the water and Mussismilia hispida microbiome.

Scheme showing the experimental strategy used in this study. Boxes in gray scale: collected samples are represented from embryonic stage (bundles, spawning time) to coral planula larvae (3 and 5 days a.f.). Blue rectangles: techniques used in this study; bacterial communities profile and composition were evaluated by PCR-DGGE and sequencing, respec...

Relative abundance of the variable and core microbiome from different M. hispida life stages, according to 16S rRNA gene high throughput (Ion Torrent PGM) sequencing data. G0d: bundles at the spawning event, L5d: coral planula larvae, 5 days a.f., and MH: adult colonies of M. hispida.

Bacterial core community of different life stages of M. hispida at OTU level. G0d: bundles at the spawning event, L5d: coral planula larvae, 5 days a.f., and MH: adult colonies of M. hispida.

The Antarctic soil microbial community has a crucial role in the growth and stabilization of higher organisms, such as vascular plants. Analysis of the soil microbiota composition in that extreme environmental condition is crucial to understand the ecological importance and biotechnological potential. We evaluated the efficiency of isolation and ab...

Coral reefs are at risk due to events associated with human activities, which have resulted in the increasing occurrence of coral diseases. Corals live in symbiotic relationships with different microorganisms, such as cyanobacteria, a very important group. Members of the phylum Cyanobacteria are found in great abundance in the marine environment an...

Several anthropogenic factors, including contamination by oil spills, constitute a threat to coral reef health. Current methodologies to remediate polluted marine environments are based on the use of chemical dispersants; however, these can be toxic to the coral holobiont. In this study, a probiotic bacterial consortium was produced from the coral...

We describe a completely randomizable flow-through outdoor mesocosm for climate change and ecotoxicology studies that was built with inexpensive materials. The 16 raceway tanks allow up to 69 water renewal per hour, avoiding changes in natural abiotic seawater conditions. We use an open-source hardware board (Arduino) that was adapted to control he...

Figure S1. Panoramic view of the mesocosm system as observed from the secondary ecotoxicology system aquaria.

Figure S2. Inside view of control room, showing the Reef Angel cabinet, the pH sensors, and precision gate valves for flow control.

Table S1. Average abiotic parameters concentrations from each treatment of mesocosm raceway tanks (n = 4 replicates). Table S2. Summary of values for pCO2 and Ωaragonite parameters during acidification system experiment.

To compare the subgingival microbial diversity between non-HIV-infected and HIV-infected individuals with chronic periodontitis using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Thirty-two patients were selected: 11 were HIV-infected and 21 were non-HIV-infected, and all had chronic periodontitis. Periodontal measurements included probing depth...

The Atlantic Rainforest does not have a uniform physiognomy, its relief determines different environmental conditions that define the composition of its flora and fauna. Within this ecosystem, bromeliads that form tanks with their leaves hold water reservoirs throughout the year, maintaining complex food chains, based mainly on autotrophic and hete...

Coral reefs are at serious risk due to events associated with global climate change. Elevated ocean temperatures have unpredictable consequences for the ocean's biogeochemical cycles. The nitrogen cycle is driven by complex microbial transformations, including nitrogen fixation. This study investigated the effects of increased seawater temperature...

This study aimed to test different protocols for the extraction of microbial DNA from the coral Mussismilia harttii. Four different commercial kits were tested, three of them based on methods for DNA extraction from soil (FastDNA SPIN Kit for soil, MP Bio, PowerSoil DNA Isolation Kit, MoBio, and ZR Soil Microbe DNA Kit, Zymo Research) and one kit f...

This study aimed to test different protocols for the extraction of microbial DNA from the coral Mussismilia harttii. Four different commercial kits were tested, three of them based on methods for DNA extraction from soil (FastDNA SPIN Kit for soil, MP Bio, PowerSoil DNA Isolation Kit, MoBio, and ZR Soil Microbe DNA Kit, Zymo Research) and one kit f...

Most oil from oceanic spills converges on coastal ecosystems, such as mangrove forests, which are threatened with worldwide disappearance. Particular bacteria that inhabit the rhizosphere of local plant species can stimulate plant development through various mechanisms; it would be advantageous if these would also be capable of degrading oil. Such...

Mangroves are transitional coastal ecosystems in tropical and sub-tropical regions and represent biologically important and productive ecosystems. Despite their great ecological and economic importance, mangroves are often situated in areas of high anthropogenic influence, being exposed to pollutants, such as those released by oil spills. A microco...

The majority of oil from oceanic oil spills (e.g. the recent accident in the Gulf of Mexico) converges on coastal ecosystems such as mangroves. Microorganisms are directly involved in biogeochemical cycles as key drivers of the degradation of many carbon sources, including petroleum hydrocarbons. When properly understood and managed, microorganisms...

Phylogram of the 18S rRNA phylotypes. A representative sequence of each OTU determined by DOTUR0.03 and the nearest neighbors obtained by using of the aligner tool of the silva database project were used. The number and the letters after the OTU identification indicate the number of sequences clustered in each OTU and the sample where the sequences...

Phylogram of the bacterial 16S rRNA phylotypes. A representative sequence of each OTU determined by DOTUR0.03 and the nearest neighbors obtained by using of the aligner tool of the silva database project were used. The number and the letters after the OTU identification indicate the number of sequences clustered in each OTU and the sample where the...

Upwelling systems are characterised by an intense primary biomass production in the surface (warmest) water after the outcrop of the bottom (coldest) water, which is rich in nutrients. Although it is known that the microbial assemblage plays an important role in the food chain of marine systems and that the upwelling systems that occur in southwest...

Estimation of OTU richness, diversity indices and estimated sample coverage for 16S rRNA libraries of sediment of mangrove samples. The number of sequences of each sample was normalized to 700. a. Number of sequences for each library. B. Calculated with DOTUR at the 3% distance level. C. Shannon diversity index calculated using DOTUR (3% distance)...

Phylogram of the archaeal 16S rRNA phylotypes. A representative sequence of each OTU determined by DOTUR0.03 and the nearest neighbors obtained by using of the aligner tool of the silva database project were used. The sequences of type strains used in the phylogram were obtained from the All-Species Living Tree project (Yarza et al., 2008). The num...

Background: Microeukaryotes are an effective indicator of the presence of environmental contaminants. However, the characterisation of these organisms by conventional tools is often inefficient, and recent molecular studies have revealed a great diversity of microeukaryotes. The full extent of this diversity is unknown, and therefore, the distribu...