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Masuda T, Mareš J, Shiozaki T, Inomura K, Fujiwara A, Prášil O. Crocosphaera watsonii - A widespread nitrogen-fixing unicellular marine cyanobacterium. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2024; 60:604-620. [PMID: 38551849 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13450] [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: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
Crocosphaera watsonii is a unicellular N2-fixing (diazotrophic) cyanobacterium observed in tropical and subtropical oligotrophic oceans. As a diazotroph, it can be a source of bioavailable nitrogen (N) to the microbial community in N-limited environments, and this may fuel primary production in the regions where it occurs. Crocosphaera watsonii has been the subject of intense study, both in culture and in field populations. Here, we summarize the current understanding of the phylogenetic and physiological diversity of C. watsonii, its distribution, and its ecological niche. Analysis of the relationships among the individual Crocosphaera species and related free-living and symbiotic lineages of diazotrophs based on the nifH gene have shown that the C. watsonii group holds a basal position and that its sequence is more similar to Rippkaea and Zehria than to other Crocosphaera species. This finding warrants further scrutiny to determine if the placement is related to a horizontal gene transfer event. Here, the nifH UCYN-B gene copy number from a recent synthesis effort was used as a proxy for relative C. watsonii abundance to examine patterns of C. watsonii distribution as a function of environmental factors, like iron and phosphorus concentration, and complimented with a synthesis of C. watsonii physiology. Furthermore, we have summarized the current knowledge of C. watsonii with regards to N2 fixation, photosynthesis, and quantitative modeling of physiology. Because N availability can limit primary production, C. watsonii is widely recognized for its importance to carbon and N cycling in ocean ecosystems, and we conclude this review by highlighting important topics for further research on this important species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takako Masuda
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czech Republic
- Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Shiogama, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Jan Mareš
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czech Republic
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre, The Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Takuhei Shiozaki
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan
| | - Keisuke Inomura
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Amane Fujiwara
- Research Institute for Global Change, JAMSTEC, Yokosuka, Japan
| | - Ondřej Prášil
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czech Republic
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2
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Nowruzi B, Hutarova L, Vešelenyiova D, Metcalf JS. Characterization of Neowestiellopsis persica A1387 (Hapalosiphonaceae) based on the cpcA, psbA, rpoC1, nifH and nifD gene sequences. BMC Ecol Evol 2024; 24:57. [PMID: 38711016 PMCID: PMC11075313 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-024-02244-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Complex descriptions of new strains of cyanobacteria appear very frequently. The main importance of these descriptions concerns potential new substances that they could synthesise, as well as their different properties as a result of their different ecological niches. The main gene used for these descriptions is 16 S with ITS or whole genome sequencing. Neowestiellopsis persica represents a unique example of the influence of ecology on morphological changes, with almost identical 16 S identity. Although our previously described Neowestiellopsis persica strain A1387 was characterized by 16 S analysis, we used different molecular markers to provide a way to separate strains of this genus that are closely related at the genetic level. MATERIALS AND METHODS In order to conduct an in-depth study, several molecular markers, namely psbA, rpoC1, nifD, nifH and cpcA were sequenced and studied in Neowestiellopsis persica strain A1387. RESULTS The results of the phylogenetic analysis, based on cpcA, showed that the studied strain A 1387 falls into a separate clade than N. persica, indicating that this signature sequence could be a useful molecular marker for phylogenetic separation of similar strains isolated in the future. CONCLUSIONS Analysis of strain A1387 based on gene differences confirmed that it is a Neowestiellopsis strain. The morphological changes observed in the previous study could be due to different ecological and cultivation conditions compared to the type species. At the same time, the sequences obtained have increased our understanding of this species and will help in the future to better identify strains belonging to the genus Neowestiellopsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bahareh Nowruzi
- Department of Biotechnology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Daneshgah Blvd, Simon Bulivar Blvd, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Lenka Hutarova
- Institute of Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, Trnava, Slovakia
| | - Dominika Vešelenyiova
- Institute of Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, Trnava, Slovakia
| | - James S Metcalf
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, 43403, USA
- Brain Chemistry Labs, Box 3464, Jackson, WY, 83001, USA
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3
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Abresch H, Bell T, Miller SR. Diurnal transcriptional variation is reduced in a nitrogen-fixing diatom endosymbiont. THE ISME JOURNAL 2024; 18:wrae064. [PMID: 38637300 PMCID: PMC11131595 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae064] [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: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Many organisms have formed symbiotic relationships with nitrogen (N)-fixing bacteria to overcome N limitation. Diatoms in the family Rhopalodiaceae host unicellular, N-fixing cyanobacterial endosymbionts called spheroid bodies (SBs). Although this relationship is relatively young, SBs share many key features with older endosymbionts, including coordinated cell division and genome reduction. Unlike free-living relatives that fix N exclusively at night, SBs fix N largely during the day; however, how SB metabolism is regulated and coordinated with the host is not yet understood. We compared four SB genomes, including those from two new host species (Rhopalodia gibba and Epithemia adnata), to build a genome-wide phylogeny which provides a better understanding of SB evolutionary origins. Contrary to models of endosymbiotic genome reduction, the SB chromosome is unusually stable for an endosymbiont genome, likely due to the early loss of all mobile elements. Transcriptomic data for the R. gibba SB and host organelles addressed whether and how the allocation of transcriptional resources depends on light and nitrogen availability. Although allocation to the SB was high under all conditions, relative expression of chloroplast photosynthesis genes increased in the absence of nitrate, but this pattern was suppressed by nitrate addition. SB expression of catabolism genes was generally greater during daytime rather than at night, although the magnitude of diurnal changes in expression was modest compared to free-living Cyanobacteria. We conclude that SB daytime catabolism likely supports N-fixation by linking the process to host photosynthetic carbon fixation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi Abresch
- Division of Biological Sciences, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, United States
| | - Tisza Bell
- Division of Biological Sciences, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, United States
| | - Scott R Miller
- Division of Biological Sciences, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, United States
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4
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Moulin SLY, Frail S, Braukmann T, Doenier J, Steele-Ogus M, Marks JC, Mills MM, Yeh E. The endosymbiont of Epithemia clementina is specialized for nitrogen fixation within a photosynthetic eukaryote. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 4:ycae055. [PMID: 38707843 PMCID: PMC11070190 DOI: 10.1093/ismeco/ycae055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Epithemia spp. diatoms contain obligate, nitrogen-fixing endosymbionts, or diazoplasts, derived from cyanobacteria. These algae are a rare example of photosynthetic eukaryotes that have successfully coupled oxygenic photosynthesis with oxygen-sensitive nitrogenase activity. Here, we report a newly-isolated species, E. clementina, as a model to investigate endosymbiotic acquisition of nitrogen fixation. We demonstrate that the diazoplast, which has lost photosynthesis, provides fixed nitrogen to the diatom host in exchange for fixed carbon. To identify the metabolic changes associated with this endosymbiotic specialization, we compared the Epithemia diazoplast with its close, free-living cyanobacterial relative, Crocosphaera subtropica. Unlike C. subtropica, in which nitrogenase activity is temporally separated from photosynthesis, we show that nitrogenase activity in the diazoplast is continuous through the day (concurrent with host photosynthesis) and night. Host and diazoplast metabolism are tightly coupled to support nitrogenase activity: Inhibition of photosynthesis abolishes daytime nitrogenase activity, while nighttime nitrogenase activity no longer requires cyanobacterial glycogen storage pathways. Instead, import of host-derived carbohydrates supports nitrogenase activity throughout the day-night cycle. Carbohydrate metabolism is streamlined in the diazoplast compared to C. subtropica with retention of the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway and oxidative phosphorylation. Similar to heterocysts, these pathways may be optimized to support nitrogenase activity, providing reducing equivalents and ATP and consuming oxygen. Our results demonstrate that the diazoplast is specialized for endosymbiotic nitrogen fixation. Altogether, we establish a new model for studying endosymbiosis, perform a functional characterization of this diazotroph endosymbiosis, and identify metabolic adaptations for endosymbiotic acquisition of a critical biological function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solène L Y Moulin
- Department of Pathology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
| | - Sarah Frail
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
| | - Thomas Braukmann
- Department of Pathology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
| | - Jon Doenier
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
| | - Melissa Steele-Ogus
- Department of Pathology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
| | - Jane C Marks
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AR 86011, United States
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, United States
| | - Matthew M Mills
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
| | - Ellen Yeh
- Department of Pathology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, United States
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5
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Stebegg R, Schmetterer G, Rompel A. Heterotrophy among Cyanobacteria. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:33098-33114. [PMID: 37744813 PMCID: PMC10515406 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c02205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria have been studied in recent decades to investigate the principle mechanisms of plant-type oxygenic photosynthesis, as they are the inventors of this process, and their cultivation and research is much easier compared to land plants. Nevertheless, many cyanobacterial strains possess the capacity for at least some forms of heterotrophic growth. This review demonstrates that cyanobacteria are much more than simple photoautotrophs, and their flexibility toward different environmental conditions has been underestimated in the past. It summarizes the strains capable of heterotrophy known by date structured by their phylogeny and lists the possible substrates for heterotrophy for each of them in a table in the Supporting Information. The conditions are discussed in detail that cause heterotrophic growth for each strain in order to allow for reproduction of the results. The review explains the importance of this knowledge for the use of new methods of cyanobacterial cultivation, which may be advantageous under certain conditions. It seeks to stimulate other researchers to identify new strains capable of heterotrophy that have not been known so far.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald Stebegg
- Universität Wien, Fakultät für Chemie, Institut für
Biophysikalische Chemie, 1090 Wien, Austria
| | - Georg Schmetterer
- Universität Wien, Fakultät für Chemie, Institut für
Biophysikalische Chemie, 1090 Wien, Austria
| | - Annette Rompel
- Universität Wien, Fakultät für Chemie, Institut für
Biophysikalische Chemie, 1090 Wien, Austria
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6
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Abdel-Hady GN, Tajima T, Ikeda T, Ishida T, Funabashi H, Kuroda A, Hirota R. A novel salt- and organic solvent-tolerant phosphite dehydrogenase from Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1255582. [PMID: 37662428 PMCID: PMC10473253 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1255582] [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: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Phosphite dehydrogenase (PtxD) is a promising enzyme for NAD(P)H regeneration. To expand the usability of PtxD, we cloned, expressed, and analyzed PtxD from the marine cyanobacterium Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142 (Ct-PtxD). Ct-PtxD exhibited maximum activity at pH 9.0°C and 50°C and high stability over a wide pH range of 6.0-10.0. Compared to previously reported PtxDs, Ct-PtxD showed increased resistance to salt ions such as Na+, K+, and NH4 +. It also exhibited high tolerance to organic solvents such as ethanol, dimethylformamide, and methanol when bound to its preferred cofactor, NAD+. Remarkably, these organic solvents enhanced the Ct-PtxD activity while inhibiting the PtxD activity of Ralstonia sp. 4506 (Rs-PtxD) at concentrations ranging from 10% to 30%. Molecular electrostatic potential analysis showed that the NAD+-binding site of Ct-PtxD was rich in positively charged residues, which may attract the negatively charged pyrophosphate group of NAD+ under high-salt conditions. Amino acid composition analysis revealed that Ct-PtxD contained fewer hydrophobic amino acids than other PtxD enzymes, which reduced the hydrophobicity and increased the hydration of protein surface under low water activity. We also demonstrated that the NADH regeneration system using Ct-PtxD is useful for the coupled chiral conversion of trimethylpyruvic acid into L-tert-leucine using leucine dehydrogenase under high ammonium conditions, which is less supported by the Rs-PtxD enzyme. These results imply that Ct-PtxD might be a potential candidate for NAD(P)H regeneration in industrial applications under the reaction conditions containing salt and organic solvent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gamal Nasser Abdel-Hady
- Unit of Biotechnology, Division of Biological and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Minia University, Minia, Egypt
| | - Takahisa Tajima
- Unit of Biotechnology, Division of Biological and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
- Seto Inland Sea Carbon-neutral Research Center, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Takeshi Ikeda
- Unit of Biotechnology, Division of Biological and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Takenori Ishida
- Unit of Biotechnology, Division of Biological and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Hisakage Funabashi
- Unit of Biotechnology, Division of Biological and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
- Seto Inland Sea Carbon-neutral Research Center, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Akio Kuroda
- Unit of Biotechnology, Division of Biological and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
- Seto Inland Sea Carbon-neutral Research Center, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Ryuichi Hirota
- Unit of Biotechnology, Division of Biological and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
- Seto Inland Sea Carbon-neutral Research Center, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
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7
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Takuhei S, Nishimura Y, Yoshizawa S, Takami H, Hamasaki K, Fujiwara A, Nishino S, Harada N. Distribution and survival strategies of endemic and cosmopolitan diazotrophs in the Arctic Ocean. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023:10.1038/s41396-023-01424-x. [PMID: 37217593 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01424-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Dinitrogen (N2) fixation is the major source of reactive nitrogen in the ocean and has been considered to occur specifically in low-latitude oligotrophic oceans. Recent studies have shown that N2 fixation also occurs in the polar regions and thus is a global process, although the physiological and ecological characteristics of polar diazotrophs are not yet known. Here, we successfully reconstructed diazotroph genomes, including that of cyanobacterium UCYN-A (Candidatus 'Atelocyanobacterium thalassa'), from metagenome data corresponding to 111 samples isolated from the Arctic Ocean. These diazotrophs were highly abundant in the Arctic Ocean (max., 1.28% of the total microbial community), suggesting that they have important roles in the Arctic ecosystem and biogeochemical cycles. Further, we show that diazotrophs within genera Arcobacter, Psychromonas, and Oceanobacter are prevalent in the <0.2 µm fraction in the Arctic Ocean, indicating that current methods cannot capture their N2 fixation. Diazotrophs in the Arctic Ocean were either Arctic-endemic or cosmopolitan species from their global distribution patterns. Arctic-endemic diazotrophs, including Arctic UCYN-A, were similar to low-latitude-endemic and cosmopolitan diazotrophs in genome-wide function, however, they had unique gene sets (e.g., diverse aromatics degradation genes), suggesting adaptations to Arctic-specific conditions. Cosmopolitan diazotrophs were generally non-cyanobacteria and commonly had the gene that encodes the cold-inducible RNA chaperone, which presumably makes their survival possible even in deep, cold waters of global ocean and polar surface waters. This study shows global distribution pattern of diazotrophs with their genomes and provides clues to answering the question of how diazotrophs can inhabit polar waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiozaki Takuhei
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, 277-8564, Japan.
| | - Yosuke Nishimura
- Research Centre for Bioscience and Nanoscience, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, 237-0061, Japan
| | - Susumu Yoshizawa
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, 277-8564, Japan
| | - Hideto Takami
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, 277-8564, Japan
- Center for Mathematical Science and Advanced Technology, JAMSTEC, Yokohama, 236-0001, Japan
| | - Koji Hamasaki
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, 277-8564, Japan
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 277-8564, Kashiwa, Japan
- Collaborative Research Institute for Innovative Microbiology, The University of Tokyo, 113-8657, Bunkyo-ku, Japan
| | - Amane Fujiwara
- Research Institute for Global Change, JAMSTEC, Yokosuka, 237-0061, Japan
| | - Shigeto Nishino
- Research Institute for Global Change, JAMSTEC, Yokosuka, 237-0061, Japan
| | - Naomi Harada
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, 277-8564, Japan
- Research Institute for Global Change, JAMSTEC, Yokosuka, 237-0061, Japan
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8
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Moulin SL, Frail S, Doenier J, Braukmann T, Yeh E. The endosymbiont of Epithemia clementina is specialized for nitrogen fixation within a photosynthetic eukaryote. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.08.531752. [PMID: 37066385 PMCID: PMC10103950 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.08.531752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Epithemia spp. diatoms contain obligate, nitrogen-fixing endosymbionts, or "diazoplasts", derived from cyanobacteria. These algae are a rare example of photosynthetic eukaryotes that have successfully coupled oxygenic photosynthesis with oxygen-sensitive nitrogenase activity. Here, we report a newly-isolated species, E. clementina, as a model to investigate endosymbiotic acquisition of nitrogen fixation. To detect the metabolic changes associated with endosymbiotic specialization, we compared nitrogen fixation, associated carbon and nitrogen metabolism, and their regulatory pathways in the Epithemia diazoplast with its close, free-living cyanobacterial relative, Crocosphaera subtropica. Unlike C. subtropica, we show that nitrogenase activity in the diazoplast is concurrent with, and even dependent on, host photosynthesis and no longer associated with cyanobacterial glycogen storage suggesting carbohydrates are imported from the host diatom. Carbohydrate catabolism in the diazoplast indicates that the oxidative pentose pathway and oxidative phosphorylation, in concert, generates reducing equivalents and ATP and consumes oxygen to support nitrogenase activity. In contrast to expanded nitrogenase activity, the diazoplast has diminished ability to utilize alternative nitrogen sources. Upon ammonium repletion, negative feedback regulation of nitrogen fixation was conserved, however ammonia assimilation showed paradoxical responses in the diazoplast compared with C. subtropica. The altered nitrogen regulation likely favors nitrogen transfer to the host. Our results suggest that the diazoplast is specialized for endosymbiotic nitrogen fixation. Altogether, we establish a new model for studying endosymbiosis, perform the first functional characterization of this diazotroph endosymbiosis, and identify metabolic adaptations for endosymbiotic acquisition of a critical biological function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solène L.Y. Moulin
- Department of Pathology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Sarah Frail
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Jon Doenier
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Thomas Braukmann
- Department of Pathology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Ellen Yeh
- Department of Pathology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub – San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158
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9
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Tang S, Pichugin Y, Hammerschmidt K. An environmentally induced multicellular life cycle of a unicellular cyanobacterium. Curr Biol 2023; 33:764-769.e5. [PMID: 36854263 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.01.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the evolutionary transition to multicellularity is a key problem in biology.1,2,3,4 Nevertheless, the ecological conditions driving such transitions are not well understood. The first known transition to multicellularity occurred 2.5 billion years ago in cyanobacteria,5,6,7 and today's cyanobacteria are characterized by enormous morphological diversity. They range from unicellular species; unicellular cyanobacteria with packet-like phenotypes, e.g., tetrads; and simple filamentous species to highly differentiated filamentous species.8,9,10 The cyanobacterium Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142, an isolate from the intertidal zone of the U.S. Gulf Coast,11 was classified as a unicellular species.12 We report a facultative life cycle of Cyanothece sp. in which multicellular filaments alternate with unicellular stages. In a series of experiments, we identified salinity and population density as environmental factors triggering the phenotypic switch between the two morphologies. Then, we used numerical models to test hypotheses regarding the nature of the environmental cues and the mechanisms underlying filament dissolution. While the results predict that the observed response is likely caused by an excreted compound in the medium, we cannot fully exclude changes in nutrient availability (as in Tuomi et al.13 and Matz and Jürgens14). The best-fit modeling results show a nonlinear effect of the compound, which is characteristic of density-dependent sensing systems.15,16 Furthermore, filament fragmentation is predicted to occur by connection cleavage rather than cell death of each alternating cell, which is supported by fluorescent and scanning electron microscopy results. The switch between unicellular and multicellular morphology constitutes an environmentally dependent life cycle that is likely an important step en route to permanent multicellularity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si Tang
- Institute of General Microbiology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Yuriy Pichugin
- Department of Evolutionary Theory, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany.
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10
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Strunecký O, Ivanova AP, Mareš J. An updated classification of cyanobacterial orders and families based on phylogenomic and polyphasic analysis. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2023; 59:12-51. [PMID: 36443823 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Cyanobacterial taxonomy is facing a period of rapid changes thanks to the ease of 16S rRNA gene sequencing and established workflows for description of new taxa. Since the last comprehensive review of the cyanobacterial system in 2014 until 2021, at least 273 species in 140 genera were newly described. These taxa were mainly placed into previously defined orders and families although several new families were proposed. However, the classification of most taxa still relied on hierarchical relationships inherited from the classical morphological taxonomy. Similarly, the obviously polyphyletic orders such as Synechococcales and Oscillatoriales were left unchanged. In this study, the rising number of genomic sequences of cyanobacteria and well-described reference strains allowed us to reconstruct a robust phylogenomic tree for taxonomic purposes. A less robust but better sampled 16S rRNA gene phylogeny was mapped to the phylogenomic backbone. Based on both these phylogenies, a polyphasic classification throughout the whole phylum of Cyanobacteria was created, with ten new orders and fifteen new families. The proposed system of cyanobacterial orders and families relied on a phylogenomic tree but still employed phenotypic apomorphies where possible to make it useful for professionals in the field. It was, however, confirmed that morphological convergence of phylogenetically distant taxa was a frequent phenomenon in cyanobacteria. Moreover, the limited phylogenetic informativeness of the 16S rRNA gene, resulting in ambiguous phylogenies above the genus level, emphasized the integration of genomic data as a prerequisite for the conclusive taxonomic placement of a vast number of cyanobacterial genera in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Otakar Strunecký
- Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, CENAKVA, Institute of Aquaculture and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Na Sádkách 1780, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Anna Pavlovna Ivanova
- Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, CENAKVA, Institute of Aquaculture and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Na Sádkách 1780, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Mareš
- Biology Centre of the CAS, Institute of Hydrobiology, Na Sádkách 702/7, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, Department of Botany, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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11
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Masuda T, Inomura K, Gao M, Armin G, Kotabová E, Bernát G, Lawrenz-Kendrick E, Lukeš M, Bečková M, Steinbach G, Komenda J, Prášil O. The balance between photosynthesis and respiration explains the niche differentiation between Crocosphaera and Cyanothece. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 21:58-65. [PMID: 36514336 PMCID: PMC9732122 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.11.029] [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: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Crocosphaera and Cyanothece are both unicellular, nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria that prefer different environments. Whereas Crocosphaera mainly lives in nutrient-deplete, open oceans, Cyanothece is more common in coastal, nutrient-rich regions. Despite their physiological similarities, the factors separating their niches remain elusive. Here we performed physiological experiments on clone cultures and expand upon a simple ecological model to show that their different niches can be sufficiently explained by the observed differences in their photosynthetic capacities and rates of carbon (C) consumption. Our experiments revealed that Cyanothece has overall higher photosynthesis and respiration rates than Crocosphaera. A simple growth model of these microorganisms suggests that C storage and consumption are previously under-appreciated factors when evaluating the occupation of niches by different marine nitrogen fixers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takako Masuda
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Opatovický mlýn, 37901 Třeboň, Czech Republic,Corresponding authors.
| | - Keisuke Inomura
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
| | - Meng Gao
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
| | - Gabrielle Armin
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
| | - Eva Kotabová
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Opatovický mlýn, 37901 Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Gábor Bernát
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Opatovický mlýn, 37901 Třeboň, Czech Republic,Balaton Limnological Research Institute, Eötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH), Tihany, Hungary
| | - Evelyn Lawrenz-Kendrick
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Opatovický mlýn, 37901 Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Lukeš
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Opatovický mlýn, 37901 Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Bečková
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Opatovický mlýn, 37901 Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Gábor Steinbach
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Opatovický mlýn, 37901 Třeboň, Czech Republic,Cellular Imaging Laboratory, Biological Research Center, Eötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH), Szeged, Hungary
| | - Josef Komenda
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Opatovický mlýn, 37901 Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Prášil
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Opatovický mlýn, 37901 Třeboň, Czech Republic,Corresponding authors.
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12
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Photosynthetic modulation during the diurnal cycle in a unicellular diazotrophic cyanobacterium grown under nitrogen-replete and nitrogen-fixing conditions. Sci Rep 2022; 12:18939. [PMID: 36344535 PMCID: PMC9640542 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21829-6] [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: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are the only oxygenic photosynthetic organisms that can fix nitrogen. In diazotrophic cyanobacteria, the regulation of photosynthesis during the diurnal cycle is hypothesized to be linked with nitrogen fixation and involve the D1 protein isoform PsbA4. The amount of bioavailable nitrogen has a major impact on productivity in aqueous environments. In contrast to low- or nitrogen-fixing (-N) conditions, little data on photosynthetic regulation under nitrogen-replete (+ N) conditions are available. We compared the regulation of photosynthesis under -N and + N conditions during the diurnal cycle in wild type and a psbA4 deletion strain of the unicellular diazotrophic cyanobacterium Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142. We observed common changes to light harvesting and photosynthetic electron transport during the dark in + N and -N conditions and found that these modifications occur in both diazotrophic and non-diazotrophic cyanobacteria. Nitrogen availability increased PSII titer when cells transitioned from dark to light and promoted growth. Under -N conditions, deletion of PsbA4 modified charge recombination in dark and regulation of PSII titer during dark to light transition. We conclude that darkness impacts the acceptor-side modifications to PSII and photosynthetic electron transport in cyanobacteria independently of the nitrogen-fixing status and the presence of PsbA4.
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13
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Baldarelli LM, Pietrasiak N, Osorio-Santos K, Johansen JR. Mojavia aguilerae and M. dolomitestris - two new Nostocaceae (Cyanobacteria) species from the Americas. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2022; 58:502-516. [PMID: 35727130 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
While nostocacean cyanobacteria are ubiquitous and play critical roles in terrestrial ecosystems, their taxonomy and biogeography still entail mysteries. We isolated two Nostoc-like cyanobacteria from biological soil crusts of the Atacama (Chile) and Mojave (USA) Deserts. An initial 16S rRNA gene phylogeny placed both in monophyly with Mojavia pulchra. Here, we describe two new species of the previously monotypic Mojavia using a polyphasic approach including morphology, 16S rRNA phylogenies, secondary structure, and percent similarity of the 16S-23S ITS region. Like M. pulchra, both new species produce compact microcolonies, arthrospore-like akinetes, and monocytes, traits characteristic of the genus. Mojavia aguilerae sp. nov. is morphologically distinct from both other species in producing bluntly conical end cells, abundant enlarged akinetes in multiseriate filaments, and gold-colored cells during senescence. Mojavia dolomitestris sp. nov. exhibited distinctly firm, light-colored, compartmentalized mucilage. M. dolomitestris is somewhat cryptic with M. pulchra, but has more densely packed microcolonies, rarity and later onset of brownish sheath pigmentation, and an origin from soils derived from dolomite. The two new species strengthened the position of Mojavia as a robust genus sister to Nostoc. Although 16S rRNA gene data could not separate the Mojavia species from each other, the three species showed distinct dissimilarities in secondary ITS structure and differed greatly from Nostoc sensu stricto. The high dissimilarities between their 16S-23S ITS regions suggest a long evolutionary history of the three species as separate lineages. Mojavia is an evolutionary and ecologically unique nostocacean genus, and its rarity and restricted habitat point to an urgent need for recognition and protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Baldarelli
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, 44242, USA
| | - Nicole Pietrasiak
- Plant and Environmental Sciences Department, New Mexico State University, 945 College Drive. Las Cruces, New Mexico, 88003, USA
| | - Karina Osorio-Santos
- Departamento de Biología Comparada, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Colonia Coyoacán, Código Postal 04451070474, P.O. Box 70-474, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Jeffrey R Johansen
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, Ohio, 44118, USA
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice, 370 05, Czech Republic
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14
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Van Camp C, Fraikin C, Claverie E, Onderwater R, Wattiez R. Capsular polysaccharides and exopolysaccharides from Gloeothece verrucosa under various nitrogen regimes and their potential plant defence stimulation activity. ALGAL RES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2022.102680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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15
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Overlooked and widespread pennate diatom-diazotroph symbioses in the sea. Nat Commun 2022; 13:799. [PMID: 35145076 PMCID: PMC8831587 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28065-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Persistent nitrogen depletion in sunlit open ocean waters provides a favorable ecological niche for nitrogen-fixing (diazotrophic) cyanobacteria, some of which associate symbiotically with eukaryotic algae. All known marine examples of these symbioses have involved either centric diatom or haptophyte hosts. We report here the discovery and characterization of two distinct marine pennate diatom-diazotroph symbioses, which until now had only been observed in freshwater environments. Rhopalodiaceae diatoms Epithemia pelagica sp. nov. and Epithemia catenata sp. nov. were isolated repeatedly from the subtropical North Pacific Ocean, and analysis of sequence libraries reveals a global distribution. These symbioses likely escaped attention because the endosymbionts lack fluorescent photopigments, have nifH gene sequences similar to those of free-living unicellular cyanobacteria, and are lost in nitrogen-replete medium. Marine Rhopalodiaceae-diazotroph symbioses are a previously overlooked but widespread source of bioavailable nitrogen in marine habitats and provide new, easily cultured model organisms for the study of organelle evolution.
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16
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Kupriyanova EV, Sinetova MA, Leusenko AV, Voronkov AS, Los DA. A leader peptide of the extracellular cyanobacterial carbonic anhydrase ensures the efficient secretion of recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli. J Biotechnol 2021; 344:11-23. [PMID: 34921977 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2021.12.006] [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: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Several forms of EcaA protein, correspondent to the extracellular α-class carbonic anhydrase (CA) of cyanobacterium Crocosphaera subtropica ATCC 51142 were expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant proteins with no leader peptide (EcaA and its fusion with thioredoxin or glutathione S-transferase) were allocated inside cells in a full-length form; these cells did not display any extracellular CA activity. Soluble proteins (including that of periplasmic space) of E. coli cells that expressed both ЕсаА equipped with its native leader peptide (L-EcaA) as well as L-EcaA fused with thioredoxin or glutathione S-transferase at N-terminus, mainly contained the processed EcaA. The appearance of mature ЕсаА in outer layers of E. coli cells expressed leader peptide-containing forms of recombinant proteins, has been directly confirmed by immunofluorescent microscopy. Those cells also displayed high extracellular CA activity. In addition, the mature EcaA protein was detected in the culture medium. This suggests that cyanobacterial signal peptide is recognized by the secretory machinery and by the leader peptidase of E. coli even as a part of a fusion protein. The efficiency of EcaA leader peptide was comparable to that of PelB and TorA signal peptides, commonly used for biotechnological production of extracellular recombinant proteins in E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena V Kupriyanova
- К.А. Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Botanicheskaya Street 35, Moscow 127276, Russia.
| | - Maria A Sinetova
- К.А. Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Botanicheskaya Street 35, Moscow 127276, Russia
| | - Anna V Leusenko
- К.А. Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Botanicheskaya Street 35, Moscow 127276, Russia
| | - Alexander S Voronkov
- К.А. Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Botanicheskaya Street 35, Moscow 127276, Russia
| | - Dmitry A Los
- К.А. Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Botanicheskaya Street 35, Moscow 127276, Russia
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17
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Johansen JR, González-Resendiz L, Escobar-Sánchez V, Segal-Kischinevzky C, Martínez-Yerena J, Hernández-Sánchez J, Hernández-Pérez G, León-Tejera H. When will taxonomic saturation be achieved? A case study in Nunduva and Kyrtuthrix (Rivulariaceae, Cyanobacteria). JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2021; 57:1699-1720. [PMID: 34289115 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
A number of heterocytous, mat-forming, tapering cyanobacteria in Rivulariaceae have recently been observed in both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts in the rocky intertidal and supratidal zones. These belong to the genera Nunduva, Kyrtuthrix, and Phyllonema and have been the subject of several recent studies. Herein, two new species of Nunduva (N. komarkovae and N. sanagustinensis) and two new species of Kyrtuthrix (K. munecosensis and K. totonaca) are characterized and described from the coasts of Mexico. Genetic separation based on the 16S-23S ITS region was pronounced (>10% in all comparisons). Morphological differences between all existing species in these two genera were also observed, but the group is morphologically complex, and these taxa are considered pseudocryptic. Nunduva and Kyrtuthrix remain morphologically and phylogenetically separate even with the addition of new species. However, how long will this remain the case? Many new genera and species of cyanobacteria have recently been described. Will the taxonomy of cyanobacteria eventually become saturated? Will we start to see multiple populations for the same cryptic species, or will future taxonomists collapse multiple species into fewer species, or multiple genera into single genera. The description of even more Nunduva and Kyrtuthrix species causes us to pause and evaluate the future of cyanobacterial taxonomy. These same questions are faced by algal taxonomists studying other phyla, and the resolution may ultimately be similar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey R Johansen
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, Ohio, 44118, USA
- Department of Botany, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, Česke Budějovice, 370 05, Czech Republic
| | - Laura González-Resendiz
- Departamento de Procesos y Tecnología, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana- Cuajimalpa, Av. Vasco de Quiroga 4871, Ciudad de México, C.P. 053000, Mexico
| | - Viviana Escobar-Sánchez
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Coyoacán, Código Postal, Ciudad de México, 04510, Mexico
| | - Claudia Segal-Kischinevzky
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Coyoacán, Código Postal, Ciudad de México, 04510, Mexico
| | - José Martínez-Yerena
- Departamento de Biología Comparada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Coyoacán, Código Postal, Ciudad de México, 04510, Mexico
| | - Joaquín Hernández-Sánchez
- Departamento de Biología Comparada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Coyoacán, Código Postal, Ciudad de México, 04510, Mexico
| | - Gabriela Hernández-Pérez
- Departamento de Biología Comparada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Coyoacán, Código Postal, Ciudad de México, 04510, Mexico
| | - Hilda León-Tejera
- Departamento de Biología Comparada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Coyoacán, Código Postal, Ciudad de México, 04510, Mexico
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18
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Blain-Hartung M, Rockwell NC, Lagarias JC. Natural diversity provides a broad spectrum of cyanobacteriochrome-based diguanylate cyclases. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 187:632-645. [PMID: 34608946 PMCID: PMC8491021 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiab240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Cyanobacteriochromes (CBCRs) are spectrally diverse photosensors from cyanobacteria distantly related to phytochromes that exploit photoisomerization of linear tetrapyrrole (bilin) chromophores to regulate associated signaling output domains. Unlike phytochromes, a single CBCR domain is sufficient for photoperception. CBCR domains that regulate the production or degradation of cyclic nucleotide second messengers are becoming increasingly well characterized. Cyclic di-guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) is a widespread small-molecule regulator of bacterial motility, developmental transitions, and biofilm formation whose biosynthesis is regulated by CBCRs coupled to GGDEF (diguanylate cyclase) output domains. In this study, we compare the properties of diverse CBCR-GGDEF proteins with those of synthetic CBCR-GGDEF chimeras. Our investigation shows that natural diversity generates promising candidates for robust, broad spectrum optogenetic applications in live cells. Since light quality is constantly changing during plant development as upper leaves begin to shade lower leaves-affecting elongation growth, initiation of flowering, and responses to pathogens, these studies presage application of CBCR-GGDEF sensors to regulate orthogonal, c-di-GMP-regulated circuits in agronomically important plants for robust mitigation of such deleterious responses under natural growing conditions in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Blain-Hartung
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, California 95616
| | - Nathan C. Rockwell
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, California 95616
| | - J. Clark Lagarias
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, California 95616
- Author for communication:
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19
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Averina S, Polyakova E, Senatskaya E, Pinevich A. A new cyanobacterial genus Altericista and three species, A. lacusladogae sp. nov., A. violacea sp. nov., and A. variichlora sp. nov., described using a polyphasic approach. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2021; 57:1517-1529. [PMID: 34107051 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Several strains of unicellular cyanobacteria from the culture collection of St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia (CALU), which were preliminary identified as Synechocystis sp., are reclassified in the new genus Altericista. Three new species are proposed, A. lacusladogae, A. violacea, and A. variichlora. The last species produces accessory chlorophylls d and f in cultures illuminated by far-red light, an attribute rarely observed in cyanobacteria, especially in unicellular strains. This genus is morphologically similar to Synechocysis having coccoid cells that divide in two successive planes at right angles, containing no sheath or capsule, and having the lamellar system represented by peripheral concentric thylakoids. Altericista shows ecological, biochemical, and physiological characters unlike those in Synechocystis and has the distinguishing phenotypic characters as follows: freshwater, non-halotolerant ecotype; palmitate and α-linoleate as major fatty acids; and the ability to photoacclimate, including several types of complementary chromatic adaptation. Genetic differences from Synechocystis sp. include 16S rRNA, rpoC1, and rbcL gene sequences, as well as sequence and folding of 16S-23S ITS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana Averina
- Department of Microbiology, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199178, Russia
| | - Elena Polyakova
- Department of Microbiology, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199178, Russia
| | - Ekaterina Senatskaya
- Department of Microbiology, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199178, Russia
| | - Alexander Pinevich
- Department of Microbiology, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199178, Russia
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20
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Matinha-Cardoso J, Mota R, Gomes LC, Gomes M, Mergulhão FJ, Tamagnini P, Martins MCL, Costa F. Surface activation of medical grade polyurethane for the covalent immobilization of an anti-adhesive biopolymeric coating. J Mater Chem B 2021; 9:3705-3715. [PMID: 33871523 DOI: 10.1039/d1tb00278c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Hospital-acquired infections are still a major concern worldwide, being frequently related to bacterial biofilm formation on medical devices, and thus difficult to eradicate with conventional antimicrobial treatments. Therefore, infection-preventive solutions based on natural polymers are being investigated. Recently, a marine cyanobacterium-derived polymeric coating (CyanoCoating) has demonstrated great anti-adhesive potential when immobilized onto gold model substrates. In this work, we took this technology a step closer to an industrial application by covalently immobilizing CyanoCoating onto medical grade polyurethane (PU). This immobilization was developed through the introduction of linkable moieties onto a PU inert surface using different pre-treatments. Besides the application of the polydopamine (pDA) linker layer, other processes frequently found in industrial settings, such as atmospheric plasma (using O2 or N2 as reactive gases) and ozone surface activations, were evaluated. From all the pre-treatments tested, the ozone activation was the most promising since the obtained coating not only revealed a homogeneous distribution, but also significantly reduced the adhesion of two relevant etiological bacteria in static conditions (the Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and the Gram-negative Escherichia coli). Moreover, it also impaired E. coli biofilm formation under simulated urinary tract dynamic conditions, reinforcing the potential of CyanoCoating as an antibiotic-free alternative to mitigate medical device-associated infections, particularly in the urinary tract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Matinha-Cardoso
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal. and IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Celular e Molecular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Rita Mota
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal. and IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Celular e Molecular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Luciana C Gomes
- LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Marisa Gomes
- LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Filipe J Mergulhão
- LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Paula Tamagnini
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal. and IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Celular e Molecular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal and Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, Edifício FC4, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - M Cristina L Martins
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal. and INEB - Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal and ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Rua Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Fabíola Costa
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal. and INEB - Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
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21
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Pietrasiak N, Reeve S, Osorio-Santos K, Lipson DA, Johansen JR. Trichotorquatus gen. nov. - a new genus of soil cyanobacteria discovered from American drylands 1. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2021; 57:886-902. [PMID: 33583028 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are crucial ecosystem components in dryland soils. Advances in describing α-level taxonomy are needed to understand what drives their abundance and distribution. We describe Trichotorquatus gen. nov. (Oculatellaceae, Synechococcales, Cyanobacteria) based on four new species isolated from dryland soils including the coastal sage scrub near San Diego, California (USA), the Mojave and Colorado Deserts with sites at Joshua Tree National Park and Mojave National Preserve, California (USA), and the Atacama Desert (Chile). The genus is morphologically characterized by having thin trichomes (<4.5 μm wide), cells both shorter and longer than wide, rarely occurring single and double false branching, necridia appearing singly or in rows, and sheaths with a distinctive collar-like fraying and widening mid-filament, the feature for which the genus is named. The genus is morphologically nearly identical with Leptolyngbya sensu stricto but is phylogenetically quite distant from that genus. It is consequently a cryptic genus that will likely be differentiated in future studies based on 16S rRNA sequence data. The type species, T. maritimus sp. nov. is morphologically distinct from the other three species, T. coquimbo sp. nov., T. andrei sp. nov. and T. ladouxae sp. nov. However, these latter three species are morphologically very close and are considered by the authors to be cryptic species. All species are separated phylogenetically based on sequence of the 16S-23S ITS region. Three distinct ribosomal operons were recovered from the genus, lending difficulty to recognizing further diversity in this morphologically cryptic genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Pietrasiak
- Plant and Environmental Sciences Department, New Mexico State University, 945 College Drive, Las Cruces, New Mexico, 88003, USA
| | - Sharon Reeve
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, Mail Code 4614, San Diego, California, 92182, USA
| | - Karina Osorio-Santos
- Departamento de Biología Comparada, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Colonia Coyoacán, Código Postal 04451070474, P.O. Box 70-474, Ciudad de México, México
| | - David A Lipson
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, Mail Code 4614, San Diego, California, 92182, USA
| | - Jeffrey R Johansen
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, Ohio, 44118, USA
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice, 370 05, Czech Republic
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22
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Landa M, Turk-Kubo KA, Cornejo-Castillo FM, Henke BA, Zehr JP. Critical Role of Light in the Growth and Activity of the Marine N 2-Fixing UCYN-A Symbiosis. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:666739. [PMID: 34025621 PMCID: PMC8139342 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.666739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The unicellular N2-fixing cyanobacteria UCYN-A live in symbiosis with haptophytes in the Braarudosphaera bigelowii lineage. Maintaining N2-fixing symbioses between two unicellular partners requires tight coordination of multiple biological processes including cell growth and division and, in the case of the UCYN-A symbiosis, N2 fixation of the symbiont and photosynthesis of the host. In this system, it is thought that the host photosynthesis supports the high energetic cost of N2 fixation, and both processes occur during the light period. However, information on this coordination is very limited and difficult to obtain because the UCYN-A symbiosis has yet to be available in culture. Natural populations containing the UCYN-A2 symbiosis were manipulated to explore the effects of alterations of regular light and dark periods and inhibition of host photosynthesis on N2 fixation (single cell N2 fixation rates), nifH gene transcription, and UCYN-A2 cell division (fluorescent in situ hybridization and nifH gene abundances). The results showed that the light period is critical for maintenance of regular patterns of gene expression, N2 fixation and symbiont replication and cell division. This study suggests a crucial role for the host as a producer of fixed carbon, rather than light itself, in the regulation and implementation of these cellular processes in UCYN-A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Landa
- Ocean Sciences Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States
| | - Kendra A Turk-Kubo
- Ocean Sciences Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States
| | | | - Britt A Henke
- Ocean Sciences Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States
| | - Jonathan P Zehr
- Ocean Sciences Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States
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23
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Rabouille S, Campbell DA, Masuda T, Zavřel T, Bernát G, Polerecky L, Halsey K, Eichner M, Kotabová E, Stephan S, Lukeš M, Claquin P, Bonomi-Barufi J, Lombardi AT, Červený J, Suggett DJ, Giordano M, Kromkamp JC, Prášil O. Electron & Biomass Dynamics of Cyanothece Under Interacting Nitrogen & Carbon Limitations. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:617802. [PMID: 33897635 PMCID: PMC8063122 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.617802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine diazotrophs are a diverse group with key roles in biogeochemical fluxes linked to primary productivity. The unicellular, diazotrophic cyanobacterium Cyanothece is widely found in coastal, subtropical oceans. We analyze the consequences of diazotrophy on growth efficiency, compared to NO3–-supported growth in Cyanothece, to understand how cells cope with N2-fixation when they also have to face carbon limitation, which may transiently affect populations in coastal environments or during blooms of phytoplankton communities. When grown in obligate diazotrophy, cells face the double burden of a more ATP-demanding N-acquisition mode and additional metabolic losses imposed by the transient storage of reducing potential as carbohydrate, compared to a hypothetical N2 assimilation directly driven by photosynthetic electron transport. Further, this energetic burden imposed by N2-fixation could not be alleviated, despite the high irradiance level within the cultures, because photosynthesis was limited by the availability of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and possibly by a constrained capacity for carbon storage. DIC limitation exacerbates the costs on growth imposed by nitrogen fixation. Therefore, the competitive efficiency of diazotrophs could be hindered in areas with insufficient renewal of dissolved gases and/or with intense phytoplankton biomass that both decrease available light energy and draw the DIC level down.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Rabouille
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, LOV, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France.,Sorbonne Université, CNRS, LOMIC, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | - Douglas A Campbell
- Centre Algatech, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czechia.,Mount Allison University, Sackville, NB, Canada
| | - Takako Masuda
- Centre Algatech, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czechia
| | - Tomáš Zavřel
- Department of Adaptive Biotechnologies, Global Change Research Institute CAS, Brno, Czechia
| | - Gábor Bernát
- Centre Algatech, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czechia.,Centre for Ecological Research, Balaton Limnological Institute, Klebelsberg Kuno u. 3. 8237 Tihany, Hungary
| | - Lubos Polerecky
- Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Kimberly Halsey
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Meri Eichner
- Centre Algatech, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czechia.,Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Eva Kotabová
- Centre Algatech, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czechia
| | - Susanne Stephan
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Zur alten Fischerhütte 2, Stechlin, Germany.,Department of Ecology, Berlin Institute of Technology (TU Berlin), Ernst-Reuter-Platz 1, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Lukeš
- Centre Algatech, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czechia
| | - Pascal Claquin
- UMR BOREA (CNRS 8067), MNHN, IRD (207), Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, Caen, France
| | - José Bonomi-Barufi
- Departamento de Botânica, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | | | - Jan Červený
- Department of Adaptive Biotechnologies, Global Change Research Institute CAS, Brno, Czechia
| | - David J Suggett
- University of Technology Sydney, Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| | - Mario Giordano
- Centre Algatech, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czechia.,Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, UniversitaÌ Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Jacco C Kromkamp
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Ondřej Prášil
- Centre Algatech, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czechia
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24
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Polerecky L, Masuda T, Eichner M, Rabouille S, Vancová M, Kienhuis MVM, Bernát G, Bonomi-Barufi J, Campbell DA, Claquin P, Červený J, Giordano M, Kotabová E, Kromkamp J, Lombardi AT, Lukeš M, Prášil O, Stephan S, Suggett D, Zavřel T, Halsey KH. Temporal Patterns and Intra- and Inter-Cellular Variability in Carbon and Nitrogen Assimilation by the Unicellular Cyanobacterium Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:620915. [PMID: 33613489 PMCID: PMC7890256 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.620915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Unicellular nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria (UCYN) are abundant members of phytoplankton communities in a wide range of marine environments, including those with rapidly changing nitrogen (N) concentrations. We hypothesized that differences in N availability (N2 vs. combined N) would cause UCYN to shift strategies of intracellular N and C allocation. We used transmission electron microscopy and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging to track assimilation and intracellular allocation of 13C-labeled CO2 and 15N-labeled N2 or NO3 at different periods across a diel cycle in Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142. We present new ideas on interpreting these imaging data, including the influences of pre-incubation cellular C and N contents and turnover rates of inclusion bodies. Within cultures growing diazotrophically, distinct subpopulations were detected that fixed N2 at night or in the morning. Additional significant within-population heterogeneity was likely caused by differences in the relative amounts of N assimilated into cyanophycin from sources external and internal to the cells. Whether growing on N2 or NO3, cells prioritized cyanophycin synthesis when N assimilation rates were highest. N assimilation in cells growing on NO3 switched from cyanophycin synthesis to protein synthesis, suggesting that once a cyanophycin quota is met, it is bypassed in favor of protein synthesis. Growth on NO3 also revealed that at night, there is a very low level of CO2 assimilation into polysaccharides simultaneous with their catabolism for protein synthesis. This study revealed multiple, detailed mechanisms underlying C and N management in Cyanothece that facilitate its success in dynamic aquatic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lubos Polerecky
- Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Takako Masuda
- Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Centre Algatech, Třeboň, Czechia
| | - Meri Eichner
- Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Centre Algatech, Třeboň, Czechia
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Sophie Rabouille
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire d’Océanographie Microbienne, Banyuls-sur-mer, France
| | - Marie Vancová
- Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Biology Centre, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | | | - Gabor Bernát
- Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Centre Algatech, Třeboň, Czechia
- Centre for Ecological Research, Balaton Limnological Institute, Tihany, Hungary
| | - Jose Bonomi-Barufi
- Botany Department, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Campus de Trindade, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | | | - Pascal Claquin
- Laboratoire de Biologie des Organismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques, FRE 2030, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, IRD, Sorbonne Université, Université de Caen Normandie, Normandie Université, Esplanade de la Paix, France
| | - Jan Červený
- Global Change Research Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czechia
| | - Mario Giordano
- Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Centre Algatech, Třeboň, Czechia
- STU-UNIVPM Joint Algal Research Center, Marine Biology Institute, College of Sciences, Shantou University, Shantou, China
| | - Eva Kotabová
- Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Centre Algatech, Třeboň, Czechia
| | - Jacco Kromkamp
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, Den Burg, Netherlands
| | | | - Martin Lukeš
- Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Centre Algatech, Třeboň, Czechia
| | - Ondrej Prášil
- Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Centre Algatech, Třeboň, Czechia
| | - Susanne Stephan
- Department Experimental Limnology, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Stechlin, Germany
- Department of Ecology, Berlin Institute of Technology, Berlin, Germany
| | - David Suggett
- University of Technology Sydney, Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| | - Tomas Zavřel
- Global Change Research Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czechia
| | - Kimberly H. Halsey
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
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25
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Cyanobacteria and Algae in Clouds and Rain in the Area of puy de Dôme, Central France. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 87:AEM.01850-20. [PMID: 33097513 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01850-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The atmosphere contains diverse living microbes, of which the heterotrophic community has been the best studied. Microbes with other trophic modes, such as photoautotrophy, have received much less attention. In this study, culture-independent and dependent methods were used to examine the presence and diversity of oxygenic photoautotrophic microbes in clouds and rain collected at or around puy de Dôme Mountain, central France. Cloud water was collected from the summit of puy de Dôme (1,465 m above sea level [a.s.l.]) for cultivation and metagenomic analysis. Cyanobacteria, diatoms, green algae, and other oxygenic photoautotrophs were found to be recurrent members of clouds, while green algae affiliated with the Chlorellaceae were successfully cultured from three different clouds. Additionally, rain samples were collected below the mountain from Opme meteorological station (680 m a.s.l.). The abundance of chlorophyll a-containing cells and the diversity of cyanobacteria and green algae in rain were assessed by flow cytometry and amplicon sequencing. The corresponding downward flux of chlorophyll a-containing organisms to the ground, entering surface ecosystems with rain, varied with time and was estimated to be between ∼1 and >300 cells cm-2 day-1 during the sampling period. Besides abundant pollen from Pinales and Rosales, cyanobacteria of the Chroococcidiopsidales and green algae of the Trebouxiales were dominant in rain samples. Certain members of these taxa are known to be ubiquitous and stress tolerant and could use the atmosphere for dispersal. Overall, our results indicate that the atmosphere carries diverse, viable oxygenic photoautotrophic microbes and acts as a dispersal vector for this microbial guild.IMPORTANCE Information regarding the diversity and abundance of oxygenic photoautotrophs in the atmosphere is limited. More information from diverse locations is needed. These airborne organisms could have important impacts upon atmospheric processes and on the ecosystems they enter after deposition. Oxygenic photoautotrophic microbes are integral to ecosystem functioning, and some have the potential to affect human health. A better understanding of the diversity and the movements of these aeolian dispersed organisms is needed to understand their ecology, as well as how they could affect ecosystems and human health.
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26
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Inomura K, Deutsch C, Masuda T, Prášil O, Follows MJ. Quantitative models of nitrogen-fixing organisms. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 18:3905-3924. [PMID: 33335688 PMCID: PMC7733014 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Nitrogen-fixing organisms are of importance to the environment, providing bioavailable nitrogen to the biosphere. Quantitative models have been used to complement the laboratory experiments and in situ measurements, where such evaluations are difficult or costly. Here, we review the current state of the quantitative modeling of nitrogen-fixing organisms and ways to enhance the bridge between theoretical and empirical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Inomura
- School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Curtis Deutsch
- School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Takako Masuda
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Opatovický mlýn, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Prášil
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Opatovický mlýn, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Michael J. Follows
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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27
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Untangling filamentous marine cyanobacterial diversity from the coast of South Florida with the description of Vermifilaceae fam. nov. and three new genera: Leptochromothrix gen. nov., Ophiophycus gen. nov., and Vermifilum gen. nov. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2020; 160:107010. [PMID: 33186689 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2020.107010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Benthic cyanobacterial mats are an integral component of aquatic communities in tropical marine waters. These mats can develop into massive nuisances at risk of expansion due to climate change. The extent of diversity occurring within these mats, still remains largely unexplored, especially in Florida. To reveal this diversity, coastal environments of South Florida were sampled and subsequently processed for isolation and systematic identification. Three new genera are proposed based on the molecular phylogeny, morphology, and ecology. These new genera are characterized by discoid cells and homocytous, unbranched filaments without sheaths. Individual genus morphological differences include either rounded bent, rounded, or conical rounded apical cells. A unique molecular fingerprint including a base pair insert within the 16S rRNA gene sequence and genetic similarities facilitates the delimitation of a novel family Vermifilaceae. Using the polyphasic approach, our research presents three new genera and four new species of marine cyanobacteria inhabiting coastal ecosystems of South Florida.
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28
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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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29
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Hammer AK, Albrecht F, Hahne F, Jordan P, Fraatz MA, Ley J, Geissler T, Schrader J, Zorn H, Buchhaupt M. Biotechnological Production of Odor-Active Methyl-Branched Aldehydes by a Novel α-Dioxygenase from Crocosphaera subtropica. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2020; 68:10432-10440. [PMID: 32396373 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.0c02035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
As a result of their pleasant odor qualities and low odor thresholds, iso- and anteiso-fatty aldehydes represent promising candidates for applications in flavoring preparations. A novel cyanobacterial α-dioxygenase from Crocosphaera subtropica was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli and applied for the biotechnological production of C12-C15 branched-chain fatty aldehydes. The enzyme has a sequence identity of less than 40% to well-investigated α-dioxygenase from rice. Contrary to the latter, it efficiently transformed short-chained fatty acids. The kinetic parameters of α-dioxygenase toward unbranched and iso-branched-chain substrates were studied by means of an oxygen-depletion assay. The transformation products (C12-C15 iso- and anteiso-aldehydes) were extensively characterized, including their sensory properties. The aldehydes exhibited green-soapy, sweety odors with partial citrus-like, metallic, peppery, and savory-tallowy nuances. Moreover, the two C14 isomers showed particularly low odor threshold values of 0.2 and 0.3 ng/L in air as determined by means of gas chromatography-olfactometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas K Hammer
- Institute of Food Chemistry and Food Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 17, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Florian Albrecht
- Institute of Food Chemistry and Food Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 17, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Friederike Hahne
- Institute of Food Chemistry and Food Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 17, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Paulina Jordan
- Industrial Biotechnology, DECHEMA Research Institute, Theodor-Heuss-Allee 25, 60486 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Marco A Fraatz
- Institute of Food Chemistry and Food Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 17, 35392 Giessen, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchester Straße 2, 35394 Giessen, Germany
| | - Jakob Ley
- Symrise AG, Muehlenfeldstraße 1, 37603 Holzminden, Germany
| | | | - Jens Schrader
- Industrial Biotechnology, DECHEMA Research Institute, Theodor-Heuss-Allee 25, 60486 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Holger Zorn
- Institute of Food Chemistry and Food Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 17, 35392 Giessen, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchester Straße 2, 35394 Giessen, Germany
| | - Markus Buchhaupt
- Industrial Biotechnology, DECHEMA Research Institute, Theodor-Heuss-Allee 25, 60486 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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30
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Krausze J, Hercher TW, Archna A, Kruse T. The structure of the Moco carrier protein from Rippkaea orientalis. Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun 2020; 76:453-463. [PMID: 32880594 PMCID: PMC7470044 DOI: 10.1107/s2053230x20011073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The molybdenum cofactor (Moco) is the prosthetic group of all molybdenum-dependent enzymes except for nitrogenase. The multistep biosynthesis pathway of Moco and its function in molybdenum-dependent enzymes are already well understood. The mechanisms of Moco transfer, storage and insertion, on the other hand, are not. In the cell, Moco is usually not found in its free form and remains bound to proteins because of its sensitivity to oxidation. The green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii harbors a Moco carrier protein (MCP) that binds and protects Moco but is devoid of enzymatic function. It has been speculated that this MCP acts as a means of Moco storage and transport. Here, the search for potential MCPs has been extended to the prokaryotes, and many MCPs were found in cyanobacteria. A putative MCP from Rippkaea orientalis (RoMCP) was selected for recombinant production, crystallization and structure determination. RoMCP has a Rossmann-fold topology that is characteristic of nucleotide-binding proteins and a homotetrameric quaternary structure similar to that of the MCP from C. reinhardtii. In each protomer, a positively charged crevice was identified that accommodates up to three chloride ions, hinting at a potential Moco-binding site. Computational docking experiments supported this notion and gave an impression of the RoMCP-Moco complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joern Krausze
- Institute of Plant Biology, TU Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Thomas W. Hercher
- Institute of Plant Biology, TU Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Archna Archna
- Institute of Plant Biology, TU Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Tobias Kruse
- Institute of Plant Biology, TU Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
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31
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Sheridan KJ, Duncan EJ, Eaton-Rye JJ, Summerfield TC. The diversity and distribution of D1 proteins in cyanobacteria. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2020; 145:111-128. [PMID: 32556852 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-020-00762-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The psbA gene family in cyanobacteria encodes different forms of the D1 protein that is part of the Photosystem II reaction centre. We have identified a phylogenetically distinct D1 group that is intermediate between previously identified G3-D1 and G4-D1 proteins (Cardona et al. Mol Biol Evol 32:1310-1328, 2015). This new group contained two subgroups: D1INT, which was frequently in the genomes of heterocystous cyanobacteria and D1FR that was part of the far-red light photoacclimation gene cluster of cyanobacteria. In addition, we have identified subgroups within G3, the micro-aerobically expressed D1 protein. There are amino acid changes associated with each of the subgroups that might affect the function of Photosystem II. We show a phylogenetically broad range of cyanobacteria have these D1 types, as well as the genes encoding the G2 protein and chlorophyll f synthase. We suggest identification of additional D1 isoforms and the presence of multiple D1 isoforms in phylogenetically diverse cyanobacteria supports the role of these proteins in conferring a selective advantage under specific conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin J Sheridan
- Department of Botany, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Elizabeth J Duncan
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
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32
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Natural Cyanobacterial Polymer-Based Coating as a Preventive Strategy to Avoid Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections. Mar Drugs 2020; 18:md18060279. [PMID: 32466349 PMCID: PMC7344411 DOI: 10.3390/md18060279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) represent about 40% of all healthcare-associated infections. Herein, the authors report the further development of an infection preventive anti-adhesive coating (CyanoCoating) meant for urinary catheters, and based on a natural polymer released by a marine cyanobacterium. CyanoCoating performance was assessed against relevant CAUTI etiological agents, namely Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Candida albicans in the presence of culture medium or artificial urine, and under biofilm promoting settings. CyanoCoating displayed a broad anti-adhesive efficiency against all the uropathogens tested (68–95%), even in the presence of artificial urine (58–100%) with exception of P. mirabilis in the latter condition. Under biofilm-promoting settings, CyanoCoating reduced biofilm formation by E. coli, P. mirabilis, and C. albicans (30–60%). In addition, CyanoCoating prevented large crystals encrustation, and its sterilization with ethylene oxide did not impact the coating stability. Therefore, CyanoCoating constitutes a step forward for the implementation of antibiotic-free alternative strategies to fight CAUTIs.
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Casamatta DA, Villanueva CD, Garvey AD, Stocks HS, Vaccarino M, Dvořák P, Hašler P, Johansen JR. Reptodigitus Chapmanii (Nostocales, Hapalosiphonaceae) Gen. Nov.: A Unique Nostocalean (Cyanobacteria) Genus Based on a Polyphasic Approach 1. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2020; 56:425-436. [PMID: 31837017 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.12954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The Nostocales is a monophyletic, heterocytous lineage of cyanobacteria capable of akinete production and division in multiple planes, depending upon family-level clade. While present in a variety of ecosystems, the diversity of the Nostocales has been poorly elucidated. Due to environmentally -induced phenotypic plasticity, morphology alone is often insufficient to determine the true phylogenetic placement of these taxa. In order to bridge this gap, taxonomists now employ the polyphasic approach, combining methods such as morphological analysis, phylogenetic analysis based on DNA sequence and genetic identity based on ribosomal genes, and secondary structure of the 16S-23S ITS and 16S rRNA gene sequences, as well as ecological characterization. Using this combined approach, a new genus and species (Reptodigitus chapmanii gen. et sp. nov.) isolated from the St. Johns River (Jacksonville, Florida, USA) within the Nostocales is herein described. Phylogenetic analyses place this taxon within the Hapalosiphonaceae, sister to the clade containing Fischerella, Hapalosiphon, and Westiellopsis. The 16S-23S ITS secondary folding structure analysis also supports the erection of this new genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dale A Casamatta
- Department of Biology, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, 32224, USA
| | - Chelsea D Villanueva
- Department of Biology, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, 32224, USA
| | - Alyssa D Garvey
- Department of Biology, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, 32224, USA
| | - Holly S Stocks
- Department of Biology, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, 32224, USA
| | - Melissa Vaccarino
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, Ohio, 44118, USA
| | - Petr Dvořák
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc, CZ-783 71, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Hašler
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc, CZ-783 71, Czech Republic
| | - Jeffrey R Johansen
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, Ohio, 44118, USA
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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Strunecky O, Raabova L, Bernardova A, Ivanova AP, Semanova A, Crossley J, Kaftan D. Diversity of cyanobacteria at the Alaska North Slope with description of two new genera: Gibliniella and Shackletoniella. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2019; 96:5645229. [DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiz189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The diversity of cyanobacteria along the Alaskan North Slope was investigated. We isolated and cultivated 57 strains of cyanobacteria and sequenced a section of their rRNA operon containing a fragment of the 16S rRNA gene. Here, we describe 17 found species belonging mainly to families Coleofasciculaceae, Microcoleaceae, Oculatellaceae, Leptolyngbyaceae and to the order Synechococcales. In pursuing a conservative polyphasic approach, we utilized suggested thresholds in 16S rRNA gene differences in parallel with morphological differences between new and already described taxa for the description of new species and genera. Based on a combination of morphological, molecular and ecological analysis of collected and cultured strains we describe two genera Gibliniella and Shackletoniella as well as six cyanobacterial species; Cephalothrix alaskaensis, Tildeniella alaskaensis, Pseudophormidium americanum, Leptodesmis alaskaensis, Albertania alaskaensis and Nodosilinea alaskaensis. Here, a polyphasic approach was used to identify eight novel and nine established cyanobacterial taxa from a previously non–investigated region that uncovered a high degree of biodiversity in extreme polar environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Otakar Strunecky
- University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, CENAKVA, Institute of Aquaculture and Protection of Waters, Na Sádkách 1780, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Raabova
- Department of Biology, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius, J. Herdu 2, 917 01 Trnava, Slovak Republic
| | - Alexandra Bernardova
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Anna Pavlovna Ivanova
- University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, CENAKVA, Institute of Aquaculture and Protection of Waters, Na Sádkách 1780, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Alexandra Semanova
- Department of Biology, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius, J. Herdu 2, 917 01 Trnava, Slovak Republic
| | - Joel Crossley
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - David Kaftan
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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González-Resendiz L, Johansen JR, León-Tejera H, Sánchez L, Segal-Kischinevzky C, Escobar-Sánchez V, Morales M. A bridge too far in naming species: a total evidence approach does not support recognition of four species in Desertifilum (Cyanobacteria). JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2019; 55:898-911. [PMID: 31012104 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.12867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
A population of Desertifilum (Cyanobacteria, Oscillatoriales) from an oligotrophic desertic biotope was isolated and characterized using a polyphasic approach including molecular, morphological, and ecological information. The population was initially assumed to be a new species based on ecological and biogeographic separation from other existing species, however, phylogenetic analyses based on sequences of the 16S rRNA gene and 16S-23S ITS region, placed this strain clearly within the type species, Desertifilum tharense. Comparative analysis of morphology, 16S rRNA gene similarity, 16S-23S ITS secondary structure, and percent dissimilarity of the ITS regions for all characterized strains supports placing the six Desertifilum strains (designated as PD2001/TDC17, UAM-C/S02, CHAB7200, NapGTcm17, IPPAS B-1220, and PMC 872.14) into D. tharense. The recognition of Desertifilum salkalinema and Desertifilum dzianense is not supported, although our analysis does support continued recognition of Desertifilum fontinale. Pragmatic criteria for recognition of closely related species are proposed based on this study and others, and more rigorous review of future taxonomic papers is recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura González-Resendiz
- Departamento de Procesos y Tecnología, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Cuajimalpa, Cuajimalpa, Av. Vasco de Quiroga 4871, C.P. 05300, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Jeffrey R Johansen
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, Ohio, 44118, USA
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice, 370 05, Czech Republic
| | - Hilda León-Tejera
- Departamento de Biología Comparada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad de México, México
| | - León Sánchez
- Doctorado en Biotecnología, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, México, México
| | - Claudia Segal-Kischinevzky
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad de México, México
| | - Viviana Escobar-Sánchez
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad de México, México
| | - Marcia Morales
- Departamento de Procesos y Tecnología, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Cuajimalpa, Cuajimalpa, Av. Vasco de Quiroga 4871, C.P. 05300, Ciudad de México, México
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