Community ecology of hot spring cyanobacterial mats: predominant populations and their functional potential

Abundant and active community members respond to diel cycles in hot spring phototrophic mats

Photosynthetic microbial mats in hot springs can provide insights into the diel behaviors of communities in extreme environments. In this habitat, photosynthesis dominates during the day, leading to super-oxic conditions, with a rapid transition to fermentation and anoxia at night. Multiple samples were collected from two springs over several years to generate metagenomic and metatranscriptomic datasets. Metagenome-assembled genomes comprised 71 taxa (in 19 different phyla), of which 12 core taxa were present at high abundance in both springs. The eight most active taxa identified by metatranscriptomics were an oxygenic cyanobacterium (Synechococcus sp.), five anoxygenic phototrophs from three different phyla, and two understudied heterotrophs from phylum Armatimonadota. In all eight taxa, a significant fraction of genes exhibited a diel expression pattern, although peak timing varied considerably. The two abundant heterotrophs exhibit starkly different peak timing of expression, which we propose is shaped by their metabolic and genomic potential to use carbon sources that become differentially available during the diel cycle. Network analysis revealed pathway expression patterns that had not previously been linked to diel cycles, including ribosome biogenesis and chaperones. This provides a framework for analyzing metabolically coupled communities and the dominant role of the diel cycle.

Microbial and mineralogical characterization of the alkaline Chae Son hot spring, Northern Thailand

Early characterizations by morphological identification through light microscopy only revealed the presence of a few microbial lineages and the majority of microbial community at the Chae Son hot spring remains uncharacterized. Therefore, this study aims to examine thermophilic microbial communities at the Chae Son hot spring using next-generation sequencing, including investigating hot spring mineralogy. Results suggest that the Chae Son hot spring (49-75 °C, pH = 6.5-7.0) precipitates digitate structures which comprise mainly silica, and that microbial permineralization is primarily through silicification. Alternating layers of mineralized microbial biofilms and silica were observed in digitate sinter cross-sections, contributing to the build-up of microstromatolites. Molecular results revealed that phylogenetically distinct members of photoautotrophic taxa, Chloroflexota and Cyanobacteriota, dominated spring microbial communities (63.19% relative abundance). Potential primary production processes were mainly through photoautotrophy, with minor lithoautotrophic activities (e.g., sulfur cycling and nitrogen cycling). Moreover, overall microbial community and Cyanobacteriota population alpha diversities significantly decreased with increased temperatures. However, no significant correlation was identified between Chloroflexota population diversity and temperatures. This study provides an update on the microbial community using a high-throughput next-generation sequencing technology, including the mineralogy of the Chae Son hot spring, Northern Thailand.

Coaggregation Occurs between a Piliated Unicellular Cyanobacterium, Thermosynechococcus, and a Filamentous Bacterium, Chloroflexus aggregans

Cyanobacteria are widely distributed in natural environments including geothermal areas. A unicellular cyanobacterium, Thermosynechococcus, in a deeply branching lineage, develops thick microbial mats with other bacteria, such as filamentous anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria in the genus Chloroflexus, in slightly alkaline hot-spring water at ~55 °C. However, Thermosynechococcus strains do not form cell aggregates under axenic conditions, and the cells are dispersed well in the culture. In this study, Thermosynechococcus sp. NK55a and Chloroflexus aggregans NBF, isolated from Nakabusa Hot Springs (Nagano, Japan), were mixed in an inorganic medium and incubated at 50 °C under incandescent light. Small cell aggregates were detected after 4 h incubation, the size of cell aggregates increased, and densely packed cell aggregates (100-200 µm in diameter) developed. Scanning electron microscopy analysis of cell aggregates found that C. aggregans filaments were connected with Thermosynechococcus sp. cells via pili-like fibers. Co-cultivation of C. aggregans with a pili-less mutant of Thermosynechococcus sp. did not form tight cell aggregates. Cell aggregate formation was observed under illumination with 740 nm LED, which was utilized only by C. aggregans. These results suggested that Chloroflexus filaments gather together via gliding motility, and piliated cyanobacterial cells cross-link filamentous cells to form densely packed cell aggregates.

Molecular diversity of green-colored microbial mats from hot springs of northern Japan

We acquired and analyzed metagenome and 16S/18S rRNA gene amplicon data of green-colored microbial mats from two hot springs within the Onikobe geothermal region (Miyagi Prefecture, Japan). The two collection sites-Tamago and Warabi-were in proximity and had the same temperature (40 °C), but the Tamago site was connected to a nearby stream, whereas the Warabi site was isolated. Both the amplicon and metagenome data suggest the bacterial, especially cyanobacterial, dominance of the mats; other abundant groups include Chloroflexota, Pseudomonadota, Bacteroidota/Chlorobiota, and Deinococcota. At finer resolution, however, the taxonomic composition entirely differed between the mats. A total of 5 and 21 abundant bacterial 16S rRNA gene OTUs were identified for Tamago and Warabi, respectively; of these, 12 are putative chlorophyll- or rhodopsin-based phototrophs. The presence of phylogenetically diverse microbial eukaryotes was noted, with ciliates and amoebozoans being the most abundant eukaryote groups for Tamago and Warabi, respectively. Fifteen metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) were obtained, represented by 13 bacteria, one ciliate (mitochondrion), and one giant virus. A total of 15 novel taxa, including a new deeply branching Chlorobiota species, is noted from the amplicon and MAG data, highlighting the importance of environmental sequencing in uncovering hidden microorganisms.

Mineralogical and microbial characterization of alkali hot spring microbial mats and deposits in Pong Dueat Pa Pae hot spring, Northern Thailand

Hot spring environments encompass broad physicochemical ranges, in which temperature and pH account for crucial factors shaping hot spring microbial community and diversity. However, the presence of photosynthetic microbial mats adjacent to boiling hot spring vents, where fluid temperatures extend beyond photosynthetic capability, questions the microbial profiles and the actual temperatures of such adjacent mats. Therefore, this study aims to characterize thermophilic microbial communities at Pong Dueat Pa Pae hot spring using next-generation sequencing, including investigating hot spring mineralogy. Results suggest that Pong Dueat Pa Pae hot spring precipitates comprise mainly silica which also acts as the main preservative medium for microbial permineralization. Molecular results revealed the presence of cyanobacterial and Chloroflexi species in the thick, orange and green subaerial mats surrounding the vents, suggesting the mats would be at least 30 °C cooler than source vents despite constantly receiving geyser splashes. Bacterial abundance was considerably higher than archaeal (97.9% versus 2.1%). Cyanobacterial (mainly Synechococcus and Leptolygbya) and Chloroflexi species (mainly Roseiflexus) accounted for almost half (40.04%) of the bacterial community, while DHVEG-6 and Thaumarchaeota comprised dominant members (> 90%) of the archaeal fraction. This study updates and provides insights into thermophilic microbial community composition and mineralogy of hot springs in Thailand.

Impacts of Thermal Drainage on Bacterial Diversity and Community Construction in Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant

As one of the low-carbon and high-efficient energy sources, nuclear power is developing vigorously to alleviate the crisis of global climate warming and realize carbon neutrality goals. Meanwhile, the ecological effect of thermal drainage in the nuclear power plant is significantly remarkable, which environmental assessment system has not yet referred to microorganisms. The rapid response of microbial diversity and community structure to environmental changes is crucial for ecosystem stability. This study investigated the bacterial diversity, community construction, and the co-occurrence patterns by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing among gradient warming regions in Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant. The alpha diversity of the high warming region was the lowest in summer, which was dominated by Proteobacteria, whereas the highest bacterial diversity presented in high warming regions in winter, which harbored higher proportions of Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes. The spatial distribution of bacterial communities showed clear separation especially in summer. Strong correlations were between community compositions and environmental factors, such as salinity, DO, TN, and temperature in summer. Furthermore, remarkable seasonality in bacterial co-occurrence patterns was discovered: the robustness of the bacterial co-occurrence network was promoted in winter, while the complexity and robustness were decreased in summer due to the warming of thermal drainage. These findings reveal the potential factors underpinning the influence of thermal drainage on bacterial community structure, which make it possible to predict the ecological effect of the nuclear power plants by exploring how the microbial assembly is likely to respond to the temperature and other environmental changes.

Diverse Microbial Hot Spring Mat Communities at Black Canyon of the Colorado River

The thermophilic microbial mat communities at hot springs in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, thought to harbor the protistan human pathogen Naegleria fowleri, were surveyed using both culture-independent and -dependent methods to further understand the ecology of these hot spring microbiomes. Originating from Lake Mead source water, seven spring sites were sampled, varying in temperature from 25 to 55 °C. Amplicon-based high-throughput sequencing of twelve samples using 16S rRNA primers (hypervariable V4 region) revealed that most mats are dominated by cyanobacterial taxa, some but not all similar to those dominating the mats at other studied hot spring systems. 18S rRNA amplicon sequencing (V9 region) demonstrated a diverse community of protists and other eukaryotes including a highly abundant amoebal sequence related to Echinamoeba thermarum. Additional taxonomic and diversity metric analyses using near full-length 16S and 18S rRNA gene sequencing allowed a higher sequence-based resolution of the community. The mat sequence data suggest a major diversification of the cyanobacterial orders Leptolyngbyales, as well as microdiversity among several cyanobacterial taxa. Cyanobacterial isolates included some representatives of ecologically abundant taxa. A Spearman correlation analysis of short-read amplicon sequencing data supported the co-occurrences of populations of cyanobacteria, chloroflexi, and bacteroidetes providing evidence of common microbial co-occurrences across the Black Canyon hot springs.

State of the Art for Diagnosis of Bacterial Vaginosis

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common cause of vaginal discharge among reproductive-age women. It is associated with multiple adverse health outcomes, including increased risk of acquisition of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), in addition to adverse birth outcomes. While it is known that BV is a vaginal dysbiosis characterized by a shift in the vaginal microbiota from protective Lactobacillus species to an increase in facultative and strict anaerobic bacteria, its exact etiology remains unknown. The purpose of this minireview is to provide an updated overview of the range of tests currently used for the diagnosis of BV in both clinical and research settings. This article is divided into two primary sections: traditional BV diagnostics and molecular diagnostics. Molecular diagnostic assays, particularly 16S rRNA gene sequencing, shotgun metagenomic sequencing, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), are specifically highlighted, in addition to multiplex nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs), given their increasing use in clinical practice (NAATs) and research studies (16S rRNA gene sequencing, shotgun metagenomic sequencing, and FISH) regarding the vaginal microbiota and BV pathogenesis. We also provide a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of current BV diagnostic tests and discuss future challenges in this field of research.

Community structure of thermophilic photosynthetic microbial mats and flocs at Sembawang Hot Spring, Singapore

The Sembawang Hot Spring in Singapore lies at the foot of a major regional geological feature called the Bentong-Raub Suture Zone. Amid an extensively managed surface geothermal park, an undisturbed hot spring emerges with source water at 61°C, pH 6.8, and 1 mg/L dissolved sulfide. A small main pool at the source supported orange-green benthic flocs, whereas the outflow channel with gradually less extreme environmental stress supported extensive vivid green microbial mats. Microscopy revealed that cyanobacterial morphotypes were distinct in flocs and mats at several intervals along the environmental gradient, and we describe a spiraling pattern in the oscillatorian cyanobacteria that may reflect response to poly-extreme stress. Estimation of diversity using 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed assemblages that were dominated by phototrophic bacteria. The most abundant taxa in flocs at 61°C/1 mg/L sulfide were Roseiflexus sp. and Thermosynechococcus elongatus, whilst the mats at 45.7-55.3°C/0-0.5 mg/L sulfide were dominated by Oscillatoriales cyanobacterium MTP1 and Chloroflexus sp. Occurrence of diverse chemoautotrophs and heterotrophs reflected known thermal ranges for taxa, and of note was the high abundance of thermophilic cellulolytic bacteria that likely reflected the large allochthonous leaf input. A clear shift in ASV-defined putative ecotypes occurred along the environmental stress gradient of the hot spring and overall diversity was inversely correlated to environmental stress. Significant correlations for abiotic variables with observed biotic diversity were identified for temperature, sulfide, and carbonate. A network analysis revealed three putative modules of biotic interactions that also reflected the taxonomic composition at intervals along the environmental gradient. Overall, the data indicated that three distinct microbial communities were supported within a small spatial scale along the poly-extreme environmental gradient. The findings add to the growing inventory of hot spring microbiomes and address an important biogeographic knowledge gap for the region.

Characterization of microbiomic and geochemical compositions across the photosynthetic fringe

Hot spring outflow channels provide geochemical gradients that are reflected in microbial community compositions. In many hot spring outflows, there is a distinct visual demarcation as the community transitions from predominantly chemotrophs to having visible pigments from phototrophs. It has been hypothesized that this transition to phototrophy, known as the photosynthetic fringe, is a result of the pH, temperature, and/or sulfide concentration gradients in the hot spring outflows. Here, we explicitly evaluated the predictive capability of geochemistry in determining the location of the photosynthetic fringe in hot spring outflows. A total of 46 samples were taken from 12 hot spring outflows in Yellowstone National Park that spanned pH values from 1.9 to 9.0 and temperatures from 28.9 to 92.2°C. Sampling locations were selected to be equidistant in geochemical space above and below the photosynthetic fringe based on linear discriminant analysis. Although pH, temperature, and total sulfide concentrations have all previously been cited as determining factors for microbial community composition, total sulfide did not correlate with microbial community composition with statistical significance in non-metric multidimensional scaling. In contrast, pH, temperature, ammonia, dissolved organic carbon, dissolved inorganic carbon, and dissolved oxygen did correlate with the microbial community composition with statistical significance. Additionally, there was observed statistical significance between beta diversity and the relative position to the photosynthetic fringe with sites above the photosynthetic fringe being significantly different from those at or below the photosynthetic fringe according to canonical correspondence analysis. However, in combination, the geochemical parameters considered in this study only accounted for 35% of the variation in microbial community composition determined by redundancy analysis. In co-occurrence network analyses, each clique correlated with either pH and/or temperature, whereas sulfide concentrations only correlated with individual nodes. These results indicate that there is a complex interplay between geochemical variables and the position of the photosynthetic fringe that cannot be fully explained by statistical correlations with the individual geochemical variables included in this study.

Global phylogenomic novelty of the Cas1 gene from hot spring microbial communities

The Cas1 protein is essential for the functioning of CRISPR-Cas adaptive systems. However, despite the high prevalence of CRISPR-Cas systems in thermophilic microorganisms, few studies have investigated the occurrence and diversity of Cas1 across hot spring microbial communities. Phylogenomic analysis of 2,150 Cas1 sequences recovered from 48 metagenomes representing hot springs (42–80°C, pH 6–9) from three continents, revealed similar ecological diversity of Cas1 and 16S rRNA associated with geographic location. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis of the Cas1 sequences exposed a broad taxonomic distribution in thermophilic bacteria, with new clades of Cas1 homologs branching at the root of the tree or at the root of known clades harboring reference Cas1 types. Additionally, a new family of casposases was identified from hot springs, which further completes the evolutionary landscape of the Cas1 superfamily. This ecological study contributes new Cas1 sequences from known and novel locations worldwide, mainly focusing on under-sampled hot spring microbial mat taxa. Results herein show that circumneutral hot springs are environments harboring high diversity and novelty related to adaptive immunity systems.

Chimeric inheritance and crown-group acquisitions of carbon fixation genes within Chlorobiales: Origins of autotrophy in Chlorobiales and implication for geological biomarkers

The geological record of microbial metabolisms and ecologies primarily consists of stable isotope fractionations and the diagenetic products of biogenic lipids. Carotenoid lipid biomarkers are particularly useful proxies for reconstructing this record, providing information on microbial phototroph primary productivity, redox couples, and oxygenation. The biomarkers okenane, chlorobactane, and isorenieratene are generally considered to be evidence of anoxygenic phototrophs, and provide a record that extends to 1.64 Ga. The utility of the carotenoid biomarker record may be enhanced by examining the carbon isotopic ratios in these products, which are diagnostic for specific pathways of biological carbon fixation found today within different microbial groups. However, this joint inference assumes that microbes have conserved these pathways across the duration of the preserved biomarker record. Testing this hypothesis, we performed phylogenetic analyses of the enzymes constituting the reductive tricarboxylic acid (rTCA) cycle in Chlorobiales, the group of anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria usually implicated in the deposition of chlorobactane and isorenieretane. We find phylogenetically incongruent patterns of inheritance across all enzymes, indicative of horizontal gene transfers to both stem and crown Chlorobiales from multiple potential donor lineages. This indicates that a complete rTCA cycle was independently acquired at least twice within Chlorobiales and was not present in the last common ancestor. When combined with recent molecular clock analyses, these results predict that the Mesoproterzoic lipid biomarker record diagnostic for Chlorobiales should not preserve isotopic fractionations indicative of a full rTCA cycle. Furthermore, we conclude that coupling isotopic and biomarker records is insufficient for reliably reconstructing microbial paleoecologies in the absence of a complementary and consistent phylogenomic narrative.

Acclimation of the photosynthetic apparatus to low light in a thermophilic Synechococcus sp. strain

Depending upon their growth responses to high and low irradiance, respectively, thermophilic Synechococcus sp. isolates from microbial mats associated with the effluent channels of Mushroom Spring, an alkaline siliceous hot spring in Yellowstone National Park, can be described as either high-light (HL) or low-light (LL) ecotypes. Strains isolated from the bottom of the photic zone grow more rapidly at low irradiance compared to strains isolated from the uppermost layer of the mat, which conversely grow better at high irradiance. The LL-ecotypes develop far-red absorbance and fluorescence emission features after growth in LL. These isolates have a unique gene cluster that encodes a putative cyanobacteriochrome denoted LcyA, a putative sensor histidine kinase; an allophycocyanin (FRL-AP; ApcD4-ApcB3) that absorbs far-red light; and a putative chlorophyll a-binding protein, denoted IsiX, which is homologous to IsiA. The emergence of FRL absorbance in LL-adapted cells of Synechococcus sp. strain A1463 was analyzed in cultures responding to differences in light intensity. The far-red absorbance phenotype arises from expression of a novel antenna complex containing the FRL-AP, ApcD4-ApcB3, which is produced when cells were grown at very low irradiance. Additionally, the two GAF domains of LcyA were shown to bind phycocyanobilin and a [4Fe-4S] cluster, respectively. These ligands potentially enable this photoreceptor to respond to a variety of environmental factors including irradiance, redox potential, and/or oxygen concentration. The products of the gene clusters specific to LL-ecotypes likely facilitate growth in low-light environments through a process called Low-Light Photoacclimation.

Temperature and Geographic Location Impact the Distribution and Diversity of Photoautotrophic Gene Variants in Alkaline Yellowstone Hot Springs

Alkaline hot springs in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) provide a framework to study the relationship between photoautotrophs and temperature. Previous work has focused on studying how cyanobacteria (oxygenic phototrophs) vary with temperature, sulfide, and pH, but many questions remain regarding the ecophysiology of anoxygenic photosynthesis due to the taxonomic and metabolic diversity of these taxa. To this end, we examined the distribution of genes involved in phototrophy, carbon fixation, and nitrogen fixation in eight alkaline (pH 7.3-9.4) hot spring sites near the upper temperature limit of photosynthesis (71ºC) in YNP using metagenome sequencing. Based on genes encoding key reaction center proteins, geographic isolation plays a larger role than temperature in selecting for distinct phototrophic Chloroflexi, while genes typically associated with autotrophy in anoxygenic phototrophs, did not have distinct distributions with temperature. Additionally, we recovered Calvin cycle gene variants associated with Chloroflexi, an alternative carbon fixation pathway in anoxygenic photoautotrophs. Lastly, we recovered several abundant nitrogen fixation gene sequences associated with Roseiflexus, providing further evidence that genes involved in nitrogen fixation in Chloroflexi are more common than previously assumed. Together, our results add to the body of work on the distribution and functional potential of phototrophic bacteria in Yellowstone National Park hot springs and support the hypothesis that a combination of abiotic and biotic factors impact the distribution of phototrophic bacteria in hot springs. Future studies of isolates and metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs) from these data and others will further our understanding of the ecology and evolution of hot spring anoxygenic phototrophs. IMPORTANCE Photosynthetic bacteria in hot springs are of great importance to both microbial evolution and ecology. While a large body of work has focused on oxygenic photosynthesis in cyanobacteria in Mushroom and Octopus Springs in Yellowstone National Park, many questions remain regarding the metabolic potential and ecology of hot spring anoxygenic phototrophs. Anoxygenic phototrophs are metabolically and taxonomically diverse, and further investigations into their physiology will lead to a deeper understanding of microbial evolution and ecology of these taxa. Here, we have quantified the distribution of key genes involved in carbon and nitrogen metabolism in both oxygenic and anoxygenic phototrophs. Our results suggest that temperature >68ºC selects for distinct groups of cyanobacteria and that carbon fixation pathways associated with these taxa are likely subject to the same selective pressure. Additionally, our data suggest that phototrophic Chloroflexi genes and carbon fixation genes are largely influenced by local conditions as evidenced by our gene variant analysis. Lastly, we recovered several genes associated with potentially novel phototrophic Chloroflexi. Together, our results add to the body of work on hot springs in Yellowstone National Park and set the stage for future work on metagenome assembled genomes.

MicNet toolbox: Visualizing and unraveling a microbial network

Applications of network theory to microbial ecology are an emerging and promising approach to understanding both global and local patterns in the structure and interplay of these microbial communities. In this paper, we present an open-source python toolbox which consists of two modules: on one hand, we introduce a visualization module that incorporates the use of UMAP, a dimensionality reduction technique that focuses on local patterns, and HDBSCAN, a clustering technique based on density; on the other hand, we have included a module that runs an enhanced version of the SparCC code, sustaining larger datasets than before, and we couple the resulting networks with network theory analyses to describe the resulting co-occurrence networks, including several novel analyses, such as structural balance metrics and a proposal to discover the underlying topology of a co-occurrence network. We validated the proposed toolbox on 1) a simple and well described biological network of kombucha, consisting of 48 ASVs, and 2) we validate the improvements of our new version of SparCC. Finally, we showcase the use of the MicNet toolbox on a large dataset from Archean Domes, consisting of more than 2,000 ASVs. Our toolbox is freely available as a github repository (https://github.com/Labevo/MicNetToolbox), and it is accompanied by a web dashboard (http://micnetapplb-1212130533.us-east-1.elb.amazonaws.com) that can be used in a simple and straightforward manner with relative abundance data. This easy-to-use implementation is aimed to microbial ecologists with little to no experience in programming, while the most experienced bioinformatics will also be able to manipulate the source code's functions with ease.

Differential Phototactic Behavior of Closely Related Cyanobacterial Isolates from Yellowstone Hot Spring Biofilms

Phototrophic biofilms in most environments experience major changes in light levels throughout a diel cycle. Phototaxis can be a useful strategy for optimizing light exposure under these conditions, but little is known about its role in cyanobacteria from thermal springs. We examined two closely related Synechococcus isolates (Synechococcus OS-A dominates at 60 to 65°C and OS-B' at 50 to 55°C) from outflows of Octopus Spring in Yellowstone National Park. Both isolates exhibited phototaxis and photokinesis in white light, but with differences in speed and motility bias. OS-B' exhibited phototaxis toward UVA, blue, green, and red wavelengths, while OS-A primarily exhibited phototaxis toward red and green. OS-A also exhibited negative phototaxis under certain conditions. The repertoires of photoreceptors and signal transduction elements in both isolates were quite different from those characterized in other unicellular cyanobacteria. These differences in the photoresponses between OS-A and OS-B' in conjunction with in situ observations indicate that phototactic strategies may be quite versatile and finely tuned to the light and local environment. IMPORTANCE Optimizing light absorption is of paramount importance to photosynthetic organisms. Some photosynthetic microbes have evolved a sophisticated process called phototaxis to move toward or away from a light source. In many hot springs in Yellowstone National Park, cyanobacteria thrive in thick, laminated biofilms or microbial mats, where small movements can result in large changes in light exposure. We quantified the light-dependent motility behaviors in isolates representing two of the most abundant and closely related cyanobacterial species from these springs. We found that they exhibited unexpected differences in their speed, directionality, and responses to different intensities or qualities of light. An examination of their genomes revealed several variations from well-studied phototaxis-related genes. Studying these recently isolated cyanobacteria reveals that diverse phototactic strategies can exist even among close relatives in the same environment. It also provides insights into the importance of phototaxis for growth and survival in microbial biofilm communities.

Cyanobacterial Community Structure and Isolates From Representative Hot Springs of Yunnan Province, China Using an Integrative Approach

Cyanobacteria from the representative hot springs of Yunnan Province, China are explored for their diversity and community composition following an integrative approach of cultivation-independent and -dependent studies and further isolation of potential taxa for future biotechnological perspective. 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing of microbial mats in these hot springs with temperature ranging from 38 to 90°C revealed Cyanobacteria and Proteobacteria constituting a bounteous portion of the bacterial community. The combined approach of 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and phenotypic analysis revealed the diversity of cyanobacteria (a total of 45 genera). Out of these, a total of 19 cyanobacterial taxa belonging to 6 genera and 10 species were isolated as individuals with the possibility of biotechnological utilization. These isolates were subjected to a thorough morphological study and molecular characterization using 16S rRNA gene sequencing for identification and understanding their phylogeny. The identity and phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of 7 cyanobacterial isolates are not identical to any known cyanobacterial species, generating scope for future taxonomic novelties. Preliminary experiments based on high-temperature (50°C) cultivation showed that most of the isolates were thermotolerant and suggested for their high biotechnological usage potential.

Microbialites show a distinct cyanobacterial phylogenetic structure and functional redundancy in Bacalar lagoon and Cenote Azul sinkhole, Yucatan peninsula, Mexico

Cyanobacterial components of microbialites from two geographically close systems, the Bacalar lagoon (BL) and the Cenote Azul sinkhole (CA) in Quintana Roo, Mexico, were characterized. BL and CA systems were studied along a longitudinal gradient (north to south) and a depth gradient (5 to 30 m), respectively. Microscopic observations, 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, and shotgun metagenomics were used to characterize Cyanobacteria. Both systems showed similar metabolic/functional profiles but harbored completely different cyanobacterial taxa. BL was dominated by Nostocales, including a population of previously undescribed Chakia sp., while CA was dominated by an unknown taxon of Chroococcales, comprising 70% of relative abundance through all depths. Interestingly, cyanobacterial assemblages in microbialites exhibited phylogenetic overdispersion in most of the BL sites, while CA sites exhibited phylogenetic clustering, these differences were attributed to depth/light conditions and possibly different times of geological formation for BL and CA systems.

Microbial diversity in extreme environments

A wide array of microorganisms, including many novel, phylogenetically deeply rooted taxa, survive and thrive in extreme environments. These unique and reduced-complexity ecosystems offer a tremendous opportunity for studying the structure, function and evolution of natural microbial communities. Marker gene surveys have resolved patterns and ecological drivers of these extremophile assemblages, revealing a vast uncultured microbial diversity and the often predominance of archaea in the most extreme conditions. New omics studies have uncovered linkages between community function and environmental variables, and have enabled discovery and genomic characterization of major new lineages that substantially expand microbial diversity and change the structure of the tree of life. These efforts have significantly advanced our understanding of the diversity, ecology and evolution of microorganisms populating Earth's extreme environments, and have facilitated the exploration of microbiota and processes in more complex ecosystems.

Cyanobacteria in hot pursuit: Characterization of cyanobacteria strains, including novel taxa, isolated from geothermal habitats from different ecoregions of the world

Well-studied thermal spring microbial mat systems continue to serve as excellent models from which to make discoveries of general importance to microbial community ecology in order to address comprehensively the question of "who is there" in a microbial community. Cyanobacteria are highly adaptable and an integral part of many ecosystems including thermal springs. In this context, we sampled disparate thermal springs, spanning from Iceland and Poland to Greece and Tajikistan. Thirteen (13) strains were isolated and characterised with taxonomic indices and molecular markers (16S-23S rRNA region and cpcBA gene), whilst their thermotolerance was evaluated. Screening for the presence of genes encoding three heat shock proteins, as well as non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) and polyketide synthases (PKSs) was performed. This approach resulted in the description of two new genera (Hillbrichtia and Amphirytos) and their type species (Hillbrichtia pamiria and Amphirytos necridicus) representing Oscillatoriales and Synechococcales orders, respectively. We also found unique lineages inside the genus Thermoleptolyngbya, describing a novel species (T. hindakiae). We described the presence of sub-cosmopolitan taxa (such as Calothrix, Desertifilum, and Trichormus). Strains were diverse concerning their thermophilic ability with the strains well adapted to high temperatures possessing all three investigated genes encoding heat shock proteins as well as studied PKS and NRPS genes. In this work, we show novel cyanobacteria diversity from thermal springs from disparate environments, possible correlation of thermotolerance and their genetic background, which may have implications on strategic focusing of screening programs on underexploited taxa in these habitats.

Elioraea tepida, sp. nov., a Moderately Thermophilic Aerobic Anoxygenic Phototrophic Bacterium Isolated from the Mat Community of an Alkaline Siliceous Hot Spring in Yellowstone National Park, WY, USA

Strain MS-P2T was isolated from microbial mats associated with Mushroom Spring, an alkaline siliceous hot spring in Yellowstone National Park, WY, USA. The isolate grows chemoheterotrophically by oxygen-dependent respiration, and light stimulates photoheterotrophic growth under strictly oxic conditions. Strain MS-P2T synthesizes bacteriochlorophyll a and the carotenoid spirilloxanthin. However, photoautotrophic growth did not occur under oxic or anoxic conditions, suggesting that this strain should be classified as an aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic bacterium. Strain MS-P2T cells are motile, curved rods about 0.5 to 1.0 μm wide and 1.0 to 1.5 μm long. The optimum growth temperature is 45-50 °C, and the optimum pH for growth is circum-neutral (pH 7.0-7.5). Sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene revealed that strain MS-P2T is closely related to Elioraea species, members of the class Alphaproteobacteria, with a sequence identity of 96.58 to 98%. The genome of strain MS-P2T is a single circular DNA molecule of 3,367,643 bp with a mol% guanine-plus-cytosine content of 70.6%. Based on phylogenetic, physiological, biochemical, and genomic characteristics, we propose this bacteriochlorophyll a-containing isolate is a new species belonging to the genus Elioraea, with the suggested name Elioraeatepida. The type-strain is strain MS-P2T (= JCM33060T = ATCC TSD-174T).

Complex History of Aerobic Respiration and Phototrophy in the Chloroflexota Class Anaerolineae Revealed by High-Quality Draft Genome of Ca. Roseilinea mizusawaensis AA3_104

Roseilinea is a novel lineage of Chloroflexota known only from incomplete metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) and preliminary enrichments. Roseilinea is notable for appearing capable of anoxygenic photoheterotrophy despite being only distantly related to well-known phototrophs in the Chloroflexia class such as Chloroflexus and Roseiflexus. Here, we present a high-quality MAG of a member of Roseilinea, improving our understanding of the metabolic capacity and phylogeny of this genus, and resolving the multiple instances of horizontal gene transfer that have led to its metabolic potential. These data allow us to propose a candidate family for these organisms, Roseilineaceae, within the Anaerolineae class.

Phenotypic plasticity and evolution of thermal tolerance in bacteria from temperate and hot spring environments

Phenotypic plasticity allows individuals to respond to the selective forces of a new environment, followed by adaptive evolution. We do not know to what extent phenotypic plasticity allows thermal tolerance evolution in bacteria at the border of their physiological limits. We analyzed growth and reaction norms to temperature of strains of two bacterial lineages, Bacillus cereus sensu lato and Bacillus subtilis sensu lato, that evolved in two contrasting environments, a temperate lagoon (T) and a hot spring (H). Our results showed that despite the co-occurrence of members of both lineages in the two contrasting environments, norms of reactions to temperature exhibited a similar pattern only in strains within the lineages, suggesting fixed phenotypic plasticity. Additionally, strains from the H environment showed only two to three degrees centigrade more heat tolerance than strains from the T environment. Their viability decreased at temperatures above their optimal for growth, particularly for the B. cereus lineage. However, sporulation occurred at all temperatures, consistent with the known cell population heterogeneity that allows the Bacillus to anticipate adversity. We suggest that these mesophilic strains survive in the hot-spring as spores and complete their life cycle of germination and growth during intermittent opportunities of moderate temperatures. The limited evolutionary changes towards an increase in heat tolerance in bacteria should alert us of the negative impact of climate change on all biological cycles in the planet, which at its most basic level depends on microorganisms.

A Novel Microbialite-Associated Phototrophic Chloroflexi Lineage Exhibiting a Quasi-Clonal Pattern along Depth

Chloroflexales (Chloroflexi) are typical members of the anoxygenic photosynthesizing component of microbial mats and have mostly been characterized from communities associated to hot springs. Here, we report the assembly of five metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) of a novel lineage of Chloroflexales found in mesophilic lithifying microbial mats (microbialites) in Lake Alchichica (Mexico). Genomic and phylogenetic analyses revealed that the bins shared 92% of their genes, and these genes were nearly identical despite being assembled from samples collected along a depth gradient (1-15 m depth). We tentatively name this lineage Candidatus Lithoflexus mexicanus. Metabolic predictions based on the MAGs suggest that these chlorosome-lacking mixotrophs share features in central carbon metabolism, electron transport, and adaptations to life under oxic and anoxic conditions, with members of two related lineages, Chloroflexineae and Roseiflexineae. Contrasting with the other diverse microbialite community members, which display much lower genomic conservation along the depth gradient, Ca. L. mexicanus MAGs exhibit remarkable similarity. This might reflect a particular flexibility to acclimate to varying light conditions with depth or the capacity to occupy a very specific spatial ecological niche in microbialites from different depths. Alternatively, Ca. L. mexicanus may also have the ability to modulate its gene expression as a function of the local environmental conditions during diel cycles in microbialites along the depth gradient.

Genomic and Phenotypic Characterization of Chloracidobacterium Isolates Provides Evidence for Multiple Species

Chloracidobacterium is the first and until now the sole genus in the phylum Acidobacteriota (formerly Acidobacteria) whose members perform chlorophyll-dependent phototrophy (i.e., chlorophototrophy). An axenic isolate of Chloracidobacterium thermophilum (strain B T ) was previously obtained by using the inferred genome sequence from an enrichment culture and diel metatranscriptomic profiling analyses in situ to direct adjustments to the growth medium and incubation conditions, and thereby a defined growth medium for Chloracidobacterium thermophilum was developed. These advances allowed eight additional strains of Chloracidobacterium spp. to be isolated from microbial mat samples collected from Mushroom Spring, Yellowstone National Park, United States, at temperatures of 41, 52, and 60°C; an axenic strain was also isolated from Rupite hot spring in Bulgaria. All isolates are obligately photoheterotrophic, microaerophilic, non-motile, thermophilic, rod-shaped bacteria. Chloracidobacterium spp. synthesize multiple types of (bacterio-)chlorophylls and have type-1 reaction centers like those of green sulfur bacteria. Light harvesting is accomplished by the bacteriochlorophyll a-binding, Fenna-Matthews-Olson protein and chlorosomes containing bacteriochlorophyll c. Their genomes are approximately 3.7 Mbp in size and comprise two circular chromosomes with sizes of approximately 2.7 Mbp and 1.0 Mbp. Comparative genomic studies and phenotypic properties indicate that the nine isolates represent three species within the genus Chloracidobacterium. In addition to C. thermophilum, the microbial mats at Mushroom Spring contain a second species, tentatively named Chloracidobacterium aggregatum, which grows as aggregates in liquid cultures. The Bulgarian isolate, tentatively named Chloracidobacterium validum, will be proposed as the type species of the genus, Chloracidobacterium. Additionally, Chloracidobacterium will be proposed as the type genus of a new family, Chloracidobacteriaceae, within the order Blastocatellales, the class Blastocatellia, and the phylum Acidobacteriota.

High Potential for Biomass-Degrading Enzymes Revealed by Hot Spring Metagenomics

Enzyme stability and activity at elevated temperatures are important aspects in biotechnological industries, such as the conversion of plant biomass into biofuels. In order to reduce the costs and increase the efficiency of biomass conversion, better enzymatic processing must be developed. Hot springs represent a treasure trove of underexplored microbiological and protein chemistry diversity. Herein, we conduct an exploratory study into the diversity of hot spring biomass-degrading potential. We describe the taxonomic diversity and carbohydrate active enzyme (CAZyme) coding potential in 71 publicly available metagenomic datasets from 58 globally distributed terrestrial geothermal features. Through taxonomic profiling, we detected a wide diversity of microbes unique to varying temperature and pH ranges. Biomass-degrading enzyme potential included all five classes of CAZymes and we described the presence or absence of genes encoding 19 glycosyl hydrolases hypothesized to be involved with cellulose, hemicellulose, and oligosaccharide degradation. Our results highlight hot springs as a promising system for the further discovery and development of thermo-stable biomass-degrading enzymes that can be applied toward generation of renewable biofuels. This study lays a foundation for future research to further investigate the functional diversity of hot spring biomass-degrading enzymes and their potential utility in biotechnological processing.

Granick revisited: Synthesizing evolutionary and ecological evidence for the late origin of bacteriochlorophyll via ghost lineages and horizontal gene transfer

Photosynthesis-both oxygenic and more ancient anoxygenic forms-has fueled the bulk of primary productivity on Earth since it first evolved more than 3.4 billion years ago. However, the early evolutionary history of photosynthesis has been challenging to interpret due to the sparse, scattered distribution of metabolic pathways associated with photosynthesis, long timescales of evolution, and poor sampling of the true environmental diversity of photosynthetic bacteria. Here, we reconsider longstanding hypotheses for the evolutionary history of phototrophy by leveraging recent advances in metagenomic sequencing and phylogenetics to analyze relationships among phototrophic organisms and components of their photosynthesis pathways, including reaction centers and individual proteins and complexes involved in the multi-step synthesis of (bacterio)-chlorophyll pigments. We demonstrate that components of the photosynthetic apparatus have undergone extensive, independent histories of horizontal gene transfer. This suggests an evolutionary mode by which modular components of phototrophy are exchanged between diverse taxa in a piecemeal process that has led to biochemical innovation. We hypothesize that the evolution of extant anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria has been spurred by ecological competition and restricted niches following the evolution of oxygenic Cyanobacteria and the accumulation of O2 in the atmosphere, leading to the relatively late evolution of bacteriochlorophyll pigments and the radiation of diverse crown group anoxygenic phototrophs. This hypothesis expands on the classic "Granick hypothesis" for the stepwise evolution of biochemical pathways, synthesizing recent expansion in our understanding of the diversity of phototrophic organisms as well as their evolving ecological context through Earth history.

Exploring the taxonomical and functional profile of As Burgas hot spring focusing on thermostable β-galactosidases

In the present study we investigate the microbial community inhabiting As Burgas geothermal spring, located in Ourense (Galicia, Spain). The approximately 23 Gbp of Illumina sequences generated for each replicate revealed a complex microbial community dominated by Bacteria in which Proteobacteria and Aquificae were the two prevalent phyla. An association between the two most prevalent genera, Thermus and Hydrogenobacter, was suggested by the relationship of their metabolism. The high relative abundance of sequences involved in the Calvin-Benson cycle and the reductive TCA cycle unveils the dominance of an autotrophic population. Important pathways from the nitrogen and sulfur cycle are potentially taking place in As Burgas hot spring. In the assembled reads, two complete ORFs matching GH2 beta-galactosidases were found. To assess their functional characterization, the two ORFs were cloned and overexpressed in E. coli. The pTsbg enzyme had activity towards o-Nitrophenyl-β-D-galactopyranoside (ONPG) and p-Nitrophenyl-β-D-fucopyranoside, with high thermal stability and showing maximal activity at 85 °C and pH 6, nevertheless the enzyme failed to hydrolyze lactose. The other enzyme, Tsbg, was unable to hydrolyze even ONPG or lactose. This finding highlights the challenge of finding novel active enzymes based only on their sequence.

Draft Genome Sequence of a Filamentous Anoxygenic Phototrophic Bacterium, "Candidatus Roseilinea sp. Strain NK_OTU-006," Recovered from Metagenomic Data of a Hot Spring Microbial Mat

We report here the metagenome-assembled draft genome of an uncultured filamentous anoxygenic phototroph of the phylum Chloroflexota (formerly Chloroflexi), "Candidatus Roseilinea sp. strain NK_OTU-006," recovered from hot spring-associated microbial mats. The 3.6-Mb genome is estimated to be 94% complete and comprises 117 contigs encoding 3,203 predicted genes, including a full-length rRNA operon.

Simultaneous Genome Sequencing of Prosthecochloris ethylica and Desulfuromonas acetoxidans within a Syntrophic Mixture Reveals Unique Pili and Protein Interactions

Strains of Chloropseudomonas ethylica, 2-K, N2, and N3 are known to be composed of a syntrophic mixture of a green sulfur bacterium and a sulfur-reducing colorless component. Upon sequence analysis, the green sulfur photosynthetic bacterial component of strain N3 was dominant and was readily sequenced, but the less abundant sulfur-reducing bacterial component was apparent only when analyzed by metagenomic binning. Whole-genome comparison showed that the green bacterium belonged to the genus Prosthecochloris and apparently was a species for which there was no genome sequence on file. For comparison, we also sequenced the genome of Prosthecochloris sp. DSM 1685, which had previously been isolated from the 2-K mixture in pure culture and have shown that all three Prosthecochloris genomes belong to a new species, which we propose to be named Prosthecochloris ethylica comb. nov. Whole genomes were also sequenced for the isolated Desulfuromonas strains DSM 1675 (from strain 2-K) and DSM 1676 (from strain N2) and shown to be nearly identical to the genome found in the N3 mixture. The genome of the green sulfur bacterium contains large genes for agglutination proteins, similar to the ones proposed to be involved in larger photosynthetic consortia of Chlorochromatium aggregatum. In addition, we also identified several unique “tight adhesion (tad)” pili genes that are presumably involved in the formation of cell–cell interactions. The colorless component, on the other hand, contained a unique large multiheme cytochrome C and unique genes for e-pili (geopilin) formation, genetically clustered with a conserved ferredoxin gene, which are all expected to play an electron transfer role in the closed sulfur cycle in the syntrophic mixture. The findings from the simultaneous genome sequencing of the components of Cp. ethylica have implications for the phenomenon of direct interspecies interactions and coupled electron transfer in photosynthetic symbionts. The mechanisms for such interactions appear to be more common in the environment than originally anticipated.

Taxonomic Novelty and Distinctive Genomic Features of Hot Spring Cyanobacteria

Several cyanobacterial species are dominant primary producers in hot spring microbial mats. To date, hot spring cyanobacterial taxonomy, as well as the evolution of their genomic adaptations to high temperatures, are poorly understood, with genomic information currently available for only a few dominant genera, including Fischerella and Synechococcus. To address this knowledge gap, the present study expands the genomic landscape of hot spring cyanobacteria and traces the phylum-wide genomic consequences of evolution in high temperature environments. From 21 globally distributed hot spring metagenomes, with temperatures between 32 and 75°C, 57 medium- and high-quality cyanobacterial metagenome-assembled genomes were recovered, representing taxonomic novelty for 1 order, 3 families, 15 genera and 36 species. Comparative genomics of 93 hot spring genomes (including the 57 metagenome-assembled genomes) and 66 non-thermal genomes, showed that the former have smaller genomes and a higher GC content, as well as shorter proteins that are more hydrophilic and basic, when compared to the non-thermal genomes. Additionally, the core accessory orthogroups from the hot spring genomes of some genera had a greater abundance of functional categories, such as inorganic ion metabolism, translation and post-translational modifications. Moreover, hot spring genomes showed increased abundances of inorganic ion transport and amino acid metabolism, as well as less replication and transcription functions in the protein coding sequences. Furthermore, they showed a higher dependence on the CRISPR-Cas defense system against exogenous nucleic acids, and a reduction in secondary metabolism biosynthetic gene clusters. This suggests differences in the cyanobacterial response to environment-specific microbial communities. This phylum-wide study provides new insights into cyanobacterial genomic adaptations to a specific niche where they are dominant, which could be essential to trace bacterial evolution pathways in a warmer world, such as the current global warming scenario.

A micrometer-scale snapshot on phototroph spatial distributions: mass spectrometry imaging of microbial mats in Octopus Spring, Yellowstone National Park

Microbial mats from alkaline hot springs in the Yellowstone National Park are ideal natural laboratories to study photosynthetic life under extreme conditions, as well as the nuanced interactions of oxygenic and anoxygenic phototrophs. They represent distinctive examples of chlorophototroph (i.e., chlorophyll or bacteriochlorophyll-based phototroph) diversity, and several novel phototrophs have been first described in these systems, all confined in space, coexisting and competing for niches defined by parameters such as light, oxygen, or temperature. In a novel approach, we employed mass spectrometry imaging of chloropigments, quinones, and intact polar lipids (IPLs) to describe the spatial distribution of different groups of chlorophototrophs along the ~ 1 cm thick microbial mat at 75 µm resolution and in the top ~ 1.5 mm green part of the mat at 25 µm resolution. We observed a fine-tuned sequence of oxygenic and anoxygenic chlorophototrophs with distinctive biomarker signatures populating the microbial mat. The transition of oxic to anoxic conditions is characterized by an accumulation of biomarkers indicative of anoxygenic phototrophy. It is also identified as a clear boundary for different species and ecotypes, which adjust their biomarker inventory, particularly the interplay of quinones and chloropigments, to prevailing conditions. Colocalization of the different biomarker groups led to the identification of characteristic IPL signatures and indicates that glycosidic diether glycerolipids are diagnostic for anoxygenic phototrophs in this mat system. The zoom-in into the upper green part further reveals how oxygenic and anoxygenic phototrophs share this microenvironment and informs on subtle, microscale adjustments in lipid composition of Synechococcus spp.

Stromatolitic digitate sinters form under wide-ranging physicochemical conditions with diverse hot spring microbial communities

Digitate siliceous hot spring deposits are a form of biomediated sinter that is relatively common in the Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ), New Zealand, and elsewhere on Earth. Such deposits have gained prominence recently because of their morphological similarity to opaline silica rocks of likely hot spring origin found by the Spirit rover on Mars and the consequent implications for potential biosignatures there. Here, we investigate the possible relationship between microbial community composition and morphological diversity among digitate structures from actively forming siliceous hot spring sinters depositing subaerially in shallow discharge channels and around pool rims at several physicochemically distinct geothermal fields in the TVZ. The TVZ digitate sinters range in morphologic subtype from knobby to spicular, and are shown to be microstromatolites that grow under varied pH ranges, temperatures, and water chemistries. Scanning electron microscopy and molecular analyses revealed that TVZ digitate sinters are intimately associated with a diverse array of bacterial, archaeal and eukaryotic micro-organisms, and for most digitate structures the diversity and quantity of prokaryotes was higher than that of eukaryotes. However, microbial community composition was not correlated with morphologic subtypes of digitate sinter, and observations provided limited evidence that pH (acidic versus alkali) affects morphology. Instead, results suggest hydrodynamics may be an important factor influencing variations in morphology, while water chemistry, pH, and temperature are strong drivers of microbial composition and diversity.

Information integration and collective motility in phototactic cyanobacteria

Cells in microbial colonies integrate information across multiple spatial and temporal scales while sensing environmental cues. A number of photosynthetic cyanobacteria respond in a directional manner to incident light, resulting in the phototaxis of individual cells. Colonies of such bacteria exhibit large-scale changes in morphology, arising from cell-cell interactions, during phototaxis. These interactions occur through type IV pili-mediated physical contacts between cells, as well as through the secretion of complex polysaccharides (‘slime’) that facilitates cell motion. Here, we describe a computational model for such collective behaviour in colonies of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis. The model is designed to replicate observations from recent experiments on the emergent response of the colonies to varied light regimes. It predicts the complex colony morphologies that arise as a result. We ask if changes in colony morphology during phototaxis can be used to infer if cells integrate information from multiple light sources simultaneously, or respond to these light sources separately at each instant of time. We find that these two scenarios cannot be distinguished from the shapes of colonies alone. However, we show that tracking the trajectories of individual cyanobacteria provides a way of determining their mode of response. Our model allows us to address the emergent nature of this class of collective bacterial motion, linking individual cell response to the dynamics of colony shape.

Microbial colonies in the wild often consist of large groups of heterogeneous cells that coordinate and integrate information across multiple spatio-temporal scales. We describe a computational model for one such collective behaviour, phototaxis, in colonies of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis that move in response to light. The model replicates experimental observations of the response of cyanobacterial colonies to varied light regimes, and predicts the complex colony morphologies that arise as a result. The results suggest that tracking the trajectories of individual cyanobacteria may provide a way of determining their mode of information integration. Our model allows us to address the emergent nature of this class of collective bacterial motion, linking individual cell response to the large scale dynamics of the colony.

Microbial mats in the Turks and Caicos Islands reveal diversity and evolution of phototrophy in the Chloroflexota order Aggregatilineales

Genome-resolved metagenomic sequencing approaches have led to a substantial increase in the recognized diversity of microorganisms; this included the discovery of novel metabolic pathways in previously recognized clades, and has enabled a more accurate determination of the extant distribution of key metabolisms and how they evolved over Earth history. Here, we present metagenome-assembled genomes of members of the Chloroflexota (formerly Chloroflexi or Green Nonsulfur Bacteria) order Aggregatilineales (formerly SBR1031 or Thermofonsia) discovered from sequencing of thick and expansive microbial mats present in an intertidal lagoon on Little Ambergris Cay in the Turks and Caicos Islands. These taxa included multiple new lineages of Type 2 reaction center-containing phototrophs that were not closely related to previously described phototrophic Chloroflexota-revealing a rich and intricate history of horizontal gene transfer and the evolution of phototrophy and other core metabolic pathways within this widespread phylum.

Short-Term Stable Isotope Probing of Proteins Reveals Taxa Incorporating Inorganic Carbon in a Hot Spring Microbial Mat

The upper green layer of the chlorophototrophic microbial mats associated with the alkaline siliceous hot springs of Yellowstone National Park consists of oxygenic cyanobacteria (Synechococcus spp.), anoxygenic Roseiflexus spp., and several other anoxygenic chlorophototrophs. Synechococcus spp. are believed to be the main fixers of inorganic carbon (Ci), but some evidence suggests that Roseiflexus spp. also contribute to inorganic carbon fixation during low-light, anoxic morning periods. Contributions of other phototrophic taxa have not been investigated. In order to follow the pathway of Ci incorporation into different taxa, mat samples were incubated with [13C]bicarbonate for 3 h during the early-morning, low-light anoxic period. Extracted proteins were treated with trypsin and analyzed by mass spectrometry, leading to peptide identifications and peptide isotopic profile signatures containing evidence of 13C label incorporation. A total of 25,483 peptides, corresponding to 7,221 proteins, were identified from spectral features and associated with mat taxa by comparison to metagenomic assembly sequences. A total of 1,417 peptides, derived from 720 proteins, were detectably labeled with 13C. Most 13C-labeled peptides were derived from proteins of Synechococcus spp. and Roseiflexus spp. Chaperones and proteins of carbohydrate metabolism were most abundantly labeled. Proteins involved in photosynthesis, Ci fixation, and N2 fixation were also labeled in Synechococcus spp. Importantly, most proteins of the 3-hydroxypropionate bi-cycle for Ci fixation in Roseiflexus spp. were labeled, establishing that members of this taxocene contribute to Ci fixation. Other taxa showed much lower [13C]bicarbonate incorporation.IMPORTANCE Yellowstone hot spring mats have been studied as natural models for understanding microbial community ecology and as modern analogs of stromatolites, the earliest community fossils on Earth. Stable-isotope probing of proteins (Pro-SIP) permitted short-term interrogation of the taxa that are involved in the important process of light-driven Ci fixation in this highly active community and will be useful in linking other metabolic processes to mat taxa. Here, evidence is presented that Roseiflexus spp., which use the 3-hydroxypropionate bi-cycle, are active in Ci fixation. Because this pathway imparts a lower degree of selection of isotopically heavy Ci than does the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle, the results suggest a mechanism to explain why the natural abundance of 13C in mat biomass is greater than expected if only the latter pathway were involved. Understanding how mat community members influence the 13C/12C ratios of mat biomass will help geochemists interpret the 13C/12C ratios of organic carbon in the fossil record.

Domination of Filamentous Anoxygenic Phototrophic Bacteria and Prediction of Metabolic Pathways in Microbial Mats from the Hot Springs of Al Aridhah

Microbial mats in hot springs form a dynamic ecosystem and support the growth of diverse communities with broad-ranging metabolic capacity. In this study, we used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to analyse microbial communities in mat samples from two hot springs in Al Aridhah, Saudi Arabia. Putative metabolic pathways of the microbial communities were identified using phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states (PICRUSt). Filamentous anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria associated with phylum Chloroflexi were abundant (> 50 %) in both hot springs at 48 °C. Chloroflexi were mainly represented by taxa Chloroflexus followed by Roseiflexus. Cyanobacteria of genus Arthrospira constituted 3.4 % of microbial mats. Heterotrophic microorganisms were mainly represented by Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes. Archaea were detected at a lower relative abundance (< 1 %). Metabolic pathways associated with membrane transport, carbon fixation, methane metabolism, amino acid biosynthesis, and degradation of aromatic compounds were commonly found in microbial mats of both hot springs. In addition, pathways for production of secondary metabolites and antimicrobial compounds were predicted to be present in microbial mats. In conclusion, microbial communities in the hot springs of Al Aridhah were composed of diverse bacteria, with taxa of Chloroflexus being dominant.

Anoxygenic Phototrophs Span Geochemical Gradients and Diverse Morphologies in Terrestrial Geothermal Springs

Extant anoxygenic phototrophs are taxonomically, physiologically, and metabolically diverse and include examples from all seven bacterial phyla with characterized phototrophic members. pH, temperature, and sulfide are known to constrain phototrophs, but how these factors dictate the distribution and activity of specific taxa of anoxygenic phototrophs has not been reported. Here, we hypothesized that within the known limits of pH, temperature, and sulfide, the distribution, abundance, and activity of specific anoxygenic phototrophic taxa would vary due to key differences in the physiology of these organisms. To test this hypothesis, we examined the distribution, abundance, and potential activity of anoxygenic phototrophs in filaments, microbial mats, and sediments across geochemical gradients in geothermal features of Yellowstone National Park, which ranged in pH from 2.2 to 9.4 and in temperature from 31.5°C to 71.0°C. Indeed, our data indicate putative aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs within the Proteobacteria are more abundant at lower pH and lower temperature, while phototrophic Chloroflexi are prevalent in circumneutral to alkaline springs. In contrast to previous studies, our data suggest sulfide is not a key determinant of anoxygenic phototrophic taxa. Finally, our data underscore a role for photoheterotrophy (or photomixotrophy) across geochemical gradients in terrestrial geothermal ecosystems.IMPORTANCE There is a long and rich history of literature on phototrophs in terrestrial geothermal springs. These studies have revealed sulfide, pH, and temperature are the main constraints on phototrophy. However, the taxonomic and physiological diversity of anoxygenic phototrophs suggests that, within these constraints, specific geochemical parameters determine the distribution and activity of individual anoxygenic phototrophic taxa. Here, we report the recovery of sequences affiliated with characterized anoxygenic phototrophs in sites that range in pH from 2 to 9 and in temperature from 31°C to 71°C. Transcript abundance indicates anoxygenic phototrophs are active across this temperature and pH range. Our data suggest sulfide is not a key determinant of anoxygenic phototrophic taxa and underscore a role for photoheterotrophy in terrestrial geothermal ecosystems. These data provide the framework for high-resolution sequencing and in situ activity approaches to characterize the physiology of specific anoxygenic phototrophic taxa across a broad range of temperatures and pH.

Vertical Distribution and Diversity of Phototrophic Bacteria within a Hot Spring Microbial Mat (Nakabusa Hot Springs, Japan)

Phototrophic microbial mats are assemblages of vertically layered microbial populations dominated by photosynthetic microorganisms. In order to elucidate the vertical distribution and diversity of phototrophic microorganisms in a hot spring-associated microbial mat in Nakabusa (Japan), we analyzed the 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequences of the microbial mat separated into five depth horizons, and correlated them with microsensor measurements of O₂ and spectral scalar irradiance. A stable core community and high diversity of phototrophic organisms dominated by the filamentous anoxygenic phototrophs, Roseiflexus castenholzii and Chloroflexus aggregans were identified together with the spectral signatures of bacteriochlorophylls (BChls) a and c absorption in all mat layers. In the upper mat layers, a high abundance of cyanobacteria (Thermosynechococcus sp.) correlated with strong spectral signatures of chlorophyll a and phycobiliprotein absorption near the surface in a zone of high O₂ concentrations during the day. Deeper mat layers were dominated by uncultured chemotrophic Chlorobi such as the novel putatively sulfate-reducing “Ca. Thermonerobacter sp.”, which showed increasing abundance with depth correlating with low O₂ in these layers enabling anaerobic metabolism. Oxygen tolerance and requirements for the novel phototroph “Ca. Chloroanaerofilum sp.” and the uncultured chemotrophic Armatimonadetes member type OS-L detected in Nakabusa hot springs, Japan appeared to differ from previously suggested lifestyles for close relatives identified in hot springs in Yellowstone National Park, USA. The present study identified various microenvironmental gradients and niche differentiation enabling the co-existence of diverse chlorophototrophs in metabolically diverse communities in hot springs.

Correlation of bio-optical properties with photosynthetic pigment and microorganism distribution in microbial mats from Hamelin Pool, Australia

Microbial mats and stromatolites are widespread in Hamelin Pool, Shark Bay, however the phototrophic capacity of these systems is unknown. This study has determined the optical properties and light-harvesting potential of these mats with light microsensors. These characteristics were linked via a combination of 16S rDNA sequencing, pigment analyses and hyperspectral imaging. Local scalar irradiance was elevated over the incident downwelling irradiance by 1.5-fold, suggesting light trapping and strong scattering by the mats. Visible light (400-700 nm) penetrated to a depth of 2 mm, whereas near-infrared light (700-800 nm) penetrated to at least 6 mm. Chlorophyll a and bacteriochlorophyll a (Bchl a) were found to be the dominant photosynthetic pigments present, with BChl a peaking at the subsurface (2-4 mm). Detailed 16S rDNA analyses revealed the presence of putative Chl f-containing Halomicronema sp. and photosynthetic members primarily decreased from the mat surface down to a depth of 6 mm. Data indicated high abundances of some pigments and phototrophic organisms in deeper layers of the mats (6-16 mm). It is proposed that the photosynthetic bacteria present in this system undergo unique adaptations to lower light conditions below the mat surface, and that phototrophic metabolisms are major contributors to ecosystem function.

Reaction centers of the thermophilic microaerophile, Chloracidobacterium thermophilum (Acidobacteria) I: biochemical and biophysical characterization

Chloracidobacterium thermophilum is a microaerophilic, anoxygenic member of the green chlorophototrophic bacteria. This bacterium is the first characterized oxygen-requiring chlorophototroph with chlorosomes, the FMO protein, and homodimeric type-1 reaction centers (RCs). The RCs of C. thermophilum are also unique because they contain three types of chlorophylls, bacteriochlorophyll a_P esterified with phytol, Chl a_PD esterified with Δ2,6-phytadienol, and Zn-BChl a_P' esterified with phytol, in the approximate molar ratio 32:24:4. The light-induced difference spectrum of these RCs had a bleaching maximum at 839 nm and also revealed an electrochromic bandshift that is probably derived from a BChl a molecule near P840⁺. The F_X [4Fe-4S] cluster had a midpoint potential of ca. - 581 mV, and the spectroscopic properties of the P⁺ F _X ^- spin-polarized radical pair were very similar to those of reaction centers of heliobacteria and green sulfur bacteria. The data further indicate that electron transfer occurs directly from A₀^- to F_X, as occurs in other homodimeric type-1 RCs. Washing experiments with isolated membranes suggested that the PscB subunit of these reaction centers is more tightly bound than PshB in heliobacteria. Thus, the reaction centers of C. thermophilum have some properties that resemble other homodimeric reaction centers but also have specific properties that are more similar to those of Photosystem I. These differences probably contribute to protection of the electron transfer chain from oxygen, contributing to the oxygen tolerance of this microaerophile.

The evolution and productivity of carbon fixation pathways in response to changes in oxygen concentration over geological time

The fixation of inorganic carbon species like CO₂ to more reduced organic forms is one of the most fundamental processes of life as we know it. Although several carbon fixation pathways are known to exist, on Earth today nearly all global carbon fixation is driven by the Calvin cycle in oxygenic photosynthetic plants, algae, and Cyanobacteria. At other times in Earth history, other organisms utilizing different carbon fixation pathways may have played relatively larger roles, with this balance shifting over geological time as the environmental context of life has changed and evolutionary innovations accumulated. Among the most dramatic changes that our planet and the biosphere have undergone are those surrounding the rise of O₂ in our atmosphere-first during the Great Oxygenation Event at ∼2.3 Ga, and perhaps again during Neoproterozoic or Paleozoic time. These oxygenation events likely represent major step changes in the tempo and mode of biological productivity as a result of the increased productivity of oxygenic photosynthesis and the introduction of O₂ into geochemical and biological systems, and likely involved shifts in the relative contribution of different carbon fixation pathways. Here, we review what is known from both the rock record and comparative biology about the evolution of carbon fixation pathways, their contributions to primary productivity through time, and their relationship to the evolving oxygenation state of the fluid Earth following the evolution and expansion of oxygenic photosynthesis.

Geochemical and Metagenomic Characterization of Jinata Onsen, a Proterozoic-Analog Hot Spring, Reveals Novel Microbial Diversity including Iron-Tolerant Phototrophs and Thermophilic Lithotrophs

Hydrothermal systems, including terrestrial hot springs, contain diverse geochemical conditions that vary over short spatial scales due to progressive interactions between reducing hydrothermal fluids, the oxygenated atmosphere, and, in some cases, seawater. At Jinata Onsen on Shikinejima Island, Japan, an intertidal, anoxic, iron-rich hot spring mixes with the oxygenated atmosphere and seawater over short spatial scales, creating diverse chemical potentials and redox pairs over a distance of ~10 m. We characterized geochemical conditions along the outflow of Jinata Onsen as well as the microbial communities present in biofilms, mats, and mineral crusts along its traverse using 16S rRNA gene amplicon and genome-resolved shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Microbial communities significantly changed downstream as temperatures and dissolved iron concentrations decreased and dissolved oxygen increased. Biomass was more limited near the spring source than downstream, and primary productivity appeared to be fueled by the oxidation of ferrous iron and molecular hydrogen by members of Zetaproteobacteria and Aquificae. The microbial community downstream was dominated by oxygenic Cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria are abundant and active even at ferrous iron concentrations of ~150 μM, which challenges the idea that iron toxicity limited cyanobacterial expansion in Precambrian oceans. Several novel lineages of Bacteria are also present at Jinata Onsen, including previously uncharacterized members of the phyla Chloroflexi and Calditrichaeota, positioning Jinata Onsen as a valuable site for the future characterization of these clades.

Evolutionary Implications of Anoxygenic Phototrophy in the Bacterial Phylum Candidatus Eremiobacterota (WPS-2)

Genome-resolved environmental metagenomic sequencing has uncovered substantial previously unrecognized microbial diversity relevant for understanding the ecology and evolution of the biosphere, providing a more nuanced view of the distribution and ecological significance of traits including phototrophy across diverse niches. Recently, the capacity for bacteriochlorophyll-based anoxygenic photosynthesis has been proposed in the uncultured bacterial WPS-2 phylum (recently proposed as Candidatus Eremiobacterota) that are in close association with boreal moss. Here, we use phylogenomic analysis to investigate the diversity and evolution of phototrophic WPS-2. We demonstrate that phototrophic WPS-2 show significant genetic and metabolic divergence from other phototrophic and non-phototrophic lineages. The genomes of these organisms encode a new family of anoxygenic Type II photochemical reaction centers and other phototrophy-related proteins that are both phylogenetically and structurally distinct from those found in previously described phototrophs. We propose the name Candidatus Baltobacterales for the order-level aerobic WPS-2 clade which contains phototrophic lineages, from the Greek for "bog" or "swamp," in reference to the typical habitat of phototrophic members of this clade.

"Candidatus Thermonerobacter thiotrophicus," A Non-phototrophic Member of the Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi With Dissimilatory Sulfur Metabolism in Hot Spring Mat Communities

In this study we present evidence for a novel, thermophilic bacterium with dissimilatory sulfur metabolism, tentatively named “Candidatus Thermonerobacter thiotrophicus,” which is affiliated with the Bacteroides/Ignavibacteria/Chlorobi and which we predict to be a sulfate reducer. Dissimilatory sulfate reduction (DSR) is an important and ancient metabolic process for energy conservation with global importance for geochemical sulfur and carbon cycling. Characterized sulfate-reducing microorganisms (SRM) are found in a limited number of bacterial and archaeal phyla. However, based on highly diverse environmental dsrAB sequences, a variety of uncultivated and unidentified SRM must exist. The recent development of high-throughput sequencing methods allows the phylogenetic identification of some of these uncultured SRM. In this study, we identified a novel putative SRM inhabiting hot spring microbial mats that is a member of the OPB56 clade (“Ca. Kapabacteria”) within the Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi superphylum. Partial genomes for this new organism were retrieved from metagenomes from three different hot springs in Yellowstone National Park, United States, and Japan. Supporting the prediction of a sulfate-reducing metabolism for this organism during period of anoxia, diel metatranscriptomic analyses indicate highest relative transcript levels in situ for all DSR-related genes at night. The presence of terminal oxidases, which are transcribed during the day, further suggests that these organisms might also perform aerobic respiration. The relative phylogenetic proximity to the sulfur-oxidizing, chlorophototrophic Chlorobi further raises new questions about the evolution of dissimilatory sulfur metabolism.

Probing the ecological and evolutionary history of a thermophilic cyanobacterial population via statistical properties of its microdiversity

Despite extensive DNA sequencing data derived from natural microbial communities, it remains a major challenge to identify the key evolutionary and ecological forces that shape microbial populations. We have focused on the extensive microdiversity of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp., which is a dominant member of the dense phototrophic biofilms in the hot springs of Yellowstone National Park. From deep amplicon sequencing of many loci and statistical analyses of these data, we showed previously that the population has undergone an unexpectedly high degree of homologous recombination, unlinking synonymous SNP-pair correlations even on intragenic length scales. Here, we analyze the genic amino acid diversity, which provides new evidence of selection and insights into the evolutionary history of the population. Surprisingly, some features of the data, including the spectrum of distances between genic-alleles, appear consistent with primarily asexual neutral drift. Yet the non-synonymous site frequency spectrum has too large an excess of low-frequency polymorphisms to result from negative selection on deleterious mutations given the distribution of coalescent times that we infer. And our previous analyses showed that the population is not asexual. Taken together, these apparently contradictory data suggest that selection, epistasis, and hitchhiking all play essential roles in generating and stabilizing the diversity. We discuss these as well as potential roles of ecological niches at genomic and genic levels. From quantitative properties of the diversity and comparative genomic data, we infer aspects of the history and inter-spring dispersal of the meta-population since it was established in the Yellowstone Caldera. Our investigations illustrate the need for combining multiple types of sequencing data and quantitative statistical analyses to develop an understanding of microdiversity in natural microbial populations.

High diversity of thermophilic cyanobacteria in Rupite hot spring identified by microscopy, cultivation, single-cell PCR and amplicon sequencing

Genotypic and morphological diversity of cyanobacteria in the Rupite hot spring (Bulgaria) was investigated by means of optical microscopy, cultivation, single-cell PCR, and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Altogether, 34 sites were investigated along the 71-39 °C temperature gradient. Analysis of samples from eight representative sites shown that Illumina, optical microscopy, and Roche 454 identified 72, 45 and 19% respective occurrences of all cumulatively present taxa. Optical microscopy failed to detect species of minor occurrence; whereas, amplicon sequencing technologies suffered from failed primer annealing and the presence of species with extensive extracellular polysaccharides production. Amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene V5-V6 region performed by Illumina identified the cyanobacteria most reliably to the generic level. Nevertheless, only the combined use of optical microscopy, cultivation and sequencing methods allowed for reliable estimate of the cyanobacterial diversity. Here, we show that Rupite hot-spring system hosts one of the richest cyanobacterial flora reported from a single site above 50 °C. Chlorogloeopsis sp. was the most abundant at the highest temperature (68 °C), followed by Leptolyngbya boryana, Thermoleptolyngbya albertanoae, Synechococcus bigranulatus, Oculatella sp., and Desertifilum sp. thriving above 60 °C, while Leptolyngbya geysericola, Geitlerinema splendidum, and Cyanobacterium aponinum were found above 50 °C.

Diurnal Changes in Active Carbon and Nitrogen Pathways Along the Temperature Gradient in Porcelana Hot Spring Microbial Mat

Composition, carbon and nitrogen uptake, and gene transcription of microbial mat communities in Porcelana neutral hot spring (Northern Chilean Patagonia) were analyzed using metagenomics, metatranscriptomics and isotopically labeled carbon (H13CO3) and nitrogen (15NH4Cl and K15NO3) assimilation rates. The microbial mat community included 31 phyla, of which only Cyanobacteria and Chloroflexi were dominant. At 58°C both phyla co-occurred, with similar contributions in relative abundances in metagenomes and total transcriptional activity. At 66°C, filamentous anoxygenic phototrophic Chloroflexi were >90% responsible for the total transcriptional activity recovered, while Cyanobacteria contributed most metagenomics and metatranscriptomics reads at 48°C. According to such reads, phototrophy was carried out both through oxygenic photosynthesis by Cyanobacteria (mostly Mastigocladus) and anoxygenic phototrophy due mainly to Chloroflexi. Inorganic carbon assimilation through the Calvin-Benson cycle was almost exclusively due to Mastigocladus, which was the main primary producer at lower temperatures. Two other CO2 fixation pathways were active at certain times and temperatures as indicated by transcripts: 3-hydroxypropionate (3-HP) bi-cycle due to Chloroflexi and 3-hydroxypropionate-4-hydroxybutyrate (HH) cycle carried out by Thaumarchaeota. The active transcription of the genes involved in these C-fixation pathways correlated with high in situ determined carbon fixation rates. In situ measurements of ammonia assimilation and nitrogen fixation (exclusively attributed to Cyanobacteria and mostly to Mastigocladus sp.) showed these were the most important nitrogen acquisition pathways at 58 and 48°C. At 66°C ammonia oxidation genes were actively transcribed (mostly due to Thaumarchaeota). Reads indicated that denitrification was present as a nitrogen sink at all temperatures and that dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia (DNRA) contributed very little. The combination of metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analysis with in situ assimilation rates, allowed the reconstruction of day and night carbon and nitrogen assimilation pathways together with the contribution of keystone microorganisms in this natural hot spring microbial mat.

Active Crossfire Between Cyanobacteria and Cyanophages in Phototrophic Mat Communities Within Hot Springs

Cyanophages are viruses with a wide distribution in aquatic ecosystems, that specifically infect Cyanobacteria. These viruses can be readily isolated from marine and fresh waters environments; however, their presence in cosmopolitan thermophilic phototrophic mats remains largely unknown. This study investigates the morphological diversity (TEM), taxonomic composition (metagenomics), and active infectivity (metatranscriptomics) of viral communities over a thermal gradient in hot spring phototrophic mats from Northern Patagonia (Chile). The mats were dominated (up to 53%) by cosmopolitan thermophilic filamentous true-branching cyanobacteria from the genus Mastigocladus, the associated viral community was predominantly composed of Caudovirales (70%), with most of the active infections driven by cyanophages (up to 90% of Caudovirales transcripts). Metagenomic assembly lead to the first full genome description of a T7-like Thermophilic Cyanophage recovered from a hot spring (Porcelana Hot Spring, Chile), with a temperature of 58°C (TC-CHP58). This could potentially represent a world-wide thermophilic lineage of podoviruses that infect cyanobacteria. In the hot spring, TC-CHP58 was active over a temperature gradient from 48 to 66°C, showing a high population variability represented by 1979 single nucleotide variants (SNVs). TC-CHP58 was associated to the Mastigocladus spp. by CRISPR spacers. Marked differences in metagenomic CRISPR loci number and spacers diversity, as well as SNVs, in the TC-CHP58 proto-spacers at different temperatures, reinforce the theory of co-evolution between natural virus populations and cyanobacterial hosts. Considering the importance of cyanobacteria in hot spring biogeochemical cycles, the description of this new cyanopodovirus lineage may have global implications for the functioning of these extreme ecosystems.