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Maldhure A, Rodge A, Kothe A, Nagarnaik P, Khadse G, Bafana A, Kumar M, Labhasetwar P. Identification of environmental stress parameters to study the natural colour change of water in highly saline inland Crater Lake at Lonar, India. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2023; 195:524. [PMID: 36995487 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11068-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Lonar Lake is a highly saline inland water body created by a crater in Maharashtra, India. A rare occurrence of the colour change of lake water from green to brown and eventually to pinkish-red was observed in Lonar in June 2020. This phenomenon attracted the attention of researchers, academicians and interestingly legal fraternity to understand the causes of colour change. The literature studies coupled the phenomenon of colouration of water to three aspects: the presence of halophilic Halobacterium salinarum or an algal species of Dunaliella (Dunaliella salina) or oxidization of metals (Fe and Mn) present in water. A comprehensive study was done to understand and assess the change in the colour of Lonar Lake water. The green colour of the lake is primarily due to the dominance of chlorophyll-a pigment in the algae population. The stressed condition in June 2020 adversely affected the photosynthesis activity of Dunaliella sp. resulting in the red colouration of the species. This red colour of Dunaliella sp. is due to the formation of a pigment named carotenoid which is similar to that in halophilic bacteria. This pigment completely hides the green chloroplast, and water turns pinkish-red. This study describes detailed investigations of environmental and climatic parameters to determine possible causes of abiotic stress on the algae population of the lake. The major factors contributing to the stressed conditions are high dissolved solids, alkalinity and alkaline pH due to salts in the lake water due to evaporation losses and limited rainfall over the months. The study further verified whether the colour change is a cyclic event and predicted possible lake conditions for the event of colour change to occur in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atul Maldhure
- Water Technology and Management Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur, 440020, India.
| | - Anupama Rodge
- Water Technology and Management Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur, 440020, India
| | - Anjali Kothe
- Water Technology and Management Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur, 440020, India
| | - Pranav Nagarnaik
- Water Technology and Management Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur, 440020, India
| | - Gajanan Khadse
- Water Technology and Management Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur, 440020, India
| | - Amit Bafana
- Health and Toxicity Cell, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur, 440020, India
| | - Mahesh Kumar
- Water Technology and Management Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur, 440020, India
| | - Pawan Labhasetwar
- Water Technology and Management Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur, 440020, India
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Moyo AC, Dufossé L, Giuffrida D, van Zyl LJ, Trindade M. Structure and biosynthesis of carotenoids produced by a novel Planococcus sp. isolated from South Africa. Microb Cell Fact 2022; 21:43. [PMID: 35305628 PMCID: PMC8933910 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-022-01752-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The genus Planococcus is comprised of halophilic bacteria generally reported for the production of carotenoid pigments and biosurfactants. In previous work, we showed that the culturing of the orange-pigmented Planococcus sp. CP5-4 isolate increased the evaporation rate of industrial wastewater brine effluent, which we attributed to the orange pigment. This demonstrated the potential application of this bacterium for industrial brine effluent management in evaporation ponds for inland desalination plants. Here we identified a C30-carotenoid biosynthetic gene cluster responsible for pigment biosynthesis in Planococcus sp. CP5-4 through isolation of mutants and genome sequencing. We further compare the core genes of the carotenoid biosynthetic gene clusters identified from different Planococcus species' genomes which grouped into gene cluster families containing BGCs linked to different carotenoid product chemotypes. Lastly, LC-MS analysis of saponified and unsaponified pigment extracts obtained from cultures of Planococcus sp. CP5-4, revealed the structure of the main (predominant) glucosylated C30-carotenoid fatty acid ester produced by Planococcus sp. CP5-4. RESULTS Genome sequence comparisons of isolated mutant strains of Planococcus sp. CP5-4 showed deletions of 146 Kb and 3 Kb for the non-pigmented and "yellow" mutants respectively. Eight candidate genes, likely responsible for C30-carotenoid biosynthesis, were identified on the wild-type genome region corresponding to the deleted segment in the non-pigmented mutant. Six of the eight candidate genes formed a biosynthetic gene cluster. A truncation of crtP was responsible for the "yellow" mutant phenotype. Genome annotation revealed that the genes encoded 4,4'-diapolycopene oxygenase (CrtNb), 4,4'- diapolycopen-4-al dehydrogenase (CrtNc), 4,4'-diapophytoene desaturase (CrtN), 4,4'- diaponeurosporene oxygenase (CrtP), glycerol acyltransferase (Agpat), family 2 glucosyl transferase 2 (Gtf2), phytoene/squalene synthase (CrtM), and cytochrome P450 hydroxylase enzymes. Carotenoid analysis showed that a glucosylated C30-carotenoid fatty acid ester, methyl 5-(6-C17:3)-glucosyl-5, 6'-dihydro-apo-4, 4'-lycopenoate was the main carotenoid compound produced by Planococcus sp. CP5-4. CONCLUSION We identified and characterized the carotenoid biosynthetic gene cluster and the C30-carotenoid compound produced by Planococcus sp. CP5-4. Mass-spectrometry guided analysis of the saponified and unsaponified pigment extracts showed that methyl 5-glucosyl-5, 6-dihydro-apo-4, 4'-lycopenoate esterified to heptadecatrienoic acid (C17:3). Furthermore, through phylogenetic analysis of the core carotenoid BGCs of Planococcus species we show that various C30-carotenoid product chemotypes, apart from methyl 5-glucosyl-5, 6-dihydro-apo-4, 4'-lycopenoate and 5-glucosyl-4, 4-diaponeurosporen-4'-ol-4-oic acid, may be produced that could offer opportunities for a variety of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anesu Conrad Moyo
- Institute for Microbial Biotechnology and Metagenomics (IMBM), Department of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, Cape Town, 7535, South Africa
- BioCiTi Laboratory, 4th Floor Block B, Bandwidth Barn, Woodstock Exchange Building, 66-68 Albert Road, Woodstock, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa
| | - Laurent Dufossé
- Chemistry and Biotechnology of Natural Products, CHEMBIOPRO, ESIROI Agroalimentaire, Université de La Réunion, 15 Avenue René Cassin, CS 92003, CEDEX 9, F-97744, Saint-Denis, France
| | - Daniele Giuffrida
- Università Degli Studi Di Messina, Dip. B.I.O.M.O.R.F, Polo Annunziata, 98168, Messina, ME, Italy
| | - Leonardo Joaquim van Zyl
- Institute for Microbial Biotechnology and Metagenomics (IMBM), Department of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, Cape Town, 7535, South Africa
| | - Marla Trindade
- Institute for Microbial Biotechnology and Metagenomics (IMBM), Department of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, Cape Town, 7535, South Africa.
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Didari M, Bagheri M, Amoozegar MA, Bouzari S, Babavalian H, Tebyanian H, Hassanshahian M, Ventosa A. Diversity of halophilic and halotolerant bacteria in the largest seasonal hypersaline lake (Aran-Bidgol-Iran). JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCE & ENGINEERING 2020; 18:961-971. [PMID: 33312616 PMCID: PMC7721776 DOI: 10.1007/s40201-020-00519-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE In this study, the culturable halophilic and halotolerant bacterial diversity was determined in Aran-Bidgol as a thalassohaline seasonal hypersaline lake in Iran. METHODS Thirty water, soil, sediments, coastal mud, multi-color brines and salt crystals samples were extracted and cultured using different media and incubation conditions. Totally 958 isolates were obtained and 87 isolates were selected for further studies, based on morphological, physiological and biochemical tests, representing different morphotypes. RESULTS Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses, the isolates exhibited 94.6-100% sequence similarity to the closest known species of the genera Bacillus, Halomonas, Oceanobacillus, Salinicoccus, Thalassobacillus, Ornithinibacillus, Halobacillus, Salicola, Virgibacillus, Aerococcus, Arthrobacter, Idiomarina, Paraliobacillus, Staphylococcus, Acinetobacter, Aneurinibacillus, Brevibacillus, Brevundimonas, Chromohalobacter, Gracilibacillus, Jeotgalicoccus, Kocuria, Marinilactibacillus, Marinobacter, Microbacterium, Paenibacillus, Paracoccus, Piscibacillus, Pseudomonas and Sediminibacillus and also, comparison of ARDRA patterns among the sequenced strains, using AluI, Bst UI and Hpa II enzymes showed that these patterns are in accordance with the phylogenetic position of these strains. CONCLUSION The PCR-RFLP analyses suggested that ARDRA possess a functional potential for distinguishing halophilic bacteria to be used for further studies in elementary steps of isolation to reduce the tedious duplication of isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Didari
- Extremophiles Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, School of Biology and Center of Excellence in Phylogeny of Living Organisms, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Bagheri
- Extremophiles Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, School of Biology and Center of Excellence in Phylogeny of Living Organisms, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Ali Amoozegar
- Extremophiles Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, School of Biology and Center of Excellence in Phylogeny of Living Organisms, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saied Bouzari
- Department of Microbiology, Molecular Biology Unit, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamid Babavalian
- Applied Biotechnology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamid Tebyanian
- Research Center for Prevention of Oral and Dental Diseases, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Hassanshahian
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
| | - Antonio Ventosa
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
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Fungi in salterns. J Microbiol 2019; 57:717-724. [DOI: 10.1007/s12275-019-9195-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Revised: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Schwieterman EW, Kiang NY, Parenteau MN, Harman CE, DasSarma S, Fisher TM, Arney GN, Hartnett HE, Reinhard CT, Olson SL, Meadows VS, Cockell CS, Walker SI, Grenfell JL, Hegde S, Rugheimer S, Hu R, Lyons TW. Exoplanet Biosignatures: A Review of Remotely Detectable Signs of Life. ASTROBIOLOGY 2018; 18:663-708. [PMID: 29727196 PMCID: PMC6016574 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2017.1729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 12/10/2017] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
In the coming years and decades, advanced space- and ground-based observatories will allow an unprecedented opportunity to probe the atmospheres and surfaces of potentially habitable exoplanets for signatures of life. Life on Earth, through its gaseous products and reflectance and scattering properties, has left its fingerprint on the spectrum of our planet. Aided by the universality of the laws of physics and chemistry, we turn to Earth's biosphere, both in the present and through geologic time, for analog signatures that will aid in the search for life elsewhere. Considering the insights gained from modern and ancient Earth, and the broader array of hypothetical exoplanet possibilities, we have compiled a comprehensive overview of our current understanding of potential exoplanet biosignatures, including gaseous, surface, and temporal biosignatures. We additionally survey biogenic spectral features that are well known in the specialist literature but have not yet been robustly vetted in the context of exoplanet biosignatures. We briefly review advances in assessing biosignature plausibility, including novel methods for determining chemical disequilibrium from remotely obtainable data and assessment tools for determining the minimum biomass required to maintain short-lived biogenic gases as atmospheric signatures. We focus particularly on advances made since the seminal review by Des Marais et al. The purpose of this work is not to propose new biosignature strategies, a goal left to companion articles in this series, but to review the current literature, draw meaningful connections between seemingly disparate areas, and clear the way for a path forward. Key Words: Exoplanets-Biosignatures-Habitability markers-Photosynthesis-Planetary surfaces-Atmospheres-Spectroscopy-Cryptic biospheres-False positives. Astrobiology 18, 663-708.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward W. Schwieterman
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California
- NASA Postdoctoral Program, Universities Space Research Association, Columbia, Maryland
- NASA Astrobiology Institute, Virtual Planetary Laboratory Team, Seattle, Washington
- NASA Astrobiology Institute, Alternative Earths Team, Riverside, California
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, Washington
| | - Nancy Y. Kiang
- NASA Astrobiology Institute, Virtual Planetary Laboratory Team, Seattle, Washington
- NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York, New York
| | - Mary N. Parenteau
- NASA Astrobiology Institute, Virtual Planetary Laboratory Team, Seattle, Washington
- NASA Ames Research Center, Exobiology Branch, Mountain View, California
| | - Chester E. Harman
- NASA Astrobiology Institute, Virtual Planetary Laboratory Team, Seattle, Washington
- NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York, New York
- Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Shiladitya DasSarma
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University System of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Theresa M. Fisher
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Giada N. Arney
- NASA Astrobiology Institute, Virtual Planetary Laboratory Team, Seattle, Washington
- Planetary Systems Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
| | - Hilairy E. Hartnett
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Christopher T. Reinhard
- NASA Astrobiology Institute, Alternative Earths Team, Riverside, California
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Stephanie L. Olson
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California
- NASA Astrobiology Institute, Alternative Earths Team, Riverside, California
| | - Victoria S. Meadows
- NASA Astrobiology Institute, Virtual Planetary Laboratory Team, Seattle, Washington
- Astronomy Department, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Charles S. Cockell
- University of Edinburgh School of Physics and Astronomy, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- UK Centre for Astrobiology, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Sara I. Walker
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, Washington
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
- Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
- ASU-Santa Fe Institute Center for Biosocial Complex Systems, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - John Lee Grenfell
- Institut für Planetenforschung (PF), Deutsches Zentrum für Luft und Raumfahrt (DLR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Siddharth Hegde
- Carl Sagan Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
- Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Sarah Rugheimer
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Renyu Hu
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
| | - Timothy W. Lyons
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California
- NASA Astrobiology Institute, Alternative Earths Team, Riverside, California
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6
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Landscape Changes and a Salt Production Sustainable Approach in the State of Salt Pan Area Decreasing on the Coast of Tianjin, China. SUSTAINABILITY 2015. [DOI: 10.3390/su70810078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Schwieterman EW, Cockell CS, Meadows VS. Nonphotosynthetic pigments as potential biosignatures. ASTROBIOLOGY 2015; 15:341-61. [PMID: 25941875 PMCID: PMC4442567 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2014.1178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Previous work on possible surface reflectance biosignatures for Earth-like planets has typically focused on analogues to spectral features produced by photosynthetic organisms on Earth, such as the vegetation red edge. Although oxygenic photosynthesis, facilitated by pigments evolved to capture photons, is the dominant metabolism on our planet, pigmentation has evolved for multiple purposes to adapt organisms to their environment. We present an interdisciplinary study of the diversity and detectability of nonphotosynthetic pigments as biosignatures, which includes a description of environments that host nonphotosynthetic biologically pigmented surfaces, and a lab-based experimental analysis of the spectral and broadband color diversity of pigmented organisms on Earth. We test the utility of broadband color to distinguish between Earth-like planets with significant coverage of nonphotosynthetic pigments and those with photosynthetic or nonbiological surfaces, using both 1-D and 3-D spectral models. We demonstrate that, given sufficient surface coverage, nonphotosynthetic pigments could significantly impact the disk-averaged spectrum of a planet. However, we find that due to the possible diversity of organisms and environments, and the confounding effects of the atmosphere and clouds, determination of substantial coverage by biologically produced pigments would be difficult with broadband colors alone and would likely require spectrally resolved data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward W. Schwieterman
- University of Washington Astronomy Department, Seattle, Washington, USA
- NAI Virtual Planetary Laboratory, Seattle, Washington, USA
- University of Washington Astrobiology Program, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Charles S. Cockell
- University of Edinburgh School of Physics and Astronomy, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Centre for Astrobiology, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Victoria S. Meadows
- University of Washington Astronomy Department, Seattle, Washington, USA
- NAI Virtual Planetary Laboratory, Seattle, Washington, USA
- University of Washington Astrobiology Program, Seattle, Washington, USA
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Oren A. The ecology of Dunaliella in high-salt environments. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 21:23. [PMID: 25984505 PMCID: PMC4389652 DOI: 10.1186/s40709-014-0023-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2014] [Accepted: 11/26/2014] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Halophilic representatives of the genus Dunaliella, notably D. salina and D. viridis, are found worldwide in salt lakes and saltern evaporation and crystallizer ponds at salt concentrations up to NaCl saturation. Thanks to the biotechnological exploitation of D. salina for β-carotene production we have a profound knowledge of the physiology and biochemistry of the alga. However, relatively little is known about the ecology of the members of the genus Dunaliella in hypersaline environments, in spite of the fact that Dunaliella is often the main or even the sole primary producer present, so that the entire ecosystem depends on carbon fixed by this alga. This review paper summarizes our knowledge about the occurrence and the activities of different Dunaliella species in natural salt lakes (Great Salt Lake, the Dead Sea and others), in saltern ponds and in other salty habitats where members of the genus have been found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aharon Oren
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Jerusalem, 91904 Israel
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Jehlička J, Edwards HGM, Oren A. Bacterioruberin and salinixanthin carotenoids of extremely halophilic Archaea and Bacteria: a Raman spectroscopic study. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2013; 106:99-103. [PMID: 23376264 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2012.12.081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2012] [Revised: 12/18/2012] [Accepted: 12/21/2012] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Laboratory cultures of a number of red extremely halophilic Archaea (Halobacterium salinarum strains NRC-1 and R1, Halorubrum sodomense, Haloarcula valismortis) and of Salinibacter ruber, a red extremely halophilic member of the Bacteria, have been investigated by Raman spectroscopy using 514.5nm excitation to characterize their carotenoids. The 50-carbon carotenoid α-bacterioruberin was detected as the major carotenoid in all archaeal strains. Raman spectroscopy also detected bacterioruberin as the main pigment in a red pellet of cells collected from a saltern crystallizer pond. Salinibacter contains the C40-carotenoid acyl glycoside salinixanthin (all-E, 2'S)-2'-hydroxy-1'-[6-O-(methyltetradecanoyl)-β-d-glycopyranosyloxy]-3',4'-didehydro-1',2'-dihydro-β,ψ-carotene-4-one), for which the Raman bands assignments of are given here for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Jehlička
- Charles University, Institute of Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Mineral Resources, Prague, Czech Republic.
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Elevi Bardavid R, Khristo P, Oren A. Interrelationships between Dunaliella and halophilic prokaryotes in saltern crystallizer ponds. Extremophiles 2006; 12:5-14. [PMID: 17186316 DOI: 10.1007/s00792-006-0053-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2006] [Accepted: 11/24/2006] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Thanks to their often very high population densities and their simple community structure, saltern crystallizer ponds form ideal sites to study the behavior of halophilic microorganisms in their natural environment at saturating salt concentrations. The microbial community is dominated by square red halophilic Archaea, recently isolated and described as Haloquadratum walsbyi, extremely halophilic red rod-shaped Bacteria of the genus Salinibacter, and the unicellular green alga Dunaliella as the primary producer. We review here, the information available on the microbial community structure of the saltern crystallizer brines and the interrelationships between the main components of their biota. As Dunaliella produces massive amounts of glycerol to provide osmotic stabilization, glycerol is often postulated to be the most important source of organic carbon for the heterotrophic prokaryotes in hypersaline ecosystems. We assess here, the current evidence for the possible importance of glycerol and other carbon sources in the nutrition of the Archaea and the Bacteria, the relative contribution of halophilic Bacteria and Archaea to the heterotrophic activity in the brines, and other factors that determine the nature of the microbial communities that thrive in the salt-saturated brines of saltern crystallizer ponds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahel Elevi Bardavid
- The Institute of Life Sciences, and The Moshe Shilo Minerva Center for Marine Biogeochemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel
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Oren A. A hundred years of Dunaliella research: 1905-2005. SALINE SYSTEMS 2005; 1:2. [PMID: 16176593 PMCID: PMC1224875 DOI: 10.1186/1746-1448-1-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 158] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2005] [Accepted: 07/04/2005] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
A hundred years have passed since the description of the genus Dunaliella, the unicellular green alga which is responsible for most of the primary production in hypersaline environments worldwide. The present paper provides an historical survey of research on Dunaliella, from the early work in the 19th century to the thorough taxonomic studies by Teodoresco, Hamburger, Lerche and others from the beginnig of the 20th century onwards. It attempts to trace the origin of some of the most important breakthroughs that have contributed to our present understanding of this alga that plays such a key role in many hypersaline environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aharon Oren
- Institute of Life Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91904 Jerusalem, Israel.
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12
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Oren A, Rodríguez-Valera F. The contribution of halophilic Bacteria to the red coloration of saltern crystallizer ponds(1). FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2001; 36:123-130. [PMID: 11451516 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6941.2001.tb00832.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Analysis of the pigments extracted from solar saltern crystallizer ponds in Santa Pola near Alicante and on the Balearic island of Mallorca, Spain, showed that 5-7.5% of the total prokaryotic pigment absorbance could be attributed to a novel carotenoid or carotenoid-like compound. This unidentified pigment was identical to the sole pigment present in Salinibacter ruber, the only described member of a newly discovered genus of red halophilic Bacteria related to the Cytophaga-Flavobacterium-Bacteroides group. On the basis of fluorescence in situ hybridization experiments it has been shown that Salinibacter is an important component of the microbial community of Spanish saltern ponds. The red color of saltern crystallizer ponds may thus not only be due to red halophilic Archaea and to beta-carotene-rich Dunaliella cells as previously assumed, but may contain a bacterial contribution as well. The Salinibacter pigment was not detected in samples collected from crystallizer ponds of the salterns of Eilat, Israel, and only traces of it may have been present in the Newark, CA, USA, salterns. The community structure of the prokaryote community inhabiting saltern crystallizers thus shows significant geographic variations. Polar lipid analyses of the biomass collected from the Santa Pola salterns showed that the total contribution of Salinibacter and other Bacteria to the total biomass was minor, the most important component of the community being halophilic Archaea.
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14
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On the red coloration of saltern crystallizer ponds. II. Additional evidence for the contribution of halobacterial pigments. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1994. [DOI: 10.1007/bf01990638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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15
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Characterization of the halophilic archaeal community in saltern crystallizer ponds by means of polar lipid analysis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1994. [DOI: 10.1007/bf01990639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Oren A, Gurevich P. Characterization of the dominant halophilic archaea in a bacterial bloom in the dead sea. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 1993. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6941.1993.tb00037.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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