1
|
Vassallo A, Modi A, Quagliariello A, Bacci G, Faddetta T, Gallo M, Provenzano A, La Barbera A, Lombardo G, Maggini V, Firenzuoli F, Zaccaroni M, Gallo G, Caramelli D, Aleo Nero C, Baldi F, Fani R, Palumbo Piccionello A, Pucciarelli S, Puglia AM, Sineo L. Novel Sources of Biodiversity and Biomolecules from Bacteria Isolated from a High Middle Ages Soil Sample in Palermo (Sicily, Italy). Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0437422. [PMID: 37071008 PMCID: PMC10269861 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04374-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The urban plan of Palermo (Sicily, Italy) has evolved throughout Punic, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, and Norman ages until it stabilized within the borders that correspond to the current historic center. During the 2012 to 2013 excavation campaign, new remains of the Arab settlement, directly implanted above the structures of the Roman age, were found. The materials investigated in this study derived from the so-called Survey No 3, which consists of a rock cavity of subcylindrical shape covered with calcarenite blocks: it was probably used to dispose of garbage during the Arabic age and its content, derived from daily activities, included grape seeds, scales and bones of fish, small animal bones, and charcoals. Radiocarbon dating confirmed the medieval origin of this site. The composition of the bacterial community was characterized through a culture-dependent and a culture-independent approach. Culturable bacteria were isolated under aerobic and anaerobic conditions and the total bacterial community was characterized through metagenomic sequencing. Bacterial isolates were tested for the production of compounds with antibiotic activity: a Streptomyces strain, whose genome was sequenced, was of particular interest because of its inhibitory activity, which was due to the Type I polyketide aureothin. Moreover, all strains were tested for the production of secreted proteases, with those belonging to the genus Nocardioides having the most active enzymes. Finally, protocols commonly used for ancient DNA studies were applied to evaluate the antiquity of isolated bacterial strains. Altogether these results show how paleomicrobiology might represent an innovative and unexplored source of novel biodiversity and new biotechnological tools. IMPORTANCE One of the goals of paleomicrobiology is the characterization of the microbial community present in archaeological sites. These analyses can usually provide valuable information about past events, such as occurrence of human and animal infectious diseases, ancient human activities, and environmental changes. However, in this work, investigations about the composition of the bacterial community of an ancient soil sample (harvested in Palermo, Italy) were carried out aiming to screen ancient culturable strains with biotechnological potential, such as the ability to produce bioactive molecules and secreted hydrolytic enzymes. Besides showing the biotechnological relevance of paleomicrobiology, this work reports a case of germination of putatively ancient bacterial spores recovered from soil rather than extreme environments. Moreover, in the case of spore-forming species, these results raise questions about the accuracy of techniques usually applied to estimate antiquity of DNA, as they could lead to its underestimation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Vassallo
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino (MC), Italy
| | - Alessandra Modi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence (FI), Italy
| | - Andrea Quagliariello
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Giovanni Bacci
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence (FI), Italy
| | - Teresa Faddetta
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Palermo (PA), Italy
| | - Michele Gallo
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Venezia Mestre (VE), Italy
| | - Aldesia Provenzano
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences “Mario Serio,” University of Florence, Florence (FI), Italy
| | - Andrea La Barbera
- Unit of Medical Genetics, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa (GE), Italy
| | - Giovanna Lombardo
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Palermo (PA), Italy
| | - Valentina Maggini
- Research and Innovation Center in Phytotherapy and Integrated Medicine, Tuscany Region, Careggi University Hospital, Florence (FI), Italy
| | - Fabio Firenzuoli
- Research and Innovation Center in Phytotherapy and Integrated Medicine, Tuscany Region, Careggi University Hospital, Florence (FI), Italy
| | - Marco Zaccaroni
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence (FI), Italy
| | - Giuseppe Gallo
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Palermo (PA), Italy
| | - David Caramelli
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence (FI), Italy
| | - Carla Aleo Nero
- Soprintendenza ai Beni culturali e ambientali di Palermo, Palermo (PA), Italy
| | - Franco Baldi
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Venezia Mestre (VE), Italy
| | - Renato Fani
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence (FI), Italy
| | - Antonio Palumbo Piccionello
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Palermo (PA), Italy
| | - Sandra Pucciarelli
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino (MC), Italy
| | - Anna Maria Puglia
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Palermo (PA), Italy
| | - Luca Sineo
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Palermo (PA), Italy
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Natkaniec-Nowak L, Drzewicz P, Stach P, Mroczkowska-Szerszeń M, Żukowska G. The overview of analytical methods for studying of fossil natural resins. Crit Rev Anal Chem 2023:1-23. [PMID: 37083454 DOI: 10.1080/10408347.2023.2200855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
The review presents methods that are used frequently for multi-analytical study of fossil resins. The preliminary characterization relies on physical methods such as microhardness, density and fluorescence in UV light measurements. The spectroscopic methods: infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy are also presented in the paper. Besides that, the review also contains examples of the application of chromatographic methods: gas chromatography, thin layer chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry as well as sample preparation methods for chromatographic studies such as pyrolysis. Additionally, thermal methods such as thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry also are covered by the review. Beside the examples of application, a detailed description with development history and perspective for further improvement are presented for each method. Moreover, fit-for-purpose assessment of each method is illustrated based on many examples from literature. The paper also contains examples of the application of multivariate statistical analysis and chemometric methods for comparing multiple properties of different fossil resin specimens for differentiation and classification purposes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucyna Natkaniec-Nowak
- Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, AGH University of Science and Technology, Krakow, Poland
| | | | - Pawel Stach
- Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, AGH University of Science and Technology, Krakow, Poland
| | | | - Grażyna Żukowska
- Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Mitchell JL, McKellar RC, Barbi M, Coulson IM, Bukejs A. Morphological and organic spectroscopic studies of a 44-million-year-old leaf beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in amber with endogenous remains of chitin. Sci Rep 2023; 13:5876. [PMID: 37041264 PMCID: PMC10090159 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32557-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023] Open
Abstract
This study details the quality of preservation of amber deposits in the Eocene. Through Baltic amber crack-out studies using Synchrotron Micro-Computed Tomography and Scanning Electron Microscopy it was found that the cuticle of a specimen of leaf beetle (Crepidodera tertiotertiaria (Alticini: Galerucinae: Chrysomelidae)) is exceptionally well preserved. Spectroscopic analysis using Synchrotron Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy suggests presence of degraded [Formula: see text]-chitin in multiple areas of the cuticle, and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy supports the presence of organic preservation. This remarkable preservation is likely the result of several factors such as the favourable antimicrobial and physical shielding properties of Baltic amber as compared to other depositional media, coupled to rapid dehydration of the beetle early in its taphonomic process. We provide evidence that crack-out studies of amber inclusions, although inherently destructive of fossils, are an underutilised method for probing exceptional preservation in deep time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jerit L Mitchell
- Department of Physics, University of Regina, Regina, SK, S4S 0A2, Canada.
| | - Ryan C McKellar
- Royal Saskatchewan Museum, 2445 Albert St., Regina, SK, S4P 4W7, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of Regina, Regina, SK, S4S 0A2, Canada
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA
| | - Mauricio Barbi
- Department of Physics, University of Regina, Regina, SK, S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Ian M Coulson
- Department of Geology, University of Regina, Regina, SK, S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Andris Bukejs
- Institute of Life Sciences and Technologies, Daugavpils University, Vienîbas 13, Daugavpils, 5401, Latvia
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Xavier JC, Golikov AV, Queirós JP, Perales-Raya C, Rosas-Luis R, Abreu J, Bello G, Bustamante P, Capaz JC, Dimkovikj VH, González AF, Guímaro H, Guerra-Marrero A, Gomes-Pereira JN, Hernández-Urcera J, Kubodera T, Laptikhovsky V, Lefkaditou E, Lishchenko F, Luna A, Liu B, Pierce GJ, Pissarra V, Reveillac E, Romanov EV, Rosa R, Roscian M, Rose-Mann L, Rouget I, Sánchez P, Sánchez-Márquez A, Seixas S, Souquet L, Varela J, Vidal EAG, Cherel Y. The significance of cephalopod beaks as a research tool: An update. Front Physiol 2022; 13:1038064. [PMID: 36467695 PMCID: PMC9716703 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.1038064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of cephalopod beaks in ecological and population dynamics studies has allowed major advances of our knowledge on the role of cephalopods in marine ecosystems in the last 60 years. Since the 1960's, with the pioneering research by Malcolm Clarke and colleagues, cephalopod beaks (also named jaws or mandibles) have been described to species level and their measurements have been shown to be related to cephalopod body size and mass, which permitted important information to be obtained on numerous biological and ecological aspects of cephalopods in marine ecosystems. In the last decade, a range of new techniques has been applied to cephalopod beaks, permitting new kinds of insight into cephalopod biology and ecology. The workshop on cephalopod beaks of the Cephalopod International Advisory Council Conference (Sesimbra, Portugal) in 2022 aimed to review the most recent scientific developments in this field and to identify future challenges, particularly in relation to taxonomy, age, growth, chemical composition (i.e., DNA, proteomics, stable isotopes, trace elements) and physical (i.e., structural) analyses. In terms of taxonomy, new techniques (e.g., 3D geometric morphometrics) for identifying cephalopods from their beaks are being developed with promising results, although the need for experts and reference collections of cephalopod beaks will continue. The use of beak microstructure for age and growth studies has been validated. Stable isotope analyses on beaks have proven to be an excellent technique to get valuable information on the ecology of cephalopods (namely habitat and trophic position). Trace element analyses is also possible using beaks, where concentrations are significantly lower than in other tissues (e.g., muscle, digestive gland, gills). Extracting DNA from beaks was only possible in one study so far. Protein analyses can also be made using cephalopod beaks. Future challenges in research using cephalopod beaks are also discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José C. Xavier
- Department of Life Sciences, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ ARNET–Aquatic Research Network, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - José P. Queirós
- Department of Life Sciences, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ ARNET–Aquatic Research Network, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - José Abreu
- Department of Life Sciences, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ ARNET–Aquatic Research Network, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, La Rochelle, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France
| | - Juan C. Capaz
- Center of Marine Sciences, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, Portugal
| | - Valerie H. Dimkovikj
- Department of Marine Science, Coastal Carolina University, Conway, SC, United States
| | | | - Hugo Guímaro
- Department of Life Sciences, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ ARNET–Aquatic Research Network, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Airam Guerra-Marrero
- IU-ECOAQUA, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Edf. Ciencias Básicas, Campus de Tafira, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Vladimir Laptikhovsky
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Lowestoft, United Kingdom
| | | | - Fedor Lishchenko
- Laboratory for Ecology and Morphology of Marine Invertebrates, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Amanda Luna
- Department of Ecology and Animal Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain
| | - Bilin Liu
- College of Marine Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Vasco Pissarra
- MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET–Aquatic Research Network, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Cascais, Portugal
| | - Elodie Reveillac
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, La Rochelle, France
| | - Evgeny V. Romanov
- Centre Technique de Recherche et de Valorisation des Milieux Aquatiques (CITEB), Le Port, Île de la Réunion, France
| | - Rui Rosa
- MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET–Aquatic Research Network, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Cascais, Portugal
| | - Marjorie Roscian
- Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie-Paris (CR2P), CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Lisa Rose-Mann
- University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, St. Petersburg, FL, United States
| | - Isabelle Rouget
- Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie-Paris (CR2P), CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Pilar Sánchez
- Institut de Ciènces del Mar, CSIC, Psg. Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Sónia Seixas
- Department of Life Sciences, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ ARNET–Aquatic Research Network, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Universidade Aberta, Rua Escola Politécnica, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Louise Souquet
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jaquelino Varela
- MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET–Aquatic Research Network, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Cascais, Portugal
| | - Erica A. G. Vidal
- Center for Marine Studies—Federal University of Parana (UFPR), Pontal do Paraná, PR, Brazil
| | - Yves Cherel
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 du CNRS-La Rochelle Université, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Cantu C, Bucheli S, Houston R. Comparison of DNA extraction techniques for the recovery of bovine DNA from fly larvae crops. J Forensic Sci 2022; 67:1651-1659. [PMID: 35179225 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.15010] [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: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Forensic entomology aids investigations using insects and is primarily associated with the estimation of post-mortem interval (PMI). Studies have shown that human DNA can be recovered from the crops of fly larvae. While several factors regarding the recovery of human DNA from crops have been studied, DNA extraction methods have not been thoroughly assessed. Determining a method for optimal extraction could aid crime laboratories in implementing DNA extraction from larvae and streamlining future research. Bovine DNA was used as a substitute for human DNA to test several DNA extractions kits. Four DNA extraction kits (Chelex®, PDQeX forensicGEM, EZ1® DNA Investigator, DNeasy® Powersoil® Pro Kit) were evaluated based on the quantity and quality of bovine DNA extracted. Extractions were performed on whole fly larvae and dissected crops. Quantification was performed using real-time PCR (qPCR) on a StepOne™ Real-Time PCR System with SYBR® Green using bovine-specific cytochrome b primers. The quality of extracts was determined by checking for inhibition using commercial qPCR chemistries with an internal PCR control (IPC). When using whole fly larvae, Powersoil® Pro yielded the highest average DNA yield (n = 10, 0.668 ± 0.458 ng/μl), while EZ1® DNA Investigator yielded the highest average with crops (n = 10, 0.605 ± 0.403 ng/μl). Chelex and forensicGEM yielded low amounts of bovine DNA, and its extracts were inhibited, unlike EZ1® and Powersoil® Pro, which have purification steps. Therefore, it is recommended to use EZ1® DNA Investigator coupled with automation on EZ1® Advanced XL to recover DNA from fly larvae crops.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cesar Cantu
- Department of Forensic Science, College of Criminal Justice, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas, USA
| | - Sibyl Bucheli
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Engineering Technology, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas, USA
| | - Rachel Houston
- Department of Forensic Science, College of Criminal Justice, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas, USA
| |
Collapse
|