Chlorobenzoate-degrading bacteria in similar pristine soils exhibit different community structures and population dynamics in response to anthropogenic 2-, 3-, and 4-chlorobenzoate levels

Bacterial Community Structure Recovery in Reclaimed Coal Mined Soil under Two Vegetative Regimes

Coal mining can be deleterious to the soil physical and chemical makeup, but also to the soil microbial community. Effectively, the removal of nearly all organic matter from the upper soil horizons reduces the effectiveness of any soil to support vegetation, and up until recently, microbial community parameters were not considered in the successful reclamation of overburden. Thus, our study proposes to measure the uncultivated bacterial community using 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) high-throughput sequencing in a chronosequence of reclaimed overburden in Mississippi. The study sites comprised samplings of pasture and wooded reclamation sites consisting of 1 to 13 yr post reclamation time, as well as reference sites. Overall, the primary driver of bacterial community dynamics was vegetative cover, although time also influenced dynamics. Richness estimations for operational taxonomic units (OTUs) showed that recently reclaimed (∼1 yr) and Pasture sites were more OTU rich with levels of >1400 compared with reference site levels of ∼1000. Diversity levels also followed a similar trend. Community structure typically differed between time points and vegetative cover; however, membership was similar between sites and reference, indicating that new communities still shared some membership from the previous community. Overall, physicochemical properties trended toward more positive for soil health as time progressed, but bacterial community recovery was still not structurally recovered, although richness and diversity values exceeded reference. Overall, this study demonstrated that mine reclamation using pasture and/or wood restoration can reestablish the bacterial community to approximate reference conditions, but vegetation is still the dominating environmental factor dictating microbial community.

Pseudomonads Rule Degradation of Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons in Aerated Sediment

Given that the degradation of aromatic pollutants in anaerobic environments such as sediment is generally very slow, aeration could be an efficient bioremediation option. Using stable isotope probing (SIP) coupled with pyrosequencing analysis of 16S rRNA genes, we identified naphthalene-utilizing populations in aerated polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-polluted sediment. The results showed that naphthalene was metabolized at both 10 and 20°C following oxygen delivery, with increased degradation at 20°C as compared to 10°C—a temperature more similar to that found in situ. Naphthalene-derived ¹³C was primarily assimilated by pseudomonads. Additionally, Stenotrophomonas, Acidovorax, Comamonas, and other minor taxa were determined to incorporate ¹³C throughout the measured time course. The majority of SIP-detected bacteria were also isolated in pure cultures, which facilitated more reliable identification of naphthalene-utilizing populations as well as proper differentiation between primary consumers and cross-feeders. The pseudomonads acquiring the majority of carbon were identified as Pseudomonas veronii and Pseudomonas gessardii. Stenotrophomonads and Acidovorax defluvii, however, were identified as cross-feeders unable to directly utilize naphthalene as a growth substrate. PAH degradation assays with the isolated bacteria revealed that all pseudomonads as well as Comamonas testosteroni degraded acenaphthene, fluorene, and phenanthrene in addition to naphthalene. Furthermore, P. veronii and C. testosteroni were capable of transforming anthracene, fluoranthene, and pyrene. Screening of isolates for naphthalene dioxygenase genes using a set of in-house designed primers for Gram-negative bacteria revealed the presence of such genes in pseudomonads and C. testosteroni. Overall, our results indicated an apparent dominance of pseudomonads in the sequestration of carbon from naphthalene and potential degradation of other PAHs upon aeration of the sediment at both 20 and 10°C.

Bacterial community structure in treated sewage sludge with mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic digestion

Stabilized sewage sludge is applied to agricultural fields and farmland due to its high organic matter content. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of two types of sludge stabilization, mesophilic anaerobic digestion (MAD) and thermophilic anaerobic digestion (TAD), on bacterial communities in sludge, including the presence of pathogenic microorganisms. Bacterial community structure and phylogenetic diversity were analyzed in four sewage sludge samples from the Czech Republic. Analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes showed that investigated sludge samples harbor diverse bacterial populations with only a few taxa present across all samples. Bacterial diversity was higher in sludge samples after MAD versus TAD treatment, and communities in MAD-treated sludge shared the highest genetic similarities. In all samples, the bacterial community was dominated by reads affiliated with Proteobacteria. The sludge after TAD treatment had considerably higher number of reads of thermotolerant/thermophilic taxa, such as the phyla Deinococcus-Thermus and Thermotogae or the genus Coprothermobacter. Only one operational taxonomic unit (OTU), which clustered with Rhodanobacter, was detected in all communities at a relative abundance >1 %. All of the communities were screened for the presence of 16S rRNA gene sequences of pathogenic bacteria using a database of 122 pathogenic species and ≥98 % identity threshold. The abundance of such sequences ranged between 0.23 and 1.57 % of the total community, with lower numbers present after the TAD treatment, indicating its higher hygienization efficiency. Sequences clustering with nontuberculous mycobacteria were present in all samples. Other detected sequences of pathogenic bacteria included Streptomyces somaliensis, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Alcaligenes faecalis, Gordonia spp., Legionella anisa, Bordetella bronchiseptica, Enterobacter aerogenes, Brucella melitensis, and Staphylococcus aureus.

Layer of organic pine forest soil on top of chlorophenol-contaminated mineral soil enhances contaminant degradation

Chlorophenols, like many other synthetic compounds, are persistent problem in industrial areas. These compounds are easily degraded in certain natural environments where the top soil is organic. Some studies suggest that mineral soil contaminated with organic compounds is rapidly remediated if it is mixed with organic soil. We hypothesized that organic soil with a high degradation capacity even on top of the contaminated mineral soil enhances degradation of recalcitrant chlorophenols in the mineral soil below. We first compared chlorophenol degradation in different soils by spiking pristine and pentachlorophenol-contaminated soils with 2,4,6-trichlorophenol in 10-L buckets. In other experiments, we covered contaminated mineral soil with organic pine forest soil. We also monitored in situ degradation on an old sawmill site where mineral soil was either left intact or covered with organic pine forest soil. 2,4,6-Trichlorophenol was rapidly degraded in organic pine forest soil, but the degradation was slower in other soils. If a thin layer of the pine forest humus was added on top of mineral sawmill soil, the original chlorophenol concentrations (high, ca. 70 μg g(-1), or moderate, ca. 20 μg g(-1)) in sawmill soil decreased by >40 % in 24 days. No degradation was noticed if the mineral soil was kept bare or if the covering humus soil layer was sterilized beforehand. Our results suggest that covering mineral soil with an organic soil layer is an efficient way to remediate recalcitrant chlorophenol contamination in mineral soils. The results of the field experiment are promising.

Identification of bacteria utilizing biphenyl, benzoate, and naphthalene in long-term contaminated soil

Bacteria were identified associated with biodegradation of aromatic pollutants biphenyl, benzoate, and naphthalene in a long-term polychlorinated biphenyl- and polyaromatic hydrocarbon-contaminated soil. In order to avoid biases of culture-based approaches, stable isotope probing was applied in combination with sequence analysis of 16 S rRNA gene pyrotags amplified from (13)C-enriched DNA fractions. Special attention was paid to pyrosequencing data analysis in order to eliminate the errors caused by either generation of amplicons (random errors caused by DNA polymerase, formation of chimeric sequences) or sequencing itself. Therefore, sample DNA was amplified, sequenced, and analyzed along with the DNA of a mock community constructed out of 8 bacterial strains. This warranted that appropriate tools and parameters were chosen for sequence data processing. (13)C-labeled metagenomes isolated after the incubation of soil samples with all three studied aromatics were largely dominated by Proteobacteria, namely sequences clustering with the genera Rhodanobacter Burkholderia, Pandoraea, Dyella as well as some Rudaea- and Skermanella-related ones. Pseudomonads were mostly labeled by (13)C from naphthalene and benzoate. The results of this study show that many biphenyl/benzoate-assimilating bacteria derive carbon also from naphthalene, pointing out broader biodegradation abilities of some soil microbiota. The results also demonstrate that, in addition to traditionally isolated genera of degradative bacteria, yet-to-be cultured bacteria are important players in bioremediation. Overall, the study contributes to our understanding of biodegradation processes in contaminated soil. At the same time our results show the importance of sequencing and analyzing a mock community in order to more correctly process and analyze sequence data.

Poplar clones of different sizes, grown on a heavy metal polluted site, are associated with microbial populations of varying composition

We performed a field trial to evaluate the response of different poplar clones to heavy metals. We found that poplar plants of the same clone, propagated by cuttings, had a marked variability of survival and growth in different zones of the field that were characterized by very similar physical-chemical prosperities. Since metal uptake and its accumulation by plants can be affected by soil microorganisms, we investigated soil microbial populations that were collected in proximity to the roots of large and small poplar plants. We used microbiological and molecular tools to ascertain whether bacterial strains or species were associated with large, or small poplars, and whether these were different from those present in the bulk (without plants) soil. We found that the culturable fraction of the bacteria differed in the three cases (bulk soil, small or large poplars). While some taxa were always present, two species (Chryseobacterium soldanellicola and Variovorax paradoxus) were only found in the soil where poplars (large or small) were growing, independently from the plant size. Bacterial strains of the genus Flavobacterium were prevalent in the soil with large poplar plants. The existence of different microbial populations in the bulk and in the poplar grown soils was confirmed by the DGGE profiles of the bacterial culturable fractions. Cluster analysis of the DGGE profiles highlighted the clear separation of the culturable fraction from the whole microbial community. The isolation and identification of poplar-associated bacterial strains from the culturable fraction of the microbial community provided the basis for further studies aimed at the combined use of plants and soil microorganisms in the remediation of heavy metal polluted soils.

Isolation of effective 3-chlorobenzoate-degraders in soil using community analyses by PCR-DGGE

The screening of pollutant degraders by relying solely on cultivation techniques such as liquid enrichment often fails to isolate the actual degraders in the environment. Community analyses by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) were performed to isolate bacteria that can degrade 3-chlorobenzoate (3CB) effectively in soil. A forest soil sample was repeatedly dosed with 3CB (500 mg kg(-1)) to enrich it with indigenous 3CB-degraders, and changes in the bacterial community were monitored by PCR-DGGE of the 16S rRNA gene and benzoate 1,2-dioxygenase alpha subunit gene (benA). Initially, it required about 3 weeks to degrade 3CB in the soil, whereas it took only 3 days after the third dose. With this accelerated degradation, several intensified bands appeared in the DGGE profiles of both 16S rRNA gene and benA. We succeeded in isolating five 3CB-degrading Burkholderia strains corresponding to these bands by direct plating, while most of them were eliminated by liquid enrichment. Inoculation of the strains into the soil demonstrated that the five strains could degrade 3CB effectively in the soil. This study clearly shows significant bias during the liquid enrichment process and the advantage of using PCR-DGGE in screening effective degraders under environmental conditions.

Field-based stable isotope probing reveals the identities of benzoic acid-metabolizing microorganisms and their in situ growth in agricultural soil

We used a combination of stable isotope probing (SIP), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-based respiration, isolation/cultivation, and quantitative PCR procedures to discover the identity and in situ growth of soil microorganisms that metabolize benzoic acid. We added [(13)C]benzoic acid or [(12)C]benzoic acid (100 microg) once, four times, or five times at 2-day intervals to agricultural field plots. After monitoring (13)CO(2) evolution from the benzoic acid-dosed soil, field soils were harvested and used for nucleic acid extraction and for cultivation of benzoate-degrading bacteria. Exposure of soil to benzoate increased the number of culturable benzoate degraders compared to unamended soil, and exposure to benzoate shifted the dominant culturable benzoate degraders from Pseudomonas species to Burkholderia species. Isopycnic separation of heavy [(13)C]DNA from the unlabeled fraction allowed terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analyses to confirm that distinct 16S rRNA genes were localized in the heavy fraction. Phylogenetic analysis of sequenced 16S rRNA genes revealed a predominance (15 of 58 clones) of Burkholderia species in the heavy fraction. Burkholderia sp. strain EBA09 shared 99.5% 16S rRNA sequence similarity with a group of clones representing the dominant RFLP pattern, and the T-RFLP fragment for strain EBA09 and a clone from that cluster matched the fragment enriched in the [(13)C]DNA fraction. Growth of the population represented by EBA09 during the field-dosing experiment was demonstrated by using most-probable-number-PCR and primers targeting EBA09 and the closely related species Burkholderia hospita. Thus, the target population identified by SIP not only actively metabolized benzoic acid but reproduced in the field upon the addition of the substrate.

Expression of gentisate 1,2-dioxygenase (gdoA) genes involved in aromatic degradation in two haloarchaeal genera

Gentisate-1,2-dioxygenase genes (gdoA), with homology to a number of bacterial dioxygenases, and genes encoding a putative coenzyme A (CoA)-synthetase subunit (acdB) and a CoA-thioesterase (tieA) were identified in two haloarchaeal isolates. In Haloarcula sp. D1, gdoA was expressed during growth on 4-hydroxybenzoate but not benzoate, and acdB and tieA were not expressed during growth on any of the aromatic substrates tested. In contrast, gdoA was expressed in Haloferax sp. D1227 during growth on benzoate, 3-hydroxybenzoate, cinnamate and phenylpropionate, and both acdB and tieA were expressed during growth on benzoate, cinnamate and phenylpropionate, but not on 3-hydroxybenzoate. This pattern of induction is consistent with these genes encoding steps in a CoA-mediated benzoate pathway in this strain.

Three stages of a biofilm community developing at the liquid-liquid interface between polychlorinated biphenyls and water

Soil contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) was used as an inoculum to grow a complex biofilm community on PCB oil (Aroclor 1242) on a substratum (Permanox). The biofilm was monitored for 31 days by confocal laser scanning microscopy, community fingerprinting using single-strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP), amplicons of the 16S rRNA genes, and chemical analyses of the PCB congeners. SSCP analysis of the young biofilm revealed a rather diverse microbial community with species of the genera Herbaspirillum and Bradyrhizobium as dominant members. The biofilm developing on the PCB droplets displayed pronounced stages of PCB degradation and biofilm development not described before from pure-culture experiments. The first step was the colonization of the substratum while the PCB oil was hardly populated. When a certain density of bacteria was reached on the Permanox, the PCB was colonized, but soon the degradation of the congeners was markedly reduced and many cells were damaged, as seen by LIVE/DEAD staining. Finally, the biofilm formed aggregates and invaded the PCB oil, showing lower numbers of damaged cells than before and a dramatic increase in PCB degradation. This sequence of biofilm formation is understood as a maturation process prior to PCB oil colonization. This is followed by a thin biofilm on the PCB droplet, an aggregation process forming pockets in the PCB, and finally an invasion of the biofilm into the PCB oil. Only the mature biofilm showed degradation of pentachlorinated PCB congeners, which may be reductively dechlorinated and the resulting trichlorobiphenyls then aerobically metabolized.