351
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Phylogenetic analysis of mutational robustness based on codon usage supports that the standard genetic code does not prefer extreme environments. Sci Rep 2021; 11:10963. [PMID: 34040064 PMCID: PMC8154912 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90440-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The mutational robustness of the genetic code is rarely discussed in the context of biological diversity, such as codon usage and related factors, often considered as independent of the actual organism's proteome. Here we put the living beings back to picture and use distortion as a metric of mutational robustness. Distortion estimates the expected severities of non-synonymous mutations measuring it by amino acid physicochemical properties and weighting for codon usage. Using the biological variance of codon frequencies, we interpret the mutational robustness of the standard genetic code with regards to their corresponding environments and genomic compositions (GC-content). Employing phylogenetic analyses, we show that coding fidelity in physicochemical properties can deteriorate with codon usages adapted to extreme environments and these putative effects are not the artefacts of phylogenetic bias. High temperature environments select for codon usages with decreased mutational robustness of hydrophobic, volumetric, and isoelectric properties. Selection at high saline concentrations also leads to reduced fidelity in polar and isoelectric patterns. These show that the genetic code performs best with mesophilic codon usages, strengthening the view that LUCA or its ancestors preferred lower temperature environments. Taxonomic implications, such as rooting the tree of life, are also discussed.
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352
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Roux S, Paul BG, Bagby SC, Nayfach S, Allen MA, Attwood G, Cavicchioli R, Chistoserdova L, Gruninger RJ, Hallam SJ, Hernandez ME, Hess M, Liu WT, McAllister TA, O'Malley MA, Peng X, Rich VI, Saleska SR, Eloe-Fadrosh EA. Ecology and molecular targets of hypermutation in the global microbiome. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3076. [PMID: 34031405 PMCID: PMC8144416 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23402-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Changes in the sequence of an organism's genome, i.e., mutations, are the raw material of evolution. The frequency and location of mutations can be constrained by specific molecular mechanisms, such as diversity-generating retroelements (DGRs). DGRs have been characterized from cultivated bacteria and bacteriophages, and perform error-prone reverse transcription leading to mutations being introduced in specific target genes. DGR loci were also identified in several metagenomes, but the ecological roles and evolutionary drivers of these DGRs remain poorly understood. Here, we analyze a dataset of >30,000 DGRs from public metagenomes, establish six major lineages of DGRs including three primarily encoded by phages and seemingly used to diversify host attachment proteins, and demonstrate that DGRs are broadly active and responsible for >10% of all amino acid changes in some organisms. Overall, these results highlight the constraints under which DGRs evolve, and elucidate several distinct roles these elements play in natural communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Roux
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA.
| | - Blair G Paul
- Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Sarah C Bagby
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Stephen Nayfach
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Graeme Attwood
- AgResearch Limited, Grasslands Research Centre, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | | | | | - Robert J Gruninger
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Steven J Hallam
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Graduate Program in Bioinformatics, University of British Columbia, Genome Sciences Centre, Vancouver, Canada
- Genome Science and Technology Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- ECOSCOPE Training Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Maria E Hernandez
- Instituto de Ecología A.C. Red de Manejo Biotechnológico de Recursos. Xalapa, Veracruz, México
| | | | - Wen-Tso Liu
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Tim A McAllister
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Michelle A O'Malley
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Xuefeng Peng
- Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Emiley A Eloe-Fadrosh
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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353
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Hitch TCA, Riedel T, Oren A, Overmann J, Lawley TD, Clavel T. Automated analysis of genomic sequences facilitates high-throughput and comprehensive description of bacteria. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2021; 1:16. [PMID: 36732617 PMCID: PMC9723785 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-021-00017-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The study of microbial communities is hampered by the large fraction of still unknown bacteria. However, many of these species have been isolated, yet lack a validly published name or description. The validation of names for novel bacteria requires that the uniqueness of those taxa is demonstrated and their properties are described. The accepted format for this is the protologue, which can be time-consuming to create. Hence, many research fields in microbiology and biotechnology will greatly benefit from new approaches that reduce the workload and harmonise the generation of protologues.We have developed Protologger, a bioinformatic tool that automatically generates all the necessary readouts for writing a detailed protologue. By producing multiple taxonomic outputs, functional features and ecological analysis using the 16S rRNA gene and genome sequences from a single species, the time needed to gather the information for describing novel taxa is substantially reduced. The usefulness of Protologger was demonstrated by using three published isolate collections to describe 34 novel taxa, encompassing 17 novel species and 17 novel genera, including the automatic generation of ecologically and functionally relevant names. We also highlight the need to utilise multiple taxonomic delineation methods, as while inconsistencies between each method occur, a combined approach provides robust placement. Protologger is open source; all scripts and datasets are available, along with a webserver at www.protologger.de.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C A Hitch
- Functional Microbiome Research Group, RWTH University Hospital, Aachen, Germany.
| | - Thomas Riedel
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Hannover-Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Aharon Oren
- The Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The Edmond J. Safra Campus, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Jörg Overmann
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Hannover-Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
- Braunschweig University of Technology, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Trevor D Lawley
- Host-Microbiota Interactions Laboratory, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | - Thomas Clavel
- Functional Microbiome Research Group, RWTH University Hospital, Aachen, Germany.
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354
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Murphy CL, Sheremet A, Dunfield PF, Spear JR, Stepanauskas R, Woyke T, Elshahed MS, Youssef NH. Genomic Analysis of the Yet-Uncultured Binatota Reveals Broad Methylotrophic, Alkane-Degradation, and Pigment Production Capacities. mBio 2021; 12:e00985-21. [PMID: 34006650 PMCID: PMC8262859 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00985-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The recent leveraging of genome-resolved metagenomics has generated an enormous number of genomes from novel uncultured microbial lineages yet left many clades undescribed. Here, we present a global analysis of genomes belonging to Binatota (UBP10), a globally distributed, yet-uncharacterized bacterial phylum. All orders in Binatota encoded the capacity for aerobic methylotrophy using methanol, methylamine, sulfomethanes, and chloromethanes as the substrates. Methylotrophy in Binatota was characterized by order-specific substrate degradation preferences, as well as extensive metabolic versatility, i.e., the utilization of diverse sets of genes, pathways, and combinations to achieve a specific metabolic goal. The genomes also encoded multiple alkane hydroxylases and monooxygenases, potentially enabling growth on a wide range of alkanes and fatty acids. Pigmentation is inferred from a complete pathway for carotenoids (lycopene, β- and γ-carotenes, xanthins, chlorobactenes, and spheroidenes) production. Further, the majority of genes involved in bacteriochlorophyll a, c, and d biosynthesis were identified, although absence of key genes and failure to identify a photosynthetic reaction center preclude proposing phototrophic capacities. Analysis of 16S rRNA databases showed the preferences of Binatota to terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems, hydrocarbon-rich habitats, and sponges, supporting their potential role in mitigating methanol and methane emissions, breakdown of alkanes, and their association with sponges. Our results expand the lists of methylotrophic, aerobic alkane-degrading, and pigment-producing lineages. We also highlight the consistent encountering of incomplete biosynthetic pathways in microbial genomes, a phenomenon necessitating careful assessment when assigning putative functions based on a set-threshold of pathway completion.IMPORTANCE A wide range of microbial lineages remain uncultured, yet little is known regarding their metabolic capacities, physiological preferences, and ecological roles in various ecosystems. We conducted a thorough comparative genomic analysis of 108 genomes belonging to the Binatota (UBP10), a globally distributed, yet-uncharacterized bacterial phylum. We present evidence that members of the order Binatota specialize in methylotrophy and identify an extensive repertoire of genes and pathways mediating the oxidation of multiple one-carbon (C1) compounds in Binatota genomes. The occurrence of multiple alkane hydroxylases and monooxygenases in these genomes was also identified, potentially enabling growth on a wide range of alkanes and fatty acids. Pigmentation is inferred from a complete pathway for carotenoids production. We also report on the presence of incomplete chlorophyll biosynthetic pathways in all genomes and propose several evolutionary-grounded scenarios that could explain such a pattern. Assessment of the ecological distribution patterns of the Binatota indicates preference of its members to terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems characterized by high methane and methanol emissions, as well as multiple hydrocarbon-rich habitats and marine sponges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea L Murphy
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Andriy Sheremet
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Peter F Dunfield
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - John R Spear
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado, USA
| | | | - Tanja Woyke
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Berkley, California, USA
| | - Mostafa S Elshahed
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Noha H Youssef
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
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355
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The Design-Build-Test-Learn cycle for metabolic engineering of Streptomycetes. Essays Biochem 2021; 65:261-275. [PMID: 33956071 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20200132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Streptomycetes are producers of a wide range of specialized metabolites of great medicinal and industrial importance, such as antibiotics, antifungals, or pesticides. Having been the drivers of the golden age of antibiotics in the 1950s and 1960s, technological advancements over the last two decades have revealed that very little of their biosynthetic potential has been exploited so far. Given the great need for new antibiotics due to the emerging antimicrobial resistance crisis, as well as the urgent need for sustainable biobased production of complex molecules, there is a great renewed interest in exploring and engineering the biosynthetic potential of streptomycetes. Here, we describe the Design-Build-Test-Learn (DBTL) cycle for metabolic engineering experiments in streptomycetes and how it can be used for the discovery and production of novel specialized metabolites.
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356
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Liu Y, Makarova KS, Huang WC, Wolf YI, Nikolskaya AN, Zhang X, Cai M, Zhang CJ, Xu W, Luo Z, Cheng L, Koonin EV, Li M. Expanded diversity of Asgard archaea and their relationships with eukaryotes. Nature 2021; 593:553-557. [PMID: 33911286 PMCID: PMC11165668 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03494-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Asgard is a recently discovered superphylum of archaea that appears to include the closest archaeal relatives of eukaryotes1-5. Debate continues as to whether the archaeal ancestor of eukaryotes belongs within the Asgard superphylum or whether this ancestor is a sister group to all other archaea (that is, a two-domain versus a three-domain tree of life)6-8. Here we present a comparative analysis of 162 complete or nearly complete genomes of Asgard archaea, including 75 metagenome-assembled genomes that-to our knowledge-have not previously been reported. Our results substantially expand the phylogenetic diversity of Asgard and lead us to propose six additional phyla that include a deep branch that we have provisionally named Wukongarchaeota. Our phylogenomic analysis does not resolve unequivocally the evolutionary relationship between eukaryotes and Asgard archaea, but instead-depending on the choice of species and conserved genes used to build the phylogeny-supports either the origin of eukaryotes from within Asgard (as a sister group to the expanded Heimdallarchaeota-Wukongarchaeota branch) or a deeper branch for the eukaryote ancestor within archaea. Our comprehensive protein domain analysis using the 162 Asgard genomes results in a major expansion of the set of eukaryotic signature proteins. The Asgard eukaryotic signature proteins show variable phyletic distributions and domain architectures, which is suggestive of dynamic evolution through horizontal gene transfer, gene loss, gene duplication and domain shuffling. The phylogenomics of the Asgard archaea points to the accumulation of the components of the mobile archaeal 'eukaryome' in the archaeal ancestor of eukaryotes (within or outside Asgard) through extensive horizontal gene transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Liu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, P. R. China
| | - Kira S Makarova
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Wen-Cong Huang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, P. R. China
| | - Yuri I Wolf
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Anastasia N Nikolskaya
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Xinxu Zhang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, P. R. China
| | - Mingwei Cai
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, P. R. China
| | - Cui-Jing Zhang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, P. R. China
| | - Wei Xu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Biogenetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, P. R. China
| | - Zhuhua Luo
- Key Laboratory of Marine Biogenetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, P. R. China
| | - Lei Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture, Chengdu, P. R. China
| | - Eugene V Koonin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Meng Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, P. R. China.
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357
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Wang F, Li M, Huang L, Zhang XH. Cultivation of uncultured marine microorganisms. MARINE LIFE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 3:117-120. [PMID: 37073343 PMCID: PMC10077157 DOI: 10.1007/s42995-021-00093-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Fengping Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Oceanography, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240 China
| | - Meng Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060 China
| | - Li Huang
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101 China
| | - Xiao-Hua Zhang
- College of Marine Life Sciences and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
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358
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Werbin ZR, Hackos B, Lopez-Nava J, Dietze MC, Bhatnagar JM. The National Ecological Observatory Network's soil metagenomes: assembly and basic analysis. F1000Res 2021; 10:299. [PMID: 35707452 PMCID: PMC9178279 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.51494.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) annually performs shotgun metagenomic sequencing to sample genes within soils at 47 sites across the United States. NEON serves as a valuable educational resource, thanks to its open data policies and programming tutorials, but there is currently no introductory tutorial for performing analyses with the soil shotgun metagenomic dataset. Here, we describe a workflow for processing raw soil metagenome sequencing reads using the Sunbeam bioinformatics pipeline. The workflow includes cleaning and processing raw reads, taxonomic classification, assembly into contigs, annotation of predicted genes using custom protein databases, and exporting assemblies to the KBase platform for downstream analysis. This workflow is designed to be robust to annual data releases from NEON, and the underlying Snakemake framework can manage complex software dependencies. The workflow presented here aims to increase the accessibility of NEON's shotgun metagenome data, which can provide important clues about soil microbial communities and their ecological roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoey R. Werbin
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Briana Hackos
- Department of Mathematics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Jorge Lopez-Nava
- Department of Mathematics, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA 19081, USA
| | - Michael C. Dietze
- Department of Earth & Environment, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
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359
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Saraiva JP, Worrich A, Karakoç C, Kallies R, Chatzinotas A, Centler F, Nunes da Rocha U. Mining Synergistic Microbial Interactions: A Roadmap on How to Integrate Multi-Omics Data. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9040840. [PMID: 33920040 PMCID: PMC8070991 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9040840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Mining interspecies interactions remain a challenge due to the complex nature of microbial communities and the need for computational power to handle big data. Our meta-analysis indicates that genetic potential alone does not resolve all issues involving mining of microbial interactions. Nevertheless, it can be used as the starting point to infer synergistic interspecies interactions and to limit the search space (i.e., number of species and metabolic reactions) to a manageable size. A reduced search space decreases the number of additional experiments necessary to validate the inferred putative interactions. As validation experiments, we examine how multi-omics and state of the art imaging techniques may further improve our understanding of species interactions’ role in ecosystem processes. Finally, we analyze pros and cons from the current methods to infer microbial interactions from genetic potential and propose a new theoretical framework based on: (i) genomic information of key members of a community; (ii) information of ecosystem processes involved with a specific hypothesis or research question; (iii) the ability to identify putative species’ contributions to ecosystem processes of interest; and, (iv) validation of putative microbial interactions through integration of other data sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joao Pedro Saraiva
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; (J.P.S.); (A.W.); (C.K.); (R.K.); (A.C.); (F.C.)
| | - Anja Worrich
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; (J.P.S.); (A.W.); (C.K.); (R.K.); (A.C.); (F.C.)
| | - Canan Karakoç
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; (J.P.S.); (A.W.); (C.K.); (R.K.); (A.C.); (F.C.)
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Rene Kallies
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; (J.P.S.); (A.W.); (C.K.); (R.K.); (A.C.); (F.C.)
| | - Antonis Chatzinotas
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; (J.P.S.); (A.W.); (C.K.); (R.K.); (A.C.); (F.C.)
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Florian Centler
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; (J.P.S.); (A.W.); (C.K.); (R.K.); (A.C.); (F.C.)
| | - Ulisses Nunes da Rocha
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; (J.P.S.); (A.W.); (C.K.); (R.K.); (A.C.); (F.C.)
- Correspondence:
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360
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Henderson PJF, Maher C, Elbourne LDH, Eijkelkamp BA, Paulsen IT, Hassan KA. Physiological Functions of Bacterial "Multidrug" Efflux Pumps. Chem Rev 2021; 121:5417-5478. [PMID: 33761243 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c01226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial multidrug efflux pumps have come to prominence in human and veterinary pathogenesis because they help bacteria protect themselves against the antimicrobials used to overcome their infections. However, it is increasingly realized that many, probably most, such pumps have physiological roles that are distinct from protection of bacteria against antimicrobials administered by humans. Here we undertake a broad survey of the proteins involved, allied to detailed examples of their evolution, energetics, structures, chemical recognition, and molecular mechanisms, together with the experimental strategies that enable rapid and economical progress in understanding their true physiological roles. Once these roles are established, the knowledge can be harnessed to design more effective drugs, improve existing microbial production of drugs for clinical practice and of feedstocks for commercial exploitation, and even develop more sustainable biological processes that avoid, for example, utilization of petroleum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J F Henderson
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Claire Maher
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan 2308, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Liam D H Elbourne
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney 2109, New South Wales, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Macquarie University, Sydney 2019, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Bart A Eijkelkamp
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park 5042, South Australia, Australia
| | - Ian T Paulsen
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney 2109, New South Wales, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Macquarie University, Sydney 2019, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Karl A Hassan
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan 2308, New South Wales, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Macquarie University, Sydney 2019, New South Wales, Australia
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361
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Lapidus AL, Korobeynikov AI. Metagenomic Data Assembly - The Way of Decoding Unknown Microorganisms. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:613791. [PMID: 33833738 PMCID: PMC8021871 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.613791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Metagenomics is a segment of conventional microbial genomics dedicated to the sequencing and analysis of combined genomic DNA of entire environmental samples. The most critical step of the metagenomic data analysis is the reconstruction of individual genes and genomes of the microorganisms in the communities using metagenomic assemblers - computational programs that put together small fragments of sequenced DNA generated by sequencing instruments. Here, we describe the challenges of metagenomic assembly, a wide spectrum of applications in which metagenomic assemblies were used to better understand the ecology and evolution of microbial ecosystems, and present one of the most efficient microbial assemblers, SPAdes that was upgraded to become applicable for metagenomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alla L. Lapidus
- Center for Algorithmic Biotechnology, St. Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
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362
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Lin Y, Wang L, Xu K, Li K, Ren H. Revealing taxon-specific heavy metal-resistance mechanisms in denitrifying phosphorus removal sludge using genome-centric metaproteomics. MICROBIOME 2021; 9:67. [PMID: 33752740 PMCID: PMC7986553 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-021-01016-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Denitrifying phosphorus removal sludge (DPRS) is widely adopted for nitrogen and phosphorus removal in wastewater treatment but faces threats from heavy metals. However, a lack of understanding of the taxon-specific heavy metal-resistance mechanisms hinders the targeted optimization of DPRS's robustness in nutrient removal. RESULTS We obtained 403 high- or medium-quality metagenome-assembled genomes from DPRS treated by elevating cadmium, nickel, and chromium pressure. Then, the proteomic responses of individual taxa under heavy metal pressures were characterized, with an emphasis on functions involving heavy metal resistance and maintenance of nutrient metabolism. When oxygen availability was constrained by high-concentration heavy metals, comammox Nitrospira overproduced highly oxygen-affinitive hemoglobin and electron-transporting cytochrome c-like proteins, underpinning its ability to enhance oxygen acquisition and utilization. In contrast, Nitrosomonas overexpressed ammonia monooxygenase and nitrite reductase to facilitate the partial nitrification and denitrification process for maintaining nitrogen removal. Comparisons between phosphorus-accumulating organisms (PAOs) demonstrated different heavy metal-resistance mechanisms adopted by Dechloromonas and Candidatus Accumulibacter, despite their high genomic similarities. In particular, Dechloromonas outcompeted the canonical PAO Candidatus Accumulibacter in synthesizing polyphosphate, a potential public good for heavy metal detoxification. The superiority of Dechloromonas in energy utilization, radical elimination, and damaged cell component repair also contributed to its dominance under heavy metal pressures. Moreover, the enrichment analysis revealed that functions involved in extracellular polymeric substance formation, siderophore activity, and heavy metal efflux were significantly overexpressed due to the related activities of specific taxa. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates that heavy metal-resistance mechanisms within a multipartite community are highly heterogeneous between different taxa. These findings provide a fundamental understanding of how the heterogeneity of individual microorganisms contributes to the metabolic versatility and robustness of microbiomes inhabiting dynamic environments, which is vital for manipulating the adaptation of microbial assemblages under adverse environmental stimuli. Video abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, N.O.163, Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing, Jiangsu People’s Republic of China
| | - Liye Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, N.O.163, Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing, Jiangsu People’s Republic of China
| | - Ke Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, N.O.163, Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing, Jiangsu People’s Republic of China
| | - Kan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, N.O.163, Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing, Jiangsu People’s Republic of China
| | - Hongqiang Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, N.O.163, Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing, Jiangsu People’s Republic of China
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363
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Teske A, Amils R, Ramírez GA, Reysenbach AL. Editorial: Archaea in the Environment: Views on Archaeal Distribution, Activity, and Biogeography. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:667596. [PMID: 33776986 PMCID: PMC7994603 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.667596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Teske
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Ricardo Amils
- Planetology and Habitability Department, Centro de Astrobiología, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gustavo A. Ramírez
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Western University of Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Pomona, CA, United States
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364
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Lind AL, Pollard KS. Accurate and sensitive detection of microbial eukaryotes from whole metagenome shotgun sequencing. MICROBIOME 2021; 9:58. [PMID: 33658077 PMCID: PMC7931531 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-021-01015-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microbial eukaryotes are found alongside bacteria and archaea in natural microbial systems, including host-associated microbiomes. While microbial eukaryotes are critical to these communities, they are challenging to study with shotgun sequencing techniques and are therefore often excluded. RESULTS Here, we present EukDetect, a bioinformatics method to identify eukaryotes in shotgun metagenomic sequencing data. Our approach uses a database of 521,824 universal marker genes from 241 conserved gene families, which we curated from 3713 fungal, protist, non-vertebrate metazoan, and non-streptophyte archaeplastida genomes and transcriptomes. EukDetect has a broad taxonomic coverage of microbial eukaryotes, performs well on low-abundance and closely related species, and is resilient against bacterial contamination in eukaryotic genomes. Using EukDetect, we describe the spatial distribution of eukaryotes along the human gastrointestinal tract, showing that fungi and protists are present in the lumen and mucosa throughout the large intestine. We discover that there is a succession of eukaryotes that colonize the human gut during the first years of life, mirroring patterns of developmental succession observed in gut bacteria. By comparing DNA and RNA sequencing of paired samples from human stool, we find that many eukaryotes continue active transcription after passage through the gut, though some do not, suggesting they are dormant or nonviable. We analyze metagenomic data from the Baltic Sea and find that eukaryotes differ across locations and salinity gradients. Finally, we observe eukaryotes in Arabidopsis leaf samples, many of which are not identifiable from public protein databases. CONCLUSIONS EukDetect provides an automated and reliable way to characterize eukaryotes in shotgun sequencing datasets from diverse microbiomes. We demonstrate that it enables discoveries that would be missed or clouded by false positives with standard shotgun sequence analysis. EukDetect will greatly advance our understanding of how microbial eukaryotes contribute to microbiomes. Video abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail L Lind
- Gladstone Institute of Data Science and Biotechnology, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Katherine S Pollard
- Gladstone Institute of Data Science and Biotechnology, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Institute for Computational Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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365
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Ammonia-oxidizing archaea in biological interactions. J Microbiol 2021; 59:298-310. [DOI: 10.1007/s12275-021-1005-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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366
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Bistolas K, Vega Thurber R. Viral discovery in the 'realm' of COVID-19. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2021; 13:62-67. [PMID: 33258558 PMCID: PMC7753244 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kalia Bistolas
- Department of MicrobiologyOregon State University, Nash HallCorvallisOR97331USA
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367
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Abstract
Wood represents a globally important stock of C, and its mineralization importantly contributes to the global C cycle. Microorganisms play a key role in deadwood decomposition, since they possess enzymatic tools for the degradation of recalcitrant plant polymers. Forests accumulate and store large amounts of carbon (C), and a substantial fraction of this stock is contained in deadwood. This transient pool is subject to decomposition by deadwood-associated organisms, and in this process it contributes to CO2 emissions. Although fungi and bacteria are known to colonize deadwood, little is known about the microbial processes that mediate carbon and nitrogen (N) cycling in deadwood. In this study, using a combination of metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and nutrient flux measurements, we demonstrate that the decomposition of deadwood reflects the complementary roles played by fungi and bacteria. Fungi were found to dominate the decomposition of deadwood and particularly its recalcitrant fractions, while several bacterial taxa participate in N accumulation in deadwood through N fixation, being dependent on fungal activity with respect to deadwood colonization and C supply. Conversely, bacterial N fixation helps to decrease the constraints of deadwood decomposition for fungi. Both the CO2 efflux and N accumulation that are a result of a joint action of deadwood bacteria and fungi may be significant for nutrient cycling at ecosystem levels. Especially in boreal forests with low N stocks, deadwood retention may help to improve the nutritional status and fertility of soils. IMPORTANCE Wood represents a globally important stock of C, and its mineralization importantly contributes to the global C cycle. Microorganisms play a key role in deadwood decomposition, since they possess enzymatic tools for the degradation of recalcitrant plant polymers. The present paradigm is that fungi accomplish degradation while commensalist bacteria exploit the products of fungal extracellular enzymatic cleavage, but this assumption was never backed by the analysis of microbial roles in deadwood. This study clearly identifies the roles of fungi and bacteria in the microbiome and demonstrates the importance of bacteria and their N fixation for the nutrient balance in deadwood as well as fluxes at the ecosystem level. Deadwood decomposition is shown as a process where fungi and bacteria play defined, complementary roles.
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368
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Voigt CA. Synthetic biology 2020-2030: six commercially-available products that are changing our world. Nat Commun 2020; 11:6379. [PMID: 33311504 PMCID: PMC7733420 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20122-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic biology will transform how we grow food, what we eat, and where we source materials and medicines. Here I have selected six products that are now on the market, highlighting the underlying technologies and projecting forward to the future that can be expected over the next ten years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A Voigt
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, USA.
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