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Hooper PM, Bass D, Feil EJ, Vincent WF, Lovejoy C, Owen CJ, Tsola SL, Jungblut AD. Arctic cyanobacterial mat community diversity decreases with latitude across the Canadian Arctic. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2024; 100:fiae067. [PMID: 38653723 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiae067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacterial mats are commonly reported as hotspots of microbial diversity across polar environments. These thick, multilayered microbial communities provide a refuge from extreme environmental conditions, with many species able to grow and coexist despite the low allochthonous nutrient inputs. The visibly dominant phototrophic biomass is dependent on internal nutrient recycling by heterotrophic organisms within the mats; however, the specific contribution of heterotrophic protists remains little explored. In this study, mat community diversity was examined along a latitudinal gradient (55-83°N), spanning subarctic taiga, tundra, polar desert, and the High Arctic ice shelves. The prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities were targeted, respectively, by V4 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and V9 18S rRNA gene amplicon high-throughput sequencing. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic richness decreased, in tandem with decreasing temperatures and shorter seasons of light availability, from the subarctic to the High Arctic. Taxonomy-based annotation of the protist community revealed diverse phototrophic, mixotrophic, and heterotrophic genera in all mat communities, with fewer parasitic taxa in High Arctic communities. Co-occurrence network analysis identified greater heterogeneity in eukaryotic than prokaryotic community structure among cyanobacterial mats across the Canadian Arctic. Our findings highlight the sensitivity of microbial eukaryotes to environmental gradients across northern high latitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick M Hooper
- Science Department, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, United Kingdom
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
| | - David Bass
- Science Department, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, United Kingdom
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Weymouth Laboratory, Barrack Road, Weymouth, DT4 8UB, United Kingdom
- Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture Futures, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, United Kingdom
| | - Edward J Feil
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
| | - Warwick F Vincent
- Département de Biologie, Takuvik International Research Laboratory and Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
- Centre d'études nordiques (CEN), Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Connie Lovejoy
- Département de Biologie, Takuvik International Research Laboratory and Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
- Centre d'études nordiques (CEN), Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
- Québec Océan, Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Christopher J Owen
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Stephania L Tsola
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, United Kingdom
| | - Anne D Jungblut
- Science Department, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, United Kingdom
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Tytgat B, Verleyen E, Sweetlove M, Van den Berge K, Pinseel E, Hodgson DA, Chown SL, Sabbe K, Wilmotte A, Willems A, Vyverman W. Polar lake microbiomes have distinct evolutionary histories. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade7130. [PMID: 37976353 PMCID: PMC10656066 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade7130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Toward the poles, life on land is increasingly dominated by microorganisms, yet the evolutionary origin of polar microbiomes remains poorly understood. Here, we use metabarcoding of Arctic, sub-Antarctic, and Antarctic lacustrine benthic microbial communities to test the hypothesis that high-latitude microbiomes are recruited from a globally dispersing species pool through environmental selection. We demonstrate that taxonomic overlap between the regions is limited within most phyla, even at higher-order taxonomic levels, with unique deep-branching phylogenetic clades being present in each region. We show that local and regional taxon richness and net diversification rate of regionally restricted taxa differ substantially between polar regions in both microeukaryotic and bacterial biota. This suggests that long-term evolutionary divergence resulting from low interhemispheric dispersal and diversification in isolation has been a prominent process shaping present-day polar lake microbiomes. Our findings illuminate the distinctive biogeography of polar lake ecosystems and underscore that conservation efforts should include their unique microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bjorn Tytgat
- Laboratory of Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Elie Verleyen
- Laboratory of Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Maxime Sweetlove
- Laboratory of Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Koen Van den Berge
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Eveline Pinseel
- Laboratory of Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
- Meise Botanic Garden, Meise, Belgium
| | - Dominic A. Hodgson
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Geography, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Steven L. Chown
- Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Koen Sabbe
- Laboratory of Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Annick Wilmotte
- InBio-Centre for Protein Engineering, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Anne Willems
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | | | - Wim Vyverman
- Laboratory of Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
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3
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Zhao J, Fan D, Guo W, Wu J, Zhang X, Zhuang X, Kong W. Precipitation Drives Soil Protist Diversity and Community Structure in Dry Grasslands. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2023; 86:2293-2304. [PMID: 37191674 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-023-02235-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Protists are essential components of soil microbial communities, mediating nutrient cycling and ecosystem functions in terrestrial ecosystems. However, their distribution patterns and driving factors, particularly, the relative importance of climate, plant and soil factors, remain largely unknown. This limits our understanding of soil protist roles in ecosystem functions and their responses to climate change. This is particularly a concern in dryland ecosystems where soil microbiomes are more important for ecosystem functions because plant diversity and growth are heavily constrained by environmental stresses. Here, we explored protist diversity and their driving factors in grassland soils on the Tibetan Plateau, which is a typical dryland region with yearly low temperatures. Soil protist diversity significantly decreased along the gradient of meadow, steppe, and desert. Soil protist diversity positively correlated with precipitation, plant biomass and soil nutrients, but these correlations were changed by grazing. Structural equation and random forest models demonstrated that precipitation dominated soil protist diversity directly and indirectly by influencing plant and soil factors. Soil protist community structure gradually shifted along meadow, steppe and desert, and was driven more by precipitation than by plant and soil factors. Soil protist community compositions were dominated by Cercozoa, Ciliophora and Chlorophyta. In particular, Ciliophora increased but Chlorophyta decreased in relative abundance along the gradient of meadow, steppe and desert. These results demonstrate that precipitation plays more important roles in driving soil protist diversity and community structure than plant and soil factors, suggesting that future precipitation change profoundly alters soil protist community and functions in dry grasslands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Zhao
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Waste Resource Recycle, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System and Resources Environment, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Dandan Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System and Resources Environment, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, China
| | - Wei Guo
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Waste Resource Recycle, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China
| | - Jianshuang Wu
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Xianzhou Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Xuliang Zhuang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System and Resources Environment, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, China
| | - Weidong Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System and Resources Environment, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100101, China.
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, China.
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Lukashanets DA, Maisak NN. Bdelloid rotifers (Bdelloidea, Rotifera) in shallow freshwater ecosystems of Thala Hills, East Antarctica. Polar Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-022-03106-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
AbstractShallow waters, little-studied in Continental Antarctica, among other micrometazoans host bdelloid rotifers, which diversity, ecology, and distributional patterns in turn are poorly known. To address these issues, we analysed plankton samples collected during the 2018/2019 season in the Thala Hills oasis (East Antarctica), in shallow freshwater lakes and temporary ponds that formed during intense snow melting in December–January. Bdelloids were present in more than 90% of the sites with nine species revealed. The most frequent were Antarctic endemics [Philodina gregaria (P. gregaria), Adineta grandis (A. grandis), and Adineta coatsi (A. coatsi)], while some non-abundant bdelloids either provide characteristics of widely distributed taxa or require further taxonomy studies as they can be species new for the science. The abundance of bdelloids varied greatly across studied sites and localities, with a maximum of more than 700,000 ind m−3 and an increasing tendency to be more numerous in rock-basin temporary ponds, compared to larger lakes, with variability for different taxa. The environmental parameters strongly explain the bdelloid distribution (78.4% of the variation), with the most important factors being the type of bottom (9.9%), altitude (8.0%), TDS (6.6%), and salinity (6.5%). The cyanobacterial mats from the bottom didn’t contribute much to bdelloid distributional patterns, despite being known to be a preferred habitat for micrometazoans including rotifers. These results shape a perspective to study the processes of the formation of Antarctic seasonal aquatic habitats settled by organisms, which demonstrate an ecomorphological range from planktonic organisms to crawling ‘scrapers’.
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Cvetkovska M, Vakulenko G, Smith DR, Zhang X, Hüner NPA. Temperature stress in psychrophilic green microalgae: Minireview. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2022; 174:e13811. [PMID: 36309822 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Photosynthetic algae are the main primary producers in polar regions, form the basis of polar food webs, and are responsible for a significant portion of global carbon fixation. Many cold-water algae are psychrophiles that thrive in the cold but cannot grow at moderate temperatures (≥20°C). Polar regions are at risk of rapid warming caused by climate change, and the sensitivity of psychrophilic algae to rising temperatures makes them, and the ecosystems they inhabit, particularly vulnerable. Recent research on the Antarctic psychrophile Chlamydomonas priscuii, an emerging algal model, has revealed unique adaptations to life in the permanent cold. Additionally, genome sequencing of C. priscuii and its relative Chlamydomonas sp. ICE-L has given rise to a plethora of computational tools that can help elucidate the genetic basis of psychrophily. This minireview summarizes new advances in characterizing the heat stress responses in psychrophilic algae and examines their extraordinary sensitivity to temperature increases. Further research in this field will help determine the impact of climate change on psychrophiles from threatened polar environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Cvetkovska
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Galyna Vakulenko
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - David R Smith
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Xi Zhang
- Institute for Comparative Genomics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
| | - Norman P A Hüner
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
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Evans TW, Kalambokidis MJ, Jungblut AD, Millar JL, Bauersachs T, Grotheer H, Mackey TJ, Hawes I, Summons RE. Lipid Biomarkers From Microbial Mats on the McMurdo Ice Shelf, Antarctica: Signatures for Life in the Cryosphere. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:903621. [PMID: 35756013 PMCID: PMC9232131 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.903621] [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] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Persistent cold temperatures, a paucity of nutrients, freeze-thaw cycles, and the strongly seasonal light regime make Antarctica one of Earth's least hospitable surface environments for complex life. Cyanobacteria, however, are well-adapted to such conditions and are often the dominant primary producers in Antarctic inland water environments. In particular, the network of meltwater ponds on the 'dirty ice' of the McMurdo Ice Shelf is an ecosystem with extensive cyanobacteria-dominated microbial mat accumulations. This study investigated intact polar lipids (IPLs), heterocyte glycolipids (HGs), and bacteriohopanepolyols (BHPs) in combination with 16S and 18S rRNA gene diversity in microbial mats of twelve ponds in this unique polar ecosystem. To constrain the effects of nutrient availability, temperature and freeze-thaw cycles on the lipid membrane composition, lipids were compared to stromatolite-forming cyanobacterial mats from ice-covered lakes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys as well as from (sub)tropical regions and hot springs. The 16S rRNA gene compositions of the McMurdo Ice Shelf mats confirm the dominance of Cyanobacteria and Proteobacteria while the 18S rRNA gene composition indicates the presence of Ochrophyta, Chlorophyta, Ciliophora, and other microfauna. IPL analyses revealed a predominantly bacterial community in the meltwater ponds, with archaeal lipids being barely detectable. IPLs are dominated by glycolipids and phospholipids, followed by aminolipids. The high abundance of sugar-bound lipids accords with a predominance of cyanobacterial primary producers. The phosphate-limited samples from the (sub)tropical, hot spring, and Lake Vanda sites revealed a higher abundance of aminolipids compared to those of the nitrogen-limited meltwater ponds, affirming the direct affects that N and P availability have on IPL compositions. The high abundance of polyunsaturated IPLs in the Antarctic microbial mats suggests that these lipids provide an important mechanism to maintain membrane fluidity in cold environments. High abundances of HG keto-ols and HG keto-diols, produced by heterocytous cyanobacteria, further support these findings and reveal a unique distribution compared to those from warmer climates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W Evans
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Maria J Kalambokidis
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Anne D Jungblut
- Life Sciences Department, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jasmin L Millar
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Thorsten Bauersachs
- Institute of Geosciences, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Hendrik Grotheer
- Marine Geochemistry, Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Tyler J Mackey
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Ian Hawes
- Coastal Marine Field Station, University of Waikato, Tauranga, New Zealand
| | - Roger E Summons
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
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7
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16S rRNA gene and 18S rRNA gene diversity in microbial mat communities in meltwater ponds on the McMurdo Ice Shelf, Antarctica. Polar Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-021-02843-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
AbstractThe undulating ice of the McMurdo Ice Shelf, Southern Victoria Land, supports one of the largest networks of ice-based, multiyear meltwater pond habitats in Antarctica, where microbial mats are abundant and contribute most of the biomass and biodiversity. We used 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing to compare variance of the community structure in microbial mats within and between ponds with different salinities and pH. Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria were the most abundant phyla, and composition at OTU level was highly specific for the meltwater ponds with strong community sorting along the salinity gradient. Our study provides the first detailed evaluation of eukaryote communities for the McMurdo Ice Shelf using the 18S rRNA gene. They were dominated by Ochrophyta, Chlorophyta and Ciliophora, consistent with previous microscopic analyses, but many OTUs belonging to less well-described heterotrophic protists from Antarctic ice shelves were also identified including Amoebozoa, Rhizaria and Labyrinthulea. Comparison of 16S and 18S rRNA gene communities showed that the Eukaryotes had lower richness and greater similarity between ponds in comparison with Bacteria and Archaea communities on the McMurdo Ice shelf. While there was a weak correlation between community dissimilarity and geographic distance, the congruity of microbial assemblages within ponds, especially for Bacteria and Archaea, implies strong habitat filtering in ice shelf meltwater pond ecosystems, especially due to salinity. These findings help to understand processes that are important in sustaining biodiversity and the impact of climate change on ice-based aquatic habitats in Antarctica.
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Isolation, Identification, and Biochemical Characteristics of a Cold-Tolerant Chlorella vulgaris KNUA007 Isolated from King George Island, Antarctica. JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/jmse8110935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
A cold-tolerant unicellular green alga was isolated from a meltwater stream on King George Island, Antarctica. Morphological, molecular, and biochemical analyses revealed that the isolate belonged to the species Chlorella vulgaris. We tentatively named this algal strain C.vulgaris KNUA007 and investigated its growth and lipid composition. We found that the strain was able to thrive in a wide range of temperatures, from 5 to 30 °C; however, it did not survive at 35 °C. Ultimate analysis confirmed high gross calorific values only at low temperatures (10 °C), with comparable values to land plants for biomass fuel. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the isolate was rich in nutritionally important polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). The major fatty acid components were hexadecatrienoic acid (C16:3 ω3, 17.31%), linoleic acid (C18:2 ω6, 8.52%), and α-linolenic acid (C18:3 ω3, 43.35%) at 10 °C. The microalga was tolerant to low temperatures, making it an attractive candidate for the production of biochemicals under cold weather conditions. Therefore, this Antarctic microalga may have potential as an alternative to fish and/or plant oils as a source of omega-3 PUFA. The temperature tolerance and composition of C.vulgaris KNUA007 also make the isolate desirable for commercial applications in the pharmaceutical industry.
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Zawierucha K, Porazinska DL, Ficetola GF, Ambrosini R, Baccolo G, Buda J, Ceballos JL, Devetter M, Dial R, Franzetti A, Fuglewicz U, Gielly L, Łokas E, Janko K, Novotna Jaromerska T, Kościński A, Kozłowska A, Ono M, Parnikoza I, Pittino F, Poniecka E, Sommers P, Schmidt SK, Shain D, Sikorska S, Uetake J, Takeuchi N. A hole in the nematosphere: tardigrades and rotifers dominate the cryoconite hole environment, whereas nematodes are missing. J Zool (1987) 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- K. Zawierucha
- Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań Poland
| | - D. L. Porazinska
- Department of Entomology and Nematology University of Florida Gainesville FL USA
| | - G. F. Ficetola
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of Milan Milan Italy
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine University Grenoble Alpes Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc CNRS LECA Grenoble France
| | - R. Ambrosini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of Milan Milan Italy
| | - G. Baccolo
- Earth and Environmental Sciences Department University of Milano‐Bicocca Milan Italy
| | - J. Buda
- Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań Poland
| | - J. L. Ceballos
- Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies IDEAM Bogota' Colombia
| | - M. Devetter
- Institute of soil Biology Biology Centre CAS České Budějovice Czech Republic
- Centre for Polar Ecology Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - R. Dial
- Institute of Culture and the Environment Alaska Pacific University Anchorage AK USA
| | - A. Franzetti
- Earth and Environmental Sciences Department University of Milano‐Bicocca Milan Italy
| | | | - L. Gielly
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine University Grenoble Alpes Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc CNRS LECA Grenoble France
| | - E. Łokas
- Department of Mass Spectroscopy Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences Kraków Poland
| | - K. Janko
- Laboratory of Fish Genetics Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Libechov Czech Republic
- Department of Biology and Ecology Faculty of Science University of Ostrava Ostrava Czech Republic
| | | | | | - A. Kozłowska
- Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań Poland
| | - M. Ono
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering Chiba University Chiba Japan
| | - I. Parnikoza
- State Institution National Antarctic Center of Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine Kyiv Ukraine
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Kyiv Ukraine
| | - F. Pittino
- Earth and Environmental Sciences Department University of Milano‐Bicocca Milan Italy
| | - E. Poniecka
- School of Earth and Ocean Sciences Cardiff University Cardiff UK
| | - P. Sommers
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department University of Colorado Boulder CO USA
| | - S. K. Schmidt
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department University of Colorado Boulder CO USA
| | - D. Shain
- Biology Department Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Camden NJ USA
| | - S. Sikorska
- Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań Poland
| | - J. Uetake
- The Arctic Environment Research Center National Institute of Polar Research Tachikawa Japan
| | - N. Takeuchi
- Department of Earth Sciences Graduate School of Science Chiba University Chiba Japan
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10
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Warren SD, Clair LL, Stark LR, Lewis LA, Pombubpa N, Kurbessoian T, Stajich JE, Aanderud ZT. Reproduction and Dispersal of Biological Soil Crust Organisms. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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11
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Chrismas NAM, Williamson CJ, Yallop ML, Anesio AM, Sánchez-Baracaldo P. Photoecology of the Antarctic cyanobacterium Leptolyngbya sp. BC1307 brought to light through community analysis, comparative genomics and in vitro photophysiology. Mol Ecol 2019; 27:5279-5293. [PMID: 30565777 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are important photoautotrophs in extreme environments such as the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. Terrestrial Antarctic cyanobacteria experience constant darkness during the winter and constant light during the summer which influences the ability of these organisms to fix carbon over the course of an annual cycle. Here, we present a unique approach combining community structure, genomic and photophysiological analyses to understand adaptation to Antarctic light regimes in the cyanobacterium Leptolyngbya sp. BC1307. We show that Leptolyngbya sp. BC1307 belongs to a clade of cyanobacteria that inhabits near-surface environments in the McMurdo Dry Valleys. Genomic analyses reveal that, unlike close relatives, Leptolyngbya sp. BC1307 lacks the genes necessary for production of the pigment phycoerythrin and is incapable of complimentary chromatic acclimation, while containing several genes responsible for known photoprotective pigments. Photophysiology experiments confirmed Leptolyngbya sp. BC1307 to be tolerant of short-term exposure to high levels of photosynthetically active radiation, while sustained exposure reduced its capacity for photoprotection. As such, Leptolyngbya sp. BC1307 likely exploits low-light microenvironments within cyanobacterial mats in the McMurdo Dry Valleys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan A M Chrismas
- Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, UK.,School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Christopher J Williamson
- School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,School of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Marian L Yallop
- School of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Alexandre M Anesio
- School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,Department of Environmental Sciences, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
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12
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Garvetto A, Badis Y, Perrineau MM, Rad-Menéndez C, Bresnan E, Gachon CM. Chytrid infecting the bloom-forming marine diatom Skeletonema sp.: Morphology, phylogeny and distribution of a novel species within the Rhizophydiales. Fungal Biol 2019; 123:471-480. [DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2019.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2018] [Revised: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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13
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Almela P, Velázquez D, Rico E, Justel A, Quesada A. Carbon Pathways Through the Food Web of a Microbial Mat From Byers Peninsula, Antarctica. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:628. [PMID: 30984148 PMCID: PMC6447660 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial mats are complex communities that represent a large biomass fraction in non-marine Antarctic ecosystems. They confer structure to soils and constitute, by themselves, intricate microecosystems, where a great variety of microorganisms and microfauna contributes to the ecosystem functions. Although in recent years Antarctic microbial mats have been thoroughly investigated, trophic relationships within the communities remain unresolved. We therefore conducted a study of the trophic relationships of a microbial mat from Byers Peninsula, Antarctica, using DNA analysis and stable isotopes as trophic tracers. Our results suggested, based on a Bayesian mixing model, that at least four trophic levels are present within this microecosystem: primary producers (cyanobacteria and diatoms), primary consumers (rotifers and tardigrades), secondary consumers (nematodes) and decomposers (fungi). Nematodes would play a key role as top consumers of the community, connecting the two carbon inputs described into the system, as omnivores at the secondary trophic level. In addition, carbon pathways from primary trophic level to consumers take place quickly during the first 24 h after its incorporation in the primary producers, dispersing across all the trophic levels and reaching secondary consumers in less than 11 days. This suggests that, given the changing physical conditions and presumably short periods of activity, there is a fine temporal coupling among the organisms in the community, minimizing the redundancy in function performance among trophic levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Almela
- Biology Department, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - David Velázquez
- Biology Department, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Eugenio Rico
- Ecology Department, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Justel
- Mathematics Department, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Quesada
- Biology Department, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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14
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Vigneron A, Cruaud P, Mohit V, Martineau MJ, Culley AI, Lovejoy C, Vincent WF. Multiple Strategies for Light-Harvesting, Photoprotection, and Carbon Flow in High Latitude Microbial Mats. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2881. [PMID: 30564204 PMCID: PMC6288179 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial mats are ubiquitous in polar freshwater ecosystems and sustain high concentrations of biomass despite the extreme seasonal variations in light and temperature. Here we aimed to resolve genomic adaptations for light-harvesting, bright-light protection, and carbon flow in mats that undergo seasonal freeze-up. To bracket a range of communities in shallow water habitats, we sampled cyanobacterial mats in the thawed littoral zone of two lakes situated at the northern and southern limits of the Canadian Arctic permafrost zone. We applied a multiphasic approach using pigment profiles from high performance liquid chromatography, Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the 16S and 18S rRNA genes, and metagenomic analysis. The mats shared a taxonomic and functional core microbiome, dominated by oxygenic cyanobacteria with light-harvesting and photoprotective pigments, bacteria with bacteriochlorophyll, and bacteria with light-driven Type I rhodopsins. Organisms able to use light for energy related processes represented up to 85% of the total microbial community, with 15–30% attributable to cyanobacteria and 55–70% attributable to other bacteria. The proportion of genes involved in anaplerotic CO2 fixation was greater than for genes associated with oxygenic photosynthesis. Diverse heterotrophic bacteria, eukaryotes (including metazoans and fungi) and viruses co-occurred in both communities. The results indicate a broad range of strategies for capturing sunlight and CO2, and for the subsequent flow of energy and carbon in these complex, light-driven microbial ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrien Vigneron
- Centre d'Études Nordiques, Takuvik Joint International Laboratory, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.,Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.,Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Perrine Cruaud
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.,Département de Biochimie, de Microbiologie et de Bio-informatique, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Vani Mohit
- Centre d'Études Nordiques, Takuvik Joint International Laboratory, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.,Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.,Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Marie-Josée Martineau
- Centre d'Études Nordiques, Takuvik Joint International Laboratory, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.,Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Alexander I Culley
- Centre d'Études Nordiques, Takuvik Joint International Laboratory, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.,Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.,Département de Biochimie, de Microbiologie et de Bio-informatique, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Connie Lovejoy
- Centre d'Études Nordiques, Takuvik Joint International Laboratory, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.,Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.,Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Warwick F Vincent
- Centre d'Études Nordiques, Takuvik Joint International Laboratory, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.,Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.,Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
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15
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De Anda V, Zapata-Peñasco I, Blaz J, Poot-Hernández AC, Contreras-Moreira B, González-Laffitte M, Gámez-Tamariz N, Hernández-Rosales M, Eguiarte LE, Souza V. Understanding the Mechanisms Behind the Response to Environmental Perturbation in Microbial Mats: A Metagenomic-Network Based Approach. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2606. [PMID: 30555424 PMCID: PMC6280815 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
To date, it remains unclear how anthropogenic perturbations influence the dynamics of microbial communities, what general patterns arise in response to disturbance, and whether it is possible to predict them. Here, we suggest the use of microbial mats as a model of study to reveal patterns that can illuminate the ecological processes underlying microbial dynamics in response to stress. We traced the responses to anthropogenic perturbation caused by water depletion in microbial mats from Cuatro Cienegas Basin (CCB), Mexico, by using a time-series spatially resolved analysis in a novel combination of three computational approaches. First, we implemented MEBS (Multi-genomic Entropy-Based Score) to evaluate the dynamics of major biogeochemical cycles across spatio-temporal scales with a single informative value. Second, we used robust Time Series-Ecological Networks (TS-ENs) to evaluate the total percentage of interactions at different taxonomic levels. Lastly, we utilized network motifs to characterize specific interaction patterns. Our results indicate that microbial mats from CCB contain an enormous taxonomic diversity with at least 100 phyla, mainly represented by members of the rare biosphere (RB). Statistical ecological analyses point out a clear involvement of anaerobic guilds related to sulfur and methane cycles during wet versus dry conditions, where we find an increase in fungi, photosynthetic, and halotolerant taxa. TS-ENs indicate that in wet conditions, there was an equilibrium between cooperation and competition (positive and negative relationships, respectively), while under dry conditions there is an over-representation of negative relationships. Furthermore, most of the keystone taxa of the TS-ENs at family level are members of the RB and the microbial mat core highlighting their crucial role within the community. Our results indicate that microbial mats are more robust to perturbation due to redundant functions that are likely shared among community members in the highly connected TS-ENs with density values close to one (≈0.9). Finally, we provide evidence that suggests that a large taxonomic diversity where all community members interact with each other (low modularity), the presence of permanent of low-abundant taxa, and an increase in competition can be potential buffers against environmental disturbance in microbial mats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie De Anda
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Icoquih Zapata-Peñasco
- Dirección de Investigación en Transformación de Hidrocarburos, Instituto Mexicano del Petróleo, Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Jazmín Blaz
- Laboratorio Nacional de Ciencias de la Sostenibilidad, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Augusto Cesar Poot-Hernández
- Departamento de Ingeniería de Sistemas Computacionales y Automatización, Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, UNAM, Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Bruno Contreras-Moreira
- Estación Experimental de Aula Dei, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Zaragoza, Spain
- Fundación ARAID, Zaragoza, Spain
| | | | - Niza Gámez-Tamariz
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | | | - Luis E. Eguiarte
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Valeria Souza
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
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16
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Andriuzzi WS, Stanish LF, Simmons BL, Jaros C, Adams BJ, Wall DH, McKnight DM. Spatial and temporal patterns of microbial mats and associated invertebrates along an Antarctic stream. Polar Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-018-2331-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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17
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Toman J, Flegr J. General environmental heterogeneity as the explanation of sexuality? Comparative study shows that ancient asexual taxa are associated with both biotically and abiotically homogeneous environments. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:973-991. [PMID: 29375771 PMCID: PMC5773305 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2017] [Revised: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological theories of sexual reproduction assume that sexuality is advantageous in certain conditions, for example, in biotically or abiotically more heterogeneous environments. Such theories thus could be tested by comparative studies. However, the published results of these studies are rather unconvincing. Here, we present the results of a new comparative study based exclusively on the ancient asexual clades. The association with biotically or abiotically homogeneous environments in these asexual clades was compared with the same association in their sister, or closely related, sexual clades. Using the conservative definition of ancient asexuals (i.e., age >1 million years), we found eight pairs of taxa of sexual and asexual species, six differing in the heterogeneity of their inhabited environment on the basis of available data. The difference between the environmental type associated with the sexual and asexual species was then compared in an exact binomial test. The results showed that the majority of ancient asexual clades tend to be associated with biotically, abiotically, or both biotically and abiotically more homogeneous environments than their sexual controls. In the exploratory part of the study, we found that the ancient asexuals often have durable resting stages, enabling life in subjectively homogeneous environments, live in the absence of intense biotic interactions, and are very often sedentary, inhabiting benthos, and soil. The consequences of these findings for the ecological theories of sexual reproduction are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Toman
- Faculty of ScienceLaboratory of Evolutionary BiologyDepartment of Philosophy and History of SciencesCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
| | - Jaroslav Flegr
- Faculty of ScienceLaboratory of Evolutionary BiologyDepartment of Philosophy and History of SciencesCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
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18
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Sapp M, Ploch S, Fiore-Donno AM, Bonkowski M, Rose LE. Protists are an integral part of the Arabidopsis thaliana
microbiome. Environ Microbiol 2017; 20:30-43. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Revised: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 09/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Sapp
- Institute of Population Genetics, Universitätstrasse 1; Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University; Universitätstrasse 40225 Düsseldorf Germany
- Institute of Zoology, Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Zülpicher Str 47b; Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne; Zülpicher Strasse 50674 Köln Germany
| | - Sebastian Ploch
- Institute of Population Genetics, Universitätstrasse 1; Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University; Universitätstrasse 40225 Düsseldorf Germany
- Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Senckenberganlage 25; 60325 Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Anna M. Fiore-Donno
- Institute of Zoology, Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Zülpicher Str 47b; Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne; Zülpicher Strasse 50674 Köln Germany
| | - Michael Bonkowski
- Institute of Zoology, Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Zülpicher Str 47b; Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne; Zülpicher Strasse 50674 Köln Germany
| | - Laura E. Rose
- Institute of Population Genetics, Universitätstrasse 1; Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University; Universitätstrasse 40225 Düsseldorf Germany
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19
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Diversity and abundance of microbial eukaryotes in stream sediments from Svalbard. Polar Biol 2017; 40:1835-1843. [PMID: 32009726 PMCID: PMC6961512 DOI: 10.1007/s00300-017-2106-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Revised: 03/08/2017] [Accepted: 03/10/2017] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Microbial eukaryotes are increasingly being recognised for their role in global biogeochemical cycles, yet very few studies have focussed on their distribution in high-latitude stream sediments, an important habitat which influences stream water nutrient chemistry. In this study, we present the first comparison of microbial eukaryotes from two different polar habitats by determining the abundance and taxonomic affiliation of 18S rRNA gene fragments recovered from four sediment samples in Svalbard: two from a glaciated catchment and two from an unglaciated permafrost-dominated catchment. Whilst there was no difference between the two catchments in terms of Rao's phylogenetic diversity (0.18±0.04, 1SD), the glaciated catchment samples had slightly higher richness (138-139) than the unglaciated catchment samples (67-106). At the phylum level, Ciliophora had the highest relative abundance in the samples from the glaciated catchment (32-63%), but only comprised 0-17% of the unglaciated catchment samples. Bacillariophyta was the most abundant phylum in one of the samples from the unglaciated catchment (43%) but phototrophic microbial eukaryotes only formed a minor component of the glaciated catchment samples (<2%), suggesting that in these environments the microbial eukaryotes are predominantly heterotrophic (chemotrophic). This is in contrast to previously published data from Robertson Glacier, Canada where the relative abundance of chlorophyta (phototrophs) in three samples was 48-57%. The contrast may be due to differences in glacial hydrology and/or geology, highlighting the variation in microbial eukaryote communities between nominally similar environments.
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20
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Bargagli R. Atmospheric chemistry of mercury in Antarctica and the role of cryptogams to assess deposition patterns in coastal ice-free areas. CHEMOSPHERE 2016; 163:202-208. [PMID: 27529384 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2016] [Revised: 07/26/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Mercury in the Antarctic troposphere has a distinct chemistry and challenging long-term measurements are needed for a better understanding of the atmospheric Hg reactions with oxidants and the exchanges of the various mercury forms among air-snow-sea and biota. Antarctic mosses and lichens are reliable biomonitors of airborne metals and in short time they can give useful information about Hg deposition patterns. Data summarized in this review show that although atmospheric Hg concentrations in the Southern Hemisphere are lower than those in the Northern Hemisphere, Antarctic cryptogams accumulate Hg at levels in the same range or higher than those observed for related cryptogam species in the Arctic, suggesting an enhanced deposition of bioavailable Hg in Antarctic coastal ice-free areas. In agreement with the newest findings in the literature, the Hg bioaccumulation in mosses and lichens from a nunatak particularly exposed to strong katabatic winds can be taken as evidence for a Hg contribution to coastal ecosystems by air masses from the Antarctic plateau. Human activities on the continent are mostly concentrated in coastal ice-free areas, and the deposition in these areas of Hg from the marine environment, the plateau and anthropogenic sources raises concern. The use of Antarctic cryptogams as biomonitors will be very useful to map Hg deposition patterns in costal ice-free areas and will contribute to a better understanding of Hg cycling in Antarctica and its environmental fate in terrestrial ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Bargagli
- Department of Physics, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, Italy.
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21
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Velázquez D, Jungblut AD, Rochera C, Rico E, Camacho A, Quesada A. Trophic interactions in microbial mats on Byers Peninsula, maritime Antarctica. Polar Biol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-016-2039-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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22
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Chilling out: the evolution and diversification of psychrophilic algae with a focus on Chlamydomonadales. Polar Biol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-016-2045-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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23
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Kosek K, Polkowska Ż, Żyszka B, Lipok J. Phytoplankton communities of polar regions--Diversity depending on environmental conditions and chemical anthropopressure. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2016; 171:243-259. [PMID: 26846983 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.01.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2015] [Revised: 12/23/2015] [Accepted: 01/21/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The polar regions (Arctic and Antarctic) constitute up to 14% of the biosphere and offer some of the coldest and most arid Earth's environments. Nevertheless several oxygenic phototrophs including some higher plants, mosses, lichens, various algal groups and cyanobacteria, survive that harsh climate and create the base of the trophic relationships in fragile ecosystems of polar environments. Ecosystems in polar regions are characterized by low primary productivity and slow growth rates, therefore they are more vulnerable to disturbance, than those in temperate regions. From this reason, chemical contaminants influencing the growth of photoautotrophic producers might induce serious disorders in the integrity of polar ecosystems. However, for a long time these areas were believed to be free of chemical contamination, and relatively protected from widespread anthropogenic pressure, due their remoteness and extreme climate conditions. Nowadays, there is a growing amount of data that prove that xenobiotics are transported thousands of kilometers by the air and ocean currents and then they are deposed in colder regions and accumulate in many environments, including the habitats of marine and freshwater cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria (blue green algae), as a natural part of phytoplankton assemblages, are globally distributed, but in high polar ecosystems they represent the dominant primary producers. These microorganisms are continuously exposed to various concentration levels of the compounds that are present in their habitats and act as nourishment or the factors influencing the growth and development of cyanobacteria in other way. The most common group of contaminants in Arctic and Antarctic are persistent organic pollutants (POPs), characterized by durability and resistance to degradation. It is important to determine their concentrations in all phytoplankton species cells and in their environment to get to know the possibility of contaminants to transfer to higher trophic levels, considering however that some strains of microalgae are capable of metabolizing xenobiotics, make them less toxic or even remove them from the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaudia Kosek
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdansk University of Technology, 11/12 Narutowicza St., Gdansk 80-233, Poland.
| | - Żaneta Polkowska
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdansk University of Technology, 11/12 Narutowicza St., Gdansk 80-233, Poland.
| | - Beata Żyszka
- Department of Analytical and Ecological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Opole University, Oleska 48 St., Opole 45-052, Poland.
| | - Jacek Lipok
- Department of Analytical and Ecological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Opole University, Oleska 48 St., Opole 45-052, Poland.
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24
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Webster-Brown JG, Hawes I, Jungblut AD, Wood SA, Christenson HK. The effects of entombment on water chemistry and bacterial assemblages in closed cryoconite holes on Antarctic glaciers. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2015; 91:fiv144. [DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiv144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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25
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Microbial Mat Communities along an Oxygen Gradient in a Perennially Ice-Covered Antarctic Lake. Appl Environ Microbiol 2015; 82:620-30. [PMID: 26567300 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02699-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Lake Fryxell is a perennially ice-covered lake in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, with a sharp oxycline in a water column that is density stabilized by a gradient in salt concentration. Dissolved oxygen falls from 20 mg liter(-1) to undetectable over one vertical meter from 8.9- to 9.9-m depth. We provide the first description of the benthic mat community that falls within this oxygen gradient on the sloping floor of the lake, using a combination of micro- and macroscopic morphological descriptions, pigment analysis, and 16S rRNA gene bacterial community analysis. Our work focused on three macroscopic mat morphologies that were associated with different parts of the oxygen gradient: (i) "cuspate pinnacles" in the upper hyperoxic zone, which displayed complex topography and were dominated by phycoerythrin-rich cyanobacteria attributable to the genus Leptolyngbya and a diverse but sparse assemblage of pennate diatoms; (ii) a less topographically complex "ridge-pit" mat located immediately above the oxic-anoxic transition containing Leptolyngbya and an increasing abundance of diatoms; and (iii) flat prostrate mats in the upper anoxic zone, dominated by a green cyanobacterium phylogenetically identified as Phormidium pseudopriestleyi and a single diatom, Diadesmis contenta. Zonation of bacteria was by lake depth and by depth into individual mats. Deeper mats had higher abundances of bacteriochlorophylls and anoxygenic phototrophs, including Chlorobi and Chloroflexi. This suggests that microbial communities form assemblages specific to niche-like locations. Mat morphologies, underpinned by cyanobacterial and diatom composition, are the result of local habitat conditions likely defined by irradiance and oxygen and sulfide concentrations.
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26
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Maccario L, Sanguino L, Vogel TM, Larose C. Snow and ice ecosystems: not so extreme. Res Microbiol 2015; 166:782-95. [PMID: 26408452 DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2015.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2015] [Revised: 09/02/2015] [Accepted: 09/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Snow and ice environments cover up to 21% of the Earth's surface. They have been regarded as extreme environments because of their low temperatures, high UV irradiation, low nutrients and low water availability, and thus, their microbial activity has not been considered relevant from a global microbial ecology viewpoint. In this review, we focus on why snow and ice habitats might not be extreme from a microbiological perspective. Microorganisms interact closely with the abiotic conditions imposed by snow and ice habitats by having diverse adaptations, that include genetic resistance mechanisms, to different types of stresses in addition to inhabiting various niches where these potential stresses might be reduced. The microbial communities inhabiting snow and ice are not only abundant and taxonomically diverse, but complex in terms of their interactions. Altogether, snow and ice seem to be true ecosystems with a role in global biogeochemical cycles that has likely been underestimated. Future work should expand past resistance studies to understanding the function of these ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorrie Maccario
- Environmental Microbial Genomics, Laboratoire Ampère, CNRS UMR 5005, Université de Lyon, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, 36 Avenue Guy de Collongue, 69134 Ecully, France
| | - Laura Sanguino
- Environmental Microbial Genomics, Laboratoire Ampère, CNRS UMR 5005, Université de Lyon, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, 36 Avenue Guy de Collongue, 69134 Ecully, France
| | - Timothy M Vogel
- Environmental Microbial Genomics, Laboratoire Ampère, CNRS UMR 5005, Université de Lyon, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, 36 Avenue Guy de Collongue, 69134 Ecully, France
| | - Catherine Larose
- Environmental Microbial Genomics, Laboratoire Ampère, CNRS UMR 5005, Université de Lyon, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, 36 Avenue Guy de Collongue, 69134 Ecully, France.
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27
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Guidi-Rontani C, Jean MR, Gonzalez-Rizzo S, Bolte-Kluge S, Gros O. Description of new filamentous toxicCyanobacteria(Oscillatoriales) colonizing the sulfidic periphyton mat in marine mangroves. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2014; 359:173-81. [DOI: 10.1111/1574-6968.12551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2014] [Revised: 07/29/2014] [Accepted: 07/30/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Chantal Guidi-Rontani
- Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine; C.N.R.S, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine; Sorbonne Universités Paris VI; Paris France
- Equipe Biologie de la Mangrove; UMR 7138 - Evolution Paris-Seine; Paris France
| | - Maïtena R.N. Jean
- Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine; C.N.R.S, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine; Sorbonne Universités Paris VI; Paris France
- UFR des Sciences Exactes et Naturelles; Département de Biologie; UMR 7138 - Evolution Paris-Seine, Equipe Biologie de la Mangrove; Université des Antilles et de la Guyane; Pointe-à-Pitre Guadeloupe France
| | - Silvina Gonzalez-Rizzo
- Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine; C.N.R.S, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine; Sorbonne Universités Paris VI; Paris France
- UFR des Sciences Exactes et Naturelles; Département de Biologie; UMR 7138 - Evolution Paris-Seine, Equipe Biologie de la Mangrove; Université des Antilles et de la Guyane; Pointe-à-Pitre Guadeloupe France
| | - Susanne Bolte-Kluge
- Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine; C.N.R.S, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine; Sorbonne Universités Paris VI; Paris France
- Plateform: Cellular Imaging Facility-Department of Platforms and Technology Development; Paris France
| | - Olivier Gros
- Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine; C.N.R.S, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine; Sorbonne Universités Paris VI; Paris France
- UFR des Sciences Exactes et Naturelles; Département de Biologie; UMR 7138 - Evolution Paris-Seine, Equipe Biologie de la Mangrove; Université des Antilles et de la Guyane; Pointe-à-Pitre Guadeloupe France
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Dolhi JM, Maxwell DP, Morgan-Kiss RM. The Antarctic Chlamydomonas raudensis: an emerging model for cold adaptation of photosynthesis. Extremophiles 2013; 17:711-22. [PMID: 23903324 DOI: 10.1007/s00792-013-0571-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2013] [Accepted: 07/18/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Permanently cold habitats dominate our planet and psychrophilic microorganisms thrive in cold environments. Environmental adaptations unique to psychrophilic microorganisms have been thoroughly described; however, the vast majority of studies to date have focused on cold-adapted bacteria. The combination of low temperatures in the presence of light is one of the most damaging environmental stresses for a photosynthetic organism: in order to survive, photopsychrophiles (i.e. photosynthetic organisms adapted to low temperatures) balance temperature-independent reactions of light energy capture/transduction with downstream temperature-dependent metabolic processes such as carbon fixation. Here, we review research on photopsychrophiles with a focus on an emerging model organism, Chlamydomonas raudensis UWO241 (UWO241). UWO241 is a psychrophilic green algal species and is a member of the photosynthetic microbial eukaryote community that provides the majority of fixed carbon for ice-covered lake ecosystems located in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. The water column exerts a range of environmental stressors on the phytoplankton community that inhabits this aquatic ecosystem, including low temperatures, extreme shade of an unusual spectral range (blue-green), high salinity, nutrient deprivation and extremes in seasonal photoperiod. More than two decades of work on UWO241 have produced one of our most comprehensive views of environmental adaptation in a cold-adapted, photosynthetic microbial eukaryote.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna M Dolhi
- Department of Microbiology, Miami University, 700 E High St., 32 Pearson Hall, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
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