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Ramírez-Fernández L, Orellana LH, Johnston ER, Konstantinidis KT, Orlando J. Diversity of microbial communities and genes involved in nitrous oxide emissions in Antarctic soils impacted by marine animals as revealed by metagenomics and 100 metagenome-assembled genomes. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 788:147693. [PMID: 34029816 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Antarctic soils generally have low temperatures and limited availability of liquid water and nutrients. However, animals can increase the nutrient availability of ice-free areas by transferring nutrients from marine to terrestrial ecosystems, mainly through their excreta. In this study, we employed shotgun metagenomics and population genome binning techniques to study the diversity of microbial communities in Antarctic soils impacted by marine pinnipeds and birds relative to soils with no evident animal presence. We obtained ~285,000 16S rRNA gene-carrying metagenomic reads representing ~60 phyla and 100 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) representing eight phyla. Only nine of these 100 MAGs represented previously described species, revealing that these soils harbor extensive novel diversity. Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were the most abundant phyla in all samples, with Rhodanobacter being one of the most abundant genera in the bird-impacted soils. Further, the relative abundance of genes related to denitrification was at least double in soils impacted by birds than soils without animal influence. These results advance our understanding of the microbial populations and their genes involved in nitrous oxide emissions in ice-free coastal Antarctic soils impacted by marine animals and reveal novel microbial diversity associated with these ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lia Ramírez-Fernández
- Laboratorio de Ecología Microbiana, Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Luis H Orellana
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Eric R Johnston
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Konstantinos T Konstantinidis
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA; School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Julieta Orlando
- Laboratorio de Ecología Microbiana, Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
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2
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Carbon dioxide isotopic compositions during tundra ecosystem respiration and photosynthesis in relation to environmental variables in maritime Antarctica. Polar Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-021-02829-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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3
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Díaz-Puente FJ, Schmid T, Pelayo M, Rodríguez-Rastrero M, Herraiz MJS, O'Neill T, López-Martínez J. Abiotic factors influencing soil microbial activity in the northern Antarctic Peninsula region. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 750:141602. [PMID: 32882495 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Microorganisms play a key role in the carbon (C) cycle through soil organic matter (SOM). The rate of SOM mineralization, the influence of abiotic factors on this rate and the potential behaviour of SOM are of particular interest in the northern Antarctic Peninsula and offshore islands. This is one of the most rapidly warming regions on Earth with numerous ice-free areas, some with abundant wildlife and with the greatest known soil organic carbon (SOC) storage in Antarctica. The latter implies extended Antarctic summer conditions promote increased terrestrial plant growth and soil microbial activity (SMA). SMA, determined by respirometry, is a measure of ecosystem function, and depends on microclimatic conditions and soil environmental properties. SMA and the effect of abiotic variables have been analysed in locations with different soil types, on Cierva Point (Antarctic Peninsula), Deception Island and Fildes Peninsula (King George Island). Soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) ranged from 5.66 to 196.6 mg SMBC kg-1and basal respiration (BR) from 2.86 to 160.67 mg CO2 kg-1 d-1. SMBC and BR values were higher in Cierva Point, followed by Fildes Peninsula and Deception Island, showing the same trend of SOM abundance. Except for Cierva Point, low nitrogen, phosphorus and C concentrations were observed. SMBC/total organic carbon (TOC) levels indicated that SOC was recalcitrant and SOM content was closely related to the extent of vegetation cover observed in situ. High metabolic quotient values obtained at Cierva Point and Deception Island (median values 7.27 and 6.53 mg C-CO2 g SMBC-1 h-1) and low SMBC/TOC in Cierva Point suggest a poor efficiency of the microbial populations in the consumption of the SOC. High SMBC/TOC values obtained in Deception Island indicates that SMBC may influence SOM stabilization. Mineralization rates were very low (negligible values to 1.44%) and sites with the lowest values had the highest SOM.
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Affiliation(s)
- F J Díaz-Puente
- CIEMAT - Department of Environment, Avda. Complutense, 40, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - T Schmid
- CIEMAT - Department of Environment, Avda. Complutense, 40, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - M Pelayo
- CIEMAT - Department of Environment, Avda. Complutense, 40, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - M J Sierra Herraiz
- CIEMAT - Department of Environment, Avda. Complutense, 40, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - T O'Neill
- School of Sciences, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - J López-Martínez
- Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
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4
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Ye W, Yuan L, Zhu R, Yin X, Bañuelos G. Selenium volatilization from tundra soils in maritime Antarctica. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 146:106189. [PMID: 33130370 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Revised: 09/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Maritime Antarctica harbors a large number of penguins and seals that provide considerable input of selenium (Se) originating as guano into terrestrial ecosystems. Subsequent Se emissions via biomethylation and volatilization from these sources of Se have not been studied. Here, penguin colony soils (PCS) and adjacent tundra marsh soils (TMS), seal colony soils (SCS) and adjacent tundra soils (STS), and normal upland tundra soils (NTS) were collected in maritime Antarctica. For the first time, Se volatilization and speciation were investigated in these soils through incubation experiments using chemo-trapping method. The Se contents in PCS, SCS, STS and TMS were highly enriched compared with NTS, with organic matter-bound Se accounting for 70%-80%. Laboratory incubations yielded the greatest Se volatilization rates (VRSe) in PCS (0.20 ± 0.01 μg kg-1 d-1), followed by SCS (0.14 ± 0.01 μg kg-1 d-1) at low temperature (4 °C). Soil frozen-thawing induced 1-4 fold increase in VRSe, and the VRSe continuously increased until the soils fully thawed. The VRSe showed a significant positive correlation (R2 = 0.96, p < 0.01) with soil temperature. Methylated Se species were dominated by dimethylselenide (DMSe) in PCS and dimethyldiselenide (DMDSe) in SCS. Our results imply that the combination of climate warming, frozen-thawing processes, and high-Se inputs from sea animals will significantly increase tundra soil Se volatilization in maritime Antarctica. High VRSe from penguin colony soils, and significantly elevated Se levels in the mosses close to penguin colony, suggest that volatilization of Se from penguin colony soils play an important role in the mobilization and regional biogeochemical cycling of Se in maritime Antarctica.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjuan Ye
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Global Change, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Linxi Yuan
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou 215123, Jiangsu, China
| | - Renbin Zhu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Global Change, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
| | - Xuebin Yin
- Key Laboratory of Functional Agriculture, Suzhou Research Institute, University of Science and Technology of China, Suzhou 215123, Jiangsu, China
| | - Gary Bañuelos
- United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Parlier, CA, USA
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5
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Zhang W, Jiao Y, Zhu R, Rhew RC. Methyl Chloride and Methyl Bromide Production and Consumption in Coastal Antarctic Tundra Soils Subject to Sea Animal Activities. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:13354-13363. [PMID: 32935983 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c04257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Methyl chloride (CH3Cl) and methyl bromide (CH3Br) are the predominant carriers of natural chlorine and bromine from the troposphere to the stratosphere, which can catalyze the destruction of stratospheric ozone. Here, penguin colony soils (PCS) and the adjacent tundra soils (i.e., penguin-lacking colony soils, PLS), seal colony soils (SCS), tundra marsh soils (TMS), and normal upland tundra soils (UTS) in coastal Antarctica were collected and incubated for the first time to confirm that these soils were CH3Cl and CH3Br sources or sinks. Overall, tundra soil acted as a net sink for CH3Cl and CH3Br with potential flux ranges from -18.1 to -2.8 pmol g-1 d-1 and -1.32 to -0.24 pmol g-1 d-1, respectively. The deposition of penguin guano or seal excrement into tundra soils facilitated the simultaneous production of CH3Cl and CH3Br and resulted in a smaller sink in PCS, SCS, and PLS. Laboratory-based thermal treatments and anaerobic incubation experiments suggested that the consumption of CH3Cl and CH3Br was predominantly mediated by microbes while the production was abiotic and O2 independent. Temperature gradient incubations revealed that increasing soil temperature promoted the consumption of CH3Cl and CH3Br in UTS, suggesting that the regional sink may increase with Antarctic warming, depending on changes in soil moisture and abiotic production rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanying Zhang
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Global Change, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Yi Jiao
- Department of Geography, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Renbin Zhu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Global Change, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Robert C Rhew
- Department of Geography, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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6
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Dai HT, Zhu RB, Sun BW, Che CS, Hou LJ. Effects of Sea Animal Activities on Tundra Soil Denitrification and nirS- and nirK-Encoding Denitrifier Community in Maritime Antarctica. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:573302. [PMID: 33162954 PMCID: PMC7581892 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.573302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In maritime Antarctica, sea animals, such as penguins or seals, provide a large amount of external nitrogen input into tundra soils, which greatly impact nitrogen cycle in tundra ecosystems. Denitrification, which is closely related with the denitrifiers, is a key step in nitrogen cycle. However, effects of sea animal activities on tundra soil denitrification and denitrifier community structures still have received little attention. Here, the abundance, activity, and diversity of nirS- and nirK-encoding denitrifiers were investigated in penguin and seal colonies, and animal-lacking tundra in maritime Antarctica. Sea animal activities increased the abundances of nirS and nirK genes, and the abundances of nirS genes were significantly higher than those of nirK genes (p < 0.05) in all tundra soils. Soil denitrification rates were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in animal colonies than in animal-lacking tundra, and they were significantly positively correlated (p < 0.05) with nirS gene abundances instead of nirK gene abundances, indicating that nirS-encoding denitrifiers dominated the denitrification in tundra soils. The diversity of nirS-encoding denitrifiers was higher in animal colonies than in animal-lacking tundra, but the diversity of nirK-encoding denitrifiers was lower. Both the compositions of nirS- and nirK-encoding denitrifiers were similar in penguin or seal colony soils. Canonical correspondence analysis indicated that the community structures of nirS- and nirK-encoding denitrifiers were closely related to tundra soil biogeochemical processes associated with penguin or seal activities: the supply of nitrate and ammonium from penguin guano or seal excreta, and low C:N ratios. In addition, the animal activity-induced vegetation presence or absence had an important effect on tundra soil denitrifier activities and nirK-encoding denitrifier diversities. This study significantly enhanced our understanding of the compositions and dynamics of denitrifier community in tundra ecosystems of maritime Antarctica.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-Tao Dai
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Global Change, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Ren-Bin Zhu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Global Change, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Bo-Wen Sun
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Global Change, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Chen-Shuai Che
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Global Change, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Li-Jun Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
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7
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Levy H, Fiddaman SR, Vianna JA, Noll D, Clucas GV, Sidhu JKH, Polito MJ, Bost CA, Phillips RA, Crofts S, Miller GD, Pistorius P, Bonnadonna F, Le Bohec C, Barbosa A, Trathan P, Raya Rey A, Frantz LAF, Hart T, Smith AL. Evidence of Pathogen-Induced Immunogenetic Selection across the Large Geographic Range of a Wild Seabird. Mol Biol Evol 2020; 37:1708-1726. [PMID: 32096861 PMCID: PMC7253215 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Over evolutionary time, pathogen challenge shapes the immune phenotype of the host to better respond to an incipient threat. The extent and direction of this selection pressure depend on the local pathogen composition, which is in turn determined by biotic and abiotic features of the environment. However, little is known about adaptation to local pathogen threats in wild animals. The Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) is a species complex that lends itself to the study of immune adaptation because of its circumpolar distribution over a large latitudinal range, with little or no admixture between different clades. In this study, we examine the diversity in a key family of innate immune genes-the Toll-like receptors (TLRs)-across the range of the Gentoo penguin. The three TLRs that we investigated present varying levels of diversity, with TLR4 and TLR5 greatly exceeding the diversity of TLR7. We present evidence of positive selection in TLR4 and TLR5, which points to pathogen-driven adaptation to the local pathogen milieu. Finally, we demonstrate that two positively selected cosegregating sites in TLR5 are sufficient to alter the responsiveness of the receptor to its bacterial ligand, flagellin. Taken together, these results suggest that Gentoo penguins have experienced distinct pathogen-driven selection pressures in different environments, which may be important given the role of the Gentoo penguin as a sentinel species in some of the world's most rapidly changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hila Levy
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Juliana A Vianna
- Departamento de Ecosistemas y Medio Ambiente, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Macul, Santiago, Chile
| | - Daly Noll
- Departamento de Ecosistemas y Medio Ambiente, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Macul, Santiago, Chile
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gemma V Clucas
- Cornell Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
| | | | - Michael J Polito
- Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
| | - Charles A Bost
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 du CNRS‐Université de La Rochelle, Villiers‐en‐Bois, France
| | | | - Sarah Crofts
- Falklands Conservation, Stanley, Falkland Islands, United Kingdom
| | - Gary D Miller
- Microbiology and Immunology, PALM, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Pierre Pistorius
- DST/NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute for African Ornithology, Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| | - Francesco Bonnadonna
- CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Céline Le Bohec
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France
- Département de Biologie Polaire, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Monaco, Principality of Monaco
| | - Andrés Barbosa
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Phil Trathan
- British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Andrea Raya Rey
- Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas – Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CADIC-CONICET), Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
- Instituto de Ciencias Polares, Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Laurent A F Frantz
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tom Hart
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Adrian L Smith
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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8
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Bao Y, Li B, Xie S, Huang J. Vertical profiles of microbial communities in perfluoroalkyl substance-contaminated soils. ANN MICROBIOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s13213-018-1346-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
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9
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Li B, Bao Y, Xu Y, Xie S, Huang J. Vertical distribution of microbial communities in soils contaminated by chromium and perfluoroalkyl substances. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 599-600:156-164. [PMID: 28475909 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.04.241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2017] [Revised: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 04/30/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Both Bacteria and Archaea are important players in soil biogeochemical cycles. Both chromium (Cr) and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are widely present in soil environment. However, the depth-related distribution of microbial community in soils contaminated by Cr or/and PFASs remains unknown. Hence, the present study applied quantitative PCR assay and Illumina MiSeq sequencing to investigate the vertical variations of archaeal and bacterial communities in soils (0.5-12.5m depth) contaminated by chrome plating waste and the potential effects of Cr and PFASs. Both bacterial and archaeal communities displayed the remarkable depth-related changes of abundance (2.16×107-5.05×109 and 4.95×105-2.56×108 16S rRNA gene copies per gram dry soil respectively for Bacteria and Archaea), diversity (bacterial and archaeal Shannon diversity indices of 5.06-6.34 and 2.91-4.61, respectively) and structure. However, at each soil depth, bacterial community had higher abundance, richness and diversity than archaeal community. Soil bacterial communities were mainly composed of Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes, and archaeal communities were dominated by Thaumarchaeota and unclassified Archaea. Moreover, microbial abundance and richness increased with increasing perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) content. Microbial abundance was correlated to total Cr, and archaeal richness was correlated to total Cr and Cr(IV). In addition, total Cr might be a key determinant of soil microbial community structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingxin Li
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yixiang Bao
- School of Environment, Beijing Key Laboratory for Emerging Organic Contaminants Control (BKLEOC), State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control (SKLESPC), Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yenan Xu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Shuguang Xie
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
| | - Jun Huang
- School of Environment, Beijing Key Laboratory for Emerging Organic Contaminants Control (BKLEOC), State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control (SKLESPC), Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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10
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Links between bacteria derived from penguin guts and deposited guano and the surrounding soil microbiota. Polar Biol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-017-2189-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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11
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Yew WC, Pearce DA, Dunn MJ, Samah AA, Convey P. Bacterial community composition in Adélie (Pygoscelis adeliae) and Chinstrap (Pygoscelis antarctica) Penguin stomach contents from Signy Island, South Orkney Islands. Polar Biol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-017-2162-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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12
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Zvěřina O, Coufalík P, Brat K, Červenka R, Kuta J, Mikeš O, Komárek J. Leaching of mercury from seal carcasses into Antarctic soils. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 24:1424-1431. [PMID: 27783245 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-7879-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2016] [Accepted: 10/10/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
More than 400 seal mummies and skeletons are now mapped in the northern part of James Ross Island, Antarctica. Decomposing carcasses represent a rare source of both organic matter and associated elements for the soil. Owing to their high trophic position, seals are known to carry a significant mercury body burden. This work focuses on the extent of the mercury input from seal carcasses and shows that such carcasses represent locally significant sources of mercury and methylmercury for the environment. Mercury contents in soil samples from the surrounding areas were determined using a single-purpose AAS mercury analyzer. For the determination of methylmercury, an ultra-sensitive isotopic dilution HPLC-ICP-MS technique was used. In the soils lying directly under seal carcasses, mercury contents were higher, with levels reaching almost 40 μg/kg dry weight of which methylmercury formed up to 2.8 % of the total. The spatial distribution implies rather slow vertical transport to the lower soil layers instead of a horizontal spread. For comparison, the background level of mercury in soils of the investigated area was found to be 8 μg/kg dry weight, with methylmercury accounting for less than 0.1 %. Apart from the direct mercury input, an enhanced level of nutrients in the vicinity of carcasses enables the growth of lichens and mosses with accumulative ability with respect to metals. The enhanced capacity of soil to retain mercury is also anticipated due to the high content of total organic carbon (from 1.6 to 7.5 %). According to the results, seal remains represent a clear source of mercury in the observed area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ondřej Zvěřina
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic.
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Pavel Coufalík
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry, The Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Veveří 97, 602 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Kristián Brat
- Department of Respiratory Diseases and TB, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Respiratory Diseases and TB, University Hospital Brno, Jihlavská 20, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Rostislav Červenka
- Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Kuta
- Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Mikeš
- Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Josef Komárek
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic
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13
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Bacterial diversity is strongly associated with historical penguin activity in an Antarctic lake sediment profile. Sci Rep 2015; 5:17231. [PMID: 26601753 PMCID: PMC4658551 DOI: 10.1038/srep17231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2015] [Accepted: 10/27/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Current penguin activity in Antarctica affects the geochemistry of sediments and their microbial communities; the effects of historical penguin activity are less well understood. Here, bacterial diversity in ornithogenic sediment was investigated using high-throughput pyrosequencing. The relative abundances of dominant phyla were controlled by the amount of historical penguin guano deposition. Significant positive correlations were found between both the bacterial richness and diversity, and the relative penguin number (p < 0.01); this indicated that historical penguin activity drove the vertical distribution of the bacterial communities. The lowest relative abundances of individual phyla corresponded to lowest number of penguin population at 1,800–2,300 yr BP during a drier and colder period; the opposite was observed during a moister and warmer climate (1,400–1,800 yr BP). This study shows that changes in the climate over millennia affected penguin populations and the outcomes of these changes affect the sediment bacterial community today.
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14
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Wang NF, Zhang T, Zhang F, Wang ET, He JF, Ding H, Zhang BT, Liu J, Ran XB, Zang JY. Diversity and structure of soil bacterial communities in the Fildes Region (maritime Antarctica) as revealed by 454 pyrosequencing. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:1188. [PMID: 26579095 PMCID: PMC4623505 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.01188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
This study assessed the diversity and composition of bacterial communities in four different soils (human-, penguin-, seal-colony impacted soils and pristine soil) in the Fildes Region (King George Island, Antarctica) using 454 pyrosequencing with bacterial-specific primers targeting the 16S rRNA gene. Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia were abundant phyla in almost all the soil samples. The four types of soils were significantly different in geochemical properties and bacterial community structure. Thermotogae, Cyanobacteria, Fibrobacteres, Deinococcus-Thermus, and Chlorobi obviously varied in their abundance among the 4 soil types. Considering all the samples together, members of the genera Gaiella, Chloracidobacterium, Nitrospira, Polaromonas, Gemmatimonas, Sphingomonas, and Chthoniobacter were found to predominate, whereas members of the genera Chamaesiphon, Herbaspirillum, Hirschia, Nevskia, Nitrosococcus, Rhodococcus, Rhodomicrobium, and Xanthomonas varied obviously in their abundance among the four soil types. Distance-based redundancy analysis revealed that pH (p < 0.01), phosphate phosphorus (p < 0.01), organic carbon (p < 0.05), and organic nitrogen (p < 0.05) were the most significant factors that correlated with the community distribution of soil bacteria. To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the soil bacterial communities in human-, penguin-, and seal- colony impacted soils from ice-free areas in maritime Antarctica using high-throughput pyrosequencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neng Fei Wang
- Key Lab of Marine Bioactive Substances, The First Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration Qingdao, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Beijing, China
| | - Fang Zhang
- Polar Research Institute of China Shanghai, China
| | - En Tao Wang
- Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional Mexico, Mexico
| | - Jian Feng He
- Polar Research Institute of China Shanghai, China
| | - Hui Ding
- Chemical Engineering Institute, Qingdao University Qingdao, China
| | - Bo Tao Zhang
- Chemical Engineering Institute, Qingdao University Qingdao, China
| | - Jie Liu
- Department of Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Qingdao University of Science and Technology Qingdao, China
| | - Xiang Bin Ran
- Key Lab of Marine Bioactive Substances, The First Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration Qingdao, China
| | - Jia Ye Zang
- Key Lab of Marine Bioactive Substances, The First Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration Qingdao, China
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15
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Penguin activity influences soil biogeochemistry and soil respiration in rookeries on Ross Island, Antarctica. Polar Biol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-015-1699-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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