1
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Uribe-Redlich PA, Amenabar MJ, Dennett GV, Blamey JM. Astrobiological implications of the organic and inorganic cyanide utilization by a novel Antarctic hyperthermophilic Pyrococcus strain. Extremophiles 2024; 28:19. [PMID: 38427139 DOI: 10.1007/s00792-024-01335-5] [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: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Organic and inorganic cyanides are widely distributed in nature, yet not much is known about the ability of microorganisms to use these compounds as a source of nitrogen and/or carbon at high temperatures (>80 °C). Here we studied the capacity of organic and inorganic cyanides to support growth of an hyperthermophilic Pyrococcus strain isolated from Deception Island, Antarctica. This microorganism was capable of growing with aromatic nitriles, aliphatic nitriles, heterocyclic nitriles, amino aromatic nitriles and inorganic cyanides as nitrogen and/or carbon source. This is the first report of an hyperthermophilic microorganism able to incorporate these compounds in its nitrogen and carbon metabolism. Based on enzymatic activity and genomic information, it is possibly that cells of this Pyrococcus strain growing with nitriles or cyanide, might use the carboxylic acid and/or the ammonia generated through the nitrilase enzymatic activity, as a carbon and/or nitrogen source respectively. This work expands the temperature range at which microorganisms can use organic and inorganic cyanides to growth, having important implications to understand microbial metabolisms that can support life on Earth and the possibility to support life elsewhere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricio A Uribe-Redlich
- Fundación Científica y Cultural Biociencia, Santiago, Chile
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | | | | | - Jenny M Blamey
- Fundación Científica y Cultural Biociencia, Santiago, Chile.
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
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2
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Allioux M, Yvenou S, Merkel A, Cozannet M, Aubé J, Pommellec J, Le Romancer M, Lavastre V, Guillaume D, Alain K. A metagenomic insight into the microbiomes of geothermal springs in the Subantarctic Kerguelen Islands. Sci Rep 2022; 12:22243. [PMID: 36564496 PMCID: PMC9789041 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26299-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The Kerguelen Islands, located in the southern part of the Indian Ocean, are very isolated geographically. The microbial diversity and communities present on the island, especially associated to geothermal springs, have never been analyzed with high-throughput sequencing methods. In this article, we performed the first metagenomics analysis of microorganisms present in Kerguelen hot springs. From four hot springs, we assembled metagenomes and recovered 42 metagenome-assembled genomes, mostly associated with new putative taxa based on phylogenomic analyses and overall genome relatedness indices. The 42 MAGs were studied in detail and showed putative affiliations to 13 new genomic species and 6 new genera of Bacteria or Archaea according to GTDB. Functional potential of MAGs suggests the presence of thermophiles and hyperthermophiles, as well as heterotrophs and primary producers possibly involved in the sulfur cycle, notably in the oxidation of sulfur compounds. This paper focused on only four of the dozens of hot springs in the Kerguelen Islands and should be considered as a preliminary study of the microorganisms inhabiting the hot springs of these isolated islands. These results show that more efforts should be made towards characterization of Kerguelen Islands ecosystems, as they represent a reservoir of unknown microbial lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Allioux
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IFREMER, IRP 1211 MicrobSea, Unité Biologie et Ecologie des Ecosystèmes Marins Profonds BEEP, IUEM, Rue Dumont d'Urville, 29280, Plouzané, France
| | - Stéven Yvenou
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IFREMER, IRP 1211 MicrobSea, Unité Biologie et Ecologie des Ecosystèmes Marins Profonds BEEP, IUEM, Rue Dumont d'Urville, 29280, Plouzané, France
| | - Alexander Merkel
- , Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Marc Cozannet
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IFREMER, IRP 1211 MicrobSea, Unité Biologie et Ecologie des Ecosystèmes Marins Profonds BEEP, IUEM, Rue Dumont d'Urville, 29280, Plouzané, France
| | - Johanne Aubé
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IFREMER, IRP 1211 MicrobSea, Unité Biologie et Ecologie des Ecosystèmes Marins Profonds BEEP, IUEM, Rue Dumont d'Urville, 29280, Plouzané, France
| | - Jolann Pommellec
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IFREMER, IRP 1211 MicrobSea, Unité Biologie et Ecologie des Ecosystèmes Marins Profonds BEEP, IUEM, Rue Dumont d'Urville, 29280, Plouzané, France
| | - Marc Le Romancer
- UBO, UFR Sciences et Techniques, UR 7462, Laboratoire Géoarchitecture, Territoires, Urbanisation, Biodiversité, Environnement, Rennes, France
| | | | | | - Karine Alain
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IFREMER, IRP 1211 MicrobSea, Unité Biologie et Ecologie des Ecosystèmes Marins Profonds BEEP, IUEM, Rue Dumont d'Urville, 29280, Plouzané, France.
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3
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Chen Y, Zhu L, Bai P, Cui S, Xin Y, Zhang Y, Zhang J. Hymenobacter terricola sp. nov., isolated from Antarctic soil. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2022; 72. [DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.005205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Strain 3F2T was isolated from a soil sample obtained from the surface of Deception Island, Antarctica. The isolate was a Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile, rod-shaped bacterium, and its colonies were red to pink in colour. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain 3F2T belonged to the genus
Hymenobacter
, family
Hymenobacteraceae
and was most closely related to
Hymenobacter sedentarius
DG5BT (97.0% sequence similarity),
Hymenobacter soli
PB17T (96.9%),
Hymenobacter terrae
DG7AT (96.8%) and
Hymenobacter rufus
S1-2-2-6T (96.5%). Growth occurred at 4–20 °C (optimum, 10 °C), up to 1.0 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0%) and pH 6.0–8.0 (optimum, pH 7.0). The chemotaxonomic characteristics of strain 3F2T, which had MK-7 as its predominant menaquinone and summed feature 3 (C16:1
ω7c and/or C16:1
ω6c), iso-C15:0, anteiso-C15:0 and C16:1
ω5c as its major fatty acids, were consistent with classification in the genus
Hymenobacter
. The polar lipid profile of strain 3F2T comprised phosphatidylethanolamine, two unidentified aminolipids, two unidentified aminophospholipids and three unidentified polar lipids. The genome of strain 3F2T was 6.56 Mbp with a G+C content of 61.5 mol%. Average nucleotide identity (ANI) values between 3F2T and the other species of the genus
Hymenobacter
were found to be low (ANIm <87.0%, ANIb <82.0% and OrthoANIu <83.0%). Furthermore, digital DNA–DNA hybridization and average amino acid identity values between strain 3F2T and the closely related species ranged from 20.0 to 26.3% and from 64.0 to 81.1 %, respectively. Based on the results of our phylogenetic, phenotypic, genotypic and chemotaxonomic analyses, it is concluded that strain 3F2T represents a novel species within the genus
Hymenobacter
, for which the name Hymenobacter terricola sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 3F2T (=KCTC 72468T=CGMCC 1.13716T).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya Chen
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, PR China
| | - Lin Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, PR China
| | - Pengze Bai
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, PR China
| | - Siqi Cui
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, PR China
| | - Yuhua Xin
- China General Microbiological Culture Collection Center, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, PR China
| | - Jianli Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, PR China
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4
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Bendia AG, Lemos LN, Mendes LW, Signori CN, Bohannan BJM, Pellizari VH. Metabolic potential and survival strategies of microbial communities across extreme temperature gradients on Deception Island volcano, Antarctica. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:4054-4073. [PMID: 34245102 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Active volcanoes in Antarctica have remarkable temperature and geochemical gradients that could select for a wide variety of microbial adaptive mechanisms and metabolic pathways. Deception Island is a stratovolcano flooded by the sea, resulting in contrasting ecosystems such as permanent glaciers and active fumaroles, which creates steep gradients that have been shown to affect microbial diversity. In this study, we used shotgun metagenomics and metagenome-assembled genomes to explore the metabolic potentials and survival strategies of microbial communities along an extreme temperature gradient in fumarole and glacier sediments on Deception Island. We observed that communities from a 98 °C fumarole were significantly enriched in genes related to hyperthermophilic (e.g. reverse gyrase, GroEL/GroES and thermosome) and oxidative stress responses, as well as genes related to sulfate reduction, ammonification and carbon fixation. Communities from <80 °C fumaroles possessed more genes related osmotic, cold- and heat-shock responses, and diverse metabolic potentials, such as those related to sulfur oxidation and denitrification, while glacier communities showed abundant metabolic potentials mainly related to heterotrophy. Through the reconstruction of genomes, we were able to reveal the metabolic potentials and different survival strategies of underrepresented taxonomic groups, especially those related to Nanoarchaeota, Pyrodictiaceae and thermophilic ammonia-oxidizing archaeal lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Gonçalves Bendia
- Departamento de Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05508-120, Brazil
| | - Leandro Nascimento Lemos
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Molecular, Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Centenário 303, Piracicaba, SP, CEP 13416-00, Brazil
| | - Lucas William Mendes
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Molecular, Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Centenário 303, Piracicaba, SP, CEP 13416-00, Brazil
| | - Camila Negrão Signori
- Departamento de Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05508-120, Brazil
| | - Brendan J M Bohannan
- Department of Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Vivian Helena Pellizari
- Departamento de Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05508-120, Brazil
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5
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Fernández-Martínez MÁ, García-Villadangos M, Moreno-Paz M, Gangloff V, Carrizo D, Blanco Y, González S, Sánchez-García L, Prieto-Ballesteros O, Altshuler I, Whyte LG, Parro V, Fairén AG. Geomicrobiological Heterogeneity of Lithic Habitats in the Extreme Environment of Antarctic Nunataks: A Potential Early Mars Analog. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:670982. [PMID: 34276605 PMCID: PMC8284421 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.670982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Nunataks are permanent ice-free rocky peaks that project above ice caps in polar regions, thus being exposed to extreme climatic conditions throughout the year. They undergo extremely low temperatures and scarcity of liquid water in winter, while receiving high incident and reflected (albedo) UVA-B radiation in summer. Here, we investigate the geomicrobiology of the permanently exposed lithic substrates of nunataks from Livingston Island (South Shetlands, Antarctic Peninsula), with focus on prokaryotic community structure and their main metabolic traits. Contrarily to first hypothesis, an extensive sampling based on different gradients and multianalytical approaches demonstrated significant differences for most geomicrobiological parameters between the bedrock, soil, and loose rock substrates, which overlapped any other regional variation. Brevibacillus genus dominated on bedrock and soil substrates, while loose rocks contained a diverse microbial community, including Actinobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria and abundant Cyanobacteria inhabiting the milder and diverse microhabitats within. Archaea, a domain never described before in similar Antarctic environments, were also consistently found in the three substrates, but being more abundant and potentially more active in soils. Stable isotopic ratios of total carbon (δ 13C) and nitrogen (δ 15N), soluble anions concentrations, and the detection of proteins involved in key metabolisms via the Life Detector Chip (LDChip), suggest that microbial primary production has a pivotal role in nutrient cycling at these exposed areas with limited deposition of nutrients. Detection of stress-resistance proteins, such as molecular chaperons, suggests microbial molecular adaptation mechanisms to cope with these harsh conditions. Since early Mars may have encompassed analogous environmental conditions as the ones found in these Antarctic nunataks, our study also contributes to the understanding of the metabolic features and biomarker profiles of a potential Martian microbiota, as well as the use of LDChip in future life detection missions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Ángel Fernández-Martínez
- Centro de Astrobiología, CSIC-INTA, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Sergi González
- Antarctic Group, Agencia Estatal de Meteorología, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | - Ianina Altshuler
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada
| | - Lyle G Whyte
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada
| | - Victor Parro
- Centro de Astrobiología, CSIC-INTA, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto G Fairén
- Centro de Astrobiología, CSIC-INTA, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
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6
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Monsalves MT, Ollivet-Besson GP, Amenabar MJ, Blamey JM. Isolation of a Psychrotolerant and UV-C-Resistant Bacterium from Elephant Island, Antarctica with a Highly Thermoactive and Thermostable Catalase. Microorganisms 2020; 8:E95. [PMID: 31936717 PMCID: PMC7022778 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8010095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 12/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms present in Antarctica have to deal not only with cold temperatures but also with other environmental conditions, such as high UV radiation, that trigger the generation of reactive oxygen species. Therefore, Antarctic microorganisms must have an important antioxidant defense system to prevent oxidative damage. One of these defenses are antioxidant enzymes, such as catalase, which is involved in the detoxification of hydrogen peroxide produced under oxidative conditions. Here, we reported the isolation and partial characterization of an Antarctic bacterium belonging to the Serratia genus that was resistant to UV-C radiation and well-adapted to cold temperatures. This microorganism, denominated strain I1P, was efficient at decreasing reactive oxygen species levels produced after UV-C irradiation. Genomic and activity assays suggested that the enzymatic antioxidant defense mechanisms of strain I1P, especially its catalase enzyme, may confer UV resistance. This catalase was active in a wide range of temperatures (20-70 °C), showing optimal activity at 50 °C (at pH 7.0), a remarkable finding considering its psychrotolerant origin. In addition, this enzyme was thermostable, retaining around 60% of its activity after 6 h of incubation at 50 °C. The antioxidant defense systems of strain I1P, including its surprisingly thermoactive and thermostable catalase enzyme, make this microorganism a good source of biocompounds with potential biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- María T. Monsalves
- Fundación Científica y Cultural Biociencia, José Domingo Cañas 2280, Ñuñoa, Santiago 7750132, Chile; (M.T.M.); (G.P.O.-B.); (M.J.A.)
| | - Gabriela P. Ollivet-Besson
- Fundación Científica y Cultural Biociencia, José Domingo Cañas 2280, Ñuñoa, Santiago 7750132, Chile; (M.T.M.); (G.P.O.-B.); (M.J.A.)
| | - Maximiliano J. Amenabar
- Fundación Científica y Cultural Biociencia, José Domingo Cañas 2280, Ñuñoa, Santiago 7750132, Chile; (M.T.M.); (G.P.O.-B.); (M.J.A.)
| | - Jenny M. Blamey
- Fundación Científica y Cultural Biociencia, José Domingo Cañas 2280, Ñuñoa, Santiago 7750132, Chile; (M.T.M.); (G.P.O.-B.); (M.J.A.)
- Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Avenida Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins 3363, Estación Central, Santiago 9170022, Chile
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7
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Lezcano MÁ, Moreno-Paz M, Carrizo D, Prieto-Ballesteros O, Fernández-Martínez MÁ, Sánchez-García L, Blanco Y, Puente-Sánchez F, de Diego-Castilla G, García-Villadangos M, Fairén AG, Parro V. Biomarker Profiling of Microbial Mats in the Geothermal Band of Cerro Caliente, Deception Island (Antarctica): Life at the Edge of Heat and Cold. ASTROBIOLOGY 2019; 19:1490-1504. [PMID: 31339746 PMCID: PMC6918857 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2018.2004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Substrate-atmosphere interfaces in Antarctic geothermal environments are hot-cold regions that constitute thin habitable niches for microorganisms with possible counterparts in ancient Mars. Cerro Caliente hill in Deception Island (active volcano in the South Shetland Islands) is affected by ascending hydrothermal fluids that form a band of warm substrates buffered by low air temperatures. We investigated the influence of temperature on the community structure and metabolism of three microbial mats collected along the geothermal band of Cerro Caliente registering 88°C, 8°C, and 2°C at the time of collection. High-throughput sequencing of small subunit ribosomal ribonucleic acid (SSU rRNA) genes and Life Detector Chip (LDChip) microarray immunoassays revealed different bacterial, archaeal, and eukaryotic composition in the three mats. The mat at 88°C showed the less diverse microbial community and a higher proportion of thermophiles (e.g., Thermales). In contrast, microbial communities in the mats at 2°C and 8°C showed relatively higher diversity and higher proportion of psychrophiles (e.g., Flavobacteriales). Despite this overall association, similar microbial structures at the phylum level (particularly the presence of Cyanobacteria) and certain hot- and cold-tolerant microorganisms were identified in the three mats. Daily thermal oscillations recorded in the substrate over the year (4.5-76°C) may explain the coexistence of microbial fingerprints with different thermal tolerances. Stable isotope composition also revealed metabolic differences among the microbial mats. Carbon isotopic ratios suggested the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle as the major pathway for carbon dioxide fixation in the mats at 2°C and 8°C, and the reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle and/or the 3-hydroxypropionate bicycle for the mat at 88°C, indicating different metabolisms as a function of the prevailing temperature of each mat. The comprehensive biomarker profile on the three microbial mats from Cerro Caliente contributes to unravel the diversity, composition, and metabolism in geothermal polar sites and highlights the relevance of geothermal-cold environments to create habitable niches with interest in other planetary environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Ángeles Lezcano
- Department of Molecular Evolution, Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Madrid, Spain
| | - Mercedes Moreno-Paz
- Department of Molecular Evolution, Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel Carrizo
- Department of Planetology and Habitability, Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Madrid, Spain
| | - Olga Prieto-Ballesteros
- Department of Planetology and Habitability, Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Laura Sánchez-García
- Department of Molecular Evolution, Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Madrid, Spain
| | - Yolanda Blanco
- Department of Molecular Evolution, Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Alberto G. Fairén
- Department of Planetology and Habitability, Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Víctor Parro
- Department of Molecular Evolution, Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Madrid, Spain
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8
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Draft Genome Sequence of Brevibacillus sp. Strain LEMMJ03, Isolated from an Antarctic Volcano. Microbiol Resour Announc 2019; 8:8/40/e00921-19. [PMID: 31582458 PMCID: PMC6776775 DOI: 10.1128/mra.00921-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Here, we announce the draft genome sequence of Brevibacillus sp. strain LEMMJ03, isolated from Whalers Bay sediment (Deception Island, Antarctica). In total, 4,500 coding sequences (CDS), among those 102 coding for tRNAs and 5 for noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), were predicted from the 4.64-Mb genome. Predicted functions were for bacteriocin and degradation of aromatic compounds.
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9
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Flores PAM, Correa-Llantén DN, Blamey JM. A thermophilic microorganism from Deception Island, Antarctica with a thermostable glutamate dehydrogenase activity. Biol Res 2018; 51:55. [PMID: 30526684 PMCID: PMC6286571 DOI: 10.1186/s40659-018-0206-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Antarctic continent is a source of extreme microorganisms. Millions of years of isolation have produced unique biodiversity with adaptive responses to its extreme environment. Although the Antarctic climate is mainly cold, the presence of several geothermal sites, including thermal springs, fumaroles, hot soils and hydrothermal vents, provides ideal environments for the development of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic microorganisms. Their enzymes, called thermoenzymes, are the focus of interest in both academic and industrial research, mainly due to their high thermal activity and stability. Glutamate dehydrogenase, is an enzyme that plays a key role in the metabolism of carbon and nitrogen catalyzing reversibly the oxidative deamination of glutamate to alpha-ketoglutarate and ammonium. It belongs to the family of oxidoreductases, is widely distributed and it has been highly regarded for use as biosensors, particularly for their specificity and ability to operate in photochemical and electrochemical systems. However, the use of enzymes as biosensors is relatively problematic due to their instability to high temperatures, organic solvents and denaturing agents. The purpose of this study is to present the partial characterization of a thermophilic microorganism isolated from Deception Island, Antarctica, that displays glutamate dehydrogenase activity. RESULTS In this work, we report the isolation of a thermophilic microorganism called PID15 from samples of Deception Island collected during the Antarctic Scientific Expedition ECA 46. This microorganism is a thermophile that grows optimally at 50 °C and pH 8.0. Scanning electron microscopy shows rod cells of 2.0 to 8.0 µm of length. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene revealed that this microorganism is closely related to Bacillus gelatini. This microorganism contains a thermostable glutamate dehydrogenase with optimal activity at pH 8.0 and temperatures for its activity from 37 to 50 °C, range of temperature of interest for biotechnological applications. This glutamate dehydrogenase is a highly thermostable enzyme. CONCLUSION This is the first report of a microorganism from Antarctica containing a thermostable glutamate dehydrogenase that maintains its activity in a broad range of temperatures making it of potential interest for biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricio A M Flores
- Fundación Científica y Cultural Biociencia, José Domingo Cañas 2280, Santiago, 7750132, Chile
| | | | - Jenny M Blamey
- Fundación Científica y Cultural Biociencia, José Domingo Cañas 2280, Santiago, 7750132, Chile. .,Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Alameda 3363, Estación Central, Santiago, Chile.
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10
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Cabrera MÁ, Blamey JM. Biotechnological applications of archaeal enzymes from extreme environments. Biol Res 2018; 51:37. [PMID: 30290805 PMCID: PMC6172850 DOI: 10.1186/s40659-018-0186-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
To date, many industrial processes are performed using chemical compounds, which are harmful to nature. An alternative to overcome this problem is biocatalysis, which uses whole cells or enzymes to carry out chemical reactions in an environmentally friendly manner. Enzymes can be used as biocatalyst in food and feed, pharmaceutical, textile, detergent and beverage industries, among others. Since industrial processes require harsh reaction conditions to be performed, these enzymes must possess several characteristics that make them suitable for this purpose. Currently the best option is to use enzymes from extremophilic microorganisms, particularly archaea because of their special characteristics, such as stability to elevated temperatures, extremes of pH, organic solvents, and high ionic strength. Extremozymes, are being used in biotechnological industry and improved through modern technologies, such as protein engineering for best performance. Despite the wide distribution of archaea, exist only few reports about these microorganisms isolated from Antarctica and very little is known about thermophilic or hyperthermophilic archaeal enzymes particularly from Antarctica. This review summarizes current knowledge of archaeal enzymes with biotechnological applications, including two extremozymes from Antarctic archaea with potential industrial use, which are being studied in our laboratory. Both enzymes have been discovered through conventional screening and genome sequencing, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ma Ángeles Cabrera
- Fundación Científica y Cultural Biociencia, José Domingo Cañas, 2280, Santiago, Chile.,Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Avenida Libertador Bernardo O´Higgins, 3363, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jenny M Blamey
- Fundación Científica y Cultural Biociencia, José Domingo Cañas, 2280, Santiago, Chile. .,Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Avenida Libertador Bernardo O´Higgins, 3363, Santiago, Chile.
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11
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Cousins CR, Fogel M, Bowden R, Crawford I, Boyce A, Cockell C, Gunn M. Biogeochemical probing of microbial communities in a basalt-hosted hot spring at Kverkfjöll volcano, Iceland. GEOBIOLOGY 2018; 16:507-521. [PMID: 29856116 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
We investigated bacterial and archaeal communities along an ice-fed surficial hot spring at Kverkfjöll volcano-a partially ice-covered basaltic volcano at Vatnajökull glacier, Iceland, using biomolecular (16S rRNA, apsA, mcrA, amoA, nifH genes) and stable isotope techniques. The hot spring environment is characterized by high temperatures and low dissolved oxygen concentrations at the source (68°C and <1 mg/L (±0.1%)) changing to lower temperatures and higher dissolved oxygen downstream (34.7°C and 5.9 mg/L), with sulfate the dominant anion (225 mg/L at the source). Sediments are comprised of detrital basalt, low-temperature alteration phases and pyrite, with <0.4 wt. % total organic carbon (TOC). 16S rRNA gene profiles reveal that organisms affiliated with Hydrogenobaculum (54%-87% bacterial population) and Thermoproteales (35%-63% archaeal population) dominate the micro-oxic hot spring source, while sulfur-oxidizing archaea (Sulfolobales, 57%-82%), and putative sulfur-oxidizing and heterotrophic bacterial groups dominate oxic downstream environments. The δ13 Corg (‰ V-PDB) values for sediment TOC and microbial biomass range from -9.4‰ at the spring's source decreasing to -12.6‰ downstream. A reverse effect isotope fractionation of ~3‰ between sediment sulfide (δ34 S ~0‰) and dissolved water sulfate (δ34 S +3.2‰), and δ18 O values of ~ -5.3‰ suggest pyrite forms abiogenically from volcanic sulfide, followed by abiogenic and microbial oxidation. These environments represent an unexplored surficial geothermal environment analogous to transient volcanogenic habitats during putative "snowball Earth" scenarios and volcano-ice geothermal environments on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire R Cousins
- School of Earth and Environmental Science, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Marilyn Fogel
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California
| | - Roxane Bowden
- Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, District of Columbia
| | | | | | - Charles Cockell
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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12
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Bendia AG, Araujo GG, Pulschen AA, Contro B, Duarte RTD, Rodrigues F, Galante D, Pellizari VH. Surviving in hot and cold: psychrophiles and thermophiles from Deception Island volcano, Antarctica. Extremophiles 2018; 22:917-929. [PMID: 30109444 DOI: 10.1007/s00792-018-1048-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Polar volcanoes harbor unique conditions of extreme temperature gradients capable of selecting different types of extremophiles. Deception Island is a marine stratovolcano located at Maritime Antarctica that is notable for its pronounced temperature gradients over very short distances, reaching values up to 100 °C in the fumaroles, and subzero temperatures next to the glaciers. Due to these characteristics, Deception can be considered an interesting analogue of extraterrestrial environments. Our main goal in this study was to isolate thermophilic and psychrophilic bacteria from sediments associated with fumaroles and glaciers from two geothermal sites in Deception Island, comprising temperatures between 0 and 98 °C, and to evaluate their survivability to desiccation and UV-C radiation. Our results revealed that culturable thermophiles and psychrophiles were recovered among the extreme temperature gradient in Deception volcano, which indicates that these extremophiles remain alive even when the conditions do not comprise their growth range. The viability of culturable psychrophiles in hyperthermophilic environments is still poorly understood and our work showed the importance of future studies about their survival strategies in high temperatures. Finally, the spore-forming thermophilic isolates which we found have displayed good survival to desiccation and UV-C irradiation, which suggests their potential to be further explored in astrobiological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda G Bendia
- Departamento de Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, Praça do Oceanográfico 191, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil.
| | - Gabriel G Araujo
- Interunities Graduate Program in Biotechnology, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - André A Pulschen
- Institute of Chemistry, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bruna Contro
- Undergraduate Program in Biology, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Julio de Mesquisa Filho", São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rubens T D Duarte
- Departamento de Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, Praça do Oceanográfico 191, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Fábio Rodrigues
- Institute of Chemistry, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Douglas Galante
- Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Vivian H Pellizari
- Departamento de Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, Praça do Oceanográfico 191, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil
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13
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Bendia AG, Signori CN, Franco DC, Duarte RTD, Bohannan BJM, Pellizari VH. A Mosaic of Geothermal and Marine Features Shapes Microbial Community Structure on Deception Island Volcano, Antarctica. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:899. [PMID: 29867810 PMCID: PMC5949364 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Active volcanoes in Antarctica contrast with their predominantly cold surroundings, resulting in environmental conditions capable of selecting for versatile and extremely diverse microbial communities. This is especially true on Deception Island, where geothermal, marine, and polar environments combine to create an extraordinary range of environmental conditions. Our main goal in this study was to understand how microbial community structure is shaped by gradients of temperature, salinity, and geochemistry in polar marine volcanoes. Thereby, we collected surface sediment samples associated with fumaroles and glaciers at two sites on Deception, with temperatures ranging from 0 to 98°C. Sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene was performed to assess the composition and diversity of Bacteria and Archaea. Our results revealed that Deception harbors a combination of taxonomic groups commonly found both in cold and geothermal environments of continental Antarctica, and also groups normally identified at deep and shallow-sea hydrothermal vents, such as hyperthermophilic archaea. We observed a clear separation in microbial community structure across environmental gradients, suggesting that microbial community structure is strongly niche driven on Deception. Bacterial community structure was significantly associated with temperature, pH, salinity, and chemical composition; in contrast, archaeal community structure was strongly associated only with temperature. Our work suggests that Deception represents a peculiar "open-air" laboratory to elucidate central questions regarding molecular adaptability, microbial evolution, and biogeography of extremophiles in polar regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda G Bendia
- Departamento de Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Camila N Signori
- Departamento de Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Diego C Franco
- Departamento de Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rubens T D Duarte
- Departamento de Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Brendan J M Bohannan
- Department of Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States
| | - Vivian H Pellizari
- Departamento de Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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14
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Marreiros BC, Calisto F, Castro PJ, Duarte AM, Sena FV, Silva AF, Sousa FM, Teixeira M, Refojo PN, Pereira MM. Exploring membrane respiratory chains. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS 2016; 1857:1039-1067. [PMID: 27044012 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2016.03.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2016] [Revised: 03/16/2016] [Accepted: 03/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Acquisition of energy is central to life. In addition to the synthesis of ATP, organisms need energy for the establishment and maintenance of a transmembrane difference in electrochemical potential, in order to import and export metabolites or to their motility. The membrane potential is established by a variety of membrane bound respiratory complexes. In this work we explored the diversity of membrane respiratory chains and the presence of the different enzyme complexes in the several phyla of life. We performed taxonomic profiles of the several membrane bound respiratory proteins and complexes evaluating the presence of their respective coding genes in all species deposited in KEGG database. We evaluated 26 quinone reductases, 5 quinol:electron carriers oxidoreductases and 18 terminal electron acceptor reductases. We further included in the analyses enzymes performing redox or decarboxylation driven ion translocation, ATP synthase and transhydrogenase and we also investigated the electron carriers that perform functional connection between the membrane complexes, quinones or soluble proteins. Our results bring a novel, broad and integrated perspective of membrane bound respiratory complexes and thus of the several energetic metabolisms of living systems. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'EBEC 2016: 19th European Bioenergetics Conference, Riva del Garda, Italy, July 2-6, 2016', edited by Prof. Paolo Bernardi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno C Marreiros
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica-António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República EAN, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Filipa Calisto
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica-António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República EAN, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Paulo J Castro
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica-António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República EAN, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Afonso M Duarte
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica-António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República EAN, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Filipa V Sena
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica-António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República EAN, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Andreia F Silva
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica-António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República EAN, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Filipe M Sousa
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica-António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República EAN, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Miguel Teixeira
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica-António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República EAN, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Patrícia N Refojo
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica-António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República EAN, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Manuela M Pereira
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica-António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República EAN, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal.
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15
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Angulo-Preckler C, Cid C, Oliva F, Avila C. Antifouling activity in some benthic Antarctic invertebrates by "in situ" experiments at Deception Island, Antarctica. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2015; 105:30-38. [PMID: 25680110 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2015.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2014] [Revised: 01/29/2015] [Accepted: 02/04/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Competition for space is a remarkable ecological force, comparable to predation, producing a strong selective pressure on benthic invertebrates. Some invertebrates, thus, possess antimicrobial compounds to reduce surface bacterial growth. Antimicrobial inhibition is the first step in avoiding being overgrown by other organisms, which may have a negative impact in feeding, respiration, reproduction … The in situ inhibition of bacterial biofilm was used here as an indicator of antifouling activity by testing hydrophilic extracts of twelve Antarctic invertebrates. Using two different approaches (genetics and confocal techniques) different levels of activity were found in the tested organisms. In fact, differences within body parts of the studied organisms were determined, in agreement with the Optimal Defense Theory. Eight out of 15 extracts tested had negative effects on fouling after 28 days submerged in Antarctic waters. Thus, although chemical defenses may be quite species-specific in their ecological roles, these results suggest that different chemical strategies exist to deal with space competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Angulo-Preckler
- Department of Animal Biology (Invertebrates), Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Diagonal, 643, 08028 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain; Biodiversity Research Institute (IrBIO), Diagonal, 643, 08028 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain.
| | - Cristina Cid
- Microbial Evolution Laboratory, Center of Astrobiology (CSIC-INTA), Ctra de Torrejón a Ajalvir, km 4, 28850 Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Francesc Oliva
- Department of Statistic, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Diagonal, 645, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Conxita Avila
- Department of Animal Biology (Invertebrates), Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Diagonal, 643, 08028 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain; Biodiversity Research Institute (IrBIO), Diagonal, 643, 08028 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain.
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