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Antony R, Mongad D, Sanyal A, Dhotre D, Thamban M. Holed up, but thriving: Impact of multitrophic cryoconite communities on glacier elemental cycles. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 933:173187. [PMID: 38750762 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173187] [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: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Cryoconite holes (water and sediment-filled depressions), found on glacier surfaces worldwide, serve as reservoirs of microbes, carbon, trace elements, and nutrients, transferring these components downstream via glacier hydrological networks. Through targeted amplicon sequencing of carbon and nitrogen cycling genes, coupled with functional inference-based methods, we explore the functional diversity of these mini-ecosystems within Antarctica and the Himalayas. These regions showcase distinct environmental gradients and experience varying rates of environmental change influenced by global climatic shifts. Analysis revealed a diverse array of photosynthetic microorganisms, including Stramenopiles, Cyanobacteria, Rhizobiales, Burkholderiales, and photosynthetic purple sulfur Proteobacteria. Functional inference highlighted the high potential for carbohydrate, amino acid, and lipid metabolism in the Himalayan region, where organic carbon concentrations surpassed those in Antarctica by up to 2 orders of magnitude. Nitrogen cycling processes, including fixation, nitrification, and denitrification, are evident, with Antarctic cryoconite exhibiting a pronounced capacity for nitrogen fixation, potentially compensating for the limited nitrate concentrations in this region. Processes associated with the respiration of elemental sulfur and inorganic sulfur compounds such as sulfate, sulfite, thiosulfate, and sulfide suggest the presence of a complete sulfur cycle. The Himalayan region exhibits a higher potential for sulfur cycling, likely due to the abundant sulfate ions and sulfur-bearing minerals in this region. The capability for complete iron cycling through iron oxidation and reduction reactions was also predicted. Methanogenic archaea that produce methane during organic matter decomposition and methanotrophic bacteria that utilize methane as carbon and energy sources co-exist in the cryoconite, suggesting that these niches support the complete cycling of methane. Additionally, the presence of various microfauna suggests the existence of a complex food web. Collectively, these results indicate that cryoconite holes are self-sustaining ecosystems that drive elemental cycles on glaciers and potentially control carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and iron exports downstream.
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Affiliation(s)
- Runa Antony
- National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Vasco-da-Gama, India; GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Dattatray Mongad
- National Centre for Microbial Resource, National Centre for Cell Science, Pune, India
| | - Aritri Sanyal
- National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Vasco-da-Gama, India
| | - Dhiraj Dhotre
- National Centre for Microbial Resource, National Centre for Cell Science, Pune, India
| | - Meloth Thamban
- National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Vasco-da-Gama, India
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2
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Sanyal A, Antony R, Samui G, Thamban M. Autotrophy to Heterotrophy: Shift in Bacterial Functions During the Melt Season in Antarctic Cryoconite Holes. J Microbiol 2024:10.1007/s12275-024-00140-1. [PMID: 38814540 DOI: 10.1007/s12275-024-00140-1] [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: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Microbes residing in cryoconite holes (debris, water, and nutrient-rich ecosystems) on the glacier surface actively participate in carbon and nutrient cycling. Not much is known about how these communities and their functions change during the summer melt-season when intense ablation and runoff alter the influx and outflux of nutrients and microbes. Here, we use high-throughput-amplicon sequencing, predictive metabolic tools and Phenotype MicroArray techniques to track changes in bacterial communities and functions in cryoconite holes in a coastal Antarctic site and the surrounding fjord, during the summer season. The bacterial diversity in cryoconite hole meltwater was predominantly composed of heterotrophs (Proteobacteria) throughout the season. The associated functional potentials were related to heterotrophic-assimilatory and -dissimilatory pathways. Autotrophic Cyanobacterial lineages dominated the debris community at the beginning and end of summer, while heterotrophic Bacteroidota- and Proteobacteria-related phyla increased during the peak melt period. Predictive functional analyses based on taxonomy show a shift from predominantly phototrophy-related functions to heterotrophic assimilatory pathways as the melt-season progressed. This shift from autotrophic to heterotrophic communities within cryoconite holes can affect carbon drawdown and nutrient liberation from the glacier surface during the summer. In addition, the flushing out and export of cryoconite hole communities to the fjord could influence the biogeochemical dynamics of the fjord ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aritri Sanyal
- National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Goa, 403804, India.
- School of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Goa University, Goa, 403206, India.
| | - Runa Antony
- National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Goa, 403804, India
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, 14473, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Gautami Samui
- National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Goa, 403804, India
- Department of Environmental Science, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Ganeshkhind, Pune, 411007, India
| | - Meloth Thamban
- National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Goa, 403804, India
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Wu X, Zhang W, Liu G, Chen T, Li Z. Changes in Diversity and Abundance of Ammonia-Oxidizing Archaea and Bacteria along a Glacier Retreating Chronosequence in the Tianshan Mountains, China. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2871. [PMID: 38138015 PMCID: PMC10745509 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11122871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Glaciers retreating due to global warming create important new habitats, particularly suitable for studying ecosystem development where nitrogen is a limiting factor. Nitrogen availability mainly results from microbial decomposition and transformation processes, including nitrification. AOA and AOB perform the first and rate-limiting step of nitrification. Investigating the abundance and diversity of AOA and AOB is essential for understanding early ecosystem development. The dynamics of AOA and AOB community structure along a soil chronosequence in Tianshan No. 1 Glacier foreland were analyzed using qPCR and clone library methods. The results consistently showed low quantities of both AOA and AOB throughout the chronosequence. Initially, the copy numbers of AOB were higher than those of AOA, but they decreased in later stages. The AOB community was dominated by "Nitrosospira cluster ME", while the AOA community was dominated by "the soil and sediment 1". Both communities were potentially connected to supra- and subglacial microbial communities during early stages. Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between the ratios of AOA and AOB with soil ammonium and total nitrogen levels. These results suggest that variations in abundance and diversity of AOA and AOB along the chronosequences were influenced by ammonium availability during glacier retreat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiukun Wu
- Key Laboratory of Desert and Desertification, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Extreme Environmental Microbial Resources and Engineering, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Desert and Desertification, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Extreme Environmental Microbial Resources and Engineering, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Guangxiu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Desert and Desertification, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Extreme Environmental Microbial Resources and Engineering, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Tuo Chen
- Key Laboratory of Extreme Environmental Microbial Resources and Engineering, Lanzhou 730000, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Zhongqin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
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Gokul JK, Mur LAJ, Hodson AJ, Irvine-Fynn TDL, Debbonaire AR, Takeuchi N, Edwards A. Icescape-scale metabolomics reveals cyanobacterial and topographic control of the core metabolism of the cryoconite ecosystem of an Arctic ice cap. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:2549-2563. [PMID: 37621052 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Glaciers host ecosystems comprised of biodiverse and active microbiota. Among glacial ecosystems, less is known about the ecology of ice caps since most studies focus on valley glaciers or ice sheet margins. Previously we detailed the microbiota of one such high Arctic ice cap, focusing on cryoconite as a microbe-mineral aggregate formed by cyanobacteria. Here, we employ metabolomics at the scale of an entire ice cap to reveal the major metabolic pathways prevailing in the cryoconite of Foxfonna, central Svalbard. We reveal how geophysical and biotic processes influence the metabolomes of its resident cryoconite microbiota. We observed differences in amino acid, fatty acid, and nucleotide synthesis across the cap reflecting the influence of ice topography and the cyanobacteria within cryoconite. Ice topography influences central carbohydrate metabolism and nitrogen assimilation, whereas bacterial community structure governs lipid, nucleotide, and carotenoid biosynthesis processes. The prominence of polyamine metabolism and nitrogen assimilation highlights the importance of recycling nitrogenous nutrients. To our knowledge, this study represents the first application of metabolomics across an entire ice mass, demonstrating its utility as a tool for revealing the fundamental metabolic processes essential for sustaining life in supraglacial ecosystems experiencing profound change due to Arctic climate change-driven mass loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarishma K Gokul
- Department of Life Sciences, Cledwyn Building, Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Luis A J Mur
- Department of Life Sciences, Cledwyn Building, Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
| | - Andrew J Hodson
- Department of Arctic Geology, University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Western Norway University of Environmental Science, Sogndal, Norway
| | | | - Aliyah R Debbonaire
- Department of Life Sciences, Cledwyn Building, Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
| | - Nozomu Takeuchi
- Department of Earth Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Arwyn Edwards
- Department of Life Sciences, Cledwyn Building, Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Department of Arctic Biology, University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway
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Hay MC, Mitchell AC, Soares AR, Debbonaire AR, Mogrovejo DC, Els N, Edwards A. Metagenome-assembled genomes from High Arctic glaciers highlight the vulnerability of glacier-associated microbiota and their activities to habitat loss. Microb Genom 2023; 9. [PMID: 37937832 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.001131] [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] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The rapid warming of the Arctic is threatening the demise of its glaciers and their associated ecosystems. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore and understand the diversity of genomes resident within glacial ecosystems endangered by human-induced climate change. In this study we use genome-resolved metagenomics to explore the taxonomic and functional diversity of different habitats within glacier-occupied catchments. Comparing different habitats within such catchments offers a natural experiment for understanding the effects of changing habitat extent or even loss upon Arctic microbiota. Through binning and annotation of metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) we describe the spatial differences in taxon distribution and their implications for glacier-associated biogeochemical cycling. Multiple taxa associated with carbon cycling included organisms with the potential for carbon monoxide oxidation. Meanwhile, nitrogen fixation was mediated by a single taxon, although diverse taxa contribute to other nitrogen conversions. Genes for sulphur oxidation were prevalent within MAGs implying the potential capacity for sulphur cycling. Finally, we focused on cyanobacterial MAGs, and those within cryoconite, a biodiverse microbe-mineral granular aggregate responsible for darkening glacier surfaces. Although the metagenome-assembled genome of Phormidesmis priestleyi, the cyanobacterium responsible for forming Arctic cryoconite was represented with high coverage, evidence for the biosynthesis of multiple vitamins and co-factors was absent from its MAG. Our results indicate the potential for cross-feeding to sustain P. priestleyi within granular cryoconite. Taken together, genome-resolved metagenomics reveals the vulnerability of glacier-associated microbiota to the deletion of glacial habitats through the rapid warming of the Arctic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie C Hay
- Department of Life Sciences (DLS), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology (iCEM), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences (DGES), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Present address: Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, North Mymms, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Andrew C Mitchell
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology (iCEM), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences (DGES), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
| | - Andre R Soares
- Department of Life Sciences (DLS), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology (iCEM), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences (DGES), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Present address: Environmental Metagenomics, Research Center One Health Ruhr of the University Alliance Ruhr, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Aliyah R Debbonaire
- Department of Life Sciences (DLS), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology (iCEM), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
| | - Diana C Mogrovejo
- Dr. Brill + Partner GmbH Institut für Hygiene und Mikrobiologie, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nora Els
- Department of Lake and Glacier Research, Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Arwyn Edwards
- Department of Life Sciences (DLS), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology (iCEM), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Department of Arctic Biology, University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen
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Doting EL, Davie-Martin CL, Johansen A, Benning LG, Tranter M, Rinnan R, Anesio AM. Greenland Ice Sheet Surfaces Colonized by Microbial Communities Emit Volatile Organic Compounds. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:886293. [PMID: 35747370 PMCID: PMC9211068 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.886293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted by organisms for a range of physiological and ecological reasons. They play an important role in biosphere–atmosphere interactions and contribute to the formation of atmospheric secondary aerosols. The Greenland ice sheet is home to a variety of microbial communities, including highly abundant glacier ice algae, yet nothing is known about the VOCs emitted by glacial communities. For the first time, we present VOC emissions from supraglacial habitats colonized by active microbial communities on the southern Greenland ice sheet during July 2020. Emissions of C5–C30 compounds from bare ice, cryoconite holes, and red snow were collected using a push–pull chamber active sampling system. A total of 92 compounds were detected, yielding mean total VOC emission rates of 3.97 ± 0.70 μg m–2 h–1 from bare ice surfaces (n = 31), 1.63 ± 0.13 μg m–2 h–1 from cryoconite holes (n = 4), and 0.92 ± 0.08 μg m–2 h–1 from red snow (n = 2). No correlations were found between VOC emissions and ice surface algal counts, but a weak positive correlation (r = 0.43, p = 0.015, n = 31) between VOC emission rates from bare ice surfaces and incoming shortwave radiation was found. We propose that this may be due to the stress that high solar irradiance causes in bare ice microbial communities. Acetophenone, benzaldehyde, and phenylmaleic anhydride, all of which have reported antifungal activity, accounted for 51.1 ± 11.7% of emissions from bare ice surfaces, indicating a potential defense strategy against fungal infections. Greenland ice sheet microbial habitats are, hence, potential sources of VOCs that may play a role in supraglacial microbial interactions, as well as local atmospheric chemistry, and merit future research efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva L. Doting
- Department of Environmental Science, iClimate, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
- *Correspondence: Eva L. Doting,
| | - Cleo L. Davie-Martin
- Terrestrial Ecology Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anders Johansen
- Department of Environmental Science, iClimate, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Liane G. Benning
- Interface Geochemistry, German Research Centre for Geosciences, GFZ Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
- Department of Earth Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martyn Tranter
- Department of Environmental Science, iClimate, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Riikka Rinnan
- Terrestrial Ecology Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Alexandre M. Anesio
- Department of Environmental Science, iClimate, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
- Alexandre M. Anesio,
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Murakami T, Takeuchi N, Mori H, Hirose Y, Edwards A, Irvine-Fynn T, Li Z, Ishii S, Segawa T. Metagenomics reveals global-scale contrasts in nitrogen cycling and cyanobacterial light-harvesting mechanisms in glacier cryoconite. MICROBIOME 2022; 10:50. [PMID: 35317857 PMCID: PMC8941735 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-022-01238-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cryoconite granules are mineral-microbial aggregates found on glacier surfaces worldwide and are hotspots of biogeochemical reactions in glacier ecosystems. However, despite their importance within glacier ecosystems, the geographical diversity of taxonomic assemblages and metabolic potential of cryoconite communities around the globe remain unclear. In particular, the genomic content of cryoconite communities on Asia's high mountain glaciers, which represent a substantial portion of Earth's ice masses, has rarely been reported. Therefore, in this study, to elucidate the taxonomic and ecological diversities of cryoconite bacterial consortia on a global scale, we conducted shotgun metagenomic sequencing of cryoconite acquired from a range of geographical areas comprising Polar (Arctic and Antarctic) and Asian alpine regions. RESULTS Our metagenomic data indicate that compositions of both bacterial taxa and functional genes are particularly distinctive for Asian cryoconite. Read abundance of the genes responsible for denitrification was significantly more abundant in Asian cryoconite than the Polar cryoconite, implying that denitrification is more enhanced in Asian glaciers. The taxonomic composition of Cyanobacteria, the key primary producers in cryoconite communities, also differs between the Polar and Asian samples. Analyses on the metagenome-assembled genomes and fluorescence emission spectra reveal that Asian cryoconite is dominated by multiple cyanobacterial lineages possessing phycoerythrin, a green light-harvesting component for photosynthesis. In contrast, Polar cryoconite is dominated by a single cyanobacterial species Phormidesmis priestleyi that does not possess phycoerythrin. These findings suggest that the assemblage of cryoconite bacterial communities respond to regional- or glacier-specific physicochemical conditions, such as the availability of nutrients (e.g., nitrate and dissolved organic carbon) and light (i.e., incident shortwave radiation). CONCLUSIONS Our genome-resolved metagenomics provides the first characterization of the taxonomic and metabolic diversities of cryoconite from contrasting geographical areas, highlighted by the distinct light-harvesting approaches of Cyanobacteria and nitrogen utilization between Polar and Asian cryoconite, and implies the existence of environmental controls on the assemblage of cryoconite communities. These findings deepen our understanding of the biodiversity and biogeochemical cycles of glacier ecosystems, which are susceptible to ongoing climate change and glacier decline, on a global scale. Video abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takumi Murakami
- Department of Informatics, National Institute of Genetics, Shizuoka, Japan
- Advanced Genomics Center, National Institute of Genetics, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Nozomu Takeuchi
- Department of Earth Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Mori
- Department of Informatics, National Institute of Genetics, Shizuoka, Japan
- Advanced Genomics Center, National Institute of Genetics, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Yuu Hirose
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Life Science, Toyohashi University of Technology, Aichi, Japan
| | - Arwyn Edwards
- Institute of Biological, Environmental & Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK
| | - Tristram Irvine-Fynn
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK
| | - Zhongqin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences/Tien Shan Glaciological Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Satoshi Ishii
- Department of Soil, Water and Climate, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN USA
- BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN USA
| | - Takahiro Segawa
- Center for Life Science Research, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
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Abstract
The glaciers in China have an important role as one of the most climate-sensitive constituents of the Tibetan Plateau which is known as the Asian Water Tower. Although the cryosphere is one of the most extreme environments for organisms, the soils of the glacier foreland harbor surprisingly rich microbiomes. A large amount of accelerated glacier retreat accompanied by global warming will not only raise the sea level, but it will also lead to the massive release of a considerable amount of carbon stored in these glaciers. The responses of glacier microbiomes could alter the biogeochemical cycle of carbon and have a complex impact on climate change. Thus, understanding present-day and future glacier microbiome changes is crucial to assess the feedback on climate change and the impacts on ecosystems. To this end, we discuss here the diversity and biogeochemical functions of the microbiomes in Chinese mountain glacier ecosystems.
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Buda J, Poniecka EA, Rozwalak P, Ambrosini R, Bagshaw EA, Franzetti A, Klimaszyk P, Nawrot A, Pietryka M, Richter D, Zawierucha K. Is Oxygenation Related to the Decomposition of Organic Matter in Cryoconite Holes? Ecosystems 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-021-00729-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
AbstractCryoconite is a sediment occurring on glacier surfaces worldwide which reduces ice albedo and concentrates glacier surface meltwater into small reservoirs called cryoconite holes. It consists of mineral and biogenic matter, including active microorganisms. This study presents an experimental insight into the influence of sediment oxygenation on the cryoconite ability to produce and decomposition of organic matter. Samples were collected from five glaciers in the Arctic and the European mainland. Cryoconite from three glaciers was incubated in stagnant and mechanically mixed conditions to imitate inter-hole water–sediment mixing by meltwater occurring on glaciers in Northern Hemisphere, and its effect on oxygen profiles and organic matter content. Moreover, we investigated short-term changes of oxygen conditions in cryoconite from four glaciers in illuminated and dark conditions. An anaerobic zone was present or approaching zero oxygen in all illuminated cryoconite samples, varying in depth depending on the origin of cryoconite: from 1500 µm from Steindalsbreen (Scandinavian Peninsula) and Forni Glacier (The Alps) to 3100 µm from Russell Glacier and Longyearbreen (Arctic) after incubation. Organic matter content varied between glaciers from 6.11% on Longyearbreen to 16.36% on Russell Glacier. The mixed sediment from the Forni Glacier had less organic matter than stagnant, the sediment from Longyearbreen followed this trend, but the difference was not statistically significant, while the sediment from Ebenferner did not differ between groups. Our results have implications for the understanding of biogeochemical processes on glacier surfaces, the adaptation of organisms to changing physical conditions due to abrupt sediment mixing, but also on the estimation of productivity of supraglacial systems.
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Liu J, Kong W, Xia P, Zhu C, Li X. Prokaryotic Community Succession in Bulk and Rhizosphere Soils Along a High-Elevation Glacier Retreat Chronosequence on the Tibetan Plateau. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:736407. [PMID: 34690976 PMCID: PMC8531754 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.736407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Early colonization and succession of soil microbial communities are essential for soil development and nutrient accumulation. Herein we focused on the changes in pioneer prokaryotic communities in rhizosphere and bulk soils along the high-elevation glacier retreat chronosequence, the northern Himalayas, Tibetan Plateau. Rhizosphere soils showed substantially higher levels of total organic carbon, total nitrogen, ammonium, and nitrate than bulk soils. The dominant prokaryotes were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, Crenarchaeota, Bacteroidetes, and Planctomycetes, which totally accounted for more than 75% in relative abundance. The dominant genus Candidatus Nitrososphaera occurred at each stage of the microbial succession. The richness and evenness of soil prokaryotes displayed mild succession along chronosequene. Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) analysis demonstrated that Proteobacteria (especially Alphaproteobacteria) and Actinobacteria were significantly enriched in rhizosphere soils compared with bulk soils. Actinobacteria, SHA_109, and Thermoleophilia; Betaproteobacteria and OP1.MSBL6; and Planctomycetia and Verrucomicrobia were separately enriched at each of the three sample sites. The compositions of prokaryotic communities were substantially changed with bulk and rhizosphere soils and sampling sites, indicating that the communities were dominantly driven by plants and habitat-specific effects in the deglaciated soils. Additionally, the distance to the glacier terminus also played a significant role in driving the change of prokaryotic communities in both bulk and rhizosphere soils. Soil C/N ratio exhibited a greater effect on prokaryotic communities in bulk soils than rhizosphere soils. These results indicate that plants, habitat, and glacier retreat chronosequence collectively control prokaryotic community composition and succession.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinbo Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.,Academician (Expert) Workstation of Sichuan Province, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Alpine Ecology, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Weidong Kong
- Key Laboratory of Alpine Ecology, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Pinhua Xia
- Guizhou Key Laboratory for Mountainous Environmental Information and Ecological Protection, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, China
| | - Chunmao Zhu
- Research Institute for Global Change, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokohama, Japan
| | - Xiangzhen Li
- Key Laboratory of Environmental and Applied Microbiology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
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11
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Dindhoria K, Kumar S, Kumar R. Taxonomic and functional analysis of proglacial water bodies of Triloknath glacier ecosystem from North-Western Himalayas. ECOL INFORM 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2021.101365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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12
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Irvine-Fynn TDL, Edwards A, Stevens IT, Mitchell AC, Bunting P, Box JE, Cameron KA, Cook JM, Naegeli K, Rassner SME, Ryan JC, Stibal M, Williamson CJ, Hubbard A. Storage and export of microbial biomass across the western Greenland Ice Sheet. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3960. [PMID: 34172727 PMCID: PMC8233322 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24040-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The Greenland Ice Sheet harbours a wealth of microbial life, yet the total biomass stored or exported from its surface to downstream environments is unconstrained. Here, we quantify microbial abundance and cellular biomass flux within the near-surface weathering crust photic zone of the western sector of the ice sheet. Using groundwater techniques, we demonstrate that interstitial water flow is slow (~10−2 m d−1), while flow cytometry enumeration reveals this pathway delivers 5 × 108 cells m−2 d−1 to supraglacial streams, equivalent to a carbon flux up to 250 g km−2 d−1. We infer that cellular carbon accumulation in the weathering crust exceeds fluvial export, promoting biomass sequestration, enhanced carbon cycling, and biological albedo reduction. We estimate that up to 37 kg km−2 of cellular carbon is flushed from the weathering crust environment of the western Greenland Ice Sheet each summer, providing an appreciable flux to support heterotrophs and methanogenesis at the bed. Microbes that colonise ice sheet surfaces are important to the carbon cycle, but their biomass and transport remains unquantified. Here, the authors reveal substantial microbial carbon fluxes across Greenland’s ice surface, in quantities that may sustain subglacial heterotrophs and fuel methanogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- T D L Irvine-Fynn
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK.
| | - A Edwards
- Institute of Biological Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK
| | - I T Stevens
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK.,School of Geography, Politics and Sociology, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK.,Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - A C Mitchell
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK
| | - P Bunting
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK
| | - J E Box
- Department of Glaciology and Climate, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - K A Cameron
- Institute of Biological Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK.,Department of Glaciology and Climate, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Copenhagen, Denmark.,School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - J M Cook
- Institute of Biological Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK.,Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej, Roskilde, Denmark.,Department of Geography, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - K Naegeli
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK.,Institute of Geography and Oeschger Center for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - S M E Rassner
- Institute of Biological Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK
| | - J C Ryan
- Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - M Stibal
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - C J Williamson
- Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - A Hubbard
- Centre for Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate, Department of Geosciences, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.,Geography Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
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13
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Segawa T, Takeuchi N, Mori H, Rathnayake RMLD, Li Z, Akiyoshi A, Satoh H, Ishii S. Redox stratification within cryoconite granules influences the nitrogen cycle on glaciers. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2021; 96:5912832. [PMID: 32990745 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiaa199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryoconite granules are naturally occurring microbial structures on glacier surfaces worldwide. They play a key role in carbon and nitrogen cycling in glacier ecosystems and can accelerate the melting of snow and ice. However, detailed mechanism of nitrogen cycling in cryoconite granules remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that redox stratification affects the spatial distribution of N cycling processes in cryoconite granules. Based on microsensor measurements for O2, NH4+, NO2- and NO3-, we identified the presence of fine-scale redox stratification within cryoconite granules. Cyanobacteria at the surface layer of the granules created oxic conditions, whereas the inner core of the granules was anoxic. Metatranscriptomic analyses indicated the active occurrences of nitrification in the inner core, whereas denitrification actively occurred both in the inner core and the surface layer of the granules. Cyanobacteria in the inner core of the granules were inactive, and likely dead and being degraded, providing carbon and nitrogen to support nitrifiers and denitrifiers. Quantities of nitrification genes/transcripts were greater in large cryoconite granules than small ones, most likely because nitrogen substrates were more abundantly present in the inner core of large granules due to distinct redox stratification. Our results suggest that the development of a granular structure of cryoconite granules can largely affect carbon and nitrogen cycling on glaciers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Segawa
- Center for Life Science Research, University of Yamanashi, 1110 Shimokato, Chuo, Yamanashi 409-3898, Japan
| | - Nozomu Takeuchi
- Department of Earth Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi-cho, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8522, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Mori
- Department of Informatics, National Institute of Genetics, 1111 Yata, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - Rathnayake M L D Rathnayake
- Division of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, North-13, West-8, Sapporo 060-8628, Japan
| | - Zhongqin Li
- Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and National Resources/Tianshan Glaciological Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, China
| | - Ayumi Akiyoshi
- National Institute of Polar Research, 10-3 Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo 190-8518, Japan
| | - Hisashi Satoh
- Division of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, North-13, West-8, Sapporo 060-8628, Japan
| | - Satoshi Ishii
- Department of Soil, Water and Climate, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55108, USA.,BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55108, USA
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14
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Contrasting Patterns of Microbial Communities in Glacier Cryoconite of Nepali Himalaya and Greenland, Arctic. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12166477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
To understand the microbial composition and diversity patterns, cryoconite granules were collected from two geographical areas, i.e., Nepali Himalaya and Greenland, Arctic. 16S rRNA, ITS and the D1/D2 domain sequencing techniques were used for characterization of microbial communities of the four glaciers. The total 13 species of bacteria such as Bacillus aryabhattai, Bacillus simplex, Brevundimonas vesicularis, Cryobacterium luteum, Cryobacterium psychrotolerans, Dermacoccus nishinomiyaensis, Glaciihabitans tibetensis, Leifsonia kafniensis, Paracoccus limosus, Polaromonas glacialis, Sporosarcina globispora, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Variovorax ginsengisoli, and 4 species of fungi such as Goffeauzyma gilvescens, Mrakia robertii, Dothideomycetes sp., Helotiales sp. were recorded from Nepali Himalaya. Among these, 12 species of bacteria and 4 species of fungi are new contributions to Himalaya. In contrast to this, six species of bacteria such as Bacillus cereus, Cryobacterium psychrotolerans, Dermacoccus nishinomiyaensis, Enhydrobacter aerosaccus, Glaciihabitans tibetensis, Subtercola frigoramans, and nine species of fungi such as Goffeauzyma gilvescens, Mrakia robertii, Naganishia vaughanmartiniae, Piskurozyma fildesensis, Rhodotorula svalbardensis, Alatospora acuminata, Articulospora sp., Phialophora sp., Thelebolus microspores, and Dothideomycetes sp.), were recorded from Qaanaaq, Isunnguata Sermia and Thule glaciers, Greenland. Among these, five species of bacteria and seven species of fungi are new contributions to Greenland cryoconite. Microbial analyses indicate that the Nepali Himalayan cryoconite colonize higher numbers of microbial species compared to the Greenland cryoconite.
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15
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Tai X, Li R, Zhang B, Yu H, Kong X, Bai Z, Deng Y, Jia L, Jin D. Pollution Gradients Altered the Bacterial Community Composition and Stochastic Process of Rural Polluted Ponds. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8020311. [PMID: 32102406 PMCID: PMC7074964 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8020311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Revised: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the effects of pollution on ecological communities and the underlying mechanisms that drive them will helpful for selecting a method to mediate polluted ecosystems. Quantifying the relative importance of deterministic and stochastic processes is a very important issue in ecology. However, little is known about their effects on the succession of microbial communities in different pollution levels rural ponds. Also, the processes that govern bacterial communities in polluted ponds are poorly understood. In this study, the microbial communities in water and sediment from the ponds were investigated by using the 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing technology. Meanwhile, we used null model analyses based on a taxonomic and phylogenetic metrics approach to test the microbial community assembly processes. Pollution levels were found to significantly alter the community composition and diversity of bacteria. In the sediment samples, the bacterial diversity indices decreased with increasing pollutant levels. Between-community analysis revealed that community assembly processes among water and sediment samples stochastic ratio both gradually decreased with the increased pollution levels, indicating a potential deterministic environmental filtering that is elicited by pollution. Our results identified assemblage drivers of bacterial community is important for improving the efficacies of ecological evaluation and remediation for contaminated freshwater systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Tai
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Liaoning Technical University, Fuxin 123000, China;
- CAS Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; (R.L.); (B.Z.); (Z.B.); (Y.D.)
| | - Rui Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; (R.L.); (B.Z.); (Z.B.); (Y.D.)
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Bao Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; (R.L.); (B.Z.); (Z.B.); (Y.D.)
- School of Civil Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050, China
| | - Hao Yu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Liaoning Technical University, Fuxin 123000, China;
- CAS Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; (R.L.); (B.Z.); (Z.B.); (Y.D.)
- Correspondence: (H.Y.); (D.J.); Tel.: +86-183-4184-9989 (H.Y.); +86-152-1009-8966 (D.J.)
| | - Xiao Kong
- School of Health and Public, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China;
| | - Zhihui Bai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; (R.L.); (B.Z.); (Z.B.); (Y.D.)
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ye Deng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; (R.L.); (B.Z.); (Z.B.); (Y.D.)
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lan Jia
- Research Institute of Mineral Resources Development and Utilization Technology and Equipment, Liaoning Technical University, Fuxin 123000, China;
| | - Decai Jin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; (R.L.); (B.Z.); (Z.B.); (Y.D.)
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Correspondence: (H.Y.); (D.J.); Tel.: +86-183-4184-9989 (H.Y.); +86-152-1009-8966 (D.J.)
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16
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Valdespino-Castillo PM, Cerqueda-García D, Espinosa AC, Batista S, Merino-Ibarra M, Taş N, Alcántara-Hernández RJ, Falcón LI. Microbial distribution and turnover in Antarctic microbial mats highlight the relevance of heterotrophic bacteria in low-nutrient environments. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2019; 94:5047302. [PMID: 29982398 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiy129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Maritime Antarctica has shown the highest increase in temperature in the Southern Hemisphere. Under this scenario, biogeochemical cycles may be altered, resulting in rapid environmental change for Antarctic biota. Microbes that drive biogeochemical cycles often form biofilms or microbial mats in continental meltwater environments. Limnetic microbial mats from the Fildes Peninsula were studied using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Mat samples were collected from 15 meltwater stream sites, comprising a natural gradient from ultraoligotrophic glacier flows to meltwater streams exposed to anthropogenic activities. Our analyses show that microbial community structure differences between mats are explained by environmental NH4+, NO3-, DIN, soluble reactive silicon and conductivity. Microbial mats living under ultraoligotrophic meltwater conditions did not exhibit a dominance of cyanobacterial photoautotrophs, as has been documented for other Antarctic limnetic microbial mats. Instead, ultraoligotrophic mat communities were characterized by the presence of microbes recognized as heterotrophs and photoheterotrophs. This suggests that microbial capabilities for recycling organic matter may be a key factor to dwell in ultra-low nutrient conditions. Our analyses show that phylotype level assemblages exhibit coupled distribution patterns in environmental oligotrophic inland waters. The evaluation of these microbes suggests the relevance of reproductive and structural strategies to pioneer these psychrophilic ultraoligotrophic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel Cerqueda-García
- Laboratorio de Ecología Bacteriana, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, CDMX, 04510, Mexico
| | - Ana Cecilia Espinosa
- LANCIS, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, CDMX, 04510, Mexico
| | - Silvia Batista
- Unidad de Microbiología Molecular, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Montevideo, 11600, Uruguay
| | - Martín Merino-Ibarra
- Unidad Académica de Ecología y Biodiversidad Acuática, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, CDMX, 04510, Mexico
| | - Neslihan Taş
- Earth and Environmental Sciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, US
| | | | - Luisa I Falcón
- Laboratorio de Ecología Bacteriana, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, CDMX, 04510, Mexico
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17
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Kong W, Liu J, Ji M, Yue L, Kang S, Morgan-Kiss RM. Autotrophic microbial community succession from glacier terminus to downstream waters on the Tibetan Plateau. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2019; 95:5498296. [DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiz074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Weidong Kong
- Key Laboratory of Alpine Ecology and Biodiversity, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, P.R. China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China
| | - Jinbo Liu
- Key Laboratory of Alpine Ecology and Biodiversity, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, P.R. China
- Department of Microbiology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Mukan Ji
- Key Laboratory of Alpine Ecology and Biodiversity, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, P.R. China
| | - Linyan Yue
- Key Laboratory of Alpine Ecology and Biodiversity, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, P.R. China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China
| | - Shichang Kang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, P.R. China
| | - Rachael M Morgan-Kiss
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, P.R. China
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18
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Sanyal A, Antony R, Samui G, Thamban M. Microbial communities and their potential for degradation of dissolved organic carbon in cryoconite hole environments of Himalaya and Antarctica. Microbiol Res 2018; 208:32-42. [PMID: 29551210 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2018.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2017] [Revised: 01/04/2018] [Accepted: 01/13/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Cryoconite holes (cylindrical melt-holes on the glacier surface) are important hydrological and biological systems within glacial environments that support diverse microbial communities and biogeochemical processes. This study describes retrievable heterotrophic microbes in cryoconite hole water from three geographically distinct sites in Antarctica, and a Himalayan glacier, along with their potential to degrade organic compounds found in these environments. Microcosm experiments (22 days) show that 13-60% of the dissolved organic carbon in the water within cryoconite holes is bio-available to resident microbes. Biodegradation tests of organic compounds such as lactate, acetate, formate, propionate and oxalate that are present in cryoconite hole water show that microbes have good potential to metabolize the compounds tested. Substrate utilization tests on Biolog Ecoplate show that microbial communities in the Himalayan samples are able to oxidize a diverse array of organic substrates including carbohydrates, carboxylic acids, amino acids, amines/amides and polymers, while Antarctic communities generally utilized complex polymers. In addition, as determined by the extracellular enzyme activities, majority of the microbes (82%, total of 355) isolated in this study (Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Basidiomycota) had ability to degrade a variety of compounds such as proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, cellulose and lignin that are documented to be present within cryoconite holes. Thus, microbial communities have good potential to metabolize organic compounds found in the cryoconite hole environment, thereby influencing the water chemistry in these holes. Moreover, microbes exported downstream during melting and flushing of cryoconite holes may participate in carbon cycling processes in recipient ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aritri Sanyal
- ESSO-National centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Headland Sada, Vasco-Da-Gama, Goa 403804, India
| | - Runa Antony
- ESSO-National centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Headland Sada, Vasco-Da-Gama, Goa 403804, India.
| | - Gautami Samui
- ESSO-National centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Headland Sada, Vasco-Da-Gama, Goa 403804, India
| | - Meloth Thamban
- ESSO-National centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Headland Sada, Vasco-Da-Gama, Goa 403804, India
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19
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Weiland-Bräuer N, Fischer MA, Schramm KW, Schmitz RA. Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB)-Degrading Potential of Microbes Present in a Cryoconite of Jamtalferner Glacier. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1105. [PMID: 28663747 PMCID: PMC5471330 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Aiming to comprehensively survey the potential pollution of an alpine cryoconite (Jamtalferner glacier, Austria), and its bacterial community structure along with its biodegrading potential, first chemical analyses of persistent organic pollutants, explicitly polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) as well as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), revealed a significant contamination. In total, 18 PCB congeners were detected by high resolution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry with a mean concentration of 0.8 ng/g dry weight; 16 PAHs with an average concentration of 1,400 ng/g; and 26 out of 29 OCPs with a mean concentration of 2.4 ng/g. Second, the microbial composition was studied using 16S amplicon sequencing. The analysis revealed high abundances of Proteobacteria (66%), the majority representing α-Proteobacteria (87%); as well as Cyanobacteria (32%), however high diversity was due to 11 low abundant phyla comprising 75 genera. Biodegrading potential of cryoconite bacteria was further analyzed using enrichment cultures (microcosms) with PCB mixture Aroclor 1242. 16S rDNA analysis taxonomically classified 37 different biofilm-forming and PCB-degrading bacteria, represented by Pseudomonas, Shigella, Subtercola, Chitinophaga, and Janthinobacterium species. Overall, the combination of culture-dependent and culture-independent methods identified degrading bacteria that can be potential candidates to develop novel bioremediation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Weiland-Bräuer
- Institute for General Microbiology, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu KielKiel, Germany
| | - Martin A. Fischer
- Institute for General Microbiology, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu KielKiel, Germany
| | - Karl-Werner Schramm
- Molecular EXposomics, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbHNeuherberg, Germany
| | - Ruth A. Schmitz
- Institute for General Microbiology, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu KielKiel, Germany
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20
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Cameron KA, Stibal M, Chrismas N, Box J, Jacobsen CS. Nitrate addition has minimal short-term impacts on greenland ice sheet supraglacial prokaryotes. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2017; 9:144-150. [PMID: 27943630 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Tropospheric nitrate levels are predicted to increase throughout the 21st century, with potential effects on terrestrial ecosystems, including the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS). This study considers the impacts of elevated nitrate concentrations on the abundance and composition of dominant bulk and active prokaryotic communities sampled from in situ nitrate fertilization plots on the GrIS surface. Nitrate concentrations were successfully elevated within sediment-filled meltwater pools, known as cryoconite holes; however, nitrate additions applied to surface ice did not persist. Estimated bulk and active cryoconite community cell abundance was unaltered by nitrate additions when compared to control holes using a quantitative PCR approach, and nitrate was found to have a minimal affect on the dominant 16S rRNA gene-based community composition. Together, these results indicate that sampled cryoconite communities were not nitrate limited at the time of sampling. Instead, temporal changes in biomass and community composition were more pronounced. As these in situ incubations were short (6 weeks), and the community composition across GrIS surface ice is highly variable, we suggest that further efforts should be considered to investigate the potential long-term impacts of increased nitrate across the GrIS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen A Cameron
- Department of Geochemistry, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Institute of Biological, Environmental & Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Penglais, Aberystwyth, SY23 3FL, UK
| | - Marek Stibal
- Department of Geochemistry, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Ecology Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague, 128 43, Czech Republic
| | - Nathan Chrismas
- Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, University Road, Bristol, BS8 1SS, UK
| | - Jason Box
- Department of Glaciology and Climate, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Øster Voldgade 10, Copenhagen, DK-1350, Denmark
| | - Carsten S Jacobsen
- Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, Roskilde, DK-4000, Denmark
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21
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Franzetti A, Navarra F, Tagliaferri I, Gandolfi I, Bestetti G, Minora U, Azzoni RS, Diolaiuti G, Smiraglia C, Ambrosini R. Potential sources of bacteria colonizing the cryoconite of an Alpine glacier. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0174786. [PMID: 28358872 PMCID: PMC5373619 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated the potential contribution of ice-marginal environments to the microbial communities of cryoconite holes, small depressions filled with meltwater that form on the surface of Forni Glacier (Italian Alps). Cryoconite holes are considered the most biologically active environments on glaciers. Bacteria can colonize these environments by short-range transport from ice-marginal environments or by long-range transport from distant areas. We used high throughput DNA sequencing to identify Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) present in cryoconite holes and three ice-marginal environments, the moraines, the glacier forefield, and a large (> 3 m high) ice-cored dirt cone occurring on the glacier surface. Bacterial communities of cryoconite holes were different from those of ice-marginal environments and hosted fewer OTUs. However, a network analysis revealed that the cryoconite holes shared more OTUs with the moraines and the dirt cone than with the glacier forefield. Ice-marginal environments may therefore act as sources of bacteria for cryoconite holes, but differences in environmental conditions limit the number of bacterial strains that may survive in them. At the same time, cryoconite holes host a few OTUs that were not found in any ice-marginal environment we sampled, thus suggesting that some bacterial populations are positively selected by the specific environmental conditions of the cryoconite holes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Franzetti
- Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT) - University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Federico Navarra
- Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT) - University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Ilario Tagliaferri
- Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT) - University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Isabella Gandolfi
- Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT) - University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Bestetti
- Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT) - University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Umberto Minora
- “A. Desio” Dept. of Earth Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | | | | | - Claudio Smiraglia
- “A. Desio” Dept. of Earth Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Roberto Ambrosini
- Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT) - University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
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Hoffman PF. Cryoconite pans on Snowball Earth: supraglacial oases for Cryogenian eukaryotes? GEOBIOLOGY 2016; 14:531-542. [PMID: 27422766 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Accepted: 04/29/2016] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Geochemical, paleomagnetic, and geochronological data increasingly support the Snowball Earth hypothesis for Cryogenian glaciations. Yet, the fossil record reveals no clear-cut evolutionary bottleneck. Climate models and the modern cryobiosphere offer insights on this paradox. Recent modeling implies that Snowball continents never lacked ice-free areas. Wind-blown dust from these areas plus volcanic ash were trapped by snow on ice sheets and sea ice. At a Snowball onset, sea ice was too thin to flow and ablative ice was too cold for dust retention. After a few millenia, sea ice reached 100 s of meters in thickness and began to flow as a 'sea glacier' toward an equatorial ablation zone. At first, dust advected to the ablative surface was recycled by winds, but as the surface warmed with rising CO2 , dust aka cryoconite began to accumulate. As a sea glacier has no terminus, cryoconite saturated the surface. It absorbed solar radiation, supported cyanobacterial growth, and sank to an equilibrium depth forming holes and decameter-scale pans of meltwater. As meltwater production rose, drainages developed, connecting pans to moulins, where meltwater was flushed into the subglacial ocean. Flushing cleansed the surface, creating a stabilizing feedback. If the dust flux rose, cryoconite was removed; if the dust flux waned, cryoconite accumulated. In addition to cyanobacteria, modern cryoconite holes are inhabited by green algae, fungi, protists, and certain metazoans. On Snowball Earth, cryoconite pans provided stable interconnected habitats for eukaryotes tolerant of fresh to brackish cold water on an ablation surface 60 million km2 in area. Flushing and burial of organic matter was a potential source of atmospheric oxygen. Dominance of green algae among Ediacaran eukaryotic primary producers is a possible legacy of Cryogenian cryoconite pans, but a schizohaline ocean-supraglacial freshwater and subglacial brine-may have exerted selective stress on early metazoans, or impeded their evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- P F Hoffman
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
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Liu J, Kong W, Zhang G, Khan A, Guo G, Zhu C, Wei X, Kang S, Morgan-Kiss RM. Diversity and succession of autotrophic microbial community in high-elevation soils along deglaciation chronosequence. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2016; 92:fiw160. [PMID: 27465079 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiw160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Global warming has resulted in substantial glacier retreats in high-elevation areas, exposing deglaciated soils to harsh environmental conditions. Autotrophic microbes are pioneering colonizers in the deglaciated soils and provide nutrients to the extreme ecosystem devoid of vegetation. However, autotrophic communities remain less studied in deglaciated soils. We explored the diversity and succession of the cbbL gene encoding the large subunit of form I RubisCO, a key CO2-fixing enzyme, using molecular methods in deglaciated soils along a 10-year deglaciation chronosequence on the Tibetan Plateau. Our results demonstrated that the abundance of all types of form I cbbL (IA/B, IC and ID) rapidly increased in young soils (0-2.5 years old) and kept stable in old soils. Soil total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) gradually increased along the chronosequence and both demonstrated positive correlations with the abundance of bacteria and autotrophs, indicating that soil TOC and TN originated from autotrophs. Form IA/B autotrophs, affiliated with cyanobacteria, exhibited a substantially higher abundance than IC and ID. Cyanobacterial diversity and evenness increased in young soils (<6 years old) and then remained stable. Our findings suggest that cyabobacteria play an important role in accumulating TOC and TN in the deglaciated soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinbo Liu
- Key Laboratory of Alpine Ecology and Biodiversity, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Building 3, Courtyard 16, Lincui Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Weidong Kong
- Key Laboratory of Alpine Ecology and Biodiversity, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Building 3, Courtyard 16, Lincui Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Guoshuai Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environmental Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Building 3, Courtyard 16, Lincui Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Ajmal Khan
- Key Laboratory of Alpine Ecology and Biodiversity, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Building 3, Courtyard 16, Lincui Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Guangxia Guo
- Key Laboratory of Alpine Ecology and Biodiversity, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Building 3, Courtyard 16, Lincui Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Chunmao Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Alpine Ecology and Biodiversity, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Building 3, Courtyard 16, Lincui Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiaojie Wei
- Key Laboratory of Alpine Ecology and Biodiversity, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Building 3, Courtyard 16, Lincui Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Shichang Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, CAS, Beijing 100101, China
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24
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Cameron KA, Stibal M, Zarsky JD, Gözdereliler E, Schostag M, Jacobsen CS. Supraglacial bacterial community structures vary across the Greenland ice sheet. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2015; 92:fiv164. [PMID: 26691594 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiv164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The composition and spatial variability of microbial communities that reside within the extensive (>200 000 km(2)) biologically active area encompassing the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) is hypothesized to be variable. We examined bacterial communities from cryoconite debris and surface ice across the GrIS, using sequence analysis and quantitative PCR of 16S rRNA genes from co-extracted DNA and RNA. Communities were found to differ across the ice sheet, with 82.8% of the total calculated variation attributed to spatial distribution on a scale of tens of kilometers separation. Amplicons related to Sphingobacteriaceae, Pseudanabaenaceae and WPS-2 accounted for the greatest portion of calculated dissimilarities. The bacterial communities of ice and cryoconite were moderately similar (global R = 0.360, P = 0.002) and the sampled surface type (ice versus cryoconite) did not contribute heavily towards community dissimilarities (2.3% of total variability calculated). The majority of dissimilarities found between cryoconite 16S rRNA gene amplicons from DNA and RNA was calculated to be the result of changes in three taxa, Pseudanabaenaceae, Sphingobacteriaceae and WPS-2, which together contributed towards 80.8 ± 12.6% of dissimilarities between samples. Bacterial communities across the GrIS are spatially variable active communities that are likely influenced by localized biological inputs and physicochemical conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen A Cameron
- Department of Geochemistry, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marek Stibal
- Department of Geochemistry, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark Department of Ecology, Charles University in Prague, 128 43 Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub D Zarsky
- Department of Ecology, Charles University in Prague, 128 43 Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | - Erkin Gözdereliler
- Department of Geochemistry, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Morten Schostag
- Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Carsten S Jacobsen
- Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
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Musilova M, Tranter M, Bennett SA, Wadham J, Anesio AM. Stable microbial community composition on the Greenland Ice Sheet. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:193. [PMID: 25852658 PMCID: PMC4367435 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2014] [Accepted: 02/23/2015] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The first molecular-based studies of microbes in snow and on glaciers have only recently been performed on the vast Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS). Aeolian microbial seeding is hypothesized to impact on glacier surface community compositions. Localized melting of glacier debris (cryoconite) into the surface ice forms cryoconite holes, which are considered ‘hot spots’ for microbial activity on glaciers. To date, few studies have attempted to assess the origin and evolution of cryoconite and cryoconite hole communities throughout a melt season. In this study, a range of experimental approaches was used for the first time to study the inputs, temporal and structural transformations of GrIS microbial communities over the course of a whole ablation season. Small amounts of aeolian (wind and snow) microbes were potentially seeding the stable communities that were already present on the glacier (composed mainly of Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and Actinobacteria). However, the dominant bacterial taxa in the aeolian samples (Firmicutes) did not establish themselves in local glacier surface communities. Cryoconite and cryoconite hole community composition remained stable throughout the ablation season following the fast community turnover, which accompanied the initial snow melt. The presence of stable communities in cryoconite and cryoconite holes on the GrIS will allow future studies to assess glacier surface microbial diversity at individual study sites from sampling intervals of short duration only. Aeolian inputs also had significantly different organic δ13C values (-28.0 to -27.0‰) from the glacier surface values (-25.7 to -23.6‰), indicating that in situ microbial processes are important in fixing new organic matter and transforming aeolian organic carbon. The continuous productivity of stable communities over one melt season makes them important contributors to biogeochemical nutrient cycling on glaciers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martyn Tranter
- School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol UK
| | - Sarah A Bennett
- NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory, British Geological Survey Nottingham, UK
| | - Jemma Wadham
- School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol UK
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26
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Segawa T, Ishii S, Ohte N, Akiyoshi A, Yamada A, Maruyama F, Li Z, Hongoh Y, Takeuchi N. The nitrogen cycle in cryoconites: naturally occurring nitrification-denitrification granules on a glacier. Environ Microbiol 2014; 16:3250-62. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.12543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2013] [Accepted: 06/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Segawa
- National Institute of Polar Research; Tokyo Japan
- Transdisciplinary Research Integration Center; Tokyo Japan
| | - Satoshi Ishii
- Division of Environmental Engineering; Hokkaido University; Sapporo Japan
| | - Nobuhito Ohte
- Laboratory of Forest Hydrology and Erosion Control Engineering; Department of Forest Science; Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences; The University of Tokyo; Tokyo Japan
| | - Ayumi Akiyoshi
- National Institute of Polar Research; Tokyo Japan
- Transdisciplinary Research Integration Center; Tokyo Japan
| | - Akinori Yamada
- Department of Biological Sciences; Tokyo Institute of Technology; Tokyo Japan
- Graduate School of Fisheries Science and Environmental Studies; Nagasaki University; Nagasaki Japan
| | - Fumito Maruyama
- Department of Microbiology; Graduate School of Medicine; Kyoto University; Kyoto Japan
| | - Zhongqin Li
- Laboratory of Cryosphere and Environment/Tien Shan Glaciological Station; Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Lanzhou China
| | - Yuichi Hongoh
- Department of Biological Sciences; Tokyo Institute of Technology; Tokyo Japan
| | - Nozomu Takeuchi
- Department of Earth Sciences; Graduate School of Science; Chiba University; Chiba Japan
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27
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Cowan DA, Makhalanyane TP, Dennis PG, Hopkins DW. Microbial ecology and biogeochemistry of continental Antarctic soils. Front Microbiol 2014; 5:154. [PMID: 24782842 PMCID: PMC3988359 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2014] [Accepted: 03/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Antarctica Dry Valleys are regarded as the coldest hyperarid desert system on Earth. While a wide variety of environmental stressors including very low minimum temperatures, frequent freeze-thaw cycles and low water availability impose severe limitations to life, suitable niches for abundant microbial colonization exist. Antarctic desert soils contain much higher levels of microbial diversity than previously thought. Edaphic niches, including cryptic and refuge habitats, microbial mats and permafrost soils all harbor microbial communities which drive key biogeochemical cycling processes. For example, lithobionts (hypoliths and endoliths) possess a genetic capacity for nitrogen and carbon cycling, polymer degradation, and other system processes. Nitrogen fixation rates of hypoliths, as assessed through acetylene reduction assays, suggest that these communities are a significant input source for nitrogen into these oligotrophic soils. Here we review aspects of microbial diversity in Antarctic soils with an emphasis on functionality and capacity. We assess current knowledge regarding adaptations to Antarctic soil environments and highlight the current threats to Antarctic desert soil communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Don A Cowan
- Department of Genetics, Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genetics, University of Pretoria Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Thulani P Makhalanyane
- Department of Genetics, Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genetics, University of Pretoria Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Paul G Dennis
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - David W Hopkins
- School of Life Sciences, Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh, UK
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28
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Edwards A, Mur LA, Girdwood SE, Anesio AM, Stibal M, Rassner SM, Hell K, Pachebat JA, Post B, Bussell JS, Cameron SJ, Griffith GW, Hodson AJ, Sattler B. Coupled cryoconite ecosystem structure-function relationships are revealed by comparing bacterial communities in alpine and Arctic glaciers. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2014; 89:222-37. [DOI: 10.1111/1574-6941.12283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2013] [Revised: 12/23/2013] [Accepted: 01/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Arwyn Edwards
- Institute of Biological, Rural and Environmental Sciences; Aberystwyth University; Aberystwyth UK
| | - Luis A.J. Mur
- Institute of Biological, Rural and Environmental Sciences; Aberystwyth University; Aberystwyth UK
| | - Susan E. Girdwood
- Institute of Biological, Rural and Environmental Sciences; Aberystwyth University; Aberystwyth UK
| | - Alexandre M. Anesio
- Bristol Glaciology Centre; School of Geographical Sciences; University of Bristol; Bristol UK
| | - Marek Stibal
- Department of Geochemistry; Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland; University of Copenhagen; Copenhagen Denmark
- Centre for Permafrost; University of Copenhagen; Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Sara M.E. Rassner
- Institute of Biological, Rural and Environmental Sciences; Aberystwyth University; Aberystwyth UK
| | - Katherina Hell
- Institute of Ecology and Austrian Institute of Polar Research; University of Innsbruck; Innsbruck Austria
| | - Justin A. Pachebat
- Institute of Biological, Rural and Environmental Sciences; Aberystwyth University; Aberystwyth UK
| | - Barbara Post
- Institute of Ecology and Austrian Institute of Polar Research; University of Innsbruck; Innsbruck Austria
| | - Jennifer S. Bussell
- Institute of Biological, Rural and Environmental Sciences; Aberystwyth University; Aberystwyth UK
| | - Simon J.S. Cameron
- Institute of Biological, Rural and Environmental Sciences; Aberystwyth University; Aberystwyth UK
| | - Gareth Wyn Griffith
- Institute of Biological, Rural and Environmental Sciences; Aberystwyth University; Aberystwyth UK
| | | | - Birgit Sattler
- Institute of Ecology and Austrian Institute of Polar Research; University of Innsbruck; Innsbruck Austria
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29
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Hell K, Edwards A, Zarsky J, Podmirseg SM, Girdwood S, Pachebat JA, Insam H, Sattler B. The dynamic bacterial communities of a melting High Arctic glacier snowpack. ISME JOURNAL 2013; 7:1814-26. [PMID: 23552623 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2013.51] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2012] [Revised: 02/15/2013] [Accepted: 02/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Snow environments can occupy over a third of land surface area, but little is known about the dynamics of snowpack bacteria. The effect of snow melt on bacterial community structure and diversity of surface environments of a Svalbard glacier was examined using analyses of 16S rRNA genes via T-RFLP, qPCR and 454 pyrosequencing. Distinct community structures were found in different habitat types, with changes over 1 week apparent, in particular for the dominant bacterial class present, Betaproteobacteria. The differences observed were consistent with influences from depositional mode (snowfall vs aeolian dusts), contrasting snow with dust-rich snow layers and near-surface ice. Contrary to that, slush as the decompositional product of snow harboured distinct lineages of bacteria, further implying post-depositional changes in community structure. Taxa affiliated to the betaproteobacterial genus Polaromonas were particularly dynamic, and evidence for the presence of betaproteobacterial ammonia-oxidizing bacteria was uncovered, inviting the prospect that the dynamic bacterial communities associated with snowpacks may be active in supraglacial nitrogen cycling and capable of rapid responses to changes induced by snowmelt. Furthermore the potential of supraglacial snowpack ecosystems to respond to transient yet spatially extensive melting episodes such as that observed across most of Greenland's ice sheet in 2012 merits further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherina Hell
- Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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