title: Analysis of Chromobacterium sp. natural isolates from different Brazilian ecosystems.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chromobacterium violaceum is a free-living bacterium able to survive under diverse environmental conditions. In this study we evaluate the genetic and physiological diversity of Chromobacterium sp. isolates from three Brazilian ecosystems: Brazilian Savannah (Cerrado), Atlantic Rain Forest and Amazon Rain Forest. We have analyzed the diversity with molecular approaches (16S rRNA gene sequences and amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis) and phenotypic surveys of antibiotic resistance and biochemistry profiles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In general, the clusters based on physiological profiles included isolates from two or more geographical locations indicating that they are not restricted to a single ecosystem. The isolates from Brazilian Savannah presented greater physiologic diversity and their biochemical profile was the most variable of all groupings. The isolates recovered from Amazon and Atlantic Rain Forests presented the most similar biochemical characteristics to the Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472 strain. Clusters based on biochemical profiles were congruent with clusters obtained by the 16S rRNA gene tree. According to the phylogenetic analyses, isolates from the Amazon Rain Forest and Savannah displayed a closer relationship to the Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472. Furthermore, 16S rRNA gene tree revealed a good correlation between phylogenetic clustering and geographic origin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The physiological analyses clearly demonstrate the high biochemical versatility found in the C. violaceum genome and molecular methods allowed to detect the intra and inter-population diversity of isolates from three Brazilian ecosystems.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. claudia_bittencourt@yahoo.com.br <claudia_bittencourt@yahoo.com.br>
authors.forename: Cláudia I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Lima-Bittencourt
authors.forename: Spartaco
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Astolfi-Filho
authors.forename: Edmar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chartone-Souza
authors.forename: Fabrício R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Andréa M A
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Nascimento
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D001938:Brazil; D002861:Chromobacterium / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D017753:Ecosystem; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005843:Geography; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D021521:Ribotyping; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S