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Deng T, He Z, Xu M, Dong M, Guo J, Sun G, Huang H. Species' functional traits and interactions drive nitrate-mediated sulfur-oxidizing community structure and functioning. mBio 2023; 14:e0156723. [PMID: 37702500 PMCID: PMC10653917 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01567-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Understanding the processes and mechanisms governing microbial community assembly and their linkages to ecosystem functioning has long been a core issue in microbial ecology. An in-depth insight still requires combining with analyses of species' functional traits and microbial interactions. Our study showed how species' functional traits and interactions determined microbial community structure and functions by a well-controlled laboratory experiment with nitrate-mediated sulfur oxidation systems using high-throughput sequencing and culture-dependent technologies. The results provided solid evidences that species' functional traits and interactions were the intrinsic factors determining community structure and function. More importantly, our study established quantitative links between community structure and function based on species' functional traits and interactions, which would have important implications for the design and synthesis of microbiomes with expected functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tongchu Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Science, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection Microbiology and Regional Ecological Security, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhili He
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, China
| | - Meiying Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Science, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection Microbiology and Regional Ecological Security, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Meijun Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Science, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection Microbiology and Regional Ecological Security, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jun Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Science, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection Microbiology and Regional Ecological Security, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Guoping Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Science, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection Microbiology and Regional Ecological Security, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Haobin Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Science, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection Microbiology and Regional Ecological Security, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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Argudo M, Gich F, Bonet B, Espinosa C, Gutiérrez M, Guasch H. Responses of resident (DNA) and active (RNA) microbial communities in fluvial biofilms under different polluted scenarios. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 242:125108. [PMID: 31669992 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Pollution from human activities is a major threat to the ecological integrity of fluvial ecosystems. Microbial communities are the most abundant organisms in biofilms, and are key indicators of various pollutants. We investigated the effects some human stressors (nutrients and heavy metals) have on the structure and activity of microbial communities in seven sampling sites located in the Ter River basin (NE Spain). Water and biofilm samples were collected in order to characterize physicochemical and biofilm parameters. The 16S rRNA gene was analysed out from DNA and RNA extracts to obtain α and β diversity. Principal coordinates analyses (PCoA) of the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in the resident microbial community revealed that nutrients and conductivity were the main driving forces behind the diversity and composition. The effects of mining have had mainly seen on the taxonomic composition of the active microbial community, but also at the OTUs level. Remarkably, metal-impacted communities were very active, which would indicate a close link with the stress faced, that is probably related to the stimulation of detoxification.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Argudo
- Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Girona, Campus de Montilivi, 17071, Girona, Spain; Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Accés a La Cala Sant Francesc 14, 17300, Blanes, Girona, Spain
| | - Frederic Gich
- Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Girona, Campus de Montilivi, 17071, Girona, Spain
| | - Berta Bonet
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences (GEES), University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Carmen Espinosa
- BETA Tech Center. TECNIO Network, U Science Tech, University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia, de La Laura 13, 08500, Vic, Spain; Centre d'Estudis dels Rius Mediterranis, Museu Industrial del Ter. Passeig del Ter, 2, 08560, Manlleu, Spain
| | - Marina Gutiérrez
- Department of Engineering, University of Ferrara, Via Saragat 1, I-44122 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Helena Guasch
- Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Girona, Campus de Montilivi, 17071, Girona, Spain; Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Accés a La Cala Sant Francesc 14, 17300, Blanes, Girona, Spain.
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3
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Artigas J, Rossi F, Gerphagnon M, Mallet C. Sensitivity of laccase activity to the fungicide tebuconazole in decomposing litter. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 584-585:1084-1092. [PMID: 28159304 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.01.167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Revised: 01/24/2017] [Accepted: 01/24/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The present study investigates the sensitivity of laccase activity to the fungicide tebuconazole (TBZ) in order to seek for new functional toxicity descriptors in aquatic microbial communities associated to decomposing litter. With this aim, we analyzed the sensitivity of laccase from the different microbial components (fungi and bacteria growing separately and in co-existence), as well as that of their corresponding enzyme fractions (cell bound and diffusible), forming microbial communities in Alnus glutinosa leaves. Results show that fungi are pivotal for laccase activity in leaves and that their activity is repressed when they co-exist with bacteria. The sensitivity of laccase activity to the TBZ was only detectable in leaves colonized by fungi separately (Alatospora acuminata populations), but absent in those colonized by bacteria separately and/or mixed fungi plus bacteria. Specifically, the increase of TBZ concentration enhances laccase activity in Alatospora acuminata populations but decreases ergosterol concentration as well as the amount of 18S RNA gene copies. This activity response suggests a detoxification mechanism employed by the fungus in order to reduce TBZ toxicity. Besides, enzyme fractioning showed that laccase activity in the cell bound fraction (76% of the total activity) was sensitive to the fungicide, but not that in the diffusible fraction (24% of total activity). Hence, TBZ would influence laccase activity in the presence of fungal cells but not in enzymes already synthesized in the extracellular space. The present study highlights the importance of the biological complexity level (i. e. population, community, ecosystem) when seeking for appropriate functional ecotoxicity descriptors in aquatic microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Artigas
- Université Clermont-Auvergne, CNRS, Laboratoire Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France.
| | - F Rossi
- Université Clermont-Auvergne, CNRS, Laboratoire Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - M Gerphagnon
- Université Clermont-Auvergne, CNRS, Laboratoire Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - C Mallet
- Université Clermont-Auvergne, CNRS, Laboratoire Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
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Besemer K. Biodiversity, community structure and function of biofilms in stream ecosystems. Res Microbiol 2015; 166:774-81. [PMID: 26027773 DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2015.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2015] [Revised: 05/15/2015] [Accepted: 05/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Multi-species, surface-attached biofilms often dominate microbial life in streams and rivers, where they contribute substantially to biogeochemical processes. The microbial diversity of natural biofilms is huge, and may have important implications for the functioning of aquatic environments and the ecosystem services they provide. Yet the causes and consequences of biofilm biodiversity remain insufficiently understood. This review aims to give an overview of current knowledge on the distribution of stream biofilm biodiversity, the mechanisms generating biodiversity patterns and the relationship between biofilm biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Besemer
- School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Rankine Building, Oakfield Avenue, Glasgow G12 8LT, United Kingdom; Department of Limnology and Bio-Oceanography, University of Vienna, Vienna Ecology Center, Althanstraße 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
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Zeglin LH. Stream microbial diversity in response to environmental changes: review and synthesis of existing research. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:454. [PMID: 26042102 PMCID: PMC4435045 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 184] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2014] [Accepted: 04/27/2015] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The importance of microbial activity to ecosystem function in aquatic ecosystems is well established, but microbial diversity has been less frequently addressed. This review and synthesis of 100s of published studies on stream microbial diversity shows that factors known to drive ecosystem processes, such as nutrient availability, hydrology, metal contamination, contrasting land-use and temperature, also cause heterogeneity in bacterial diversity. Temporal heterogeneity in stream bacterial diversity was frequently observed, reflecting the dynamic nature of both stream ecosystems and microbial community composition. However, within-stream spatial differences in stream bacterial diversity were more commonly observed, driven specifically by different organic matter (OM) compartments. Bacterial phyla showed similar patterns in relative abundance with regard to compartment type across different streams. For example, surface water contained the highest relative abundance of Actinobacteria, while epilithon contained the highest relative abundance of Cyanobacteria and Bacteroidetes. This suggests that contrasting physical and/or nutritional habitats characterized by different stream OM compartment types may select for certain bacterial lineages. When comparing the prevalence of physicochemical effects on stream bacterial diversity, effects of changing metal concentrations were most, while effects of differences in nutrient concentrations were least frequently observed. This may indicate that although changing nutrient concentrations do tend to affect microbial diversity, other environmental factors are more likely to alter stream microbial diversity and function. The common observation of connections between ecosystem process drivers and microbial diversity suggests that microbial taxonomic turnover could mediate ecosystem-scale responses to changing environmental conditions, including both microbial habitat distribution and physicochemical factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia H Zeglin
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University Manhattan, KS, USA
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Snell MA, Barker PA, Surridge BWJ, Large ARG, Jonczyk J, Benskin CMH, Reaney S, Perks MT, Owen GJ, Cleasby W, Deasy C, Burke S, Haygarth PM. High frequency variability of environmental drivers determining benthic community dynamics in headwater streams. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2014; 16:1629-1636. [PMID: 24647601 DOI: 10.1039/c3em00680h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Headwater streams are an important feature of the landscape, with their diversity in structure and associated ecological function providing a potential natural buffer against downstream nutrient export. Phytobenthic communities, dominated in many headwaters by diatoms, must respond to physical and chemical parameters that can vary in magnitude within hours, whereas the ecological regeneration times are much longer. How diatom communities develop in the fluctuating, dynamic environments characteristic of headwaters is poorly understood. Deployment of near-continuous monitoring technology in sub-catchments of the River Eden, NW England, provides the opportunity for measurement of temporal variability in stream discharge and nutrient resource supply to benthic communities, as represented by monthly diatom samples collected over two years. Our data suggest that the diatom communities and the derived Trophic Diatom Index, best reflect stream discharge conditions over the preceding 18-21 days and Total Phosphorus concentrations over a wider antecedent window of 7-21 days. This is one of the first quantitative assessments of long-term diatom community development in response to continuously-measured stream nutrient concentration and discharge fluctuations. The data reveal the sensitivity of these headwater communities to mean conditions prior to sampling, with flow as the dominant variable. With sufficient understanding of the role of antecedent conditions, these methods can be used to inform interpretation of monitoring data, including those collected under the European Water Framework Directive and related mitigation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Snell
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK.
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Hamonts K, Ryngaert A, Smidt H, Springael D, Dejonghe W. Determinants of the microbial community structure of eutrophic, hyporheic river sediments polluted with chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2013; 87:715-32. [DOI: 10.1111/1574-6941.12260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2013] [Revised: 10/29/2013] [Accepted: 11/15/2013] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Hamonts
- Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Separation and Conversion Technology; Mol Belgium
- Division Soil and Water Management; KU Leuven; Heverlee Belgium
| | - Annemie Ryngaert
- Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Separation and Conversion Technology; Mol Belgium
| | - Hauke Smidt
- Laboratory of Microbiology; Wageningen University; Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Dirk Springael
- Division Soil and Water Management; KU Leuven; Heverlee Belgium
| | - Winnie Dejonghe
- Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Separation and Conversion Technology; Mol Belgium
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8
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Comte J, Fauteux L, Del Giorgio PA. Links between metabolic plasticity and functional redundancy in freshwater bacterioplankton communities. Front Microbiol 2013; 4:112. [PMID: 23675372 PMCID: PMC3650318 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2013.00112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2012] [Accepted: 04/18/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolic plasticity and functional redundancy are fundamental properties of microbial communities, which shape their response to environmental forcing, and also mediate the relationship between community composition and function. Yet, the actual quantification of these emergent community properties has been elusive, and we thus do not know how they vary across bacterial communities, and their relationship to environmental gradients and to each other. Here we present an experimental framework that allows us to simultaneously quantify metabolic plasticity and functional redundancy in freshwater bacterioplankton communities, and to explore connections that may exists between them. We define metabolic plasticity as the rate of change in single-cell properties (cell wall integrity, cell size, single-cell activity) relative to changes in community composition. Likewise, we define functional redundancy as the rate of change in carbon substrate uptake capacities relative to changes in community composition. We assessed these two key community attributes in transplant experiments where bacterioplankton from various aquatic habitats within the same watershed were transplanted from their original water to waters from other systems that differ in their main resources. Our results show that metabolic plasticity is an intrinsic property of bacterial communities, whereas the expression of functional redundancy appears to be more dependent on environmental factors. Furthermore, there was an overall strong positive relationship between the level of functional redundancy and of metabolic plasticity, suggesting no trade-offs between these community attributes but rather a possible co-selection. The apparent continuum in the expression of both functional redundancy and plasticity among bacterial communities and the link between them, in turn suggest that the link between community diversity and function may also vary along a continuum, from being very tight, to being weak, or absent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme Comte
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Groupe de Recherche Interuniversitaire en Limnologie, Université du Québec à Montréal Montréal, QC, Canada ; Département de Biologie, Centre d'Études Nordiques, Unité Mixte Internationale Takuvik, Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval QC, Canada
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9
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10
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Larouche JR, Bowden WB, Giordano R, Flinn MB, Crump BC. Microbial biogeography of arctic streams: exploring influences of lithology and habitat. Front Microbiol 2012; 3:309. [PMID: 22936932 PMCID: PMC3426929 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2012.00309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2012] [Accepted: 08/03/2012] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism and 16S rRNA gene sequencing were used to explore the community composition of bacterial communities in biofilms on sediments (epipssamon) and rocks (epilithon) in stream reaches that drain watersheds with contrasting lithologies in the Noatak National Preserve, Alaska. Bacterial community composition varied primarily by stream habitat and secondarily by lithology. Positive correlations were detected between bacterial community structure and nutrients, base cations, and dissolved organic carbon. Our results showed significant differences at the stream habitat, between epipssamon and epilithon bacterial communities, which we expected. Our results also showed significant differences at the landscape scale that could be related to different lithologies and associated stream biogeochemistry. These results provide insight into the bacterial community composition of little known and pristine arctic stream ecosystems and illustrate how differences in the lithology, soils, and vegetation community of the terrestrial environment interact to influence stream bacterial taxonomic richness and composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia R. Larouche
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of VermontBurlington, VT, USA
| | - William B. Bowden
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of VermontBurlington, VT, USA
| | - Rosanna Giordano
- Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability, Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana–ChampaignIL, USA
| | | | - Byron C. Crump
- Horn Point Laboratory, Center for Environmental Science, University of MarylandCambridge, MD, USA
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11
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Hall EK, Besemer K, Kohl L, Preiler C, Riedel K, Schneider T, Wanek W, Battin TJ. Effects of resource chemistry on the composition and function of stream hyporheic biofilms. Front Microbiol 2012; 3:35. [PMID: 22347877 PMCID: PMC3278984 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2012.00035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2011] [Accepted: 01/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Fluvial ecosystems process large quantities of dissolved organic matter as it moves from the headwater streams to the sea. In particular, hyporheic sediments are centers of high biogeochemical reactivity due to their elevated residence time and high microbial biomass and activity. However, the interaction between organic matter and microbial dynamics in the hyporheic zone remains poorly understood. We evaluated how variance in resource chemistry affected the microbial community and its associated activity in experimentally grown hyporheic biofilms. To do this we fed beech leaf leachates that differed in chemical composition to a series of bioreactors filled with sediment from a sub-alpine stream. Differences in resource chemistry resulted in differences in diversity and phylogenetic origin of microbial proteins, enzyme activity, and microbial biomass stoichiometry. Specifically, increased lignin, phenolics, and manganese in a single leachate resulted in increased phenoloxidase and peroxidase activity, elevated microbial biomass carbon:nitrogen ratio, and a greater proportion of proteins of Betaproteobacteria origin. We used this model system to attempt to link microbial form (community composition and metaproteome) with function (enzyme activity) in order to better understand the mechanisms that link resource heterogeneity to ecosystem function in stream ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- E K Hall
- Department of Limnology, University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
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12
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Frossard A, Gerull L, Mutz M, Gessner MO. Disconnect of microbial structure and function: enzyme activities and bacterial communities in nascent stream corridors. ISME JOURNAL 2011; 6:680-91. [PMID: 22030674 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2011.134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
A fundamental issue in microbial and general ecology is the question to what extent environmental conditions dictate the structure of communities and the linkages with functional properties of ecosystems (that is, ecosystem function). We approached this question by taking advantage of environmental gradients established in soil and sediments of small stream corridors in a recently created, early successional catchment. Specifically, we determined spatial and temporal patterns of bacterial community structure and their linkages with potential microbial enzyme activities along the hydrological flow paths of the catchment. Soil and sediments were sampled in a total of 15 sites on four occasions spread throughout a year. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) was used to characterize bacterial communities, and substrate analogs linked to fluorescent molecules served to track 10 different enzymes as specific measures of ecosystem function. Potential enzyme activities varied little among sites, despite contrasting environmental conditions, especially in terms of water availability. Temporal changes, in contrast, were pronounced and remarkably variable among the enzymes tested. This suggests much greater importance of temporal dynamics than spatial heterogeneity in affecting specific ecosystem functions. Most strikingly, bacterial community structure revealed neither temporal nor spatial patterns. The resulting disconnect between bacterial community structure and potential enzyme activities indicates high functional redundancy within microbial communities even in the physically and biologically simplified stream corridors of early successional landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Frossard
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology), Dübendorf, Switzerland.
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Sinsabaugh RL, Van Horn DJ, Shah JJF, Findlay S. Ecoenzymatic stoichiometry in relation to productivity for freshwater biofilm and plankton communities. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2010; 60:885-93. [PMID: 20556375 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-010-9696-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2010] [Accepted: 05/29/2010] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The degradation of detrital organic matter and assimilation of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) by heterotrophic microbial communities is mediated by enzymes released into the environment (ecoenzymes). For the attached microbial communities of soils and freshwater sediments, the activities of β-glucosidase, β-N-acetylglucosaminidase, leucine aminopeptidase, and phosphatase show consistent stoichiometric patterns. To determine whether similar constraints apply to planktonic communities, we assembled data from nine studies that include measurements of these enzyme activities along with microbial productivity. By normalizing enzyme activity to productivity, we directly compared the ecoenzymatic stoichiometry of aquatic biofilm and bacterioplankton communities. The relationships between β-glucosidase and α-glucosidase and β-glucosidase and β-N-acetylglucosaminidase were statistically indistinguishable for the two community types, while the relationships between β-glucosidase and phosphatase and β-glucosidase and leucine aminopeptidase significantly differed. For β-glucosidase vs. phosphatase, the differences in slope (biofilm 0.65, plankton 1.05) corresponded with differences in the mean elemental C:P ratio of microbial biomass (60 and 106, respectively). For β-glucosidase vs. leucine aminopeptidase, differences in slope (0.80 and 1.02) did not correspond to differences in the mean elemental C:N of biomass (8.6 and 6.6). β-N-Acetylglucosaminidase activity in biofilms was significantly greater than that of plankton, suggesting that aminosaccharides were a relatively more important N source for biofilms, perhaps because fungi are more abundant. The slopes of β-glucosidase vs. (β-N-acetylglucosaminidase + leucine aminopeptidase) regressions (biofilm 1.07, plankton 0.94) corresponded more closely to the estimated difference in mean biomass C:N. Despite major differences in physical structure and trophic organization, biofilm and plankton communities have similar ecoenzymatic stoichiometry in relation to productivity and biomass composition. These relationships can be integrated into the stoichiometric and metabolic theories of ecology and used to analyze community metabolism in relation to resource constraints.
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Comte J, del Giorgio PA. Linking the patterns of change in composition and function in bacterioplankton successions along environmental gradients. Ecology 2010; 91:1466-76. [DOI: 10.1890/09-0848.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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15
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart Findlay
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Box AB, Millbrook, New York 12545, USA
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16
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Comte J, del Giorgio PA. Links between resources, C metabolism and the major components of bacterioplankton community structure across a range of freshwater ecosystems. Environ Microbiol 2009; 11:1704-16. [PMID: 19508562 DOI: 10.1111/j.1462-2920.2009.01897.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
We explored the patterns in bacterioplankton community metabolism (BCM) and four components of community structure [composition (BCC), metabolic capacities (MC), physiological structure (PS) and single-cell characteristics (SCC)], between lakes, rivers and marshes within a watershed in Québec, to assess the connections that exist between them and with the main resources (organic matter, nutrients). Habitat types were well segregated by both resources and BCM and their corresponding dissimilarity matrices were significantly correlated, suggesting that BCM tracks resource conditions in a consistent manner across ecosystem types. MC also segregated the various habitats and was correlated to BCM but less so to resources, whereas BCC at times resulted in a clear separation of habitats, but was rarely correlated to resources and never to BCM, suggesting a higher degree of ecosystem specificity at this particular level. Finally, there was no clear separation of habitats in terms of PS and SCC, and none covaried with resources or BCM. The habitat patterns based on these different components of structure were rarely correlated to each other, indicating weak deterministic connections between them. MC appears to mediate the link between resources and BCM more directly and consistently across systems; BCC appears to be more influenced by ecosystem-specific factors that weaken its overall connection to both resources and BCM, whereas PS and SCC show no discernible patterns. Our results thus suggest that the bottom-up regulation of BCM by resources is mediated by complex shifts within components of community structure that can be directional, ecosystem-specific or apparently random, which combined nevertheless result in a systematic overall response to resources in terms of C metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme Comte
- Groupe de Recherche Interuniversitaire en Limnologie, Dépt. des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP 8888, Succ. Centre Ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3C 3P8.
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Fierer N, Morse JL, Berthrong ST, Bernhardt ES, Jackson RB. ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS ON THE LANDSCAPE-SCALE BIOGEOGRAPHY OF STREAM BACTERIAL COMMUNITIES. Ecology 2007; 88:2162-73. [DOI: 10.1890/06-1746.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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