1
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Chen G, Yang Y, Yan J, Löffler FE. Metabolite cross-feeding enables concomitant catabolism of chlorinated methanes and chlorinated ethenes in synthetic microbial assemblies. THE ISME JOURNAL 2024; 18:wrae090. [PMID: 38818735 PMCID: PMC11170663 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Isolate studies have been a cornerstone for unraveling metabolic pathways and phenotypical (functional) features. Biogeochemical processes in natural and engineered ecosystems are generally performed by more than a single microbe and often rely on mutualistic interactions. We demonstrate the rational bottom-up design of synthetic, interdependent co-cultures to achieve concomitant utilization of chlorinated methanes as electron donors and organohalogens as electron acceptors. Specialized anaerobes conserve energy from the catabolic conversion of chloromethane or dichloromethane to formate, H2, and acetate, compounds that the organohalide-respiring bacterium Dehalogenimonas etheniformans strain GP requires to utilize cis-1,2-dichloroethenene and vinyl chloride as electron acceptors. Organism-specific qPCR enumeration matched the growth of individual dechlorinators to the respective functional (i.e. dechlorination) traits. The metabolite cross-feeding in the synthetic (co-)cultures enables concomitant utilization of chlorinated methanes (i.e. chloromethane and dichloromethane) and chlorinated ethenes (i.e. cis-1,2-dichloroethenene and vinyl chloride) without the addition of an external electron donor (i.e. formate and H2). The findings illustrate that naturally occurring chlorinated C1 compounds can sustain anaerobic food webs, an observation with implications for the development of interdependent, mutualistic communities, the sustenance of microbial life in oligotrophic and energy-deprived environments, and the fate of chloromethane/dichloromethane and chlorinated electron acceptors (e.g. chlorinated ethenes) in pristine environments and commingled contaminant plumes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gao Chen
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, United States
| | - Yi Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China
| | - Jun Yan
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China
| | - Frank E Löffler
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, United States
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, United States
- Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, United States
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2
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Gribble GW. Naturally Occurring Organohalogen Compounds-A Comprehensive Review. PROGRESS IN THE CHEMISTRY OF ORGANIC NATURAL PRODUCTS 2023; 121:1-546. [PMID: 37488466 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-26629-4_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
The present volume is the third in a trilogy that documents naturally occurring organohalogen compounds, bringing the total number-from fewer than 25 in 1968-to approximately 8000 compounds to date. Nearly all of these natural products contain chlorine or bromine, with a few containing iodine and, fewer still, fluorine. Produced by ubiquitous marine (algae, sponges, corals, bryozoa, nudibranchs, fungi, bacteria) and terrestrial organisms (plants, fungi, bacteria, insects, higher animals) and universal abiotic processes (volcanos, forest fires, geothermal events), organohalogens pervade the global ecosystem. Newly identified extraterrestrial sources are also documented. In addition to chemical structures, biological activity, biohalogenation, biodegradation, natural function, and future outlook are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon W Gribble
- Department of Chemistry, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA.
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3
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Microbial Degradation of Pollutants. Environ Microbiol 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-662-66547-3_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
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4
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Barnum TP, Coates JD. The biogeochemical cycling of chlorine. GEOBIOLOGY 2022; 20:634-649. [PMID: 35851523 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Chlorine has important roles in the Earth's systems. In different forms, it helps balance the charge and osmotic potential of cells, provides energy for microorganisms, mobilizes metals in geologic fluids, alters the salinity of waters, and degrades atmospheric ozone. Despite this importance, there has not been a comprehensive summary of chlorine's geobiology. Here, we unite different areas of recent research to describe a biogeochemical cycle for chlorine. Chlorine enters the biosphere through volcanism and weathering of rocks and is sequestered by subduction and the formation of evaporite sediments from inland seas. In the biosphere, chlorine is converted between solid, dissolved, and gaseous states and in oxidation states ranging from -1 to +7, with the soluble, reduced chloride ion as its most common form. Living organisms and chemical reactions change chlorine's form through oxidation and reduction and the addition and removal of chlorine from organic molecules. Chlorine can be transported through the atmosphere, and the highest oxidation states of chlorine are produced by reactions between sunlight and trace chlorine gases. Partial oxidation of chlorine occurs across the biosphere and creates reactive chlorine species that contribute to the oxidative stress experienced by living cells. A unified view of this chlorine cycle demonstrates connections between chlorine biology, chemistry, and geology that affect life on the Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler P Barnum
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - John D Coates
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
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5
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Fulk EM, Gao X, Lu LC, Redeker KR, Masiello CA, Silberg JJ. Nondestructive Chemical Sensing within Bulk Soil Using 1000 Biosensors Per Gram of Matrix. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:2372-2383. [PMID: 35715210 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Gene expression can be monitored in hard-to-image environmental materials using gas-reporting biosensors, but these outputs have only been applied in autoclaved matrices that are hydrated with rich medium. To better understand the compatibility of indicator gas reporting with environmental samples, we evaluated how matrix hydration affects the gas signal of an engineered microbe added to a sieved soil. A gas-reporting microbe presented a gas signal in a forest soil (Alfisol) when hydrated to an environmentally relevant osmotic pressure. When the gas signal was concentrated prior to analysis, a biosensor titer of 103 cells/gram of soil produced a significant signal when soil was supplemented with halides. A signal was also observed without halide amendment, but a higher cell titer (106 cells/gram of soil) was required. A sugar-regulated gas biosensor was able to report with a similar level of sensitivity when added to an unsterilized soil matrix, illustrating how gas concentration enables biosensing within a soil containing environmental microbes. These results establish conditions where engineered microbes can report on gene expression in living environmental matrices with decreased perturbation of the soil environment compared to previously reported approaches, using biosensor titers that are orders of magnitude lower than the number of cells typically observed in a gram of soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M Fulk
- Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology Graduate Program, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, MS-180, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Xiaodong Gao
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Rice University, 6100 Main St, MS-126, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Li Chieh Lu
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, MS-140, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Kelly R Redeker
- Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
| | - Caroline A Masiello
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Rice University, 6100 Main St, MS-126, Houston, Texas 77005, United States.,Department of Biosciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, MS-140, Houston, Texas 77005, United States.,Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, MS-60, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Jonathan J Silberg
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, MS-140, Houston, Texas 77005, United States.,Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, MS-142, Houston, Texas 77005, United States.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, MS-362, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
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6
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Saccò M, Blyth AJ, Humphreys WF, Middleton JA, White NE, Campbell M, Mousavi-Derazmahalleh M, Laini A, Hua Q, Meredith K, Cooper SJB, Griebler C, Allard S, Grierson P, Grice K. Tracking down carbon inputs underground from an arid zone Australian calcrete. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0237730. [PMID: 32857799 PMCID: PMC7454941 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Freshwater ecosystems play a key role in shaping the global carbon cycle and maintaining the ecological balance that sustains biodiversity worldwide. Surficial water bodies are often interconnected with groundwater, forming a physical continuum, and their interaction has been reported as a crucial driver for organic matter (OM) inputs in groundwater systems. However, despite the growing concerns related to increasing anthropogenic pressure and effects of global change to groundwater environments, our understanding of the dynamics regulating subterranean carbon flows is still sparse. We traced carbon composition and transformations in an arid zone calcrete aquifer using a novel multidisciplinary approach that combined isotopic analyses of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and inorganic carbon (DIC) (δ13CDOC, δ13CDIC, 14CDOC and 14CDIC) with fluorescence spectroscopy (Chromophoric Dissolved OM (CDOM) characterisation) and metabarcoding analyses (taxonomic and functional genomics on bacterial 16S rRNA). To compare dynamics linked to potential aquifer recharge processes, water samples were collected from two boreholes under contrasting rainfall: low rainfall ((LR), dry season) and high rainfall ((HR), wet season). Our isotopic results indicate limited changes and dominance of modern terrestrial carbon in the upper part (northeast) of the bore field, but correlation between HR and increased old and 13C-enriched DOC in the lower area (southwest). CDOM results show a shift from terrestrially to microbially derived compounds after rainfall in the same lower field bore, which was also sampled for microbial genetics. Functional genomic results showed increased genes coding for degradative pathways-dominated by those related to aromatic compound metabolisms-during HR. Our results indicate that rainfall leads to different responses in different parts of the bore field, with an increase in old carbon sources and microbial processing in the lower part of the field. We hypothesise that this may be due to increasing salinity, either due to mobilisation of Cl- from the soil, or infiltration from the downstream salt lake during HR. This study is the first to use a multi-technique assessment using stable and radioactive isotopes together with functional genomics to probe the principal organic biogeochemical pathways regulating an arid zone calcrete system. Further investigations involving extensive sampling from diverse groundwater ecosystems will allow better understanding of the microbiological pathways sustaining the ecological functioning of subterranean biota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Saccò
- WA-Organic Isotope Geochemistry Centre, The Institute for Geoscience Research, School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Alison J. Blyth
- WA-Organic Isotope Geochemistry Centre, The Institute for Geoscience Research, School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - William F. Humphreys
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- Collections and Research Centre, Western Australian Museum, Welshpool, WA, Australia
| | - Jen A. Middleton
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Nicole E. White
- Trace and Environmental DNA Lab, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Matthew Campbell
- WA-Organic Isotope Geochemistry Centre, The Institute for Geoscience Research, School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Masha Mousavi-Derazmahalleh
- Trace and Environmental DNA Lab, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Alex Laini
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze, Parma, Italy
| | - Quan Hua
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Locked Bag Kirrawee DC, NSW, Australia
| | - Karina Meredith
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Locked Bag Kirrawee DC, NSW, Australia
| | - Steven J. B. Cooper
- Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Evolutionary Biology Unit, South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Christian Griebler
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sebastien Allard
- Curtin Water Quality Research Centre, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Pauline Grierson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Kliti Grice
- WA-Organic Isotope Geochemistry Centre, The Institute for Geoscience Research, School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
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7
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Metagenomic- and Cultivation-Based Exploration of Anaerobic Chloroform Biotransformation in Hypersaline Sediments as Natural Source of Chloromethanes. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8050665. [PMID: 32370295 PMCID: PMC7284496 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8050665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Chloroform (CF) is an environmental contaminant that can be naturally formed in various environments ranging from forest soils to salt lakes. Here we investigated CF removal potential in sediments obtained from hypersaline lakes in Western Australia. Reductive dechlorination of CF to dichloromethane (DCM) was observed in enrichment cultures derived from sediments of Lake Strawbridge, which has been reported as a natural source of CF. No CF removal was observed in abiotic control cultures without artificial electron donors, indicating biotic CF dechlorination in the enrichment cultures. Increasing vitamin B12 concentration from 0.04 to 4 µM in enrichment cultures enhanced CF removal and reduced DCM formation. In cultures amended with 4 µM vitamin B12 and 13C labelled CF, formation of 13CO2 was detected. Known organohalide-respiring bacteria and reductive dehalogenase genes were neither detected using quantitative PCR nor metagenomic analysis of the enrichment cultures. Rather, members of the order Clostridiales, known to co-metabolically transform CF to DCM and CO2, were detected. Accordingly, metagenome-assembled genomes of Clostridiales encoded enzymatic repertoires for the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway and cobalamin biosynthesis, which are known to be involved in fortuitous and nonspecific CF transformation. This study indicates that hypersaline lake microbiomes may act as a filter to reduce CF emission to the atmosphere.
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8
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Metagenomes from Coastal Marine Sediments Give Insights into the Ecological Role and Cellular Features of Loki- and Thorarchaeota. mBio 2019; 10:mBio.02039-19. [PMID: 31506313 PMCID: PMC6737245 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02039-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The genomes of Asgard Archaea, a novel archaeal proposed superphylum, share an enriched repertoire of eukaryotic signature genes and thus promise to provide insights into early eukaryote evolution. However, the distribution, metabolisms, cellular structures, and ecology of the members within this superphylum are not well understood. Here we provide a meta-analysis of the environmental distribution of the Asgard archaea, based on available 16S rRNA gene sequences. Metagenome sequencing of samples from a salt-crusted lagoon on the Baja California Peninsula of Mexico allowed the assembly of a new Thorarchaeota and three Lokiarchaeota genomes. Comparative analyses of all known Lokiarchaeota and Thorarchaeota genomes revealed overlapping genome content, including central carbon metabolism. Members of both groups contained putative reductive dehalogenase genes, suggesting that these organisms might be able to metabolize halogenated organic compounds. Unlike the first report on Lokiarchaeota, we identified genes encoding glycerol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase in all Loki- and Thorarchaeota genomes, suggesting that these organisms are able to synthesize bona fide archaeal lipids with their characteristic glycerol stereochemistry.IMPORTANCE Microorganisms of the superphylum Asgard Archaea are considered to be the closest living prokaryotic relatives of eukaryotes (including plants and animals) and thus promise to give insights into the early evolution of more complex life forms. However, very little is known about their biology as none of the organisms has yet been cultivated in the laboratory. Here we report on the ecological distribution of Asgard Archaea and on four newly sequenced genomes of the Lokiarchaeota and Thorarchaeota lineages that give insight into possible metabolic features that might eventually help to identify these enigmatic groups of archaea in the environment and to culture them.
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9
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Testa C, Roger J, Fleurat-Lessard P, Hierso JC. Palladium-Catalyzed Electrophilic C-H-Bond Fluorination: Mechanistic Overview and Supporting Evidence. European J Org Chem 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.201801138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christelle Testa
- Institut de Chimie Moléculaire de l'Université de Bourgogne; UMR-CNRS 6302; Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté; 9, avenue Alain Savary 21078 Dijon France
| | - Julien Roger
- Institut de Chimie Moléculaire de l'Université de Bourgogne; UMR-CNRS 6302; Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté; 9, avenue Alain Savary 21078 Dijon France
| | - Paul Fleurat-Lessard
- Institut de Chimie Moléculaire de l'Université de Bourgogne; UMR-CNRS 6302; Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté; 9, avenue Alain Savary 21078 Dijon France
| | - Jean-Cyrille Hierso
- Institut de Chimie Moléculaire de l'Université de Bourgogne; UMR-CNRS 6302; Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté; 9, avenue Alain Savary 21078 Dijon France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF); 103 Boulevard Saint Michel 75005 Paris Cedex France
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10
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Atashgahi S, Häggblom MM, Smidt H. Organohalide respiration in pristine environments: implications for the natural halogen cycle. Environ Microbiol 2017; 20:934-948. [PMID: 29215190 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Revised: 11/29/2017] [Accepted: 12/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Halogenated organic compounds, also termed organohalogens, were initially considered to be of almost exclusively anthropogenic origin. However, over 5000 naturally synthesized organohalogens are known today. This has also fuelled the hypothesis that the natural and ancient origin of organohalogens could have primed development of metabolic machineries for their degradation, especially in microorganisms. Among these, a special group of anaerobic microorganisms was discovered that could conserve energy by reducing organohalogens as terminal electron acceptor in a process termed organohalide respiration. Originally discovered in a quest for biodegradation of anthropogenic organohalogens, these organohalide-respiring bacteria (OHRB) were soon found to reside in pristine environments, such as the deep subseafloor and Arctic tundra soil with limited/no connections to anthropogenic activities. As such, accumulating evidence suggests an important role of OHRB in local natural halogen cycles, presumably taking advantage of natural organohalogens. In this minireview, we integrate current knowledge regarding the natural origin and occurrence of industrially important organohalogens and the evolution and spread of OHRB, and describe potential implications for natural halogen and carbon cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siavash Atashgahi
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, Wageningen 6708 WE, The Netherlands
| | - Max M Häggblom
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - Hauke Smidt
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, Wageningen 6708 WE, The Netherlands
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11
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Wever R, Barnett P. Vanadium Chloroperoxidases: The Missing Link in the Formation of Chlorinated Compounds and Chloroform in the Terrestrial Environment? Chem Asian J 2017; 12:1997-2007. [DOI: 10.1002/asia.201700420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2017] [Revised: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ron Wever
- Van't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences; University of Amsterdam; Science Park 904 1098 XH Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Phil Barnett
- Department of Anatomy; Embryology and Physiology; Academic Medical Center Amsterdam; Meibergdreef 15 1105 AZ Amsterdam The Netherlands
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12
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Barajas XLO, Jochmann MA, Hüffer T, Schilling B, Schmidt TC. Sorbent material characterization using in-tube extraction needles as inverse gas chromatography column. J Sep Sci 2017; 40:2390-2397. [PMID: 28426926 DOI: 10.1002/jssc.201601198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2016] [Revised: 03/15/2017] [Accepted: 03/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
In-tube extraction is a full automated enrichment technique that consists of a stainless-steel needle, packed with sorbent material for the extraction of volatile and semivolatile compounds. In principle, all particulate sorbents used for enrichment in air or headspace analysis can be used. However, the selection of the sorbents is merely based on empirical considerations rather than on experimental data, which is caused by a lack of knowledge about the relevant physicochemical properties of the sorbent. Especially, the knowledge of hydrostatic, advective, diffusive, and dispersion mechanisms in addition to sorption enthalpies are important for combined transport and sorption models. To provide these missing parameters, we developed and evaluated a method in which an ordinary in-tube extraction needle was employed directly as column for sorbent characterization by inverse gas chromatography. As probe compounds, benzene, ethyl acetate, and 3-methyl-1-butanol were used to determine thermodynamic parameters such as sorption enthalpy, partitioning constant between the solid and gas phase, and kinetic parameters such as the diffusion coefficient, dispersion coefficient, and apparent permeability, exemplarily. As sorbent, three commercially available phases were characterized to demonstrate the applicability of the method.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maik A Jochmann
- Instrumental Analytical Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.,Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Thorsten Hüffer
- Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.,Department of Environmental Geosciences and Environmental Science Research Network, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Torsten C Schmidt
- Instrumental Analytical Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.,Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
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13
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Ruecker A, Schröder C, Byrne J, Weigold P, Behrens S, Kappler A. Geochemistry and Mineralogy of Western Australian Salt Lake Sediments: Implications for Meridiani Planum on Mars. ASTROBIOLOGY 2016; 16:525-538. [PMID: 27258848 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2015.1429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Hypersaline lakes are characteristic for Western Australia and display a rare combination of geochemical and mineralogical properties that make these lakes potential analogues for past conditions on Mars. In our study, we focused on the geochemistry and mineralogy of Lake Orr and Lake Whurr. While both lakes are poor in organic carbon (<1%), the sediments' pH values differ and range from 3.8 to 4.8 in Lake Orr and from 5.4 to 6.3 in Lake Whurr sediments. Lake Whurr sediments were dominated by orange and red sediment zones in which the main Fe minerals were identified as hematite, goethite, and tentatively jarosite and pyrite. Lake Orr was dominated by brownish and blackish sediments where the main Fe minerals were goethite and another paramagnetic Fe(III)-phase that could not be identified. Furthermore, a likely secondary Fe(II)-phase was observed in Lake Orr sediments. The mineralogy of these two salt lakes in the sampling area is strongly influenced by events such as flooding, evaporation, and desiccation, processes that explain at least to some extent the observed differences between Lake Orr and Lake Whurr. The iron mineralogy of Lake Whurr sediments and the high salinity make this lake a suitable analogue for Meridiani Planum on Mars, and in particular the tentative identification of pyrite in Lake Whurr sediments has implications for the interpretation of the Fe mineralogy of Meridiani Planum sediments. KEY WORDS Western Australia-Salt lakes-Jarosite-Hematite-Pyrite-Mars analogue. Astrobiology 16, 525-538.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Ruecker
- 1 Geomicrobiology, Center for Applied Geosciences, University of Tübingen , Tübingen, Germany
| | - C Schröder
- 2 Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling , Stirling, Scotland, UK
| | - J Byrne
- 1 Geomicrobiology, Center for Applied Geosciences, University of Tübingen , Tübingen, Germany
| | - P Weigold
- 1 Geomicrobiology, Center for Applied Geosciences, University of Tübingen , Tübingen, Germany
| | - S Behrens
- 1 Geomicrobiology, Center for Applied Geosciences, University of Tübingen , Tübingen, Germany
| | - A Kappler
- 1 Geomicrobiology, Center for Applied Geosciences, University of Tübingen , Tübingen, Germany
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14
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Weigold P, El-Hadidi M, Ruecker A, Huson DH, Scholten T, Jochmann M, Kappler A, Behrens S. A metagenomic-based survey of microbial (de)halogenation potential in a German forest soil. Sci Rep 2016; 6:28958. [PMID: 27353292 PMCID: PMC4926216 DOI: 10.1038/srep28958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In soils halogens (fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine) are cycled through the transformation of inorganic halides into organohalogen compounds and vice versa. There is evidence that these reactions are microbially driven but the key enzymes and groups of microorganisms involved are largely unknown. Our aim was to uncover the diversity, abundance and distribution of genes encoding for halogenating and dehalogenating enzymes in a German forest soil by shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Metagenomic libraries of three soil horizons revealed the presence of genera known to be involved in halogenation and dehalogenation processes such as Bradyrhizobium or Pseudomonas. We detected a so far unknown diversity of genes encoding for (de)halogenating enzymes in the soil metagenome including specific and unspecific halogenases as well as metabolic and cometabolic dehalogenases. Genes for non-heme, no-metal chloroperoxidases and haloalkane dehalogenases were the most abundant halogenase and dehalogenase genes, respectively. The high diversity and abundance of (de)halogenating enzymes suggests a strong microbial contribution to natural halogen cycling. This was also confirmed in microcosm experiments in which we quantified the biotic formation of chloroform and bromoform. Knowledge on microorganisms and genes that catalyze (de)halogenation reactions is critical because they are highly relevant to industrial biotechnologies and bioremediation applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal Weigold
- Geomicrobiology, Center for Applied Geosciences, University of
Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Mohamed El-Hadidi
- Algorithms in Bioinformatics, Center for Bioinformatics,
University of Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Alexander Ruecker
- Geomicrobiology, Center for Applied Geosciences, University of
Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Daniel H. Huson
- Algorithms in Bioinformatics, Center for Bioinformatics,
University of Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Scholten
- Soil Science and Geomorphology, Geography, University of
Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Maik Jochmann
- Instrumental Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry,
University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany
| | - Andreas Kappler
- Geomicrobiology, Center for Applied Geosciences, University of
Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Sebastian Behrens
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering,
University of Minnesota, MN, USA
- BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota,
MN, USA
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15
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Weigold P, Ruecker A, Jochmann M, Osorio Barajas XL, Lege S, Zwiener C, Kappler A, Behrens S. Formation of chloroform and tetrachloroethene by Sinorhizobium meliloti strain 1021. Lett Appl Microbiol 2015; 61:346-53. [PMID: 26119060 DOI: 10.1111/lam.12462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2015] [Revised: 06/08/2015] [Accepted: 06/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED The mechanisms and organisms involved in the natural formation of volatile organohalogen compounds (VOX) are largely unknown. We provide evidence that the common and widespread soil bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti strain 1021 is capable of producing up to 3338·6 ± 327·8 ng l(-1) headspace volume of chloroform (CHCl3 ) and 807·8 ± 13·5 ng l(-1) headspace volume of tetrachloroethene (C2 Cl4 ) within 1 h when grown in soil extract medium. Biotic VOX formation has been suggested to be linked to the activity of halogenating enzymes such as haloperoxidases. We tested if the observed VOX formation by S. meliloti can be attributed to one of its chloroperoxidases (Smc01944) that is highly expressed in the presence of H2 O2. However, addition of 10 mmol l(-1) H2 O2 to the S. meliloti cultures decreased VOX formation by 52% for chloroform and 25% for tetrachloroethene, while viable cell numbers decreased by 23%. Interestingly, smc01944 gene expression increased 450-fold. The quantification of extracellular chlorination activity in cell suspension experiments did not provide evidence for a role of S. meliloti chloroperoxidases in the observed VOX formation. This suggests that a momentarily unknown mechanism which requires no H2 O2 might be responsible for the VOX formation by S. meliloti. Regardless of the underlying mechanism our results suggest that the soil bacterium S. meliloti might be an important source of VOX in soils. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY Volatile organohalogen compounds (VOX) strongly influence atmospheric chemistry and Earth's climate. Besides anthropogenic emissions they are naturally produced by either abiotic or biotic pathways in various environments. Particularly in soils, microbial processes drive the natural halogen cycle but the direct link to microbial VOX formation has not been studied in detail yet. In this study we provide evidence that the common and widespread soil bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti strain 1021 forms chloroform and tetrachloroethene. The potential contribution of S. meliloti to soil VOX release could significantly influence soil and atmospheric chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Weigold
- Geomicrobiology, Center for Applied Geosciences, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - A Ruecker
- Geomicrobiology, Center for Applied Geosciences, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - M Jochmann
- Instrumental Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - X L Osorio Barajas
- Instrumental Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - S Lege
- Environmental Analytical Chemistry, Center for Applied Geosciences, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - C Zwiener
- Environmental Analytical Chemistry, Center for Applied Geosciences, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - A Kappler
- Geomicrobiology, Center for Applied Geosciences, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - S Behrens
- Geomicrobiology, Center for Applied Geosciences, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.,Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo-Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.,BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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