1
|
Liu S, Zhang Z, Hao J, Zhao C, Han F, Xiong Q, Wang X, Du C, Xu H. Plastic debris mediates bacterial community coalescence by breaking dispersal limitation in the sediments of a large river. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 359:124603. [PMID: 39047888 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124603] [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: 05/23/2024] [Revised: 07/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Plastic debris has recently been proposed as a novel habitat for bacterial colonization, which can raise perturbations in bacterial ecology after burial in riverine sediments. However, community coalescence, as a prevalent process involving the interrelationships of multiple communities and their surrounding environments, has been rarely discussed to reveal the impact of the plastisphere on sedimentary bacterial community. This study analyzed the bacterial community in plastic debris and sediment along the Nujiang River, elucidating the role of the plastisphere in mediating community coalescence in sediments. Our results demonstrated that the plastisphere and sedimentary bacterial communities exhibited distinct biogeography along the river (r = 0.694, p < 0.01). Based on overlapped taxa and SourceTracker, the extent of coalescence between adjacent communities was in following orders: plastic-plastic (0.589) > plastic-sediment (0.561) > sediment-sediment (0.496), indicating the plastisphere promoted bacterial community coalescence along the river. Flow velocity and geographic distance were the major factors driving the plastisphere changes, suggesting that the plastisphere were vulnerable to dispersal. The null model and the neutral model provided additional support for the higher immigration ability of the plastisphere to overcome dispersal limitation, highlighting the potential importance of the plastisphere in community coalescence. Network analysis indicated the critical role of keystone species (Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Gemmatimonadetes) in mediating the coalescence between sedimentary bacterial community and the plastisphere. In summary, the plastisphere could mediate the coalescence of bacterial communities by overcoming dispersal limitation, which provides new perspectives on the plastisphere altering bacterial ecology in riverine sediments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Liu
- School of Civil Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250061, China.
| | - Zixuan Zhang
- School of Civil Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250061, China
| | - Jie Hao
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266000, China
| | - Chuanfu Zhao
- School of Civil Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250061, China
| | - Fei Han
- School of Civil Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250061, China
| | - Qingrong Xiong
- School of Civil Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250061, China
| | - Xun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lake of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, China
| | - Chenggong Du
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Eco-Agricultural Biotechnology around Hongze Lake, Huaiyin Normal University, Huai'an, Jiangsu, 223300, China
| | - Hongzhe Xu
- Dept of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhao Z, Wang Y, Wei Y, Peng G, Wei T, He J, Li R, Wang Y. Distinctive patterns of bacterial community succession in the riverine micro-plastisphere in view of biofilm development and ecological niches. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 480:135974. [PMID: 39341189 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2024] [Revised: 09/20/2024] [Accepted: 09/25/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024]
Abstract
Exploring plastic bacterial community succession is a crucial step in analyzing and predicting the ecological assembly processes of the plastisphere and its associated environmental impacts. However, microbial biofilm development and niche differentiation during plastic bacterial community succession have rarely scarcely considered. Here, we assessed the differences between three microplastics (MPs) and two natural polymers in terms of biofilm development and niche properties during bacterial community succession, and identified a genus of MPs-degrading bacteria with strong competitive potential in the plastisphere. MPs biofilm development exhibits secondary succession characteristics, whereas natural polymer biofilms persist during the primary succession stage. During succession in plastic bacterial communities, the relationship between nutrient resources and microbial competition was reflected in a positive correlation between species competition and niche breadth, which contradicted the common belief that increased nutrient availability leads to reduced competition. Furthermore, the co-occurrence network revealed that specialists were species with greater competitive potential within the plastisphere. Additionally, the MPs-degrading Exiguobacterium genus represented a key taxon in the plastisphere. Our study provides a reliable pathway for revealing the specificity of plastic bacterial community succession from multiple perspectives and enhances the understanding of ecological assembly processes in the plastisphere.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Zhao
- College of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Yijin Wang
- College of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Yihua Wei
- School of Resources, Environment and Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Gen Peng
- College of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Tingyu Wei
- School of Resources, Environment and Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Jianqiao He
- Institute of Green and Low Carbon Technology, Guangxi Institute of Industrial Technology, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Ruilong Li
- College of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.
| | - Yinghui Wang
- Institute of Green and Low Carbon Technology, Guangxi Institute of Industrial Technology, Nanning 530004, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Zhang W, Bhagwat G, Palanisami T, Liang S, Wan W, Yang Y. Lacustrine plastisphere: Distinct succession and assembly processes of prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities and role of site, time, and polymer types. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 248:120875. [PMID: 37992636 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120875] [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: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics as a carrier can promote microbial diffusion, potentially influencing the ecological functions of microbial communities in aquatic environments. However, our understanding of the assembly mechanism of microbial communities on different microplastic polymers in freshwater lakes during succession is still insufficient, especially for the eukaryotes. Here, the colonization time, site, and polymer types of microplastics were comprehensively considered to investigate the composition and assembly of prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities and their driving factors during the lacustrine plastisphere formation. Results showed that the particle-associated microorganisms in water were the main source of the plastisphere prokaryotes, while the free-living microorganisms in water mainly accounted for the plastisphere eukaryotes. The response of prokaryotic communities to different microplastic polymers was stronger than eukaryotic communities. The assembly of plastisphere prokaryotic communities was dominated by homogenizing processes (mainly homogenous selection), while the assembly of eukaryotic communities was dominated by differentiating processes (mainly dispersal limitation). Colonization time was an important factor affecting the composition of prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities during the formation of the plastisphere. The Chao1 richness of prokaryotic communities in the plastisphere increased with the increase of colonization time, whereas the opposite was true in eukaryotic communities. This differential response of species diversity and composition of prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities in the plastisphere during dynamic succession could lead to their distinct assembly processes. Overall, the results suggest that distinct assembly of microbial communities in the plastisphere may depend more on specific microbial sub-communities and colonization time than polymer types and colonization site.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weihong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; Danjiangkou Wetland Ecosystem Field Scientific Observation and Research Station, the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Hubei Province, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Geetika Bhagwat
- Environmental Plastic and Innovation Cluster, Global Innovation Centre for Advanced Nanomaterials, The University of Newcastle, 2308, NSW, Australia
| | - Thava Palanisami
- Environmental Plastic and Innovation Cluster, Global Innovation Centre for Advanced Nanomaterials, The University of Newcastle, 2308, NSW, Australia
| | - Shuxin Liang
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China; School of Ecology and Environment, Tibet University, Lhasa 850000, China
| | - Wenjie Wan
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; Danjiangkou Wetland Ecosystem Field Scientific Observation and Research Station, the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Hubei Province, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Yuyi Yang
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; Danjiangkou Wetland Ecosystem Field Scientific Observation and Research Station, the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Hubei Province, Wuhan 430074, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Di Pippo F, Bocci V, Amalfitano S, Crognale S, Levantesi C, Pietrelli L, Di Lisio V, Martinelli A, Rossetti S. Microbial colonization patterns and biodegradation of petrochemical and biodegradable plastics in lake waters: insights from a field experiment. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1290441. [PMID: 38125574 PMCID: PMC10731271 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1290441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Once dispersed in water, plastic materials become promptly colonized by biofilm-forming microorganisms, commonly known as plastisphere. Methods By combining DNA sequencing and Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM), we investigated the plastisphere colonization patterns following exposure to natural lake waters (up to 77 days) of either petrochemical or biodegradable plastic materials (low density polyethylene - LDPE, polyethylene terephthalate - PET, polylactic acid - PLA, and the starch-based MaterBi® - Mb) in comparison to planktonic community composition. Chemical composition, water wettability, and morphology of plastic surfaces were evaluated, through Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and static contact angle analysis, to assess the possible effects of microbial colonization and biodegradation activity. Results and Discussion The phylogenetic composition of plastisphere and planktonic communities was notably different. Pioneering microbial colonisers, likely selected from lake waters, were found associated with all plastic materials, along with a core of more than 30 abundant bacterial families associated with all polymers. The different plastic materials, either derived from petrochemical hydrocarbons (i.e., LDPE and PET) or biodegradable (PLA and Mb), were used by opportunistic aquatic microorganisms as adhesion surfaces rather than carbon sources. The Mb-associated microorganisms (i.e. mostly members of the family Burkholderiaceae) were likely able to degrade the starch residues on the polymer surfaces, although the Mb matrix maintained its original chemical structure and morphology. Overall, our findings provide insights into the complex interactions between aquatic microorganisms and plastic materials found in lake waters, highlighting the importance of understanding the plastisphere dynamics to better manage the fate of plastic debris in the environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Di Pippo
- Water Research Institute, CNR-IRSA, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Valerio Bocci
- Water Research Institute, CNR-IRSA, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
- PhD Program in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Amalfitano
- Water Research Institute, CNR-IRSA, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
| | - Simona Crognale
- Water Research Institute, CNR-IRSA, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
| | - Caterina Levantesi
- Water Research Institute, CNR-IRSA, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Valerio Di Lisio
- Donostia International Physics Center, Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal, San Sebastián, Spain
| | | | - Simona Rossetti
- Water Research Institute, CNR-IRSA, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Witsø IL, Basson A, Vinje H, Llarena AK, Bringas CS, Aspholm M, Wasteson Y, Myrmel M. Freshwater plastispheres as a vector for foodborne bacteria and viruses. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:2864-2881. [PMID: 37964725 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
There is growing evidence that plastic particles can accumulate microorganisms that are pathogenic to humans or animals. In the current study, the composition of the plastispheres that accumulated on polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pieces submerged in a river in the southeast Norway was characterized by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Seasonal and geographical effects on the bacterial composition of the plastisphere were identified, in addition to the detection of potential foodborne pathogenic bacteria and viruses as part of the plastisphere. The diversity and taxonomic composition of the plastispheres were influenced by the number of weeks in the river, the season, and the location. The bacterial diversity differed significantly in the plastisphere from June and September, with a generally higher diversity in June. Also, the community composition of the plastisphere was significantly influenced by the geographical location, while the type of plastic had less impact. Plastics submerged in river water assembled a variety of microorganisms including potentially pathogenic bacteria and viruses (noro- and adenovirus) detected by qPCR. Cultivation methods detected viable bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes. The results highlight the need for additional research on the risk of contaminating food with plastic particles colonized with human pathogens through irrigation water.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ingun Lund Witsø
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Food Safety Unit, The Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Adelle Basson
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Food Safety Unit, The Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Hilde Vinje
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, The Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Ann-Katrin Llarena
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Food Safety Unit, The Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Carlos Salas Bringas
- Institute for Marine Operations and Civil Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Ålesund, Norway
| | - Marina Aspholm
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Food Safety Unit, The Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Yngvild Wasteson
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Food Safety Unit, The Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Mette Myrmel
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Virology Unit, The Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Yang Y, Suyamud B, Liang S, Liang X, Wan W, Zhang W. Distinct spatiotemporal succession of bacterial generalists and specialists in the lacustrine plastisphere. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:2746-2760. [PMID: 37190986 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The assembly processes of generalists and specialists and their driving mechanisms during spatiotemporal succession is a central issue in microbial ecology but a poorly researched subject in the plastisphere. We investigated the composition variation, spatiotemporal succession, and assembly processes of bacterial generalists and specialists in the plastisphere, including non-biodegradable (NBMPs) and biodegradable microplastics (BMPs). Although the composition of generalists and specialists on NBMPs differed from that of BMPs, colonization time mainly mediated the composition variation. The relative abundance of generalists and the relative contribution of species replacement were initially increased and then decreased with colonization time, while the specialists initially decreased and then increased. Besides, the richness differences also affected the composition variation of generalists and specialists in the plastisphere, and the generalists were more susceptible to richness differences than corresponding specialists. Furthermore, the assembly of generalists in the plastisphere was dominated by deterministic processes, while stochastic processes dominated the assembly of specialists. The network stability test showed that the community stability of generalists on NBMPs and BMPs was lower than corresponding specialists. Our results suggested that different ecological assembly processes shaped the spatiotemporal succession of bacterial generalists and specialists in the plastisphere, but were less influenced by polymer types.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuyi Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Danjiangkou Wetland Ecosystem Field Scientific Observation and Research Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Hubei Province, Wuhan, China
| | - Bongkotrat Suyamud
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- NUS Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shuxin Liang
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- College of Science, Tibet University, Lhasa, China
| | - Xinjin Liang
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Wenjie Wan
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Danjiangkou Wetland Ecosystem Field Scientific Observation and Research Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Hubei Province, Wuhan, China
| | - Weihong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Danjiangkou Wetland Ecosystem Field Scientific Observation and Research Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Hubei Province, Wuhan, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Nguyen HT, Choi W, Kim EJ, Cho K. Microbial community niches on microplastics and prioritized environmental factors under various urban riverine conditions. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 849:157781. [PMID: 35926609 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) provide habitats to microorganisms in aquatic environments; distinct microbial niches have recently been elucidated. However, there is little known about the microbial communities on MPs under urban riverine conditions, in which environmental factors fluctuate. Therefore, this study investigated MP biofilm communities under various urban riverine conditions (i.e., organic content, salinity, and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration) and evaluated the prioritized factors affecting plastisphere communities. Nine biofilm-forming reactors were operated under various environmental conditions. Under all testing conditions, biofilms grew on MPs with decreasing bacterial diversity. Interestingly, biofilm morphology and bacterial populations were driven by the environmental parameters. We found that plastisphere community structures were grouped according to the environmental conditions; organic content in the water was the most significant factor determining MP biofilm communities, followed by salinity and DO concentration. The principal plastisphere communities were Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria, and Firmicutes phyla. In-depth analyses of plastisphere communities revealed that biofilm-forming and plastic-degrading bacteria were the predominant microbes. In addition, potential pathogens were majorly discovered in the riverine waters with high organic content. Our results suggest that distinct plastisphere communities coexist with MP particles under certain riverine water conditions, implying that the varied MP biofilm communities may affect urban riverine ecology in a variety of ways.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hien Thi Nguyen
- Center for Water Cycle Research, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Energy & Environment Technology, KIST school, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Woodan Choi
- Center for Water Cycle Research, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Energy & Environment Technology, KIST school, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-Ju Kim
- Center for Water Cycle Research, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Energy & Environment Technology, KIST school, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyungjin Cho
- Center for Water Cycle Research, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Energy & Environment Technology, KIST school, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|