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Litti Y, Elcheninov A, Botchkova E, Chernyh N, Merkel A, Vishnyakova A, Popova N, Zhang Y, Safonov A. Metagenomic evidence of a novel anammox community in a cold aquifer with high nitrogen pollution. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 365:121629. [PMID: 38944958 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121629] [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: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
The process of anaerobic ammonium oxidation by nitrite (anammox) is a globally essential part of N cycle. To date, 8 Candidatus genera and more than 22 species of anammox bacteria have been discovered in various anthropogenic and natural habitats, including nitrogen-polluted aquifers. In this work, anammox bacteria were detected for the first time in the groundwater ecosystem with high anthropogenic nitrogen pollution (up to 1760 mg NO3--N/L and 280 mg NH4+-N/L) and low year-round temperature (7-8 °C) in the zone of a uranium sludge repository. Further metagenomic analysis resulted in retrieval of metagenome-assembled genomes of 4 distinct anammox bacteria: a new genus named Ca. Frigussubterria, new species in Ca. Kuenenia, and two strains of a new species in Ca. Scalindua. Analysis of the genomes revealed essential genes involved in anammox metabolism. Both strains of Ca. Scalindua chemeplantae had a high copy number of genes encoding the cold shock proteins CspA/B, which can also function as an antifreeze protein (CspB). Ca. Kuenenia glazoviensis and Ca. Frigussubterria udmurtiae were abundant in less N-polluted site, while Ca. Scalindua chemeplantae inhabited both sites. Genes for urea utilization, reduction of insoluble Fe2O3 or MnO2, assimilatory sulfate reduction, reactive oxygen detoxification, nitrate reduction to ammonium, and putatively arsenate respiration were found. These findings enrich knowledge of the functional and phylogenetic diversity of anammox bacteria and improve understanding of the nitrogen cycle in polluted aquifers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuriy Litti
- Federal Research Centre "Fundamentals of Biotechnology" of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 60 let Oktjabrja pr-t, 7, bld. 2, 117312, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Alexander Elcheninov
- Federal Research Centre "Fundamentals of Biotechnology" of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 60 let Oktjabrja pr-t, 7, bld. 2, 117312, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Ekaterina Botchkova
- Federal Research Centre "Fundamentals of Biotechnology" of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 60 let Oktjabrja pr-t, 7, bld. 2, 117312, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Nikolay Chernyh
- Federal Research Centre "Fundamentals of Biotechnology" of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 60 let Oktjabrja pr-t, 7, bld. 2, 117312, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Alexander Merkel
- Federal Research Centre "Fundamentals of Biotechnology" of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 60 let Oktjabrja pr-t, 7, bld. 2, 117312, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Anastasia Vishnyakova
- Federal Research Centre "Fundamentals of Biotechnology" of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 60 let Oktjabrja pr-t, 7, bld. 2, 117312, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Nadezhda Popova
- Frumkin Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry RAS, 31, bld.4, Leninsky Prospect, 119071, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Yaobin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Dalian University of Technology), Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China.
| | - Alexey Safonov
- Frumkin Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry RAS, 31, bld.4, Leninsky Prospect, 119071, Moscow, Russia.
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Huang Y, Zhang X, Xin Y, Tian J, Li M. Distinct microbial nitrogen cycling processes in the deepest part of the ocean. mSystems 2024; 9:e0024324. [PMID: 38940525 PMCID: PMC11265455 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00243-24] [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: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The Mariana Trench (MT) is the deepest part of the ocean on Earth. Previous studies have described the microbial community structures and functional potential in the seawater and surface sediment of MT. Still, the metabolic features and adaptation strategies of the microorganisms involved in nitrogen cycling processes are poorly understood. In this study, comparative metagenomic approaches were used to study microbial nitrogen cycling in three MT habitats, including hadal seawater [9,600-10,500 m below sea level (mbsl)], surface sediments [0-46 cm below seafloor (cmbsf) at a water depth between 7,143 and 8,638 mbsl], and deep sediments (200-306 cmbsf at a water depth of 8,300 mbsl). We identified five new nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) lineages that had adapted to the oligotrophic MT slope sediment, via their CO2 fixation capability through the reductive tricarboxylic acid (rTCA) or Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) cycle; an anammox bacterium might perform aerobic respiration and utilize sedimentary carbohydrates for energy generation because it contains genes encoding type A cytochrome c oxidase and complete glycolysis pathway. In seawater, abundant alkane-oxidizing Ketobacter species can fix inert N2 released from other denitrifying and/or anammox bacteria. This study further expands our understanding of microbial life in the largely unexplored deepest part of the ocean. IMPORTANCE The metabolic features and adaptation strategies of the nitrogen cycling microorganisms in the deepest part of the ocean are largely unknown. This study revealed that anammox bacteria might perform aerobic respiration in response to nutrient limitation or O2 fluctuations in the Mariana Trench sediments. Meanwhile, an abundant alkane-oxidizing Ketobacter species could fix N2 in hadal seawater. This study provides new insights into the roles of hadal microorganisms in global nitrogen biogeochemical cycles. It substantially expands our understanding of the microbial life in the largely unexplored deepest part of the ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhan Huang
- Archaeal Biology Center, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Synthetic Biology Research Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xinxu Zhang
- Archaeal Biology Center, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Synthetic Biology Research Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yu Xin
- Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Institute for Advanced Ocean Study, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Jiwei Tian
- MOE Key Laboratory of Physical Oceanography, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Meng Li
- Archaeal Biology Center, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Synthetic Biology Research Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
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3
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Liu LY, Wang X, Dang CC, Zhao ZC, Xing DF, Liu BF, Ren NQ, Xie GJ. Anaerobic ammonium oxidation coupled with sulfate reduction links nitrogen with sulfur cycle. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2024; 403:130903. [PMID: 38801958 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2024.130903] [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: 02/24/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Sulfate-dependent ammonium oxidation (Sulfammox) is a critical process linking nitrogen and sulfur cycles. However, the metabolic pathway of microbes driven Sulfammox is still in suspense. The study demonstrated that ammonium was not consumed with sulfate as the sole electron acceptor during long-term enrichment, probably due to inhibition from sulfide accumulation, while ammonium was removed at ∼ 10 mg N/L/d with sulfate and nitrate as electron acceptors. Ammonium and sulfate were converted into nitrogen gas, sulfide, and elemental sulfur. Sulfammox was mainly performed by Candidatus Brocadia sapporoensis and Candidatus Brocadia fulgida, both of which encoded ammonium oxidation pathway and dissimilatory sulfate reduction pathway. Not sulfide-driven autotrophic denitrifiers but Candidatus Kuenenia stuttgartiensis converted nitrate to nitrite with sulfide. The results of this study reveal the specialized metabolism of Sulfammox bacteria (Candidatus Brocadia sapporoensis and Candidatus Brocadia fulgida) and provide insight into microbial relationships during the nitrogen and sulfur cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu-Yao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Xuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Cheng-Cheng Dang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Zhi-Cheng Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - De-Feng Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Bing-Feng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Nan-Qi Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Guo-Jun Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China.
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4
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Zhao R, Jørgensen SL, Babbin AR. An abundant bacterial phylum with nitrite-oxidizing potential in oligotrophic marine sediments. Commun Biol 2024; 7:449. [PMID: 38605091 PMCID: PMC11009272 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06136-2] [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: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) are important nitrifiers whose activity regulates the availability of nitrite and dictates the magnitude of nitrogen loss in ecosystems. In oxic marine sediments, ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and NOB together catalyze the oxidation of ammonium to nitrate, but the abundance ratios of AOA to canonical NOB in some cores are significantly higher than the theoretical ratio range predicted from physiological traits of AOA and NOB characterized under realistic ocean conditions, indicating that some NOBs are yet to be discovered. Here we report a bacterial phylum Candidatus Nitrosediminicolota, members of which are more abundant than canonical NOBs and are widespread across global oligotrophic sediments. Ca. Nitrosediminicolota members have the functional potential to oxidize nitrite, in addition to other accessory functions such as urea hydrolysis and thiosulfate reduction. While one recovered species (Ca. Nitrosediminicola aerophilus) is generally confined within the oxic zone, another (Ca. Nitrosediminicola anaerotolerans) additionally appears in anoxic sediments. Counting Ca. Nitrosediminicolota as a nitrite-oxidizer helps to resolve the apparent abundance imbalance between AOA and NOB in oxic marine sediments, and thus its activity may exert controls on the nitrite budget.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Zhao
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Steffen L Jørgensen
- Centre for Deep-Sea Research, Department of Earth Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Andrew R Babbin
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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5
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Cuecas A, Barrau MJ, Gonzalez JM. Microbial divergence and evolution. The case of anammox bacteria. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1355780. [PMID: 38419632 PMCID: PMC10900513 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1355780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Species differentiation and the appearance of novel diversity on Earth is a major issue to understand the past and future of microbial evolution. Herein, we propose the analysis of a singular evolutive example, the case of microorganisms carrying out the process of anammox (anaerobic ammonium oxidation). Anammox represents a singular physiology active on Earth from ancient times and, at present, this group is still represented by a relatively limited number of species carrying out a specific metabolism within the Phylum Planctomycetota. The key enzyme on the anammox pathway is hydrazine dehydrogenase (HDH) which has been used as a model in this study. HDH and rRNA (16S subunit) phylogenies are in agreement suggesting a monophyletic origin. The diversity of this singular phylogenetic group is represented by a few enriched bacterial consortia awaiting to be cultured as monospecific taxa. The apparent evolution of the HDH genes in these anammox bacteria is highly related to the diversification of the anammox clades and their genomes as pointed by phylogenomics, their GC content and codon usage profile. This study represents a clear case where bacterial evolution presents a paralleled genome, gene and species diversification through time from a common ancestor; a scenario that most times is masked by a web-like phylogeny and the huge complexity within the prokaryotes. Besides, this contribution suggests that microbial evolution of the anammox bacteria has followed an ordered, vertical diversification through Earth history and will present a potentially similar speciation fate in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Juan M. Gonzalez
- Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology, Spanish National Council for Research, IRNAS-CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
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6
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Zhao R, Zhang IH, Jayakumar A, Ward BB, Babbin AR. Age, metabolisms, and potential origin of dominant anammox bacteria in the global oxygen-deficient zones. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 4:ycae060. [PMID: 38770059 PMCID: PMC11104535 DOI: 10.1093/ismeco/ycae060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Anammox bacteria inhabiting oxygen-deficient zones (ODZs) are a major functional group mediating fixed nitrogen loss in the global ocean. However, many basic questions regarding the diversity, broad metabolisms, origin, and adaptive mechanisms of ODZ anammox bacteria remain unaddressed. Here we report two novel metagenome-assembled genomes of anammox bacteria affiliated with the Scalindua genus, which represent most, if not all, of the anammox bacteria in the global ODZs. Metagenomic read-recruiting and comparison with historical data show that they are ubiquitously present in all three major ODZs. Beyond the core anammox metabolism, both organisms contain cyanase, and the more dominant one encodes a urease, indicating most ODZ anammox bacteria can utilize cyanate and urea in addition to ammonium. Molecular clock analysis suggests that the evolutionary radiation of these bacteria into ODZs occurred no earlier than 310 million years ago, ~1 billion years after the emergence of the earliest modern-type ODZs. Different strains of the ODZ Scalindua species are also found in benthic sediments, and the first ODZ Scalindua is likely derived from the benthos. Compared to benthic strains of the same clade, ODZ Scalindua uniquely encodes genes for urea utilization but has lost genes related to growth arrest, flagellum synthesis, and chemotaxis, presumably for adaptation to thrive in the global ODZ waters. Our findings expand the known metabolisms and evolutionary history of the bacteria controlling the global nitrogen budget.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Zhao
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
| | - Irene H Zhang
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
| | - Amal Jayakumar
- Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
| | - Bess B Ward
- Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
| | - Andrew R Babbin
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
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7
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Yang L, Yao H, Jia F, Han B, Chen Y, Jiang J, Liu T, Guo J. Effects of ammonia nitrogen and organic carbon availability on microbial community structure and ecological interactions in a full-scale partial nitritation and anammox (PN/A) system. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 244:120524. [PMID: 37659179 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120524] [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: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023]
Abstract
Nutrient availability significantly impacts microbial biosynthesis, cell growth, and cell cycle progression. In this study, a full-scale plug-flow partial nitritation/anammox (PN/A) system was used to investigate variations in the microbial community structure in both immobilized carriers and flocs, as well as a gradual decrease in nutrient availability from upstream to downstream. We found that reduced ammonia nitrogen (from 150.4 to 30.6 mg/L) and organic carbon (from 415.7 to 342.8 mg/L) availability significantly lowered microbial diversity and altered microbial communities in biofilms other than flocs from upstream to downstream. The abundance of all anammox bacteria increased by 1.97 times, from 3.25 × 1010 to 6.40 × 1010 copies per gram of wet sludge, in the biofilm core microbiome. Furthermore, from upstream to downstream, taxa with lower ribosomal RNA operon copy numbers were consistently enriched in both biofilm and floc communities, indicating that slow-growing microorganisms are more likely to be enriched in low-nutrient environments. Rare taxa with a relative abundance of less than 0.1% exhibited unique metabolic functions, including amino acid, carbohydrate, cofactor, and vitamin metabolisms, which was inferred by PICRUST2 and persisted across the nutrient gradient in both the biofilm and floc communities. Despite their low abundance, they may play important roles in mediating the stability and function of the PN/A system. Overall, the results demonstrate the impact of a naturally formed ammonia nitrogen and organic carbon gradient in a full-scale plug-flow PN/A installation on nutrient availability and its effects on microbial diversity, community composition, and microbial interactions, which expands our fundamental understanding of this energy-efficient and promising biotechnology for treating high-strength ammonium wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Yang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Aqueous Typical Pollutants Control and Water Quality Safeguard, School of Environment, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, 100044, P. R. China; Intelligent Environment Research Center, NO.1 Guanzhuang, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100080, China
| | - Hong Yao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Aqueous Typical Pollutants Control and Water Quality Safeguard, School of Environment, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, 100044, P. R. China; Intelligent Environment Research Center, NO.1 Guanzhuang, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100080, China.
| | - Fangxu Jia
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Aqueous Typical Pollutants Control and Water Quality Safeguard, School of Environment, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, 100044, P. R. China; Intelligent Environment Research Center, NO.1 Guanzhuang, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100080, China
| | - Baohong Han
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Aqueous Typical Pollutants Control and Water Quality Safeguard, School of Environment, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, 100044, P. R. China; Intelligent Environment Research Center, NO.1 Guanzhuang, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100080, China
| | - Yao Chen
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Aqueous Typical Pollutants Control and Water Quality Safeguard, School of Environment, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, 100044, P. R. China; Intelligent Environment Research Center, NO.1 Guanzhuang, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100080, China
| | - Jie Jiang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Aqueous Typical Pollutants Control and Water Quality Safeguard, School of Environment, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, 100044, P. R. China; Intelligent Environment Research Center, NO.1 Guanzhuang, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100080, China
| | - Tao Liu
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Jianhua Guo
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
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Zayed O, Hewedy OA, Abdelmoteleb A, Ali M, Youssef MS, Roumia AF, Seymour D, Yuan ZC. Nitrogen Journey in Plants: From Uptake to Metabolism, Stress Response, and Microbe Interaction. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1443. [PMID: 37892125 PMCID: PMC10605003 DOI: 10.3390/biom13101443] [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: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Plants uptake and assimilate nitrogen from the soil in the form of nitrate, ammonium ions, and available amino acids from organic sources. Plant nitrate and ammonium transporters are responsible for nitrate and ammonium translocation from the soil into the roots. The unique structure of these transporters determines the specificity of each transporter, and structural analyses reveal the mechanisms by which these transporters function. Following absorption, the nitrogen metabolism pathway incorporates the nitrogen into organic compounds via glutamine synthetase and glutamate synthase that convert ammonium ions into glutamine and glutamate. Different isoforms of glutamine synthetase and glutamate synthase exist, enabling plants to fine-tune nitrogen metabolism based on environmental cues. Under stressful conditions, nitric oxide has been found to enhance plant survival under drought stress. Furthermore, the interaction between salinity stress and nitrogen availability in plants has been studied, with nitric oxide identified as a potential mediator of responses to salt stress. Conversely, excessive use of nitrate fertilizers can lead to health and environmental issues. Therefore, alternative strategies, such as establishing nitrogen fixation in plants through diazotrophic microbiota, have been explored to reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizers. Ultimately, genomics can identify new genes related to nitrogen fixation, which could be harnessed to improve plant productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Zayed
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 9250, USA;
- Genetics Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom 32511, Egypt;
| | - Omar A. Hewedy
- Genetics Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom 32511, Egypt;
- Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Ali Abdelmoteleb
- Botany Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom 32511, Egypt;
| | - Mohammed Ali
- Maryout Research Station, Genetic Resources Department, Desert Research Center, 1 Mathaf El-Matarya St., El-Matareya, Cairo 11753, Egypt;
| | - Mohamed S. Youssef
- Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh 33516, Egypt;
- Department of Plant Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Ahmed F. Roumia
- Department of Agricultural Biochemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Menoufia University, Shibin El-Kom 32514, Egypt;
| | - Danelle Seymour
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 9250, USA;
| | - Ze-Chun Yuan
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 1391 Sandford Street, London, ON N5V 4T3, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
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Zhao R, Le Moine Bauer S, Babbin AR. " Candidatus Subterrananammoxibiaceae," a New Anammox Bacterial Family in Globally Distributed Marine and Terrestrial Subsurfaces. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0080023. [PMID: 37470485 PMCID: PMC10467342 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00800-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria specialized in anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) are widespread in many anoxic habitats and form an important functional guild in the global nitrogen cycle by consuming bio-available nitrogen for energy rather than biomass production. Due to their slow growth rates, cultivation-independent approaches have been used to decipher their diversity across environments. However, their full diversity has not been well recognized. Here, we report a new family of putative anammox bacteria, "Candidatus Subterrananammoxibiaceae," existing in the globally distributed terrestrial and marine subsurface (groundwater and sediments of estuary, deep-sea, and hadal trenches). We recovered a high-quality metagenome-assembled genome of this family, tentatively named "Candidatus Subterrananammoxibius californiae," from a California groundwater site. The "Ca. Subterrananammoxibius californiae" genome not only contains genes for all essential components of anammox metabolism (e.g., hydrazine synthase, hydrazine oxidoreductase, nitrite reductase, and nitrite oxidoreductase) but also has the capacity for urea hydrolysis. In an Arctic ridge sediment core where redox zonation is well resolved, "Ca. Subterrananammoxibiaceae" is confined within the nitrate-ammonium transition zone where the anammox rate maximum occurs, providing environmental proof of the anammox activity of this new family. Phylogenetic analysis of nitrite oxidoreductase suggests that a horizontal transfer facilitated the spreading of the nitrite oxidation capacity between anammox bacteria (in the Planctomycetota phylum) and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria from Nitrospirota and Nitrospinota. By recognizing this new anammox family, we propose that all lineages within the "Ca. Brocadiales" order have anammox capacity. IMPORTANCE Microorganisms called anammox bacteria are efficient in removing bioavailable nitrogen from many natural and human-made environments. They exist in almost every anoxic habitat where both ammonium and nitrate/nitrite are present. However, only a few anammox bacteria have been cultured in laboratory settings, and their full phylogenetic diversity has not been recognized. Here, we present a new bacterial family whose members are present across both the terrestrial and marine subsurface. By reconstructing a high-quality genome from the groundwater environment, we demonstrate that this family has all critical enzymes of anammox metabolism and, notably, also urea utilization. This bacterium family in marine sediments is also preferably present in the niche where the anammox process occurs. These findings suggest that this novel family, named "Candidatus Subterrananammoxibiaceae," is an overlooked group of anammox bacteria, which should have impacts on nitrogen cycling in a range of environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Zhao
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sven Le Moine Bauer
- Centre for Deep Sea Research, Department of Earth Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Andrew R. Babbin
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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10
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Zhang IH, Sun X, Jayakumar A, Fortin SG, Ward BB, Babbin AR. Partitioning of the denitrification pathway and other nitrite metabolisms within global oxygen deficient zones. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 3:76. [PMID: 37474642 PMCID: PMC10359470 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-023-00284-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Oxygen deficient zones (ODZs) account for about 30% of total oceanic fixed nitrogen loss via processes including denitrification, a microbially mediated pathway proceeding stepwise from NO3- to N2. This process may be performed entirely by complete denitrifiers capable of all four enzymatic steps, but many organisms possess only partial denitrification pathways, either producing or consuming key intermediates such as the greenhouse gas N2O. Metagenomics and marker gene surveys have revealed a diversity of denitrification genes within ODZs, but whether these genes co-occur within complete or partial denitrifiers and the identities of denitrifying taxa remain open questions. We assemble genomes from metagenomes spanning the ETNP and Arabian Sea, and map these metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) to 56 metagenomes from all three major ODZs to reveal the predominance of partial denitrifiers, particularly single-step denitrifiers. We find niche differentiation among nitrogen-cycling organisms, with communities performing each nitrogen transformation distinct in taxonomic identity and motility traits. Our collection of 962 MAGs presents the largest collection of pelagic ODZ microorganisms and reveals a clearer picture of the nitrogen cycling community within this environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene H Zhang
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Program in Microbiology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Xin Sun
- Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Amal Jayakumar
- Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | | | - Bess B Ward
- Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Andrew R Babbin
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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11
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Zhao R, Babbin AR, Roerdink DL, Thorseth IH, Jørgensen SL. Nitrite accumulation and anammox bacterial niche partitioning in Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge sediments. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 3:26. [PMID: 36991114 PMCID: PMC10060263 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-023-00230-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
By consuming ammonium and nitrite, anammox bacteria form an important functional guild in nitrogen cycling in many environments, including marine sediments. However, their distribution and impact on the important substrate nitrite has not been well characterized. Here we combined biogeochemical, microbiological, and genomic approaches to study anammox bacteria and other nitrogen cycling groups in two sediment cores retrieved from the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge (AMOR). We observed nitrite accumulation in these cores, a phenomenon also recorded at 28 other marine sediment sites and in analogous aquatic environments. The nitrite maximum coincides with reduced abundance of anammox bacteria. Anammox bacterial abundances were at least one order of magnitude higher than those of nitrite reducers and the anammox abundance maxima were detected in the layers above and below the nitrite maximum. Nitrite accumulation in the two AMOR cores co-occurs with a niche partitioning between two anammox bacterial families (Candidatus Bathyanammoxibiaceae and Candidatus Scalinduaceae), likely dependent on ammonium availability. Through reconstructing and comparing the dominant anammox genomes (Ca. Bathyanammoxibius amoris and Ca. Scalindua sediminis), we revealed that Ca. B. amoris has fewer high-affinity ammonium transporters than Ca. S. sediminis and lacks the capacity to access alternative substrates and/or energy sources such as urea and cyanate. These features may restrict Ca. Bathyanammoxibiaceae to conditions of higher ammonium concentrations. These findings improve our understanding about nitrogen cycling in marine sediments by revealing coincident nitrite accumulation and niche partitioning of anammox bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Zhao
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
| | - Andrew R Babbin
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
| | - Desiree L Roerdink
- Centre for Deep Sea Research, Department of Earth Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, 5007, Norway
| | - Ingunn H Thorseth
- Centre for Deep Sea Research, Department of Earth Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, 5007, Norway
| | - Steffen L Jørgensen
- Centre for Deep Sea Research, Department of Earth Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, 5007, Norway.
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12
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Suarez C, Hackl T, Wilen BM, Persson F, Hagelia P, Jetten MSM, Dalcin Martins P. Novel and unusual genes for nitrogen and metal cycling in Planctomycetota- and KSB1-affiliated metagenome-assembled genomes reconstructed from a marine subsea tunnel. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2023; 370:fnad049. [PMID: 37291701 PMCID: PMC10732223 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnad049] [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: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The Oslofjord subsea road tunnel is a unique environment in which the typically anoxic marine deep subsurface is exposed to oxygen. Concrete biodeterioration and steel corrosion in the tunnel have been linked to the growth of iron- and manganese-oxidizing biofilms in areas of saline water seepage. Surprisingly, previous 16S rRNA gene surveys of biofilm samples revealed microbial communities dominated by sequences affiliated with nitrogen-cycling microorganisms. This study aimed to identify microbial genomes with metabolic potential for novel nitrogen- and metal-cycling reactions, representing biofilm microorganisms that could link these cycles and play a role in concrete biodeterioration. We reconstructed 33 abundant, novel metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) affiliated with the phylum Planctomycetota and the candidate phylum KSB1. We identified novel and unusual genes and gene clusters in these MAGs related to anaerobic ammonium oxidation, nitrite oxidation, and other nitrogen-cycling reactions. Additionally, 26 of 33 MAGs also had the potential for iron, manganese, and arsenite cycling, suggesting that bacteria represented by these genomes might couple these reactions. Our results expand the diversity of microorganisms putatively involved in nitrogen and metal cycling, and contribute to our understanding of potential biofilm impacts on built infrastructure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Suarez
- Division of Water Resources Engineering, Faculty of Engineering LTH, Lund University, Lund 221 00, Sweden
| | - Thomas Hackl
- Microbial Ecology Cluster, GELIFES, University of Groningen, Groningen 9747 AG, Netherlands
| | - Britt-Marie Wilen
- Division of Water Environment Technology, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg 412 96, Sweden
| | - Frank Persson
- Division of Water Environment Technology, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg 412 96, Sweden
| | - Per Hagelia
- Construction Division, The Norwegian Public Roads, Administration, Oslo 0667, Norway
| | - Mike S M Jetten
- Department of Microbiology, RIBES, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 AJ, Netherlands
| | - Paula Dalcin Martins
- Microbial Ecology Cluster, GELIFES, University of Groningen, Groningen 9747 AG, Netherlands
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13
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Liao T, Wang S, Stüeken EE, Luo H. Phylogenomic Evidence for the Origin of Obligate Anaerobic Anammox Bacteria Around the Great Oxidation Event. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:msac170. [PMID: 35920138 PMCID: PMC9387917 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) bacteria can transform ammonium and nitrite to dinitrogen gas, and this obligate anaerobic process accounts for up to half of the global nitrogen loss in surface environments. Yet its origin and evolution, which may give important insights into the biogeochemistry of early Earth, remain enigmatic. Here, we performed a comprehensive phylogenomic and molecular clock analysis of anammox bacteria within the phylum Planctomycetes. After accommodating the uncertainties and factors influencing time estimates, which include implementing both a traditional cyanobacteria-based and a recently developed mitochondria-based molecular dating approach, we estimated a consistent origin of anammox bacteria at early Proterozoic and most likely around the so-called Great Oxidation Event (GOE; 2.32-2.5 Ga) which fundamentally changed global biogeochemical cycles. We further showed that during the origin of anammox bacteria, genes involved in oxidative stress adaptation, bioenergetics, and anammox granules formation were recruited, which might have contributed to their survival on an increasingly oxic Earth. Our findings suggest the rising levels of atmospheric oxygen, which made nitrite increasingly available, was a potential driving force for the emergence of anammox bacteria. This is one of the first studies that link the GOE to the evolution of obligate anaerobic bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianhua Liao
- Simon F. S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences and State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Sishuo Wang
- Simon F. S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences and State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Eva E Stüeken
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Centre for Exoplanet Science, University of St Andrews, Bute Building, Queen’s Terrace KY16 9TS, United Kingdom
| | - Haiwei Luo
- Simon F. S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences and State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
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