1
|
Snyder C, Centlivre JP, Bhute S, Shipman G, Friel AD, Viver T, Palmer M, Konstantinidis KT, Sun HJ, Rossello-Mora R, Nadeau J, Hedlund BP. Microbial Motility at the Bottom of North America: Digital Holographic Microscopy and Genomic Motility Signatures in Badwater Spring, Death Valley National Park. ASTROBIOLOGY 2023; 23:295-307. [PMID: 36625891 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2022.0090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Motility is widely distributed across the tree of life and can be recognized by microscopy regardless of phylogenetic affiliation, biochemical composition, or mechanism. Microscopy has thus been proposed as a potential tool for detection of biosignatures for extraterrestrial life; however, traditional light microscopy is poorly suited for this purpose, as it requires sample preparation, involves fragile moving parts, and has a limited volume of view. In this study, we deployed a field-portable digital holographic microscope (DHM) to explore microbial motility in Badwater Spring, a saline spring in Death Valley National Park, and complemented DHM imaging with 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and shotgun metagenomics. The DHM identified diverse morphologies and distinguished run-reverse-flick and run-reverse types of flagellar motility. PICRUSt2- and literature-based predictions based on 16S rRNA gene amplicons were used to predict motility genotypes/phenotypes for 36.0-60.1% of identified taxa, with the predicted motile taxa being dominated by members of Burkholderiaceae and Spirochaetota. A shotgun metagenome confirmed the abundance of genes encoding flagellar motility, and a Ralstonia metagenome-assembled genome encoded a full flagellar gene cluster. This study demonstrates the potential of DHM for planetary life detection, presents the first microbial census of Badwater Spring and brine pool, and confirms the abundance of mobile microbial taxa in an extreme environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carl Snyder
- Department of Physics, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Jakob P Centlivre
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
| | - Shrikant Bhute
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
| | - Gözde Shipman
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
| | - Ariel D Friel
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
| | - Tomeu Viver
- Marine Microbiology Group, Department of Animal and Microbial Biodiversity, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Illes Balears, Spain
| | - Marike Palmer
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
| | | | - Henry J Sun
- Desert Research Institute, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
| | - Ramon Rossello-Mora
- Marine Microbiology Group, Department of Animal and Microbial Biodiversity, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Illes Balears, Spain
| | - Jay Nadeau
- Department of Physics, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Brian P Hedlund
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
- Nevada Institute of Personalized Medicine, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhang L, Zeng F, McKay CP, Navarro-González R, Sun HJ. Optimizing Chiral Selectivity in Practical Life-Detection Instruments. ASTROBIOLOGY 2021; 21:505-510. [PMID: 33885325 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2020.2381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Preferential uptake of either levorotatory (L) or dextrorotatory (D) enantiomer of a chiral molecule is a potential planetary life-detection method. On Earth, bacteria, as a rule, metabolize D-sugars and L-amino acids. Here, we use growth experiments to identify exceptions to the rule and their potential impact on the method's reliability. Our experiments involve six strains of Bacillus and collective uptake of the sugars glucose and arabinose, and the amino acids alanine, glutamic acid, leucine, cysteine, and serine-all of which are highly soluble. We find that selective uptake is not evident unless (1) each sugar is tested individually and (2) multiple amino acids are tested together in a mixture. Combining sugars should be avoided because, as we show in Bacillus bacteria, the same organisms may catabolize one sugar, glucose, in D-form and another sugar, arabinose, in L-form. Single amino acids should be avoided because bacteria can access certain proteinogenically incompatible enantiomers using specific racemases. Specifically, bacteria contain an alanine acid racemase and can catabolize D-alanine if no other D-amino acids are present. The proposed improvements would reliably separate nonselective chemical reactions from biological reactions and, if life is indicated, inform whether the selective patterns for amino acids and sugars are the same as on Earth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ling Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
- Xinjiang Desert Plant Roots Ecology and Vegetation Restoration Laboratory, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
- Cele National Station of Observation and Research for Desert-Grassland Ecosystems, Cele, Xinjiang, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fanjiang Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
- Xinjiang Desert Plant Roots Ecology and Vegetation Restoration Laboratory, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
- Cele National Station of Observation and Research for Desert-Grassland Ecosystems, Cele, Xinjiang, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Christopher P McKay
- Space Science Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
| | - Rafael Navarro-González
- Laboratorio de Química de Plasmas y Estudios Planetarios, Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Henry J Sun
- Division of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
The Limited Roles of Autocatalysis and Enantiomeric Cross-Inhibition in Achieving Homochirality in Dilute Systems. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2019; 49:49-60. [DOI: 10.1007/s11084-019-09579-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
|
4
|
|
5
|
Brambilla E, Ionescu AC, Cazzaniga G, Ottobelli M, Samaranayake LP. Levorotatory carbohydrates and xylitol subdueStreptococcus mutansandCandida albicansadhesion and biofilm formation. J Basic Microbiol 2015; 56:480-92. [DOI: 10.1002/jobm.201500329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2014] [Accepted: 09/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eugenio Brambilla
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, IRCCS Galeazzi Institute; University of Milan; Milan Italy
| | - Andrei C. Ionescu
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, IRCCS Galeazzi Institute; University of Milan; Milan Italy
| | - Gloria Cazzaniga
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, IRCCS Galeazzi Institute; University of Milan; Milan Italy
| | - Marco Ottobelli
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, IRCCS Galeazzi Institute; University of Milan; Milan Italy
| | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Sixt BS, Siegl A, Müller C, Watzka M, Wultsch A, Tziotis D, Montanaro J, Richter A, Schmitt-Kopplin P, Horn M. Metabolic features of Protochlamydia amoebophila elementary bodies--a link between activity and infectivity in Chlamydiae. PLoS Pathog 2013; 9:e1003553. [PMID: 23950718 PMCID: PMC3738481 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2013] [Accepted: 06/28/2013] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The Chlamydiae are a highly successful group of obligate intracellular bacteria, whose members are remarkably diverse, ranging from major pathogens of humans and animals to symbionts of ubiquitous protozoa. While their infective developmental stage, the elementary body (EB), has long been accepted to be completely metabolically inert, it has recently been shown to sustain some activities, including uptake of amino acids and protein biosynthesis. In the current study, we performed an in-depth characterization of the metabolic capabilities of EBs of the amoeba symbiont Protochlamydia amoebophila. A combined metabolomics approach, including fluorescence microscopy-based assays, isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS), ion cyclotron resonance Fourier transform mass spectrometry (ICR/FT-MS), and ultra-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) was conducted, with a particular focus on the central carbon metabolism. In addition, the effect of nutrient deprivation on chlamydial infectivity was analyzed. Our investigations revealed that host-free P. amoebophila EBs maintain respiratory activity and metabolize D-glucose, including substrate uptake as well as host-free synthesis of labeled metabolites and release of labeled CO2 from 13C-labeled D-glucose. The pentose phosphate pathway was identified as major route of D-glucose catabolism and host-independent activity of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle was observed. Our data strongly suggest anabolic reactions in P. amoebophila EBs and demonstrate that under the applied conditions D-glucose availability is essential to sustain metabolic activity. Replacement of this substrate by L-glucose, a non-metabolizable sugar, led to a rapid decline in the number of infectious particles. Likewise, infectivity of Chlamydia trachomatis, a major human pathogen, also declined more rapidly in the absence of nutrients. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that D-glucose is utilized by P. amoebophila EBs and provide evidence that metabolic activity in the extracellular stage of chlamydiae is of major biological relevance as it is a critical factor affecting maintenance of infectivity. The Chlamydiae are a group of bacteria that strictly rely on eukaryotic host cells as a niche for intracellular growth. This group includes major pathogens of humans and animals as well as symbionts of protists. Unlike most other bacteria, chlamydiae alternate between two distinct developmental stages. Here we provide novel insights into the infective stage, the elementary body (EB), which has been described almost a century ago and is commonly referred to as an inert spore-like particle. Our analyses of EBs of the amoeba symbiont Protochlamydia amoebophila provide a detailed overview of their metabolism outside of, and independent from, their natural host cells. We demonstrated that these EBs are capable of respiration and are active in the major routes of central carbon metabolism, including glucose import, biosynthetic reactions, and catabolism for energy generation. Glucose starvation resulted in a rapid decline of metabolic activity in P. amoebophila EBs and a concomitant decrease in their potential to infect new host cells. The human pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis was also dependent on nutrient availability for extracellular survival. The extent of metabolic activity in chlamydial EBs and its consequences for infectivity challenge long-standing textbook knowledge and demonstrate that the infective stage is far more dependent on its environment than previously recognized.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Barbara S. Sixt
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander Siegl
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Constanze Müller
- Research Unit Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Margarete Watzka
- Division of Terrestrial Ecosystem Research, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Wultsch
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Dimitrios Tziotis
- Research Unit Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Jacqueline Montanaro
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Richter
- Division of Terrestrial Ecosystem Research, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Matthias Horn
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Both stereo-isomers of glucose enhance the survival rate of microencapsulated Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG during storage in the dry state. J FOOD ENG 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2013.01.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
|
8
|
Shimizu T, Takaya N, Nakamura A. An L-glucose catabolic pathway in Paracoccus species 43P. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:40448-56. [PMID: 23038265 PMCID: PMC3504760 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.403055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2012] [Revised: 09/25/2012] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND L-Glucose, the enantiomer of D-glucose, was believed not to be utilized by any organisms. RESULTS An L-glucose-utilizing bacterium was isolated, and its L-glucose catabolic pathway was identified genetically and enzymatically. CONCLUSION L-Glucose was utilized via a novel pathway to pyruvate and D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate. SIGNIFICANCE This might lead to an understanding of homochirality in sugar metabolism. An L-glucose-utilizing bacterium, Paracoccus sp. 43P, was isolated from soil by enrichment cultivation in a minimal medium containing L-glucose as the sole carbon source. In cell-free extracts from this bacterium, NAD(+)-dependent L-glucose dehydrogenase was detected as having sole activity toward L-glucose. This enzyme, LgdA, was purified, and the lgdA gene was found to be located in a cluster of putative inositol catabolic genes. LgdA showed similar dehydrogenase activity toward scyllo- and myo-inositols. L-Gluconate dehydrogenase activity was also detected in cell-free extracts, which represents the reaction product of LgdA activity toward L-glucose. Enzyme purification and gene cloning revealed that the corresponding gene resides in a nine-gene cluster, the lgn cluster, which may participate in aldonate incorporation and assimilation. Kinetic and reaction product analysis of each gene product in the cluster indicated that they sequentially metabolize L-gluconate to glycolytic intermediates, D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate, and pyruvate through reactions of C-5 epimerization by dehydrogenase/reductase, dehydration, phosphorylation, and aldolase reaction, using a pathway similar to L-galactonate catabolism in Escherichia coli. Gene disruption studies indicated that the identified genes are responsible for L-glucose catabolism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tetsu Shimizu
- From the Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
| | - Naoki Takaya
- From the Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
| | - Akira Nakamura
- From the Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Moazeni F, Zhang G, Sun HJ. Imperfect asymmetry of life: earth microbial communities prefer D-lactate but can use L-lactate also. ASTROBIOLOGY 2010; 10:397-402. [PMID: 20528194 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2009.0438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Asymmetrical utilization of chiral compounds has been sought on Mars as evidence for biological activity. This method was recently validated in glucose. Earth organisms utilize D-glucose, not L-glucose, a perfect asymmetry. In this study, we tested the method in lactate and found utilization of both enantiomers. Soil-, sediment-, and lake-borne microbial communities prefer D-lactate but can consume L-lactate if given extra time to acclimate. This situation is termed imperfect asymmetry. Future life-detection mission investigators need to be aware of imperfect asymmetry so as not to miss relatively subtle signs of life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Faegheh Moazeni
- Division of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Las Vegas, Nevada 89119, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|