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Wu B, Liu F, Liang Z, Wang C, Wang S. Spatial distribution of cable bacteria in nationwide organic-matter-polluted urban rivers in China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 946:174118. [PMID: 38925373 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174118] [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: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
An overload of labile organic matter triggers the water blackening and odorization in urban rivers, leading to a unique microbiome driving biogeochemical cycles in these anoxic habitats. Among the key players in these environments, cable bacteria interfere directly with C/N/S/O cycling, and are closely associated with phylogenetically diverse microorganisms in anoxic sediment as an electron conduit to mediate long-distance electron transport from deep-anoxic-layer sulfide to oxic-layer oxygen. Despite their hypothesized importance in black-odorous urban rivers, the spatial distribution patterns and roles of cable bacteria in large-scale polluted urban rivers remain inadequately understood. This study examined the diversity and spatial distribution pattern of cable bacteria in sediment samples from 186 black-odorous urban rivers across China. Results revealed the co-existence of two well-characterized cable bacteria (i.e., Candidatus Electrothrix and Candidatus Electronema), with Candidatus Electrothrix exhibiting a comparatively wider distribution in the polluted urban rivers. Concentrations of DOC, SS, sulfate, nitrate, and heavy metals (e.g., Ni and Cr) were correlated with the cable bacteria diversity, indicating their essential role in biogeochemical cycles. The activation energy of cable bacteria was 0.624 eV, close to the canonical 0.65 eV. Furthermore, cable bacteria were identified as key connectors and module hubs, closely associated with denitrifiers, sulfate-reducing bacteria, methanogens and alkane degraders, highlighting their role as keystone functional lineages in the contaminated urban rivers. Our study provided the first large-scale and comprehensive insight into the cable bacteria diversity, spatial distribution, and their essential function as keystone species in organic-matter-polluted urban rivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Wu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Feifei Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China; Guangdong Magigene Biotechnology Co. Ltd., 510000 Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhiwei Liang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chen Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shanquan Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
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2
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Mahto KU, Das S. Electroactive biofilm communities in microbial fuel cells for the synergistic treatment of wastewater and bioelectricity generation. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2024:1-20. [PMID: 39009474 DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2024.2372070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
Increasing industrialization and urbanization have contributed to a significant rise in wastewater discharge and exerted extensive pressure on the existing natural energy resources. Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a sustainable technology that utilizes wastewater for electricity generation. MFC comprises a bioelectrochemical system employing electroactive biofilms of several aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, such as Geobacter sulfurreducens, Shewanella oneidensis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Ochrobacterum pseudiintermedium. Since the electroactive biofilms constitute a vital part of the MFC, it is crucial to understand the biofilm-mediated pollutant metabolism and electron transfer mechanisms. Engineering electroactive biofilm communities for improved biofilm formation and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) secretion can positively impact the bioelectrochemical system and improve fuel cell performance. This review article summarizes the role of electroactive bacterial communities in MFC for wastewater treatment and bioelectricity generation. A significant focus has been laid on understanding the composition, structure, and function of electroactive biofilms in MFC. Various electron transport mechanisms, including direct electron transfer (DET), indirect electron transfer (IET), and long-distance electron transfer (LDET), have been discussed. A detailed summary of the optimization of process parameters and genetic engineering strategies for improving the performance of MFC has been provided. Lastly, the applications of MFC for wastewater treatment, bioelectricity generation, and biosensor development have been reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumari Uma Mahto
- Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology and Ecology (LEnME), Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha, India
| | - Surajit Das
- Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology and Ecology (LEnME), Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha, India
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3
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Dong M, Nielsen LP, Yang S, Klausen LH, Xu M. Cable bacteria: widespread filamentous electroactive microorganisms protecting environments. Trends Microbiol 2024; 32:697-706. [PMID: 38151387 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Cable bacteria have been identified and detected worldwide since their discovery in marine sediments in Aarhus Bay, Denmark. Their activity can account for the majority of oxygen consumption and sulfide depletion in sediments, and they induce sulfate accumulation, pH excursions, and the generation of electric fields. In addition, they can affect the fluxes of other elements such as calcium, iron, manganese, nitrogen, and phosphorous. Recent developments in our understanding of the impact of cable bacteria on element cycling have revealed their positive contributions to mitigating environmental problems, such as recovering self-purification capacity, enhancing petroleum hydrocarbon degradation, alleviating phosphorus eutrophication, delaying euxinia, and reducing methane emission. We highlight recent research outcomes on their distribution, state-of-the-art findings on their physiological characteristics, and ecological contributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meijun Dong
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection Microbiology and Regional Ecological Security, Guangzhou 510070, Guangdong, China
| | - Lars Peter Nielsen
- Center for Electromicrobiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Shan Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection Microbiology and Regional Ecological Security, Guangzhou 510070, Guangdong, China
| | - Lasse Hyldgaard Klausen
- Center for Electromicrobiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark; Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Meiying Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection Microbiology and Regional Ecological Security, Guangzhou 510070, Guangdong, China.
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4
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Wang Z, Digel L, Yuan Y, Lu H, Yang Y, Vogt C, Richnow HH, Nielsen LP. Electrogenic sulfur oxidation mediated by cable bacteria and its ecological effects. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ECOTECHNOLOGY 2024; 20:100371. [PMID: 38283867 PMCID: PMC10821171 DOI: 10.1016/j.ese.2023.100371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
At the sediment-water interfaces, filamentous cable bacteria transport electrons from sulfide oxidation along their filaments towards oxygen or nitrate as electron acceptors. These multicellular bacteria belonging to the family Desulfobulbaceae thus form a biogeobattery that mediates redox processes between multiple elements. Cable bacteria were first reported in 2012. In the past years, cable bacteria have been found to be widely distributed across the globe. Their potential in shaping the surface water environments has been extensively studied but is not fully elucidated. In this review, the biogeochemical characteristics, conduction mechanisms, and geographical distribution of cable bacteria, as well as their ecological effects, are systematically reviewed and discussed. Novel insights for understanding and applying the role of cable bacteria in aquatic ecology are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyu Wang
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Permoserstraße 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Leonid Digel
- Center for Electromicrobiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, DK-8000, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Yongqiang Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Karst Georesources and Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Hui Lu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Yonggang Yang
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, 528225, China
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510007, China
| | - Carsten Vogt
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Permoserstraße 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Hans-Hermann Richnow
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Permoserstraße 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lars Peter Nielsen
- Center for Electromicrobiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, DK-8000, Aarhus, Denmark
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Stiefelmaier J, Keller J, Neupert W, Ulber R. Towards bioprocess engineering of cable bacteria: Establishment of a synthetic sediment. Microbiologyopen 2024; 13:e1412. [PMID: 38711353 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.1412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Cable bacteria, characterized by their multicellular filamentous growth, are prevalent in both freshwater and marine sediments. They possess the unique ability to transport electrons over distances of centimeters. Coupled with their capacity to fix CO2 and their record-breaking conductivity for biological materials, these bacteria present promising prospects for bioprocess engineering, including potential electrochemical applications. However, the cultivation of cable bacteria has been limited to their natural sediment, constraining their utility in production processes. To address this, our study designs synthetic sediment, drawing on ion exchange chromatography data from natural sediments and existing literature on the requirements of cable bacteria. We examined the effects of varying bentonite concentrations on water retention and the impacts of different sands. For the first time, we cultivated cable bacteria on synthetic sediment, specifically the freshwater strain Electronema aureum GS. This cultivation was conducted over 10 weeks in a specially developed sediment bioreactor, resulting in an increased density of cable bacteria in the sediment and growth up to a depth of 5 cm. The creation of this synthetic sediment paves the way for the reproducible cultivation of cable bacteria. It also opens up possibilities for future process scale-up using readily available components. This advancement holds significant implications for the broader field of bioprocess engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Stiefelmaier
- Chair of Bioprocess Engineering, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Joshua Keller
- Chair of Bioprocess Engineering, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Wiebke Neupert
- Chair of Bioprocess Engineering, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Roland Ulber
- Chair of Bioprocess Engineering, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Kaiserslautern, Germany
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6
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Pankratov D, Hidalgo Martinez S, Karman C, Gerzhik A, Gomila G, Trashin S, Boschker HTS, Geelhoed JS, Mayer D, De Wael K, J R Meysman F. The organo-metal-like nature of long-range conduction in cable bacteria. Bioelectrochemistry 2024; 157:108675. [PMID: 38422765 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2024.108675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Cable bacteria are filamentous, multicellular microorganisms that display an exceptional form of biological electron transport across centimeter-scale distances. Currents are guided through a network of nickel-containing protein fibers within the cell envelope. Still, the mechanism of long-range conduction remains unresolved. Here, we characterize the conductance of the fiber network under dry and wet, physiologically relevant, conditions. Our data reveal that the fiber conductivity is high (median value: 27 S cm-1; range: 2 to 564 S cm-1), does not show any redox signature, has a low thermal activation energy (Ea = 69 ± 23 meV), and is not affected by humidity or the presence of ions. These features set the nickel-based conduction mechanism in cable bacteria apart from other known forms of biological electron transport. As such, conduction resembles that of an organic semi-metal with a high charge carrier density. Our observation that biochemistry can synthesize an organo-metal-like structure opens the way for novel bio-based electronic technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitrii Pankratov
- Geobiology Group, Microbial Systems Technology Excellence Centre, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; A-Sense Lab, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Silvia Hidalgo Martinez
- Geobiology Group, Microbial Systems Technology Excellence Centre, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Cheryl Karman
- Geobiology Group, Microbial Systems Technology Excellence Centre, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; A-Sense Lab, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Anastasia Gerzhik
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, Bioelectronics (IBI-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Gabriel Gomila
- Nanoscale Bioelectric Characterization Group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalunya (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri i Reixac 15-21, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Department of Electronics and Biomedical Engineering, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franqués 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Stanislav Trashin
- A-Sense Lab, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Henricus T S Boschker
- Geobiology Group, Microbial Systems Technology Excellence Centre, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629HZ Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Jeanine S Geelhoed
- Geobiology Group, Microbial Systems Technology Excellence Centre, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Dirk Mayer
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, Bioelectronics (IBI-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Karolien De Wael
- A-Sense Lab, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Filip J R Meysman
- Geobiology Group, Microbial Systems Technology Excellence Centre, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629HZ Delft, the Netherlands.
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7
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Xiong X, Li Y, Zhang C. Cable bacteria: Living electrical conduits for biogeochemical cycling and water environment restoration. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 253:121345. [PMID: 38394932 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121345] [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: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Since the discovery of multicellular cable bacteria in marine sediments in 2012, they have attracted widespread attention and interest due to their unprecedented ability to generate and transport electrical currents over centimeter-scale long-range distances. The cosmopolitan distribution of cable bacteria in both marine and freshwater systems, along with their substantial impact on local biogeochemistry, has uncovered their important role in element cycling and ecosystem functioning of aquatic environments. Considerable research efforts have been devoted to the potential utilization of cable bacteria for various water management purposes during the past few years. However, there lacks a critical summary on the advances and contributions of cable bacteria to biogeochemical cycles and water environment restoration. This review aims to provide an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of the current research on cable bacteria, with a particular view on their participation in aquatic biogeochemical cycles and promising applications in water environment restoration. It systematically analyzes (i) the global distribution of cable bacteria in aquatic ecosystems and the major environmental factors affecting their survival, diversity, and composition, (ii) the interactive associations between cable bacteria and other microorganisms as well as aquatic plants and infauna, (iii) the underlying role of cable bacteria in sedimentary biogeochemical cycling of essential elements including but not limited to sulfur, iron, phosphorus, and nitrogen, (iv) the practical explorations of cable bacteria for water pollution control, greenhouse gas emission reduction, aquatic ecological environment restoration, as well as possible combinations with other water remediation technologies. It is believed to give a step-by-step introduction to progress on cable bacteria, highlight key findings, opportunities and challenges of using cable bacteria for water environment restoration, and propose directions for further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyan Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lake of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210024, PR China
| | - Yi Li
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lake of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210024, PR China.
| | - Chi Zhang
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hohai University, Changzhou 213200, PR China.
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Geelhoed JS, Thorup CA, Bjerg JJ, Schreiber L, Nielsen LP, Schramm A, Meysman FJR, Marshall IPG. Indications for a genetic basis for big bacteria and description of the giant cable bacterium Candidatus Electrothrix gigas sp. nov. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0053823. [PMID: 37732806 PMCID: PMC10580974 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00538-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial cells can vary greatly in size, from a few hundred nanometers to hundreds of micrometers in diameter. Filamentous cable bacteria also display substantial size differences, with filament diameters ranging from 0.4 to 8 µm. We analyzed the genomes of cable bacterium filaments from 11 coastal environments of which the resulting 23 new genomes represent 10 novel species-level clades of Candidatus Electrothrix and two clades that putatively represent novel genus-level diversity. Fluorescence in situ hybridization with a species-level probe showed that large-sized cable bacteria belong to a novel species with the proposed name Ca. Electrothrix gigas. Comparative genome analysis suggests genes that play a role in the construction or functioning of large cable bacteria cells: the genomes of Ca. Electrothrix gigas encode a novel actin-like protein as well as a species-specific gene cluster encoding four putative pilin proteins and a putative type II secretion platform protein, which are not present in other cable bacteria. The novel actin-like protein was also found in a number of other giant bacteria, suggesting there could be a genetic basis for large cell size. This actin-like protein (denoted big bacteria protein, Bbp) may have a function analogous to other actin proteins in cell structure or intracellular transport. We contend that Bbp may help overcome the challenges of diffusion limitation and/or morphological complexity presented by the large cells of Ca. Electrothrix gigas and other giant bacteria. IMPORTANCE In this study, we substantially expand the known diversity of marine cable bacteria and describe cable bacteria with a large diameter as a novel species with the proposed name Candidatus Electrothrix gigas. In the genomes of this species, we identified a gene that encodes a novel actin-like protein [denoted big bacteria protein (Bbp)]. The bbp gene was also found in a number of other giant bacteria, predominantly affiliated to Desulfobacterota and Gammaproteobacteria, indicating that there may be a genetic basis for large cell size. Thus far, mostly structural adaptations of giant bacteria, vacuoles, and other inclusions or organelles have been observed, which are employed to overcome nutrient diffusion limitation in their environment. In analogy to other actin proteins, Bbp could fulfill a structural role in the cell or potentially facilitate intracellular transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanine S. Geelhoed
- Department of Biology, Research Group Geobiology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Casper A. Thorup
- Department of Biology, Center for Electromicrobiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jesper J. Bjerg
- Department of Biology, Research Group Geobiology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
- Department of Biology, Center for Electromicrobiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Lars Schreiber
- Department of Biology, Center for Electromicrobiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Lars Peter Nielsen
- Department of Biology, Center for Electromicrobiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Andreas Schramm
- Department of Biology, Center for Electromicrobiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Filip J. R. Meysman
- Department of Biology, Research Group Geobiology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Ian P. G. Marshall
- Department of Biology, Center for Electromicrobiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Xu X, Weng N, Zhang H, van de Velde SJ, Hermans M, Wu F, Huo S. Cable bacteria regulate sedimentary phosphorus release in freshwater sediments. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 242:120218. [PMID: 37390661 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated that e-SOx can regulate the sedimentary release of phosphorus (P) in brackish and marine sediments. When e-SOx is active, an iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) oxide rich layer is formed near the sediment surface, which prevents P release. When e-SOx becomes inactive, the metal oxide layer is reduced via sulfide-mediated dissolution, and P is subsequently released to the water column. Cable bacteria have been shown to also occur in freshwater sediments. In these sediments, sulfide production is limited, and the metal oxide layer would thus dissolve less efficiently, leaving the P trapped at the sediment surface. This lack of an efficient dissolution mechanism implies that e-SOx could play an important role in the regulation of P availability in eutrophied freshwater streams. To test this hypothesis, we incubated sediments from a eutrophic freshwater river to investigate the impact of cable bacteria on sedimentary cycling of Fe, Mn and P. High-resolution depth profiling of pH, O2 and ΣH2S complemented with FISH analysis and high-throughput gene sequencing showed that the development of e-SOx activity was closely linked to the enrichment of cable bacteria in incubated sediments. Cable bacteria activity caused a strong acidification in the suboxic zone, leading to the dissolution of Fe and Mn minerals and consequently a strong release of dissolved Fe2+ and Mn2+ to the porewater. Oxidation of these mobilized ions at the sediment surface led to the formation of a metal oxide layer that trapped dissolved P, as shown by the enrichment of P-bearing metal oxides in the top layer of the sediment and low phosphate in the pore and overlying water. After e-SOx activity declined, the metal oxide layer did not dissolve and P remained trapped at the surface. Overall, our results suggested cable bacteria can play an important role to counteract eutrophication in freshwater systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoling Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Science, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Nanyan Weng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Science, Beijing 100012, China.
| | - Hanxiao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Science, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Sebastiaan J van de Velde
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium; Operationale Directorate Natural Environment, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Martijn Hermans
- Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm 106 91, Sweden; Environmental Geochemistry Group, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00560, Finland
| | - Fengchang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Science, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Shouliang Huo
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Science, Beijing 100012, China.
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10
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Yu F, Luo W, Xie W, Li Y, Liu Y, Ye X, Peng T, Wang H, Huang T, Hu Z. The effects of long-term hexabromocyclododecanes contamination on microbial communities in the microcosms. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 325:138412. [PMID: 36925001 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The adaptation of microbial community to the long-term contamination of hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) has not been well studied. Our previous study found that the HBCDs contamination in the microcosms constructed of sediments from two different mangrove forests in 8 months resulted in serious acidification (pH2-3). This study reanalyzed previous sequencing data and compared them with data after 20 months to investigate the adaptive properties of microbial communities in the stress of HBCDs and acidification. It hypothesized that the reassembly was based on the fitness of taxa. The results indicated that eukaryotes and fungi might have better adaptive capacity to these deteriorated habitats. Eukaryotic taxa Eufallia and Syncystis, and fungal taxa Wickerhamomyces were only detected after 20 months of contamination. Moreover, eukaryotic taxa Caloneis and Nitzschia, and fungal taxa Talaromyces were dominant in most of microbial communities (14.467-95.941%). The functional compositions were sediment-dependent and more divergent than community reassemblies. Network and co-occurrence analysis suggested that acidophiles such as Acidisoma and Acidiphilium were gaining more positive relations in the long-term stress. The acidophilic taxa and genes involved in resistance to the acidification and toxicity of HBCDs were enriched, for example, bacteria Acidisoma and Acidiphilium, archaea Thermogymnomonas, and eukaryotes Nitzschia, and genes kdpC, odc1, polA, gst, and sod-2. These genes involved in oxidative stress response, energy metabolism, DNA damage repair, potassium transportation, and decarboxylation. It suggested that the microbial communities might cope with the stress from HBCDs and acidification via multiple pathways. The present research shed light on the evolution of microbial communities under the long-term stress of HBCDs contamination and acidification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Yu
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Wenqi Luo
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Wei Xie
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yuyang Li
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yongjin Liu
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Xueying Ye
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Tao Peng
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Tongwang Huang
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China.
| | - Zhong Hu
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
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11
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Feng H, Yang W, Zhang Y, Ding Y, Chen L, Kang Y, Huang H, Chen R. Electroactive microorganism-assisted remediation of groundwater contamination: Advances and challenges. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2023; 377:128916. [PMID: 36940880 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.128916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Groundwater contamination has become increasingly prominent, therefore, the development of efficient remediation technology is crucial for improving groundwater quality. Bioremediation is cost-effective and environmentally friendly, while coexisting pollutant stress can affect microbial processes, and the heterogeneous character of groundwater medium can induce bioavailability limitations and electron donor/acceptor imbalances. Electroactive microorganisms (EAMs) are advantageous in contaminated groundwater because of their unique bidirectional electron transfer mechanism, which allows them to use solid electrodes as electron donors/acceptors. However, the relatively low-conductivity groundwater environment is unfavorable for electron transfer, which becomes a bottleneck problem that limits the remediation efficiency of EAMs. Therefore, this study reviews the recent advances and challenges of EAMs applied in the groundwater environment with complex coexisting ions, heterogeneity, and low conductivity and proposes corresponding future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huajun Feng
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310018, Zhejiang, China; College of Environment and Resources, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wanyue Yang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310018, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yifeng Zhang
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Yangcheng Ding
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310018, Zhejiang, China
| | - Long Chen
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310018, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ying Kang
- Zhejiang Ecological Environmental Monitoring Center, 117 Xueyuan Road, Hangzhou 310012, Zhejiang, China
| | - Huan Huang
- Zhejiang Ecological Environmental Monitoring Center, 117 Xueyuan Road, Hangzhou 310012, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ruya Chen
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310018, Zhejiang, China.
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12
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Cruz Viggi C, Tucci M, Resitano M, Palushi V, Crognale S, Matturro B, Petrangeli Papini M, Rossetti S, Aulenta F. Enhancing the Anaerobic Biodegradation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons in Soils with Electrically Conductive Materials. Bioengineering (Basel) 2023; 10:bioengineering10040441. [PMID: 37106628 PMCID: PMC10135592 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10040441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Anaerobic bioremediation is a relevant process in the management of sites contaminated by petroleum hydrocarbons. Recently, interspecies electron transfer processes mediated by conductive minerals or particles have been proposed as mechanisms through which microbial species within a community share reducing equivalents to drive the syntrophic degradation of organic substrates, including hydrocarbons. Here, a microcosm study was set up to investigate the effect of different electrically conductive materials (ECMs) in enhancing the anaerobic biodegradation of hydrocarbons in historically contaminated soil. The results of a comprehensive suite of chemical and microbiological analyses evidenced that supplementing the soil with (5% w/w) magnetite nanoparticles or biochar particles is an effective strategy to accelerate the removal of selected hydrocarbons. In particular, in microcosms supplemented with ECMs, the removal of total petroleum hydrocarbons was enhanced by up to 50% relative to unamended controls. However, chemical analyses suggested that only a partial bioconversion of contaminants occurred and that longer treatment times would have probably been required to drive the biodegradation process to completion. On the other hand, biomolecular analyses confirmed the presence of several microorganisms and functional genes likely involved in hydrocarbon degradation. Furthermore, the selective enrichment of known electroactive bacteria (i.e., Geobacter and Geothrix) in microcosms amended with ECMs, clearly pointed to a possible role of DIET (Diet Interspecies Electron Transfer) processes in the observed removal of contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Cruz Viggi
- Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), 00010 Montelibretti, Italy
| | - Matteo Tucci
- Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), 00010 Montelibretti, Italy
| | - Marco Resitano
- Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), 00010 Montelibretti, Italy
| | - Valentina Palushi
- Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), 00010 Montelibretti, Italy
| | - Simona Crognale
- Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), 00010 Montelibretti, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Bruna Matturro
- Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), 00010 Montelibretti, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | | | - Simona Rossetti
- Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), 00010 Montelibretti, Italy
| | - Federico Aulenta
- Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), 00010 Montelibretti, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133 Palermo, Italy
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13
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Bjerg JJ, Lustermans JJM, Marshall IPG, Mueller AJ, Brokjær S, Thorup CA, Tataru P, Schmid M, Wagner M, Nielsen LP, Schramm A. Cable bacteria with electric connection to oxygen attract flocks of diverse bacteria. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1614. [PMID: 36959175 PMCID: PMC10036481 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37272-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Cable bacteria are centimeter-long filamentous bacteria that conduct electrons via internal wires, thus coupling sulfide oxidation in deeper, anoxic sediment with oxygen reduction in surface sediment. This activity induces geochemical changes in the sediment, and other bacterial groups appear to benefit from the electrical connection to oxygen. Here, we report that diverse bacteria swim in a tight flock around the anoxic part of oxygen-respiring cable bacteria and disperse immediately when the connection to oxygen is disrupted (by cutting the cable bacteria with a laser). Raman microscopy shows that flocking bacteria are more oxidized when closer to the cable bacteria, but physical contact seems to be rare and brief, which suggests potential transfer of electrons via unidentified soluble intermediates. Metagenomic analysis indicates that most of the flocking bacteria appear to be aerobes, including organotrophs, sulfide oxidizers, and possibly iron oxidizers, which might transfer electrons to cable bacteria for respiration. The association and close interaction with such diverse partners might explain how oxygen via cable bacteria can affect microbial communities and processes far into anoxic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesper J Bjerg
- Center for Electromicrobiology (CEM), Section for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark.
- Microbial Systems Technology Excellence Centre, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - Jamie J M Lustermans
- Center for Electromicrobiology (CEM), Section for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Ian P G Marshall
- Center for Electromicrobiology (CEM), Section for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Anna J Mueller
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology (DOME), University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Doctoral School in Microbiology and Environmental Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Signe Brokjær
- Center for Electromicrobiology (CEM), Section for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Casper A Thorup
- Center for Electromicrobiology (CEM), Section for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Paula Tataru
- Bioinformatics Research Center (BiRC), Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Markus Schmid
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology (DOME), University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Wagner
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology (DOME), University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Center for Microbial Communities, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Lars Peter Nielsen
- Center for Electromicrobiology (CEM), Section for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Andreas Schramm
- Center for Electromicrobiology (CEM), Section for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark.
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14
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Huang Y, Hu W, Dong M, Yang Y, Yang X, Huang H, Yang S, Jia W, Wang B, Xu M. Cable bacteria accelerate the anaerobic removal of pyrene in black odorous river sediments. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 443:130305. [PMID: 36356519 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Cable bacteria play an essential role in biogeochemical processes in sediments by long-distance electron transport (LDET). A potential relationship has been found between cable bacteria and organic contaminant removal; however, the mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, the response of cable bacteria to pyrene was investigated in sediments with and without pyrene, and the effect of cable bacteria on pyrene removal was explored by connecting and blocking the paths of cable bacteria to the suboxic zones. The results showed that pyrene significantly influenced the microbial community structure and the composition of cable bacteria. The pyrene removal efficiencies significantly increased with the enrichment of cable bacteria, while sulfur-reducing microorganisms and aromatic compound degraders were also significantly enriched and correlated with cable bacteria abundance. Metagenomic analysis showed that cable bacteria have a potential LDET-bound acetate/formate respiratory pathway to gain energy. The presence of pyrene probably selects and enriches cable bacteria with a high tolerance to organic contaminants and changes the related functional microbial community, leading to the acceleration of pyrene removal. This study provides new insights into the interaction mechanisms between contaminants and cable bacteria, shedding light on the applications of cable bacteria in the bioremediation of contaminants in sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youda Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Wenzhe Hu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Meijun Dong
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Yonggang Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Xunan Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Haobin Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Shan Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Weibin Jia
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Bin Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China; Department of Immunology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China.
| | - Meiying Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China.
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15
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Vasquez-Cardenas D, Hidalgo-Martinez S, Hulst L, Thorleifsdottir T, Helgason GV, Eiriksson T, Geelhoed JS, Agustsson T, Moodley L, Meysman FJR. Biogeochemical impacts of fish farming on coastal sediments: Insights into the functional role of cable bacteria. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1034401. [PMID: 36620049 PMCID: PMC9814725 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1034401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Fish farming in sea cages is a growing component of the global food industry. A prominent ecosystem impact of this industry is the increase in the downward flux of organic matter, which stimulates anaerobic mineralization and sulfide production in underlying sediments. When free sulfide is released to the overlying water, this can have a toxic effect on local marine ecosystems. The microbially-mediated process of sulfide oxidation has the potential to be an important natural mitigation and prevention strategy that has not been studied in fish farm sediments. We examined the microbial community composition (DNA-based 16S rRNA gene) underneath two active fish farms on the Southwestern coast of Iceland and performed laboratory incubations of resident sediment. Field observations confirmed the strong geochemical impact of fish farming on the sediment (up to 150 m away from cages). Sulfide accumulation was evidenced under the cages congruent with a higher supply of degradable organic matter from the cages. Phylogenetically diverse microbes capable of sulfide detoxification were present in the field sediment as well as in lab incubations, including cable bacteria (Candidatus Electrothrix), which display a unique metabolism based on long-distance electron transport. Microsensor profiling revealed that the activity of cable bacteria did not exert a dominant impact on the geochemistry of fish farm sediment at the time of sampling. However, laboratory incubations that mimic the recovery process during fallowing, revealed successful enrichment of cable bacteria within weeks, with concomitant high sulfur-oxidizing activity. Overall our results give insight into the role of microbially-mediated sulfide detoxification in aquaculture impacted sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Vasquez-Cardenas
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands,Geobiology, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium,*Correspondence: Diana Vasquez-Cardenas,
| | | | - Lucas Hulst
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Leon Moodley
- NORCE Norwegian Research Centre, Randaberg, Norway
| | - Filip J. R. Meysman
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands,Geobiology, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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16
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Ingino P, Tiew KH, Obst M. Suitability of lectin binding studies for the characterization of redox-active microbial environmental biofilms. AMB Express 2022; 12:140. [DOI: 10.1186/s13568-022-01479-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractAquatic environmental microbial biofilms grow in a broad range of redox environments from oxic to methanogenic, and they often also establish internal redox gradients. In technical applications, biofilms are also subjected to controlled redox conditions. Studies on biofilms often make use of fluorescence microscopic imaging techniques together with lectin binding analysis to gain insights into structure, composition, and functions of the biofilms. Here we studied the direct influence of redox potentials on fluorescence lectin binding analyses (FLBA) for two commonly used lectin-fluorophore conjugates. An effect of the electrical potential on signal intensity was observed and found to be statistically significant. The signal intensity changes however, remained within the range of a few percent total. A significant drop in intensity was only observed for extremely oxidizing potentials, typically not found under environmental conditions. Our results showed that the fluorophore itself and not the lectin binding to the respective glycoconjugate causes fluorescence changes. The two tested lectin-fluorophores are shown to be suitable for studying the distribution and composition of EPS in environmental biofilms or technical applications and under varying redox conditions.
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17
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Wang Z, Liu F, Li E, Yuan Y, Yang Y, Xu M, Qiu R. Network analysis reveals microbe-mediated impacts of aeration on deep sediment layer microbial communities. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:931585. [PMID: 36246296 PMCID: PMC9561788 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.931585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Over-aeration is a common remediation strategy for black and odorous water bodies, in which oxygen is introduced to impact aquatic microbial communities as an electron acceptor of high redox potential. In this study, black-odorous freshwater sediments were cultured for 9 weeks under aeration to investigate microbial covariations at different depths and time points. Based on community 16S rRNA gene sequencing, the microbial covariations were visualized using phylogenetic microbial ecological networks (pMENs). In the spatial scale, we identified smaller and more compact pMENs across all layers compared with the anaerobic control sediments, in terms of network size, average node connectivity, and modularity. The aerated middle layer had the most connectors, the least module hubs, a network hub, shorter average path length, and predominantly positive covariations. In addition, a significant sulfate accumulation in the aerated middle layer indicated the most intense sulfide oxidation, possibly because aeration prompted sediment surface Desulfobulbaceae, known as cable bacteria, to reach the middle layer. In the time scale, similarly, aeration led to smaller pMEN sizes and higher portions of positive covariations. Therefore, we conclude that elevated dissolved oxygen at the water-sediment interface may impact not only the surface sediment but also the subsurface and/or deep sediment microbial communities mediated by microorganisms, particularly by Desulfobulbaceae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyu Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural & Rural Pollution Abatement and Environmental Safety, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Feifei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Enze Li
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Yongqiang Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Karst Georesources and Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Yonggang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Meiying Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Meiying Xu
| | - Rongliang Qiu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural & Rural Pollution Abatement and Environmental Safety, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Rongliang Qiu
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18
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Li C, Reimers CE, Chace PJ. Protocol for using autoclaved intertidal sediment as a medium to enrich marine cable bacteria. STAR Protoc 2022; 3:101604. [PMID: 35990745 PMCID: PMC9389416 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2022.101604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Cable bacteria (CB) are non-isolated filamentous bacteria in the family of Desulfobulbaceae, known for fostering centimeter-long electron transfer in sediments with pronounced redox zonation. This protocol details steps to extract CB filaments from cultured natural sediment, inoculate autoclaved sediment with extracted filaments, and subsequently evaluate the growth and enrichment of CB. We also describe the approaches for collecting suitable sediment, preparing autoclaved sediment, and manufacturing glass needles and hooks for the extraction of CB. Prepare autoclaved sediment as an enrichment medium for cable bacteria Manufacture glass needles and hooks as tools to extract cable bacteria Video demonstration of cable bacteria extraction and autoclaved sediment inoculation Recover prolific cable bacteria biomass grown in autoclaved sediment
Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics.
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19
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Yu F, Luo W, Xie W, Li Y, Meng S, Kan J, Ye X, Peng T, Wang H, Huang T, Hu Z. Community reassemblies of eukaryotes, prokaryotes, and viruses in the hexabromocyclododecanes-contaminated microcosms. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 436:129159. [PMID: 35643009 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129159] [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: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The microbial community in seriously contaminated environment were not well known. This research investigated the community reassemblies in microcosms made of two distinct mangrove sediments amended with high levels of hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs). After eight months of contamination, the transformation of HBCDs yielded various lower brominated products and resulted in acidification (pH ~2). Therefore, the degraders and dehalogenase homologous genes involved in transformation of HBCDs only presented in low abundance to avoid further deterioration of the habitats. Moreover, in these deteriorated habitats, 1344 bacterial, 969 archaeal, 599 eukaryotic (excluded fungi), 187 fungal OTUs, and 10 viral genera, were reduced compared with controls. Specifically, in two groups of microcosms, Zetaproteobacteria, Deinococcus-Thermus, Spirochaetes, Bacteroidetes, Euryarchaeota, and Ascomycota, were positively responding taxa to HBCDs. Caloneis (Bacillariophyta) and Ascomycota turned to the dominant eukaryotic and fungal taxa. Most of predominant taxa were related to the contamination of brominated flame retardants (BFRs). Microbial communities were reassembled in divergent and sediment-dependent manner. The long-term contamination of HBCDs leaded to the change of relations between many taxa, included some of the environmental viruses and their known hosts. This research highlight the importance of monitoring the ecological effects around plants producing or processing halogenated compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Yu
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Shantou University, Guangdong Province, PR China
| | - Wenqi Luo
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Shantou University, Guangdong Province, PR China
| | - Wei Xie
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Shantou University, Guangdong Province, PR China
| | - Yuyang Li
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Shantou University, Guangdong Province, PR China
| | - Shanshan Meng
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Shantou University, Guangdong Province, PR China
| | - Jie Kan
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Shantou University, Guangdong Province, PR China
| | - Xueying Ye
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Shantou University, Guangdong Province, PR China
| | - Tao Peng
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Shantou University, Guangdong Province, PR China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Shantou University, Guangdong Province, PR China
| | - Tongwang Huang
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Shantou University, Guangdong Province, PR China
| | - Zhong Hu
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Shantou University, Guangdong Province, PR China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China.
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20
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Bioelectrocatalytic sulfide oxidation by a haloalkaliphilic electroactive microbial community dominated by Desulfobulbaceae. Electrochim Acta 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2022.140576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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21
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Geerlings NMJ, Kienhuis MVM, Hidalgo-Martinez S, Hageman R, Vasquez-Cardenas D, Middelburg JJ, Meysman FJR, Polerecky L. Polyphosphate Dynamics in Cable Bacteria. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:883807. [PMID: 35663875 PMCID: PMC9159916 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.883807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cable bacteria are multicellular sulfide oxidizing bacteria that display a unique metabolism based on long-distance electron transport. Cells in deeper sediment layers perform the sulfide oxidizing half-reaction whereas cells in the surface layers of the sediment perform the oxygen-reducing half-reaction. These half-reactions are coupled via electron transport through a conductive fiber network that runs along the shared cell envelope. Remarkably, only the sulfide oxidizing half-reaction is coupled to biosynthesis and growth whereas the oxygen reducing half-reaction serves to rapidly remove electrons from the conductive fiber network and is not coupled to energy generation and growth. Cells residing in the oxic zone are believed to (temporarily) rely on storage compounds of which polyphosphate (poly-P) is prominently present in cable bacteria. Here we investigate the role of poly-P in the metabolism of cable bacteria within the different redox environments. To this end, we combined nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry with dual-stable isotope probing (13C-DIC and 18O-H2O) to visualize the relationship between growth in the cytoplasm (13C-enrichment) and poly-P activity (18O-enrichment). We found that poly-P was synthesized in almost all cells, as indicated by 18O enrichment of poly-P granules. Hence, poly-P must have an important function in the metabolism of cable bacteria. Within the oxic zone of the sediment, where little growth is observed, 18O enrichment in poly-P granules was significantly lower than in the suboxic zone. Thus, both growth and poly-P metabolism appear to be correlated to the redox environment. However, the poly-P metabolism is not coupled to growth in cable bacteria, as many filaments from the suboxic zone showed poly-P activity but did not grow. We hypothesize that within the oxic zone, poly-P is used to protect the cells against oxidative stress and/or as a resource to support motility, while within the suboxic zone, poly-P is involved in the metabolic regulation before cells enter a non-growing stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M. J. Geerlings
- Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Nicole M. J. Geerlings,
| | | | - Silvia Hidalgo-Martinez
- Excellence centre for Microbial Systems Technology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Renee Hageman
- Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Diana Vasquez-Cardenas
- Excellence centre for Microbial Systems Technology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | | | - Filip J. R. Meysman
- Excellence centre for Microbial Systems Technology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Lubos Polerecky
- Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Lubos Polerecky,
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22
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Sachs C, Kanaparthi D, Kublik S, Szalay AR, Schloter M, Damgaard LR, Schramm A, Lueders T. Tracing long-distance electron transfer and cable bacteria in freshwater sediments by agar pillar gradient columns. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2022; 98:6567839. [PMID: 35416241 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiac042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cable bacteria (CB) perform electrogenic sulphur oxidation (e-SOX) by spatially separating redox-half-reactions over cm-distances. For freshwater systems, the ecology of CB is not yet well understood, partly because they proved difficult to cultivate. This study introduces a new "agar pillar" approach to selectively enrich and investigate CB-populations. Within sediment columns, a central agar pillar is embedded, providing a sediment-free gradient-system in equilibrium with the surrounding sediment. We incubated freshwater sediments from a streambed, a sulfidic lake, and a hydrocarbon polluted aquifer in such agar pillar columns. Microprofiling revealed typical patterns of e-SOx, such as the development of a suboxic zone and the establishment of electric potentials. The bacterial communities in the sediments and agar pillars were analysed over depth by PacBio near-full-length 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, allowing for a precise phylogenetic placement of taxa detected. The selective niche of the agar pillar was preferentially colonized by CB related to Candidatus Electronema for surface-water sediments, including several potentially novel species, but not for putative groundwater CB affiliated with Desulfurivibrio spp. The presence of CB was seemingly linked to co-enriched fermenters, hinting at a possible role of e-SOx-populations as an electron sink for heterotrophic microbes. These findings add to our current understanding of the diversity and ecology of CB in freshwater systems, and to a discrimination of CB from surface and groundwater sediments. The agar pillar approach provides a new strategy that may facilitate the cultivation of redox gradient-dependent microorganisms, including previously unrecognized CB populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinna Sachs
- Chair of Ecological Microbiology, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Germany.,Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Germany
| | - Dheeraj Kanaparthi
- Chair of Ecological Microbiology, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Germany.,Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Germany
| | - Susanne Kublik
- Research Unit Comparative Microbiome Analysis, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Germany
| | - Anna Roza Szalay
- Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Germany
| | - Michael Schloter
- Research Unit Comparative Microbiome Analysis, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Germany
| | - Lars Riis Damgaard
- Center for Electromicrobiology, Section for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Andreas Schramm
- Center for Electromicrobiology, Section for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Tillmann Lueders
- Chair of Ecological Microbiology, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Germany
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23
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Xu X, Huo S, Weng N, Zhang H, Ma C, Zhang J, Wu F. Effects of sulfide availability on the metabolic activity and population dynamics of cable bacteria in freshwater sediment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 808:151817. [PMID: 34848270 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Cable bacteria occur in many natural environments, and their electrogenic sulfide oxidation (e-SOx) may influence sediment biogeochemistry. The environmental factors determining the growth and diversity of cable bacteria are poorly known, especially in freshwater sediments. We conducted a laboratory incubation experiment, using freshwater sediments with different sulfide supply levels, to study how sulfide availability in sediment affects the metabolic activity and population dynamics of cable bacteria. A moderate increase in the sulfide availability in sediment significantly promoted metabolic activity and the proliferation of the cable bacteria population, as revealed by enhanced e-SOx intensity and increased bacteria abundance. In high-sulfide treatments there was a more significant increase in the population of cable bacteria in the deeper sediment layers, indicating that increased sulfide availability may expand the vertical scale impact of cable bacteria activities on sediment biogeochemistry. The relative proportions of co-existing species in the cable bacteria population also changed with sulfide supply levels, indicating that sulfide availability can be involved in determining the interspecies relationships of cable bacteria. Our findings provide new insight into the relationship between sediment sulfide availability and the growth, depth distribution, and species composition of cable bacteria, implying the consideration of regulating environmental sulfide availability as a potential management practice for the development of cable bacteria-based environmental biotechnologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoling Xu
- College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100012, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Science, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Shouliang Huo
- College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100012, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Science, Beijing 100012, China.
| | - Nanyan Weng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Science, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Hanxiao Zhang
- College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100012, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Science, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Chunzi Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Science, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Jingtian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Science, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Fengchang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Science, Beijing 100012, China
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24
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de Rink R, B Lavender M, Liu D, Klok JBM, Sorokin DY, Ter Heijne A, Buisman CJN. Continuous electron shuttling by sulfide oxidizing bacteria as a novel strategy to produce electric current. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 424:127358. [PMID: 34879559 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Sulfide oxidizing bacteria (SOB) are widely applied in industry to convert toxic H2S into elemental sulfur. Haloalkaliphilic planktonic SOB can remove sulfide from solution under anaerobic conditions (SOB are 'charged'), and release electrons at an electrode (discharge of SOB). The effect of this electron shuttling on product formation and biomass growth is not known. Here, we study and demonstrate a continuous process in which SOB remove sulfide from solution in an anaerobic 'uptake chamber', and shuttle these electrons to the anode of an electrochemical cell, in the absence of dissolved sulfide. Two experiments over 31 and 41 days were performed. At a sulfide loading rate of 1.1 mmolS/day, electricity was produced continuously (3 A/m2) without dissolved sulfide in the anolyte. The main end product was sulfate (56% in experiment 1% and 78% in experiment 2), and 87% and 77% of the electrons in sulfide were recovered as electricity. It was found that the current density was dependent on the sulfide loading rate and not on the anode potential. Biological growth occurred, mainly at the anode as biofilm, in which the deltaproteobacterial genus Desulfurivibrio was dominating. Our results demonstrate a novel strategy to produce electricity from sulfide in an electrochemical system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rieks de Rink
- Environmental Technology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 17, Wageningen, The Netherlands; Paqell B.V., Reactorweg 301, 3542 AD Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Micaela B Lavender
- Environmental Technology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 17, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Dandan Liu
- Paqell B.V., Reactorweg 301, 3542 AD Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Johannes B M Klok
- Environmental Technology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 17, Wageningen, The Netherlands; Paqell B.V., Reactorweg 301, 3542 AD Utrecht, The Netherlands; Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Oostergoweg 9, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
| | - Dimitry Y Sorokin
- Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Research Centre of Biotechnology RAS, Leninskii Prospect, 33/2, 119071 Moscow, Russia; Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629HZ Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Annemiek Ter Heijne
- Environmental Technology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 17, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Cees J N Buisman
- Environmental Technology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 17, Wageningen, The Netherlands; Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Oostergoweg 9, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
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25
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Huang Y, Wang B, Yang Y, Yang S, Dong M, Xu M. Microbial carriers promote and guide pyrene migration in sediments. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 424:127188. [PMID: 34597936 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Microbial carriers may co-transport polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), but lack substantial experimental evidence. Cable bacteria use gliding or twitching motility to access sulfide; hence, they could be important microbial carriers in co-transporting PAHs from the sediment-water interface into suboxic zones. In this study, the effect of cable bacteria on pyrene migration was investigated by connecting or blocking the paths of cable bacteria to the suboxic zones. The results showed that downward migration of pyrene in the connecting groups were significantly higher (17.3-49.2%, p < 0.01) than those in the control groups. Meanwhile, significant downward migration of microbial communities in the connecting groups were also observed, including abundant filamentous-motile microorganisms, especially cable bacteria. The adsorption of surrounding particles by cable bacteria were morphologically evidenced. The biomechanical model based on the Peclet number indicated that filamentous-motile microorganisms demonstrated stronger adsorption ability for pyrene than other microorganisms. Supposedly, the downward migration of microbial communities, especially cable bacteria, significantly enhanced pyrene migration, thus influencing the distribution and ecological risk of pyrene in sediments. This study provides new insights into the important roles of motile microorganisms in the migration of PAHs in sediments, shedding lights on guidance for ecological risk assessment of PAHs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youda Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Bin Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China.
| | - Yonggang Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Shan Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Meijun Dong
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Meiying Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China.
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26
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Shentu J, Li X, Han R, Chen Q, Shen D, Qi S. Effect of site hydrological conditions and soil aggregate sizes on the stabilization of heavy metals (Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn) by biochar. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 802:149949. [PMID: 34525744 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Biochar is a popular material that would effectively immobilize heavy metals in soil, which can greatly decrease the health risk of heavy metals. Although many previous studies have studied the immobilization of heavy metals by biochar, the influence of hydrological conditions on the immobilization effect is still not clear. This paper carried out column experiments to study the effect of fluctuating groundwater table on Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn distribution and speciation with the addition of biochar from pyrolysis of swine manure. Experimental results showed that biochar could significantly decrease the leaching toxicity of Cu and Ni by 24.4% and 44.7% respectively, while the immobilization effect of Pb and Zn was relatively insignificant. The average reduction percentage of bioavailable Cu was 14.5%, 39.5% and 33.3% in the unsaturated zone, fluctuating zone and saturated zone respectively, showing the better immobilization effect in the fluctuating zone and saturated zone. The residual fraction of heavy metals increased significantly after the addition of biochar, and the increase of residual fraction was larger in small soil aggregates. This study helped illustrate the influence of hydrological conditions and soil aggregate sizes on the stabilization effect of heavy metals by biochar, which could be used to guide the remediation process of sites contaminated by heavy metals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiali Shentu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310012, PR China; Instrumental Analysis Center of Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310012, PR China
| | - Xiaoxiao Li
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310012, PR China
| | - Ruifang Han
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310012, PR China
| | - Qianqian Chen
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310012, PR China
| | - Dongsheng Shen
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310012, PR China; Instrumental Analysis Center of Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310012, PR China
| | - Shengqi Qi
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310012, PR China; Instrumental Analysis Center of Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310012, PR China.
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27
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Karasz DC, Weaver AI, Buckley DH, Wilhelm RC. Conditional filamentation as an adaptive trait of bacteria and its ecological significance in soils. Environ Microbiol 2021; 24:1-17. [PMID: 34929753 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Bacteria can regulate cell morphology in response to environmental conditions, altering their physiological and metabolic characteristics to improve survival. Conditional filamentation, in which cells suspend division while continuing lateral growth, is a strategy with a range of adaptive benefits. Here, we review the causes and consequences of conditional filamentation with respect to bacterial physiology, ecology and evolution. We describe four major benefits from conditional filamentation: stress tolerance, surface colonization, gradient spanning and the facilitation of biotic interactions. Adopting a filamentous growth habit involves fitness trade-offs which are also examined. We focus on the role of conditional filamentation in soil habitats, where filamentous morphotypes are highly prevalent and where environmental heterogeneity can benefit a conditional response. To illustrate the use of information presented in our review, we tested the conditions regulating filamentation by the forest soil isolate Paraburkholderia elongata 5NT . Filamentation by P. elongata was induced at elevated phosphate concentrations, and was associated with the accumulation of intracellular polyphosphate, highlighting the role of filamentation in a phosphate-solubilizing bacterium. Conditional filamentation enables bacteria to optimize their growth and metabolism in environments that are highly variable, a trait that can impact succession, symbioses, and biogeochemistry in soil environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Karasz
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Bradfield Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
| | - Anna I Weaver
- Department of Microbiology, Wing Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA.,Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Weill Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
| | - Daniel H Buckley
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Bradfield Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
| | - Roland C Wilhelm
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Bradfield Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
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28
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Using Oxidative Electrodes to Enrich Novel Members in the Desulfobulbaceae Family from Intertidal Sediments. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9112329. [PMID: 34835454 PMCID: PMC8618199 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9112329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Members in the family of Desulfobulbaceae may be influential in various anaerobic microbial communities, including those in anoxic aquatic sediments and water columns, and within wastewater treatment facilities and bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) such as microbial fuel cells (MFCs). However, the diversity and roles of the Desulfobulbaceae in these communities have received little attention, and large portions of this family remain uncultured. Here we expand on findings from an earlier study (Li, Reimers, and Alleau, 2020) to more fully characterize Desulfobulbaceae that became prevalent in biofilms on oxidative electrodes of bioelectrochemical reactors. After incubations, DNA extraction, microbial community analyses, and microscopic examination, we found that a group of uncultured Desulfobulbaceae were greatly enriched on electrode surfaces. These Desulfobulbaceae appeared to form filaments with morphological features ascribed to cable bacteria, but the majority were taxonomically distinct from recognized cable bacteria genera. Thus, the present study provides new information about a group of Desulfobulbaceae that can exhibit filamentous morphologies and respire on the oxidative electrodes. While the phylogeny of cable bacteria is still being defined and updated, further enriching these members can contribute to the overall understanding of cable bacteria and may also lead to identification of successful isolation strategies.
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29
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McCuskey SR, Chatsirisupachai J, Zeglio E, Parlak O, Panoy P, Herland A, Bazan GC, Nguyen TQ. Current Progress of Interfacing Organic Semiconducting Materials with Bacteria. Chem Rev 2021; 122:4791-4825. [PMID: 34714064 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Microbial bioelectronics require interfacing microorganisms with electrodes. The resulting abiotic/biotic platforms provide the basis of a range of technologies, including energy conversion and diagnostic assays. Organic semiconductors (OSCs) provide a unique strategy to modulate the interfaces between microbial systems and external electrodes, thereby improving the performance of these incipient technologies. In this review, we explore recent progress in the field on how OSCs, and related materials capable of charge transport, are being used within the context of microbial systems, and more specifically bacteria. We begin by examining the electrochemical communication modes in bacteria and the biological basis for charge transport. Different types of synthetic organic materials that have been designed and synthesized for interfacing and interrogating bacteria are discussed next, followed by the most commonly used characterization techniques for evaluating transport in microbial, synthetic, and hybrid systems. A range of applications is subsequently examined, including biological sensors and energy conversion systems. The review concludes by summarizing what has been accomplished so far and suggests future design approaches for OSC bioelectronics materials and technologies that hybridize characteristic properties of microbial and OSC systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha R McCuskey
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119077, Singapore
| | - Jirat Chatsirisupachai
- Center for Polymers and Organic Solids & Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States.,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Molecular Science and Engineering, Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology, Wangchan, Rayong 21210, Thailand
| | - Erica Zeglio
- Division of Micro and Nanosystems, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm 17177, Sweden
| | - Onur Parlak
- Dermatology and Venereology Division, Department of Medicine(Solna), Karolinska Institute, Stockholm 17177, Sweden.,AIMES Center of Integrated Medical and Engineering Sciences, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm 17177, Sweden
| | - Patchareepond Panoy
- Center for Polymers and Organic Solids & Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States.,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Molecular Science and Engineering, Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology, Wangchan, Rayong 21210, Thailand
| | - Anna Herland
- Division of Micro and Nanosystems, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm 17177, Sweden.,AIMES Center of Integrated Medical and Engineering Sciences, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm 17177, Sweden
| | - Guillermo C Bazan
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119077, Singapore
| | - Thuc-Quyen Nguyen
- Center for Polymers and Organic Solids & Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
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30
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Ward LM, Bertran E, Johnston DT. Expanded Genomic Sampling Refines Current Understanding of the Distribution and Evolution of Sulfur Metabolisms in the Desulfobulbales. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:666052. [PMID: 34093483 PMCID: PMC8170396 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.666052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The reconstruction of modern and paleo-sulfur cycling relies on understanding the long-term relative contribution of its main actors; these include microbial sulfate reduction (MSR) and microbial sulfur disproportionation (MSD). However, a unifying theory is lacking for how MSR and MSD, with the same enzyme machinery and intimately linked evolutionary histories, perform two drastically different metabolisms. Here, we aim at shedding some light on the distribution, diversity, and evolutionary histories of MSR and MSD, with a focus on the Desulfobulbales as a test case. The Desulfobulbales is a diverse and widespread order of bacteria in the Desulfobacterota (formerly Deltaproteobacteria) phylum primarily composed of sulfate reducing bacteria. Recent culture- and sequence-based approaches have revealed an expanded diversity of organisms and metabolisms within this clade, including the presence of obligate and facultative sulfur disproportionators. Here, we present draft genomes of previously unsequenced species of Desulfobulbales, substantially expanding the available genomic diversity of this clade. We leverage this expanded genomic sampling to perform phylogenetic analyses, revealing an evolutionary history defined by vertical inheritance of sulfur metabolism genes with numerous convergent instances of transition from sulfate reduction to sulfur disproportionation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lewis M. Ward
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Emma Bertran
- Princeton Environmental Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States
| | - David T. Johnston
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
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31
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Xu X, Huo S, Zhang H, Li X, Wu F. Identification of cable bacteria and its biogeochemical impact on sulfur in freshwater sediments from the Wenyu River. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 769:144541. [PMID: 33482557 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Cable bacteria are filamentous sulfur-oxidizing microorganisms that couple the reduction of oxygen or nitrate in surface sediments with the oxidation of free sulfide in deeper sediments by transferring electrons across centimeter scale distances. The distribution and activities of cable bacteria in freshwater sediments are still poorly understood, especially the impact of cable bacteria on sulfur cycling. The goal of this study was to investigate electrogenic sulfide oxidation associated with cable bacteria in laboratory microcosm incubations of freshwater sediments using microsensor technology, 16S full-length rRNA sequencing, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) microscopy. Their activity was characterized by a pH maximum of 8.56 in the oxic zone and the formation of a 13.7 ± 0.6 mm wide suboxic zone after 25 days of incubation. Full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences related to cable bacteria were recovered from the sediments and exhibited 93.3%-99.4% nucleotide (nt) similarities with those from other reported freshwater cable bacteria, indicating that new species of cable bacteria were present in the sediments. FISH analysis indicated that cable bacteria density increased with time, reaching a maximum of 95.48 m cm-2 on day 50. The cells grew downwards to 40 mm but were mainly concentrated on the top 0-20 mm of sediment. The cable bacteria continuously consumed H2S in deeper layers and oxidized sulfide into sulfate in the 0-20 mm surface layers, thereby affecting the sulfur cycling within sediments. These findings provide new evidence for the existence of higher diversity of cable bacteria in freshwater sediments than previously known.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoling Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Science, Beijing 100012, China; College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Shouliang Huo
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Science, Beijing 100012, China.
| | - Hanxiao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Science, Beijing 100012, China; College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Xiaochuang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Science, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Fengchang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Science, Beijing 100012, China
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32
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Thiruvallur Eachambadi R, Boschker HTS, Franquet A, Spampinato V, Hidalgo-Martinez S, Valcke R, Meysman FJR, Manca JV. Enhanced Laterally Resolved ToF-SIMS and AFM Imaging of the Electrically Conductive Structures in Cable Bacteria. Anal Chem 2021; 93:7226-7234. [PMID: 33939426 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c00298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Cable bacteria are electroactive bacteria that form a long, linear chain of ridged cylindrical cells. These filamentous bacteria conduct centimeter-scale long-range electron transport through parallel, interconnected conductive pathways of which the detailed chemical and electrical properties are still unclear. Here, we combine time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to investigate the structure and composition of this naturally occurring electrical network. The enhanced lateral resolution achieved allows differentiation between the cell body and the cell-cell junctions that contain a conspicuous cartwheel structure. Three ToF-SIMS modes were compared in the study of so-called fiber sheaths (i.e., the cell material that remains after the removal of cytoplasm and membranes, and which embeds the electrical network). Among these, fast imaging delayed extraction (FI-DE) was found to balance lateral and mass resolution, thus yielding the following multiple benefits in the study of structure-composition relations in cable bacteria: (i) it enables the separate study of the cell body and cell-cell junctions; (ii) by combining FI-DE with in situ AFM, the depth of Ni-containing protein-key in the electrical transport-is determined with greater precision; and (iii) this combination prevents contamination, which is possible when using an ex situ AFM. Our results imply that the interconnects in extracted fiber sheaths are either damaged during extraction, or that their composition is different from fibers, or both. From a more general analytical perspective, the proposed methodology of ToF-SIMS in the FI-DE mode combined with in situ AFM holds great promise for studying the chemical structure of other biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Henricus T S Boschker
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands.,Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Alexis Franquet
- Materials and Components Analysis - Compositional Analysis, Imec vzw, Kapeldreef 75, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Valentina Spampinato
- Materials and Components Analysis - Compositional Analysis, Imec vzw, Kapeldreef 75, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Roland Valcke
- UHasselt-Molecular and Physical Plant Physiology, Agoralaan, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Filip J R Meysman
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands.,Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Jean V Manca
- UHasselt-X-LAB, Agoralaan, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
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Liu F, Wang Z, Wu B, Bjerg JT, Hu W, Guo X, Guo J, Nielsen LP, Qiu R, Xu M. Cable bacteria extend the impacts of elevated dissolved oxygen into anoxic sediments. THE ISME JOURNAL 2021; 15:1551-1563. [PMID: 33479492 PMCID: PMC8114917 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-00869-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Profound biogeochemical responses of anoxic sediments to the fluctuation of dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in overlaying water are often observed, despite oxygen having a limited permeability in sediments. This contradiction is indicative of previously unrecognized mechanism that bridges the oxic and anoxic sediment layers. Using sediments from an urban river suffering from long-term polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contamination, we analyzed the physicochemical and microbial responses to artificially elevated DO (eDO) in the overlying water over 9 weeks of incubation. Significant changes in key environmental parameters and microbial diversity were detected over the 0-6 cm sediment depth, along with accelerated degradation of PAHs, despite that eDO only increased the porewater DO in the millimeter subfacial layer. The dynamics of physicochemical and microbial properties coincided well with significantly increased presence of centimeter-long sulfide-oxidizing cable bacteria filaments under eDO, and were predominantly driven by cable bacteria metabolic activities. Phylogenetic ecological network analyses further revealed that eDO reinforced cable bacteria associated interspecific interactions with functional microorganisms such as sulfate reducers, PAHs degraders, and electroactive microbes, suggesting enhanced microbial syntrophy taking advantage of cable bacteria metabolism for the regeneration of SO42- and long-distance electron transfer. Together, our results suggest cable bacteria may mediate the impacts of eDO in anaerobic sediments by altering sediment physiochemical properties and by reinforcing community interactions. Our findings highlight the ecological importance of cable bacteria in sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feifei Liu
- grid.464309.c0000 0004 6431 5677Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510070 China
| | - Zhenyu Wang
- grid.464309.c0000 0004 6431 5677Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510070 China ,grid.12981.330000 0001 2360 039XSchool of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Bo Wu
- grid.12981.330000 0001 2360 039XSchool of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Jesper T. Bjerg
- grid.7048.b0000 0001 1956 2722Center for Electromicrobiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Wenzhe Hu
- grid.464309.c0000 0004 6431 5677Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510070 China
| | - Xue Guo
- grid.216417.70000 0001 0379 7164Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083 China ,grid.12527.330000 0001 0662 3178State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084 China
| | - Jun Guo
- grid.464309.c0000 0004 6431 5677Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510070 China
| | - Lars Peter Nielsen
- grid.7048.b0000 0001 1956 2722Center for Electromicrobiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Rongliang Qiu
- grid.12981.330000 0001 2360 039XSchool of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006 China ,grid.12981.330000 0001 2360 039XGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Meiying Xu
- grid.464309.c0000 0004 6431 5677Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510070 China
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34
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Dam A, Marshall IPG, Risgaard‐Petersen N, Burdorf LDW, Marzocchi U. Effect of salinity on cable bacteria species composition and diversity. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:2605-2616. [PMID: 33760391 PMCID: PMC8252435 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Cable bacteria (CB) are Desulfobulbaceae that couple sulphide oxidation to oxygen reduction over centimetre distances by mediating electric currents. Recently, it was suggested that the CB clade is composed of two genera, Ca. Electronema and Ca. Electrothrix, with distinct freshwater and marine habitats respectively. However, only a few studies have reported CB from freshwater sediment, making this distinction uncertain. Here, we report novel data to show that salinity is a controlling factor for the diversity and the species composition within CB populations. CB sampled from a freshwater site (salinity 0.3) grouped into Ca. Electronema and could not grow under brackish conditions (salinity 21), whereas CB from a brackish site (salinity 21) grouped into Ca. Electrothrix and decreased by 93% in activity under freshwater conditions. On a regional scale (Baltic Sea), salinity significantly influenced species richness and composition. However, other environmental factors, such as temperature and quantity and quality of organic matter were also important to explain the observed variation. A global survey of 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing revealed that the two genera did not co-occur likely because of competitive exclusion and identified a possible third genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann‐Sofie Dam
- Center for Electromicrobiology, Section for Microbiology, Department of BiologyAarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Ian P. G. Marshall
- Center for Electromicrobiology, Section for Microbiology, Department of BiologyAarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Nils Risgaard‐Petersen
- Center for Electromicrobiology, Section for Microbiology, Department of BiologyAarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Section of Aquatic Biology, Department of BiologyAarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Laurine D. W. Burdorf
- Center for Electromicrobiology, Section for Microbiology, Department of BiologyAarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Centre of Excellence for Microbial Systems Technology, Department of BiologyUniversity of AntwerpWilrijk2610Belgium
| | - Ugo Marzocchi
- Center for Electromicrobiology, Section for Microbiology, Department of BiologyAarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Center for Water Technology (WATEC), Department of BiologyAarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
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35
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Sale T, Gallo S, Askarani KK, Irianni-Renno M, Lyverse M, Hopkins H, Blotevogel J, Burge S. Real-time soil and groundwater monitoring via spatial and temporal resolution of biogeochemical potentials. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2021; 408:124403. [PMID: 33189462 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Oxidation-reduction potentials (ORP) govern the transformation of organic compounds in water and soils. Standard methods for measurements of ORPs in subsurface setting are deeply flawed due to heterogeneous samples from wells, failure to capture weakly poised redox couples, and biases with ex-situ measurements. In this study, we developed a real-time in-situ ORP sensor system that continuously measures biogeochemical electrical potentials using vertically distributed point sensing electrodes in direct contact with the soil. Three hundred thousand data points, providing a full range of aqueous ORP values (+ 600 to - 600 mV vs. Ag/AgCl) were collected over 513 days to spatially and temporally resolve subsurface biogeochemical processes at a former petroleum refinery. Water quality and microbial community data support the validity of the ORP data. In locations impacted by petroleum light non-aqueous phase liquids (LNAPLs), barometric pumping and ebullition events drive near-daily cycles of ORP changes in the vadose zone of 400 mV. When only dissolved phase hydrocarbons are present, near-daily redox cycles are absent and values for ORP indicate methanogenic conditions immediately about the water table. When hydrocarbons are not present, redox conditions are more oxidizing by + 400 to + 700 mV. The embedded electrodes revealed variations in hydrocarbon biodegradation in time and space that cannot be resolved by collection and analysis of conventional samples of groundwater and soil gas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Sale
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, 1320 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins 80523-1320, CO, United States
| | - Sam Gallo
- Soil and Crop Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins 80523-1170, CO, United States
| | - Kayvan Karimi Askarani
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, 1320 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins 80523-1320, CO, United States
| | - Maria Irianni-Renno
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, 1320 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins 80523-1320, CO, United States
| | - Mark Lyverse
- Chevron Energy Technology Company, Site Assessment & Remediation Team, 6001 Bollinger Canyon Road, Bldg. C1206, San Ramon 94583-2324, CA, United States
| | - Harley Hopkins
- Formerly with ExxonMobil Environmental Services Company, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Jens Blotevogel
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, 1320 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins 80523-1320, CO, United States
| | - Scott Burge
- Burge Environmental, Inc., 6100 S. Maple Avenue Suite 114, Tempe 85283, AZ, United States
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36
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Wang R, Li H, Sun J, Zhang L, Jiao J, Wang Q, Liu S. Nanomaterials Facilitating Microbial Extracellular Electron Transfer at Interfaces. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2021; 33:e2004051. [PMID: 33325567 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202004051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Electrochemically active bacteria can transport their metabolically generated electrons to anodes, or accept electrons from cathodes to synthesize high-value chemicals and fuels, via a process known as extracellular electron transfer (EET). Harnessing of this microbial EET process has led to the development of microbial bio-electrochemical systems (BESs), which can achieve the interconversion of electrical and chemical energy and enable electricity generation, hydrogen production, electrosynthesis, wastewater treatment, desalination, water and soil remediation, and sensing. Here, the focus is on the current understanding of the microbial EET process occurring at both the bacteria-electrode interface and the biotic interface, as well as some attempts to improve the EET by using various nanomaterials. The behavior of nanomaterials in different EET routes and their influence on the performance of BESs are described. The inherent mechanisms will guide rational design of EET-related materials and lead to a better understanding of EET mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiwen Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Huidong Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Jinzhi Sun
- School of Life Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Lu Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Jia Jiao
- School of Life Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Qingqing Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Micro- and Nanotechnology Research Center, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Shaoqin Liu
- School of Life Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
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Geerlings NMJ, Geelhoed JS, Vasquez-Cardenas D, Kienhuis MVM, Hidalgo-Martinez S, Boschker HTS, Middelburg JJ, Meysman FJR, Polerecky L. Cell Cycle, Filament Growth and Synchronized Cell Division in Multicellular Cable Bacteria. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:620807. [PMID: 33584623 PMCID: PMC7873302 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.620807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cable bacteria are multicellular, Gram-negative filamentous bacteria that display a unique division of metabolic labor between cells. Cells in deeper sediment layers are oxidizing sulfide, while cells in the surface layers of the sediment are reducing oxygen. The electrical coupling of these two redox half reactions is ensured via long-distance electron transport through a network of conductive fibers that run in the shared cell envelope of the centimeter-long filament. Here we investigate how this unique electrogenic metabolism is linked to filament growth and cell division. Combining dual-label stable isotope probing (13C and 15N), nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry, fluorescence microscopy and genome analysis, we find that the cell cycle of cable bacteria cells is highly comparable to that of other, single-celled Gram-negative bacteria. However, the timing of cell growth and division appears to be tightly and uniquely controlled by long-distance electron transport, as cell division within an individual filament shows a remarkable synchronicity that extends over a millimeter length scale. To explain this, we propose the "oxygen pacemaker" model in which a filament only grows when performing long-distance transport, and the latter is only possible when a filament has access to oxygen so it can discharge electrons from its internal electrical network.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Filip J. R. Meysman
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Lubos Polerecky
- Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
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38
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Aulenta F, Tucci M, Cruz Viggi C, Dolfing J, Head IM, Rotaru A. An underappreciated DIET for anaerobic petroleum hydrocarbon-degrading microbial communities. Microb Biotechnol 2021; 14:2-7. [PMID: 32864850 PMCID: PMC7888475 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) via electrically conductive minerals can play a role in the anaerobic oxidation of petroleum hydrocarbons in contaminated sites and can be exploited for the development of new, more effective bioremediation approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Aulenta
- Water Research Institute (IRSA)National Research Council (CNR)MonterotondoRMItaly
| | - Matteo Tucci
- Water Research Institute (IRSA)National Research Council (CNR)MonterotondoRMItaly
| | - Carolina Cruz Viggi
- Water Research Institute (IRSA)National Research Council (CNR)MonterotondoRMItaly
| | - Jan Dolfing
- School of EngineeringNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUK
| | - Ian M. Head
- School of Natural and Environmental SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUK
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Laczi K, Erdeiné Kis Á, Szilágyi Á, Bounedjoum N, Bodor A, Vincze GE, Kovács T, Rákhely G, Perei K. New Frontiers of Anaerobic Hydrocarbon Biodegradation in the Multi-Omics Era. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:590049. [PMID: 33304336 PMCID: PMC7701123 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.590049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The accumulation of petroleum hydrocarbons in the environment substantially endangers terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Many microbial strains have been recognized to utilize aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons under aerobic conditions. Nevertheless, most of these pollutants are transferred by natural processes, including rain, into the underground anaerobic zones where their degradation is much more problematic. In oxic zones, anaerobic microenvironments can be formed as a consequence of the intensive respiratory activities of (facultative) aerobic microbes. Even though aerobic bioremediation has been well-characterized over the past few decades, ample research is yet to be done in the field of anaerobic hydrocarbon biodegradation. With the emergence of high-throughput techniques, known as omics (e.g., genomics and metagenomics), the individual biodegraders, hydrocarbon-degrading microbial communities and metabolic pathways, interactions can be described at a contaminated site. Omics approaches provide the opportunity to examine single microorganisms or microbial communities at the system level and elucidate the metabolic networks, interspecies interactions during hydrocarbon mineralization. Metatranscriptomics and metaproteomics, for example, can shed light on the active genes and proteins and functional importance of the less abundant species. Moreover, novel unculturable hydrocarbon-degrading strains and enzymes can be discovered and fit into the metabolic networks of the community. Our objective is to review the anaerobic hydrocarbon biodegradation processes, the most important hydrocarbon degraders and their diverse metabolic pathways, including the use of various terminal electron acceptors and various electron transfer processes. The review primarily focuses on the achievements obtained by the current high-throughput (multi-omics) techniques which opened new perspectives in understanding the processes at the system level including the metabolic routes of individual strains, metabolic/electric interaction of the members of microbial communities. Based on the multi-omics techniques, novel metabolic blocks can be designed and used for the construction of microbial strains/consortia for efficient removal of hydrocarbons in anaerobic zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krisztián Laczi
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Ágnes Erdeiné Kis
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.,Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Árpád Szilágyi
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Naila Bounedjoum
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.,Institute of Environmental and Technological Sciences, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Attila Bodor
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.,Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary.,Institute of Environmental and Technological Sciences, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | | | - Tamás Kovács
- Department of Biotechnology, Nanophagetherapy Center, Enviroinvest Corporation, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Gábor Rákhely
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.,Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary.,Institute of Environmental and Technological Sciences, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Katalin Perei
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.,Institute of Environmental and Technological Sciences, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
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40
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Methanogenesis inhibitors used in bio-electrochemical systems: A review revealing reality to decide future direction and applications. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2020; 319:124141. [PMID: 32977094 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.124141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a robust technology capable of treating real wastewaters by utilizing mixed anaerobic microbiota as inoculum for producing electricity from oxidation of the biodegradable matters. However, these mixed microbiota comprises of both electroactive microorganisms (EAM) and substrate/electron scavenging microorganisms such as methanogens. Hence, in order to maximize bioelectricity from MFC, different physio-chemical techniques have been applied in past investigations to suppress activity of methanogens. Interestingly, recent investigations exhibit that methanogens can produce electricity in MFC and possess the cellular machinery like cytochrome c and Type IV pili to perform extracellular electron transfer (EET) in the presence of suitable electron acceptors. Hence, in this review, in-depth analysis of versatile behaviour of methanogens in both MFC and natural anaerobic conditions with different inhibition techniques is explored. This review also discusses the future research directions based on the latest scientific evidence on role of methanogens for EET in MFC.
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41
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Centimeter-Long Microbial Electron Transport for Bioremediation Applications. Trends Biotechnol 2020; 39:181-193. [PMID: 32680591 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2020.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Microbial bioremediation based on nano- to micrometer-scale electron transport has been intensively studied during the past decade, but its application can be hindered by a deficiency of suitable electron acceptors or slow mass transportation at contaminated sites. Microbial long-distance electron transport (LDET), which can couple spatially separated redox reactions across distances in natural environments, has recently emerged at centimeter-length scales. LDET explains a range of globally important biogeochemical phenomena and overcomes the drawbacks of conventional bioremediation by directly linking distant electron donors and acceptors. Here, we highlight recent research outcomes in examining, characterizing, and engineering LDET, and describe how LDET can be exploited to develop advanced technologies for the bioremediation of soils and sediments.
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42
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Geelhoed JS, van de Velde SJ, Meysman FJR. Quantification of Cable Bacteria in Marine Sediments via qPCR. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1506. [PMID: 32719667 PMCID: PMC7348212 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cable bacteria (Deltaproteobacteria, Desulfobulbaceae) are long filamentous sulfur-oxidizing bacteria that generate long-distance electric currents running through the bacterial filaments. This way, they couple the oxidation of sulfide in deeper sediment layers to the reduction of oxygen or nitrate near the sediment-water interface. Cable bacteria are found in a wide range of aquatic sediments, but an accurate procedure to assess their abundance is lacking. We developed a qPCR approach that quantifies cable bacteria in relation to other bacteria within the family Desulfobulbaceae. Primer sets targeting cable bacteria, Desulfobulbaceae and the total bacterial community were applied in qPCR with DNA extracted from marine sediment incubations. Amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene V4 region confirmed that cable bacteria were accurately enumerated by qPCR, and suggested novel diversity of cable bacteria. The conjoint quantification of current densities and cell densities revealed that individual filaments carry a mean current of ∼110 pA and have a cell specific oxygen consumption rate of 69 fmol O2 cell–1 day–1. Overall, the qPCR method enables a better quantitative assessment of cable bacteria abundance, providing new metabolic insights at filament and cell level, and improving our understanding of the microbial ecology of electrogenic sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sebastiaan J van de Velde
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Filip J R Meysman
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.,Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
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43
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Scholz VV, Müller H, Koren K, Nielsen LP, Meckenstock RU. The rhizosphere of aquatic plants is a habitat for cable bacteria. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2020; 95:5485638. [PMID: 31054245 PMCID: PMC6510695 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiz062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cable bacteria belonging to the family Desulfobulbaceae couple sulfide oxidation and oxygen reduction by long-distance electron transfer over centimeter distances in marine and freshwater sediments. In such habitats, aquatic plants can release oxygen into the rhizosphere. Hence, the rhizosphere constitutes an ideal habitat for cable bacteria, which have been reported on seagrass roots recently. Here, we employ experimental approaches to investigate activity, abundance, and spatial orientation of cable bacteria next to the roots of the freshwater plant Littorella uniflora. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), in combination with oxygen-sensitive planar optodes, demonstrated that cable bacteria densities are enriched at the oxic–anoxic transition zone next to roots compared to the bulk sediment in the same depth. Scanning electron microscopy showed cable bacteria along root hairs. Electric potential measurements showed a lateral electric field over centimeters from the roots, indicating cable bacteria activity. In addition, FISH revealed that cable bacteria were present in the rhizosphere of Oryza sativa (rice), Lobelia cardinalis and Salicornia europaea. Hence, the interaction of cable bacteria with aquatic plants of different growth forms and habitats indicates that the plant root–cable bacteria interaction might be a common property of aquatic plant rhizospheres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent V Scholz
- Biofilm Centre, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 5, 45141 Essen, Germany.,Center for Electromicrobiology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 116, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Hubert Müller
- Biofilm Centre, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 5, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Klaus Koren
- Aarhus University Centre for Water Technology, Section for Microbiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 116, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Lars Peter Nielsen
- Center for Electromicrobiology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 116, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Rainer U Meckenstock
- Biofilm Centre, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 5, 45141 Essen, Germany
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44
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Thiruvallur Eachambadi R, Bonné R, Cornelissen R, Hidalgo‐Martinez S, Vangronsveld J, Meysman FJR, Valcke R, Cleuren B, Manca JV. An Ordered and Fail‐Safe Electrical Network in Cable Bacteria. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 4:e2000006. [DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202000006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Robin Bonné
- UHasselt – X‐LABFaculty of SciencesHasselt University Agoralaan – Building D Diepenbeek B‐3590 Belgium
| | - Rob Cornelissen
- UHasselt – X‐LABFaculty of SciencesHasselt University Agoralaan – Building D Diepenbeek B‐3590 Belgium
| | | | - Jaco Vangronsveld
- Centre for Environmental SciencesHasselt University Agoralaan – Building D Diepenbeek B‐3590 Belgium
- Department of Plant PhysiologyFaculty of Biology and BiotechnologyMaria Curie‐Sklodowska University Lublin 20‐033 Poland
| | - Filip J. R. Meysman
- Department of BiotechnologyDelft University of Technology Van der Maasweg 9 Delft 2629 HZ The Netherlands
| | - Roland Valcke
- UHasselt – Molecular and Physical Plant PhysiologyFaculty of SciencesAgoralaan – Building DHasselt University Diepenbeek B‐3590 Belgium
| | - Bart Cleuren
- UHasselt – Theory LabFaculty of Sciences Agoralaan – Building D Diepenbeek B‐3590 Belgium
| | - Jean V. Manca
- UHasselt – X‐LABFaculty of SciencesHasselt University Agoralaan – Building D Diepenbeek B‐3590 Belgium
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Sandfeld T, Marzocchi U, Petro C, Schramm A, Risgaard-Petersen N. Electrogenic sulfide oxidation mediated by cable bacteria stimulates sulfate reduction in freshwater sediments. THE ISME JOURNAL 2020; 14:1233-1246. [PMID: 32042102 PMCID: PMC7174387 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-0607-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Cable bacteria are filamentous members of the Desulfobulbaceae family that oxidize sulfide with oxygen or nitrate by transferring electrons over centimeter distances in sediments. Recent studies show that freshwater sediments can support populations of cable bacteria at densities comparable to those found in marine environments. This is surprising since sulfide availability is presumably low in freshwater sediments due to sulfate limitation of sulfate reduction. Here we show that cable bacteria stimulate sulfate reduction in freshwater sediment through promotion of sulfate availability. Comparing experimental freshwater sediments with and without active cable bacteria, we observed a three- to tenfold increase in sulfate concentrations and a 4.5-fold increase in sulfate reduction rates when cable bacteria were present, while abundance and community composition of sulfate-reducing microorganisms (SRM) were unaffected. Correlation and ANCOVA analysis supported the hypothesis that the stimulation of sulfate reduction activity was due to relieve of the kinetic limitations of the SRM community through the elevated sulfate concentrations in sediments with cable bacteria activity. The elevated sulfate concentration was caused by cable bacteria-driven sulfide oxidation, by sulfate production from an indigenous sulfide pool, likely through cable bacteria-mediated dissolution and oxidation of iron sulfides, and by enhanced retention of sulfate, triggered by an electric field generated by the cable bacteria. Cable bacteria in freshwater sediments may thus be an integral component of a cryptic sulfur cycle and provide a mechanism for recycling of the scarce resource sulfate, stimulating sulfate reduction. It is possible that this stimulation has implication for methanogenesis and greenhouse gas emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Sandfeld
- Department of Bioscience, Section for Microbiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Geomicrobiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ugo Marzocchi
- Department of Bioscience, Section for Microbiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Geomicrobiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Electromicrobiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Caitlin Petro
- Department of Bioscience, Section for Microbiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Geomicrobiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Electromicrobiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Andreas Schramm
- Department of Bioscience, Section for Microbiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Geomicrobiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Electromicrobiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Nils Risgaard-Petersen
- Department of Bioscience, Section for Microbiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
- Center for Geomicrobiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
- Center for Electromicrobiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
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Cable bacteria reduce methane emissions from rice-vegetated soils. Nat Commun 2020; 11:1878. [PMID: 32313021 PMCID: PMC7171082 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15812-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Methane is the second most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide and approximately 11% of the global anthropogenic methane emissions originate from rice fields. Sulfate amendment is a mitigation strategy to reduce methane emissions from rice fields because sulfate reducers and methanogens compete for the same substrates. Cable bacteria are filamentous bacteria known to increase sulfate levels via electrogenic sulfide oxidation. Here we show that one-time inoculation of rice-vegetated soil pots with cable bacteria increases the sulfate inventory 5-fold, which leads to the reduction of methane emissions by 93%, compared to control pots lacking cable bacteria. Promoting cable bacteria in rice fields by enrichment or sensible management may thus become a strategy to reduce anthropogenic methane emissions. Rice paddies are a major source of the Earth’s atmospheric methane, making these important food crops potent contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Here the authors show that inoculation of paddies with a particular bacterium could significantly curb methane production.
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Marzocchi U, Palma E, Rossetti S, Aulenta F, Scoma A. Parallel artificial and biological electric circuits power petroleum decontamination: The case of snorkel and cable bacteria. WATER RESEARCH 2020; 173:115520. [PMID: 32018171 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.115520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons (HC) in sediments is often limited by the availability of electron acceptors. By allowing long-distance electron transport (LDET) between anoxic sediments and oxic overlying water, bioelectrochemical snorkels may stimulate the regeneration of sulphate in the anoxic sediment thereby accelerating petroleum HC degradation. Cable bacteria can also mediate LDET between anoxic and oxic sediment layers and thus theoretically stimulate petroleum HC degradation. Here, we quantitatively assessed the impact of cable bacteria and snorkels on the degradation of alkanes in marine sediment from Aarhus Bay (Denmark). After seven weeks, cable bacteria and snorkels accelerated alkanes degradation by +24 and +25%, respectively, compared to control sediment with no cable bacteria nor snorkel. The combination of snorkels and cable bacteria further enhanced alkanes degradation (+46%). Higher degradation rates were sustained by LDET-induced sulphide removal rather than, as initially hypothesized, sulphate regeneration. Cable bacteria are thus overlooked players in the self-healing capacity of crude-oil contaminated sediments, and may inspire novel remediation treatments upon hydrocarbon spillage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugo Marzocchi
- Center for Electromicrobiology, Section for Microbiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Integrative Marine Ecology Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, National Institute of Marine Biology, Ecology and Biotechnology, Napoli, Italy.
| | - Enza Palma
- Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), Monterotondo, Italy
| | - Simona Rossetti
- Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), Monterotondo, Italy
| | - Federico Aulenta
- Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), Monterotondo, Italy
| | - Alberto Scoma
- Section of Microbiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Biological and Chemical Engineering (BCE), Department of Engineering, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Karikari-Yeboah O, Skinner W, Addai-Mensah J. Microbial diversity and functional response to the redox dynamics of pyrite-rich sediment and the impact of preload surcharge. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2020; 192:226. [PMID: 32152784 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-020-8169-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Microbial diversity and activities play pivotal biogeochemical roles in a redox-sensitive, pyrite-rich sediment's ecosystem. However, very little is known about the microbial community composition and distribution among the redox zones of pyrite-rich sediment and their response to changes caused by the burial of the sediment beneath compacted fill. In the present work, culture-independent, molecular phylogenetic investigations of the prokaryotic population and its diversity in a naturally occurring pyrite-rich sediment were undertaken to determine the microbial community composition, richness, diversity and distributions among the varying redox zones and their functional response to the imposition of surface surcharge, in the form of compacted fill. It was established that the pyrite-rich sediment is a redox-sensitive environment consisting of microhabitats with distinct and discontinuous physico-chemical characteristics, including DO, pH, Eh, temperature, electrical conductivity and salinity. It is a favourable environment for cyclic transformation of inorganic sulphur compounds and a unique environment for the habitation and growth of various microorganisms. Microbes adapted to the microhabitat and lived together in consortia, in response to their physiological and functional requirements. Microbes involved in the sulphur cycle had their populations concentrated in the oxic zone, while those involved in iron and carbon cycles were prevalent in the anoxic zones. As a result, highly diverse microbial populations occurred in isolated peaks within the sediment. The physico-chemical differences within the sediment changed in response to changes in the sediment redox dynamics. Imposition of the surcharge resulted in significant changes in the pH, temperature, Eh, DO, EC and salinity, reflecting marked re-distribution of the microbial population within the ecosystem. The cable bacteria phenomenon was evident in the sediment studied; however, there were doubt regarding their filamentous occurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - W Skinner
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Campus, Adelaide, South Australia
| | - J Addai-Mensah
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Campus, Adelaide, South Australia
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Müller H, Marozava S, Probst AJ, Meckenstock RU. Groundwater cable bacteria conserve energy by sulfur disproportionation. ISME JOURNAL 2019; 14:623-634. [PMID: 31728021 PMCID: PMC6976610 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-019-0554-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Revised: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Cable bacteria of the family Desulfobulbaceae couple spatially separated sulfur oxidation and oxygen or nitrate reduction by long-distance electron transfer, which can constitute the dominant sulfur oxidation process in shallow sediments. However, it remains unknown how cells in the anoxic part of the centimeter-long filaments conserve energy. We found 16S rRNA gene sequences similar to groundwater cable bacteria in a 1-methylnaphthalene-degrading culture (1MN). Cultivation with elemental sulfur and thiosulfate with ferrihydrite or nitrate as electron acceptors resulted in a first cable bacteria enrichment culture dominated >90% by 16S rRNA sequences belonging to the Desulfobulbaceae. Desulfobulbaceae-specific fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) unveiled single cells and filaments of up to several hundred micrometers length to belong to the same species. The Desulfobulbaceae filaments also showed the distinctive cable bacteria morphology with their continuous ridge pattern as revealed by atomic force microscopy. The cable bacteria grew with nitrate as electron acceptor and elemental sulfur and thiosulfate as electron donor, but also by sulfur disproportionation when Fe(Cl)2 or Fe(OH)3 were present as sulfide scavengers. Metabolic reconstruction based on the first nearly complete genome of groundwater cable bacteria revealed the potential for sulfur disproportionation and a chemo-litho-autotrophic metabolism. The presence of different types of hydrogenases in the genome suggests that they can utilize hydrogen as alternative electron donor. Our results imply that cable bacteria not only use sulfide oxidation coupled to oxygen or nitrate reduction by LDET for energy conservation, but sulfur disproportionation might constitute the energy metabolism for cells in large parts of the cable bacterial filaments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hubert Müller
- Biofilm Center, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 5, 45141, Essen, Germany
| | - Sviatlana Marozava
- Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Alexander J Probst
- Biofilm Center, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 5, 45141, Essen, Germany
| | - Rainer U Meckenstock
- Biofilm Center, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 5, 45141, Essen, Germany.
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50
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Meysman FJR, Cornelissen R, Trashin S, Bonné R, Martinez SH, van der Veen J, Blom CJ, Karman C, Hou JL, Eachambadi RT, Geelhoed JS, Wael KD, Beaumont HJE, Cleuren B, Valcke R, van der Zant HSJ, Boschker HTS, Manca JV. A highly conductive fibre network enables centimetre-scale electron transport in multicellular cable bacteria. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4120. [PMID: 31511526 PMCID: PMC6739318 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12115-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological electron transport is classically thought to occur over nanometre distances, yet recent studies suggest that electrical currents can run along centimetre-long cable bacteria. The phenomenon remains elusive, however, as currents have not been directly measured, nor have the conductive structures been identified. Here we demonstrate that cable bacteria conduct electrons over centimetre distances via highly conductive fibres embedded in the cell envelope. Direct electrode measurements reveal nanoampere currents in intact filaments up to 10.1 mm long (>2000 adjacent cells). A network of parallel periplasmic fibres displays a high conductivity (up to 79 S cm−1), explaining currents measured through intact filaments. Conductance rapidly declines upon exposure to air, but remains stable under vacuum, demonstrating that charge transfer is electronic rather than ionic. Our finding of a biological structure that efficiently guides electrical currents over long distances greatly expands the paradigm of biological charge transport and could enable new bio-electronic applications. Cable bacteria’ form long multicellular filaments that can transfer electrical currents over centimetre-long distances. Here, Meysman et al. show that the electrical currents run along highly conductive fibres embedded in the cell envelope, and charge transfer is electronic rather than ionic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filip J R Meysman
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610, Wilrijk, Belgium. .,Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629HZ, Delft, The Netherlands.
| | - Rob Cornelissen
- X-LAB, Hasselt University, Agoralaan D, B-3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Stanislav Trashin
- AXES Research group, Department of Chemistry, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Robin Bonné
- X-LAB, Hasselt University, Agoralaan D, B-3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Silvia Hidalgo Martinez
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Jasper van der Veen
- Department of Quantum Nanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Technical University Delft, Lorentzweg 1, 2628 CJ, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Carsten J Blom
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Cheryl Karman
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610, Wilrijk, Belgium.,AXES Research group, Department of Chemistry, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Ji-Ling Hou
- X-LAB, Hasselt University, Agoralaan D, B-3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | | | - Jeanine S Geelhoed
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Karolien De Wael
- AXES Research group, Department of Chemistry, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Hubertus J E Beaumont
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Bart Cleuren
- Theoretical Physics, Hasselt University, Agoralaan D, B-3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Roland Valcke
- Molecular and Physical Plant Physiology, Hasselt University, Agoralaan D, B-3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Herre S J van der Zant
- Department of Quantum Nanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Technical University Delft, Lorentzweg 1, 2628 CJ, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Henricus T S Boschker
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610, Wilrijk, Belgium.,Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629HZ, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Jean V Manca
- X-LAB, Hasselt University, Agoralaan D, B-3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium
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