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McKnight MM, Neufeld JD. Comammox Nitrospira among dominant ammonia oxidizers within aquarium biofilter microbial communities. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0010424. [PMID: 38899882 PMCID: PMC11267875 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00104-24] [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: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Nitrification by aquarium biofilters transforms ammonia waste (NH3/NH4+) to less toxic nitrate (NO3-) via nitrite (NO2-). Prior to the discovery of complete ammonia-oxidizing ("comammox" or CMX) Nitrospira, previous research revealed that ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) dominated over ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) in freshwater aquarium biofilters. Here, we profiled aquarium biofilter microbial communities and quantified the abundance of all three known ammonia oxidizers using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and quantitative PCR (qPCR), respectively. Biofilter and water samples were each collected from representative residential and commercial freshwater and saltwater aquaria. Distinct biofilter microbial communities were associated with freshwater and saltwater biofilters. Comammox Nitrospira amoA genes were detected in all 38 freshwater biofilter samples (average CMX amoA genes: 2.2 × 103 ± 1.5 × 103 copies/ng) and dominant in 30, whereas AOA were present in 35 freshwater biofilter samples (average AOA amoA genes: 1.1 × 103 ± 2.7 × 103 copies/ng) and only dominant in 7 of them. The AOB were at relatively low abundance within biofilters (average of 3.2 × 101 ± 1.1 × 102 copies of AOB amoA genes/ng of DNA), except for the aquarium with the highest ammonia concentration. For saltwater biofilters, AOA or AOB were differentially abundant, with no comammox Nitrospira detected. Additional sequencing of Nitrospira amoA genes revealed differential distributions, suggesting niche adaptation based on water chemistry (e.g., ammonia, carbonate hardness, and alkalinity). Network analysis of freshwater microbial communities demonstrated positive correlations between nitrifiers and heterotrophs, suggesting metabolic and ecological interactions within biofilters. These results demonstrate that comammox Nitrospira plays a previously overlooked, but important role in home aquarium biofilter nitrification. IMPORTANCE Nitrification is a crucial process that converts toxic ammonia waste into less harmful nitrate that occurs in aquarium biofilters. Prior research found that ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) were dominant over ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) in freshwater aquarium biofilters. Our study profiled microbial communities of aquarium biofilters and quantified the abundance of all currently known groups of aerobic ammonia oxidizers. The findings reveal that complete ammonia-oxidizing (comammox) Nitrospira were present in all freshwater aquarium biofilter samples in high abundance, challenging our previous understanding of aquarium nitrification. We also highlight niche adaptation of ammonia oxidizers based on salinity. The network analysis of freshwater biofilter microbial communities revealed significant positive correlations among nitrifiers and other community members, suggesting intricate interactions within biofilter communities. Overall, this study expands our understanding of nitrification in aquarium biofilters, emphasizes the role of comammox Nitrospira, and highlights the value of aquaria as microcosms for studying nitrifier ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Josh D. Neufeld
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
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Wei J, Hong Z, Li W, Yang X, Fu Z, Chen X, Hu J, Jin Z, Long B, Chang X, Qian Y. Norfloxacin affects inorganic nitrogen compound transformation in tailwater containing Corbicula fluminea. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 476:135116. [PMID: 39013323 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 06/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
The Asian clam, Corbicula fluminea, commonly used in engineered wetlands receiving tailwater, affects nitrogen compound transformation in water. This study investigates how a commonly observed antibiotic in tailwater, norfloxacin, impact nitrogen compound transformation in tailwater containing C. fluminea. The clam was exposed to artificial tailwater with norfloxacin (0, 0.2, 20, and 2000 μg/L) for 15 days. Water properties, C. fluminea ecotoxicity responses, microorganism composition and nitrification- or denitrification-related enzyme activities were measured. Results revealed norfloxacin-induced increases and reductions in tailwater NH4+ and NO2- concentrations, respectively, along with antioxidant system inhibition, organ histopathological damage and disruption of water filtering and digestion system. Microorganism composition, especially biodiversity indices, varied with medium (clam organs and exposure water) and norfloxacin concentrations. Norfloxacin reduced NO2- content by lowering the ratio between microbial nitrifying enzyme (decreased hydroxylamine oxidoreductase and nitrite oxidoreductase activity) and denitrifying enzyme (increased nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase activity) in tailwater. Elevated NH4+ content resulted from upregulated ammonification and inhibited nitrification of microorganisms in tailwater, as well as increased ammonia emission from C. fluminea due to organ damage and metabolic disruption of the digestion system. Overall, this study offers insights into using benthic organisms to treat tailwater with antibiotic residues, especially regarding nitrogen treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junling Wei
- School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences & Yunnan Key Laboratory for Plateau Mountain Ecology and Restoration of Degraded Environments, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China; Institute of International Institute of Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China.
| | - Zijin Hong
- School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences & Yunnan Key Laboratory for Plateau Mountain Ecology and Restoration of Degraded Environments, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China.
| | - Wei Li
- School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences & Yunnan Key Laboratory for Plateau Mountain Ecology and Restoration of Degraded Environments, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China.
| | - Xiufang Yang
- School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences & Yunnan Key Laboratory for Plateau Mountain Ecology and Restoration of Degraded Environments, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China.
| | - Zihao Fu
- School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences & Yunnan Key Laboratory for Plateau Mountain Ecology and Restoration of Degraded Environments, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China; Institute of International Institute of Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China.
| | - Xinyu Chen
- School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences & Yunnan Key Laboratory for Plateau Mountain Ecology and Restoration of Degraded Environments, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China.
| | - Junxiang Hu
- School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences & Yunnan Key Laboratory for Plateau Mountain Ecology and Restoration of Degraded Environments, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China.
| | - Zhangnan Jin
- School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences & Yunnan Key Laboratory for Plateau Mountain Ecology and Restoration of Degraded Environments, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China.
| | - Bojiang Long
- School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences & Yunnan Key Laboratory for Plateau Mountain Ecology and Restoration of Degraded Environments, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China.
| | - Xuexiu Chang
- Yunnan Collaborative Innovation Center for Plateau Lake Ecology and Environmental Health, College of Agronomy and Life Sciences, Kunming University, Kunming 650214, China; Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada.
| | - Yu Qian
- School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences & Yunnan Key Laboratory for Plateau Mountain Ecology and Restoration of Degraded Environments, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China; Institute of International Institute of Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China.
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Tan Q, Wu H, Zheng L, Wang X, Xing Y, Tian Q, Zhang Y. Urban and agricultural land use led to niche differentiation of AOA, AOB and comammox along the Beiyun River continuum. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 255:121480. [PMID: 38518415 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
River ecological health has been severely threatened by anthropogenic land-use pressures. Here, by combining remote sensing and molecular biology methods, we evaluated the impact of land-use activities on nitrification, a fundamental ecological process in rivers, which is conducted by ammonia-oxidising archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidising bacteria (AOB), or the newly discovered complete ammonia oxidisers (comammox). We explored the relationships of the abundance, activity, and diversity of AOA, AOB, and comammox in river sediments with land-use pressure by proposing a quantitative land use pattern index (LPI) over a 184 km continuum along the Beiyun River in North China. We found that comammox dominated nitrification in the forestry upstream (67.07 % in summer, 56.40 % in winter), while AOB became the major player in the urban middle (56.51 % in summer, 53.08 % in winter) and agricultural downstream reaches (62.98 % in summer, 50.74 % in winter). In addition, urban and agricultural land use lowered the α diversity of AOA and comammox, as well as simplified their co-occurrence networks, but promoted AOB diversity and complicated their networks. The structural equation model illustrated that the key drivers affecting the key taxa and activities were ammonia, and C/N for AOB, and total organic matter, and pH for comammox. We thus conclude that watershed urban and agricultural land use drive the niche differentiation of AOA, AOB, and comammox, specifically leading to a robust AOB community but weakened AOA and comammox communities. Our study connects the macro and micro worlds and provides a new paradigm for studying the variation in microbial communities as well as the potential ecological consequences under the increased anthropogenic land-use pressures in the Anthropocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuyang Tan
- College of Water Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China
| | - Haoming Wu
- College of Water Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China
| | - Lei Zheng
- College of Water Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China.
| | - Xue Wang
- College of Water Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China
| | - Yuzi Xing
- College of Water Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China
| | - Qi Tian
- College of Water Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China
| | - Yaoxin Zhang
- College of Water Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China
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Qiang R, Wang M, Li Q, Li Y, Li C, Zhang J, Liu H. The different responses of AOA and AOB communities to irrigation systems in the semi-arid region of Northeast China. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1374618. [PMID: 38774509 PMCID: PMC11106429 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1374618] [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: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Ammonia oxidation is the rate-limiting step in nitrification and the key step in the nitrogen (N) cycle. Most soil nutrients and biological indicators are extremely sensitive to irrigation systems, from the perspective of improving soil fertility and soil ecological environment, the evaluation of different irrigation systems and suitability of selection, promote crop production and soil quality, study the influence of the soil microenvironment contribute to accurate evaluation of irrigation farmland soil health. Based on the amoA gene, the abundance and community diversity of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and their responses to soil physicochemical factors and enzyme activities were studied in semi-arid areas of Northeast China. The study consisted of three irrigation systems: flood irrigation (FP), shallow buried drip irrigation (DI), and mulched drip irrigation (MF). The results showed that DI and MF significantly increased the contents of alkaline hydrolyzed nitrogen (AN), nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N), soil moisture, and the activities of ammonia monooxygenase (AMO) and hydroxylamine oxidase (HAO). Compared with FP, DI significantly increased the abundance of soil AOA and AOB, while MF significantly increased the abundance of soil AOB. Irrigation systems significantly affected the community composition of ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms (AOM). Also, AN and soil moisture had the greatest influence on the community composition of AOA and AOB, respectively. The AOB community had better stability and stress resistance. Moreover, the symbiotic network of AOB in the three irrigation systems was more complex than that of AOA. Compared with FP, the AOA community under treatment DI had higher complexity and stability, maintaining the versatility and sustainability of the ecosystem, while the AOB community under treatment MF had higher transfer efficiency in terms of matter and energy. In conclusion, DI and MF were more conducive to the propagation of soil AOM in the semi-arid area of Northeast China, which can provide a scientific basis for rational irrigation and N regulation from the perspective of microbiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruowen Qiang
- Key Laboratory of Soil Resource Sustainable Utilization for Jilin Province Commodity Grain Bases, College of Resource and Environmental Science, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Meng Wang
- Institute of Agricultural Environment and Resources Research, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, China
| | - Qian Li
- Institute of Agricultural Environment and Resources Research, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, China
| | - Yingjie Li
- Key Laboratory of Soil Resource Sustainable Utilization for Jilin Province Commodity Grain Bases, College of Resource and Environmental Science, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Cuilan Li
- Key Laboratory of Soil Resource Sustainable Utilization for Jilin Province Commodity Grain Bases, College of Resource and Environmental Science, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Jinjing Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Soil Resource Sustainable Utilization for Jilin Province Commodity Grain Bases, College of Resource and Environmental Science, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Hang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Soil Resource Sustainable Utilization for Jilin Province Commodity Grain Bases, College of Resource and Environmental Science, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
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Liao T, Wang S, Zhang H, Stüeken EE, Luo H. Dating Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria with Abundant Eukaryotic Fossils. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae096. [PMID: 38776415 PMCID: PMC11135946 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae096] [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: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Evolution of a complete nitrogen (N) cycle relies on the onset of ammonia oxidation, which aerobically converts ammonia to nitrogen oxides. However, accurate estimation of the antiquity of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) remains challenging because AOB-specific fossils are absent and bacterial fossils amenable to calibrate molecular clocks are rare. Leveraging the ancient endosymbiosis of mitochondria and plastid, as well as using state-of-the-art Bayesian sequential dating approach, we obtained a timeline of AOB evolution calibrated largely by eukaryotic fossils. We show that the first AOB evolved in marine Gammaproteobacteria (Gamma-AOB) and emerged between 2.1 and 1.9 billion years ago (Ga), thus postdating the Great Oxidation Event (GOE; 2.4 to 2.32 Ga). To reconcile the sedimentary N isotopic signatures of ammonia oxidation occurring near the GOE, we propose that ammonia oxidation likely occurred at the common ancestor of Gamma-AOB and Gammaproteobacterial methanotrophs, or the actinobacterial/verrucomicrobial methanotrophs which are known to have ammonia oxidation activities. It is also likely that nitrite was transported from the terrestrial habitats where ammonia oxidation by archaea took place. Further, we show that the Gamma-AOB predated the anaerobic ammonia-oxidizing (anammox) bacteria, implying that the emergence of anammox was constrained by the availability of dedicated ammonia oxidizers which produce nitrite to fuel anammox. Our work supports a new hypothesis that N redox cycle involving nitrogen oxides evolved rather late in the ocean.
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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
| | - 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
| | - Hao Zhang
- 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
| | - Eva E Stüeken
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Centre for Exoplanet Science, University of St Andrews, Queen's Terrace, KY16 9TS, UK
| | - 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
- Earth and Environmental Sciences Programme, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR
- Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR
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Aguilar-Rangel EJ, Savin-Gámez A, García-Maldonado JQ, Prado B, Vásquez-Murrieta MS, Siebe C, Alcántara-Hernández RJ. Increases in the soil ammonia oxidizing phylotypes and their rechange due to long-term irrigation with wastewater. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299518. [PMID: 38603769 PMCID: PMC11008854 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Wastewater irrigation is a common practice for agricultural systems in arid and semiarid zones, which can help to overcome water scarcity and contribute with nutrient inputs. Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA) are key in the transformation of NH4+-N in soil and can be affected by variations in soil pH, EC, N and C content, or accumulation of pollutants, derived from wastewater irrigation. The objective of this study was to determine the changes in the ammonia oxidizing communities in agricultural soils irrigated with wastewater for different periods of time (25, 50, and 100 years), and in rainfed soils (never irrigated). The amoA gene encoding for the catalytic subunit of the ammonia monooxygenase was used as molecular reporter; it was quantified by qPCR and sequenced by high throughput sequencing, and changes in the community composition were associated with the soil physicochemical characteristics. Soils irrigated with wastewater showed up to five times more the abundance of ammonia oxidizers (based on 16S rRNA gene relative abundance and amoA gene copies) than those under rainfed agriculture. While the amoA-AOA: amoA-AOB ratio decreased from 9.8 in rainfed soils to 1.6 in soils irrigated for 100 years, indicating a favoring environment for AOB rather than AOA. Further, the community structure of both AOA and AOB changed during wastewater irrigation compared to rainfed soils, mainly due to the abundance variation of certain phylotypes. Finally, the significant correlation between soil pH and the ammonia oxidizing community structure was confirmed, mainly for AOB; being the main environmental driver of the ammonia oxidizer community. Also, a calculated toxicity index based on metals concentrations showed a correlation with AOB communities, while the content of carbon and nitrogen was more associated with AOA communities. The results indicate that wastewater irrigation influence ammonia oxidizers communities, manly by the changes in the physicochemical environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo J. Aguilar-Rangel
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Unidad de Posgrado, Edificio D, 1° Piso, Circuito de Posgrados, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, 04510, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Alba Savin-Gámez
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Unidad de Posgrado, Edificio D, 1° Piso, Circuito de Posgrados, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, 04510, Ciudad de México, México
| | - José Q. García-Maldonado
- Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Unidad Merida 97310, Yucatán, México
| | - Blanca Prado
- Instituto de Geología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Av. Universidad 3000, Del. Coyoacán, 04510, Ciudad de México, México
| | - María Soledad Vásquez-Murrieta
- Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Del. Miguel Hidalgo, 11340, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Christina Siebe
- Instituto de Geología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Av. Universidad 3000, Del. Coyoacán, 04510, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Rocío J. Alcántara-Hernández
- Instituto de Geología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Av. Universidad 3000, Del. Coyoacán, 04510, Ciudad de México, México
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Zhang E, Wilkins D, Crane S, Chelliah DS, van Dorst J, Abdullah K, Tribbia DZ, Hince G, Spedding T, Ferrari B. Urea amendment decouples nitrification in hydrocarbon contaminated Antarctic soil. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 354:141665. [PMID: 38490611 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141665] [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: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Hydrocarbon contaminated soils resulting from human activities pose a risk to the natural environment, including in the Arctic and Antarctic. Engineered biopiles constructed at Casey Station, Antarctica, have proven to be an effective strategy for remediating hydrocarbon contaminated soils, with active ex-situ remediation resulting in significant reductions in hydrocarbons, even in the extreme Antarctic climate. However, the use of urea-based fertilisers, whilst providing a nitrogen source for bioremediation, has also altered the natural soil chemistry leading to increases in pH, ammonium and nitrite. Monitoring of the urea amended biopiles identified rising levels of nitrite to be of particular interest, which misaligns with the long term goal of reducing contaminant levels and returning soil communities to a 'healthy' state. Here, we combine amplicon sequencing, microfluidic qPCR on field samples and laboratory soil microcosms to assess the impact of persistent nitrite accumulation (up to 60 months) on nitrifier abundances observed within the Antarctic biopiles. Differential inhibition of ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) Nitrobacter and Nitrospira in the cold, urea treated, alkaline soils (pH 8.1) was associated with extensive nitrite accumulation (76 ± 57 mg N/kg at 60 months). When the ratio of Nitrospira:AOB dropped below ∼1:1, Nitrobacter was completely inhibited or absent from the biopiles, and nitrite accumulated. Laboratory soil microcosms (incubated at 7 °C and 15 °C for 9 weeks) reproduced the pattern of nitrite accumulation in urea fertilized soil at the lower temperature, consistent with our longer-term observations from the Antarctic biopiles, and with other temperature-controlled microcosm studies. Diammonium phosphate amended soil did not exhibit nitrite accumulation, and could be a suitable alternative biostimulant to avoid excessive nitrite build-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eden Zhang
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia; Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, 2052, Australia
| | - Daniel Wilkins
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia; Environmental Stewardship Program, Australian Antarctic Division, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, 203 Channel Highway, Kingston, TAS, 7050, Australia
| | - Sally Crane
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia; Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, 2052, Australia
| | - Devan S Chelliah
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Josie van Dorst
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia; Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, 2052, Australia
| | - Kris Abdullah
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia; Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, 2052, Australia
| | - Dana Z Tribbia
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia; Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, 2052, Australia
| | - Greg Hince
- Environmental Stewardship Program, Australian Antarctic Division, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, 203 Channel Highway, Kingston, TAS, 7050, Australia
| | - Tim Spedding
- Environmental Stewardship Program, Australian Antarctic Division, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, 203 Channel Highway, Kingston, TAS, 7050, Australia
| | - Belinda Ferrari
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia; Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, 2052, Australia.
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Zhao Y, Ling N, Liu X, Li C, Jing X, Hu J, Rui J. Altitudinal patterns of alpine soil ammonia-oxidizing community structure and potential nitrification rate. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0007024. [PMID: 38385702 PMCID: PMC11206213 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00070-24] [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: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Nitrogen availability limits the net primary productivity in alpine meadows on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, which is regulated by ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms. However, little is known about the elevational patterns of soil ammonia oxidizers in alpine meadows. Here, we investigated the potential nitrification rate (PNR), abundance, and community diversity of soil ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms along the altitudinal gradient between 3,200 and 4,200 m in Qinghai-Tibetan alpine meadows. We found that both PNR and amoA gene abundance declined from 3,400 to 4,200 m but lowered at 3,200 m, possibly due to intense substrate competition and biological nitrification inhibition from grasses. The primary contributors to soil nitrification were ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), and their proportionate share of soil nitrification increased with altitude in comparison to ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB). The alpha diversity of AOA increased by higher temperature and plant richness at low elevations, while decreased by higher moisture and low legume biomass at middle elevations. In contrast, the alpha diversity of AOB increased along elevation. The elevational patterns of AOA and AOB communities were primarily driven by temperature, soil moisture, and vegetation. These findings suggest that elevation-induced climate changes, such as shifts in temperature and water conditions, could potentially alter the soil nitrification process in alpine meadows through changes in vegetation and soil properties, which provide new insights into how soil ammonia oxidizers respond to climate change in alpine meadows.IMPORTANCEThe importance of this study is revealing that elevational patterns and nitrification contributions of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) communities were primarily driven by temperature, soil moisture, and vegetation. Compared to AOB, the relative contribution of AOA to soil nitrification increased at higher elevations. The research highlights the potential impact of elevation-induced climate change on nitrification processes in alpine meadows, mediated by alterations in vegetation and soil properties. By providing new insights into how ammonia oxidizers respond to climate change, this study contributes valuable knowledge to the field of microbial ecology and helps predict ecological responses to environmental changes in alpine meadows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuwei Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Ning Ling
- Center for Grassland Microbiome, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Chao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xin Jing
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jingjing Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Junpeng Rui
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- Center for Grassland Microbiome, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
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Lv JL, Min D, Cheng ZH, Zhang JX, Li WW, Mu Y, Liu SJ, Liu DF. Direct ammonia oxidation (Dirammox) is favored over cell growth in Alcaligenes ammonioxydans HO-1 to deal with the toxicity of ammonium. Biotechnol Bioeng 2024; 121:980-990. [PMID: 38088435 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28623] [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: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Bacteria capable of direct ammonia oxidation (Dirammox) play important roles in global nitrogen cycling and nutrient removal from wastewater. Dirammox process, NH3 → NH2 OH → N2 , first defined in Alcaligenes ammonioxydans HO-1 and encoded by dnf gene cluster, has been found to widely exist in aquatic environments. However, because of multidrug resistance in Alcaligenes species, the key genes involved in the Dirammox pathway and the interaction between Dirammox process and the physiological state of Alcaligenes species remain unclear. In this work, ammonia removal via the redistribution of nitrogen between Dirammox and microbial growth in A. ammonioxydans HO-1, a model organism of Alcaligenes species, was investigated. The dnfA, dnfB, dnfC, and dnfR genes were found to play important roles in the Dirammox process in A. ammonioxydans HO-1, while dnfH, dnfG, and dnfD were not essential genes. Furthermore, an unexpected redistribution phenomenon for nitrogen between Dirammox and cell growth for ammonia removal in HO-1 was revealed. After the disruption of the Dirammox in HO-1, more consumed NH4 + was recovered as biomass-N via rapid metabolic response and upregulated expression of genes associated with ammonia transport and assimilation, tricarboxylic acid cycle, sulfur metabolism, ribosome synthesis, and other molecular functions. These findings deepen our understanding of the molecular mechanisms for Dirammox process in the genus Alcaligenes and provide useful information about the application of Alcaligenes species for ammonia-rich wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Lu Lv
- School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Di Min
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Zhou-Hua Cheng
- School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Jia-Xin Zhang
- School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Wen-Wei Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Yang Mu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Shuang-Jiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, and Environmental Microbiology Research Center at Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dong-Feng Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
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10
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Seitz VA, McGivem BB, Borton MA, Chaparro JM, Schipanski ME, Prenni JE, Wrighton KC. Cover Crop Root Exudates Impact Soil Microbiome Functional Trajectories in Agricultural Soils. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-3956430. [PMID: 38410449 PMCID: PMC10896397 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3956430/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Background Cover cropping is an agricultural practice that uses secondary crops to support the growth of primary crops through various mechanisms including erosion control, weed suppression, nutrient management, and enhanced biodiversity. Cover crops may elicit some of these ecosystem services through chemical interactions with the soil microbiome via root exudation, or the release of plant metabolites from roots. Phytohormones are one metabolite type exuded by plants that activate the rhizosphere microbiome, yet managing this chemical interaction remains an untapped mechanism for optimizing plant-soil microbiome interactions. Currently, there is limited understanding on the diversity of cover crop phytohormone root exudation patterns and how these chemical messages selectively enrich specific microbial taxa and functionalities in agricultural soils. Results Here, we link variability in cover crop root exudate composition to changes in soil microbiome functionality. Exudate chemical profiles from 4 cover crop species (Sorghum bicolor, Vicia villosa, Brassica napus, and Secale cereal) were used as the chemical inputs to decipher microbial responses. These distinct exudate profiles, along with a no exudate control, were amended to agricultural soil microcosms with microbial responses tracked over time using metabolomes and genome-resolved metatranscriptomes. Our findings illustrated microbial metabolic patterns were unique in response to cover crop exudate inputs over time, particularly by sorghum and cereal rye amended microcosms where we identify novel microbial members (at the genera and family level) who produced IAA and GA4 over time. We also identify broad changes in microbial nitrogen cycling in response chemical inputs. Conclusions We highlight that root exudate amendments alter microbial community function and phytohormone metabolisms, particularly in response to root exudates isolated from cereal rye and sorghum plants. Additionally, we constructed a soil microbial genomic catalog of microorganisms responding to commonly used cover crops, a public resource for agriculturally-relevant microbes. Many of our exudate-stimulated microorganisms are representatives from poorly characterized or novel taxa, highlighting the yet to be discovered metabolic reservoir harbored in agricultural soils. Our findings emphasize the tractability of high-resolution multiomics approaches to investigate processes relevant for agricultural soils, opening the possibility of targeting specific soil biogeochemical outcomes through biological precision agricultural practices that use cover crops and the microbiome as levers for enhanced crop production.
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11
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Ebenhöh O, Ebeling J, Meyer R, Pohlkotte F, Nies T. Microbial Pathway Thermodynamics: Stoichiometric Models Unveil Anabolic and Catabolic Processes. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:247. [PMID: 38398756 PMCID: PMC10890395 DOI: 10.3390/life14020247] [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: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The biotechnological exploitation of microorganisms enables the use of metabolism for the production of economically valuable substances, such as drugs or food. It is, thus, unsurprising that the investigation of microbial metabolism and its regulation has been an active research field for many decades. As a result, several theories and techniques were developed that allow for the prediction of metabolic fluxes and yields as biotechnologically relevant output parameters. One important approach is to derive macrochemical equations that describe the overall metabolic conversion of an organism and basically treat microbial metabolism as a black box. The opposite approach is to include all known metabolic reactions of an organism to assemble a genome-scale metabolic model. Interestingly, both approaches are rather successful at characterizing and predicting the expected product yield. Over the years, macrochemical equations especially have been extensively characterized in terms of their thermodynamic properties. However, a common challenge when characterizing microbial metabolism by a single equation is to split this equation into two, describing the two modes of metabolism, anabolism and catabolism. Here, we present strategies to systematically identify separate equations for anabolism and catabolism. Based on metabolic models, we systematically identify all theoretically possible catabolic routes and determine their thermodynamic efficiency. We then show how anabolic routes can be derived, and we use these to approximate biomass yield. Finally, we challenge the view of metabolism as a linear energy converter, in which the free energy gradient of catabolism drives the anabolic reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Ebenhöh
- Institute of Quantitative and Theoretical Biology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Josha Ebeling
- Institute of Quantitative and Theoretical Biology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ronja Meyer
- Institute of Quantitative and Theoretical Biology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Fabian Pohlkotte
- Institute of Quantitative and Theoretical Biology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Tim Nies
- Institute of Quantitative and Theoretical Biology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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12
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Wietz M, Engel A, Ramondenc S, Niwano M, von Appen WJ, Priest T, von Jackowski A, Metfies K, Bienhold C, Boetius A. The Arctic summer microbiome across Fram Strait: Depth, longitude, and substrate concentrations structure microbial diversity in the euphotic zone. Environ Microbiol 2024; 26:e16568. [PMID: 38268397 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
The long-term dynamics of microbial communities across geographic, hydrographic, and biogeochemical gradients in the Arctic Ocean are largely unknown. To address this, we annually sampled polar, mixed, and Atlantic water masses of the Fram Strait (2015-2019; 5-100 m depth) to assess microbiome composition, substrate concentrations, and oceanographic parameters. Longitude and water depth were the major determinants (~30%) of microbial community variability. Bacterial alpha diversity was highest in lower-photic polar waters. Community composition shifted from west to east, with the prevalence of, for example, Dadabacteriales and Thiotrichales in Arctic- and Atlantic-influenced waters, respectively. Concentrations of dissolved organic carbon peaked in the western, compared to carbohydrates in the chlorophyll-maximum of eastern Fram Strait. Interannual differences due to the time of sampling, which varied between early (June 2016/2018) and late (September 2019) phytoplankton bloom stages, illustrated that phytoplankton composition and resulting availability of labile substrates influence bacterial dynamics. We identified 10 species clusters with stable environmental correlations, representing signature populations of distinct ecosystem states. In context with published metagenomic evidence, our microbial-biogeochemical inventory of a key Arctic region establishes a benchmark to assess ecosystem dynamics and the imprint of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Wietz
- Deep-Sea Ecology and Technology, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Anja Engel
- Biological Oceanography, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany
| | - Simon Ramondenc
- Deep-Sea Ecology and Technology, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
- MARUM Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Matomo Niwano
- Deep-Sea Ecology and Technology, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Wilken-Jon von Appen
- Physical Oceanography of the Polar Seas, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Taylor Priest
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anabel von Jackowski
- Biological Oceanography, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany
| | - Katja Metfies
- Polar Biological Oceanography, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Christina Bienhold
- Deep-Sea Ecology and Technology, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Antje Boetius
- Deep-Sea Ecology and Technology, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
- MARUM Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
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13
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Yang X, Duan P, Liu Q, Wang K, Li D. Addition of cellulose and hemicellulose degrading microorganisms intensified nitrous oxide emission during composting. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2024; 393:130100. [PMID: 38013032 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.130100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
This study aims to clarify the mechanisms underlying effects of inoculating cellulose and hemicellulose-degrading microorganisms on nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions during composting with silkworm excrement and mulberry branches. Inoculation with cellulose and hemicellulose-degrading microorganisms resulted in significant increases of total N2O emission by 10.4 ± 2.0 % (349.1 ± 6.2 mg N kg-1 dw) and 26.7 ± 2.1 % (400.6 ± 6.8 mg N kg-1 dw), respectively, compared to the control (316.3 ± 3.6 mg N kg-1 dw). The stimulation of N2O emission was attributed to the enhanced contribution of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and denitrifying bacteria to N2O production, as evidenced by the increased AOB amoA and denitrifying nirK gene abundances. Moreover, microbial inoculation stimulated N2O reduction to N2 owing to increased abundances of nosZⅠ and nosZⅠⅠ genes. These findings highlight the necessity to develop cost-effective and environmentally friendly strategies to reduce N2O emissions when cellulose and hemicellulose-degrading microorganisms are inoculated during composting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Yang
- Key Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Karst Ecological Processes and Services, Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huanjiang 547100, China; Institutional Center for Shared Technologies and Facilities of Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
| | - Pengpeng Duan
- Key Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Karst Ecological Processes and Services, Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huanjiang 547100, China; Institutional Center for Shared Technologies and Facilities of Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
| | - Qiumei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Karst Ecological Processes and Services, Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huanjiang 547100, China; Institutional Center for Shared Technologies and Facilities of Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
| | - Kelin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Karst Ecological Processes and Services, Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huanjiang 547100, China; Institutional Center for Shared Technologies and Facilities of Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
| | - Dejun Li
- Key Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Karst Ecological Processes and Services, Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huanjiang 547100, China; Institutional Center for Shared Technologies and Facilities of Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China.
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14
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Beeckman F, Drozdzecki A, De Knijf A, Audenaert D, Beeckman T, Motte H. High-throughput assays to identify archaea-targeting nitrification inhibitors. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 14:1283047. [PMID: 38259951 PMCID: PMC10800436 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1283047] [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: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Nitrification is a microbial process that converts ammonia (NH3) to nitrite (NO2 -) and then to nitrate (NO3 -). The first and rate-limiting step in nitrification is ammonia oxidation, which is conducted by both bacteria and archaea. In agriculture, it is important to control this process as high nitrification rates result in NO3 - leaching, reduced nitrogen (N) availability for the plants and environmental problems such as eutrophication and greenhouse gas emissions. Nitrification inhibitors can be used to block nitrification, and as such reduce N pollution and improve fertilizer use efficiency (FUE) in agriculture. Currently applied inhibitors target the bacteria, and do not block nitrification by ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA). While it was long believed that nitrification in agroecosystems was primarily driven by bacteria, recent research has unveiled potential significant contributions from ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), especially when bacterial activity is inhibited. Hence, there is also a need for AOA-targeting nitrification inhibitors. However, to date, almost no AOA-targeting inhibitors are described. Furthermore, AOA are difficult to handle, hindering their use to test or identify possible AOA-targeting nitrification inhibitors. To address the need for AOA-targeting nitrification inhibitors, we developed two miniaturized nitrification inhibition assays using an AOA-enriched nitrifying community or the AOA Nitrosospaera viennensis. These assays enable high-throughput testing of candidate AOA inhibitors. We here present detailed guidelines on the protocols and illustrate their use with some examples. We believe that these assays can contribute to the discovery of future AOA-targeting nitrification inhibitors, which could complement the currently applied inhibitors to increase nitrification inhibition efficiency in the field and as such contribute to a more sustainable agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Beeckman
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Center for Plant Systems Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Andrzej Drozdzecki
- Screening Core, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Ghent, Belgium
- Centre for Bioassay Development and Screening (C-BIOS), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Alexa De Knijf
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Center for Plant Systems Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dominique Audenaert
- Screening Core, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Ghent, Belgium
- Centre for Bioassay Development and Screening (C-BIOS), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tom Beeckman
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Center for Plant Systems Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Hans Motte
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Center for Plant Systems Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Ghent, Belgium
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15
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Sun F, Wang Y, Wang Y, Sun C, Cheng H, Wu M. Insights into the spatial distributions of bacteria, archaea, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and archaea communities in sediments of Daya Bay, northern South China Sea. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 198:115850. [PMID: 38029671 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115850] [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: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Microbe plays an important role in the biogeochemical cycles of the coastal waters. However, comprehensive information about the microbe in the gulf waters is lacking. This study employed high-throughput sequencing and quantitative PCR (qPCR) to investigate the distribution patterns of bacterial, archaeal, ammonia-oxidizing bacterial (AOB), and archaeal (AOA) communities in Daya Bay. Community compositions and principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) exhibited significant spatial characteristics in the diversity and distributions of bacteria, archaea, AOB, and AOA. Notably, various microbial taxa (bacterial, archaeal, AOB, and AOA) exhibited significant differences in different regions, playing crucial roles in nitrogen, sulfur metabolism, and organic carbon mineralization. Canonical correlation analysis (CCA) or redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that environmental parameters such as temperature, salinity, nitrate, total nitrogen, silicate, and phosphate strongly influenced the distributions of bacterial, archaeal, AOB, and AOA. This study deepens the understanding of the composition and ecological function of prokaryotes in the bay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fulin Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Daya Bay Marine Biology Research Station, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China; Sanya Institute of Ocean Eco-Environmental Engineering, Sanya, China
| | - Youshao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Daya Bay Marine Biology Research Station, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yutu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Daya Bay Marine Biology Research Station, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Cuici Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Daya Bay Marine Biology Research Station, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hao Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Meilin Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.
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16
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Poghosyan L, Lehtovirta-Morley LE. Investigating microbial and environmental drivers of nitrification in alkaline forest soil. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 4:ycae093. [PMID: 39132578 PMCID: PMC11310595 DOI: 10.1093/ismeco/ycae093] [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: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
Ammonia oxidation is a key step in the biogeochemical cycling of nitrogen, and soils are important ecosystems for nitrogen flux globally. Approximately 25% of the world's soils are alkaline. While nitrification has been studied more extensively in agricultural alkaline soils, less is known about natural, unfertilized alkaline soils. In this study, microorganisms responsible for ammonia oxidation and several environmental factors (season, temperature, ammonia concentration, and moisture content) known to affect nitrification were studied in an alkaline forest soil with a pH ranging from 8.36 to 8.77. Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), ammonia-oxidizing archaea, and comammox were present, and AOB belonging to genera Nitrosospira and Nitrosomonas, originally comprising <0.01% of the total bacterial community, responded rapidly to ammonia addition to the soil. No significant difference was observed in nitrification rates between seasons, but there was a significant difference between in situ field nitrification rates and rates in laboratory microcosms. Surprisingly, nitrification took place under many of the tested conditions, but there was no detectable increase in the abundance of any recognizable group of ammonia oxidizers. This study raises questions about the role of low-abundance microorganisms in microbial processes and of situations where zero or very low microbial growth coincides with metabolic activity. In addition, this study provides insights into nitrification in unfertilized alkaline soil and supports previous studies, which found that AOB play an important role in alkaline soils supplemented with ammonia, including agricultural ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianna Poghosyan
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom
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17
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Tsitouras A, Al-Ghussain N, Butcher J, Stintzi A, Delatolla R. The microbiome of two strategies for ammonia removal with the sequencing batch moving bed biofilm reactor treating cheese production wastewater. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0150723. [PMID: 38009922 PMCID: PMC10734506 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01507-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Cheese production facilities must abide by sewage discharge bylaws that prevent overloading municipal water resource recovery facilities, eutrophication, and toxicity to aquatic life. Compact treatment systems can permit on-site treatment of cheese production wastewater; however, competition between heterotrophs and nitrifiers impedes the implementation of the sequencing batch moving bed biofilm reactor (SB-MBBR) for nitrification from high-carbon wastewaters. This study demonstrates that a single SB-MBBR is not feasible for nitrification when operated with anerobic and aerobic cycling for carbon and phosphorous removal from cheese production wastewater, as nitrification does not occur in a single reactor. Thus, two reactors in series are recommended to achieve nitrification from cheese production wastewater in SB-MBBRs. These findings can be applied to pilot and full-scale SB-MBBR operations. By demonstrating the potential to implement partial nitrification in the SB-MBBR system, this study presents the possibility of implementing partial nitrification in the SB-MBBR, resulting in the potential for more sustainable treatment of nitrogen from cheese production wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Tsitouras
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nour Al-Ghussain
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - James Butcher
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alain Stintzi
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Robert Delatolla
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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18
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Kolovou M, Panagiotou D, Süße L, Loiseleur O, Williams S, Karpouzas DG, Papadopoulou ES. Assessing the activity of different plant-derived molecules and potential biological nitrification inhibitors on a range of soil ammonia- and nitrite-oxidizing strains. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0138023. [PMID: 37916825 PMCID: PMC10686072 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01380-23] [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: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Synthetic nitrification inhibitors are routinely used with nitrogen fertilizers to reduce nitrogen losses from agroecosystems, despite having drawbacks like poor efficiency, cost, and entry into the food chain. Plant-derived BNIs constitute a more environmentally conducive alternative. Knowledge on the activity of BNIs to soil nitrifiers is largely based on bioassays with a single Nitrosomonas europaea strain which does not constitute a dominant member of the community of ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms (AOM) in soil. We determined the activity of several plant-derived molecules reported as having activity, including the recently discovered maize-isolated BNI, zeanone, and its natural analog, 2-methoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone, on a range of ecologically relevant AOM and one nitrite-oxidizing bacterial culture, expanding our knowledge on the intrinsic inhibition potential of BNIs toward AOM and highlighting the necessity for a deeper understanding of the effect of BNIs on the overall soil microbiome integrity before their further use in agricultural settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Kolovou
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Dimitra Panagiotou
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Laboratory of Plant and Environmental Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Lars Süße
- Syngenta Crop Protection AG, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Dimitrios G. Karpouzas
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Laboratory of Plant and Environmental Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Evangelia S. Papadopoulou
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
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19
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Beeckman F, Drozdzecki A, De Knijf A, Corrochano-Monsalve M, Bodé S, Blom P, Goeminne G, González-Murua C, Lücker S, Boeckx P, Stevens CV, Audenaert D, Beeckman T, Motte H. Drug discovery-based approach identifies new nitrification inhibitors. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 346:118996. [PMID: 37725864 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) fertilization is crucial to sustain global food security, but fertilizer N production is energy-demanding and subsequent environmental N losses contribute to biodiversity loss and climate change. N losses can be mitigated be interfering with microbial nitrification, and therefore the use of nitrification inhibitors in enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEFs) is an important N management strategy to increase N use efficiency and reduce N pollution. However, currently applied nitrification inhibitors have limitations and do not target all nitrifying microorganisms. Here, to identify broad-spectrum nitrification inhibitors, we adopted a drug discovery-based approach and screened 45,400 small molecules on different groups of nitrifying microorganisms. Although a high number of potential nitrification inhibitors were identified, none of them targeted all nitrifier groups. Moreover, a high number of new nitrification inhibitors were shown to be highly effective in culture but did not reduce ammonia consumption in soil. One archaea-targeting inhibitor was not only effective in soil, but even reduced - when co-applied with a bacteria-targeting inhibitor - ammonium consumption and greenhouse gas emissions beyond what is achieved with currently applied nitrification inhibitors. This advocates for combining different types of nitrification inhibitors in EEFs to optimize N management practices and make agriculture more sustainable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Beeckman
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium; VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Andrzej Drozdzecki
- Ghent University Centre for Bioassay Development and Screening (C-BIOS), 9052, Ghent, Belgium; VIB Screening Core, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Alexa De Knijf
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium; VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Mario Corrochano-Monsalve
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country-UPV/EHU, Apdo. 644, Bilbao, E-48080, Spain
| | - Samuel Bodé
- Laboratory of Applied Physical Chemistry (ISOFYS), Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Pieter Blom
- Department of Microbiology, RIBES, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525, AJ, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Geert Goeminne
- VIB Metabolomics Core, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Carmen González-Murua
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country-UPV/EHU, Apdo. 644, Bilbao, E-48080, Spain
| | - Sebastian Lücker
- Department of Microbiology, RIBES, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525, AJ, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Pascal Boeckx
- Laboratory of Applied Physical Chemistry (ISOFYS), Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Christian V Stevens
- Synthesis, Bioresources and Bioorganic Chemistry Research Group (SynBioC), Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dominique Audenaert
- Ghent University Centre for Bioassay Development and Screening (C-BIOS), 9052, Ghent, Belgium; VIB Screening Core, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tom Beeckman
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium; VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Hans Motte
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium; VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.
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20
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Liu J, Li C, Ma W, Wu Z, Liu W, Wu W. Exploitation alters microbial community and its co-occurrence patterns in ionic rare earth mining sites. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 898:165532. [PMID: 37454857 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
The exploitation of ion-adsorption rare earth elements (REEs) deposits results in serious ecological and environmental problems, which has attracted much attention. However, the influences of exploitation on the prokaryotic communities and their complex interactions remain poorly understood. In the present study, bacterial and archaeal communities, as well as ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), in and around REEs mining area were investigated through high throughput sequencing and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Our results indicated that mining soil was characterized by poor soil structure, nutrient deficiency, and high concentrations of residual REEs. Oligotrophic bacteria (e.g., Chloroflexi and Acidobacteriota) were dominant in unexploited soil and mining soil, while copiotrophic bacteria (Proteobacteria and Actinobacteriota) were more abundant in surrounding soil. Nutrient was the key factor affecting microbial variation and abundance in mining soil. The bacterial community was more sensitive to REEs, while the archaeal communities were relatively stable. As the key members for ammonia oxidation, AOA outnumbered AOB in all the soil types, and the former was significantly influenced by pH, nutrients, and TREEs in mining soil. The microbial co-occurrence network analysis demonstrated that exploitation significantly influenced topological properties, decreased the complexity, and resulted in a much unstable network, leading to a more fragile microbial ecosystem in mining areas. Notably, the abundance of keystone taxa decreased after exploitation, and oligotrophic groups (Chloroflexi) replaced copiotrophic groups (Proteobacteria and Actinobacteriota) as the key to rebuilt a co-occurrence network, suggesting potentially important roles in maintaining network stability. The current results are of great significance to the ecological risk assessment of REEs exploitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Liu
- School of Energy and Machinery Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Nanchang 330013, China; Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Mining & Metallurgy Environmental Pollution Control, Ganzhou 341099, China.
| | - Chun Li
- School of Energy and Machinery Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Nanchang 330013, China
| | - Wendan Ma
- School of Energy and Machinery Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Nanchang 330013, China
| | - Zengxue Wu
- School of Energy and Machinery Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Nanchang 330013, China
| | - Wei Liu
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
| | - Weixiang Wu
- Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310030, China
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21
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Yang X, Duan P, Cao Y, Wang K, Li D. Mechanisms of mitigating nitrous oxide emission during composting by biochar and calcium carbonate addition. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2023; 388:129772. [PMID: 37734484 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.129772] [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: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 09/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
To investigate the mechanisms underlying effects of biochar and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) addition on nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions during composting, this paper conducted a systematic study on mineral nitrogen (N), dissolved organic carbon (C) and N, sources of N2O, and functional genes. Biochar and CaCO3 addition decreased N2O emissions by 26.5-47.8% (9.5-96.9 mg N kg-1 dw) and 13.9-37.4% (12.0-121.0 mg N kg-1 dw) compared to the control (14.3-179.7 mg N kg-1 dw), respectively. The mitigation of N2O emission was caused by decreased contribution of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and fungi to N2O production due to diminished AOB amoA, fungal nirK and P450 gene abundances, or by stimulated N2O reduction to N2 owing to increased abundances of nosZⅠ and nosZⅠⅠ genes under biochar and CaCO3 addition. The findings suggest that the addition of biochar or CaCO3 is effective in mitigating N2O emission during composting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Yang
- Key Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Karst Ecological Processes and Services, Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huanjiang 547100, China; Institutional Center for Shared Technologies and Facilities of Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
| | - Pengpeng Duan
- Key Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Karst Ecological Processes and Services, Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huanjiang 547100, China; Institutional Center for Shared Technologies and Facilities of Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
| | - Yubo Cao
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Hebei Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetic and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Kelin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Karst Ecological Processes and Services, Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huanjiang 547100, China; Institutional Center for Shared Technologies and Facilities of Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
| | - Dejun Li
- Key Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Karst Ecological Processes and Services, Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huanjiang 547100, China; Institutional Center for Shared Technologies and Facilities of Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China.
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22
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Purchase ML, Bending GD, Mushinski RM. Spatiotemporal Variations of Soil Reactive Nitrogen Oxide Fluxes across the Anthropogenic Landscape. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:16348-16360. [PMID: 37856795 PMCID: PMC10620987 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c05849] [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: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Volatile reactive nitrogen oxides (NOy) are significant atmospheric pollutants, including NOx (nitric oxide [NO] + nitrogen dioxide [NO2]) and NOz (nitrous acid [HONO] + nitric acid [HNO3] + nitrogen trioxide [NO3] + ...). NOy species are products of nitrogen (N) cycle processes, particularly nitrification and denitrification. Biogenic sources, including soil, account for over 50% of natural NOy emissions to the atmosphere, yet emissions from soils are generally not included in atmospheric models as a result of a lack of mechanistic data. This work is a unique investigation of NOy fluxes on a landscape scale, taking a comprehensive set of land-use types, human influence, and seasonality into account to determine large-scale heterogeneity to provide a basis for future modeling and hypothesis generation. By coupling 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and quantitative polymerase chain reaction, we have linked significant differences in functional potential and activity of nitrifying and denitrifying soil microbes to NOy emissions from soils. Further, we have identified soils subject to increased N deposition that are less microbially active despite increased available N, potentially as a result of poor soil health from anthropogenic pollution. Structural equation modeling suggests human influence on soils to be a more significant effector of soil NOy emissions than land-use type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan L Purchase
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
| | - Gary D Bending
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
| | - Ryan M Mushinski
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
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23
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Li T, Wang X, Wang X, Huang J, Shen L. Mechanisms Driving the Distribution and Activity of Mineralization and Nitrification in the Reservoir Riparian Zone. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2023; 86:1829-1846. [PMID: 36702929 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-023-02180-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The riparian zone ecosystems have greater energy flow and elemental cycling than adjacent terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Mineralization and nitrification are important initiating processes in the nitrogen cycle, but their distribution and activity under different environmental conditions in the riparian zone and the driving mechanisms are still not clear. We investigated the effects of environmental and microbial factors on mineralization and nitrification activities by analyzing the community of alkaline (apr) and neutral (npr) metallopeptidase, ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), and bacteria (AOB) in soils and sediments under different land-use types in the riparian zone of Miyun Reservoir, as well as measuring potential nitrogen mineralization and ammonia oxidation rates (AOR). The results showed that the mineralization and nitrification activities of soils were greater than those of sediments. AOA and AOB dominate the ammonia oxidation activity of soil and sediment, respectively. NH4+ content was a key factor influencing the ecological niche differentiation between AOA and AOB. The high carbon and nitrogen content of the woodland significantly increased mineralization and nitrification activity. Microbial communities were significantly clustered in the woodland. The land-use type, not the flooding condition, determined the distribution of microbial community structure. The diversity of npr was significantly correlated with potential N mineralization rates, while the transcript abundance of AOA was significantly correlated with ammonia oxidation rates. Our study suggests that environmental changes regulate the distribution and activity of mineralization and nitrification processes in the reservoir riparian zone by affecting the transcript abundance, diversity and community structure of the microbial functional genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Li
- College of Resources, Environment and Tourism, Capital Normal University, No. 105, North West Third Ring Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Xiaoyan Wang
- College of Resources, Environment and Tourism, Capital Normal University, No. 105, North West Third Ring Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100048, China.
| | - Xia Wang
- College of Resources, Environment and Tourism, Capital Normal University, No. 105, North West Third Ring Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Jingyu Huang
- College of Resources, Environment and Tourism, Capital Normal University, No. 105, North West Third Ring Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Lei Shen
- College of Resources, Environment and Tourism, Capital Normal University, No. 105, North West Third Ring Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100048, China
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24
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Krüger M, Chaudhari N, Thamdrup B, Overholt WA, Bristow LA, Taubert M, Küsel K, Jehmlich N, von Bergen M, Herrmann M. Differential contribution of nitrifying prokaryotes to groundwater nitrification. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023; 17:1601-1611. [PMID: 37422599 PMCID: PMC10504367 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01471-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
The ecophysiology of complete ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (CMX) of the genus Nitrospira and their widespread occurrence in groundwater suggests that CMX bacteria have a competitive advantage over ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA) in these environments. However, the specific contribution of their activity to nitrification processes has remained unclear. We aimed to disentangle the contribution of CMX, AOA and AOB to nitrification and to identify the environmental drivers of their niche differentiation at different levels of ammonium and oxygen in oligotrophic carbonate rock aquifers. CMX ammonia monooxygenase sub-unit A (amoA) genes accounted on average for 16 to 75% of the total groundwater amoA genes detected. Nitrification rates were positively correlated to CMX clade A associated phylotypes and AOB affiliated with Nitrosomonas ureae. Short-term incubations amended with the nitrification inhibitors allylthiourea and chlorate suggested that AOB contributed a large fraction to overall ammonia oxidation, while metaproteomics analysis confirmed an active role of CMX in both ammonia and nitrite oxidation. Ecophysiological niche differentiation of CMX clades A and B, AOB and AOA was linked to their requirements for ammonium, oxygen tolerance, and metabolic versatility. Our results demonstrate that despite numerical predominance of CMX, the first step of nitrification in oligotrophic groundwater appears to be primarily governed by AOB. Higher growth yields at lower ammonia turnover rates and energy derived from nitrite oxidation most likely enable CMX to maintain consistently high populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Krüger
- Aquatic Geomicrobiology, Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Narendrakumar Chaudhari
- Aquatic Geomicrobiology, Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Bo Thamdrup
- Department of Biology, Nordcee-University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Will A Overholt
- Aquatic Geomicrobiology, Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Laura A Bristow
- Department of Biology, Nordcee-University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Martin Taubert
- Aquatic Geomicrobiology, Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Kirsten Küsel
- Aquatic Geomicrobiology, Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nico Jehmlich
- Department of Molecular Systems Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martin von Bergen
- German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Molecular Systems Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- Faculty of Biosciences, Pharmacy and Psychology, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martina Herrmann
- Aquatic Geomicrobiology, Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany.
- German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
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25
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Tahovská K, Kaštovská E, Choma M, Čapek P, Bárta J, Oulehle F. Ammonia oxidation and nitrate reduction marker genes are key indicators of nitrogen losses in temperate forest catchments. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:2049-2053. [PMID: 37286495 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Chronic nitrogen inputs can alleviate N limitation and potentially impose N losses in forests, indicated by soil enrichment in 15 N over 14 N. However, the complexity of the nitrogen cycle hinders accurate quantification of N fluxes. Simultaneously, soil ecologists are striving to find meaningful indicators to characterise the "openness" of the nitrogen cycle. We integrate soil δ15 N with constrained ecosystem N losses and the functional gene potential of the soil microbiome in 14 temperate forest catchments. We show that N losses are associated with soil δ15 N and that δ15 N scales with the abundance of soil bacteria. The abundance of the archaeal amoA gene, representing the first step in nitrification (ammonia oxidation to nitrite), followed by the abundance of narG and napA genes, associated with the first step in denitrification (nitrate reduction to nitrite), explains most of the variability in soil δ15 N. These genes are more informative than the denitrification genes nirS and nirK, which are directly linked to N2 O production. Nitrite formation thus appears to be the critical step associated with N losses. Furthermore, we show that the genetic potential for ammonia oxidation and nitrate reduction is representative of forest soil 15 N enrichment and thus indicative of ecosystem N losses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Tahovská
- Department of Ecosystem Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Kaštovská
- Department of Ecosystem Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Choma
- Department of Ecosystem Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Čapek
- Department of Ecosystem Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Bárta
- Department of Ecosystem Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Filip Oulehle
- Department of Environmental Geochemistry and Biogeochemistry, Czech Geological Survey, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Biogeochemical and Hydrological Cycles, Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
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26
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Wright CL, Lehtovirta-Morley LE. Nitrification and beyond: metabolic versatility of ammonia oxidising archaea. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023; 17:1358-1368. [PMID: 37452095 PMCID: PMC10432482 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01467-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Ammonia oxidising archaea are among the most abundant living organisms on Earth and key microbial players in the global nitrogen cycle. They carry out oxidation of ammonia to nitrite, and their activity is relevant for both food security and climate change. Since their discovery nearly 20 years ago, major insights have been gained into their nitrogen and carbon metabolism, growth preferences and their mechanisms of adaptation to the environment, as well as their diversity, abundance and activity in the environment. Despite significant strides forward through the cultivation of novel organisms and omics-based approaches, there are still many knowledge gaps on their metabolism and the mechanisms which enable them to adapt to the environment. Ammonia oxidising microorganisms are typically considered metabolically streamlined and highly specialised. Here we review the physiology of ammonia oxidising archaea, with focus on aspects of metabolic versatility and regulation, and discuss these traits in the context of nitrifier ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe L Wright
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom
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27
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Trutschel LR, Kruger BR, Sackett JD, Chadwick GL, Rowe AR. Determining resident microbial community members and their correlations with geochemistry in a serpentinizing spring. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1182497. [PMID: 37396382 PMCID: PMC10308030 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1182497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Terrestrial serpentinizing systems allow us insight into the realm of alkaliphilic microbial communities driven by geology in a way that is frequently more accessible than their deep subsurface or marine counterparts. However, these systems are also marked by geochemical and microbial community variation due to the interactions of serpentinized fluids with host geology and the surface environment. To separate the transient from the endemic microbes in a hyperalkaline environment, we assessed the Ney Springs terrestrial serpentinizing system microbial community and geochemistry at six time points over the span of a year. Using 16S rRNA gene surveys we observed 93 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) that were found at every sampling event. This is compared to ~17,000 transient ASVs that were detected only once across the six sampling events. Of the resident community members, 16 of these ASVs were regularly greater than 1% of the community during every sampling period. Additionally, many of these core taxa experienced statistically significant changes in relative abundance with time. Variation in the abundance of some core populations correlated with geochemical variation. For example, members of the Tindallia group, showed a positive correlation with variation in levels of ammonia at the spring. Investigating the metagenome assembled genomes of these microbes revealed evidence of the potential for ammonia generation via Stickland reactions within Tindallia. This observation offers new insight into the origin of high ammonia concentrations (>70 mg/L) seen at this site. Similarly, the abundance of putative sulfur-oxidizing microbes like Thiomicrospira, Halomonas, and a Rhodobacteraceae species could be linked to changes observed in sulfur-oxidation intermediates like tetrathionate and thiosulfate. While these data supports the influence of core microbial community members on a hyperalkaline spring's geochemistry, there is also evidence that subsurface processes affect geochemistry and may impact community dynamics as well. Though the physiology and ecology of these astrobiologically relevant ecosystems are still being uncovered, this work helps identify a stable microbial community that impacts spring geochemistry in ways not previously observed in serpentinizing ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah R. Trutschel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Brittany R. Kruger
- Division of Hydrologic Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, United States
| | - Joshua D. Sackett
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Grayson L. Chadwick
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Annette R. Rowe
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
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28
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Dias Samarajeewa A, Velicogna JR, Schwertfeger DM, Meier MJ, Subasinghe RM, Princz JI, Scroggins RP, Beaudette LA. Cerium oxide nanoparticles (nCeO 2) exert minimal adverse effects on microbial communities in soils with and without biosolids amendment. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023:10.1007/s11356-023-27313-6. [PMID: 37166732 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-27313-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Increased use of nano-cerium oxide (nCeO2) in an array of industrial applications has raised environmental concerns due to potential increased loadings to the soil environment. This research investigated the potential adverse effects of nCeO2 (10-30 nm) on the soil microbial community in two exposure scenarios: direct application to soil, and indirect application to soil through chemical spiking of biosolids, followed by mixing into soil. Total Ce in test soils without, and with biosolids amendment, ranged from 44 to 770, and 73 to 664 mg Ce kg-1 soil, respectively. In order to help distinguish whether observed effects were elicited by the solid-phase colloids or the activity of dissolved Ce, a soluble Ce salt (Ce (NO3)3) treatment was included in select assays. A suite of tests was used to investigate effects on critical processes: microbial growth (heterotrophic plate count), microbial activity (organic matter (OM) decomposition, enzyme activity and, nitrification) and diversity (structural and functional). Although results showed significant inhibition on microbial growth in soil without biosolids amendment at ≥ 156 mg Ce kg-1 soil by week 5, these results were inconsistent and non-significant thereafter. In general, nCeO2 showed no evidence of consistent adverse effects on OM decomposition, nitrification, soil enzyme activities and functional diversity. Leucine aminopeptidase showed significant (p< 0.05) stimulatory effects over time at ≥ 44 mg Ce kg-1 in soils without biosolids, which was not observed in soils with biosolids amendment. The lack of inhibitory effects of nCeO2 may be attributed to its low solubility; Ce in soil extracts (0.01 M CaCl2) were all below detection (< 0.003 mg kg-1) in the nCeO2-spiked soils, but detectable in the Ce (NO3)3 samples. In contrast, soluble Ce at 359 mg Ce kg-1 showed a significant reduction in OM decomposition and effects on microbial genomic diversity based on the 16S rDNA data in soils with and without biosolids amendment (359 and 690 mg Ce kg-1). The nCeO2 behaviour and effects information described herein are expected to help fulfill data gaps for the characterization of this priority nanomaterial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajith Dias Samarajeewa
- Biological Assessment and Standardization Section, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 335 River Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1V 1C7, Canada.
| | - Jessica R Velicogna
- Biological Assessment and Standardization Section, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 335 River Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1V 1C7, Canada
| | - Dina M Schwertfeger
- Biological Assessment and Standardization Section, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 335 River Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1V 1C7, Canada
| | - Matthew J Meier
- Biological Assessment and Standardization Section, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 335 River Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1V 1C7, Canada
| | - Renuka M Subasinghe
- Biological Assessment and Standardization Section, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 335 River Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1V 1C7, Canada
| | - Juliska I Princz
- Biological Assessment and Standardization Section, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 335 River Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1V 1C7, Canada
| | - Rick P Scroggins
- Biological Assessment and Standardization Section, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 335 River Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1V 1C7, Canada
| | - Lee A Beaudette
- Biological Assessment and Standardization Section, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 335 River Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1V 1C7, Canada
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29
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Humphries GE, Espinosa JI, Ambrosone M, Ayala ZR, Tzortziou M, Goes JI, Greenfield DI. Transitions in nitrogen and organic matter form and concentration correspond to bacterial population dynamics in a hypoxic urban estuary. BIOGEOCHEMISTRY 2023; 163:219-243. [PMID: 36968009 PMCID: PMC9959957 DOI: 10.1007/s10533-023-01021-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Nitrogen (N) inputs to developed coastlines are linked with multiple ecosystem and socio-economic impacts worldwide such as algal blooms, habitat/resource deterioration, and hypoxia. This study investigated the microbial and biogeochemical processes associated with recurrent, seasonal bottom-water hypoxia in an urban estuary, western Long Island Sound (WLIS), that receives high N inputs. A 2-year (2020-2021) field study spanned two hypoxia events and entailed surface and bottom depth water sampling for dissolved nutrients as inorganic N (DIN; ammonia-N and nitrite + nitrate (N + N)), organic N, orthophosphate, organic carbon (DOC), as well as chlorophyll a and bacterial abundances. Physical water quality data were obtained from concurrent conductivity, temperature, and depth casts. Results showed that dissolved organic matter was highest at the most-hypoxic locations, DOC was negatively and significantly correlated with bottom-water dissolved oxygen (Pearson's r = -0.53, p = 0.05), and ammonia-N was the dominant DIN form pre-hypoxia before declining throughout hypoxia. N + N concentrations showed the reverse, being minimal pre-hypoxia then increasing during and following hypoxia, indicating that ammonia oxidation likely contributed to the switch in dominant DIN forms and is a key pathway in WLIS water column nitrification. Similarly, at the most hypoxic sampling site, bottom depth bacteria concentrations ranged ~ 1.8 × 104-1.1 × 105 cells ml-1 pre-hypoxia, declined throughout hypoxia, and were positively and significantly correlated (Pearson's r = 0.57; p = 0.03) with ammonia-N, confirming that hypoxia influences N-cycling within LIS. These findings provide novel insight to feedbacks between major biogeochemical (N and C) cycles and hypoxia in urban estuaries. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10533-023-01021-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgie E. Humphries
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Queens College, Queens, NY 11367 USA
- Advanced Science Research Center at the Graduate Center, New York, NY 10031 USA
| | - Jessica I. Espinosa
- Advanced Science Research Center at the Graduate Center, New York, NY 10031 USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269 USA
| | | | - Zabdiel Roldan Ayala
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Queens College, Queens, NY 11367 USA
- Advanced Science Research Center at the Graduate Center, New York, NY 10031 USA
| | - Maria Tzortziou
- City College Center for Discovery and Innovation, New York, NY 10031 USA
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, City College of New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Dianne I. Greenfield
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Queens College, Queens, NY 11367 USA
- Advanced Science Research Center at the Graduate Center, New York, NY 10031 USA
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30
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Macey MC, Ramkissoon NK, Cogliati S, Toubes-Rodrigo M, Stephens BP, Kucukkilic-Stephens E, Schwenzer SP, Pearson VK, Preston LJ, Olsson-Francis K. Habitability and Biosignature Formation in Simulated Martian Aqueous Environments. ASTROBIOLOGY 2023; 23:144-154. [PMID: 36577028 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Water present on early Mars is often assumed to have been habitable. In this study, experiments were performed to investigate the habitability of well-defined putative martian fluids and to identify the accompanying potential formation of biosignatures. Simulated martian environments were developed by combining martian fluid and regolith simulants based on the chemistry of the Rocknest sand shadow at Gale Crater. The simulated chemical environment was inoculated with terrestrial anoxic sediment from the Pyefleet mudflats (United Kingdom). These enrichments were cultured for 28 days and subsequently subcultured seven times to ensure that the microbial community was solely grown on the defined, simulated chemistry. The impact of the simulated chemistries on the microbial community was assessed by cell counts and sequencing of 16S rRNA gene profiles. Associated changes to the fluid and precipitate chemistries were established by using ICP-OES, IC, FTIR, and NIR. The fluids were confirmed as habitable, with the enriched microbial community showing a reduction in abundance and diversity over multiple subcultures relating to the selection of specific metabolic groups. The final community comprised sulfate-reducing, acetogenic, and other anaerobic and fermentative bacteria. Geochemical characterization and modeling of the simulant and fluid chemistries identified clear differences between the biotic and abiotic experiments. These differences included the elimination of sulfur owing to the presence of sulfate-reducing bacteria and more general changes in pH associated with actively respiring cells that impacted the mineral assemblages formed. This study confirmed that a system simulating the fluid chemistry of Gale Crater could support a microbial community and that variation in chemistries under biotic and abiotic conditions can be used to inform future life-detection missions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C Macey
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Nisha K Ramkissoon
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Simone Cogliati
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Mario Toubes-Rodrigo
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Ben P Stephens
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Ezgi Kucukkilic-Stephens
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Susanne P Schwenzer
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria K Pearson
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Louisa J Preston
- Mullard Space Science Laboratory, Department of Space and Climate Physics, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Karen Olsson-Francis
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
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31
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Oudova-Rivera B, Crombie AT, Murrell JC, Lehtovirta-Morley LE. Alcohols as inhibitors of ammonia oxidizing archaea and bacteria. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2023; 370:fnad093. [PMID: 37698885 PMCID: PMC11025371 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnad093] [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: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Ammonia oxidizers are key players in the global nitrogen cycle and are responsible for the oxidation of ammonia to nitrite, which is further oxidized to nitrate by other microorganisms. Their activity can lead to adverse effects on some human-impacted environments, including water pollution through leaching of nitrate and emissions of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O). Ammonia monooxygenase (AMO) is the key enzyme in microbial ammonia oxidation and shared by all groups of aerobic ammonia oxidizers. The AMO has not been purified in an active form, and much of what is known about its potential structure and function comes from studies on its interactions with inhibitors. The archaeal AMO is less well studied as ammonia oxidizing archaea were discovered much more recently than their bacterial counterparts. The inhibition of ammonia oxidation by aliphatic alcohols (C1-C8) using the model terrestrial ammonia oxidizing archaeon 'Candidatus Nitrosocosmicus franklandus' C13 and the ammonia oxidizing bacterium Nitrosomonas europaea was examined in order to expand knowledge about the range of inhibitors of ammonia oxidizers. Methanol was the most potent specific inhibitor of the AMO in both ammonia oxidizers, with half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of 0.19 and 0.31 mM, respectively. The inhibition was AMO-specific in 'Ca. N. franklandus' C13 in the presence of C1-C2 alcohols, and in N. europaea in the presence of C1-C3 alcohols. Higher chain-length alcohols caused non-specific inhibition and also inhibited hydroxylamine oxidation. Ethanol was tolerated by 'Ca. N. franklandus' C13 at a higher threshold concentration than other chain-length alcohols, with 80 mM ethanol being required for complete inhibition of ammonia oxidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbora Oudova-Rivera
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew T Crombie
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom
| | - J Colin Murrell
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom
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32
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Rempfert KR, Nothaft DB, Kraus EA, Asamoto CK, Evans RD, Spear JR, Matter JM, Kopf SH, Templeton AS. Subsurface biogeochemical cycling of nitrogen in the actively serpentinizing Samail Ophiolite, Oman. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1139633. [PMID: 37152731 PMCID: PMC10160414 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1139633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) is an essential element for life. N compounds such as ammonium ( NH 4 + ) may act as electron donors, while nitrate ( NO 3 - ) and nitrite ( NO 2 - ) may serve as electron acceptors to support energy metabolism. However, little is known regarding the availability and forms of N in subsurface ecosystems, particularly in serpentinite-hosted settings where hydrogen (H2) generated through water-rock reactions promotes habitable conditions for microbial life. Here, we analyzed N and oxygen (O) isotope composition to investigate the source, abundance, and cycling of N species within the Samail Ophiolite of Oman. The dominant dissolved N species was dependent on the fluid type, with Mg2+- HCO 3 - type fluids comprised mostly of NO 3 - , and Ca2+-OH- fluids comprised primarily of ammonia (NH3). We infer that fixed N is introduced to the serpentinite aquifer as NO 3 - . High concentrations of NO 3 - (>100 μM) with a relict meteoric oxygen isotopic composition (δ18O ~ 22‰, Δ17O ~ 6‰) were observed in shallow aquifer fluids, indicative of NO 3 - sourced from atmospheric deposition (rainwater NO 3 - : δ18O of 53.7‰, Δ17O of 16.8‰) mixed with NO 3 - produced in situ through nitrification (estimated endmember δ18O and Δ17O of ~0‰). Conversely, highly reacted hyperalkaline fluids had high concentrations of NH3 (>100 μM) with little NO 3 - detectable. We interpret that NH3 in hyperalkaline fluids is a product of NO 3 - reduction. The proportionality of the O and N isotope fractionation (18ε / 15ε) measured in Samail Ophiolite NO 3 - was close to unity (18ε / 15ε ~ 1), which is consistent with dissimilatory NO 3 - reduction with a membrane-bound reductase (NarG); however, abiotic reduction processes may also be occurring. The presence of genes commonly involved in N reduction processes (narG, napA, nrfA) in the metagenomes of biomass sourced from aquifer fluids supports potential biological involvement in the consumption of NO 3 - . Production of NH 4 + as the end-product of NO 3 - reduction via dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) could retain N in the subsurface and fuel nitrification in the oxygenated near surface. Elevated bioavailable N in all sampled fluids indicates that N is not likely limiting as a nutrient in serpentinites of the Samail Ophiolite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin R. Rempfert
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
- *Correspondence: Kaitlin R. Rempfert
| | - Daniel B. Nothaft
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Emily A. Kraus
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, United States
| | - Ciara K. Asamoto
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - R. Dave Evans
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - John R. Spear
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, United States
- Quantitative Biosciences and Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, United States
| | - Juerg M. Matter
- National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Sebastian H. Kopf
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Alexis S. Templeton
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
- Alexis S. Templeton
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33
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Singh AK, Nakhate SP, Gupta RK, Chavan AR, Poddar BJ, Prakash O, Shouche YS, Purohit HJ, Khardenavis AA. Mining the landfill soil metagenome for denitrifying methanotrophic taxa and validation of methane oxidation in microcosm. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 215:114199. [PMID: 36058281 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114199] [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: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In the present study, the microbial community residing at different depths of the landfill was characterized to assess their roles in serving as a methane sink. Physico-chemical characterization revealed the characteristic signatures of anaerobic degradation of organic matter in the bottom soil (50-60 cm) and, active process of aerobic denitrification in the top soil (0-10 cm). This was also reflected from the higher abundance of bacterial domain in the top soil metagenome represented by dominant phyla Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria which are prime decomposers of organic matter in landfill soils. The multiple fold higher relative abundances of the two most abundant genera; Streptomyces and Intrasporangium in the top soil depicted greater denitrifying taxa in top soil than the bottom soil. Amongst the aerobic methanotrophs, the genera Methylomonas, Methylococcus, Methylocella, and Methylacidiphilum were abundantly found in the top soil metagenome that were essential for oxidizing methane generated in the landfill. On the other hand, the dominance of archaeal domain represented by Methanosarcina and Methanoculleus in the bottom soil highlighted the complete anaerobic digestion of organic components via acetoclasty, carboxydotrophy, hydrogenotrophy, methylotrophy. Functional characterization revealed a higher abundance of methane monooxygenase gene in the top soil and methyl coenzyme M reductase gene in the bottom soil that correlated with the higher relative abundance of aerobic methanotrophs in the top soil while methane generation being the active process in the highly anaerobic bottom soil in the landfill. The activity dependent abundance of endogenous microbial communities in the different zones of the landfill was further validated by microcosm studies in serum bottles which established the ability of the methanotrophic community for methane metabolism in the top soil and their potential to serve as sink for methane. The study provides a better understanding about the methanotrophs in correlation with their endogenous environment, so that these bacteria can be used in resolving the environmental issues related to methane and nitrogen management at landfill site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashish Kumar Singh
- Environmental Biotechnology and Genomics Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nehru Marg, Nagpur, 440020, Maharashtra, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Suraj Prabhakarrao Nakhate
- Environmental Biotechnology and Genomics Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nehru Marg, Nagpur, 440020, Maharashtra, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Rakesh Kumar Gupta
- Environmental Biotechnology and Genomics Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nehru Marg, Nagpur, 440020, Maharashtra, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Atul Rajkumar Chavan
- Environmental Biotechnology and Genomics Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nehru Marg, Nagpur, 440020, Maharashtra, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Bhagyashri Jagdishprasad Poddar
- Environmental Biotechnology and Genomics Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nehru Marg, Nagpur, 440020, Maharashtra, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Om Prakash
- National Centre for Microbial Resource, National Centre for Cell Sciences, Pune, Maharashtra, 411007, India
| | - Yogesh S Shouche
- National Centre for Microbial Resource, National Centre for Cell Sciences, Pune, Maharashtra, 411007, India
| | - Hemant J Purohit
- Environmental Biotechnology and Genomics Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nehru Marg, Nagpur, 440020, Maharashtra, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Anshuman Arun Khardenavis
- Environmental Biotechnology and Genomics Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nehru Marg, Nagpur, 440020, Maharashtra, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India.
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34
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Farooq MS, Wang X, Uzair M, Fatima H, Fiaz S, Maqbool Z, Rehman OU, Yousuf M, Khan MR. Recent trends in nitrogen cycle and eco-efficient nitrogen management strategies in aerobic rice system. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:960641. [PMID: 36092421 PMCID: PMC9453445 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.960641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is considered as a staple food for more than half of the global population, and sustaining productivity under a scarcity of resources is challenging to meet the future food demands of the inflating global population. The aerobic rice system can be considered as a transformational replacement for traditional rice, but the widespread adaptation of this innovative approach has been challenged due to higher losses of nitrogen (N) and reduced N-use efficiency (NUE). For normal growth and developmental processes in crop plants, N is required in higher amounts. N is a mineral nutrient and an important constituent of amino acids, nucleic acids, and many photosynthetic metabolites, and hence is essential for normal plant growth and metabolism. Excessive application of N fertilizers improves aerobic rice growth and yield, but compromises economic and environmental sustainability. Irregular and uncontrolled use of N fertilizers have elevated several environmental issues linked to higher N losses in the form of nitrous oxide (N2O), ammonia (NH3), and nitrate (NO3 -), thereby threatening environmental sustainability due to higher warming potential, ozone depletion capacities, and abilities to eutrophicate the water resources. Hence, enhancing NUE in aerobic rice has become an urgent need for the development of a sustainable production system. This article was designed to investigate the major challenge of low NUE and evaluate recent advances in pathways of the N cycle under the aerobic rice system, and thereby suggest the agronomic management approaches to improve NUE. The major objective of this review is about optimizing the application of N inputs while sustaining rice productivity and ensuring environmental safety. This review elaborates that different soil conditions significantly shift the N dynamics via changes in major pathways of the N cycle and comprehensively reviews the facts why N losses are high under the aerobic rice system, which factors hinder in attaining high NUE, and how it can become an eco-efficient production system through agronomic managements. Moreover, it explores the interactive mechanisms of how proper management of N cycle pathways can be accomplished via optimized N fertilizer amendments. Meanwhile, this study suggests several agricultural and agronomic approaches, such as site-specific N management, integrated nutrient management (INM), and incorporation of N fertilizers with enhanced use efficiency that may interactively improve the NUE and thereby plant N uptake in the aerobic rice system. Additionally, resource conservation practices, such as plant residue management, green manuring, improved genetic breeding, and precision farming, are essential to enhance NUE. Deep insights into the recent advances in the pathways of the N cycle under the aerobic rice system necessarily suggest the incorporation of the suggested agronomic adjustments to reduce N losses and enhance NUE while sustaining rice productivity and environmental safety. Future research on N dynamics is encouraged under the aerobic rice system focusing on the interactive evaluation of shifts among activities and diversity in microbial communities, NUE, and plant demands while applying N management measures, which is necessary for its widespread adaptation in face of the projected climate change and scarcity of resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Shahbaz Farooq
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
- National Institute for Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Xiukang Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Yan’an University, Yan’an, China
| | - Muhammad Uzair
- National Institute for Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Hira Fatima
- Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Sajid Fiaz
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, The University of Haripur, Haripur, Pakistan
| | - Zubaira Maqbool
- Institute of Soil Science, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Obaid Ur Rehman
- National Institute for Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology, Islamabad, Pakistan
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35
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Leigh SC, Catabay C, German DP. Sustained changes in digestive physiology and microbiome across sequential generations of zebrafish fed different diets. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2022; 273:111285. [PMID: 35961610 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2022.111285] [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: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Alterations to ratios of protein and fiber in an organism's diet have been shown to structurally and functionally alter its individual digestive physiology. However, it is unclear how these dietary changes may affect phenotypic changes across generations. We utilized feeding trials, morphological analyses, enzyme activities, and 16S rRNA sequencing of the gut microbiome of zebrafish (Danio rerio) to determine how variations to fiber and protein concentrations, kept consistent across sequential generations, affect phenotypic changes. Our results show that Parental (P) and first generation (F1) fish did not differ from each other in terms of their intestine length, intestine mass, enzyme activity levels, and microbial community composition for any of the three experimental diets (high-protein/low-fiber, moderate-protein/fiber, and low-protein/high-fiber). However, each of the three experimental diets for the P and F1 fish, as well as the ancestral diet fish, did have distinct microbial community structure from one another. This indicates that there is a strong dietary effect on digestive physiology and gut microbial community and that these effects are consistent when the diet is kept homogenous across generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha C Leigh
- Department of Biology, California State University Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA 90747, USA.
| | - Caitlyn Catabay
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Donovan P German
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA. https://twitter.com/dgermanuci
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36
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Reboleira AS, Bodawatta KH, Ravn NMR, Lauritzen SE, Skoglund RØ, Poulsen M, Michelsen A, Jønsson KA. Nutrient-limited subarctic caves harbour more diverse and complex bacterial communities than their surface soil. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOME 2022; 17:41. [PMID: 35941623 PMCID: PMC9361705 DOI: 10.1186/s40793-022-00435-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Subarctic regions are particularly vulnerable to climate change, yet little is known about nutrient availability and biodiversity of their cave ecosystems. Such knowledge is crucial for predicting the vulnerability of these ecosystems to consequences of climate change. Thus, to improve our understanding of life in these habitats, we characterized environmental variables, as well as bacterial and invertebrate communities of six subarctic caves in Northern Norway. RESULTS Only a minuscule diversity of surface-adapted invertebrates were found in these caves. However, the bacterial communities in caves were compositionally different, more diverse and more complex than the nutrient-richer surface soil. Cave soil microbiomes were less variable between caves than between surface communities in the same area, suggesting that the stable cave environments with tougher conditions drive the uniform microbial communities. We also observed only a small proportion of cave bacterial genera originating from the surface, indicating unique cave-adapted microbial communities. Increased diversity within caves may stem from higher niche specialization and levels of interdependencies for nutrient cycling among bacterial taxa in these oligotrophic environments. CONCLUSIONS Taken together this suggest that environmental changes, e.g., faster melting of snow as a result of global warming that could alter nutrient influx, can have a detrimental impact on interactions and dependencies of these complex communities. This comparative exploration of cave and surface microbiomes also lays the foundation to further investigate the long-term environmental variables that shape the biodiversity of these vulnerable ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Sofia Reboleira
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, and Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c) & CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal.
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100, Copenhagen East, Denmark.
| | - Kasun H Bodawatta
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, and Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c) & CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100, Copenhagen East, Denmark
| | - Nynne M R Ravn
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100, Copenhagen East, Denmark
| | - Stein-Erik Lauritzen
- Department of Earth Science, University of Bergen, Allegt. 41, 5007, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), University of Oslo, 0316, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Michael Poulsen
- Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100, Copenhagen East, Denmark
| | - Anders Michelsen
- Section for Terrestrial Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100, Copenhagen East, Denmark
| | - Knud Andreas Jønsson
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100, Copenhagen East, Denmark
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37
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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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Xing G, Lu J, Xuan L, Chen J, Xiong J. Sediment prokaryotic assembly, methane cycling, and ammonia oxidation potentials in response to increasing antibiotic pollution at shrimp aquafarm. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 434:128885. [PMID: 35421673 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic pollution poses serious threats to public health and ecological processes. However, systematic research regarding the interactive effects of increasing nutrient and antibiotic pollutions on the prokaryotic community, particularly taxa that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, is lacking. By exploring the complex interactions that occur between interkingdom bacteria and archaea, biotic and abiotic factors, the responses of sediment prokaryotic assembly were determined along a significant antibiotic pollution gradient. Bacterial and archaeal communities were primarily governed by sediment antibiotic pollution, ammonia, phosphate, and redox potential, which further affected enzyme activities. The two communities nonlinearly responded to increasing antibiotic pollution, with significant tipping points of 3.906 and 0.979 mg/kg antibiotics, respectively. The combined antibiotic concentration-discriminatory taxa of bacteria and archaea accurately (98.0% accuracy) diagnosed in situ antibiotic concentrations. Co-abundance analysis revealed that the methanogens, methanotrophs, sulfate-reducing bacteria, and novel players synergistically contributed to methane cycling. Antibiotic pollution caused the dominant role of ammonia-oxidizing archaea in ammonia oxidation at these alkaline sediments. Collectively, the significant tipping points and bio-indicators afford indexes for regime shift and quantitative diagnosis of antibiotic pollution, respectively. Antibiotic pollution could expedite methane cycling and mitigate nitrous oxide yield, which are previously unrecognized ecological effects. These findings provide new insights into the interactive biological and ecological consequences of increasing nutrient and antibiotic pollutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guorui Xing
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China; School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Jiaqi Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China; School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Lixia Xuan
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China; School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Jiong Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China; School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China.
| | - Jinbo Xiong
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China; School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China.
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Chen J, Song T, Long S, Zhu KJ, Pavlostathis SG. Effect of peracetic acid solution on a nitrifying culture: Kinetics, inhibition, cellular and transcriptional responses. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 219:118543. [PMID: 35561624 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Peracetic acid (PAA) has been widely used as a disinfectant in many industries. However, information related to the potential inhibitory effect of PAA solutions (PAA and H2O2) on biological wastewater treatment processes is very limited. The work reported here assessed the effect of PAA and H2O2 solutions on nitrification kinetics and inhibition, cellular level responses and gene expression of a suspended-growth nitrifying culture. The initial ammonia removal and nitrate production rates significantly decreased at 1/0.14 to 3/0.42 mg/L PAA/H2O2. H2O2 up to 3 mg/L did not impact nitrification, cell viability or related respiratory activities; thus, the impact of the PAA solution is attributed to PAA alone or in some combination with H2O2. Nitrification inhibition by PAA was predominantly related to enzyme inhibition, rather than to loss of cell viability and/or cell lysis. PAA and H2O2 negatively affected Nitrosomonas but resulted in Nitrosospira enrichment. Most nitrogen metabolism-related genes (e.g., hydroxylamine oxidoreductase and nitrite oxidoreductase genes) as well as oxidase genes (e.g., cytochrome c oxidase, catalase-peroxidase, and peroxidase genes) were upregulated in PAA- and H2O2-amended cultures. Major ATPase genes were downregulated while ATP synthase genes upregulated under the effect of PAA and/or H2O2. Upregulation of ATP-dependent protease genes indicates protein damage predominantly caused by PAA rather than H2O2. The transcriptional level of genes related to cell division and DNA repair did not show a particular pattern; thus, cell division functionality and DNA integrity were not significantly affected by PAA or H2O2. The results of this study have significant implications in the design and operation of effective biological nitrogen removal systems for the treatment of PAA-bearing wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinchen Chen
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0512, United States
| | - Tianze Song
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0230, United States
| | - Sha Long
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0512, United States; College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
| | - Kevin J Zhu
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0512, United States
| | - Spyros G Pavlostathis
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0512, United States.
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Yan J, Li Q, Hu L, Wang J, Zhou Q, Zhong J. Response of microbial communities and their metabolic functions to calcareous succession process. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 825:154020. [PMID: 35202682 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Soil chronosequence is of great important in studying rates and directions of soil evolution, which can provide valuable information for the validation of soil genesis theory. However, the variation of microbial composition and structure in a calcareous soil chronosequence in karst region of southwest China is not clear. To reveal the response of microbial communities and their metabolic functions to calcareous succession process, a chronosequence of four calcareous soils (black calcareous soil, brown calcareous soil, yellow calcareous soil and red calcareous soil) with a depth of 0-20 cm from tropical monsoon rainforests of Guangxi Nonggang National Nature Reserve, southwest China was collected to analyze the soil physichemical and microbial properties. The results showed that the overall soil nutrient contents decreased along calcareous soil chronosequences and all calcareous soils were nitrogen (N) limitation. And, there were significant differences in the structure of microbial communities in calcareous soil chronosequences. To accommodate N-restriction, fungal community shifted from pathotroph to symbiotroph trophic pattern and Ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECM) emerged. ECM competing with free-living decomposers for N will slow soil carbon (C) cycling and increase soil C storage. Penicillium and Gaiella, the keystone genera, were related to phosphorus (P) cycle closely. Taken together, the occurrence of these microorganisms emphasizes the importance for C, N and P cycle in calcareous chronosequence soils and thus contributes to the ongoing worldwide endeavor to characterize their function for investigating the rate and direction of calcareous pedogenic changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahui Yan
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection, Ministry of Education, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, China; Key Laboratory of Karst Dynamics, MNR & GZAR, Institute of Karst Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Guilin 541004, China; International Research Center on Karst under the Auspices of UNESCO, Guilin 541004, China
| | - Qiang Li
- Key Laboratory of Karst Dynamics, MNR & GZAR, Institute of Karst Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Guilin 541004, China; International Research Center on Karst under the Auspices of UNESCO, Guilin 541004, China.
| | - Linan Hu
- Key Laboratory of Karst Dynamics, MNR & GZAR, Institute of Karst Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Guilin 541004, China; International Research Center on Karst under the Auspices of UNESCO, Guilin 541004, China
| | - Jiaqi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection, Ministry of Education, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, China
| | - Qihai Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection, Ministry of Education, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, China.
| | - Juxin Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Karst Dynamics, MNR & GZAR, Institute of Karst Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Guilin 541004, China; International Research Center on Karst under the Auspices of UNESCO, Guilin 541004, China
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Klotz F, Kitzinger K, Ngugi DK, Büsing P, Littmann S, Kuypers MMM, Schink B, Pester M. Quantification of archaea-driven freshwater nitrification from single cell to ecosystem levels. THE ISME JOURNAL 2022; 16:1647-1656. [PMID: 35260828 PMCID: PMC9122916 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-022-01216-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Deep oligotrophic lakes sustain large populations of the class Nitrososphaeria (Thaumarchaeota) in their hypolimnion. They are thought to be the key ammonia oxidizers in this habitat, but their impact on N-cycling in lakes has rarely been quantified. We followed this archaeal population in one of Europe's largest lakes, Lake Constance, for two consecutive years using metagenomics and metatranscriptomics combined with stable isotope-based activity measurements. An abundant (8-39% of picoplankton) and transcriptionally active archaeal ecotype dominated the nitrifying community. It represented a freshwater-specific species present in major inland water bodies, for which we propose the name "Candidatus Nitrosopumilus limneticus". Its biomass corresponded to 12% of carbon stored in phytoplankton over the year´s cycle. Ca. N. limneticus populations incorporated significantly more ammonium than most other microorganisms in the hypolimnion and were driving potential ammonia oxidation rates of 6.0 ± 0.9 nmol l‒1 d‒1, corresponding to potential cell-specific rates of 0.21 ± 0.11 fmol cell-1 d-1. At the ecosystem level, this translates to a maximum capacity of archaea-driven nitrification of 1.76 × 109 g N-ammonia per year or 11% of N-biomass produced annually by phytoplankton. We show that ammonia-oxidizing archaea play an equally important role in the nitrogen cycle of deep oligotrophic lakes as their counterparts in marine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Klotz
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, Konstanz, D-78457, Germany
| | - Katharina Kitzinger
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstrasse 1, D-28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - David Kamanda Ngugi
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH, Inhoffenstr. 7B, D-38124, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Petra Büsing
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH, Inhoffenstr. 7B, D-38124, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Sten Littmann
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstrasse 1, D-28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Marcel M M Kuypers
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstrasse 1, D-28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Bernhard Schink
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, Konstanz, D-78457, Germany
| | - Michael Pester
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, Konstanz, D-78457, Germany.
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH, Inhoffenstr. 7B, D-38124, Braunschweig, Germany.
- Technical University of Braunschweig, Institute for Microbiology, Spielmannstrasse 7, D-38106, Braunschweig, Germany.
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Leyrer V, Patulla M, Hartung J, Marhan S, Poll C. Long-term manipulation of mean climatic conditions alters drought effects on C- and N-cycling in an arable soil. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:3974-3990. [PMID: 35320598 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Climate is changing and predicted future scenarios include both changes in long-term mean climatic conditions and intensification of extreme events such as drought. Drought can have a major impact on soil functional processes; soil microorganisms, key to these processes, depend on water and temperature dynamics. Consequently, feedback mechanisms regarding microbially mediated carbon and nitrogen cycling in soils may be affected. There are indications that microbial exposure to increasingly unfavorable environmental conditions influences their stress responses. Here, the long-term field experiment Hohenheim Climate Change (HoCC) provided a research platform to explore how microbial exposure to long-term reduced water availability and soil warming modifies microbially driven soil processes, especially gas fluxes from soil, both during drought and after rewetting. The HoCC experiment is an agroecosystem in which the soil microbiome has been exposed to reduced annual mean precipitation and elevated temperature since 2008. Treatment levels were chosen based on a realistic future climate scenario. In June 2019, we exposed this system to a drought period of four weeks. We found that even after 11 years, warming remained a driver of CO2 and N2 O fluxes across the different soil moisture conditions in our drought experiment. Importantly, however, microbial exposure to long-term reduced water availability limited the stimulatory effect of warming on gas fluxes during drought and after rewetting. Our results were neither related to a legacy effect within overall microbial biomass carbon levels nor a shift towards enhanced fungal abundance. We found no indications that extracellular enzyme activities or microbial substrate availability explained the gas flux dynamics observed in our drought experiment. Our study indicates that soil warming promotes gaseous C and N loss even under extreme drought conditions. We suspect, however, that a shift in microbial function following long-term water limitation can hamper the enhancing effect of warming on soil gas fluxes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinzent Leyrer
- Soil Biology Department, Institute of Soil Science and Land Evaluation, University of Hohenheim, Germany
| | - Marina Patulla
- Soil Biology Department, Institute of Soil Science and Land Evaluation, University of Hohenheim, Germany
| | - Jens Hartung
- Biostatistics Department, Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, Germany
| | - Sven Marhan
- Soil Biology Department, Institute of Soil Science and Land Evaluation, University of Hohenheim, Germany
| | - Christian Poll
- Soil Biology Department, Institute of Soil Science and Land Evaluation, University of Hohenheim, Germany
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Piash MI, Iwabuchi K, Itoh T. Synthesizing biochar-based fertilizer with sustained phosphorus and potassium release: Co-pyrolysis of nutrient-rich chicken manure and Ca-bentonite. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 822:153509. [PMID: 35101507 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Biochar-based fertilizers (BBFs) are attracting considerable interest due to their potential to improve soil properties and the nutrient use efficiency of plants. However, a sustainable agricultural system requires decreased dependency on chemical fertilizer for BBF production and further enhancement of the slow-release performance of BBFs. In this study, we propose a simple biochar-based slow-release fertilizer synthesis technique involving the co-pyrolysis of 10 to 25% (w/w) Ca-bentonite with chicken manure as the only nutrient source (N, P, K). To evaluate nutrient release in contrasting soil media, we mixed pristine and modified chicken manure biochars (CMB) with both quartz sand and clay loam soil and compared the release with that of the recommended fertilizer dose for sweet corn (Zea mays convar. saccharata). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed that Ca-bentonite reduced readily soluble orthophosphates by forming less-soluble Ca/Mg-phosphates. In addition, significantly slower K release in soil (on average ~ 22% slower than pristine CMB) was observed from biochar containing 25% Ca-bentonite, since K is strongly adsorbed in the exchange sites of crystalline bentonite during co-pyrolysis. Decomposable amides were unaltered and thus Ca-bentonite had no significant impact on N release. Comparison of nutrient release in different media indicated that on average P and K release from BBFs in coarse sand respectively was 38% and 24% higher than in clay loam, whereas N release was substantially greater (49%) in the latter, owing to significant microbial decomposition. Overall, Ca-bentonite-incorporated CMBs, without any additional fertilizer, can satisfy plant nutritional needs, and exhibit promising slow-release (P and K) performance. Further process modification is required to improve N-use efficiency after carefully considering the soil components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmudul Islam Piash
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Kita 9, Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8589, Japan
| | - Kazunori Iwabuchi
- Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Kita 9, Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8589, Japan.
| | - Takanori Itoh
- Tanigurogumi Corporation, Shiobara 1100, Nasushiobara, Tochigi 329-2921, Japan
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Soils and sediments host Thermoplasmata archaea encoding novel copper membrane monooxygenases (CuMMOs). THE ISME JOURNAL 2022; 16:1348-1362. [PMID: 34987183 PMCID: PMC9038741 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-021-01177-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Copper membrane monooxygenases (CuMMOs) play critical roles in the global carbon and nitrogen cycles. Organisms harboring these enzymes perform the first, and rate limiting, step in aerobic oxidation of ammonia, methane, or other simple hydrocarbons. Within archaea, only organisms in the order Nitrososphaerales (Thaumarchaeota) encode CuMMOs, which function exclusively as ammonia monooxygenases. From grassland and hillslope soils and aquifer sediments, we identified 20 genomes from distinct archaeal species encoding divergent CuMMO sequences. These archaea are phylogenetically clustered in a previously unnamed Thermoplasmatota order, herein named the Ca. Angelarchaeales. The CuMMO proteins in Ca. Angelarchaeales are more similar in structure to those in Nitrososphaerales than those of bacteria, and contain all functional residues required for general monooxygenase activity. Ca. Angelarchaeales genomes are significantly enriched in blue copper proteins (BCPs) relative to sibling lineages, including plastocyanin-like electron carriers and divergent nitrite reductase-like (nirK) 2-domain cupredoxin proteins co-located with electron transport machinery. Ca. Angelarchaeales also encode significant capacity for peptide/amino acid uptake and degradation and share numerous electron transport mechanisms with the Nitrososphaerales. Ca. Angelarchaeales are detected at high relative abundance in some of the environments where their genomes originated from. While the exact substrate specificities of the novel CuMMOs identified here have yet to be determined, activity on ammonia is possible given their metabolic and ecological context. The identification of an archaeal CuMMO outside of the Nitrososphaerales significantly expands the known diversity of CuMMO enzymes in archaea and suggests previously unaccounted organisms contribute to critical global nitrogen and/or carbon cycling functions.
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Al-Ajeel S, Spasov E, Sauder LA, McKnight MM, Neufeld JD. Ammonia-oxidizing archaea and complete ammonia-oxidizing Nitrospira in water treatment systems. WATER RESEARCH X 2022; 15:100131. [PMID: 35402889 PMCID: PMC8990171 DOI: 10.1016/j.wroa.2022.100131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Nitrification, the oxidation of ammonia to nitrate via nitrite, is important for many engineered water treatment systems. The sequential steps of this respiratory process are carried out by distinct microbial guilds, including ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA), nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB), and newly discovered members of the genus Nitrospira that conduct complete ammonia oxidation (comammox). Even though all of these nitrifiers have been identified within water treatment systems, their relative contributions to nitrogen cycling are poorly understood. Although AOA contribute to nitrification in many wastewater treatment plants, they are generally outnumbered by AOB. In contrast, AOA and comammox Nitrospira typically dominate relatively low ammonia environments such as drinking water treatment, tertiary wastewater treatment systems, and aquaculture/aquarium filtration. Studies that focus on the abundance of ammonia oxidizers may misconstrue the actual role that distinct nitrifying guilds play in a system. Understanding which ammonia oxidizers are active is useful for further optimization of engineered systems that rely on nitrifiers for ammonia removal. This review highlights known distributions of AOA and comammox Nitrospira in engineered water treatment systems and suggests future research directions that will help assess their contributions to nitrification and identify factors that influence their distributions and activity.
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Vuong P, Moreira-Grez B, Wise MJ, Whiteley AS, Kumaresan D, Kaur P. From Rags to Enriched: Metagenomic Insights into Ammonia-oxidizing Archaea Following Ammonia Enrichment of a Denuded Oligotrophic Soil Ecosystem. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:3097-3110. [PMID: 35384236 PMCID: PMC9545067 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Stored topsoil acts as a microbial inoculant for ecological restoration of land after disturbance, but the altered circumstances frequently create unfavorable conditions for microbial survival. Nitrogen cycling is a critical indicator for ecological success and this study aimed to investigate the cornerstone taxa driving the process. Previous in-silico studies investigating stored topsoil discovered persistent archaeal taxa with the potential for re-establishing ecological activity. Ammonia oxidization is the limiting step in nitrification and as such, ammonia oxidizing archaea (AOA) can be considered as the one of the gatekeepers for the re-establishment of the nitrogen cycle in disturbed soils. Semi-arid soil samples were enriched with ammonium sulfate to promote the selective enrichment of ammonia oxidizers for targeted genomic recovery, and to investigate the microbial response of the microcosm to nitrogen input. Ammonia addition produced an increase in AOA population, particularly within the genus Candidatus Nitrosotalea, from which metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) were successfully recovered. The Ca. Nitrosotalea archaeon candidates' ability to survive in extreme conditions and rapidly respond to ammonia input makes it a potential bioprospecting target for application in ecological restoration of semi-arid soils and the recovered MAGs provide a metabolic blueprint for developing potential strategies towards isolation of these acclimated candidates. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paton Vuong
- UWA School of Agriculture & Environment, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Benjamin Moreira-Grez
- UWA School of Agriculture & Environment, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Michael J Wise
- School of Physics, Mathematics and Computing, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.,The Marshall Centre of Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Andrew S Whiteley
- Centre for Environment & Life Sciences, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Floreat, Australia
| | - Deepak Kumaresan
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Parwinder Kaur
- UWA School of Agriculture & Environment, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
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Sakoula D, Smith GJ, Frank J, Mesman RJ, Kop LFM, Blom P, Jetten MSM, van Kessel MAHJ, Lücker S. Universal activity-based labeling method for ammonia- and alkane-oxidizing bacteria. THE ISME JOURNAL 2022; 16:958-971. [PMID: 34743174 PMCID: PMC8941013 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-021-01144-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The advance of metagenomics in combination with intricate cultivation approaches has facilitated the discovery of novel ammonia-, methane-, and other short-chain alkane-oxidizing microorganisms, indicating that our understanding of the microbial biodiversity within the biogeochemical nitrogen and carbon cycles still is incomplete. The in situ detection and phylogenetic identification of novel ammonia- and alkane-oxidizing bacteria remain challenging due to their naturally low abundances and difficulties in obtaining new isolates from complex samples. Here, we describe an activity-based protein profiling protocol allowing cultivation-independent unveiling of ammonia- and alkane-oxidizing bacteria. In this protocol, 1,7-octadiyne is used as a bifunctional enzyme probe that, in combination with a highly specific alkyne-azide cycloaddition reaction, enables the fluorescent or biotin labeling of cells harboring active ammonia and alkane monooxygenases. Biotinylation of these enzymes in combination with immunogold labeling revealed the subcellular localization of the tagged proteins, which corroborated expected enzyme targets in model strains. In addition, fluorescent labeling of cells harboring active ammonia or alkane monooxygenases provided a direct link of these functional lifestyles to phylogenetic identification when combined with fluorescence in situ hybridization. Furthermore, we show that this activity-based labeling protocol can be successfully coupled with fluorescence-activated cell sorting for the enrichment of nitrifiers and alkane-oxidizing bacteria from complex environmental samples, enabling the recovery of high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes. In conclusion, this study demonstrates a novel, functional tagging technique for the reliable detection, identification, and enrichment of ammonia- and alkane-oxidizing bacteria present in complex microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitra Sakoula
- Department of Microbiology, RIBES, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Center for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Garrett J Smith
- Department of Microbiology, RIBES, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Frank
- Department of Microbiology, RIBES, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Soehngen Institute of Anaerobic Microbiology, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Rob J Mesman
- Department of Microbiology, RIBES, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Linnea F M Kop
- Department of Microbiology, RIBES, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Pieter Blom
- Department of Microbiology, RIBES, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Mike S M Jetten
- Department of Microbiology, RIBES, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Soehngen Institute of Anaerobic Microbiology, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Maartje A H J van Kessel
- Department of Microbiology, RIBES, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Sebastian Lücker
- Department of Microbiology, RIBES, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
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Ayiti OE, Babalola OO. Factors Influencing Soil Nitrification Process and the Effect on Environment and Health. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.821994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
To meet the global demand for food, several factors have been deployed by agriculturists to supply plants with nitrogen. These factors have been observed to influence the soil nitrification process. Understanding the aftermath effect on the environment and health would provoke efficient management. We review literature on these factors, their aftermath effect on the environment and suggest strategies for better management. Synthetic fertilizers and chemical nitrification inhibitors are the most emphasized factors that influence the nitrification process. The process ceases when pH is <5.0. The range of temperature suitable for the proliferation of ammonia oxidizing archaea is within 30 to 37oC while that of ammonia oxidizing bacteria is within 16 to 23oC. Some of the influencing factors excessively speed up the rate of the nitrification process. This leads to excess production of nitrate, accumulation of nitrite as a result of decoupling between nitritation process and nitratation process. The inhibition mechanism of chemical nitrification inhibitors either causes a reduction in the nitrifying micro-organisms or impedes the amoA gene's function. The effects on the environment are soil acidification, global warming, and eutrophication. Some of the health effects attributed to the influence are methemoglobinemia, neurotoxicity, phytotoxicity and cancer. Biomagnification of the chemicals along the food chain is also a major concern. The use of well-researched and scientifically formulated organic fertilizers consisting of microbial inoculum, well-treated organic manure and good soil conditioner are eco-friendly. They are encouraged to be used to efficiently manage the process. Urban agriculture could promote food production, but environmental sustainability should be ensured.
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49
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Ayiti OE, Babalola OO. Sustainable Intensification of Maize in the Industrial Revolution: Potential of Nitrifying Bacteria and Archaea. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.827477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sustainable intensification is a means that proffer a solution to the increasing demand for food without degrading agricultural land. Maize is one of the most important crops in the industrial revolution era, there is a need for its sustainable intensification. This review discusses the role of maize in the industrial revolution, progress toward sustainable production, and the potential of nitrifying bacteria and archaea to achieve sustainable intensification. The era of the industrial revolution (IR) uses biotechnology which has proven to be the most environmentally friendly choice to improve crop yield and nutrients. Scientific research and the global economy have benefited from maize and maize products which are vast. Research on plant growth-promoting microorganisms is on the increase. One of the ways they carry out their function is by assisting in the cycling of geochemical, thus making nutrients available for plant growth. Nitrifying bacteria and archaea are the engineers of the nitrification process that produce nitrogen in forms accessible to plants. They have been identified in the rhizosphere of many crops, including maize, and have been used as biofertilizers. This study's findings could help in the development of microbial inoculum, which could be used to replace synthetic fertilizer and achieve sustainable intensification of maize production during the industrial revolution.
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50
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Sim JXF, Doolette CL, Vasileiadis S, Drigo B, Wyrsch ER, Djordjevic SP, Donner E, Karpouzas DG, Lombi E. Pesticide effects on nitrogen cycle related microbial functions and community composition. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 807:150734. [PMID: 34606862 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The extensive application of pesticides in agriculture raises concerns about their potential negative impact on soil microorganisms, being the key drivers of nutrient cycling. Most studies have investigated the effect of a single pesticide on a nutrient cycling in single soil type. We, for the first time, investigated the effect of 20 commercial pesticides with different mode of actions, applied at their recommended dose and five times their recommended dose, on nitrogen (N) microbial cycling in three different agricultural soils from southern Australian. Functional effects were determined by measuring soil enzymatic activities of β-1,4-N-acetyliglucosaminidase (NAG) and l-leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), potential nitrification (PN), and the abundance of functional genes involved in N cycling (amoA and nifH). Effects on nitrifiers diversity were determined with amplicon sequencing. Overall, the pesticides effect on N microbial cycling was dose-independent and soil specific. The fungicides flutriafol and azoxystrobin, the herbicide chlorsulfuron and the insecticide fipronil induced a significant reduction in PN and β-1,4-N-acetylglucosaminidase activity (P < 0.05) (NAG) in the alkaline loam soil with low organic carbon content i.e. a soil with properties which typically favors pesticide bioavailability and therefore potential toxicity. For the nitrifier community, the greatest pesticide effects were on the most dominant Nitrososphaeraceae (ammonia-oxidizing archaea; AOA) whose abundance increased significantly compared to the less dominant AOA and other nitrifiers. The inhibiting effects were more evident in the soil samples treated with fungicides. By testing multiple pesticides in a single study, our findings provide crucial information that can be used for pesticide hazard assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jowenna X F Sim
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia.
| | - Casey L Doolette
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia
| | - Sotirios Vasileiadis
- University of Thessaly, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Laboratory of Plant and Environmental Biotechnology, Larissa, Viopolis 41500, Greece
| | - Barbara Drigo
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia
| | - Ethan R Wyrsch
- iThree Institute, University of Technology Sydney, City Campus, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia; The Australian Centre for Genomic Epidemiological Microbiology, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Steven P Djordjevic
- iThree Institute, University of Technology Sydney, City Campus, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia; The Australian Centre for Genomic Epidemiological Microbiology, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Erica Donner
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia
| | - Dimitrios G Karpouzas
- University of Thessaly, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Laboratory of Plant and Environmental Biotechnology, Larissa, Viopolis 41500, Greece
| | - Enzo Lombi
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia; University of South Australia, UniSA STEM, Mawson Lakes, South Australia 5095, Australia
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