Implications of streamlining theory for microbial ecology

A network-based approach to disturbance transmission through microbial interactions

Microbes numerically dominate aquatic ecosystems and play key roles in the biogeochemistry and the health of these environments. Due to their short generations times and high diversity, microbial communities are among the first responders to environmental changes, including natural and anthropogenic disturbances such as storms, pollutant releases, and upwelling. These disturbances affect members of the microbial communities both directly and indirectly through interactions with impacted community members. Thus, interactions can influence disturbance propagation through the microbial community by either expanding the range of organisms affected or buffering the influence of disturbance. For example, interactions may expand the number of disturbance-affected taxa by favoring a competitor or buffer the impacts of disturbance when a potentially disturbance-responsive clade’s growth is limited by an essential microbial partner. Here, we discuss the potential to use inferred ecological association networks to examine how disturbances propagate through microbial communities focusing on a case study of a coastal community’s response to a storm. This approach will offer greater insight into how disturbances can produce community-wide impacts on aquatic environments following transient changes in environmental parameters.

Growth rates and rRNA content of four marine bacteria in pure cultures and in the Delaware estuary

Interpretation of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) to 16S rRNA gene ratios (rRNA:rDNA) is based on a limited number of studies with rapidly growing copiotrophic bacteria. The most abundant bacteria in the ocean are oligotrophs, which probably grow more slowly than those bacteria whose rRNA:rDNA versus growth rate relationships are known. To examine whether rRNA:rDNA varies differently in oligotrophic marine bacteria than in copiotrophic bacteria, we used quantitative PCR and reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR to measure rRNA:rDNA in two marine copiotrophs and in two marine oligotrophs, including Candidatus Pelagibacter ubique HTCC1062, a coastal isolate of SAR11, the most abundant bacterial clade in the ocean. The rRNA:rDNA ratios for the two copiotrophs were similar to those expected on the basis of an analysis of previously studied copiotrophic bacteria, while the ratios for the two oligotrophs were substantially lower than predicted even given their slow growth rates. The rRNA:rDNA ratios determined along a transect in the Delaware estuary suggested that SAR11 bacteria grow at rates close to the growth rate in culture, while rates of the two copiotrophs were far below those observed in laboratory cultures. Our results have implications for interpreting rRNA:rDNA from natural communities, understanding growth strategies and comparing regulatory mechanisms in copiotrophs and oligotrophs.

Changes in Microbial Plankton Assemblages Induced by Mesoscale Oceanographic Features in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Mesoscale circulation generated by the Loop Current in the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM) delivers growth-limiting nutrients to the microbial plankton of the euphotic zone. Consequences of physicochemically driven community shifts on higher order consumers and subsequent impacts on the biological carbon pump remain poorly understood. This study evaluates microbial plankton <10 μm abundance and community structure across both cyclonic and anti-cyclonic circulation features in the NGOM using flow cytometry (SYBR Green I and autofluorescence parameters). Non-parametric multivariate hierarchical cluster analyses indicated that significant spatial variability in community structure exists such that stations that clustered together were defined as having a specific ‘microbial signature’ (i.e. statistically homogeneous community structure profiles based on relative abundance of microbial groups). Salinity and a combination of sea surface height anomaly and sea surface temperature were determined by distance based linear modeling to be abiotic predictor variables significantly correlated to changes in microbial signatures. Correlations between increased microbial abundance and availability of nitrogen suggest nitrogen-limitation of microbial plankton in this open ocean area. Regions of combined coastal water entrainment and mesoscale convergence corresponded to increased heterotrophic prokaryote abundance relative to autotrophic plankton. The results provide an initial assessment of how mesoscale circulation potentially influences microbial plankton abundance and community structure in the NGOM.

Metabolic Coevolution in the Bacterial Symbiosis of Whiteflies and Related Plant Sap-Feeding Insects

Genomic decay is a common feature of intracellular bacteria that have entered into symbiosis with plant sap-feeding insects. This study of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci and two bacteria (Portiera aleyrodidarum and Hamiltonella defensa) cohoused in each host cell investigated whether the decay of Portiera metabolism genes is complemented by host and Hamiltonella genes, and compared the metabolic traits of the whitefly symbiosis with other sap-feeding insects (aphids, psyllids, and mealybugs). Parallel genomic and transcriptomic analysis revealed that the host genome contributes multiple metabolic reactions that complement or duplicate Portiera function, and that Hamiltonella may contribute multiple cofactors and one essential amino acid, lysine. Homologs of the Bemisia metabolism genes of insect origin have also been implicated in essential amino acid synthesis in other sap-feeding insect hosts, indicative of parallel coevolution of shared metabolic pathways across multiple symbioses. Further metabolism genes coded in the Bemisia genome are of bacterial origin, but phylogenetically distinct from Portiera, Hamiltonella and horizontally transferred genes identified in other sap-feeding insects. Overall, 75% of the metabolism genes of bacterial origin are functionally unique to one symbiosis, indicating that the evolutionary history of metabolic integration in these symbioses is strongly contingent on the pattern of horizontally acquired genes. Our analysis, further, shows that bacteria with genomic decay enable host acquisition of complex metabolic pathways by multiple independent horizontal gene transfers from exogenous bacteria. Specifically, each horizontally acquired gene can function with other genes in the pathway coded by the symbiont, while facilitating the decay of the symbiont gene coding the same reaction.

Ecosystem productivity is associated with bacterial phylogenetic distance in surface marine waters

Understanding the link between community diversity and ecosystem function is a fundamental aspect of ecology. Systematic losses in biodiversity are widely acknowledged but the impact this may exert on ecosystem functioning remains ambiguous. There is growing evidence of a positive relationship between species richness and ecosystem productivity for terrestrial macro-organisms, but similar links for marine micro-organisms, which help drive global climate, are unclear. Community manipulation experiments show both positive and negative relationships for microbes. These previous studies rely, however, on artificial communities and any links between the full diversity of active bacterial communities in the environment, their phylogenetic relatedness and ecosystem function remain hitherto unexplored. Here, we test the hypothesis that productivity is associated with diversity in the metabolically active fraction of microbial communities. We show in natural assemblages of active bacteria that communities containing more distantly related members were associated with higher bacterial production. The positive phylogenetic diversity-productivity relationship was independent of community diversity calculated as the Shannon index. From our long-term (7-year) survey of surface marine bacterial communities, we also found that similarly, productive communities had greater phylogenetic similarity to each other, further suggesting that the traits of active bacteria are an important predictor of ecosystem productivity. Our findings demonstrate that the evolutionary history of the active fraction of a microbial community is critical for understanding their role in ecosystem functioning.

A Model of Genome Size Evolution for Prokaryotes in Stable and Fluctuating Environments

Temporal variability in ecosystems significantly impacts species diversity and ecosystem productivity and therefore the evolution of organisms. Different levels of environmental perturbations such as seasonal fluctuations, natural disasters, and global change have different impacts on organisms and therefore their ability to acclimatize and adapt. Thus, to understand how organisms evolve under different perturbations is a key for predicting how environmental change will impact species diversity and ecosystem productivity. Here, we developed a computer simulation utilizing the individual-based model approach to investigate genome size evolution of a haploid, clonal and free-living prokaryotic population across different levels of environmental perturbations. Our results show that a greater variability of the environment resulted in genomes with a larger number of genes. Environmental perturbations were more effectively buffered by populations of individuals with relatively large genomes. Unpredictable changes of the environment led to a series of population bottlenecks followed by adaptive radiations. Our model shows that the evolution of genome size is indirectly driven by the temporal variability of the environment. This complements the effects of natural selection directly acting on genome optimization. Furthermore, species that have evolved in relatively stable environments may face the greatest risk of extinction under global change as genome streamlining genetically constrains their ability to acclimatize to the new environmental conditions, unless mechanisms of genetic diversification such as horizontal gene transfer will enrich their gene pool and therefore their potential to adapt.

The reduced genomes of Parcubacteria (OD1) contain signatures of a symbiotic lifestyle

Candidate phylum OD1 bacteria (also referred to as Parcubacteria) have been identified in a broad range of anoxic environments through community survey analysis. Although none of these species have been isolated in the laboratory, several genome sequences have been reconstructed from metagenomic sequence data and single-cell sequencing. The organisms have small (generally <1 Mb) genomes with severely reduced metabolic capabilities. We have reconstructed 8 partial to near-complete OD1 genomes from oxic groundwater samples, and compared them against existing genomic data. The conserved core gene set comprises 202 genes, or ~28% of the genomic complement. “Housekeeping” genes and genes for biosynthesis of peptidoglycan and Type IV pilus production are conserved. Gene sets for biosynthesis of cofactors, amino acids, nucleotides, and fatty acids are absent entirely or greatly reduced. The only aspects of energy metabolism conserved are the non-oxidative branch of the pentose-phosphate shunt and central glycolysis. These organisms also lack some activities conserved in almost all other known bacterial genomes, including signal recognition particle, pseudouridine synthase A, and FAD synthase. Pan-genome analysis indicates a broad genotypic diversity and perhaps a highly fluid gene complement, indicating historical adaptation to a wide range of growth environments and a high degree of specialization. The genomes were examined for signatures suggesting either a free-living, streamlined lifestyle, or a symbiotic lifestyle. The lack of biosynthetic capabilities and DNA repair, along with the presence of potential attachment and adhesion proteins suggest that the Parcubacteria are ectosymbionts or parasites of other organisms. The wide diversity of genes that potentially mediate cell-cell contact suggests a broad range of partner/prey organisms across the phylum.

Evolutionary ecology of the marine Roseobacter clade

SUMMARY

Members of the Roseobacter clade are equipped with a tremendous diversity of metabolic capabilities, which in part explains their success in so many different marine habitats. Ideas on how this diversity evolved and is maintained are reviewed, focusing on recent evolutionary studies exploring the timing and mechanisms of Roseobacter ecological diversification.

Growth Rates of Microbes in the Oceans

A microbe's growth rate helps to set its ecological success and its contribution to food web dynamics and biogeochemical processes. Growth rates at the community level are constrained by biomass and trophic interactions among bacteria, phytoplankton, and their grazers. Phytoplankton growth rates are approximately 1 d(-1), whereas most heterotrophic bacteria grow slowly, close to 0.1 d(-1); only a few taxa can grow ten times as fast. Data from 16S rRNA and other approaches are used to speculate about the growth rate and the life history strategy of SAR11, the most abundant clade of heterotrophic bacteria in the oceans. These strategies are also explored using genomic data. Although the methods and data are imperfect, the available data can be used to set limits on growth rates and thus on the timescale for changes in the composition and structure of microbial communities.

SAR11 lipid renovation in response to phosphate starvation

Phytoplankton inhabiting oligotrophic ocean gyres actively reduce their phosphorus demand by replacing polar membrane phospholipids with those lacking phosphorus. Although the synthesis of nonphosphorus lipids is well documented in some heterotrophic bacterial lineages, phosphorus-free lipid synthesis in oligotrophic marine chemoheterotrophs has not been directly demonstrated, implying they are disadvantaged in phosphate-deplete ecosystems, relative to phytoplankton. Here, we show the SAR11 clade chemoheterotroph Pelagibacter sp. str. HTCC7211 renovates membrane lipids when phosphate starved by replacing a portion of its phospholipids with monoglucosyl- and glucuronosyl-diacylglycerols and by synthesizing new ornithine lipids. Lipid profiles of cells grown with excess phosphate consisted entirely of phospholipids. Conversely, up to 40% of the total lipids were converted to nonphosphorus lipids when cells were starved for phosphate, or when growing on methylphosphonate. Cells sequentially limited by phosphate and methylphosphonate transformed >75% of their lipids to phosphorus-free analogs. During phosphate starvation, a four-gene cluster was significantly up-regulated that likely encodes the enzymes responsible for lipid renovation. These genes were found in Pelagibacterales strains isolated from a phosphate-deficient ocean gyre, but not in other strains from coastal environments, suggesting alternate lipid synthesis is a specific adaptation to phosphate scarcity. Similar gene clusters are found in the genomes of other marine α-proteobacteria, implying lipid renovation is a common strategy used by heterotrophic cells to reduce their requirement for phosphorus in oligotrophic habitats.

Dispersing misconceptions and identifying opportunities for the use of 'omics' in soil microbial ecology

Technological advances are enabling the sequencing of environmental DNA and RNA at increasing depth and with decreasing costs. Metagenomic and transcriptomic analysis of soil microbial communities and the assembly of 'population genomes' from soil DNA are therefore now feasible. Although the value of such 'omic' approaches is limited by the associated technical and bioinformatic difficulties, even if these obstacles were eliminated and 'perfect' metagenomes and metatranscriptomes were available, important conceptual challenges remain. This Opinion article considers these conceptual challenges in the context of the current use of omics in soil microbiology, but the main arguments presented are also relevant to the application of omics to marine, freshwater, gut or other environments.

How do divergent ecological strategies emerge among marine bacterioplankton lineages?

Heterotrophic bacteria in pelagic marine environments are frequently categorized into two canonical ecological groups: patch-associated and free-living. This framework provides a conceptual basis for understanding bacterial utilization of oceanic organic matter. Some patch-associated bacteria are ecologically linked with eukaryotic phytoplankton, and this observation fits with predicted coincidence of their genome expansion with marine phytoplankton diversification. By contrast, free-living bacteria in today's oceans typically live singly with streamlined metabolic and regulatory functions that allow them to grow in nutrient-poor seawater. Recent analyses of marine Alphaproteobacteria suggest that some free-living bacterioplankton lineages evolved from patch-associated ancestors up to several hundred million years ago. While evolutionary analyses agree with the hypothesis that natural selection has maintained these distinct ecological strategies and genomic traits in present-day populations, they do not rule out a major role for genetic drift in driving ancient ecological switches. These two evolutionary forces may have acted on ocean bacteria at different geological time scales and under different geochemical constraints, with possible implications for future adaptations to a changing ocean. New evolutionary models and genomic data are leading to a more comprehensive understanding of marine bacterioplankton evolutionary history.

Microbial metagenomics in the Baltic Sea: Recent advancements and prospects for environmental monitoring

Metagenomics refers to the analysis of DNA from a whole community. Metagenomic sequencing of environmental DNA has greatly improved our knowledge of the identity and function of microorganisms in aquatic, terrestrial, and human biomes. Although open oceans have been the primary focus of studies on aquatic microbes, coastal and brackish ecosystems are now being surveyed. Here, we review so far published studies on microbes in the Baltic Sea, one of the world's largest brackish water bodies, using high throughput sequencing of environmental DNA and RNA. Collectively the data illustrate that Baltic Sea microbes are unique and highly diverse, and well adapted to this brackish-water ecosystem, findings that represent a novel base-line knowledge necessary for monitoring purposes and a sustainable management. More specifically, the data relate to environmental drivers for microbial community composition and function, assessments of the microbial biodiversity, adaptations and role of microbes in the nitrogen cycle, and microbial genome assembly from metagenomic sequences. With these discoveries as background, prospects of using metagenomics for Baltic Sea environmental monitoring are discussed.

The lysis cassette of DLP12 defective prophage is regulated by RpoE

Expression of the lysis cassette (essD, ybcT, rzpD/rzoD) from the defective lambdoid prophage at the 12th minute of Escherichia coli's genome (DLP12) is required in some strains for proper curli expression and biofilm formation. Regulating production of the lytic enzymes encoded by these genes is critical for maintaining cell wall integrity. In lambdoid phages, late-gene regulation is mediated by the vegetative sigma factor RpoD and the lambda antiterminator Qλ. We previously demonstrated that DLP12 contains a Q-like protein (QDLP12) that positively regulates transcription of the lysis cassette, but the sigma factor responsible for this transcription initiation remained to be elucidated. In silico analysis of essDp revealed the presence of a putative - 35 and - 10 sigma site recognized by the extracytoplasmic stress response sigma factor, RpoE. In this work, we report that RpoE overexpression promoted transcription from essDp in vivo, and in vitro using purified RNAP. We demonstrate that the - 35 region is important for RpoE binding in vitro and that this region is also important for QDLP12-mediated transcription of essDp in vivo. A bacterial two-hybrid assay indicated that QDLP12 and RpoE physically interact in vivo, consistent with what is seen for Qλ and RpoD. We propose that RpoE regulates transcription of the DLP12 lysis genes through interaction with QDLP12 and that proper expression is dependent on an intact - 35 sigma region in essDp. This work provides evidence that the unique Q-dependent regulatory mechanism of lambdoid phages has been co-opted by E. coli harbouring defective DLP12 and has been integrated into the tightly controlled RpoE regulon.

What difference does it make if viruses are strain-, rather than species-specific?

Theoretical work has suggested an important role of lytic viruses in controlling the diversity of their prokaryotic hosts. Yet, providing strong experimental or observational support (or refutation) for this has proven evasive. Such models have usually assumed "host groups" to correspond to the "species" level, typically delimited by 16S rRNA gene sequence data. Recent model developments take into account the resolution of species into strains with differences in their susceptibility to viral attack. With strains as the host groups, the models will have explicit viral control of abundance at strain level, combined with explicit predator or resource control at community level, but the direct viral control at species level then disappears. Abundance of a species therefore emerges as the combination of how many strains, and at what abundance, this species can establish in competition with other species from a seeding community. We here discuss how species diversification and strain diversification may introduce competitors and defenders, respectively, and that the balance between the two may be a factor in the control of species diversity in mature natural communities. These models can also give a dominance of individuals from strains with high cost of resistance; suggesting that the high proportion of "dormant" cells among pelagic heterotrophic prokaryotes may reflect their need for expensive defense rather than the lack of suitable growth substrates in their environment.

Endosymbiont evolution: predictions from theory and surprises from genomes

Genome data have created new opportunities to untangle evolutionary processes shaping microbial variation. Among bacteria, long-term mutualists of insects represent the smallest and (typically) most AT-rich genomes. Evolutionary theory provides a context to predict how an endosymbiotic lifestyle may alter fundamental evolutionary processes--mutation, selection, genetic drift, and recombination--and thus contribute to extreme genomic outcomes. These predictions can then be explored by comparing evolutionary rates, genome size and stability, and base compositional biases across endosymbiotic and free-living bacteria. Recent surprises from such comparisons include genome reduction among uncultured, free-living species. Some studies suggest that selection generally drives this streamlining, while drift drives genome reduction in endosymbionts; however, this remains an hypothesis requiring additional data. Unexpected evidence of selection acting on endosymbiont GC content hints that even weak selection may be effective in some long-term mutualists. Moving forward, intraspecific analysis offers a promising approach to distinguish underlying mechanisms, by testing the null hypothesis of neutrality and by quantifying mutational spectra. Such analyses may clarify whether endosymbionts and free-living bacteria occupy distinct evolutionary trajectories or, alternatively, represent varied outcomes of similar underlying forces.

A taxonomic framework for emerging groups of ecologically important marine gammaproteobacteria based on the reconstruction of evolutionary relationships using genome-scale data

In recent years a large number of isolates were obtained from saline environments that are phylogenetically related to distinct clades of oligotrophic marine gammaproteobacteria, which were originally identified in seawater samples using cultivation independent methods and are characterized by high seasonal abundances in coastal environments. To date a sound taxonomic framework for the classification of these ecologically important isolates and related species in accordance with their evolutionary relationships is missing. In this study we demonstrate that a reliable allocation of members of the oligotrophic marine gammaproteobacteria (OMG) group and related species to higher taxonomic ranks is possible by phylogenetic analyses of whole proteomes but also of the RNA polymerase beta subunit, whereas phylogenetic reconstructions based on 16S rRNA genes alone resulted in unstable tree topologies with only insignificant bootstrap support. The identified clades could be correlated with distinct phenotypic traits illustrating an adaptation to common environmental factors in their evolutionary history. Genome wide gene-content analyses revealed the existence of two distinct ecological guilds within the analyzed lineage of marine gammaproteobacteria which can be distinguished by their trophic strategies. Based on our results a novel order within the class Gammaproteobacteria is proposed, which is designated Cellvibrionales ord. nov. and comprises the five novel families Cellvibrionaceae fam. nov., Halieaceae fam. nov., Microbulbiferaceae fam. nov., Porticoccaceae fam. nov., and Spongiibacteraceae fam. nov.

Prokaryotic functional gene diversity in the sunlit ocean: Stumbling in the dark

Prokaryotes are extremely abundant in the ocean where they drive biogeochemical cycles. The recent development and application of -omics techniques has provided an astonishing amount of information revealing the existence of a vast diversity of functional genes and a large heterogeneity within each gene. The big challenge for microbial ecologists is now to understand the ecological relevance of this variability for ecosystem functioning, a question that remains largely understudied. This brief review highlights some of the latest advances in the study of the diversity of biogeochemically relevant functional genes in the sunlit ocean.

Average genome size estimation improves comparative metagenomics and sheds light on the functional ecology of the human microbiome

Average genome size is an important, yet often overlooked, property of microbial communities. We developed MicrobeCensus to rapidly and accurately estimate average genome size from shotgun metagenomic data and applied our tool to 1,352 human microbiome samples. We found that average genome size differs significantly within and between body sites and tracks with major functional and taxonomic differences. In the gut, average genome size is positively correlated with the abundance of Bacteroides and genes related to carbohydrate metabolism. Importantly, we found that average genome size variation can bias comparative analyses, and that normalization improves detection of differentially abundant genes.

Resistant microbial cooccurrence patterns inferred by network topology

Although complex cooccurrence patterns have been described for microbes in natural communities, these patterns have scarcely been interpreted in the context of ecosystem functioning and stability. Here we constructed networks from species cooccurrences between pairs of microorganisms which were extracted from five individual aquatic time series, including a dystrophic and a eutrophic lake as well as an open ocean site. The resulting networks exhibited higher clustering coefficients, shorter path lengths, and higher average node degrees and levels of betweenness than those of random networks. Moreover, simulations demonstrated that taxa with a large number of cooccurrences and placement at convergence positions in the network, so-called "hubs" and "bottlenecks," confer resistance against random removal of "taxa." Accordingly, we refer to cooccurrences at convergence positions as system-relevant interdependencies, as they, like hubs and bottlenecks, determine network topology. These topology features of the cooccurrence networks point toward microbial community dynamics being resistant over time and thus could provide indicators for the state of ecosystem stability.

Genomes of planktonic Acidimicrobiales: widening horizons for marine Actinobacteria by metagenomics

The genomes of four novel marine Actinobacteria have been assembled from large metagenomic data sets derived from the Mediterranean deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM). These are the first marine representatives belonging to the order Acidimicrobiales and only the second group of planktonic marine Actinobacteria to be described. Their streamlined genomes and photoheterotrophic lifestyle suggest that they are planktonic, free-living microbes. A novel rhodopsin clade, acidirhodopsins, related to freshwater actinorhodopsins, was found in these organisms. Their genomes suggest a capacity to assimilate C2 compounds, some using the glyoxylate bypass and others with the ethylmalonyl-coenzyme A (CoA) pathway. They are also able to derive energy from dimethylsulfopropionate (DMSP), sulfonate, and carbon monoxide oxidation, all commonly available in the marine habitat. These organisms appear to be prevalent in the deep photic zone at or around the DCM. The presence of sister clades to the marine Acidimicrobiales in freshwater aquatic habitats provides a new example of marine-freshwater transitions with potential evolutionary insights.

Despite several studies showing the importance and abundance of planktonic Actinobacteria in the marine habitat, a representative genome was only recently described. In order to expand the genomic repertoire of marine Actinobacteria, we describe here the first Acidimicrobidae genomes of marine origin and provide insights about their ecology. They display metabolic versatility in the acquisition of carbon and appear capable of utilizing diverse sources of energy. One of the genomes harbors a new kind of rhodopsin related to the actinorhodopsin clade of freshwater origin that is widespread in the oceans. Our data also support their preference to inhabit the deep chlorophyll maximum and the deep photic zone. This work contributes to the perception of marine actinobacterial groups as important players in the marine environment with distinct and important contributions to nutrient cycling in the oceans.

The physiology and ecological implications of efficient growth

The natural habitats of microbes are typically spatially structured with limited resources, so opportunities for unconstrained, balanced growth are rare. In these habitats, selection should favor microbes that are able to use resources most efficiently, that is, microbes that produce the most progeny per unit of resource consumed. On the basis of this assertion, we propose that selection for efficiency is a primary driver of the composition of microbial communities. In this article, we review how the quality and quantity of resources influence the efficiency of heterotrophic growth. A conceptual model proposing innate differences in growth efficiency between oligotrophic and copiotrophic microbes is also provided. We conclude that elucidation of the mechanisms underlying efficient growth will enhance our understanding of the selective pressures shaping microbes and will improve our capacity to manage microbial communities effectively.

Metagenomic evidence for metabolism of trace atmospheric gases by high-elevation desert Actinobacteria

Previous surveys of very dry Atacama Desert mineral soils have consistently revealed sparse communities of non-photosynthetic microbes. The functional nature of these microorganisms remains debatable given the harshness of the environment and low levels of biomass and diversity. The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of the phylogenetic community structure and metabolic potential of a low-diversity mineral soil metagenome that was collected from a high-elevation Atacama Desert volcano debris field. We pooled DNA extractions from over 15 g of volcanic material, and using whole genome shotgun sequencing, observed only 75-78 total 16S rRNA gene OTUs3%. The phylogenetic structure of this community is significantly under dispersed, with actinobacterial lineages making up 97.9-98.6% of the 16S rRNA genes, suggesting a high degree of environmental selection. Due to this low diversity and uneven community composition, we assembled and analyzed the metabolic pathways of the most abundant genome, a Pseudonocardia sp. (56-72% of total 16S genes). Our assembly and binning efforts yielded almost 4.9 Mb of Pseudonocardia sp. contigs, which accounts for an estimated 99.3% of its non-repetitive genomic content. This genome contains a limited array of carbohydrate catabolic pathways, but encodes for CO2 fixation via the Calvin cycle. The genome also encodes complete pathways for the catabolism of various trace gases (H2, CO and several organic C1 compounds) and the assimilation of ammonia and nitrate. We compared genomic content among related Pseudonocardia spp. and estimated rates of non-synonymous and synonymous nucleic acid substitutions between protein coding homologs. Collectively, these comparative analyses suggest that the community structure and various functional genes have undergone strong selection in the nutrient poor desert mineral soils and high-elevation atmospheric conditions.

Evolutionary origin of a streamlined marine bacterioplankton lineage

Planktonic bacterial lineages with streamlined genomes are prevalent in the ocean. The base composition of their DNA is often highly biased towards low G+C content, a possible source of systematic error in phylogenetic reconstruction. A total of 228 orthologous protein families were sampled that are shared among major lineages of Alphaproteobacteria, including the marine free-living SAR11 clade and the obligate endosymbiotic Rickettsiales. These two ecologically distinct lineages share genome sizes of <1.5 Mbp and genomic G+C content of <30%. Statistical analyses showed that only 28 protein families are composition-homogeneous, whereas the other 200 families significantly violate the composition-homogeneous assumption included in most phylogenetic methods. RAxML analysis based on the concatenation of 24 ribosomal proteins that fall into the heterogeneous protein category clustered the SAR11 and Rickettsiales lineages at the base of the Alphaproteobacteria tree, whereas that based on the concatenation of 28 homogeneous proteins (including 19 ribosomal proteins) disassociated the lineages and placed SAR11 at the base of the non-endosymbiotic lineages. When the two data sets were concatenated, only a model that accounted for compositional bias yielded a tree identical to the tree built with composition-homogeneous proteins. Ancestral genome analysis suggests that the first evolved SAR11 cell had a small genome streamlined from its ancestor by a factor of two and coinciding with an ecological transition, followed by further gradual streamlining towards the extant SAR11 populations.

Comparative genomics reveals surprising divergence of two closely related strains of uncultivated UCYN-A cyanobacteria

Marine planktonic cyanobacteria capable of fixing molecular nitrogen (termed 'diazotrophs') are key in biogeochemical cycling, and the nitrogen fixed is one of the major external sources of nitrogen to the open ocean. Candidatus Atelocyanobacterium thalassa (UCYN-A) is a diazotrophic cyanobacterium known for its widespread geographic distribution in tropical and subtropical oligotrophic oceans, unusually reduced genome and symbiosis with a single-celled prymnesiophyte alga. Recently a novel strain of this organism was also detected in coastal waters sampled from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography pier. We analyzed the metagenome of this UCYN-A2 population by concentrating cells by flow cytometry. Phylogenomic analysis provided strong bootstrap support for the monophyly of UCYN-A (here called UCYN-A1) and UCYN-A2 within the marine Crocosphaera sp. and Cyanothece sp. clade. UCYN-A2 shares 1159 of the 1200 UCYN-A1 protein-coding genes (96.6%) with high synteny, yet the average amino-acid sequence identity between these orthologs is only 86%. UCYN-A2 lacks the same major pathways and proteins that are absent in UCYN-A1, suggesting that both strains can be grouped at the same functional and ecological level. Our results suggest that UCYN-A1 and UCYN-A2 had a common ancestor and diverged after genome reduction. These two variants may reflect adaptation of the host to different niches, which could be coastal and open ocean habitats.

Adaptation of an abundant Roseobacter RCA organism to pelagic systems revealed by genomic and transcriptomic analyses

The RCA (Roseobacter clade affiliated) cluster, with an internal 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of >98%, is the largest cluster of the marine Roseobacter clade and most abundant in temperate to (sub)polar oceans, constituting up to 35% of total bacterioplankton. The genome analysis of the first described species of the RCA cluster, Planktomarina temperata RCA23, revealed that this phylogenetic lineage is deeply branching within the Roseobacter clade. It shares not >65.7% of homologous genes with any other organism of this clade. The genome is the smallest of all closed genomes of the Roseobacter clade, exhibits various features of genome streamlining and encompasses genes for aerobic anoxygenic photosynthesis (AAP) and CO oxidation. In order to assess the biogeochemical significance of the RCA cluster we investigated a phytoplankton spring bloom in the North Sea. This cluster constituted 5.1% of the total, but 10-31% (mean 18.5%) of the active bacterioplankton. A metatranscriptomic analysis showed that the genome of P. temperata RCA23 was transcribed to 94% in the bloom with some variations during day and night. The genome of P. temperata RCA23 was also retrieved to 84% from metagenomic data sets from a Norwegian fjord and to 82% from stations of the Global Ocean Sampling expedition in the northwestern Atlantic. In this region, up to 6.5% of the total reads mapped on the genome of P. temperata RCA23. This abundant taxon appears to be a major player in ocean biogeochemistry.

Evolution of small prokaryotic genomes

As revealed by genome sequencing, the biology of prokaryotes with reduced genomes is strikingly diverse. These include free-living prokaryotes with ∼800 genes as well as endosymbiotic bacteria with as few as ∼140 genes. Comparative genomics is revealing the evolutionary mechanisms that led to these small genomes. In the case of free-living prokaryotes, natural selection directly favored genome reduction, while in the case of endosymbiotic prokaryotes neutral processes played a more prominent role. However, new experimental data suggest that selective processes may be at operation as well for endosymbiotic prokaryotes at least during the first stages of genome reduction. Endosymbiotic prokaryotes have evolved diverse strategies for living with reduced gene sets inside a host-defined medium. These include utilization of host-encoded functions (some of them coded by genes acquired by gene transfer from the endosymbiont and/or other bacteria); metabolic complementation between co-symbionts; and forming consortiums with other bacteria within the host. Recent genome sequencing projects of intracellular mutualistic bacteria showed that previously believed universal evolutionary trends like reduced G+C content and conservation of genome synteny are not always present in highly reduced genomes. Finally, the simplified molecular machinery of some of these organisms with small genomes may be used to aid in the design of artificial minimal cells. Here we review recent genomic discoveries of the biology of prokaryotes endowed with small gene sets and discuss the evolutionary mechanisms that have been proposed to explain their peculiar nature.