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Johnson M, Barnes MA. Macrobial airborne environmental DNA analysis: A review of progress, challenges, and recommendations for an emerging application. Mol Ecol Resour 2024; 24:e13998. [PMID: 39113622 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13998] [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: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 10/10/2024]
Abstract
In the context of looming global biodiversity loss, effective species detection represents a critical concern for ecological research and management. Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis, which refers to the collection and taxonomic identification of genetic fragments that are shed from an organism into its surroundings, emerged approximately 15 years ago as a sensitive tool for species detection. Today, one of the frontiers of eDNA research concerns the collection and analysis of genetic material in dust and other airborne materials, termed airborne eDNA analysis. As the study of airborne eDNA matures, it is an appropriate time to review the foundational and emerging studies that make up the current literature, and use the reviewed literature to summarize, synthesize, and forecast the major challenges and opportunities for this advancing research front. Specifically, we use the "ecology of eDNA" framework to organize our findings across the origin, state, transport, and fate of airborne genetic materials in the environment, and summarize what is so far known of their interactions with surrounding abiotic and biotic factors, including population and community ecologies and ecosystem processes. Within this work we identify key challenges, opportunities, and future directions associated with the application of airborne eDNA development. Lastly, we discuss the development of applications, partnerships, and messaging that promote development and growth of the field. Together, the broad potential of eDNA analysis and the rate at which research is accelerating in this field suggest that the sky's the limit for airborne eDNA science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Johnson
- Engineer Research and Development Center, Champaign, Illinois, USA
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Matthew A Barnes
- Department of Natural Resources Management, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
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2
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Ding L, Zhang Q, Wang C, Yao C, Shan F, Li Q. A Clean and Health-Care-Focused Way to Reduce Indoor Airborne Bacteria in Calf House with Long-Wave Ultraviolet. Microorganisms 2024; 12:1472. [PMID: 39065239 PMCID: PMC11279370 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12071472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2024] [Revised: 07/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Long-term exposure to a relatively high concentration of airborne bacteria emitted from intensive livestock houses could potentially threaten the health and welfare of animals and workers. There is a dual effect of air sterilization and promotion of vitamin D synthesis for the specific bands of ultraviolet light. This study investigated the potential use of A-band ultraviolet (UVA) tubes as a clean and safe way of reducing airborne bacteria and improving calf health. The composition and emission characteristics of airborne bacteria were investigated and used to determine the correct operating regime of UVA tubes in calf houses. Intermittent exceedances of indoor airborne bacteria were observed in closed calf houses. The measured emission intensity of airborne bacteria was 1.13 ± 0.09 × 107 CFU h-1 per calf. Proteobacteria were the dominant microbial species in the air inside and outside calf houses. After UVA radiation, the indoor culturable airborne bacteria decreased in all particle size ranges of the Anderson sampler, and it showed the highest reduction rate in the size range of 3.3-4.7 μm. The results of this study would enrich the knowledge of the source characteristics of the airborne bacteria in intensive livestock farming and contribute to the environmental control of cattle in intensive livestock production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luyu Ding
- Information Technology Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China; (L.D.)
- National Engineering Research Center for Information Technology in Agriculture (NERCITA), Beijing 100097, China
- National Innovation Center of Digital Technology in Animal Husbandry, Beijing 100097, China
| | - Qing Zhang
- Department of Agricultural Structure and Bioenvironmental Engineering, College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Chaoyuan Wang
- Department of Agricultural Structure and Bioenvironmental Engineering, College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Chunxia Yao
- Information Technology Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China; (L.D.)
- National Engineering Research Center for Information Technology in Agriculture (NERCITA), Beijing 100097, China
- National Innovation Center of Digital Technology in Animal Husbandry, Beijing 100097, China
| | - Feifei Shan
- Intelligent Equipment Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
| | - Qifeng Li
- Information Technology Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China; (L.D.)
- National Engineering Research Center for Information Technology in Agriculture (NERCITA), Beijing 100097, China
- National Innovation Center of Digital Technology in Animal Husbandry, Beijing 100097, China
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3
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Bøifot KO, Skogan G, Dybwad M. Sampling efficiency and nucleic acid stability during long-term sampling with different bioaerosol samplers. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2024; 196:577. [PMID: 38795190 PMCID: PMC11127824 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-024-12735-7] [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: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/27/2024]
Abstract
Aerosol microbiome studies have received increased attention as technological advancements have made it possible to dive deeper into the microbial diversity. To enhance biomass collection for metagenomic sequencing, long-term sampling is a common strategy. While the impact of prolonged sampling times on microorganisms' culturability and viability is well-established, its effect on nucleic acid stability remains less understood but is essential to ensure representative sample collection. This study evaluated four air samplers (SKC BioSampler, SASS3100, Coriolis μ, BioSpot-VIVAS 300-P) against a reference sampler (isopore membrane filters) to identify nucleic acid stability during long-term sampling. Physical sampling efficiencies determined with a fluorescent tracer for three particle sizes (0.8, 1, and 3 μm), revealed high efficiencies (> 80% relative to reference) for BioSampler, SASS3100, and BioSpot-VIVAS for all particle sizes, and for Coriolis with 3 μm particles. Coriolis exhibited lower efficiency for 0.8 μm (7%) and 1 μm (50%) particles. During 2-h sampling with MS2 and Pantoea agglomerans, liquid-based collection with Coriolis and BioSampler showed a decrease in nucleic acid yields for all test conditions. BioSpot-VIVAS displayed reduced sampling efficiency for P. agglomerans compared to MS2 and the other air samplers, while filter-based collection with SASS3100 and isopore membrane filters, showed indications of DNA degradation for 1 μm particles of P. agglomerans after long-term sampling. These findings show that long-term air sampling affects nucleic acid stability in both liquid- and filter-based collection methods. These results highlight bias produced by bioaerosol collection and should be considered when selecting an air sampler and interpreting aerosol microbiome data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kari Oline Bøifot
- Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, P.O. Box 25, NO-2027, Kjeller, Norway.
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK.
| | - Gunnar Skogan
- Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, P.O. Box 25, NO-2027, Kjeller, Norway
| | - Marius Dybwad
- Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, P.O. Box 25, NO-2027, Kjeller, Norway
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK
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4
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Kang S, Lee JY, Cho KS. Implications of PM 2.5 chemical composition in modulating microbial community dynamics during spring in Seoul. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 348:123834. [PMID: 38518971 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123834] [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: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM2.5) harbors a diverse microbial community. To assess the ecological dynamics and potential health risks associated with airborne microorganisms, it is crucial to understand the factors influencing microbial communities within PM2.5. This study investigated the influence of abiotic parameters, including air pollutants, PM2.5 chemical composition (water-soluble ions and organics), and meteorological variables, on microbial communities in PM2.5 samples collected in Seoul during the spring season. Results revealed a significant correlation between air pollutants and water-soluble ions of PM2.5 with microbial α-diversity indices. Additionally, air pollutants exerted a dominant effect on the microbial community structure, with stronger correlations observed for fungi than bacteria, whereas meteorological variables including temperature, pressure, wind speed, and humidity exerted a limited influence on fungal α-diversity. Furthermore, the results revealed specific water-soluble ions, such as SO42-, NO3-, and NH4+, as important factors influencing fungal α-diversity, whereas K+ negatively correlated with both microbial α-diversity. Moreover, PM2.5 microbial diversity was affected by organic compounds within PM2.5, with fatty acids exhibited a positive correlation with fungal diversity, while dicarboxylic acids exhibited a negative correlation with it. Furthermore, network analysis revealed direct links between air pollutants and dominant bacterial and fungal genera. The air pollutants exhibited a strong correlation with bacterial genera, such as Arthrospira and Clostridium, and fungal genera, including Aureobasidium and Cladosporium. These results will contribute to our understanding of the ecological dynamics of airborne microorganisms and provide insights into the potential risks associated with PM2.5 exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sookyung Kang
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Yi Lee
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung-Suk Cho
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760, Republic of Korea.
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5
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Forry SP, Servetas SL, Kralj JG, Soh K, Hadjithomas M, Cano R, Carlin M, Amorim MGD, Auch B, Bakker MG, Bartelli TF, Bustamante JP, Cassol I, Chalita M, Dias-Neto E, Duca AD, Gohl DM, Kazantseva J, Haruna MT, Menzel P, Moda BS, Neuberger-Castillo L, Nunes DN, Patel IR, Peralta RD, Saliou A, Schwarzer R, Sevilla S, Takenaka IKTM, Wang JR, Knight R, Gevers D, Jackson SA. Variability and bias in microbiome metagenomic sequencing: an interlaboratory study comparing experimental protocols. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9785. [PMID: 38684791 PMCID: PMC11059151 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57981-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Several studies have documented the significant impact of methodological choices in microbiome analyses. The myriad of methodological options available complicate the replication of results and generally limit the comparability of findings between independent studies that use differing techniques and measurement pipelines. Here we describe the Mosaic Standards Challenge (MSC), an international interlaboratory study designed to assess the impact of methodological variables on the results. The MSC did not prescribe methods but rather asked participating labs to analyze 7 shared reference samples (5 × human stool samples and 2 × mock communities) using their standard laboratory methods. To capture the array of methodological variables, each participating lab completed a metadata reporting sheet that included 100 different questions regarding the details of their protocol. The goal of this study was to survey the methodological landscape for microbiome metagenomic sequencing (MGS) analyses and the impact of methodological decisions on metagenomic sequencing results. A total of 44 labs participated in the MSC by submitting results (16S or WGS) along with accompanying metadata; thirty 16S rRNA gene amplicon datasets and 14 WGS datasets were collected. The inclusion of two types of reference materials (human stool and mock communities) enabled analysis of both MGS measurement variability between different protocols using the biologically-relevant stool samples, and MGS bias with respect to ground truth values using the DNA mixtures. Owing to the compositional nature of MGS measurements, analyses were conducted on the ratio of Firmicutes: Bacteroidetes allowing us to directly apply common statistical methods. The resulting analysis demonstrated that protocol choices have significant effects, including both bias of the MGS measurement associated with a particular methodological choices, as well as effects on measurement robustness as observed through the spread of results between labs making similar methodological choices. In the analysis of the DNA mock communities, MGS measurement bias was observed even when there was general consensus among the participating laboratories. This study was the result of a collaborative effort that included academic, commercial, and government labs. In addition to highlighting the impact of different methodological decisions on MGS result comparability, this work also provides insights for consideration in future microbiome measurement study design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel P Forry
- Complex Microbial Systems Group, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD, USA.
| | - Stephanie L Servetas
- Complex Microbial Systems Group, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | - Jason G Kralj
- Complex Microbial Systems Group, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | - Keng Soh
- Novo Nordisk, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Michalis Hadjithomas
- LifeMine Therapeutics, Cambridge Discovery Park, 30 Acorn Park Drive, Cambridge, MA, 02140, USA
| | - Raul Cano
- The BioCollective, LLC, 5650 Washington Street, Suite C9, Denver, CO, 80216, USA
| | - Martha Carlin
- The BioCollective, LLC, 5650 Washington Street, Suite C9, Denver, CO, 80216, USA
| | - Maria G de Amorim
- Laboratory of Medical Genomics, A. C. Camargo Cancer Center, Sao Paulo, SP, 01508-010, Brazil
| | - Benjamin Auch
- University of Minnesota Genomics Center, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Matthew G Bakker
- Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Thais F Bartelli
- Laboratory of Medical Genomics, A. C. Camargo Cancer Center, Sao Paulo, SP, 01508-010, Brazil
| | - Juan P Bustamante
- Laboratorio de Investigación, Desarrollo y Transferencia de la Facultad de Ingeniería de la Universidad Austral (LIDTUA), CIC-Austral, Pilar, Argentina
- Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Bioingeniería y Bioinformática (IBB), CONICET-UNER, Oro Verde, Argentina
- Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos, Concepción del Uruguay, Argentina
| | - Ignacio Cassol
- Laboratorio de Investigación, Desarrollo y Transferencia de la Facultad de Ingeniería de la Universidad Austral (LIDTUA), CIC-Austral, Pilar, Argentina
| | | | - Emmanuel Dias-Neto
- Laboratory of Medical Genomics, A. C. Camargo Cancer Center, Sao Paulo, SP, 01508-010, Brazil
| | | | - Daryl M Gohl
- University of Minnesota Genomics Center, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Jekaterina Kazantseva
- Center of Food and Fermentation Technologies (TFTAK), Mäealuse 2/4, 12618, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Muyideen T Haruna
- Bioenvironmental Program, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Peter Menzel
- Labor Berlin Charité Vivantes GmbH, Sylter Str. 2, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bruno S Moda
- Laboratory of Medical Genomics, A. C. Camargo Cancer Center, Sao Paulo, SP, 01508-010, Brazil
- Laboratory of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, A.C. Camargo Cancer Center, Sao Paulo, SP, 01508-010, Brazil
| | | | - Diana N Nunes
- Laboratory of Medical Genomics, A. C. Camargo Cancer Center, Sao Paulo, SP, 01508-010, Brazil
| | - Isha R Patel
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD, 20708, USA
| | - Rodrigo D Peralta
- Laboratorio de Investigación, Desarrollo y Transferencia de la Facultad de Ingeniería de la Universidad Austral (LIDTUA), CIC-Austral, Pilar, Argentina
- Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos, Concepción del Uruguay, Argentina
| | - Adrien Saliou
- OMICS Hub, BIOASTER, Microbiology Research Institute, Lyon, France
| | - Rolf Schwarzer
- Labor Berlin Charité Vivantes GmbH, Sylter Str. 2, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Samantha Sevilla
- Center for Cancer Research, CCR Collaborative Bioinformatics Resource, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Advanced Biomedical Computational Sciences, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick, MD, 21701, USA
| | - Isabella K T M Takenaka
- Laboratory of Medical Genomics, A. C. Camargo Cancer Center, Sao Paulo, SP, 01508-010, Brazil
| | - Jeremy R Wang
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Rob Knight
- Departments of Pediatrics, Bioengineering and Computer Science & Engineering, and Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California at San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0763, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0763, USA
| | - Dirk Gevers
- Seed Health, 2100 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA, 90291-7003, USA
| | - Scott A Jackson
- Complex Microbial Systems Group, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD, USA
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6
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Minor NR, Ramuta MD, Stauss MR, Harwood OE, Brakefield SF, Alberts A, Vuyk WC, Bobholz MJ, Rosinski JR, Wolf S, Lund M, Mussa M, Beversdorf LJ, Aliota MT, O'Connor SL, O'Connor DH. Metagenomic sequencing detects human respiratory and enteric viruses in air samples collected from congregate settings. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21398. [PMID: 38049453 PMCID: PMC10696062 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48352-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Innovative methods for evaluating virus risk and spread, independent of test-seeking behavior, are needed to improve routine public health surveillance, outbreak response, and pandemic preparedness. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, environmental surveillance strategies, including wastewater andair sampling, have been used alongside widespread individual-based SARS-CoV-2 testing programs to provide population-level data. These environmental surveillance strategies have predominantly relied on pathogen-specific detection methods to monitor viruses through space and time. However, this provides a limited picture of the virome present in an environmental sample, leaving us blind to most circulating viruses. In this study, we explore whether pathogen-agnostic deep sequencing can expand the utility of air sampling to detect many human viruses. We show that sequence-independent single-primer amplification sequencing of nucleic acids from air samples can detect common and unexpected human respiratory and enteric viruses, including influenza virus type A and C, respiratory syncytial virus, human coronaviruses, rhinovirus, SARS-CoV-2, rotavirus, mamastrovirus, and astrovirus.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mitchell D Ramuta
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 555 Science Drive, Madison, WI, 53711, USA
| | | | - Olivia E Harwood
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 555 Science Drive, Madison, WI, 53711, USA
| | - Savannah F Brakefield
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 555 Science Drive, Madison, WI, 53711, USA
| | - Alexandra Alberts
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 555 Science Drive, Madison, WI, 53711, USA
| | - William C Vuyk
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 555 Science Drive, Madison, WI, 53711, USA
| | - Max J Bobholz
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 555 Science Drive, Madison, WI, 53711, USA
| | - Jenna R Rosinski
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 555 Science Drive, Madison, WI, 53711, USA
| | - Sydney Wolf
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 555 Science Drive, Madison, WI, 53711, USA
| | - Madelyn Lund
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 555 Science Drive, Madison, WI, 53711, USA
| | - Madison Mussa
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 555 Science Drive, Madison, WI, 53711, USA
| | | | - Matthew T Aliota
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Shelby L O'Connor
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 555 Science Drive, Madison, WI, 53711, USA
| | - David H O'Connor
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, Madison, WI, USA.
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 555 Science Drive, Madison, WI, 53711, USA.
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7
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Minor NR, Ramuta MD, Stauss MR, Harwood OE, Brakefield SF, Alberts A, Vuyk WC, Bobholz MJ, Rosinski JR, Wolf S, Lund M, Mussa M, Beversdorf LJ, Aliota MT, O’Connor SL, O’Connor DH. Metagenomic sequencing detects human respiratory and enteric viruses in air samples collected from congregate settings. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.05.28.23290648. [PMID: 37398492 PMCID: PMC10312882 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.28.23290648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Innovative methods for evaluating virus risk and spread, independent of test-seeking behavior, are needed to improve routine public health surveillance, outbreak response, and pandemic preparedness. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, environmental surveillance strategies, including wastewater and air sampling, have been used alongside widespread individual-based SARS-CoV-2 testing programs to provide population-level data. These environmental surveillance strategies have predominantly relied on pathogen-specific detection methods to monitor viruses through space and time. However, this provides a limited picture of the virome present in an environmental sample, leaving us blind to most circulating viruses. In this study, we explore whether pathogen-agnostic deep sequencing can expand the utility of air sampling to detect many human viruses. We show that sequence-independent single-primer amplification sequencing of nucleic acids from air samples can detect common and unexpected human respiratory and enteric viruses, including influenza virus type A and C, respiratory syncytial virus, human coronaviruses, rhinovirus, SARS-CoV-2, rotavirus, mamastrovirus, and astrovirus.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mitchell D. Ramuta
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | - Olivia E. Harwood
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Savannah F. Brakefield
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Alexandra Alberts
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - William C. Vuyk
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Max J. Bobholz
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jenna R. Rosinski
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Sydney Wolf
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Madelyn Lund
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Madison Mussa
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | - Matthew T. Aliota
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Shelby L. O’Connor
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, Madison, WI USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - David H. O’Connor
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, Madison, WI USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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8
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Wagner DM, Birdsell DN, McDonough RF, Nottingham R, Kocos K, Celona K, Özsürekci Y, Öhrman C, Karlsson L, Myrtennäs K, Sjödin A, Johansson A, Keim PS, Forsman M, Sahl JW. Genomic characterization of Francisella tularensis and other diverse Francisella species from complex samples. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0273273. [PMID: 36223396 PMCID: PMC9555625 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Francisella tularensis, the bacterium that causes the zoonosis tularemia, and its genetic near neighbor species, can be difficult or impossible to cultivate from complex samples. Thus, there is a lack of genomic information for these species that has, among other things, limited the development of robust detection assays for F. tularensis that are both specific and sensitive. The objective of this study was to develop and validate approaches to capture, enrich, sequence, and analyze Francisella DNA present in DNA extracts generated from complex samples. RNA capture probes were designed based upon the known pan genome of F. tularensis and other diverse species in the family Francisellaceae. Probes that targeted genomic regions also present in non-Francisellaceae species were excluded, and probes specific to particular Francisella species or phylogenetic clades were identified. The capture-enrichment system was then applied to diverse, complex DNA extracts containing low-level Francisella DNA, including human clinical tularemia samples, environmental samples (i.e., animal tissue and air filters), and whole ticks/tick cell lines, which was followed by sequencing of the enriched samples. Analysis of the resulting data facilitated rigorous and unambiguous confirmation of the detection of F. tularensis or other Francisella species in complex samples, identification of mixtures of different Francisella species in the same sample, analysis of gene content (e.g., known virulence and antimicrobial resistance loci), and high-resolution whole genome-based genotyping. The benefits of this capture-enrichment system include: even very low target DNA can be amplified; it is culture-independent, reducing exposure for research and/or clinical personnel and allowing genomic information to be obtained from samples that do not yield isolates; and the resulting comprehensive data not only provide robust means to confirm the presence of a target species in a sample, but also can provide data useful for source attribution, which is important from a genomic epidemiology perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M. Wagner
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Dawn N. Birdsell
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Ryelan F. McDonough
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Roxanne Nottingham
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Karisma Kocos
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Kimberly Celona
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Yasemin Özsürekci
- Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Caroline Öhrman
- CBRN Defence and Security, Swedish Defence Research Agency, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Linda Karlsson
- CBRN Defence and Security, Swedish Defence Research Agency, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Kerstin Myrtennäs
- CBRN Defence and Security, Swedish Defence Research Agency, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Andreas Sjödin
- CBRN Defence and Security, Swedish Defence Research Agency, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anders Johansson
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Paul S. Keim
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Mats Forsman
- CBRN Defence and Security, Swedish Defence Research Agency, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jason W. Sahl
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
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Pathak B, Khataniar A, Das B, Upadhyaya S, Medhi A, Bhuyan PK, Buragohain AK, Borah D. Spatio-temporal diversity of biological aerosols over Northeast India: a metagenomic approach. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:64096-64111. [PMID: 35469377 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-20323-w] [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: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Northeast India is considered as one of the major biodiversity hotspots in the world, but the region is underexplored for their microbial biodiversity. Extensive characterization of biological aerosol (bioaerosol) samples collected from various locations of Northeast India was carried out for all four seasons in a year. These were characterized in terms of their constituents, such as pollens, fungal spores, animal debris, and non-biological components, and particulate matters, such as inhalable, thoracic, and alveolic, and finally, the bacterial diversity was determined by DNA-based metagenomic approach. The non-biological (non-viable) component of aerosols is found to vary from 30 to 89% in the pre-monsoon season, which coexists with pollens (4-20%), animal debris (1-24%), and fungal spores (1-17%). The highest number of culturable microbial populations in terms of CFU count was observed in the pre-monsoon samples (i.e., 125.24-632.45 CFU/m3), and the lowest CFU was observed in monsoon season (i.e., 20.83-319.0 CFU/m3). The metagenomic approach with the samples collected during pre-monsoon season showed a total of bacterial 184 OTUs (operational taxonomic units) with 28,028 abundance count comprising 7 major phylum, 6 classes, 10 orders, 15 families, 13 genus, and 8 species of bacteria. The species-level distribution clearly shows the presence of Gammaproteobacteria (52%) most abundantly, followed by Bacilli (21%), Alphaproteobacteria (14%), Betaproteobacteria (5%), Flavobacteria (5%), and Sphingobacteria (3%). It is the first report from the entire Northeast India to uncover spatio-temporal distribution of biological components and bacterial diversity in aerosol samples through a DNA-based metagenomic approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binita Pathak
- Department of Physics, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh-786004, India
- Centre for Atmospheric Studies, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh-786004, India
| | - Ankita Khataniar
- Centre for Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh-786004, India
| | - Barlin Das
- Department of Physics, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh-786004, India
| | | | - Ankita Medhi
- Miranda House College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007, India
| | - Pradip Kumar Bhuyan
- Centre for Atmospheric Studies, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh-786004, India
| | - Alak Kumar Buragohain
- Department of Biotechnology, The Assam Royal Global University, Guwahati-781035, India
| | - Debajit Borah
- Department of Biotechnology, The Assam Royal Global University, Guwahati-781035, India.
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Metagenomic features of bioburden serve as outcome indicators in combat extremity wounds. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13816. [PMID: 35970993 PMCID: PMC9378645 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16170-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Battlefield injury management requires specialized care, and wound infection is a frequent complication. Challenges related to characterizing relevant pathogens further complicates treatment. Applying metagenomics to wounds offers a comprehensive path toward assessing microbial genomic fingerprints and could indicate prognostic variables for future decision support tools. Wound specimens from combat-injured U.S. service members, obtained during surgical debridements before delayed wound closure, were subjected to whole metagenome analysis and targeted enrichment of antimicrobial resistance genes. Results did not indicate a singular, common microbial metagenomic profile for wound failure, instead reflecting a complex microenvironment with varying bioburden diversity across outcomes. Genus-level Pseudomonas detection was associated with wound failure at all surgeries. A logistic regression model was fit to the presence and absence of antimicrobial resistance classes to assess associations with nosocomial pathogens. A. baumannii detection was associated with detection of genomic signatures for resistance to trimethoprim, aminoglycosides, bacitracin, and polymyxin. Machine learning classifiers were applied to identify wound and microbial variables associated with outcome. Feature importance rankings averaged across models indicated the variables with the largest effects on predicting wound outcome, including an increase in P. putida sequence reads. These results describe the microbial genomic determinants in combat wound bioburden and demonstrate metagenomic investigation as a comprehensive tool for providing information toward aiding treatment of combat-related injuries.
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11
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Urban Aerobiome and Effects on Human Health: A Systematic Review and Missing Evidence. ATMOSPHERE 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos13071148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Urban air pollutants are a major public health concern and include biological matters which composes about 25% of the atmospheric aerosol particles. Airborne microorganisms were traditionally characterized by culture-based methods recognizing just 1.5–15.3% of the total bacterial diversity that was evaluable by genome signature in the air environment (aerobiome). Despite the large number of exposed people, urban aerobiomes are still weakly described even if recently advanced literature has been published. This paper aims to systematically review the state of knowledge on the urban aerobiome and human health effects. A total of 24 papers that used next generation sequencing (NGS) techniques for characterization and comprised a seasonal analysis have been included. A core of Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroides and various factors that influenced the community structure were detected. Heterogenic methods and results were reported, for both sampling and aerobiome diversity analysis, highlighting the necessity of in-depth and homogenized assessment thus reducing the risk of bias. The aerobiome can include threats for human health, such as pathogens and resistome spreading; however, its diversity seems to be protective for human health and reduced by high levels of air pollution. Evidence of the urban aerobiome effects on human health need to be filled up quickly for urban public health purposes.
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12
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Long-Term Studies of Biological Components of Atmospheric Aerosol: Trends and Variability. ATMOSPHERE 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos13050651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Background: Biological components of atmospheric aerosol affect the quality of atmospheric air. Long-term trends in changes of the concentrations of total protein (a universal marker of the biogenic component of atmospheric aerosol) and culturable microorganisms in the air are studied. Methods: Atmospheric air samples are taken at two locations in the south of Western Siberia and during airborne sounding of the atmosphere. Sample analysis is carried out in the laboratory using standard culture methods (culturable microorganisms) and the fluorescence method (total protein). Results: Negative trends in the average annual concentration of total protein and culturable microorganisms in the air are revealed over more than 20 years of observations. For the concentration of total protein and culturable microorganisms in the air, intra-annual dynamics is revealed. The ratio of the maximum and minimum values of these concentrations reaches an order of magnitude. The variability of concentrations does not exceed, as a rule, two times for total protein and three times for culturable microorganisms. At the same time, for the data obtained in the course of airborne sounding of the atmosphere, a high temporal stability of the vertical profiles of the studied concentrations was found. The detected biodiversity of culturable microorganisms in atmospheric air samples demonstrates a very high variability at all observation sites. Conclusions: The revealed long-term changes in the biological components of atmospheric aerosol result in a decrease in their contribution to the atmospheric air quality index.
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Diversity and Source of Airborne Microbial Communities at Differential Polluted Sites of Rome. ATMOSPHERE 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos13020224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Biogenic fraction of airborne PM10 which includes bacteria, viruses, fungi and pollens, has been proposed as one of the potential causes of the PM10 toxicity. The present study aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the microbial community variations associated to PM10, and their main local sources in the surrounding environment in three urban sites of Rome, characterized by differential pollution rate: green area, residential area and polluted area close to the traffic roads. We combined high-throughput amplicon sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene and the fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, with detailed chemical analysis of particulate matter sampled from air, paved road surfaces and leaf surfaces of Quercus ilex. Our results demonstrated that bacterial and fungal airborne communities were characterized by the highest alpha-diversity and grouped separately from epiphytic and road dust communities. The reconstruction of source-sink relationships revealed that the resuspension/deposition of road dust from traffic might contribute to the maximum magnitude of microbial exchanges. The relative abundance of extremotolerant microbes was found to be enhanced in epiphytic communities and was associated to a progressively increase of pollution levels as well as opportunistic human pathogenicity in fungal communities.
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Yan D, Zhang T, Bai JL, Su J, Zhao LL, Wang H, Fang XM, Zhang YQ, Liu HY, Yu LY. Isolation, Characterization, and Antimicrobial Activity of Bacterial and Fungal Representatives Associated With Particulate Matter During Haze and Non-haze Days. Front Microbiol 2022; 12:793037. [PMID: 35087495 PMCID: PMC8787346 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.793037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Particulate matter (PM) has been a threat to the environment and public health in the metropolises of developing industrial countries such as Beijing. The microorganisms associated with PM have an impact on human health if they are exposed to the respiratory tract persistently. There are few reports on the microbial resources collected from PM and their antimicrobial activities. In this study, we greatly expanded the diversity of available commensal organisms by collecting 1,258 bacterial and 456 fungal isolates from 63 PM samples. A total of 77 bacterial genera and 35 fungal genera were included in our pure cultures, with Bacillus as the most prevalent cultured bacterial genus, Aspergillus, and Penicillium as the most prevalent fungal ones. During heavy-haze days, the numbers of colony-forming units (CFUs) and isolates of bacteria and fungi were decreased. Bacillus, Paenibacillus, and Chaetomium were found to be enriched during haze days, while Kocuria, Microbacterium, and Penicillium were found to be enriched during non-haze days. Antimicrobial activity against common pathogens have been found in 40 bacterial representatives and 1 fungal representative. The collection of airborne strains will provide a basis to greatly increase our understanding of the relationship between bacteria and fungi associated with PM and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Yan
- China Pharmaceutical Culture Collection, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology, Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- China Pharmaceutical Culture Collection, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jing-Lin Bai
- China Pharmaceutical Culture Collection, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Su
- China Pharmaceutical Culture Collection, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Li-Li Zhao
- China Pharmaceutical Culture Collection, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Wang
- China Pharmaceutical Culture Collection, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao-Mei Fang
- China Pharmaceutical Culture Collection, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yu-Qin Zhang
- China Pharmaceutical Culture Collection, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Hong-Yu Liu
- China Pharmaceutical Culture Collection, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Li-Yan Yu
- China Pharmaceutical Culture Collection, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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15
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Compendium of analytical methods for sampling, characterization and quantification of bioaerosols. ADV ECOL RES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.aecr.2022.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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16
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Apangu GP, Frisk CA, Petch GM, Muggia L, Pallavicini A, Hanson M, Skjøth CA. Environmental DNA reveals diversity and abundance of Alternaria species in neighbouring heterogeneous landscapes in Worcester, UK. AEROBIOLOGIA 2022; 38:457-481. [PMID: 36471880 PMCID: PMC9715499 DOI: 10.1007/s10453-022-09760-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Alternaria is a pathogenic and allergenic fungus affecting 400 plant species and 334 million people globally. This study aimed at assessing the diversity of Alternaria species in airborne samples collected from closely located (7 km apart) and heterogeneous sites (rural, urban and unmanaged grassland) in Worcester and Lakeside, the UK. A secondary objective was to examine how the ITS1 subregion varies from ITS2 in Alternaria species diversity and composition. Airborne spores were collected using Burkard 7-day and multi-vial Cyclone samplers for the period 5 July 2016-9 October 2019. Air samples from the Cyclone were amplified using the ITS1and ITS2 subregions and sequenced using Illumina MiSeq platform whereas those from the Burkard sampler were identified and quantified using optical microscopy. Optical microscopy and eDNA revealed a high abundance of Alternaria in the rural, urban and unmanaged sites. ITS1 and ITS2 detected five and seven different Alternaria species at the three sampling sites, respectively. A. dactylidicola, A. metachromatica and A. infectoria were the most abundant. The rural, urban and unmanaged grassland sites had similar diversity (PERMANOVA) of the species due to similarity in land use and proximity of the sites. Overall, the study showed that heterogeneous and neighbouring sites with similar land uses can have similar Alternaria species. It also demonstrated that an eDNA approach can complement the classical optical microscopy method in providing more precise information on fungal species diversity in an environment for targeted management. Similar studies can be replicated for other allergenic and pathogenic fungi. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10453-022-09760-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Godfrey Philliam Apangu
- School of Science and the Environment, University of Worcester, Henwick Grove, WR2 6AJ Worcester UK
- Present Address: Protecting Crops and the Environment, Rothamsted Research, West Common, Harpenden, AL5 2JQ Hertfordshire UK
| | - Carl Alexander Frisk
- School of Science and the Environment, University of Worcester, Henwick Grove, WR2 6AJ Worcester UK
- Present Address: Department of Urban Greening and Vegetation Ecology, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Ås, Norway
| | - Geoffrey M. Petch
- School of Science and the Environment, University of Worcester, Henwick Grove, WR2 6AJ Worcester UK
| | - Lucia Muggia
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Giorgieri 10, 34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Alberto Pallavicini
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Giorgieri 10, 34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Mary Hanson
- School of Science and the Environment, University of Worcester, Henwick Grove, WR2 6AJ Worcester UK
| | - Carsten Ambelas Skjøth
- School of Science and the Environment, University of Worcester, Henwick Grove, WR2 6AJ Worcester UK
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
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17
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Triadó-Margarit X, Cáliz J, Casamayor EO. A long-term atmospheric baseline for intercontinental exchange of airborne pathogens. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 158:106916. [PMID: 34627012 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The atmosphere is a potential pathway for global-scale and long-range dispersal of viable microorganisms, promoting biological interconnections among the total environment. We aimed to provide relevant baseline information for long-range long-term intercontinental exchange of potentially infectious airborne microorganisms of major interest in environmental and health-related disciplines. We used an interannual survey (7-y) with wet depositions fortnightly collected above the boundary layer (free troposphere) at a remote high-elevation LTER (Long-Term-Ecological-Research) site, analyzed by 16S and 18S rRNA genes, and compared to a database of 475 well-known pathogens. We applied a conservative approach on close relatives of pathogenic species (>98% identity) standing their theoretical upper limit for atmospheric baseline relative abundances. We identified c. 2-3% of the total airborne microbiota as potential pathogens. Their most frequent environmental origins were soil, aquatic, and anthropogenic sources. Phytopathogens (mostly fungi) were the potential infectious agents most widely present. We uncovered consistent interannual dynamics with taxa foreseeable over time (i.e., predictable seasonal behavior) and under recurrent environmental scenarios (e.g., Saharan dust intrusions), respectively, being highly valuable microbial forensic environmental indicators. Up to 8 bacterial and 21 fungal genera consistently showed temporal abundances and recurrences unevenly distributed. Incidence of allergenic fungi was lower in summer, and significantly higher in spring. Close relatives to Coccidioides posadasii consistently showed higher signals (i.e., high specificity and high fidelity) in winter, whereas Cryptococcus neoformans had a significant signal in spring. Along Saharan dust intrusions, the bacterial phytopathogens Acidovorax avenae and Agrobacterium tumefaciens and the fungal phytopathogens Pseudozyma hubeiensis and Peniophora sp. consistently showed higher signals. Potential human pathogens showed low proportion, being mostly fungal allergens. Microorganisms related to obligated human, amphibian and fish pathogens were commonly found in winter. More studies in remote field sites above the boundary layer will unveil whether or not a similar trend is found globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Triadó-Margarit
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group & LTER-AT Research Group, Centre of Advanced Studies of Blanes-Spanish Council for Research CEAB-CSIC, Blanes E-17300, Spain
| | - Joan Cáliz
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group & LTER-AT Research Group, Centre of Advanced Studies of Blanes-Spanish Council for Research CEAB-CSIC, Blanes E-17300, Spain
| | - Emilio O Casamayor
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group & LTER-AT Research Group, Centre of Advanced Studies of Blanes-Spanish Council for Research CEAB-CSIC, Blanes E-17300, Spain.
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18
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Johnson MD, Fokar M, Cox RD, Barnes MA. Airborne environmental DNA metabarcoding detects more diversity, with less sampling effort, than a traditional plant community survey. BMC Ecol Evol 2021; 21:218. [PMID: 34872490 PMCID: PMC8647488 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-021-01947-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Airborne environmental DNA (eDNA) research is an emerging field that focuses on the detection of species from their genetic remnants in the air. The majority of studies into airborne eDNA of plants has until now either focused on single species detection, specifically only pollen, or human health impacts, with no previous studies surveying an entire plant community through metabarcoding. We therefore conducted an airborne eDNA metabarcoding survey and compared the results to a traditional plant community survey. Results Over the course of a year, we conducted two traditional transect-based visual plant surveys alongside an airborne eDNA sampling campaign on a short-grass rangeland. We found that airborne eDNA detected more species than the traditional surveying method, although the types of species detected varied based on the method used. Airborne eDNA detected more grasses and forbs with less showy flowers, while the traditional method detected fewer grasses but also detected rarer forbs with large showy flowers. Additionally, we found the airborne eDNA metabarcoding survey required less sampling effort in terms of the time needed to conduct a survey and was able to detect more invasive species than the traditional method. Conclusions Overall, we have demonstrated that airborne eDNA can act as a sensitive and efficient plant community surveying method. Airborne eDNA surveillance has the potential to revolutionize the way plant communities are monitored in general, track changes in plant communities due to climate change and disturbances, and assist with the monitoring of invasive and endangered species. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12862-021-01947-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark D Johnson
- Department of Natural Resources Management, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA.
| | - Mohamed Fokar
- Center for Biotechnology & Genomics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA
| | - Robert D Cox
- Department of Natural Resources Management, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA
| | - Matthew A Barnes
- Department of Natural Resources Management, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA
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Xu C, Chen H, Liu Z, Sui G, Li D, Kan H, Zhao Z, Hu W, Chen J. The decay of airborne bacteria and fungi in a constant temperature and humidity test chamber. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 157:106816. [PMID: 34399240 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Despite substantial research to profile the microbial characteristics in the atmosphere, the changing metabolism underpinning microbial successional dynamics remains ambiguous. Herein, we applied qPCR, high-throughput sequencing of the genes encoding 16S and ITS rRNA to render the bacterial/fungal dynamics of ambient PM2.5 filters maintained at constant conditions of temperature (20 ± 2 °C) and humidity (50 ± 5%). The incubation experiments which lasted for 50 days aim to simulate a metabolic process of microbe in two types PM2.5 (polluted and non-polluted). The results show that microbial community species in polluted PM2.5 had faster decay rates, more bacterial diversity and less fungal community compared to the non-polluted ones. For bacteria, the proportion of anaerobic species is higher than aerobic ones, and their performance of contain mobile elements, form-biofilms, and pathogenic risks declined rapidly as times went by. Whereas for fungi, saprotroph species occupied about 70% of the population, resulting in a specified peak of abundance due to the adequacy nutrients supplied by the apoptosis cells. Combining the classified microbial species, we found stable community structure and the volatile ones related to the various metabolic survival strategies during different time. Without the input of peripheral environment, the health risks of airborne microbe descend to a healthy level after 20 days, implying their biologic effectiveness was about 20 days no matter the air is polluted or not. This study provided new insights into the different metabolic survival of airborne microorganisms in ideal and stable conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caihong Xu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP(3)), Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan Tyndall Centre, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Hui Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP(3)), Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan Tyndall Centre, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather/Climate Extremes Impact and Public Health, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Zhe Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP(3)), Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan Tyndall Centre, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Guodong Sui
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP(3)), Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan Tyndall Centre, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Dan Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP(3)), Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan Tyndall Centre, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Haidong Kan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP(3)), Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan Tyndall Centre, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather/Climate Extremes Impact and Public Health, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; School of Public Health, Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education, NHC Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Zhuohui Zhao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP(3)), Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan Tyndall Centre, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; School of Public Health, Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education, NHC Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Wei Hu
- School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Jianmin Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP(3)), Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan Tyndall Centre, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather/Climate Extremes Impact and Public Health, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; Institute of Eco-Chongming (IEC), Shanghai 200062, China.
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20
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Becsei Á, Solymosi N, Csabai I, Magyar D. Detection of antimicrobial resistance genes in urban air. Microbiologyopen 2021; 10:e1248. [PMID: 34964297 PMCID: PMC8594764 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.1248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
To understand antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria, we need to monitor environmental microbes as reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). These bacteria are present in the air and can be investigated with the whole metagenome shotgun sequencing approach. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of a method for metagenomic analysis of microbial composition and ARGs in the outdoor air. Air samples were collected with a Harvard impactor in the PM10 range at 50 m from a hospital in Budapest. From the DNA yielded from samples of PM10 fraction single-end reads were generated with an Ion Torrent sequencer. During the metagenomic analysis, reads were classified taxonomically. The core bacteriome was defined. Reads were assembled to contigs and the ARG content was analyzed. The dominant genera in the core bacteriome were Bacillus, Acinetobacter, Leclercia and Paenibacillus. Among the identified ARGs best hits were vanRA, Bla1, mphL, Escherichia coli EF-Tu mutants conferring resistance to pulvomycin; BcI, FosB, and mphM. Despite the low DNA content of the samples of PM10 fraction, the number of detected airborne ARGs was surprisingly high.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ágnes Becsei
- Department of Physics of Complex SystemsEötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
| | - Norbert Solymosi
- Centre for BioinformaticsUniversity of Veterinary MedicineBudapestHungary
| | - István Csabai
- Department of Physics of Complex SystemsEötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
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Miaow K, Lacap-Bugler D, Buckley HL. Identifying optimal bioinformatics protocols for aerosol microbial community data. PeerJ 2021; 9:e12065. [PMID: 34703658 PMCID: PMC8487624 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbes are fundamental to Earth’s ecosystems, thus understanding ecosystem connectivity through microbial dispersal is key to predicting future ecosystem changes in a warming world. However, aerial microbial dispersal remains poorly understood. Few studies have been performed on bioaerosols (microorganisms and biological fragments suspended in the atmosphere), despite them harboring pathogens and allergens. Most environmental microbes grow poorly in culture, therefore molecular approaches are required to characterize aerial diversity. Bioinformatic tools are needed for processing the next generation sequencing (NGS) data generated from these molecular approaches; however, there are numerous options and choices in the process. These choices can markedly affect key aspects of the data output including relative abundances, diversity, and taxonomy. Bioaerosol samples have relatively little DNA, and often contain novel and proportionally high levels of contaminant organisms, that are difficult to identify. Therefore, bioinformatics choices are of crucial importance. A bioaerosol dataset for bacteria and fungi based on the 16S rRNA gene (16S) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) DNA sequencing from parks in the metropolitan area of Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand was used to develop a process for determining the bioinformatics pipeline that would maximize the data amount and quality generated. Two popular tools (Dada2 and USEARCH) were compared for amplicon sequence variant (ASV) inference and generation of an ASV table. A scorecard was created and used to assess multiple outputs and make systematic choices about the most suitable option. The read number and ASVs were assessed, alpha diversity was calculated (Hill numbers), beta diversity (Bray–Curtis distances), differential abundance by site and consistency of ASVs were considered. USEARCH was selected, due to higher consistency in ASVs identified and greater read counts. Taxonomic assignment is highly dependent on the taxonomic database used. Two popular taxonomy databases were compared in terms of number and confidence of assignments, and a combined approach developed that uses information in both databases to maximize the number and confidence of taxonomic assignments. This approach increased the assignment rate by 12–15%, depending on amplicon and the overall assignment was 77% for bacteria and 47% for fungi. Assessment of decontamination using “decontam” and “microDecon” was performed, based on review of ASVs identified as contaminants by each and consideration of the probability of them being legitimate members of the bioaerosol community. For this example, “microDecon’s” subtraction approach for removing background contamination was selected. This study demonstrates a systematic approach to determining the optimal bioinformatics pipeline using a multi-criteria scorecard for microbial bioaerosol data. Example code in the R environment for this data processing pipeline is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie Miaow
- School of Science, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | - Hannah L Buckley
- School of Science, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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González-Martín C, Pérez-González CJ, González-Toril E, Expósito FJ, Aguilera Á, Díaz JP. Airborne Bacterial Community Composition According to Their Origin in Tenerife, Canary Islands. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:732961. [PMID: 34737729 PMCID: PMC8563076 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.732961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms are ubiquitous in the environment, and the atmosphere is no exception. However, airborne bacterial communities are some of the least studied. Increasing our knowledge about these communities and how environmental factors shape them is key to understanding disease outbreaks and transmission routes. We describe airborne bacterial communities at two different sites in Tenerife, La Laguna (urban, 600 m.a.s.l.) and Izaña (high mountain, 2,400 m.a.s.l.), and how they change throughout the year. Illumina MiSeq sequencing was used to target 16S rRNA genes in 293 samples. Results indicated a predominance of Proteobacteria at both sites (>65%), followed by Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes. Gammaproteobacteria were the most frequent within the Proteobacteria phylum during spring and winter, while Alphaproteobacteria dominated in the fall and summer. Within the 519 genera identified, Cellvibrio was the most frequent during spring (35.75%) and winter (30.73%); Limnobacter (24.49%) and Blastomonas (19.88%) dominated in the summer; and Sediminibacterium represented 10.26 and 12.41% of fall and winter samples, respectively. Sphingomonas was also identified in 17.15% of the fall samples. These five genera were more abundant at the high mountain site, while other common airborne bacteria were more frequent at the urban site (Kocuria, Delftia, Mesorhizobium, and Methylobacterium). Diversity values showed different patterns for both sites, with higher values during the cooler seasons in Izaña, whereas the opposite was observed in La Laguna. Regarding wind back trajectories, Tropical air masses were significantly different from African ones at both sites, showing the highest diversity and characterized by genera regularly associated with humans (Pseudomonas, Sphingomonas, and Cloacibacterium), as well as others related to extreme conditions (Alicyclobacillus) or typically associated with animals (Lachnospiraceae). Marine and African air masses were consistent and very similar in their microbial composition. By contrast, European trajectories were dominated by Cellvibrio, Pseudomonas, Pseudoxanthomonas, and Sediminibacterium. These data contribute to our current state of knowledge in the field of atmospheric microbiology. However, future studies are needed to increase our understanding of the influence of different environmental factors on atmospheric microbial dispersion and the potential impact of airborne microorganisms on ecosystems and public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina González-Martín
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Carlos J. Pérez-González
- Departamento de Matemáticas, Estadística e Investigación Operativa, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Elena González-Toril
- Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CSIC), Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain
| | | | - Ángeles Aguilera
- Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CSIC), Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain
| | - Juan P. Díaz
- Departamento de Física, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
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Peng X, Gat D, Paytan A, Rudich Y. The Response of Airborne Mycobiome to Dust Storms in the Eastern Mediterranean. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:802. [PMID: 34682226 PMCID: PMC8540267 DOI: 10.3390/jof7100802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 09/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Airborne microbial communities directly impact the health of humans, animals, plants, and receiving ecosystems. While airborne bacterial and fungal communities have been studied by both cultivation-based methods and metabarcoding surveys targeting specific molecular markers, fewer studies have used shotgun metagenomics to study the airborne mycobiome. We analyzed the diversity and relative abundance of fungi in nine airborne metagenomes collected on clear days ("background") and during dust storms in the Eastern Mediterranean. The negative correlation between the relative abundance of fungal reads and the concentrations of atmospheric particulate matter having an aerodynamic diameter smaller than 10 μm (PM10) indicate that dust storms lower the proportion of fungi in the airborne microbiome, possibly due to the lower relative abundance of fungi in the dust storm source regions and/or more effective transport of bacteria by the dust. Airborne fungal community composition was altered by the dust storms, particularly those originated from Syria, which was enriched with xerophilic fungi. We reconstructed a high-quality fungal metagenome-assembled genome (MAG) from the order Cladosporiales, which include fungi known to adapt to environmental extremes commonly faced by airborne microbes. The negative correlation between the relative abundance of Cladosporiales MAG and PM10 concentrations indicate that its origin is dominated by local sources and likely includes the indoor environments found in the city.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuefeng Peng
- School of Earth, Ocean and Environment, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Daniela Gat
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel;
- Joint Mass Spectrometry Centre (JMSC) of Comprehensive Molecular Analytics (CMA), Helmholtz Zentrum München–German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 81379 Munich, Germany
| | - Adina Paytan
- Institute of Marine Science, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA;
| | - Yinon Rudich
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel;
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Hofbauer WK. Toxic or Otherwise Harmful Algae and the Built Environment. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:465. [PMID: 34209446 PMCID: PMC8310063 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13070465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
This article gives a comprehensive overview on potentially harmful algae occurring in the built environment. Man-made structures provide diverse habitats where algae can grow, mainly aerophytic in nature. Literature reveals that algae that is potentially harmful to humans do occur in the anthropogenic environment in the air, on surfaces or in water bodies. Algae may negatively affect humans in different ways: they may be toxic, allergenic and pathogenic to humans or attack human structures. Toxin-producing alga are represented in the built environment mainly by blue green algae (Cyanoprokaryota). In special occasions, other toxic algae may also be involved. Green algae (Chlorophyta) found airborne or growing on manmade surfaces may be allergenic whereas Cyanoprokaryota and other forms may not only be toxic but also allergenic. Pathogenicity is found only in a special group of algae, especially in the genus Prototheca. In addition, rare cases with infections due to algae with green chloroplasts are reported. Algal action may be involved in the biodeterioration of buildings and works of art, which is still discussed controversially. Whereas in many cases the disfigurement of surfaces and even the corrosion of materials is encountered, in other cases a protective effect on the materials is reported. A comprehensive list of 79 taxa of potentially harmful, airborne algae supplemented with their counterparts occurring in the built environment, is given. Due to global climate change, it is not unlikely that the built environment will suffer from more and higher amounts of harmful algal species in the future. Therefore, intensified research in composition, ecophysiology and development of algal growth in the built environment is indicated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Karl Hofbauer
- Umwelt, Hygiene und Sensorik, Fraunhofer-Institut für Bauphysik, 83626 Valley, Bavaria, Germany
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25
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Núñez A, García AM, Moreno DA, Guantes R. Seasonal changes dominate long-term variability of the urban air microbiome across space and time. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 150:106423. [PMID: 33578068 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Compared to soil or aquatic ecosystems, the atmosphere is still an underexplored environment for microbial diversity. In this study, we surveyed the composition, variability and sources of microbes (bacteria and fungi) in the near surface atmosphere of a highly populated area, spanning ~ 4,000 Km2 around the city center of Madrid (Spain), in different seasonal periods along two years. We found a core of abundant bacterial genera robust across space and time, most of soil origin, while fungi were more sensitive to environmental conditions. Microbial communities showed clear seasonal patterns driven by variability of environmental factors, mainly temperature and accumulated rain, while local sources played a minor role. We also identified taxa in both groups characteristic of seasonal periods, but not of specific sampling sites or plant coverage. The present study suggests that the near surface atmosphere of urban environments contains an ecosystem stable across relatively large spatial and temporal scales, with a rather homogenous composition, modulated by climatic variations. As such, it contributes to our understanding of the long-term changes associated to the human exposome in the air of highly populated areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Núñez
- Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (ETSII-UPM), Madrid, Spain; Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Ana M García
- Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (ETSII-UPM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Diego A Moreno
- Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (ETSII-UPM), Madrid, Spain; Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (FF-UCLM), Albacete, Spain.
| | - Raúl Guantes
- Department of Condensed Matter Physics and Material Science Institute 'Nicolás Cabrera', Science Faculty, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Institute for Condensed Matter Physics (IFIMAC), Science Faculty, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
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26
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Zhang L, Li C, Zhai Y, Feng L, Bai K, Zhang Z, Huang Y, Li T, Li D, Li H, Cui P, Chen D, Wang H, Yang X. Analysis of the vaginal microbiome of giant pandas using metagenomics sequencing. Microbiologyopen 2020; 9:e1131. [PMID: 33205903 PMCID: PMC7755806 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.1131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Revised: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, a total of 14 vaginal samples (GPV1‐14) from giant pandas were analyzed. These vaginal samples were divided into two groups as per the region and age of giant pandas. All the vaginal samples were analyzed using metagenomic sequencing. As per the outcomes of metagenomic analysis, Proteobacteria (39.04%), Firmicutes (5.27%), Actinobacteria (2.94%), and Basidiomycota (2.77%) were found to be the dominant phyla in the microbiome of the vaginal samples. At the genus level, Pseudomonas (21.90%) was found to be the most dominant genus, followed by Streptococcus (3.47%), Psychrobacter (1.89%), and Proteus (1.38%). Metastats analysis of the microbial species in the vaginal samples of giant pandas from Wolong Nature Reserve, Dujiangyan and Ningbo Youngor Zoo, and Ya'an Bifengxia Nature Reserve was found to be significantly different (p < 0.05). Age groups, that is, AGE1 (5‐10 years old) and AGE2 (11‐16 years old), also demonstrated significantly different inter‐group microbial species (p < 0.05). For the first time, Chlamydia and Neisseria gonorrhoeae were detected in giant pandas’ reproductive tract. GPV3 vaginal sample (2.63%) showed highest Chlamydia content followed by GPV14 (0.91%), and GPV7 (0.62%). GPV5 vaginal sample (7.17%) showed the highest Neisseria gonorrhoeae content, followed by GPV14 (7.02%), and GPV8 (6.50%). Furthermore, we employed eggNOG, CAZy, KEGG, and NCBI databases to investigate the functional significance of giant panda's vaginal microbial community. The outcomes indicated that giant panda's vaginal microbes were involved in biological processes. The data from this study will help in improving the reproductive health of giant pandas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, Animal Disease Prevention and Food Safety Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Caiwu Li
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Key Laboratory of State Forestry and Grassland Administration on Conservation Biology of Rare Animals in the Giant Panda National Park, Qionglai Mountains Conservation Biology of Endangered Wild Animals and Plants National Permanent Scientific Research Base, Dujiangyan, PR China
| | - Yaru Zhai
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, Animal Disease Prevention and Food Safety Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Lan Feng
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, Animal Disease Prevention and Food Safety Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Keke Bai
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, Animal Disease Prevention and Food Safety Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Zhizhong Zhang
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Key Laboratory of State Forestry and Grassland Administration on Conservation Biology of Rare Animals in the Giant Panda National Park, Qionglai Mountains Conservation Biology of Endangered Wild Animals and Plants National Permanent Scientific Research Base, Dujiangyan, PR China
| | - Yan Huang
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Key Laboratory of State Forestry and Grassland Administration on Conservation Biology of Rare Animals in the Giant Panda National Park, Qionglai Mountains Conservation Biology of Endangered Wild Animals and Plants National Permanent Scientific Research Base, Dujiangyan, PR China
| | - Ti Li
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Key Laboratory of State Forestry and Grassland Administration on Conservation Biology of Rare Animals in the Giant Panda National Park, Qionglai Mountains Conservation Biology of Endangered Wild Animals and Plants National Permanent Scientific Research Base, Dujiangyan, PR China
| | - Desheng Li
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Key Laboratory of State Forestry and Grassland Administration on Conservation Biology of Rare Animals in the Giant Panda National Park, Qionglai Mountains Conservation Biology of Endangered Wild Animals and Plants National Permanent Scientific Research Base, Dujiangyan, PR China
| | - Hao Li
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, Animal Disease Prevention and Food Safety Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Pengfei Cui
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, Animal Disease Prevention and Food Safety Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Danyu Chen
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, Animal Disease Prevention and Food Safety Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Hongning Wang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, Animal Disease Prevention and Food Safety Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Xin Yang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, Animal Disease Prevention and Food Safety Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
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Abrego N, Crosier B, Somervuo P, Ivanova N, Abrahamyan A, Abdi A, Hämäläinen K, Junninen K, Maunula M, Purhonen J, Ovaskainen O. Fungal communities decline with urbanization-more in air than in soil. ISME JOURNAL 2020; 14:2806-2815. [PMID: 32759974 PMCID: PMC7784924 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-0732-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests that degradation of biodiversity in human populated areas is a threat for the ecosystem processes that are relevant for human well-being. Fungi are a megadiverse kingdom that plays a key role in ecosystem processes and affects human well-being. How urbanization influences fungi has remained poorly understood, partially due to the methodological difficulties in comprehensively surveying fungi. Here we show that both aerial and soil fungal communities are greatly poorer in urban than in natural areas. Strikingly, a fivefold reduction in fungal DNA abundance took place in both air and soil samples already at 1 km scale when crossing the edge from natural to urban habitats. Furthermore, in the air, fungal diversity decreased with urbanization even more than in the soil. This result is counterintuitive as fungal spores are known to disperse over large distances. A large proportion of the fungi detectable in the air are specialized to natural habitats, whereas soil fungal communities comprise a large proportion of habitat generalists. The sensitivity of the aerial fungal community to anthropogenic disturbance makes this method a reliable and efficient bioindicator of ecosystem health in urban areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nerea Abrego
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Brittni Crosier
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Panu Somervuo
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Natalia Ivanova
- Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Department of Integrative Biology, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Arusyak Abrahamyan
- Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Amir Abdi
- Trycksbackantie 20, 10360, Mustio, Finland
| | - Karoliina Hämäläinen
- School of Forest Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Kaisa Junninen
- School of Forest Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Minna Maunula
- Department of Microbiology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jenna Purhonen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014, Jyväskylä, Finland.,School of Resource Wisdom, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014, Jyväskylä, Finland.,Department of Music, Art and Culture Studies, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Otso Ovaskainen
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland.,Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N-7491, Trondheim, Norway
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28
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Bøifot KO, Gohli J, Skogan G, Dybwad M. Performance evaluation of high-volume electret filter air samplers in aerosol microbiome research. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOME 2020; 15:14. [PMID: 33902714 PMCID: PMC8067322 DOI: 10.1186/s40793-020-00362-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reliable identification and quantification of bioaerosols is fundamental in aerosol microbiome research, highlighting the importance of using sampling equipment with well-defined performance characteristics. Following advances in sequencing technology, shotgun metagenomic sequencing (SMS) of environmental samples is now possible. However, SMS of air samples is challenging due to low biomass, but with the use of high-volume air samplers sufficient DNA yields can be obtained. Here we investigate the sampling performance and comparability of two hand-portable, battery-operated, high-volume electret filter air samplers, SASS 3100 and ACD-200 Bobcat, previously used in SMS-based aerosol microbiome research. RESULTS SASS and Bobcat consistently delivered end-to-end sampling efficiencies > 80% during the aerosol chamber evaluation, demonstrating both as effective high-volume air samplers capable of retaining quantitative associations. Filter recovery efficiencies were investigated with manual and sampler-specific semi-automated extraction procedures. Bobcat semi-automated extraction showed reduced efficiency compared to manual extraction. Bobcat tended towards higher sampling efficiencies compared to SASS when combined with manual extraction. To evaluate real-world sampling performance, side-by-side SASS and Bobcat sampling was done in a semi-suburban outdoor environment and subway stations. SMS-based microbiome profiles revealed that highly abundant bacterial species had similar representation across samplers. While alpha diversity did not vary for the two samplers, beta diversity analyses showed significant within-pair variation in subway samples. Certain species were found to be captured only by one of the two samplers, particularly in subway samples. CONCLUSIONS SASS and Bobcat were both found capable of collecting sufficient aerosol biomass amounts for SMS, even at sampling times down to 30 min. Bobcat semi-automated filter extraction was shown to be less effective than manual filter extraction. For the most abundant species the samplers were comparable, but systematic sampler-specific differences were observed at species level. This suggests that studies conducted with these highly similar air samplers can be compared in a meaningful way, but it would not be recommended to combine samples from the two samplers in joint analyses. The outcome of this work contributes to improved selection of sampling equipment for use in SMS-based aerosol microbiome research and highlights the importance of acknowledging bias introduced by sampling equipment and sample recovery procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kari Oline Bøifot
- Norwegian Defence Research Establishment FFI, P O Box 25, NO-2027, Kjeller, Norway
- Department of Analytics, Environmental & Forensic Sciences, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Jostein Gohli
- Norwegian Defence Research Establishment FFI, P O Box 25, NO-2027, Kjeller, Norway
| | - Gunnar Skogan
- Norwegian Defence Research Establishment FFI, P O Box 25, NO-2027, Kjeller, Norway
| | - Marius Dybwad
- Norwegian Defence Research Establishment FFI, P O Box 25, NO-2027, Kjeller, Norway.
- Department of Analytics, Environmental & Forensic Sciences, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK.
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Waters SM, Purdue SK, Armstrong R, Detrés Y. Metagenomic investigation of African dust events in the Caribbean. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2020; 367:5809963. [PMID: 32189002 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnaa051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
African dust from the Sahara and Sahel regions of Northern Africa is blown intercontinental distances and is the highest portion of atmospheric dust generated each year. During the Northern Hemisphere summer months (boreal summer), these dust events travel into the Caribbean and southern United States. While viability assays, microscopy and bacterial amplicon analyses have shown that dust-associated microbes may be diverse, the specific microbial taxa that are transported intercontinental distances with these dust events remain poorly characterized. To provide new insights into these issues, five metagenomes of Saharan dust events occurring in the Caribbean, collected in the summer months of 2002 and 2008, were analyzed. The data revealed that similar microbial composition existed between three out of the five of the distinct dust events and that fungi were a prominent feature of the metagenomes compared to other environmental samples. These results have implications for better understanding of microbial transport through the atmosphere and may implicate that the dust-associated microbial load transiting the Atlantic with Saharan dust is similar from year to year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Marie Waters
- Universities Space Research Association, Space Biosciences Division, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - S K Purdue
- Atmospheric Science, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33149, USA
| | - R Armstrong
- NOAA Center for Atmospheric Sciences (NCAS), Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, Puerto Rico 00682, USA
| | - Y Detrés
- NOAA Center for Atmospheric Sciences (NCAS), Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, Puerto Rico 00682, USA
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30
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Horve PF, Lloyd S, Mhuireach GA, Dietz L, Fretz M, MacCrone G, Van Den Wymelenberg K, Ishaq SL. Building upon current knowledge and techniques of indoor microbiology to construct the next era of theory into microorganisms, health, and the built environment. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2020; 30:219-235. [PMID: 31308484 PMCID: PMC7100162 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-019-0157-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 06/23/2019] [Accepted: 06/30/2019] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
In the constructed habitat in which we spend up to 90% of our time, architectural design influences occupants' behavioral patterns, interactions with objects, surfaces, rituals, the outside environment, and each other. Within this built environment, human behavior and building design contribute to the accrual and dispersal of microorganisms; it is a collection of fomites that transfer microorganisms; reservoirs that collect biomass; structures that induce human or air movement patterns; and space types that encourage proximity or isolation between humans whose personal microbial clouds disperse cells into buildings. There have been recent calls to incorporate building microbiology into occupant health and exposure research and standards, yet the built environment is largely viewed as a repository for microorganisms which are to be eliminated, instead of a habitat which is inexorably linked to the microbial influences of building inhabitants. Health sectors have re-evaluated the role of microorganisms in health, incorporating microorganisms into prevention and treatment protocols, yet no paradigm shift has occurred with respect to microbiology of the built environment, despite calls to do so. Technological and logistical constraints often preclude our ability to link health outcomes to indoor microbiology, yet sufficient study exists to inform the theory and implementation of the next era of research and intervention in the built environment. This review presents built environment characteristics in relation to human health and disease, explores some of the current experimental strategies and interventions which explore health in the built environment, and discusses an emerging model for fostering indoor microbiology rather than fearing it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick F Horve
- Biology and the Built Environment Center, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
| | - Savanna Lloyd
- Biology and the Built Environment Center, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
| | - Gwynne A Mhuireach
- Biology and the Built Environment Center, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
| | - Leslie Dietz
- Biology and the Built Environment Center, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
| | - Mark Fretz
- Institute for Health and the Built Environment, University of Oregon, Portland, OR, 97209, USA
| | - Georgia MacCrone
- Biology and the Built Environment Center, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
| | - Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg
- Biology and the Built Environment Center, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
- Institute for Health and the Built Environment, University of Oregon, Portland, OR, 97209, USA
| | - Suzanne L Ishaq
- Biology and the Built Environment Center, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA.
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The Environmental Exposures and Inner- and Intercity Traffic Flows of the Metro System May Contribute to the Skin Microbiome and Resistome. Cell Rep 2019; 24:1190-1202.e5. [PMID: 30067975 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.06.109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2017] [Revised: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The skin functions as the primary interface between the human body and the external environment. To understand how the microbiome varies within urban mass transit and influences the skin microbiota, we profiled the human palm microbiome after contact with handrails within the Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway (MTR) system. Intraday sampling time was identified as the primary determinant of the variation and recurrence of the community composition, whereas human-associated species and clinically important antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were captured as p.m. signatures. Line-specific signatures were notably correlated with line-specific environmental exposures and city characteristics. The sole cross-border line appeared as an outlier in most analyses and showed high relative abundance and a significant intraday increment of clinically important ARGs (24.1%), suggesting potential cross-border ARG transmission, especially for tetracycline and vancomycin resistance. Our study provides an important reference for future public health strategies to mitigate intracity and cross-border pathogen and ARG transmission.
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Thoendel MJ, Jeraldo PR, Greenwood-Quaintance KE, Yao JZ, Chia N, Hanssen AD, Abdel MP, Patel R. Identification of Prosthetic Joint Infection Pathogens Using a Shotgun Metagenomics Approach. Clin Infect Dis 2019; 67:1333-1338. [PMID: 29648630 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciy303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2017] [Accepted: 04/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Metagenomic shotgun sequencing has the potential to change how many infections, particularly those caused by difficult-to-culture organisms, are diagnosed. Metagenomics was used to investigate prosthetic joint infections (PJIs), where pathogen detection can be challenging. Methods Four hundred eight sonicate fluid samples generated from resected hip and knee arthroplasties were tested, including 213 from subjects with infections and 195 from subjects without infection. Samples were enriched for microbial DNA using the MolYsis basic kit, whole-genome amplified, and sequenced using Illumina HiSeq 2500 instruments. A pipeline was designed to screen out human reads and analyze remaining sequences for microbial content using the Livermore Metagenomics Analysis Toolkit and MetaPhlAn2 tools. Results When compared to sonicate fluid culture, metagenomics was able to identify known pathogens in 94.8% (109/115) of culture-positive PJIs, with additional potential pathogens detected in 9.6% (11/115). New potential pathogens were detected in 43.9% (43/98) of culture-negative PJIs, 21 of which had no other positive culture sources from which these microorganisms had been detected. Detection of microorganisms in samples from uninfected aseptic failure cases was conversely rare (7/195 [3.6%] cases). The presence of human and contaminant microbial DNA from reagents was a challenge, as previously reported. Conclusions Metagenomic shotgun sequencing is a powerful tool to identify a wide range of PJI pathogens, including difficult-to-detect pathogens in culture-negative infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Thoendel
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | | | - Kerryl E Greenwood-Quaintance
- Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Janet Z Yao
- Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Nicholas Chia
- Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Arlen D Hanssen
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Matthew P Abdel
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Robin Patel
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.,Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
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Egidi E, Delgado-Baquerizo M, Plett JM, Wang J, Eldridge DJ, Bardgett RD, Maestre FT, Singh BK. A few Ascomycota taxa dominate soil fungal communities worldwide. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2369. [PMID: 31147554 PMCID: PMC6542806 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10373-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 215] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite having key functions in terrestrial ecosystems, information on the dominant soil fungi and their ecological preferences at the global scale is lacking. To fill this knowledge gap, we surveyed 235 soils from across the globe. Our findings indicate that 83 phylotypes (<0.1% of the retrieved fungi), mostly belonging to wind dispersed, generalist Ascomycota, dominate soils globally. We identify patterns and ecological drivers of dominant soil fungal taxa occurrence, and present a map of their distribution in soils worldwide. Whole-genome comparisons with less dominant, generalist fungi point at a significantly higher number of genes related to stress-tolerance and resource uptake in the dominant fungi, suggesting that they might be better in colonising a wide range of environments. Our findings constitute a major advance in our understanding of the ecology of fungi, and have implications for the development of strategies to preserve them and the ecosystem functions they provide. Soil fungi play essential roles in ecosystems worldwide. Here, the authors sequence and analyze 235 soil samples collected from across the globe, and identify dominant fungal taxa and their associated environmental attributes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Egidi
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, 2753, Australia.
| | - Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, 2753, Australia. .,Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA. .,Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, c/Tulipán s/n, 28933, Móstoles, Spain.
| | - Jonathan M Plett
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, 2753, Australia
| | - Juntao Wang
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, 2753, Australia.,State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
| | - David J Eldridge
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Richard D Bardgett
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Michael Smith Building, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Fernando T Maestre
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, c/Tulipán s/n, 28933, Móstoles, Spain.,Departamento de Ecología and Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio "Ramon Margalef", Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Brajesh K Singh
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, 2753, Australia. .,Global Centre for Land-Based Innovation, Western Sydney University, Penrith South DC, NSW, 2751, Australia.
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Ferguson RMW, Garcia‐Alcega S, Coulon F, Dumbrell AJ, Whitby C, Colbeck I. Bioaerosol biomonitoring: Sampling optimization for molecular microbial ecology. Mol Ecol Resour 2019; 19:672-690. [PMID: 30735594 PMCID: PMC6850074 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Revised: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Bioaerosols (or biogenic aerosols) have largely been overlooked by molecular ecologists. However, this is rapidly changing as bioaerosols play key roles in public health, environmental chemistry and the dispersal ecology of microbes. Due to the low environmental concentrations of bioaerosols, collecting sufficient biomass for molecular methods is challenging. Currently, no standardized methods for bioaerosol collection for molecular ecology research exist. Each study requires a process of optimization, which greatly slows the advance of bioaerosol science. Here, we evaluated air filtration and liquid impingement for bioaerosol sampling across a range of environmental conditions. We also investigated the effect of sampling matrices, sample concentration strategies and sampling duration on DNA yield. Air filtration using polycarbonate filters gave the highest recovery, but due to the faster sampling rates possible with impingement, we recommend this method for fine -scale temporal/spatial ecological studies. To prevent bias for the recovery of Gram-positive bacteria, we found that the matrix for impingement should be phosphate-buffered saline. The optimal method for bioaerosol concentration from the liquid matrix was centrifugation. However, we also present a method using syringe filters for rapid in-field recovery of bioaerosols from impingement samples, without compromising microbial diversity for high -throughput sequencing approaches. Finally, we provide a resource that enables molecular ecologists to select the most appropriate sampling strategy for their specific research question.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Frederic Coulon
- School of Water, Energy and EnvironmentCranfield UniversityCranfieldUK
| | | | - Corinne Whitby
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of EssexColchesterUK
| | - Ian Colbeck
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of EssexColchesterUK
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35
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Prussin AJ, Torres PJ, Shimashita J, Head SR, Bibby KJ, Kelley ST, Marr LC. Seasonal dynamics of DNA and RNA viral bioaerosol communities in a daycare center. MICROBIOME 2019; 7:53. [PMID: 30935423 PMCID: PMC6444849 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-019-0672-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Viruses play an important role in ecosystems, including the built environment (BE). While numerous studies have characterized bacterial and fungal microbiomes in the BE, few have focused on the viral microbiome (virome). Longitudinal microbiome studies provide insight into the stability and dynamics of microbial communities; however, few such studies exist for the microbiome of the BE, and most have focused on bacteria. Here, we present a longitudinal, metagenomic-based analysis of the airborne DNA and RNA virome of a children's daycare center. Specifically, we investigate how the airborne virome varies as a function of season and human occupancy, and we identify possible sources of the viruses and their hosts, mainly humans, animals, plants, and insects. RESULTS Season strongly influenced the airborne viral community composition, and a single sample collected when the daycare center was unoccupied suggested that occupancy also influenced the community. The pattern of influence differed between DNA and RNA viromes. Human-associated viruses were much more diverse and dominant in the winter, while the summertime virome contained a high relative proportion and diversity of plant-associated viruses. CONCLUSIONS This airborne microbiome in this building exhibited seasonality in its viral community but not its bacterial community. Human occupancy influenced both types of communities. By adding new data about the viral microbiome to complement burgeoning information about the bacterial and fungal microbiomes, this study contributes to a more complete understanding of the airborne microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron J. Prussin
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061 USA
| | - Pedro J. Torres
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182 USA
| | - John Shimashita
- Next Generation Sequencing and Microarray Core Facility, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037 USA
| | - Steven R. Head
- Next Generation Sequencing and Microarray Core Facility, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037 USA
| | - Kyle J. Bibby
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA
| | - Scott T. Kelley
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182 USA
| | - Linsey C. Marr
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061 USA
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36
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Amato P, Besaury L, Joly M, Penaud B, Deguillaume L, Delort AM. Metatranscriptomic exploration of microbial functioning in clouds. Sci Rep 2019; 9:4383. [PMID: 30867542 PMCID: PMC6416334 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41032-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Clouds constitute the uppermost layer of the biosphere. They host diverse communities whose functioning remains obscure, although biological activity potentially participates to atmospheric chemical and physical processes. In order to gain information on the metabolic functioning of microbial communities in clouds, we conducted coordinated metagenomics/metatranscriptomics profiling of cloud water microbial communities. Samples were collected from a high altitude atmospheric station in France and examined for biological content after untargeted amplification of nucleic acids. Living microorganisms, essentially bacteria, maintained transcriptional and translational activities and expressed many known complementary physiological responses intended to fight oxidants, osmotic variations and cold. These included activities of oxidant detoxification and regulation, synthesis of osmoprotectants/cryoprotectants, modifications of membranes, iron uptake. Consistently these energy-demanding processes were fueled by central metabolic routes involved in oxidative stress response and redox homeostasis management, such as pentose phosphate and glyoxylate pathways. Elevated binding and transmembrane ion transports demonstrated important interactions between cells and their cloud droplet chemical environments. In addition, polysaccharides, potentially beneficial for survival like exopolysaccharides, biosurfactants and adhesins, were synthesized. Our results support a biological influence on cloud physical and chemical processes, acting notably on the oxidant capacity, iron speciation and availability, amino-acids distribution and carbon and nitrogen fates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Amato
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, SIGMA Clermont, ICCF, F-63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
| | - Ludovic Besaury
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, SIGMA Clermont, ICCF, F-63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Muriel Joly
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, SIGMA Clermont, ICCF, F-63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Benjamin Penaud
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, SIGMA Clermont, ICCF, F-63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | | | - Anne-Marie Delort
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, SIGMA Clermont, ICCF, F-63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France
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Abia ALK, Alisoltani A, Ubomba-Jaswa E, Dippenaar MA. Microbial life beyond the grave: 16S rRNA gene-based metagenomic analysis of bacteria diversity and their functional profiles in cemetery environments. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 655:831-841. [PMID: 30481710 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2018] [Revised: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have identified cemeteries as potential environmental reservoirs of multi-drug resistant pathogenic bacteria that could contaminate groundwater sources posing public health threats. However, these findings were based on the identification of culturable bacteria and at times not below burial grounds. Investigation on the bacterial diversity and functional profiles of bacterial communities above and below burial grounds in human cemeteries are few. The current study used high-throughput sequencing techniques to determine the bacterial composition and their associated functional profiles in cemetery soil samples collected at the surface and below burial ground in two South African cemeteries (Maitland Cemetery in Cape Town and Fontein Street Cemetery in Middelburg) to evaluate the potential health threat to surrounding populations through contamination of groundwater. Significant differences were observed between sample depths with the clustering of the surface (0 m) and the 2 m samples into separate groups. Pseudomonas and Corynebacterium were the most abundant genera across all samples. Pseudomonas and Rhodococcus were the dominant genera in the 2 m samples while Prauserella and Staphylococcus were dominant in the surface samples. The 2 m samples showed a lower alpha diversity but recorded higher proportions of human diseases functional classes compared to the surface samples. Human disease functional profiles revealed involvement, in infectious (cholera), neurodegenerative (Alzheimer's disease) cardiovascular (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) immune system (Systemic lupus erythematosus) metabolic (Type I & II diabetes) diseases and cancer. Antibiotic resistance and antibiotics synthesis signatures were also identified. Thus, cemeteries could be potential sources of microbial and antibiotic pollution in groundwater, especially in areas with shallow water tables such as Maitland. Selection of sites for use as cemeteries should, therefore, require a proper understanding of the hydrogeological characteristics of the selected site. However, further studies are required to trace the actual movement of these pollutants into groundwater resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akebe Luther King Abia
- Antimicrobial Research Unit, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X54001, Durban 4000, South Africa.
| | - Arghavan Alisoltani
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine and Department of Pathology, Division of Medical Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Eunice Ubomba-Jaswa
- Water Research Commission, Private Bag X03 Gezina, Pretoria 0031, South Africa; Department of Biotechnology, University of Johannesburg, Doornfontein, Johannesburg 2094, South Africa.
| | - Matthys Alois Dippenaar
- Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, Department of Geology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0028, South Africa.
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38
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Mbareche H, Veillette M, Bilodeau GJ, Duchaine C. Fungal aerosols at dairy farms using molecular and culture techniques. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 653:253-263. [PMID: 30412870 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Revised: 10/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/25/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Occupational exposure to harmful bioaerosols in industrial environments is a real threat to the workers. In particular, dairy-farm workers are exposed to high levels of fungal bioaerosols on a daily basis. Associating bioaerosol exposure and health problems is challenging and adequate exposure monitoring is a top priority for aerosol scientists. Using only culture-based tools does not express the overall microbial diversity and underestimate the large spectrum of microbes in bioaerosols and therefore the extended fungal profile that farmers are exposed to. The aim of this study was to provide an in-depth characterization of fungal exposure at Eastern Canadian dairy farms using qPCR and high-throughput sequencing methods. Specific primers were used for the quantification of Penicillium/Aspergillus and Aspergillus fumigatus in dairy farms air samples. Illumina Miseq sequencing of the ITS1 region provided sequences for the diversity analyses. The minimum and maximum concentration of Penicillium/Aspergillus ranged from 4.6 × 106 to 9.4 × 106 gene copies/m3 and from 1 × 104 gene copies/m3 to 4.8 × 105 gene copies/m3 for Aspergillus fumigatus, respectively. Differences in the diversity profiles of the five dairy farms support the idea that the novel approach identifies a large number of fungal taxa. The most striking differences include Microascus, Piptoporus, Parastagonospora, Dissoconium, Microdochium, Tubilicrinis, Ganoderma, Ustilago, Phlebia and Wickerhamomyces. The presence of a diverse portrait of fungi in air may represent a health risk for workers who are exposed on a daily basis. The broad spectrum of fungi detected in this study includes many known pathogens like Aspergillus, Acremonium, Alternaria and Fusarium. Adequate monitoring of bioaerosol exposure is necessary to evaluate and minimize risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamza Mbareche
- Centre de recherche de l'institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, Quebec City, Qc, Canada; Département de biochimie, de microbiologie et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Quebec City, Qc, Canada
| | - Marc Veillette
- Centre de recherche de l'institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, Quebec City, Qc, Canada
| | - Guillaume J Bilodeau
- Pathogen Identification Research Lab, Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Ottawa, Canada
| | - Caroline Duchaine
- Centre de recherche de l'institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, Quebec City, Qc, Canada; Département de biochimie, de microbiologie et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Quebec City, Qc, Canada.
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Xie Z, Fan C, Lu R, Liu P, Wang B, Du S, Jin C, Deng S, Li Y. Characteristics of ambient bioaerosols during haze episodes in China: A review. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 243:1930-1942. [PMID: 30237031 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.09.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Revised: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Frequent low visibility, haze pollution caused by heavy fine particulate matter (PM2.5) loading, has been entailing significant environmental issues and health risks in China since 2013. A substantial fraction of bioaerosols was observed in PM (1.5-15%) during haze periods with intensive pollution. However, systematic and consistent results of the variations of bioaerosol characteristics during haze pollution are lacking. The role of bioaerosols in air quality and interaction with environment conditions are not yet well characterized. The present article provides an overview of the state of bioaerosol research during haze episodes based on numerous recent studies over the past decade, focusing on concentration, size distribution, community structure, and influence factors. Examples of insightful results highlighted the characteristics of bioaerosols at different air pollution levels and their pollution effects. We summarize the influences of meteorological and environmental factors on the distribution of bioaerosols. Further studies on bioaerosols, applying standardized sampling and identification criteria and investigating the influence of mechanisms of environmental or pollution factors on bioaerosols as well as the sources of bioaerosols are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengsheng Xie
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Chang'an University, Xi'an 710054, China
| | - Chunlan Fan
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Chang'an University, Xi'an 710054, China
| | - Rui Lu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Chang'an University, Xi'an 710054, China
| | - Pengxia Liu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Chang'an University, Xi'an 710054, China
| | - Beibei Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Chang'an University, Xi'an 710054, China
| | - Shengli Du
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Chang'an University, Xi'an 710054, China
| | - Cheng Jin
- School of Architecture, Chang'an University, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Shunxi Deng
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Chang'an University, Xi'an 710054, China; Key Laboratory of Subsurface Hydrology and Ecological Effect in Arid Region of Ministry of Education, Xi'an, 710054, China
| | - Yanpeng Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Chang'an University, Xi'an 710054, China; Key Laboratory of Subsurface Hydrology and Ecological Effect in Arid Region of Ministry of Education, Xi'an, 710054, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Land Consolidation, Xi'an 710054, China.
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40
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Brisebois E, Veillette M, Dion-Dupont V, Lavoie J, Corbeil J, Culley A, Duchaine C. Human viral pathogens are pervasive in wastewater treatment center aerosols. J Environ Sci (China) 2018; 67:45-53. [PMID: 29778173 PMCID: PMC7128102 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2017.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Revised: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 07/20/2017] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater treatment center (WTC) workers may be vulnerable to diseases caused by viruses, such as the common cold, influenza and gastro-intestinal infections. Although there is a substantial body of literature characterizing the microbial community found in wastewater, only a few studies have characterized the viral component of WTC aerosols, despite the fact that most diseases affecting WTC workers are of viral origin and that some of these viruses are transmitted through the air. In this study, we evaluated in four WTCs the presence of 11 viral pathogens of particular concern in this milieu and used a metagenomic approach to characterize the total viral community in the air of one of those WTCs. The presence of viruses in aerosols in different locations of individual WTCs was evaluated and the results obtained with four commonly used air samplers were compared. We detected four of the eleven viruses tested, including human adenovirus (hAdV), rotavirus, hepatitis A virus (HAV) and Herpes Simplex virus type 1 (HSV1). The results of the metagenomic assay uncovered very few viral RNA sequences in WTC aerosols, however sequences from human DNA viruses were in much greater relative abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyne Brisebois
- Université Laval, Pavillon Alexandre Vachon, 1045, ave de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V0A6, Canada; CRIUCPQ, 2725, Chemin Sainte-Foy, Québec, QC G1V 4G5, Canada
| | - Marc Veillette
- CRIUCPQ, 2725, Chemin Sainte-Foy, Québec, QC G1V 4G5, Canada
| | - Vanessa Dion-Dupont
- Université Laval, Pavillon Alexandre Vachon, 1045, ave de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V0A6, Canada; CRIUCPQ, 2725, Chemin Sainte-Foy, Québec, QC G1V 4G5, Canada
| | - Jacques Lavoie
- IRSST, 505 Boulevard de Maisonneuve O, Montréal, QC, H3A 3C2, Canada
| | - Jacques Corbeil
- CRCHU, 2705 Boulevard Laurier, RC-709, Québec, QC, G1V 4G2, Canada
| | - Alexander Culley
- Université Laval, Pavillon Alexandre Vachon, 1045, ave de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V0A6, Canada
| | - Caroline Duchaine
- Université Laval, Pavillon Alexandre Vachon, 1045, ave de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V0A6, Canada; CRIUCPQ, 2725, Chemin Sainte-Foy, Québec, QC G1V 4G5, Canada.
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41
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Structural Variation in the Bacterial Community Associated with Airborne Particulate Matter in Beijing, China, during Hazy and Nonhazy Days. Appl Environ Microbiol 2018; 84:AEM.00004-18. [PMID: 29549101 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00004-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2018] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The structural variation of the bacterial community associated with particulate matter (PM) was assessed in an urban area of Beijing during hazy and nonhazy days. Sampling for different PM fractions (PM2.5 [<2.5 μm], PM10 [<10 μm], and total suspended particulate) was conducted using three portable air samplers from September 2014 to February 2015. The airborne bacterial community in these samples was analyzed using the Illumina MiSeq platform with bacterium-specific primers targeting the 16S rRNA gene. A total of 1,707,072 reads belonging to 6,009 operational taxonomic units were observed. The airborne bacterial community composition was significantly affected by PM fractions (R = 0.157, P < 0.01). In addition, the relative abundances of several genera significantly differed between samples with various haze levels; for example, Methylobacillus, Tumebacillus, and Desulfurispora spp. increased in heavy-haze days. Canonical correspondence analysis and permutation tests showed that temperature, SO2 concentration, relative humidity, PM10 concentration, and CO concentration were significant factors that associated with airborne bacterial community composition. Only six genera increased across PM10 samples (Dokdonella, Caenimonas, Geminicoccus, and Sphingopyxis) and PM2.5 samples (Cellulomonas and Rhizobacter), while a large number of taxa significantly increased in total suspended particulate samples, such as Paracoccus, Kocuria, and Sphingomonas Network analysis indicated that Paracoccus, Rubellimicrobium, Kocuria, and Arthrobacter were the key genera in the airborne PM samples. Overall, the findings presented here suggest that diverse airborne bacterial communities are associated with PM and provide further understanding of bacterial community structure in the atmosphere during hazy and nonhazy days.IMPORTANCE The results presented here represent an analysis of the airborne bacterial community associated with particulate matter (PM) and advance our understanding of the structural variation of these communities. We observed a shift in bacterial community composition with PM fractions but no significant difference with haze levels. This may be because the bacterial differences are obscured by high bacterial diversity in the atmosphere. However, we also observed that a few genera (such as Methylobacillus, Tumebacillus, and Desulfurispora) increased significantly on heavy-haze days. In addition, Paracoccus, Rubellimicrobium, Kocuria, and Arthrobacter were the key genera in the airborne PM samples. Accurate and real-time techniques, such as metagenomics and metatranscriptomics, should be developed for a future survey of the relationship of airborne bacteria and haze.
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42
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Serrano-Silva N, Calderón-Ezquerro MC. Metagenomic survey of bacterial diversity in the atmosphere of Mexico City using different sampling methods. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 235:20-29. [PMID: 29274534 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.12.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Revised: 12/08/2017] [Accepted: 12/09/2017] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The identification of airborne bacteria has traditionally been performed by retrieval in culture media, but the bacterial diversity in the air is underestimated using this method because many bacteria are not readily cultured. Advances in DNA sequencing technology have produced a broad knowledge of genomics and metagenomics, which can greatly improve our ability to identify and study the diversity of airborne bacteria. However, researchers are facing several challenges, particularly the efficient retrieval of low-density microorganisms from the air and the lack of standardized protocols for sample collection and processing. In this study, we tested three methods for sampling bioaerosols - a Durham-type spore trap (Durham), a seven-day recording volumetric spore trap (HST), and a high-throughput 'Jet' spore and particle sampler (Jet) - and recovered metagenomic DNA for 16S rDNA sequencing. Samples were simultaneously collected with the three devices during one week, and the sequencing libraries were analyzed. A simple and efficient method for collecting bioaerosols and extracting good quality DNA for high-throughput sequencing was standardized. The Durham sampler collected preferentially Cyanobacteria, the HST Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria and Firmicutes, and the Jet mainly Proteobacteria and Firmicutes. The HST sampler collected the largest amount of airborne bacterial diversity. More experiments are necessary to select the right sampler, depending on study objectives, which may require monitoring and collecting specific airborne bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Serrano-Silva
- Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales, Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Circuito Exterior s/n, Coyoacan, University City, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - M C Calderón-Ezquerro
- Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales, Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Circuito Exterior s/n, Coyoacan, University City, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico.
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43
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Abrego N, Norros V, Halme P, Somervuo P, Ali-Kovero H, Ovaskainen O. Give me a sample of air and I will tell which species are found from your region: Molecular identification of fungi from airborne spore samples. Mol Ecol Resour 2018; 18:511-524. [PMID: 29330936 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.12755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Revised: 01/02/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Fungi are a megadiverse group of organisms, they play major roles in ecosystem functioning and are important for human health, food production and nature conservation. Our knowledge on fungal diversity and fungal ecology is however still very limited, in part because surveying and identifying fungi is time demanding and requires expert knowledge. We present a method that allows anyone to generate a list of fungal species likely to occur in a region of interest, with minimal effort and without requiring taxonomical expertise. The method consists of using a cyclone sampler to acquire fungal spores directly from the air to an Eppendorf tube, and applying DNA barcoding with probabilistic species identification to generate a list of species from the sample. We tested the feasibility of the method by acquiring replicate air samples from different geographical regions within Finland. Our results show that air sampling is adequate for regional-level surveys, with samples collected >100 km apart varying but samples collected <10 km apart not varying in their species composition. The data show marked phenology, and thus obtaining a representative species list requires aerial sampling that covers the entire fruiting season. In sum, aerial sampling combined with probabilistic molecular species identification offers a highly effective method for generating a species list of air-dispersing fungi. The method presented here has the potential to revolutionize fungal surveys, as it provides a highly cost-efficient way to include fungi as a part of large-scale biodiversity assessments and monitoring programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nerea Abrego
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Veera Norros
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Marine Research Centre, Finnish Environment Institute, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Panu Halme
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Panu Somervuo
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Heini Ali-Kovero
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Otso Ovaskainen
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
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44
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Mbareche H, Brisebois E, Veillette M, Duchaine C. Bioaerosol sampling and detection methods based on molecular approaches: No pain no gain. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 599-600:2095-2104. [PMID: 28558432 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.05.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Revised: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Bioaerosols are among the less studied particles in the environment. The lack of standardization in sampling procedures, difficulties related to the effect of sampling processes on the integrity of microorganisms, and challenges associated with the application of environmental microbiology analyses and molecular and culture methods frighten many young scientists. Every microorganism has its own particularities and acts differently when aerosolized in various conditions. Because the air is an extremely biologically diluted environment, it is necessary to concentrate its content before any analysis is performed. Challenges faced when applying molecular methods to air samples reveal the need for a better standardization of approaches for cell and nucleic acid recovery, the choice of genetic markers, and interpretation of data. This paper presents a few of the limits and difficulties tackled when molecular methods are applied to bioaerosols, suggests some improvements by specifying the critical stages that should be considered when studying the microbial ecology of bioaerosols, and provides thoughtful insights on how to overcome the challenges encountered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamza Mbareche
- Département de biochimie, microbiologie et bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Canada; Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie, Université Laval, Canada.
| | - Evelyne Brisebois
- Département de biochimie, microbiologie et bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Canada; Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie, Université Laval, Canada
| | - Marc Veillette
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie, Université Laval, Canada
| | - Caroline Duchaine
- Département de biochimie, microbiologie et bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Canada; Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie, Université Laval, Canada.
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45
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Haddrell AE, Thomas RJ. Aerobiology: Experimental Considerations, Observations, and Future Tools. Appl Environ Microbiol 2017; 83:e00809-17. [PMID: 28667111 PMCID: PMC5561278 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00809-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding airborne survival and decay of microorganisms is important for a range of public health and biodefense applications, including epidemiological and risk analysis modeling. Techniques for experimental aerosol generation, retention in the aerosol phase, and sampling require careful consideration and understanding so that they are representative of the conditions the bioaerosol would experience in the environment. This review explores the current understanding of atmospheric transport in relation to advances and limitations of aerosol generation, maintenance in the aerosol phase, and sampling techniques. Potential tools for the future are examined at the interface between atmospheric chemistry, aerosol physics, and molecular microbiology where the heterogeneity and variability of aerosols can be explored at the single-droplet and single-microorganism levels within a bioaerosol. The review highlights the importance of method comparison and validation in bioaerosol research and the benefits that the application of novel techniques could bring to increasing the understanding of aerobiological phenomena in diverse research fields, particularly during the progression of atmospheric transport, where complex interdependent physicochemical and biological processes occur within bioaerosol particles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allen E Haddrell
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Richard J Thomas
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire, United Kingdom
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46
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Mukherjee N, Bartelli D, Patra C, Chauhan BV, Dowd SE, Banerjee P. Microbial Diversity of Source and Point-of-Use Water in Rural Haiti - A Pyrosequencing-Based Metagenomic Survey. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0167353. [PMID: 27936055 PMCID: PMC5147895 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 11/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Haiti endures the poorest water and sanitation infrastructure in the Western Hemisphere, where waterborne diseases cause significant morbidity and mortality. Most of these diseases are reported to be caused by waterborne pathogens. In this study, we examined the overall bacterial diversity of selected source and point-of-use water from rural areas in Central Plateau, Haiti using pyrosequencing of 16s rRNA genes. Taxonomic composition of water samples revealed an abundance of Firmicutes phyla, followed by Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes. A total of 38 bacterial families and 60 genera were identified. The presence of several Klebsiella spp. (tentatively, K. pneumoniae, K. variicola and other Klebsiella spp.) was detected in most water samples. Several other human pathogens such as Aeromonas, Bacillus, Clostridium, and Yersinia constituted significantly higher proportion of bacterial communities in the point-of-use water samples compared to source water. Bacterial genera traditionally associated with biofilm formation, such as Chryseobacterium, Fusobacterium, Prevotella, Pseudomonas were found in the point-of-use waters obtained from water filters or domestic water storage containers. Although the pyrosequencing method utilized in this study did not reveal the viability status of these pathogens, the abundance of genetic footprints of the pathogens in water samples indicate the probable risk of bacterial transmission to humans. Therefore, the importance of appropriate handling, purification, and treatment of the source water needed to be clearly communicated to the communities in rural Haiti to ensure the water is safe for their daily use and intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nabanita Mukherjee
- Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Desoto Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Debra Bartelli
- Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Desoto Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Cyril Patra
- Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Desoto Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Bhavin V. Chauhan
- Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Desoto Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Scot E. Dowd
- Molecular Research LP (MR DNA), Shallowater, Texas, United States of America
| | - Pratik Banerjee
- Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Desoto Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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47
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Hoisington A, Maestre JP, Kinney KA, Siegel JA. Characterizing the bacterial communities in retail stores in the United States. INDOOR AIR 2016; 26:857-868. [PMID: 26610179 DOI: 10.1111/ina.12273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2015] [Accepted: 11/17/2015] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The microorganisms present in retail environments have not been studied in detail despite the fact that these environments represent a potentially important location for exposure. In this study, HVAC filter dust samples in 13 US retail stores were collected and analyzed via pyrosequencing to characterize the indoor bacterial communities and to explore potential relationships between these communities and building and environmental parameters. Although retail stores contained a diverse bacterial community of 788 unique genera, over half of the nearly 118K sequences were attributed to the Proteobacteria phylum. Streptophyta, Bacillus, Corynebacterium, Pseudomonas, and Acinetobacter were the most prevalent genera detected. The recovered indoor airborne microbial community was statistically associated with both human oral and skin microbiota, indicating occupants are important contributors, despite a relatively low occupant density per unit volume in retail stores. Bacteria generally associated with outdoor environments were present in the indoor communities with no obvious association with air exchange rate, even when considering relative abundance. No significant association was observed between the indoor bacterial community recovered and store location, store type, or season. However, predictive functional gene profiling showed significant associations between the indoor community and season. The microbiome recovered from multiple samples collected months apart from the same building varied significantly indicating that caution is warranted when trying to characterize the bacterial community with a single sampling event.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Hoisington
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO, USA
| | - J P Maestre
- Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - K A Kinney
- Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - J A Siegel
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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48
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Meola M, Lazzaro A, Zeyer J. Bacterial Composition and Survival on Sahara Dust Particles Transported to the European Alps. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:1454. [PMID: 26733988 PMCID: PMC4686684 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.01454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2015] [Accepted: 12/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Deposition of Sahara dust (SD) particles is a frequent phenomenon in Europe, but little is known about the viability and composition of the bacterial community transported with SD. The goal of this study was to characterize SD-associated bacteria transported to the European Alps, deposited and entrapped in snow. During two distinct events in February and May 2014, SD particles were deposited and promptly covered by falling snow, thus preserving them in distinct ochre layers within the snowpack. In June 2014, we collected samples at different depths from a snow profile at the Jungfraujoch (Swiss Alps; 3621 m a.s.l.). After filtration, we performed various microbiological and physicochemical analyses of the snow and dust particles therein that originated in Algeria. Our results show that bacteria survive and are metabolically active after the transport to the European Alps. Using high throughput sequencing, we observed distinct differences in bacterial community composition and structure in SD-layers as compared to clean snow layers. Sporulating bacteria were not enriched in the SD-layers; however, phyla with low abundance such as Gemmatimonadetes and Deinococcus-Thermus appeared to be specific bio-indicators for SD. Since many members of these phyla are known to be adapted to arid oligotrophic environments and UV radiation, they are well suited to survive the harsh conditions of long-range airborne transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Meola
- Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, Environmental Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anna Lazzaro
- Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, Environmental Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Josef Zeyer
- Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, Environmental Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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49
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Simmonds P. Methods for virus classification and the challenge of incorporating metagenomic sequence data. J Gen Virol 2015; 96:1193-1206. [PMID: 26068186 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.000016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The division of viruses into orders, families, genera and species provides a classification framework that seeks to organize and make sense of the diversity of viruses infecting animals, plants and bacteria. Classifications are based on similarities in genome structure and organization, the presence of homologous genes and sequence motifs and at lower levels such as species, host range, nucleotide and antigenic relatedness and epidemiology. Classification below the level of family must also be consistent with phylogeny and virus evolutionary histories. Recently developed methods such as PASC, DEMaRC and NVR offer alternative strategies for genus and species assignments that are based purely on degrees of divergence between genome sequences. They offer the possibility of automating classification of the vast number of novel virus sequences being generated by next-generation metagenomic sequencing. However, distance-based methods struggle to deal with the complex evolutionary history of virus genomes that are shuffled by recombination and reassortment, and where taxonomic lineages evolve at different rates. In biological terms, classifications based on sequence distances alone are also arbitrary whereas the current system of virus taxonomy is of utility precisely because it is primarily based upon phenotypic characteristics. However, a separate system is clearly needed by which virus variants that lack biological information might be incorporated into the ICTV classification even if based solely on sequence relationships to existing taxa. For these, simplified taxonomic proposals and naming conventions represent a practical way to expand the existing virus classification and catalogue our rapidly increasing knowledge of virus diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Simmonds
- Infection and Immunity Division, Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
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50
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Sharma A, Clark E, McGlothlin JD, Mittal SK. Efficiency of Airborne Sample Analysis Platform (ASAP) bioaerosol sampler for pathogen detection. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:512. [PMID: 26074900 PMCID: PMC4444837 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2015] [Accepted: 05/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The threat of bioterrorism and pandemics has highlighted the urgency for rapid and reliable bioaerosol detection in different environments. Safeguarding against such threats requires continuous sampling of the ambient air for pathogen detection. In this study we investigated the efficacy of the Airborne Sample Analysis Platform (ASAP) 2800 bioaerosol sampler to collect representative samples of air and identify specific viruses suspended as bioaerosols. To test this concept, we aerosolized an innocuous replication-defective bovine adenovirus serotype 3 (BAdV3) in a controlled laboratory environment. The ASAP efficiently trapped the surrogate virus at 5 × 103 plaque-forming units (p.f.u.) [2 × 105 genome copy equivalent] concentrations or more resulting in the successful detection of the virus using quantitative PCR. These results support the further development of ASAP for bioaerosol pathogen detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anurag Sharma
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette IN, USA
| | - Elizabeth Clark
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette IN, USA
| | - James D McGlothlin
- School of Health Sciences, College of Health and Human Sciences, Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette IN, USA
| | - Suresh K Mittal
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette IN, USA
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