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Yang Y, Leng H, Fan Q, Xiao X, Zhao W. Thermococcus thermotolerans sp. nov., a hyperthermophilic archaeon isolated from a chimney in the Southwest Indian Ocean. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2023; 73. [PMID: 38038219 DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.005934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
An anaerobic hyperthermophilic archaeon was isolated from a black smoker chimney with a snail attachment at a water depth of 2 739 m in the Southwest Indian Ocean. The sample was taken from the chimney exterior wall. The enrichment was conducted under a continuous culture with temperature fluctuation of 80-130 °C over 24 h for 42 days at 28 MPa. The isolation was performed at 90 °C at 0.1 MPa. Cells of the isolated strain 813A4T were irregular cocci. Strain 813A4T grew at 60-94 °C (optimal growth at 85 °C) at 0.1 MPa, and growth was detected at up to 99 °C at 28 MPa. At 85 °C, the strain was able to grow at pressures ranging from 0.1 to 110 MPa (optimal pressure, 0.1-40 MPa). At 85 °C, the cells of 813A4T grew at pH 5.5-9 (optimal, pH 7.0) and a NaCl concentration of 1.0-4.0 % (w/v; optimum concentration, 2.5 % NaCl). Strain 813A4T utilized yeast extract, tryptone and peptone as single carbon sources for growth. Elemental sulphur stimulated its growth. The G+C content of the complete genome was 53.48 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain 813A4T belonged to the genus Thermococcus, with the highest sequence similarity to Thermococcus barossii SHCK-94T (99.73 %). The average nucleotide identity between strains 813A4T and SHCK-94T was 82.56 %. All these data indicated that strain 813A4T should be classified as representing a novel species of the genus Thermococcus, for which Thermococcus thermotolerans sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 813A4T (=JCM 39367T=MCCC M28628T).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, PR China
- International Center for Deep Life Investigation, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, PR China
| | - Hao Leng
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, PR China
- International Center for Deep Life Investigation, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, PR China
| | - Qilian Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, PR China
- International Center for Deep Life Investigation, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, PR China
| | - Xiang Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, PR China
- International Center for Deep Life Investigation, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, PR China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhuhai, PR China
- SJTU Yazhou Bay Institute of Deepsea Sci-Tech, Yongyou Industrial Park, Sanya, 572024, PR China
| | - Weishu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, PR China
- International Center for Deep Life Investigation, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, PR China
- SJTU Yazhou Bay Institute of Deepsea Sci-Tech, Yongyou Industrial Park, Sanya, 572024, PR China
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Stöckl R, Nißl L, Reichelt R, Rachel R, Grohmann D, Grünberger F. The transcriptional regulator EarA and intergenic terminator sequences modulate archaellation in Pyrococcus furiosus. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1241399. [PMID: 38029142 PMCID: PMC10665913 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1241399] [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: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The regulation of archaellation, the formation of archaeal-specific cell appendages called archaella, is crucial for the motility, adhesion, and survival of archaeal organisms. Although the heavily archaellated and highly motile Pyrococcus furiosus is a key model organism for understanding the production and function of archaella in Euryarchaea, the transcriptional regulation of archaellum assembly is so far unknown. Here we show that the transcription factor EarA is the master regulator of the archaellum (arl) operon transcription, which is further modulated by intergenic transcription termination signals. EarA deletion or overexpression strains demonstrate that EarA is essential for archaellation in P. furiosus and governs the degree of archaellation. Providing a single-molecule update on the transcriptional landscape of the arl operon in P. furiosus, we identify sequence motifs for EarA binding upstream of the arl operon and intergenic terminator sequences as critical elements for fine-tuning the expression of the multicistronic arl cluster. Furthermore, transcriptome re-analysis across different Thermococcales species demonstrated a heterogeneous production of major archaellins, suggesting a more diverse composition of archaella than previously recognized. Overall, our study provides novel insights into the transcriptional regulation of archaellation and highlights the essential role of EarA in Pyrococcus furiosus. These findings advance our understanding of the mechanisms governing archaellation and have implications for the functional diversity of archaella.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Stöckl
- Institute of Microbiology and Archaea Centre, Faculty for Biology and Preclinical Medicine, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Laura Nißl
- Institute of Microbiology and Archaea Centre, Faculty for Biology and Preclinical Medicine, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Robert Reichelt
- Institute of Microbiology and Archaea Centre, Faculty for Biology and Preclinical Medicine, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Reinhard Rachel
- Centre for Electron Microscopy, Faculty for Biology and Preclinical Medicine, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Dina Grohmann
- Institute of Microbiology and Archaea Centre, Faculty for Biology and Preclinical Medicine, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Felix Grünberger
- Institute of Microbiology and Archaea Centre, Faculty for Biology and Preclinical Medicine, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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Gheibzadeh MS, Manyumwa CV, Tastan Bishop Ö, Shahbani Zahiri H, Parkkila S, Zolfaghari Emameh R. Genome Study of α-, β-, and γ-Carbonic Anhydrases from the Thermophilic Microbiome of Marine Hydrothermal Vent Ecosystems. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:770. [PMID: 37372055 DOI: 10.3390/biology12060770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) are metalloenzymes that can help organisms survive in hydrothermal vents by hydrating carbon dioxide (CO2). In this study, we focus on alpha (α), beta (β), and gamma (γ) CAs, which are present in the thermophilic microbiome of marine hydrothermal vents. The coding genes of these enzymes can be transferred between hydrothermal-vent organisms via horizontal gene transfer (HGT), which is an important tool in natural biodiversity. We performed big data mining and bioinformatics studies on α-, β-, and γ-CA coding genes from the thermophilic microbiome of marine hydrothermal vents. The results showed a reasonable association between thermostable α-, β-, and γ-CAs in the microbial population of the hydrothermal vents. This relationship could be due to HGT. We found evidence of HGT of α- and β-CAs between Cycloclasticus sp., a symbiont of Bathymodiolus heckerae, and an endosymbiont of Riftia pachyptila via Integrons. Conversely, HGT of β-CA genes from the endosymbiont Tevnia jerichonana to the endosymbiont Riftia pachyptila was detected. In addition, Hydrogenovibrio crunogenus SP-41 contains a β-CA gene on genomic islands (GIs). This gene can be transferred by HGT to Hydrogenovibrio sp. MA2-6, a methanotrophic endosymbiont of Bathymodiolus azoricus, and a methanotrophic endosymbiont of Bathymodiolus puteoserpentis. The endosymbiont of R. pachyptila has a γ-CA gene in the genome. If α- and β-CA coding genes have been derived from other microorganisms, such as endosymbionts of T. jerichonana and Cycloclasticus sp. as the endosymbiont of B. heckerae, through HGT, the theory of the necessity of thermostable CA enzymes for survival in the extreme ecosystem of hydrothermal vents is suggested and helps the conservation of microbiome natural diversity in hydrothermal vents. These harsh ecosystems, with their integral players, such as HGT and endosymbionts, significantly impact the enrichment of life on Earth and the carbon cycle in the ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Sadegh Gheibzadeh
- Department of Energy and Environmental Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran 14965/161, Iran
| | - Colleen Varaidzo Manyumwa
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (Rubi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa
| | - Özlem Tastan Bishop
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (Rubi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa
| | - Hossein Shahbani Zahiri
- Department of Energy and Environmental Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran 14965/161, Iran
| | - Seppo Parkkila
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, 33520 Tampere, Finland
- Fimlab Ltd., Tampere University Hospital, 33520 Tampere, Finland
| | - Reza Zolfaghari Emameh
- Department of Energy and Environmental Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran 14965/161, Iran
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Moon J, Schubert A, Waschinger LM, Müller V. Reprogramming the metabolism of an acetogenic bacterium to homoformatogenesis. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023:10.1038/s41396-023-01411-2. [PMID: 37061584 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01411-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023]
Abstract
Methyl groups are abundant in anoxic environments and their utilization as carbon and energy sources by microorganisms involves oxidation of the methyl groups to CO2, followed by transfer of the electrons to an acceptor. In acetogenic bacteria, the electron acceptor is CO2 that is reduced to enzyme bound carbon monoxide, the precursor of the carboxyl group in acetate. Here, we describe the generation of a mutant of the acetogen Acetobacterium woodii in which the last step in methyl group oxidation, formate oxidation to CO2 catalyzed by the HDCR enzyme, has been genetically deleted. The mutant grew on glycine betaine as methyl group donor, and in contrast to the wild type, formed formate alongside acetate, in a 1:2 ratio, demonstrating that methyl group oxidation stopped at the level of formate and reduced electron carriers were reoxidized by CO2 reduction to acetate. In the presence of the alternative electron acceptor caffeate, CO2 was no longer reduced to acetate, formate was the only product and all the carbon went to formate. Apparently, acetogenesis was not required to sustain formatogenic growth. This is the first demonstration of a genetic reprogramming of an acetogen into a formatogen that grows by homoformatogenesis from methyl groups. Formate production from methyl groups is not only of biotechnological interest but also for the mechanism of electron transfer in syntrophic interactions in anoxic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimyung Moon
- Molecular Microbiology & Bioenergetics, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Max-von-Laue Str. 9, D-60438, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Anja Schubert
- Molecular Microbiology & Bioenergetics, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Max-von-Laue Str. 9, D-60438, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Lara M Waschinger
- Molecular Microbiology & Bioenergetics, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Max-von-Laue Str. 9, D-60438, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Volker Müller
- Molecular Microbiology & Bioenergetics, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Max-von-Laue Str. 9, D-60438, Frankfurt, Germany.
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Degradation of biological macromolecules supports uncultured microbial populations in Guaymas Basin hydrothermal sediments. THE ISME JOURNAL 2021; 15:3480-3497. [PMID: 34112968 PMCID: PMC8630151 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-021-01026-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Hydrothermal sediments contain large numbers of uncultured heterotrophic microbial lineages. Here, we amended Guaymas Basin sediments with proteins, polysaccharides, nucleic acids or lipids under different redox conditions and cultivated heterotrophic thermophiles with the genomic potential for macromolecule degradation. We reconstructed 20 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) of uncultured lineages affiliating with known archaeal and bacterial phyla, including endospore-forming Bacilli and candidate phylum Marinisomatota. One Marinisomatota MAG had 35 different glycoside hydrolases often in multiple copies, seven extracellular CAZymes, six polysaccharide lyases, and multiple sugar transporters. This population has the potential to degrade a broad spectrum of polysaccharides including chitin, cellulose, pectin, alginate, chondroitin, and carrageenan. We also describe thermophiles affiliating with the genera Thermosyntropha, Thermovirga, and Kosmotoga with the capability to make a living on nucleic acids, lipids, or multiple macromolecule classes, respectively. Several populations seemed to lack extracellular enzyme machinery and thus likely scavenged oligo- or monomers (e.g., MAGs affiliating with Archaeoglobus) or metabolic products like hydrogen (e.g., MAGs affiliating with Thermodesulfobacterium or Desulforudaceae). The growth of methanogens or the production of methane was not observed in any condition, indicating that the tested macromolecules are not degraded into substrates for methanogenesis in hydrothermal sediments. We provide new insights into the niches, and genomes of microorganisms that actively degrade abundant necromass macromolecules under oxic, sulfate-reducing, and fermentative thermophilic conditions. These findings improve our understanding of the carbon flow across trophic levels and indicate how primary produced biomass sustains complex and productive ecosystems.
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Courtine D, Vince E, Maignien L, Philippon X, Gayet N, Shao Z, Alain K. Thermococcus camini sp. nov., a hyperthermophilic and piezophilic archaeon isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2021; 71. [PMID: 34236955 DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.004853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A coccoid-shaped, strictly anaerobic, hyperthermophilic and piezophilic organoheterotrophic archaeon, strain Iri35cT, was isolated from a hydrothermal chimney rock sample collected at a depth of 2300 m at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (Rainbow vent field). Cells of strain Iri35cT grew at NaCl concentrations ranging from 1-5 % (w/v) (optimum 2.0 %), from pH 5.0 to 9.0 (optimum 7.0-7.5), at temperatures between 50 and 90 °C (optimum 75-80 °C) and at pressures from 0.1 to at least 50 MPa (optimum: 10-30 MPa). The novel isolate grew on complex organic substrates, such as yeast extract, tryptone, peptone or beef extract, preferentially in the presence of elemental sulphur or l-cystine; however, these molecules were not necessary for growth. Its genomic DNA G+C content was 54.63 mol%. The genome has been annotated and the metabolic predictions are in accordance with the metabolic characteristics of the strain and of Thermococcales in general. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and concatenated ribosomal protein sequences showed that strain Iri35cT belongs to the genus Thermococcus, and is closer to the species T. celericrescens and T. siculi. Average nucleotide identity scores and in silico DNA-DNA hybridization values between the genome of strain Iri35cT and the genomes of the type species of the genus Thermococcus were below the species delineation threshold. Therefore, and considering the phenotypic data presented, strain Iri35cT is suggested to represent a novel species, for which the name Thermococcus camini sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain Iri35cT (=UBOCC M-2026T=DSM 111003T).
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien Courtine
- Univ Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, Laboratoire de Microbiologie des Environnements Extrêmes LM2E, IUEM, Rue Dumont d'Urville, F-29280 Plouzané, France.,IRP 1211 MicrobSea, Sino-French Laboratory of Deep-Sea Microbiology, LM2E (Plouzané, France)-KLAMBR, Xiamen, PR China.,Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, INSERM, CIML, Turing Centre for Living Systems, Marseille, France
| | - Erwann Vince
- Univ Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, Laboratoire de Microbiologie des Environnements Extrêmes LM2E, IUEM, Rue Dumont d'Urville, F-29280 Plouzané, France.,IRP 1211 MicrobSea, Sino-French Laboratory of Deep-Sea Microbiology, LM2E (Plouzané, France)-KLAMBR, Xiamen, PR China
| | - Loïs Maignien
- Univ Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, Laboratoire de Microbiologie des Environnements Extrêmes LM2E, IUEM, Rue Dumont d'Urville, F-29280 Plouzané, France.,IRP 1211 MicrobSea, Sino-French Laboratory of Deep-Sea Microbiology, LM2E (Plouzané, France)-KLAMBR, Xiamen, PR China
| | - Xavier Philippon
- Univ Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, Laboratoire de Microbiologie des Environnements Extrêmes LM2E, IUEM, Rue Dumont d'Urville, F-29280 Plouzané, France.,IRP 1211 MicrobSea, Sino-French Laboratory of Deep-Sea Microbiology, LM2E (Plouzané, France)-KLAMBR, Xiamen, PR China
| | | | - Zongze Shao
- IRP 1211 MicrobSea, Sino-French Laboratory of Deep-Sea Microbiology, LM2E (Plouzané, France)-KLAMBR, Xiamen, PR China.,Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, PR China
| | - Karine Alain
- Univ Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, Laboratoire de Microbiologie des Environnements Extrêmes LM2E, IUEM, Rue Dumont d'Urville, F-29280 Plouzané, France.,IRP 1211 MicrobSea, Sino-French Laboratory of Deep-Sea Microbiology, LM2E (Plouzané, France)-KLAMBR, Xiamen, PR China
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Blank PN, Barnett AA, Ronnebaum TA, Alderfer KE, Gillott BN, Christianson DW, Himmelberger JA. Structural studies of geranylgeranylglyceryl phosphate synthase, a prenyltransferase found in thermophilic Euryarchaeota. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2020; 76:542-557. [PMID: 32496216 PMCID: PMC7271946 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798320004878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Archaea are uniquely adapted to thrive in harsh environments, and one of these adaptations involves the archaeal membrane lipids, which are characterized by their isoprenoid alkyl chains connected via ether linkages to glycerol 1-phosphate. The membrane lipids of the thermophilic and acidophilic euryarchaeota Thermoplasma volcanium are exclusively glycerol dibiphytanyl glycerol tetraethers. The first committed step in the biosynthetic pathway of these archaeal lipids is the formation of the ether linkage between glycerol 1-phosphate and geranylgeranyl diphosphate, and is catalyzed by the enzyme geranylgeranylglyceryl phosphate synthase (GGGPS). The 1.72 Å resolution crystal structure of GGGPS from T. volcanium (TvGGGPS) in complex with glycerol and sulfate is reported here. The crystal structure reveals TvGGGPS to be a dimer, which is consistent with the absence of the aromatic anchor residue in helix α5a that is required for hexamerization in other GGGPS homologs; the hexameric quaternary structure in GGGPS is thought to provide thermostability. A phylogenetic analysis of the Euryarchaeota and a parallel ancestral state reconstruction investigated the relationship between optimal growth temperature and the ancestral sequences. The presence of an aromatic anchor residue is not explained by temperature as an ecological parameter. An examination of the active site of the TvGGGPS dimer revealed that it may be able to accommodate longer isoprenoid substrates, supporting an alternative pathway of isoprenoid membrane-lipid synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- P. N. Blank
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - A. A. Barnett
- Department of Biology, DeSales University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA 18034, USA
| | - T. A. Ronnebaum
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - K. E. Alderfer
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, DeSales University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA 18034, USA
| | - B. N. Gillott
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, DeSales University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA 18034, USA
| | - D. W. Christianson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - J. A. Himmelberger
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, DeSales University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA 18034, USA
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Fukuyama Y, Inoue M, Omae K, Yoshida T, Sako Y. Anaerobic and hydrogenogenic carbon monoxide-oxidizing prokaryotes: Versatile microbial conversion of a toxic gas into an available energy. ADVANCES IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY 2020; 110:99-148. [PMID: 32386607 DOI: 10.1016/bs.aambs.2019.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a gas that is toxic to various organisms including humans and even microbes; however, it has low redox potential, which can fuel certain microbes, namely, CO oxidizers. Hydrogenogenic CO oxidizers utilize an energy conservation system via a CO dehydrogenase/energy-converting hydrogenase complex to produce hydrogen gas, a zero emission fuel, by CO oxidation coupled with proton reduction. Biochemical and molecular biological studies using a few model organisms have revealed their enzymatic reactions and transcriptional response mechanisms using CO. Biotechnological studies for CO-dependent hydrogen production have also been carried out with these model organisms. In this chapter, we review recent advances in the studies of these microbes, which reveal their unique and versatile metabolic profiles and provides future perspectives on ecological roles and biotechnological applications. Over the past decade, the number of isolates has doubled (37 isolates in 5 phyla, 20 genera, and 32 species). Some of the recently isolated ones show broad specificity to electron acceptors. Moreover, accumulating genomic information predicts their unique physiologies and reveals their phylogenomic relationships with novel potential hydrogenogenic CO oxidizers. Combined with genomic database surveys, a molecular ecological study has unveiled the wide distribution and low abundance of these microbes. Finally, recent biotechnological applications of hydrogenogenic CO oxidizers have been achieved via diverse approaches (e.g., metabolic engineering and co-cultivation), and the identification of thermophilic facultative anaerobic CO oxidizers will promote industrial applications as oxygen-tolerant biocatalysts for efficient hydrogen production by genomic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuto Fukuyama
- Laboratory of Marine Microbiology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Masao Inoue
- Laboratory of Marine Microbiology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kimiho Omae
- Laboratory of Marine Microbiology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takashi Yoshida
- Laboratory of Marine Microbiology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yoshihiko Sako
- Laboratory of Marine Microbiology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
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Topçuoğlu BD, Meydan C, Nguyen TB, Lang SQ, Holden JF. Growth Kinetics, Carbon Isotope Fractionation, and Gene Expression in the Hyperthermophile Methanocaldococcus jannaschii during Hydrogen-Limited Growth and Interspecies Hydrogen Transfer. Appl Environ Microbiol 2019; 85:e00180-19. [PMID: 30824444 PMCID: PMC6495749 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00180-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyperthermophilic methanogens are often H2 limited in hot subseafloor environments, and their survival may be due in part to physiological adaptations to low H2 conditions and interspecies H2 transfer. The hyperthermophilic methanogen Methanocaldococcus jannaschii was grown in monoculture at high (80 to 83 μM) and low (15 to 27 μM) aqueous H2 concentrations and in coculture with the hyperthermophilic H2 producer Thermococcus paralvinellae The purpose was to measure changes in growth and CH4 production kinetics, CH4 fractionation, and gene expression in M. jannaschii with changes in H2 flux. Growth and cell-specific CH4 production rates of M. jannaschii decreased with decreasing H2 availability and decreased further in coculture. However, cell yield (cells produced per mole of CH4 produced) increased 6-fold when M. jannaschii was grown in coculture rather than monoculture. Relative to high H2 concentrations, isotopic fractionation of CO2 to CH4 (εCO2-CH4) was 16‰ larger for cultures grown at low H2 concentrations and 45‰ and 56‰ larger for M. jannaschii growth in coculture on maltose and formate, respectively. Gene expression analyses showed H2-dependent methylene-tetrahydromethanopterin (H4MPT) dehydrogenase expression decreased and coenzyme F420-dependent methylene-H4MPT dehydrogenase expression increased with decreasing H2 availability and in coculture growth. In coculture, gene expression decreased for membrane-bound ATP synthase and hydrogenase. The results suggest that H2 availability significantly affects the CH4 and biomass production and CH4 fractionation by hyperthermophilic methanogens in their native habitats.IMPORTANCE Hyperthermophilic methanogens and H2-producing heterotrophs are collocated in high-temperature subseafloor environments, such as petroleum reservoirs, mid-ocean ridge flanks, and hydrothermal vents. Abiotic flux of H2 can be very low in these environments, and there is a gap in our knowledge about the origin of CH4 in these habitats. In the hyperthermophile Methanocaldococcus jannaschii, growth yields increased as H2 flux, growth rates, and CH4 production rates decreased. The same trend was observed increasingly with interspecies H2 transfer between M. jannaschii and the hyperthermophilic H2 producer Thermococcus paralvinellae With decreasing H2 availability, isotopic fractionation of carbon during methanogenesis increased, resulting in isotopically more negative CH4 with a concomitant decrease in H2-dependent methylene-tetrahydromethanopterin dehydrogenase gene expression and increase in F420-dependent methylene-tetrahydromethanopterin dehydrogenase gene expression. The significance of our research is in understanding the nature of hyperthermophilic interspecies H2 transfer and identifying biogeochemical and molecular markers for assessing the physiological state of methanogens and possible source of CH4 in natural environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Begüm D Topçuoğlu
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Cem Meydan
- Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA
| | - Tran B Nguyen
- School of the Earth, Ocean, and Environment, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Susan Q Lang
- School of the Earth, Ocean, and Environment, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - James F Holden
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
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Omae K, Fukuyama Y, Yasuda H, Mise K, Yoshida T, Sako Y. Diversity and distribution of thermophilic hydrogenogenic carboxydotrophs revealed by microbial community analysis in sediments from multiple hydrothermal environments in Japan. Arch Microbiol 2019; 201:969-982. [PMID: 31030239 PMCID: PMC6687684 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-019-01661-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Revised: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
In hydrothermal environments, carbon monoxide (CO) utilisation by thermophilic hydrogenogenic carboxydotrophs may play an important role in microbial ecology by reducing toxic levels of CO and providing H2 for fuelling microbial communities. We evaluated thermophilic hydrogenogenic carboxydotrophs by microbial community analysis. First, we analysed the correlation between carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (CODH)–energy-converting hydrogenase (ECH) gene cluster and taxonomic affiliation by surveying an increasing genomic database. We identified 71 genome-encoded CODH–ECH gene clusters, including 46 whose owners were not reported as hydrogenogenic carboxydotrophs. We identified 13 phylotypes showing > 98.7% identity with these taxa as potential hydrogenogenic carboxydotrophs in hot springs. Of these, Firmicutes phylotypes such as Parageobacillus, Carboxydocella, Caldanaerobacter, and Carboxydothermus were found in different environmental conditions and distinct microbial communities. The relative abundance of the potential thermophilic hydrogenogenic carboxydotrophs was low. Most of them did not show any symbiotic networks with other microbes, implying that their metabolic activities might be low.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimiho Omae
- Laboratory of Marine Microbiology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8503, Japan
| | - Yuto Fukuyama
- Laboratory of Marine Microbiology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8503, Japan
| | - Hisato Yasuda
- Center for Advanced Marine Core Research, Kochi University, B200 Monobe, Nankoku, Kochi, 783-8502, Japan
| | - Kenta Mise
- Laboratory of Marine Microbiology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8503, Japan
| | - Takashi Yoshida
- Laboratory of Marine Microbiology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8503, Japan
| | - Yoshihiko Sako
- Laboratory of Marine Microbiology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8503, Japan.
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Topçuoğlu BD, Meydan C, Orellana R, Holden JF. Formate hydrogenlyase and formate secretion ameliorate H
2
inhibition in the hyperthermophilic archaeon
Thermococcus paralvinellae. Environ Microbiol 2017; 20:949-957. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Revised: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Begüm D. Topçuoğlu
- Department of MicrobiologyUniversity of MassachusettsAmherst MA 01003 USA
| | - Cem Meydan
- Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical CollegeNew York NY 10021 USA
| | - Roberto Orellana
- Centro de Biotecnología, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa MaríaValparaíso Chile
| | - James F. Holden
- Department of MicrobiologyUniversity of MassachusettsAmherst MA 01003 USA
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12
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Microbial Diversity in Extreme Marine Habitats and Their Biomolecules. Microorganisms 2017; 5:microorganisms5020025. [PMID: 28509857 PMCID: PMC5488096 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms5020025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Revised: 05/02/2017] [Accepted: 05/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Extreme marine environments have been the subject of many studies and scientific publications. For many years, these environmental niches, which are characterized by high or low temperatures, high-pressure, low pH, high salt concentrations and also two or more extreme parameters in combination, have been thought to be incompatible to any life forms. Thanks to new technologies such as metagenomics, it is now possible to detect life in most extreme environments. Starting from the discovery of deep sea hydrothermal vents up to the study of marine biodiversity, new microorganisms have been identified, and their potential uses in several applied fields have been outlined. Thermophile, halophile, alkalophile, psychrophile, piezophile and polyextremophile microorganisms have been isolated from these marine environments; they proliferate thanks to adaptation strategies involving diverse cellular metabolic mechanisms. Therefore, a vast number of new biomolecules such as enzymes, polymers and osmolytes from the inhabitant microbial community of the sea have been studied, and there is a growing interest in the potential returns of several industrial production processes concerning the pharmaceutical, medical, environmental and food fields.
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13
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Topçuoğlu BD, Stewart LC, Morrison HG, Butterfield DA, Huber JA, Holden JF. Hydrogen Limitation and Syntrophic Growth among Natural Assemblages of Thermophilic Methanogens at Deep-sea Hydrothermal Vents. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:1240. [PMID: 27547206 PMCID: PMC4974244 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2016] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Thermophilic methanogens are common autotrophs at hydrothermal vents, but their growth constraints and dependence on H2 syntrophy in situ are poorly understood. Between 2012 and 2015, methanogens and H2-producing heterotrophs were detected by growth at 80°C and 55°C at most diffuse (7-40°C) hydrothermal vent sites at Axial Seamount. Microcosm incubations of diffuse hydrothermal fluids at 80°C and 55°C demonstrated that growth of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic methanogens is primarily limited by H2 availability. Amendment of microcosms with NH4 (+) generally had no effect on CH4 production. However, annual variations in abundance and CH4 production were observed in relation to the eruption cycle of the seamount. Microcosm incubations of hydrothermal fluids at 80°C and 55°C supplemented with tryptone and no added H2 showed CH4 production indicating the capacity in situ for methanogenic H2 syntrophy. 16S rRNA genes were found in 80°C microcosms from H2-producing archaea and H2-consuming methanogens, but not for any bacteria. In 55°C microcosms, sequences were found from H2-producing bacteria and H2-consuming methanogens and sulfate-reducing bacteria. A co-culture of representative organisms showed that Thermococcus paralvinellae supported the syntrophic growth of Methanocaldococcus bathoardescens at 82°C and Methanothermococcus sp. strain BW11 at 60°C. The results demonstrate that modeling of subseafloor methanogenesis should focus primarily on H2 availability and temperature, and that thermophilic H2 syntrophy can support methanogenesis within natural microbial assemblages and may be an important energy source for thermophilic autotrophs in marine geothermal environments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lucy C. Stewart
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, AmherstMA, USA
| | - Hilary G. Morrison
- Marine Biological Laboratory, Josephine Bay Paul Center, Woods HoleMA, USA
| | - David A. Butterfield
- Joint Institute for the Study of Atmosphere and Ocean, University of Washington, SeattleWA, USA
- Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, SeattleWA, USA
| | - Julie A. Huber
- Marine Biological Laboratory, Josephine Bay Paul Center, Woods HoleMA, USA
| | - James F. Holden
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, AmherstMA, USA
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14
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Hensley SA, Moreira E, Holden JF. Hydrogen Production and Enzyme Activities in the Hyperthermophile Thermococcus paralvinellae Grown on Maltose, Tryptone, and Agricultural Waste. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:167. [PMID: 26941713 PMCID: PMC4762990 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2015] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Thermococcus may be an important alternative source of H2 in the hot subseafloor in otherwise low H2 environments such as some hydrothermal vents and oil reservoirs. It may also be useful in industry for rapid agricultural waste treatment and concomitant H2 production. Thermococcus paralvinellae grown at 82°C without sulfur produced up to 5 mmol of H2 L(-1) at rates of 5-36 fmol H2 cell(-1) h(-1) on 0.5% (wt vol(-1)) maltose, 0.5% (wt vol(-1)) tryptone, and 0.5% maltose + 0.05% tryptone media. Two potentially inhibiting conditions, the presence of 10 mM acetate and low pH (pH 5) in maltose-only medium, did not significantly affect growth or H2 production. Growth rates, H2 production rates, and cell yields based on H2 production were the same as those for Pyrococcus furiosus grown at 95°C on the same media for comparison. Acetate, butyrate, succinate, isovalerate, and formate were also detected as end products. After 100 h, T. paralvinellae produced up to 5 mmol of H2 L(-1) of medium when grown on up to 70% (vol vol(-1)) waste milk from cows undergoing treatment for mastitis with the bacterial antibiotic Ceftiofur and from untreated cows. The amount of H2 produced by T. paralvinellae increased with increasing waste concentrations, but decreased in P. furiosus cultures supplemented with waste milk above 1% concentration. All mesophilic bacteria from the waste milk that grew on Luria Bertani, Sheep's Blood (selective for Staphylococcus, the typical cause of mastitis), and MacConkey (selective for Gram-negative enteric bacteria) agar plates were killed by heat during incubation at 82°C. Ceftiofur, which is heat labile, was below the detection limit following incubation at 82°C. T. paralvinellae also produced up to 6 mmol of H2 L(-1) of medium when grown on 0.1-10% (wt vol(-1)) spent brewery grain while P. furiosus produced < 1 mmol of H2 L(-1). Twelve of 13 enzyme activities in T. paralvinellae showed significant (p < 0.05) differences across six different growth conditions; however, methyl viologen-dependent membrane hydrogenase activity remained constant across all media types. The results demonstrate the potential of at least some Thermococcus species to produce H2 if protein and α-glucosides are present as substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - James F. Holden
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherst, MA, USA
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15
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Cario A, Mizgier A, Thiel A, Jebbar M, Oger PM. Restoration of the di-myo-inositol-phosphate pathway in the piezo-hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus barophilus. Biochimie 2015; 118:286-93. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2015.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2015] [Accepted: 05/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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16
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Cossu M, Da Cunha V, Toffano-Nioche C, Forterre P, Oberto J. Comparative genomics reveals conserved positioning of essential genomic clusters in highly rearranged Thermococcales chromosomes. Biochimie 2015; 118:313-21. [PMID: 26166067 PMCID: PMC4640148 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2015.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The genomes of the 21 completely sequenced Thermococcales display a characteristic high level of rearrangements. As a result, the prediction of their origin and termination of replication on the sole basis of chromosomal DNA composition or skew is inoperative. Using a different approach based on biologically relevant sequences, we were able to determine oriC position in all 21 genomes. The position of dif, the site where chromosome dimers are resolved before DNA segregation could be predicted in 19 genomes. Computation of the core genome uncovered a number of essential gene clusters with a remarkably stable chromosomal position across species, in sharp contrast with the scrambled nature of their genomes. The active chromosomal reorganization of numerous genes acquired by horizontal transfer, mainly from mobile elements, could explain this phenomenon. Thermococcales chromosomal landmarks were uncovered using biologically relevant sequences. Core genomes procedures predict integration of mobile elements on Thermococcales chromosomes. Thermococcales genomes are highly rearranged but core clusters positions remain invariable. Thermococcales core genes are more expressed and predominantly encoded on the leading strand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Cossu
- Institute of Integrative Cellular Biology, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris Sud, 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Violette Da Cunha
- Institute of Integrative Cellular Biology, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris Sud, 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Claire Toffano-Nioche
- Institute of Integrative Cellular Biology, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris Sud, 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Patrick Forterre
- Institute of Integrative Cellular Biology, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris Sud, 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Jacques Oberto
- Institute of Integrative Cellular Biology, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris Sud, 91405 Orsay, France
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