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Iqbal S, Begum F, Ullah I, Jalal N, Shaw P. Peeling off the layers from microbial dark matter (MDM): recent advances, future challenges, and opportunities. Crit Rev Microbiol 2024:1-21. [PMID: 38385313 DOI: 10.1080/1040841x.2024.2319669] [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: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Microbes represent the most common organisms on Earth; however, less than 2% of microbial species in the environment can undergo cultivation for study under laboratory conditions, and the rest of the enigmatic, microbial world remains mysterious, constituting a kind of "microbial dark matter" (MDM). In the last two decades, remarkable progress has been made in culture-dependent and culture-independent techniques. More recently, studies of MDM have relied on culture-independent techniques to recover genetic material through either unicellular genomics or shotgun metagenomics to construct single-amplified genomes (SAGs) and metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), respectively, which provide information about evolution and metabolism. Despite the remarkable progress made in the past decades, the functional diversity of MDM still remains uncharacterized. This review comprehensively summarizes the recently developed culture-dependent and culture-independent techniques for characterizing MDM, discussing major challenges, opportunities, and potential applications. These activities contribute to expanding our knowledge of the microbial world and have implications for various fields including Biotechnology, Bioprospecting, Functional genomics, Medicine, Evolutionary and Planetary biology. Overall, this review aims to peel off the layers from MDM, shed light on recent advancements, identify future challenges, and illuminate the exciting opportunities that lie ahead in unraveling the secrets of this intriguing microbial realm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajid Iqbal
- Oujiang Lab (Zhejiang Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Vision, and Brain Health), Wenzhou, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Farida Begum
- Department of Biochemistry, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan
| | - Ihsan Ullah
- College of Chemical Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Nasir Jalal
- Oujiang Lab (Zhejiang Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Vision, and Brain Health), Wenzhou, China
| | - Peter Shaw
- Oujiang Lab (Zhejiang Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Vision, and Brain Health), Wenzhou, China
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Tarnowski MJ, Varliero G, Scown J, Phelps E, Gorochowski TE. Soil as a transdisciplinary research catalyst: from bioprospecting to biorespecting. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230963. [PMID: 38026022 PMCID: PMC10646459 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230963] [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: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
The vast microbial biodiversity of soils is beginning to be observed and understood by applying modern DNA sequencing techniques. However, ensuring this potentially valuable information is used in a fair and equitable way remains a challenge. Here, we present a public engagement project that explores this topic through collaborative research of soil microbiomes at six urban locations using nanopore-based DNA sequencing. The project brought together researchers from the disciplines of synthetic biology, environmental humanities and microbial ecology, as well as school students aged 14-16 years old, to gain a broader understanding of views on the use of data from the environment. Discussions led to the transformation of 'bioprospecting', a metaphor with extractive connotations which is often used to frame environmental DNA sequencing studies, towards a more collaborative approach-'biorespecting'. This shift in terminology acknowledges that genetic information contained in soil arises as a result of entire ecosystems, including the people involved in its creation. Therefore, any use of sequence information should be accountable to the ecosystems from which it arose. As knowledge can arise from ecosystems and communities, science and technology should acknowledge this link and reciprocate with care and benefit-sharing to help improve the wellbeing of future generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J. Tarnowski
- School of Biological Science, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
- School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Gilda Varliero
- Rhizosphere Processes Group, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Jim Scown
- Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Emily Phelps
- School of Biological Science, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Thomas E. Gorochowski
- School of Biological Science, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
- BrisEngBio, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
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Conservation of Genomic Information in Multiple Displacement Amplified Low-Quantity Metagenomic Material from Marine Invertebrates. Mar Drugs 2023; 21:md21030165. [PMID: 36976214 PMCID: PMC10054348 DOI: 10.3390/md21030165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Marine invertebrate microbiomes have been a rich source of bioactive compounds and interesting genomic features. In cases where the achievable amounts of metagenomic DNA are too low for direct sequencing, multiple displacement amplification (MDA) can be used for whole genome amplification. However, MDA has known limitations which can affect the quality of the resulting genomes and metagenomes. In this study, we evaluated the conservation of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) and enzymes in MDA products from low numbers of prokaryotic cells (estimated 2–850). Marine invertebrate microbiomes collected from Arctic and sub-Arctic areas served as source material. The cells were separated from the host tissue, lysed, and directly subjected to MDA. The MDA products were sequenced by Illumina sequencing. Corresponding numbers of bacteria from a set of three reference strains were treated the same way. The study demonstrated that useful information on taxonomic, BGC, and enzyme diversities was obtainable from such marginal quantities of metagenomic material. Although high levels of assembly fragmentation resulted in most BGCs being incomplete, we conclude that this genome mining approach has the potential to reveal interesting BGCs and genes from hard-to-reach biological sources.
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Ghosh S, Rusyn I, Dmytruk OV, Dmytruk KV, Onyeaka H, Gryzenhout M, Gafforov Y. Filamentous fungi for sustainable remediation of pharmaceutical compounds, heavy metal and oil hydrocarbons. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1106973. [PMID: 36865030 PMCID: PMC9971017 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1106973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
This review presents a comprehensive summary of the latest research in the field of bioremediation with filamentous fungi. The main focus is on the issue of recent progress in remediation of pharmaceutical compounds, heavy metal treatment and oil hydrocarbons mycoremediation that are usually insufficiently represented in other reviews. It encompasses a variety of cellular mechanisms involved in bioremediation used by filamentous fungi, including bio-adsorption, bio-surfactant production, bio-mineralization, bio-precipitation, as well as extracellular and intracellular enzymatic processes. Processes for wastewater treatment accomplished through physical, biological, and chemical processes are briefly described. The species diversity of filamentous fungi used in pollutant removal, including widely studied species of Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, Verticillium, Phanerochaete and other species of Basidiomycota and Zygomycota are summarized. The removal efficiency of filamentous fungi and time of elimination of a wide variety of pollutant compounds and their easy handling make them excellent tools for the bioremediation of emerging contaminants. Various types of beneficial byproducts made by filamentous fungi, such as raw material for feed and food production, chitosan, ethanol, lignocellulolytic enzymes, organic acids, as well as nanoparticles, are discussed. Finally, challenges faced, future prospects, and how innovative technologies can be used to further exploit and enhance the abilities of fungi in wastewater remediation, are mentioned.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soumya Ghosh
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa,*Correspondence: Soumya Ghosh, ,
| | - Iryna Rusyn
- Department of Ecology and Sustainaible Environmental Management, Viacheslav Chornovil Institute of Sustainable Development, Lviv Polytechnic National University, Lviv, Ukraine
| | - Olena V. Dmytruk
- Institute of Cell Biology NAS of Ukraine, Lviv, Ukraine,Institute of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Rzeszow, Rzeszow, Poland
| | - Kostyantyn V. Dmytruk
- Institute of Cell Biology NAS of Ukraine, Lviv, Ukraine,Institute of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Rzeszow, Rzeszow, Poland
| | - Helen Onyeaka
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Marieka Gryzenhout
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Yusufjon Gafforov
- Mycology Laboratory, Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences of Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan,AKFA University, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
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Perez Rojo F, Pillow JJ, Kaur P. Bioprospecting microbes and enzymes for the production of pterocarpans and coumestans. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1154779. [PMID: 37187887 PMCID: PMC10175578 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1154779] [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: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The isoflavonoid derivatives, pterocarpans and coumestans, are explored for multiple clinical applications as osteo-regenerative, neuroprotective and anti-cancer agents. The use of plant-based systems to produce isoflavonoid derivatives is limited due to cost, scalability, and sustainability constraints. Microbial cell factories overcome these limitations in which model organisms such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae offer an efficient platform to produce isoflavonoids. Bioprospecting microbes and enzymes can provide an array of tools to enhance the production of these molecules. Other microbes that naturally produce isoflavonoids present a novel alternative as production chassis and as a source of novel enzymes. Enzyme bioprospecting allows the complete identification of the pterocarpans and coumestans biosynthetic pathway, and the selection of the best enzymes based on activity and docking parameters. These enzymes consolidate an improved biosynthetic pathway for microbial-based production systems. In this review, we report the state-of-the-art for the production of key pterocarpans and coumestans, describing the enzymes already identified and the current gaps. We report available databases and tools for microbial bioprospecting to select the best production chassis. We propose the use of a holistic and multidisciplinary bioprospecting approach as the first step to identify the biosynthetic gaps, select the best microbial chassis, and increase productivity. We propose the use of microalgal species as microbial cell factories to produce pterocarpans and coumestans. The application of bioprospecting tools provides an exciting field to produce plant compounds such as isoflavonoid derivatives, efficiently and sustainably.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Perez Rojo
- UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- *Correspondence: Fernando Perez Rojo, ; Parwinder Kaur,
| | - J. Jane Pillow
- UWA School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Parwinder Kaur
- UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- *Correspondence: Fernando Perez Rojo, ; Parwinder Kaur,
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Liu X, Luo H, Yu D, Tan J, Yuan J, Li H. Synthetic biology promotes the capture of CO2 to produce fatty acid derivatives in microbial cell factories. BIORESOUR BIOPROCESS 2022; 9:124. [PMID: 38647643 PMCID: PMC10992411 DOI: 10.1186/s40643-022-00615-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental problems such as greenhouse effect, the consumption of fossil energy, and the increase of human demand for energy are becoming more and more serious, which force researcher to turn their attention to the reduction of CO2 and the development of renewable energy. Unsafety, easy to lead to secondary environmental pollution, cost inefficiency, and other problems limit the development of conventional CO2 capture technology. In recent years, many microorganisms have attracted much attention to capture CO2 and synthesize valuable products directly. Fatty acid derivatives (e.g., fatty acid esters, fatty alcohols, and aliphatic hydrocarbons), which can be used as a kind of environmentally friendly and renewable biofuels, are sustainable substitutes for fossil energy. In this review, conventional CO2 capture techniques pathways, microbial CO2 concentration mechanisms and fixation pathways were introduced. Then, the metabolic pathway and progress of direct production of fatty acid derivatives from CO2 in microbial cell factories were discussed. The synthetic biology means used to design engineering microorganisms and optimize their metabolic pathways were depicted, with final discussion on the potential of optoelectronic-microbial integrated capture and production systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofang Liu
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Rare Animal and Economic Insects of the Mountainous Region, College of Biology and Environmental Engineering, Guiyang University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China.
| | - Hangyu Luo
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Rare Animal and Economic Insects of the Mountainous Region, College of Biology and Environmental Engineering, Guiyang University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide & Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide & Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, State-Local Joint Laboratory for Comprehensive Utilization of Biomass, Center for Research & Development of Fine Chemicals, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Dayong Yu
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Rare Animal and Economic Insects of the Mountainous Region, College of Biology and Environmental Engineering, Guiyang University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide & Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide & Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, State-Local Joint Laboratory for Comprehensive Utilization of Biomass, Center for Research & Development of Fine Chemicals, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Jinyu Tan
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide & Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide & Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, State-Local Joint Laboratory for Comprehensive Utilization of Biomass, Center for Research & Development of Fine Chemicals, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Junfa Yuan
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide & Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide & Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, State-Local Joint Laboratory for Comprehensive Utilization of Biomass, Center for Research & Development of Fine Chemicals, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Hu Li
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide & Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide & Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, State-Local Joint Laboratory for Comprehensive Utilization of Biomass, Center for Research & Development of Fine Chemicals, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China.
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Werbin ZR, Hackos B, Lopez-Nava J, Dietze MC, Bhatnagar JM. The National Ecological Observatory Network's soil metagenomes: assembly and basic analysis. F1000Res 2021; 10:299. [PMID: 35707452 PMCID: PMC9178279 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.51494.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The largest dataset of soil metagenomes has recently been released by the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), which performs annual shotgun sequencing of soils at 47 sites across the United States. NEON serves as a valuable educational resource, thanks to its open data and programming tutorials, but there is currently no introductory tutorial for accessing and analyzing the soil shotgun metagenomic dataset. Here, we describe methods for processing raw soil metagenome sequencing reads using a bioinformatics pipeline tailored to the high complexity and diversity of the soil microbiome. We describe the rationale, necessary resources, and implementation of steps such as cleaning raw reads, taxonomic classification, assembly into contigs or genomes, annotation of predicted genes using custom protein databases, and exporting data for downstream analysis. The workflow presented here aims to increase the accessibility of NEON's shotgun metagenome data, which can provide important clues about soil microbial communities and their ecological roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoey R. Werbin
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Briana Hackos
- Department of Mathematics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Jorge Lopez-Nava
- Department of Mathematics, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA 19081, USA
| | - Michael C. Dietze
- Department of Earth & Environment, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
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