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Di Nezio F, Roman S, Buetti-Dinh A, Sepúlveda Steiner O, Bouffard D, Sengupta A, Storelli N. Motile bacteria leverage bioconvection for eco-physiological benefits in a natural aquatic environment. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1253009. [PMID: 38163082 PMCID: PMC10756677 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1253009] [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: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Bioconvection, a phenomenon characterized by the collective upward swimming of motile microorganisms, has mainly been investigated within controlled laboratory settings, leaving a knowledge gap regarding its ecological implications in natural aquatic environments. This study aims to address this question by investigating the influence of bioconvection on the eco-physiology of the anoxygenic phototrophic sulfur bacteria community of meromictic Lake Cadagno. Methods Here we comprehensively explore its effects by comparing the physicochemical profiles of the water column and the physiological traits of the main populations of the bacterial layer (BL). The search for eco-physiological effects of bioconvection involved a comparative analysis between two time points during the warm season, one featuring bioconvection (July) and the other without it (September). Results A prominent distinction in the physicochemical profiles of the water column centers on light availability, which is significantly higher in July. This minimum threshold of light intensity is essential for sustaining the physiological CO2 fixation activity of Chromatium okenii, the microorganism responsible for bioconvection. Furthermore, the turbulence generated by bioconvection redistributes sulfides to the upper region of the BL and displaces other microorganisms from their optimal ecological niches. Conclusion The findings underscore the influence of bioconvection on the physiology of C. okenii and demonstrate its functional role in improving its metabolic advantage over coexisting phototrophic sulfur bacteria. However, additional research is necessary to confirm these results and to unravel the multiscale processes activated by C. okenii's motility mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Di Nezio
- Department of Environment, Constructions, and Design, Institute of Microbiology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), Mendrisio, Switzerland
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Samuele Roman
- Department of Environment, Constructions, and Design, Institute of Microbiology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), Mendrisio, Switzerland
- Alpine Biology Center Foundation, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Antoine Buetti-Dinh
- Department of Environment, Constructions, and Design, Institute of Microbiology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), Mendrisio, Switzerland
| | - Oscar Sepúlveda Steiner
- Department of Surface Waters – Research and Management, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Damien Bouffard
- Department of Surface Waters – Research and Management, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
- Faculty of Geosciences and Environment, Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anupam Sengupta
- Department of Physics and Materials Science, Physics of Living Matter Group, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Nicola Storelli
- Department of Environment, Constructions, and Design, Institute of Microbiology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), Mendrisio, Switzerland
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Aerts JW, Sarbu SM, Brad T, Ehrenfreund P, Westerhoff HV. Microbial Ecosystems in Movile Cave: An Environment of Extreme Life. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:2120. [PMID: 38004260 PMCID: PMC10672346 DOI: 10.3390/life13112120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Movile Cave, situated in Romania close to the Black Sea, constitutes a distinct and challenging environment for life. Its partially submerged ecosystem depends on chemolithotrophic processes for its energetics, which are fed by a continuous hypogenic inflow of mesothermal waters rich in reduced chemicals such as hydrogen sulfide and methane. We sampled a variety of cave sublocations over the course of three years. Furthermore, in a microcosm experiment, minerals were incubated in the cave waters for one year. Both endemic cave samples and extracts from the minerals were subjected to 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. The sequence data show specific community profiles in the different subenvironments, indicating that specialized prokaryotic communities inhabit the different zones in the cave. Already after one year, the different incubated minerals had been colonized by specific microbial communities, indicating that microbes in Movile Cave can adapt in a relatively short timescale to environmental opportunities in terms of energy and nutrients. Life can thrive, diversify and adapt in remote and isolated subterranean environments such as Movile Cave.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joost W. Aerts
- Molecular Cell Biology, A-LIFE, 01-E-57, Faculty of Science, VU University Amsterdam, Van der Boechorstraat 3, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Serban M. Sarbu
- “Emil Racoviţă” Institute of Speleology, Str. Frumoasă 31, 010986 Bucharest, Romania
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Chico, CA 95929, USA
| | - Traian Brad
- “Emil Racoviţă” Institute of Speleology, Clinicilor 5-7, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Pascale Ehrenfreund
- Laboratory for Astrophysics, Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, 2333 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
- Space Policy Institute, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Hans V. Westerhoff
- Molecular Cell Biology, A-LIFE, 01-E-57, Faculty of Science, VU University Amsterdam, Van der Boechorstraat 3, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Synthetic Systems Biology and Nuclear Organization, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
- Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
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Saini JS, Manni M, Hassler C, Cable RN, Duhaime MB, Zdobnov EM. Genomic insights into the coupling of a Chlorella-like microeukaryote and sulfur bacteria in the chemocline of permanently stratified Lake Cadagno. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023; 17:903-915. [PMID: 37031343 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01396-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2023]
Abstract
Meromictic Lake Cadagno is a permanently stratified system with a persistent microbial bloom within the oxic-anoxic boundary called the chemocline. The association between oxygenic and anoxygenic photosynthesis within the chemocline has been known for at least two decades. Although anoxygenic purple and green sulfur bacteria have been well studied, reports on oxygenic phytoplankton have remained sparse since their discovery in the 1920s. Nearly a century later, this study presents the first near-complete genome of a photosynthetic microbial eukaryote from the chemocline of Lake Cadagno, provisionally named Chlorella-like MAG. The 18.9 Mbp nuclear genome displays a high GC content (71.5%), and the phylogenetic placement suggests that it is a novel species of the genus Chlorella of Chlorophytes. Functional annotation of the Chlorella-like metagenome-assembled genome predicted 10,732 protein-coding genes, with an approximate 0.6% proportion potentially involved in carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen (C, N, and S) metabolism. In addition to C4 photosynthesis, this study detected genes for heat shock proteins (HSPs) in the Chlorella-like algae, consistent with the other Chlorella species. Altogether, the genomic insights in this study suggest the cooperation of photosynthetic algae with phototrophic sulfur bacteria via C, N, and S metabolism, which may aid their collective persistence in the Lake Cadagno chemocline. Furthermore, this work additionally presents the chloroplast genome of Cryptomonas-like species, which was likely to be presumed as cyanobacteria in previous studies because of the presence of phycobilisomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaspreet S Saini
- Department F.-A Forel for Environmental and Aquatic Sciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Laboratory for Environmental Biotechnology, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Mosè Manni
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christel Hassler
- Department F.-A Forel for Environmental and Aquatic Sciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Rachel N Cable
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Melissa B Duhaime
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Evgeny M Zdobnov
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Magnuson E, Altshuler I, Fernández-Martínez MÁ, Chen YJ, Maggiori C, Goordial J, Whyte LG. Active lithoautotrophic and methane-oxidizing microbial community in an anoxic, sub-zero, and hypersaline High Arctic spring. THE ISME JOURNAL 2022; 16:1798-1808. [PMID: 35396347 PMCID: PMC9213412 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-022-01233-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
Lost Hammer Spring, located in the High Arctic of Nunavut, Canada, is one of the coldest and saltiest terrestrial springs discovered to date. It perennially discharges anoxic (<1 ppm dissolved oxygen), sub-zero (~-5 °C), and hypersaline (~24% salinity) brines from the subsurface through up to 600 m of permafrost. The sediment is sulfate-rich (1 M) and continually emits gases composed primarily of methane (~50%), making Lost Hammer the coldest known terrestrial methane seep and an analog to extraterrestrial habits on Mars, Europa, and Enceladus. A multi-omics approach utilizing metagenome, metatranscriptome, and single-amplified genome sequencing revealed a rare surface terrestrial habitat supporting a predominantly lithoautotrophic active microbial community driven in part by sulfide-oxidizing Gammaproteobacteria scavenging trace oxygen. Genomes from active anaerobic methane-oxidizing archaea (ANME-1) showed evidence of putative metabolic flexibility and hypersaline and cold adaptations. Evidence of anaerobic heterotrophic and fermentative lifestyles were found in candidate phyla DPANN archaea and CG03 bacteria genomes. Our results demonstrate Mars-relevant metabolisms including sulfide oxidation, sulfate reduction, anaerobic oxidation of methane, and oxidation of trace gases (H2, CO2) detected under anoxic, hypersaline, and sub-zero ambient conditions, providing evidence that similar extant microbial life could potentially survive in similar habitats on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisse Magnuson
- Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada
| | - Ianina Altshuler
- School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Ya-Jou Chen
- Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada
| | - Catherine Maggiori
- Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada
| | | | - Lyle G Whyte
- Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada.
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Bacterial, Phytoplankton, and Viral Distributions and Their Biogeochemical Contexts in Meromictic Lake Cadagno Offer Insights into the Proterozoic Ocean Microbial Loop. mBio 2022; 13:e0005222. [PMID: 35726916 PMCID: PMC9426590 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00052-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Lake Cadagno, a permanently stratified high-alpine lake with a persistent microbial bloom in its chemocline, has long been considered a model for the low-oxygen, high-sulfide Proterozoic ocean. Although the lake has been studied for over 25 years, the absence of concerted study of the bacteria, phytoplankton, and viruses, together with primary and secondary production, has hindered a comprehensive understanding of its microbial food web. Here, the identities, abundances, and productivity of microbes were evaluated in the context of Lake Cadagno biogeochemistry. Photosynthetic pigments together with 16S rRNA gene phylogenies suggest the prominence of eukaryotic phytoplankton chloroplasts, primarily chlorophytes. Chloroplasts closely related to those of high-alpine-adapted Ankyra judayi persisted with oxygen in the mixolimnion, where photosynthetic efficiency was high, while chloroplasts of Closteriopsis-related chlorophytes peaked in the chemocline and monimolimnion. The anoxygenic phototrophic sulfur bacterium Chromatium dominated the chemocline along with Lentimicrobium, a genus of known fermenters. Secondary production peaked in the chemocline, which suggested that anoxygenic primary producers depended on heterotrophic nutrient remineralization. The virus-to-microbe ratio peaked with phytoplankton abundances in the mixolimnion and were at a minimum where Chromatium abundance was highest, trends that suggest that viruses may play a role in the modulation of primary production. Through the combined analysis of bacterial, eukaryotic, viral, and biogeochemical spatial dynamics, we provide a comprehensive synthesis of the Lake Cadagno microbial loop. This study offers a new ecological perspective on how biological and geochemical connections may have occurred in the chemocline of the Proterozoic ocean, where eukaryotic microbial life is thought to have evolved.
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Berg JS, Ahmerkamp S, Pjevac P, Hausmann B, Milucka J, Kuypers MMM. OUP accepted manuscript. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2022; 46:6517451. [PMID: 35094062 PMCID: PMC9075580 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuac006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxygen (O2) is the ultimate oxidant on Earth and its respiration confers such an energetic advantage that microorganisms have evolved the capacity to scavenge O2 down to nanomolar concentrations. The respiration of O2 at extremely low levels is proving to be common to diverse microbial taxa, including organisms formerly considered strict anaerobes. Motivated by recent advances in O2 sensing and DNA/RNA sequencing technologies, we performed a systematic review of environmental metatranscriptomes revealing that microbial respiration of O2 at nanomolar concentrations is ubiquitous and drives microbial activity in seemingly anoxic aquatic habitats. These habitats were key to the early evolution of life and are projected to become more prevalent in the near future due to anthropogenic-driven environmental change. Here, we summarize our current understanding of aerobic microbial respiration under apparent anoxia, including novel processes, their underlying biochemical pathways, the involved microorganisms, and their environmental importance and evolutionary origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine S Berg
- Corrresponding author: Géopolis, Quartier Unil-Mouline, Université de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. E-mail:
| | - Soeren Ahmerkamp
- Department of Biogeochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen 2359, Germany
| | - Petra Pjevac
- Joint Microbiome Facility of the Medical University of Vienna and the Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
- Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Bela Hausmann
- Joint Microbiome Facility of the Medical University of Vienna and the Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Jana Milucka
- Department of Biogeochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen 2359, Germany
| | - Marcel M M Kuypers
- Department of Biogeochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen 2359, Germany
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7
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Wu YT, Chiang PW, Tandon K, Rogozin DY, Degermendzhy AG, Tang SL. Single-cell genomics-based analysis reveals a vital ecological role of Thiocapsa sp. LSW in the meromictic Lake Shunet, Siberia. Microb Genom 2021; 7:000712. [PMID: 34860152 PMCID: PMC8767323 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Meromictic lakes usually harbour certain prevailing anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria in their anoxic zone, such as the purple sulfur bacterium (PSB) Thiocapsa sp. LSW (hereafter LSW) in Lake Shunet, Siberia. PSBs have been suggested to play a vital role in carbon, nitrogen and sulfur cycling at the oxic-anoxic interface of stratified lakes; however, the ecological significance of PSBs in the lake remains poorly understood. In this study, we explored the potential ecological role of LSW using a deep-sequencing analysis of single-cell genomics associated with flow cytometry. An approximately 2.7 Mb draft genome was obtained based on the co-assembly of five single-cell genomes. LSW might grow photolithoautotrophically and could play putative roles not only as a carbon fixer and diazotroph, but also as a sulfate reducer/oxidizer in the lake. This study provides insights into the potential ecological role of Thiocapsa sp. in meromictic lakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ting Wu
- Department of Forestry, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung 91201, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Pei-Wen Chiang
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Kshitij Tandon
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Denis Yu Rogozin
- Institute of Biophysics, Siberian Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Krasnoyarsk, Russia,Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Andrey G. Degermendzhy
- Institute of Biophysics, Siberian Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Sen-Lin Tang
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan, ROC,*Correspondence: Sen-Lin Tang,
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8
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Khasimov MK, Laurinavichene TV, Petushkova EP, Tsygankov AA. Relations between Hydrogen and Sulfur Metabolism in Purple Sulfur Bacteria. Microbiology (Reading) 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s0026261721050106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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9
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Philippi M, Kitzinger K, Berg JS, Tschitschko B, Kidane AT, Littmann S, Marchant HK, Storelli N, Winkel LHE, Schubert CJ, Mohr W, Kuypers MMM. Purple sulfur bacteria fix N 2 via molybdenum-nitrogenase in a low molybdenum Proterozoic ocean analogue. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4774. [PMID: 34362886 PMCID: PMC8346585 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25000-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological N2 fixation was key to the expansion of life on early Earth. The N2-fixing microorganisms and the nitrogenase type used in the Proterozoic are unknown, although it has been proposed that the canonical molybdenum-nitrogenase was not used due to low molybdenum availability. We investigate N2 fixation in Lake Cadagno, an analogue system to the sulfidic Proterozoic continental margins, using a combination of biogeochemical, molecular and single cell techniques. In Lake Cadagno, purple sulfur bacteria (PSB) are responsible for high N2 fixation rates, to our knowledge providing the first direct evidence for PSB in situ N2 fixation. Surprisingly, no alternative nitrogenases are detectable, and N2 fixation is exclusively catalyzed by molybdenum-nitrogenase. Our results show that molybdenum-nitrogenase is functional at low molybdenum conditions in situ and that in contrast to previous beliefs, PSB may have driven N2 fixation in the Proterozoic ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Philippi
- Department of Biogeochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Katharina Kitzinger
- Department of Biogeochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany.
| | - Jasmine S Berg
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH-Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Bernhard Tschitschko
- Department of Biogeochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Abiel T Kidane
- Department of Biogeochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Sten Littmann
- Department of Biogeochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Hannah K Marchant
- Department of Biogeochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Nicola Storelli
- Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Department of Environment, Constructions and Design, University of Applied Sciences of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Lenny H E Winkel
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH-Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Carsten J Schubert
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH-Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
| | - Wiebke Mohr
- Department of Biogeochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Marcel M M Kuypers
- Department of Biogeochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
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Block KR, O'Brien JM, Edwards WJ, Marnocha CL. Vertical structure of the bacterial diversity in meromictic Fayetteville Green Lake. Microbiologyopen 2021; 10:e1228. [PMID: 34459548 PMCID: PMC8330806 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.1228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The permanently stratified water columns in euxinic meromictic lakes produce niche environments for phototrophic sulfur oxidizers and diverse sulfur metabolisms. While Green Lake (Fayetteville, New York, NY) is known to host a diverse community of ecologically important sulfur bacteria, analyses of its microbial communities, to date, have been largely based on pigment analysis and smaller datasets from Sanger sequencing techniques. Here, we present the results of next-generation sequencing of the eubacterial community in the context of the water column geochemistry. We observed abundant purple and green sulfur bacteria, as well as anoxygenic photosynthesis-capable cyanobacteria within the upper monimolimnion. Amidst the phototrophs, we found other sulfur-cycling bacteria including sulfur disproportionators and chemotrophic sulfur oxidizers, further detailing our understanding of the sulfur cycle and microbial ecology of euxinic, meromictic lakes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joy M. O'Brien
- Department of BiologyNiagara UniversityLewistonNew YorkUSA
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Carotenoid biomarkers in Namibian shelf sediments: Anoxygenic photosynthesis during sulfide eruptions in the Benguela Upwelling System. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2106040118. [PMID: 34272281 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2106040118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Aromatic carotenoid-derived hydrocarbon biomarkers are ubiquitous in ancient sediments and oils and are typically attributed to anoxygenic phototrophic green sulfur bacteria (GSB) and purple sulfur bacteria (PSB). These biomarkers serve as proxies for the environmental growth requirements of PSB and GSB, namely euxinic waters extending into the photic zone. Until now, prevailing models for environments supporting anoxygenic phototrophs include microbial mats, restricted basins and fjords with deep chemoclines, and meromictic lakes with shallow chemoclines. However, carotenoids have been reported in ancient open marine settings for which there currently are no known modern analogs that host GSB and PSB. The Benguela Upwelling System offshore Namibia, known for exceptionally high primary productivity, is prone to recurrent toxic gas eruptions whereupon hydrogen sulfide emanates from sediments into the overlying water column. These events, visible in satellite imagery as water masses clouded with elemental sulfur, suggest that the Benguela Upwelling System may be capable of supporting GSB and PSB. Here, we compare distributions of biomarkers in the free and sulfur-bound organic matter of Namibian shelf sediments. Numerous compounds-including acyclic isoprenoids, steranes, triterpanes, and carotenoids-were released from the polar lipid fractions upon Raney nickel desulfurization. The prevalence of isorenieratane and β-isorenieratane in sampling stations along the shelf verified anoxygenic photosynthesis by low-light-adapted, brown-colored GSB in this open marine setting. Renierapurpurane was also present in the sulfur-bound carotenoids and was typically accompanied by lower abundances of renieratane and β-renierapurpurane, thereby identifying cyanobacteria as an additional aromatic carotenoid source.
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12
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Wu B, Liu F, Fang W, Yang T, Chen GH, He Z, Wang S. Microbial sulfur metabolism and environmental implications. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 778:146085. [PMID: 33714092 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Sulfur as a macroelement plays an important role in biochemistry in both natural environments and engineering biosystems, which can be further linked to other important element cycles, e.g. carbon, nitrogen and iron. Consequently, the sulfur cycling primarily mediated by sulfur compounds oxidizing microorganisms and sulfur compounds reducing microorganisms has enormous environmental implications, particularly in wastewater treatment and pollution bioremediation. In this review, to connect the knowledge in microbial sulfur metabolism to environmental applications, we first comprehensively review recent advances in understanding microbial sulfur metabolisms at molecular-, cellular- and ecosystem-levels, together with their energetics. We then discuss the environmental implications to fight against soil and water pollution, with four foci: (1) acid mine drainage, (2) water blackening and odorization in urban rivers, (3) SANI® and DS-EBPR processes for sewage treatment, and (4) bioremediation of persistent organic pollutants. In addition, major challenges and further developments toward elucidation of microbial sulfur metabolisms and their environmental applications are identified and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Wu
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Feifei Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Wenwen Fang
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Tony Yang
- Swift Current Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Swift Current, SK S9H 3X2, Canada
| | - Guang-Hao Chen
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
| | - Zhili He
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Shanquan Wang
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
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Di Nezio F, Beney C, Roman S, Danza F, Buetti-Dinh A, Tonolla M, Storelli N. Anoxygenic photo- and chemo-synthesis of phototrophic sulfur bacteria from an alpine meromictic lake. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2021; 97:6123714. [PMID: 33512460 PMCID: PMC7947596 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiab010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Meromictic lakes are interesting ecosystems to study anaerobic microorganisms due their permanent stratification allowing the formation of a stable anoxic environment. The crenogenic meromictic Lake Cadagno harbors an important community of anoxygenic phototrophic sulfur bacteria responsible for almost half of its total productivity. Besides their ability to fix CO2 through photosynthesis, these microorganisms also showed high rates of dark carbon fixation via chemosyntesis. Here, we grew in pure cultures three populations of anoxygenic phototrophic sulfur bacteria previously isolated from the lake, accounting for 72.8% of the total microbial community and exibiting different phenotypes: (1) the motile, large-celled purple sulfur bacterium (PSB) Chromatium okenii, (2) the small-celled PSB Thiodictyon syntrophicum and (3) the green sulfur bacterium (GSB) Chlorobium phaeobacteroides. We measured their ability to fix CO2 through photo- and chemo-synthesis, both in situ in the lake and in laboratory under different incubation conditions. We also evaluated the efficiency and velocity of H2S photo-oxidation, an important reaction in the anoxygenic photosynthesis process. Our results confirm that phototrophic sulfur bacteria strongly fix CO2 in the presence of light and that oxygen increases chemosynthesis at night, in laboratory conditions. Moreover, substancial differences were displayed between the three selected populations in terms of activity and abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Di Nezio
- Laboratory of Applied Microbiology (LMA), Department of Environmental Constructions and Design (DACD), University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), via Mirasole 22a, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland.,Microbiology Unit, Department of Botany and Plant Biology (BIVEG), University of Geneva, Quai Ernest-Ansermet 30, 1211 Geneva 4, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Clarisse Beney
- Laboratory of Applied Microbiology (LMA), Department of Environmental Constructions and Design (DACD), University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), via Mirasole 22a, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland.,Microbiology Unit, Department of Botany and Plant Biology (BIVEG), University of Geneva, Quai Ernest-Ansermet 30, 1211 Geneva 4, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Samuele Roman
- Laboratory of Applied Microbiology (LMA), Department of Environmental Constructions and Design (DACD), University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), via Mirasole 22a, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland.,Alpine Biology Center Foundation, via Mirasole 22a, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Danza
- Laboratory of Applied Microbiology (LMA), Department of Environmental Constructions and Design (DACD), University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), via Mirasole 22a, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Antoine Buetti-Dinh
- Laboratory of Applied Microbiology (LMA), Department of Environmental Constructions and Design (DACD), University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), via Mirasole 22a, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Mauro Tonolla
- Laboratory of Applied Microbiology (LMA), Department of Environmental Constructions and Design (DACD), University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), via Mirasole 22a, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland.,Microbiology Unit, Department of Botany and Plant Biology (BIVEG), University of Geneva, Quai Ernest-Ansermet 30, 1211 Geneva 4, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.,Alpine Biology Center Foundation, via Mirasole 22a, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Nicola Storelli
- Laboratory of Applied Microbiology (LMA), Department of Environmental Constructions and Design (DACD), University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), via Mirasole 22a, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
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14
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Furey PC, Lee SS, Clemans DL. Substratum-associated microbiota. WATER ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH : A RESEARCH PUBLICATION OF THE WATER ENVIRONMENT FEDERATION 2020; 92:1629-1648. [PMID: 33463854 DOI: 10.1002/wer.1410] [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: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Highlights of new, interesting, and emerging research findings on substratum-associated microbiota covered from a survey of 2019 literature from primarily freshwaters provide insight into research trends of interest to the Water Environment Federation and others interested in benthic, aquatic environments. Coverage of topics on bottom-associated or attached algae and cyanobacteria, though not comprehensive, includes new methods, taxa new-to-science, nutrient dynamics, auto- and heterotrophic interactions, grazers, bioassessment, herbicides and other pollutants, metal contaminants, and nuisance, and bloom-forming and harmful algae. Coverage of bacteria, also not comprehensive, focuses on the ecology of benthic biofilms and microbial communities, along with the ecology of microbes like Caulobacter crescentus, Rhodobacter, and other freshwater microbial species. Bacterial topics covered also include metagenomics and metatranscriptomics, toxins and pollutants, bacterial pathogens and bacteriophages, and bacterial physiology. Readers may use this literature review to learn about or renew their interest in the recent advances and discoveries regarding substratum-associated microbiota. PRACTITIONER POINTS: This review of literature from 2019 on substratum-associated microbiota presents highlights of findings on algae, cyanobacteria, and bacteria from primarily freshwaters. Coverage of algae and cyanobacteria includes findings on new methods, taxa new to science, nutrient dynamics, auto- and heterotrophic interactions, grazers, bioassessment, herbicides and other pollutants, metal contaminants, and nuisance, bloom-forming and harmful algae. Coverage of bacteria includes findings on ecology of benthic biofilms and microbial communities, the ecology of microbes, metagenomics and metatranscriptomics, toxins and pollutants, bacterial pathogens and bacteriophages, and bacterial physiology. Highlights of new, noteworthy and emerging topics build on those from 2018 and will be of relevance to the Water Environment Federation and others interested in benthic, aquatic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula C Furey
- Department Biology, St. Catherine University, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Sylvia S Lee
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Daniel L Clemans
- Department of Biology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
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15
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Mooshammer M, Kitzinger K, Schintlmeister A, Ahmerkamp S, Nielsen JL, Nielsen PH, Wagner M. Flow-through stable isotope probing (Flow-SIP) minimizes cross-feeding in complex microbial communities. ISME JOURNAL 2020; 15:348-353. [PMID: 32879458 PMCID: PMC7852690 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-00761-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Stable isotope probing (SIP) is a key tool for identifying the microorganisms catalyzing the turnover of specific substrates in the environment and to quantify their relative contributions to biogeochemical processes. However, SIP-based studies are subject to the uncertainties posed by cross-feeding, where microorganisms release isotopically labeled products, which are then used by other microorganisms, instead of incorporating the added tracer directly. Here, we introduce a SIP approach that has the potential to strongly reduce cross-feeding in complex microbial communities. In this approach, the microbial cells are exposed on a membrane filter to a continuous flow of medium containing isotopically labeled substrate. Thereby, metabolites and degradation products are constantly removed, preventing consumption of these secondary substrates. A nanoSIMS-based proof-of-concept experiment using nitrifiers in activated sludge and 13C-bicarbonate as an activity tracer showed that Flow-SIP significantly reduces cross-feeding and thus allows distinguishing primary consumers from other members of microbial food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Mooshammer
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katharina Kitzinger
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. .,Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany.
| | - Arno Schintlmeister
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Large-Instrument Facility for Environmental and Isotope Mass Spectrometry, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Soeren Ahmerkamp
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany.,MARUM-Center for Marine Environmental Sciences & Department of Geosciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Jeppe Lund Nielsen
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Per Halkjær Nielsen
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Michael Wagner
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. .,Large-Instrument Facility for Environmental and Isotope Mass Spectrometry, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. .,Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
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16
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An intracellular silver deposition method for targeted detection and chemical analysis of uncultured microorganisms. Syst Appl Microbiol 2020; 43:126086. [PMID: 32414515 DOI: 10.1016/j.syapm.2020.126086] [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: 10/01/2019] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The vast majority of environmental bacteria remain uncultured, despite two centuries of effort in cultivating microorganisms. Our knowledge of their physiology and metabolic activity depends to a large extent on methods capable of analyzing single cells. Bacterial identification is a key step required by all currently used single-cell imaging techniques and is typically performed by means of fluorescent labeling. However, fluorescent cells cannot be visualized by ion- and electron microscopy and thus only correlative, indirect, cell identification is possible. Here we present a new method of bacterial identification by in situ hybridization coupled to the deposition of elemental silver nanoparticles (silver-DISH). We show that hybridized cells containing silver can be directly visualized by light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectrometry (nanoSIMS), and confocal Raman micro-spectroscopy. Silver-DISH did not alter the isotopic (13C) and elemental composition of stable-isotope probed cells more than other available hybridization methods, making silver-DISH suitable for broad applications in stable-isotope labeling studies. Additionally, we demonstrate that silver-DISH can induce a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effect, amplifying the Raman signal of biomolecules inside bacterial cells. This makes silver-DISH the only currently available method that is capable of delivering a SERS-active substrate inside specifically targeted microbial cells.
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Mayali X. NanoSIMS: Microscale Quantification of Biogeochemical Activity with Large-Scale Impacts. ANNUAL REVIEW OF MARINE SCIENCE 2020; 12:449-467. [PMID: 31299167 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-marine-010419-010714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
One major objective of aquatic microbial ecology is to understand the distribution of microbial populations over space and time and in response to environmental factors. Perhaps more importantly, it is crucial to quantify how those microbial cells affect biogeochemical processes of interest, such as primary production, nitrogen cycling, or the breakdown of pollutants. One valuable approach to link microbial identity to activity is to carry out incubations with stable-isotope-labeled substrates and then quantify the isotope incorporation by individual microbial cells using nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS). This review summarizes recent efforts in this field, highlights novel methods, describes studies investigating rare metabolisms as well as widespread microbial activity, and hopes to provide a framework to increase the use and capabilities of NanoSIMS for microbial biogeochemical studies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Mayali
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA;
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18
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Pjevac P, Dyksma S, Goldhammer T, Mujakić I, Koblížek M, Mußmann M, Amann R, Orlić S. In situ abundance and carbon fixation activity of distinct anoxygenic phototrophs in the stratified seawater lake Rogoznica. Environ Microbiol 2019; 21:3896-3908. [PMID: 31299137 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Sulphide-driven anoxygenic photosynthesis is an ancient microbial metabolism that contributes significantly to inorganic carbon fixation in stratified, sulphidic water bodies. Methods commonly applied to quantify inorganic carbon fixation by anoxygenic phototrophs, however, cannot resolve the contributions of distinct microbial populations to the overall process. We implemented a straightforward workflow, consisting of radioisotope labelling and flow cytometric cell sorting based on the distinct autofluorescence of bacterial photopigments, to discriminate and quantify contributions of co-occurring anoxygenic phototrophic populations to in situ inorganic carbon fixation in environmental samples. This allowed us to assign 89.3% ± 7.6% of daytime inorganic carbon fixation by anoxygenic phototrophs in Lake Rogoznica (Croatia) to an abundant chemocline-dwelling population of green sulphur bacteria (dominated by Chlorobium phaeobacteroides), whereas the co-occurring purple sulphur bacteria (Halochromatium sp.) contributed only 1.8% ± 1.4%. Furthermore, we obtained two metagenome assembled genomes of green sulphur bacteria and one of a purple sulphur bacterium which provides the first genomic insights into the genus Halochromatium, confirming its high metabolic flexibility and physiological potential for mixo- and heterotrophic growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Pjevac
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany.,University of Vienna, Center for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan Dyksma
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Tobias Goldhammer
- MARUM Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, Bremen, Germany.,Department of Chemical Analytics and Biogeochemistry, Leibniz Institute for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
| | - Izabela Mujakić
- Institute of Microbiology CAS, Center Algatech, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Koblížek
- Institute of Microbiology CAS, Center Algatech, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Marc Mußmann
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany.,University of Vienna, Center for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rudolf Amann
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Sandi Orlić
- Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia.,Center of Excellence for Science and Technology Integrating Mediterranean Region, Microbial Ecology, Zagreb, Croatia
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