1
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Liébana R, Viver T, Ramos-Barbero MD, Bustos-Caparros E, Urdiain M, López C, Amoozegar MA, Antón J, Rossello-Mora R. Extremely halophilic brine community manipulation shows higher robustness of microbiomes inhabiting human-driven solar saltern than naturally driven lake. mSystems 2024; 9:e0053824. [PMID: 38934645 PMCID: PMC11324034 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00538-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Hypersaline ecosystems display taxonomically similar assemblages with low diversities and highly dense accompanying viromes. The ecological implications of viral infection on natural microbial populations remain poorly understood, especially at finer scales of diversity. Here, we sought to investigate the influence of changes in environmental physicochemical conditions and viral predation pressure by autochthonous and allochthonous viruses on host dynamics. For this purpose, we transplanted two microbiomes coming from distant hypersaline systems (solar salterns of Es Trenc in Spain and the thalassohaline lake of Aran-Bidgol lake in Iran), by exchanging the cellular fractions with the sterile-filtered accompanying brines with and without the free extracellular virus fraction. The midterm exposure (1 month) of the microbiomes to the new conditions showed that at the supraspecific taxonomic range, the assemblies from the solar saltern brine more strongly resisted the environmental changes and viral predation than that of the lake. The metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) analysis revealed an intraspecific transition at the ecotype level, mainly driven by changes in viral predation pressure, by both autochthonous and allochthonous viruses. IMPORTANCE Viruses greatly influence succession and diversification of their hosts, yet the effects of viral infection on the ecological dynamics of natural microbial populations remain poorly understood, especially at finer scales of diversity. By manipulating the viral predation pressure by autochthonous and allochthonous viruses, we uncovered potential phage-host interaction, and their important role in structuring the prokaryote community at an ecotype level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Liébana
- Marine Microbiology
Group, Department of Animal and Microbial Biodiversity, Mediterranean
Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA,
UIB-CSIC), Esporles,
Spain
| | - Tomeu Viver
- Marine Microbiology
Group, Department of Animal and Microbial Biodiversity, Mediterranean
Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA,
UIB-CSIC), Esporles,
Spain
- Department of
Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Marine
Microbiology, Bremen,
Germany
| | - María Dolores Ramos-Barbero
- Department of
Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of
Alicante, Alicante,
Spain
- Department of
Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, University of
Barcelona, Barcelona,
Spain
| | - Esteban Bustos-Caparros
- Marine Microbiology
Group, Department of Animal and Microbial Biodiversity, Mediterranean
Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA,
UIB-CSIC), Esporles,
Spain
| | - Mercedes Urdiain
- Marine Microbiology
Group, Department of Animal and Microbial Biodiversity, Mediterranean
Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA,
UIB-CSIC), Esporles,
Spain
| | - Cristina López
- Department of
Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of
Alicante, Alicante,
Spain
| | - Mohammad Ali Amoozegar
- Extremophiles
Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, School of Biology and Center of
Excellence in Phylogeny of Living Organisms, College of Science,
University of Tehran,
Tehran, Iran
| | - Josefa Antón
- Department of
Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of
Alicante, Alicante,
Spain
| | - Ramon Rossello-Mora
- Marine Microbiology
Group, Department of Animal and Microbial Biodiversity, Mediterranean
Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA,
UIB-CSIC), Esporles,
Spain
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2
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Martínez-Alvarez L, Ramond JB, Vikram S, León-Sobrino C, Maggs-Kölling G, Cowan DA. With a pinch of salt: metagenomic insights into Namib Desert salt pan microbial mats and halites reveal functionally adapted and competitive communities. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0062923. [PMID: 37971255 PMCID: PMC10734447 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00629-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE The hyperarid Namib Desert is one of the oldest deserts on Earth. It contains multiple clusters of playas which are saline-rich springs surrounded by halite evaporites. Playas are of great ecological importance, and their indigenous (poly)extremophilic microorganisms are potentially involved in the precipitation of minerals such as carbonates and sulfates and have been of great biotechnological importance. While there has been a considerable amount of microbial ecology research performed on various Namib Desert edaphic microbiomes, little is known about the microbial communities inhabiting its multiple playas. In this work, we provide a comprehensive taxonomic and functional potential characterization of the microbial, including viral, communities of sediment mats and halites from two distant salt pans of the Namib Desert, contributing toward a better understanding of the ecology of this biome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Martínez-Alvarez
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics (CMEG), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Jean-Baptiste Ramond
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics (CMEG), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Extreme Ecosystem Microbiomics & Ecogenomics (E²ME) Lab., Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Surendra Vikram
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics (CMEG), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Carlos León-Sobrino
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics (CMEG), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | - Don A. Cowan
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics (CMEG), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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3
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Font-Verdera F, Liébana R, Rossello-Mora R, Viver T. Impact of dilution on stochastically driven methanogenic microbial communities of hypersaline anoxic sediments. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2023; 99:fiad146. [PMID: 37989854 PMCID: PMC10673710 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiad146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Sediments underlying the solar salterns of S'Avall are anoxic hypersaline ecosystems dominated by anaerobic prokaryotes, and with the especial relevance of putative methanogenic archaea. Slurries from salt-saturated sediments, diluted in a gradient of salinity and incubated for > 4 years revealed that salt concentration was the major selection force that deterministically structured microbial communities. The dominant archaea in the original communities showed a decrease in alpha diversity with dilution accompanied by the increase of bacterial alpha diversity, being highest at 5% salts. Correspondingly, methanogens decreased and in turn sulfate reducers increased with decreasing salt concentrations. Methanogens especially dominated at 25%. Different concentrations of litter of Posidonia oceanica seagrass added as a carbon substrate, did not promote any clear relevant effect. However, the addition of ampicillin as selection pressure exerted important effects on the assemblage probably due to the removal of competitors or enhancers. The amended antibiotic enhanced methanogenesis in the concentrations ≤ 15% of salts, whereas it was depleted at salinities ≥ 20% revealing key roles of ampicillin-sensitive bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisca Font-Verdera
- Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, UIB-CSIC), Miquel Marquès, 21, 07190 Esporles, Illes Balears, SPAIN
| | - Raquel Liébana
- Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, UIB-CSIC), Miquel Marquès, 21, 07190 Esporles, Illes Balears, SPAIN
- AZTI, Basque Research Technology Alliance (BRTA), Txatxarramendi ugartea z/g, Sukarrieta, 48395 Sukarrieta, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Ramon Rossello-Mora
- Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, UIB-CSIC), Miquel Marquès, 21, 07190 Esporles, Illes Balears, SPAIN
| | - Tomeu Viver
- Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, UIB-CSIC), Miquel Marquès, 21, 07190 Esporles, Illes Balears, SPAIN
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstraße 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany
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4
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Abstract
Viruses are the most abundant biological entities on Earth, and yet, they have not received enough consideration in astrobiology. Viruses are also extraordinarily diverse, which is evident in the types of relationships they establish with their host, their strategies to store and replicate their genetic information and the enormous diversity of genes they contain. A viral population, especially if it corresponds to a virus with an RNA genome, can contain an array of sequence variants that greatly exceeds what is present in most cell populations. The fact that viruses always need cellular resources to multiply means that they establish very close interactions with cells. Although in the short term these relationships may appear to be negative for life, it is evident that they can be beneficial in the long term. Viruses are one of the most powerful selective pressures that exist, accelerating the evolution of defense mechanisms in the cellular world. They can also exchange genetic material with the host during the infection process, providing organisms with capacities that favor the colonization of new ecological niches or confer an advantage over competitors, just to cite a few examples. In addition, viruses have a relevant participation in the biogeochemical cycles of our planet, contributing to the recycling of the matter necessary for the maintenance of life. Therefore, although viruses have traditionally been excluded from the tree of life, the structure of this tree is largely the result of the interactions that have been established throughout the intertwined history of the cellular and the viral worlds. We do not know how other possible biospheres outside our planet could be, but it is clear that viruses play an essential role in the terrestrial one. Therefore, they must be taken into account both to improve our understanding of life that we know, and to understand other possible lives that might exist in the cosmos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio de la Higuera
- Department of Biology, Center for Life in Extreme Environments, Portland State University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Ester Lázaro
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA, Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain
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VOLN27B: A New Head-Tailed Halovirus Isolated from an Underground Salt Crystal and Infecting Halorubrum. ARCHAEA (VANCOUVER, B.C.) 2022; 2021:8271899. [PMID: 34992502 PMCID: PMC8727067 DOI: 10.1155/2021/8271899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
A novel halovirus, VOLN27B, was isolated from a drill core sample taken at a depth of approximately 430 m, from a layer formed during the Cretaceous period (Anhui, China). VOLN27B infects the halophilic archaeon Halorubrum sp. LN27 and has a head-tailed morphotype with a contractile tail, typical of myoviruses. The average head diameter is 64 ± 2.0 nm, and uncontracted tails are 15 ± 1.0 × 65 ± 2.0 nm. The latent period is about 10 h. The maturing time of VOLN27B in cells of Halorubrum sp. LN27 was nearly 8 h. The adsorption time of VOLN27B on cells of Halorubrum sp. LN27 was less than 1 min. Virus particles are unstable at pH values less than 5 or when the NaCl concentration is below 12% (w/v). VOLN27B and Halorubrum sp. LN27 were recovered from the same hypersaline environment and provide a new virus-host system in haloarchaea.
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6
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Vignale FA, Lencina AI, Stepanenko TM, Soria MN, Saona LA, Kurth D, Guzmán D, Foster JS, Poiré DG, Villafañe PG, Albarracín VH, Contreras M, Farías ME. Lithifying and Non-Lithifying Microbial Ecosystems in the Wetlands and Salt Flats of the Central Andes. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2022; 83:1-17. [PMID: 33730193 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-021-01725-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The wetlands and salt flats of the Central Andes region are unique extreme environments as they are located in high-altitude saline deserts, largely influenced by volcanic activity. Environmental factors, such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation, arsenic content, high salinity, low dissolved oxygen content, extreme daily temperature fluctuation, and oligotrophic conditions, resemble the early Earth and potentially extraterrestrial conditions. The discovery of modern microbialites and microbial mats in the Central Andes during the past decade has increased the interest in this area as an early Earth analog. In this work, we review the current state of knowledge of Central Andes region environments found within lakes, small ponds or puquios, and salt flats of Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia, many of them harboring a diverse range of microbial communities that we have termed Andean Microbial Ecosystems (AMEs). We have integrated the data recovered from all the known AMEs and compared their biogeochemistry and microbial diversity to achieve a better understanding of them and, consequently, facilitate their protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico A Vignale
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI)-CCT-CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN)-CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustina I Lencina
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI)-CCT-CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Tatiana M Stepanenko
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI)-CCT-CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Mariana N Soria
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI)-CCT-CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Luis A Saona
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI)-CCT-CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Daniel Kurth
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI)-CCT-CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Daniel Guzmán
- Centro de Biotecnología (CBT), Facultad de Ciencias y Tecnología, Universidad Mayor de San Simón (UMSS), Cochabamba, Bolivia
| | - Jamie S Foster
- Space Life Science Lab, Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Merritt Island, FL, USA
| | - Daniel G Poiré
- Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas (CIG), Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP)-CONICET, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Patricio G Villafañe
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI)-CCT-CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Virginia H Albarracín
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI)-CCT-CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
- Centro Integral de Microscopía Electrónica (CIME)-CCT-CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán (UNT), Tucumán, Argentina
| | | | - María E Farías
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI)-CCT-CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina.
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7
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Gu C, Liang Y, Li J, Shao H, Jiang Y, Zhou X, Gao C, Li X, Zhang W, Guo C, He H, Wang H, Sung YY, Mok WJ, Wong LL, Suttle CA, McMinn A, Tian J, Wang M. Saline lakes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau harbor unique viral assemblages mediating microbial environmental adaption. iScience 2021; 24:103439. [PMID: 34988389 PMCID: PMC8710556 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103439] [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: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 10/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The highest plateau on Earth, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, contains thousands of lakes with broad salinity and diverse and unique microbial communities. However, little is known about their co-occurring viruses. Herein, we identify 4,560 viral Operational Taxonomic Units (vOTUs) from six viromes of three saline lakes on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with less than 1% that could be classified. Most of the predicted vOTUs were associated with the dominant bacterial and archaeal phyla. Virus-encoded auxiliary metabolic genes suggest that viruses influence microbial metabolisms of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and lipid; the antibiotic resistance mediation; and their salinity adaption. The six viromes clustered together with the ice core viromes and bathypelagic ocean viromes and might represent a new viral habitat. This study has revealed the unique characteristics and potential ecological roles of DNA viromes in the lakes of the highest plateau and established a foundation for the recognition of the viral roles in plateau lake ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengxiang Gu
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Lab of Polar Oceanography and Global Ocean Change, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- UMT-OUC Joint Center for Marine Studies, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Yantao Liang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Lab of Polar Oceanography and Global Ocean Change, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- UMT-OUC Joint Center for Marine Studies, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Jiansen Li
- Key Laboratory of Comprehensive and Highly Efficient Utilization of Salt Lake Resources, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
- Key Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and Environments, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Hongbing Shao
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Lab of Polar Oceanography and Global Ocean Change, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- UMT-OUC Joint Center for Marine Studies, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Yong Jiang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Lab of Polar Oceanography and Global Ocean Change, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- UMT-OUC Joint Center for Marine Studies, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Xinhao Zhou
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Lab of Polar Oceanography and Global Ocean Change, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- UMT-OUC Joint Center for Marine Studies, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Chen Gao
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Lab of Polar Oceanography and Global Ocean Change, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- UMT-OUC Joint Center for Marine Studies, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Xianrong Li
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Lab of Polar Oceanography and Global Ocean Change, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- UMT-OUC Joint Center for Marine Studies, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Wenjing Zhang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Lab of Polar Oceanography and Global Ocean Change, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- UMT-OUC Joint Center for Marine Studies, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Cui Guo
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Lab of Polar Oceanography and Global Ocean Change, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- UMT-OUC Joint Center for Marine Studies, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Hui He
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Lab of Polar Oceanography and Global Ocean Change, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- UMT-OUC Joint Center for Marine Studies, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Hualong Wang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Lab of Polar Oceanography and Global Ocean Change, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- UMT-OUC Joint Center for Marine Studies, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Yeong Yik Sung
- UMT-OUC Joint Center for Marine Studies, Qingdao 266003, China
- Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), 21030 Kuala Nerus, Malaysia
| | - Wen Jye Mok
- UMT-OUC Joint Center for Marine Studies, Qingdao 266003, China
- Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), 21030 Kuala Nerus, Malaysia
| | - Li Lian Wong
- UMT-OUC Joint Center for Marine Studies, Qingdao 266003, China
- Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), 21030 Kuala Nerus, Malaysia
| | - Curtis A. Suttle
- Departments of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Microbiology and Immunology, and Botany and Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Andrew McMinn
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Lab of Polar Oceanography and Global Ocean Change, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
| | - Jiwei Tian
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Laboratory of Physical Oceanography, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Min Wang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Lab of Polar Oceanography and Global Ocean Change, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- UMT-OUC Joint Center for Marine Studies, Qingdao 266003, China
- The affiliated hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266000, China
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8
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Saccò M, White NE, Harrod C, Salazar G, Aguilar P, Cubillos CF, Meredith K, Baxter BK, Oren A, Anufriieva E, Shadrin N, Marambio-Alfaro Y, Bravo-Naranjo V, Allentoft ME. Salt to conserve: a review on the ecology and preservation of hypersaline ecosystems. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:2828-2850. [PMID: 34747117 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
When it comes to the investigation of key ecosystems in the world, we often omit salt from the ecological recipe. In fact, despite occupying almost half of the volume of inland waters and providing crucial services to humanity and nature, inland saline ecosystems are often overlooked in discussions regarding the preservation of global aquatic resources of our planet. As a result, our knowledge of the biological and geochemical dynamics shaping these environments remains incomplete and we are hesitant in framing effective protective strategies against the increasing natural and anthropogenic threats faced by such habitats. Hypersaline lakes, water bodies where the concentration of salt exceeds 35 g/l, occur mainly in arid and semiarid areas resulting from hydrological imbalances triggering the accumulation of salts over time. Often considered the 'exotic siblings' within the family of inland waters, these ecosystems host some of the most extremophile communities worldwide and provide essential habitats for waterbirds and many other organisms in already water-stressed regions. These systems are often highlighted as natural laboratories, ideal for addressing central ecological questions due to their relatively low complexity and simple food web structures. However, recent studies on the biogeochemical mechanisms framing hypersaline communities have challenged this archetype, arguing that newly discovered highly diverse communities are characterised by specific trophic interactions shaped by high levels of specialisation. The main goal of this review is to explore our current understanding of the ecological dynamics of hypersaline ecosystems by addressing four main research questions: (i) why are hypersaline lakes unique from a biological and geochemical perspective; (ii) which biota inhabit these ecosystems and how have they adapted to the high salt conditions; (iii) how do we protect biodiversity from increasing natural and anthropogenic threats; and (iv) which scientific tools will help us preserve hypersaline ecosystems in the future? First, we focus on the ecological characterisation of hypersaline ecosystems, illustrate hydrogeochemical dynamics regulating such environments, and outline key ecoregions supporting hypersaline systems across the globe. Second, we depict the diversity and functional aspects of key taxa found in hypersaline lakes, from microorganisms to plants, invertebrates, waterbirds and upper trophic levels. Next, we describe ecosystem services and discuss possible conservation guidelines. Finally, we outline how cutting-edge technologies can provide new insights into the study of hypersaline ecology. Overall, this review sheds further light onto these understudied ecosystems, largely unrecognised as important sources of unique biological and functional diversity. We provide perspectives for key future research avenues, and advocate that the conservation of hypersaline lakes should not be taken with 'a grain of salt'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Saccò
- Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Lab, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Kent St, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia
| | - Nicole E White
- Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Lab, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Kent St, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia
| | - Chris Harrod
- Instituto de Ciencias Naturales Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad de Antofagasta, Avenida Angamos 601, Antofagasta, Chile.,Núcleo Milenio INVASAL, Concepción, 3349001, Chile
| | - Gonzalo Salazar
- Instituto de Ciencias Naturales Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad de Antofagasta, Avenida Angamos 601, Antofagasta, Chile.,Núcleo Milenio INVASAL, Concepción, 3349001, Chile
| | - Pablo Aguilar
- Núcleo Milenio INVASAL, Concepción, 3349001, Chile.,Laboratorio de Complejidad Microbiana y Ecología Funcional, Instituto Antofagasta, Universidad de Antofagasta, Avenida Angamos 601, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Carolina F Cubillos
- Laboratorio de Complejidad Microbiana y Ecología Funcional, Instituto Antofagasta, Universidad de Antofagasta, Avenida Angamos 601, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Karina Meredith
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Locked Bag 2001, Kirrawee DC, NSW, 2232, Australia
| | - Bonnie K Baxter
- Great Salt Lake Institute, Westminster College, Salt Lake City, UT, 84105, U.S.A
| | - Aharon Oren
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, The Institute of Life Sciences, the Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - Elena Anufriieva
- A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas, Russian Academy of Sciences, 2 Nakhimov Avenue 2, Sevastopol, 299011, Russia
| | - Nickolai Shadrin
- A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas, Russian Academy of Sciences, 2 Nakhimov Avenue 2, Sevastopol, 299011, Russia
| | - Yeri Marambio-Alfaro
- Instituto de Ciencias Naturales Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad de Antofagasta, Avenida Angamos 601, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Víctor Bravo-Naranjo
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Serena, Benavente 980, La Serena, Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Morten E Allentoft
- Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Lab, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Kent St, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia.,Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5-7, Copenhagen, Denmark
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9
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Bhattarai B, Bhattacharjee AS, Coutinho FH, Goel RK. Viruses and Their Interactions With Bacteria and Archaea of Hypersaline Great Salt Lake. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:701414. [PMID: 34650523 PMCID: PMC8506154 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.701414] [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: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Viruses play vital biogeochemical and ecological roles by (a) expressing auxiliary metabolic genes during infection, (b) enhancing the lateral transfer of host genes, and (c) inducing host mortality. Even in harsh and extreme environments, viruses are major players in carbon and nutrient recycling from organic matter. However, there is much that we do not yet understand about viruses and the processes mediated by them in the extreme environments such as hypersaline habitats. The Great Salt Lake (GSL) in Utah, United States is a hypersaline ecosystem where the biogeochemical role of viruses is poorly understood. This study elucidates the diversity of viruses and describes virus–host interactions in GSL sediments along a salinity gradient. The GSL sediment virosphere consisted of Haloviruses (32.07 ± 19.33%) and members of families Siphoviridae (39.12 ± 19.8%), Myoviridae (13.7 ± 6.6%), and Podoviridae (5.43 ± 0.64%). Our results demonstrate that salinity alongside the concentration of organic carbon and inorganic nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) governs the viral, bacteria, and archaeal diversity in this habitat. Computational host predictions for the GSL viruses revealed a wide host range with a dominance of viruses that infect Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes. Identification of auxiliary metabolic genes for photosynthesis (psbA), carbon fixation (rbcL, cbbL), formaldehyde assimilation (SHMT), and nitric oxide reduction (NorQ) shed light on the roles played by GSL viruses in biogeochemical cycles of global relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bishav Bhattarai
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Ananda S Bhattacharjee
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Felipe H Coutinho
- Departamento de Producción Vegetal y Microbiología, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Alicante, Spain
| | - Ramesh K Goel
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
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10
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Font-Verdera F, Liébana R, Aldeguer-Riquelme B, Gangloff V, Santos F, Viver T, Rosselló-Móra R. Inverted microbial community stratification and spatial-temporal stability in hypersaline anaerobic sediments from the S'Avall solar salterns. Syst Appl Microbiol 2021; 44:126231. [PMID: 34332366 DOI: 10.1016/j.syapm.2021.126231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The anaerobic hypersaline sediments of an ephemeral pond from the S'Avall solar salterns constituted an excellent study system because of their easy accessibility, as well as the analogy of their microbial assemblages with some known deep-sea hypersaline anaerobic brines. By means of shotgun metagenomics and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, the microbial composition of the sediment was shown to be stable in time and space. The communities were formed by prokaryote representatives with a clear inferred anaerobic metabolism, mainly related to the methane, sulfur and nitrate cycles. The most conspicuous finding was the inverted nature of the vertical stratification. Contrarily to what could be expected, a methanogenic archaeal metabolism was found to dominate in the upper layers, whereas Bacteria with fermentative and anaerobic respiration metabolisms increased with depth. We could demonstrate the methanogenic nature of the members of candidate lineages DHVE2 and MSBL1, which were present in high abundance in this system, and described, for the first time, viruses infecting these lineages. Members of the putatively active aerobic genera Salinibacter and Halorubrum were detected especially in the deepest layers for which we hypothesize that either oxygen could be sporadically available, or they could perform anaerobic metabolisms. We also report a novel repertoire of virus species thriving in these sediments, which had special relevance because of their lysogenic lifestyles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisca Font-Verdera
- Marine Microbiology Group, Department of Animal and Microbial Biodiversity, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA UIB-CSIC), Esporles, Spain.
| | - Raquel Liébana
- Marine Microbiology Group, Department of Animal and Microbial Biodiversity, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA UIB-CSIC), Esporles, Spain
| | - Borja Aldeguer-Riquelme
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Valentin Gangloff
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Fernando Santos
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Tomeu Viver
- Marine Microbiology Group, Department of Animal and Microbial Biodiversity, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA UIB-CSIC), Esporles, Spain
| | - Ramon Rosselló-Móra
- Marine Microbiology Group, Department of Animal and Microbial Biodiversity, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA UIB-CSIC), Esporles, Spain
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11
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Ramos-Barbero MD, Viver T, Zabaleta A, Senel E, Gomariz M, Antigüedad I, Santos F, Martínez-García M, Rosselló-Móra R, Antón J. Ancient saltern metagenomics: tracking changes in microbes and their viruses from the underground to the surface. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:3477-3498. [PMID: 34110059 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Microbial communities in hypersaline underground waters derive from ancient organisms trapped within the evaporitic salt crystals and are part of the poorly known subterranean biosphere. Here, we characterized the viral and prokaryotic assemblages present in the hypersaline springs that dissolve Triassic-Keuper evaporite rocks and feed the Añana Salt Valley (Araba/Alava, Basque Country, Spain). Four underground water samples (around 23% total salinity) with different levels of exposure to the open air were analysed by means of microscopy and metagenomics. Cells and viruses in the spring water had lower concentrations than what are normally found in hypersaline environments and seemed to be mostly inactive. Upon exposure to the open air, there was an increase in activity of both cells and viruses as well as a selection of phylotypes. The underground water was inhabited by a rich community harbouring a diverse set of genes coding for retinal binding proteins. A total of 35 viral contigs from 15 to 104 kb, representing partial or total viral genomes, were assembled and their evolutionary changes through the spring system were followed by SNP analysis and metagenomic island tracking. Overall, both the viral and the prokaryotic assemblages changed quickly upon exposure to the open air conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mª Dolores Ramos-Barbero
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, 03690 San Vicent del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain
| | - Tomeu Viver
- Marine Microbiology Group, Department of Animal and Microbial Diversity, Mediterranean Institute of Advanced Studies (IMEDEA; CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Illes Balears, 07190, Spain
| | - Ane Zabaleta
- Hydro-Environmental Processes Group, Geology Department, Science and Technology Faculty, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, 48940, Spain
| | - Ece Senel
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, 03690 San Vicent del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain.,Department of Biology, Institute of Graduate Programs, Eskisehir Technical University, Yunusemre Campus, Eskisehir, 26470, Turkey
| | - María Gomariz
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, 03690 San Vicent del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain
| | - Iñaki Antigüedad
- Hydro-Environmental Processes Group, Geology Department, Science and Technology Faculty, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, 48940, Spain
| | - Fernando Santos
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, 03690 San Vicent del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain
| | - Manuel Martínez-García
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, 03690 San Vicent del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain
| | - Ramon Rosselló-Móra
- Marine Microbiology Group, Department of Animal and Microbial Diversity, Mediterranean Institute of Advanced Studies (IMEDEA; CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Illes Balears, 07190, Spain
| | - Josefa Antón
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, 03690 San Vicent del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain
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12
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Oyewusi HA, Wahab RA, Huyop F. Dehalogenase-producing halophiles and their potential role in bioremediation. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 160:111603. [PMID: 32919122 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111603] [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] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
This review aims to briefly describe the potential role of dehalogenase-producing halophilic bacteria in decontamination of organohalide pollutants. Hypersaline habitats pose challenges to life because of low water activity (water content) and is considered as the largest and ultimate sink for pollutants due to naturally and anthropogenic activities in which a substantial amount of ecological contaminants are organohalides. Several such environments appear to host and support substantial diversity of extremely halophilic and halotolerant bacteria as well as halophilic archaea. Biodegradation of several toxic inorganic and organic compounds in both aerobic and anaerobic conditions are carried out by halophilic microbes. Therefore, remediation of polluted marine/hypersaline environments are the main scorching issues in the field of biotechnology. Although many microbial species are reported as effective pollutants degrader, but little has been isolated from marine/hypersaline environments. Therefore, more novel microbial species with dehalogenase-producing ability are still desired.
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Affiliation(s)
- Habeebat Adekilekun Oyewusi
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia; Enzyme Technology and Green Synthesis Group, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia; Department of Biochemistry, School of Science and Computer Studies, Federal Polytechnic Ado Ekiti, PMB, 5351, Ekiti State, Nigeria
| | - Roswanira Abdul Wahab
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia; Enzyme Technology and Green Synthesis Group, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
| | - Fahrul Huyop
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia; Enzyme Technology and Green Synthesis Group, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia.
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13
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Abstract
The brines of natural salt lakes with total salt concentrations exceeding 30% are often colored red by dense communities of halophilic microorganisms. Such red brines are found in the north arm of Great Salt Lake, Utah, in the alkaline hypersaline lakes of the African Rift Valley, and in the crystallizer ponds of coastal and inland salterns where salt is produced by evaporation of seawater or some other source of saline water. Red blooms were also reported in the Dead Sea in the past. Different types of pigmented microorganisms may contribute to the coloration of the brines. The most important are the halophilic archaea of the class Halobacteria that contain bacterioruberin carotenoids as well as bacteriorhodopsin and other retinal pigments, β-carotene-rich species of the unicellular green algal genus Dunaliella and bacteria of the genus Salinibacter (class Rhodothermia) that contain the carotenoid salinixanthin and the retinal protein xanthorhodopsin. Densities of prokaryotes in red brines often exceed 2-3×107 cells/mL. I here review the information on the biota of the red brines, the interactions between the organisms present, as well as the possible roles of the red halophilic microorganisms in the salt production process and some applied aspects of carotenoids and retinal proteins produced by the different types of halophiles inhabiting the red brines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aharon Oren
- The Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
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14
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Intermediate-Salinity Systems at High Altitudes in the Peruvian Andes Unveil a High Diversity and Abundance of Bacteria and Viruses. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10110891. [PMID: 31694288 PMCID: PMC6895999 DOI: 10.3390/genes10110891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Revised: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 10/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Intermediate-salinity environments are distributed around the world. Here, we present a snapshot characterization of two Peruvian thalassohaline environments at high altitude, Maras and Acos, which provide an excellent opportunity to increase our understanding of these ecosystems. The main goal of this study was to assess the structure and functional diversity of the communities of microorganisms in an intermediate-salinity environment, and we used a metagenomic shotgun approach for this analysis. These Andean hypersaline systems exhibited high bacterial diversity and abundance of the phyla Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Balneolaeota, and Actinobacteria; in contrast, Archaea from the phyla Euryarchaeota, Thaumarchaeota, and Crenarchaeota were identified in low abundance. Acos harbored a more diverse prokaryotic community and a higher number of unique species compared with Maras. In addition, we obtained the draft genomes of two bacteria, Halomonas elongata and Idiomarina loihiensis, as well as the viral genomes of Enterobacteria lambda-like phage and Halomonas elongata-like phage and 27 partial novel viral halophilic genomes. The functional metagenome annotation showed a high abundance of sequences associated with detoxification, DNA repair, cell wall and capsule formation, and nucleotide metabolism; sequences for these functions were overexpressed mainly in bacteria and also in some archaea and viruses. Thus, their metabolic profiles afford a decrease in oxidative stress as well as the assimilation of nitrogen, a critical energy source for survival. Our work represents the first microbial characterization of a community structure in samples collected from Peruvian hypersaline systems.
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15
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Ramos‐Barbero MD, Martínez JM, Almansa C, Rodríguez N, Villamor J, Gomariz M, Escudero C, Rubin SDC, Antón J, Martínez‐García M, Amils R. Prokaryotic and viral community structure in the singular chaotropic salt lake Salar de Uyuni. Environ Microbiol 2019; 21:2029-2042. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Revised: 01/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - José M. Martínez
- Department of Virology and Microbiology, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo OchoaUniversidad Autónoma de Madrid (CBMSO, CSIC‐UAM) Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid Spain
| | - Cristina Almansa
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and MicrobiologyUniversidad de Alicante Alicante Spain
| | - Nuria Rodríguez
- Department of Planetology and HabitabilityCentro de Astrobiología (CAB, INTA‐CSIC) 28055 Torrejón de Ardoz Spain
| | - Judith Villamor
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and MicrobiologyUniversidad de Alicante Alicante Spain
| | - María Gomariz
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and MicrobiologyUniversidad de Alicante Alicante Spain
| | - Cristina Escudero
- Department of Virology and Microbiology, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo OchoaUniversidad Autónoma de Madrid (CBMSO, CSIC‐UAM) Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid Spain
| | - Sergio dC Rubin
- Department of Virology and Microbiology, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo OchoaUniversidad Autónoma de Madrid (CBMSO, CSIC‐UAM) Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid Spain
- Université catholique de LouvainEarth and Life Institute, Georges Lemaître Centre for Earth and Climate Research Belgium
| | - Josefa Antón
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and MicrobiologyUniversidad de Alicante Alicante Spain
| | - Manuel Martínez‐García
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and MicrobiologyUniversidad de Alicante Alicante Spain
| | - Ricardo Amils
- Department of Virology and Microbiology, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo OchoaUniversidad Autónoma de Madrid (CBMSO, CSIC‐UAM) Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid Spain
- Department of Planetology and HabitabilityCentro de Astrobiología (CAB, INTA‐CSIC) 28055 Torrejón de Ardoz Spain
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16
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Plominsky AM, Henríquez-Castillo C, Delherbe N, Podell S, Ramirez-Flandes S, Ugalde JA, Santibañez JF, van den Engh G, Hanselmann K, Ulloa O, De la Iglesia R, Allen EE, Trefault N. Distinctive Archaeal Composition of an Artisanal Crystallizer Pond and Functional Insights Into Salt-Saturated Hypersaline Environment Adaptation. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:1800. [PMID: 30154761 PMCID: PMC6102401 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypersaline environments represent some of the most challenging settings for life on Earth. Extremely halophilic microorganisms have been selected to colonize and thrive in these extreme environments by virtue of a broad spectrum of adaptations to counter high salinity and osmotic stress. Although there is substantial data on microbial taxonomic diversity in these challenging ecosystems and their primary osmoadaptation mechanisms, less is known about how hypersaline environments shape the genomes of microbial inhabitants at the functional level. In this study, we analyzed the microbial communities in five ponds along the discontinuous salinity gradient from brackish to salt-saturated environments and sequenced the metagenome of the salt (halite) precipitation pond in the artisanal Cáhuil Solar Saltern system. We combined field measurements with spectrophotometric pigment analysis and flow cytometry to characterize the microbial ecology of the pond ecosystems, including primary producers and applied metagenomic sequencing for analysis of archaeal and bacterial taxonomic diversity of the salt crystallizer harvest pond. Comparative metagenomic analysis of the Cáhuil salt crystallizer pond against microbial communities from other salt-saturated aquatic environments revealed a dominance of the archaeal genus Halorubrum and showed an unexpectedly low abundance of Haloquadratum in the Cáhuil system. Functional comparison of 26 hypersaline microbial metagenomes revealed a high proportion of sequences associated with nucleotide excision repair, helicases, replication and restriction-methylation systems in all of them. Moreover, we found distinctive functional signatures between the microbial communities from salt-saturated (>30% [w/v] total salinity) compared to sub-saturated hypersaline environments mainly due to a higher representation of sequences related to replication, recombination and DNA repair in the former. The current study expands our understanding of the diversity and distribution of halophilic microbial populations inhabiting salt-saturated habitats and the functional attributes that sustain them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvaro M Plominsky
- Department of Oceanography, Faculty of Natural and Oceanographic Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile.,Instituto Milenio de Oceanografía, Concepción, Chile
| | - Carlos Henríquez-Castillo
- Department of Oceanography, Faculty of Natural and Oceanographic Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile.,Instituto Milenio de Oceanografía, Concepción, Chile
| | - Nathalie Delherbe
- Biology Department, Cell and Molecular Biology Joint Doctoral Program with UC San Diego, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Sheila Podell
- Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Salvador Ramirez-Flandes
- Instituto Milenio de Oceanografía, Concepción, Chile.,Programa de Doctorado en Ingeniería de Sistemas Complejos, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan A Ugalde
- uBiome, Inc., San Francisco, CA, United States.,Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan F Santibañez
- Department of Oceanography, Faculty of Natural and Oceanographic Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | | | - Kurt Hanselmann
- Department of Earth Sciences, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Osvaldo Ulloa
- Department of Oceanography, Faculty of Natural and Oceanographic Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile.,Instituto Milenio de Oceanografía, Concepción, Chile
| | - Rodrigo De la Iglesia
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Eric E Allen
- Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.,Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Nicole Trefault
- GEMA Center for Genomics, Ecology and Environment, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile
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17
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González-Torres P, Gabaldón T. Genome Variation in the Model Halophilic Bacterium Salinibacter ruber. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:1499. [PMID: 30072959 PMCID: PMC6060240 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The halophilic bacterium Salinibacter ruber is an abundant and ecologically important member of halophilic communities worldwide. Given its broad distribution and high intraspecific genetic diversity, S. ruber is considered one of the main models for ecological and evolutionary studies of bacterial adaptation to hypersaline environments. However, current insights on the genomic diversity of this species is limited to the comparison of the genomes of two co-isolated strains. Here, we present a comparative genomic analysis of eight S. ruber strains isolated at two different time points in each of two different Mediterranean solar salterns. Our results show an open pangenome with contrasting evolutionary patterns in the core and accessory genomes. We found that the core genome is shaped by extensive homologous recombination (HR), which results in limited sequence variation within population clusters. In contrast, the accessory genome is modulated by horizontal gene transfer (HGT), with genomic islands and plasmids acting as gateways to the rest of the genome. In addition, both types of genetic exchange are modulated by restriction and modification (RM) or CRISPR-Cas systems. Finally, genes differentially impacted by such processes reveal functional processes potentially relevant for environmental interactions and adaptation to extremophilic conditions. Altogether, our results support scenarios that conciliate “Neutral” and “Constant Diversity” models of bacterial evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro González-Torres
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain.,Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Toni Gabaldón
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.,Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.,Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Spain
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18
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Characterization of ecologically diverse viruses infecting co-occurring strains of cosmopolitan hyperhalophilic Bacteroidetes. ISME JOURNAL 2017; 12:424-437. [PMID: 29099492 PMCID: PMC5776456 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2017.175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2017] [Revised: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 08/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Hypersaline environments close to saturation harbor the highest density of virus-like particles reported for aquatic systems as well as low microbial diversity. Thus, they offer unique settings for studying virus–host interactions in nature. However, no viruses have been isolated so far infecting the two most abundant inhabitants of these systems (that is, the euryarchaeon Haloquadratum walsbyi and the bacteroidetes Salinibacter ruber). Here, using three different co-occurring strains, we have isolated eight viruses infecting the ubiquitous S. ruber that constitute three new different genera (named as ‘Holosalinivirus’, ‘Kryptosalinivirus’ and ‘Kairosalinivirus’) according to their genomic traits, different host range, virus–host interaction capabilities and abundances in natural systems worldwide. Furthermore, to get a more complete and comprehensive view of S. ruber virus assemblages in nature, a microcosm experiment was set with a mixture of S. ruber strains challenged with a brine virus concentrate, and changes of viral populations were monitored by viral metagenomics. Only viruses closely related to kairosalinivirus (strictly lytic and wide host range) were enriched, despite their low initial abundance in the natural sample. Metagenomic analyses of the mesocosms allowed the complete recovery of kairosalinivirus genomes using an ad hoc assembly strategy as common viral metagenomic assembly tools failed despite their abundance, which underlines the limitations of current approaches. The increase of this type of viruses was accompanied by an increase in the diversity of the group, as shown by contig recruitment. These results are consistent with a scenario in which host range, not only virus and host abundances, is a key factor in determining virus fate in nature.
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19
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Parmar KM, Gaikwad SL, Dhakephalkar PK, Kothari R, Singh RP. Intriguing Interaction of Bacteriophage-Host Association: An Understanding in the Era of Omics. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:559. [PMID: 28439260 PMCID: PMC5383658 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Innovations in next-generation sequencing technology have introduced new avenues in microbial studies through “omics” approaches. This technology has considerably augmented the knowledge of the microbial world without isolation prior to their identification. With an enormous volume of bacterial “omics” data, considerable attempts have been recently invested to improve an insight into virosphere. The interplay between bacteriophages and their host has created a significant influence on the biogeochemical cycles, microbial diversity, and bacterial population regulation. This review highlights various concepts such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics to infer the phylogenetic affiliation and function of bacteriophages and their impact on diverse microbial communities. Omics technologies illuminate the role of bacteriophage in an environment, the influences of phage proteins on the bacterial host and provide information about the genes important for interaction with bacteria. These investigations will reveal some of bio-molecules and biomarkers of the novel phage which demand to be unveiled.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ramesh Kothari
- Department of Biosciences, Saurashtra UniversityRajkot, India
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20
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Moller AG, Liang C. Determining virus-host interactions and glycerol metabolism profiles in geographically diverse solar salterns with metagenomics. PeerJ 2017; 5:e2844. [PMID: 28097058 PMCID: PMC5228507 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2016] [Accepted: 11/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Solar salterns are excellent model ecosystems for studying virus-microbial interactions because of their low microbial diversity, environmental stability, and high viral density. By using the power of CRISPR spacers to link viruses to their prokaryotic hosts, we explored virus-host interactions in geographically diverse salterns. Using taxonomic profiling, we identified hosts such as archaeal Haloquadratum, Halorubrum, and Haloarcula and bacterial Salinibacter, and we found that community composition related to not only salinity but also local environmental dynamics. Characterizing glycerol metabolism genes in these metagenomes suggested Halorubrum and Haloquadratum possess most dihydroxyacetone kinase genes while Salinibacter possesses most glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase genes. Using two different methods, we detected fewer CRISPR spacers in Haloquadratum-dominated compared with Halobacteriaceae-dominated saltern metagenomes. After CRISPR detection, spacers were aligned against haloviral genomes to map virus to host. While most alignments for each saltern metagenome linked viruses to Haloquadratum walsbyi, there were also alignments indicating interactions with the low abundance taxa Haloarcula and Haloferax. Further examination of the dinucleotide and trinucleotide usage differences between paired viruses and their hosts confirmed viruses and hosts had similar nucleotide usage signatures. Detection of cas genes in the salterns supported the possibility of CRISPR activity. Taken together, our studies suggest similar virus-host interactions exist in different solar salterns and that the glycerol metabolism gene dihydroxyacetone kinase is associated with Haloquadratum and Halorubrum.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chun Liang
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, United States
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Di Meglio L, Santos F, Gomariz M, Almansa C, López C, Antón J, Nercessian D. Seasonal dynamics of extremely halophilic microbial communities in three Argentinian salterns. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2016; 92:fiw184. [PMID: 27604253 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiw184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Seasonal sampling was carried out at three Argentinian salterns, Salitral Negro (SN), Colorada Grande (CG) and Guatraché (G), to analyze abiotic parameters and microbial diversity and dynamics. Microbial assemblages were correlated to environmental factors by statistical analyses. Principal component analysis of the environmental data grouped SN and CG samples separately from G samples owing to G's higher pH values and sulfate concentration. Differences in microbial assemblages were also found. Many archaeal sequences belonged to uncultured members of Haloquadratum and Haloquadratum-related genera, with different environmental optima. Notably, nearly half of the archaeal sequences were affiliated to the recently described 'Candidatus Haloredividus' (phylum Nanohaloarchaeota), not previously detected in salt-saturated environments. Most bacterial sequences belonged to Salinibacter representatives, while sequences affiliated to the recently described genus Spiribacter were also found. Seasonal analysis showed at least 40% of the microbiota from the three salterns was prevalent through the year, indicating they are well adapted to environmental fluctuations. On the other hand, a minority of archaeal and bacterial sequences were found to be seasonally distributed. Five viral morphotypes and also eukaryal predators were detected, suggesting different mechanisms for controlling prokaryotic numbers. Notably, Guatraché was the saltern that harbored the highest virus-to-cell ratios reported to date for hypersaline environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Di Meglio
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, UNMDP - CONICET, Funes 3250 4° nivel, 7600 Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Fernando Santos
- Departamento de Fisiología, Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Alicante, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, España
| | - María Gomariz
- Departamento de Fisiología, Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Alicante, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, España
| | - Cristina Almansa
- Servicios Técnicos de Investigación (SSTTI), Unidad de Microscopía, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, España
| | - Cristina López
- Departamento de Fisiología, Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Alicante, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, España
| | - Josefa Antón
- Departamento de Fisiología, Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Alicante, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, España
| | - Débora Nercessian
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, UNMDP - CONICET, Funes 3250 4° nivel, 7600 Mar del Plata, Argentina
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Atanasova NS, Bamford DH, Oksanen HM. Virus-host interplay in high salt environments. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2016; 8:431-444. [PMID: 26929102 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2015] [Accepted: 01/14/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Interaction of viruses and cells has tremendous impact on cellular and viral evolution, nutrient cycling and decay of organic matter. Thus, viruses can indirectly affect complex processes such as climate change and microbial pathogenicity. During recent decades, studies on extreme environments have introduced us to archaeal viruses and viruses infecting extremophilic bacteria or eukaryotes. Hypersaline environments are known to contain strikingly high numbers of viruses (∼10(9) particles per ml). Halophilic archaea, bacteria and eukaryotes inhabiting hypersaline environments have only a few cellular predators, indicating that the role of viruses is highly important in these ecosystems. Viruses thriving in high salt are called haloviruses and to date more than 100 such viruses have been described. Virulent, temperate, and persistent halovirus life cycles have been observed among the known isolates including the recently described SNJ1-SNJ2 temperate virus pair which is the first example of an interplay between two haloviruses in one host cell. In addition to direct virus and cell isolations, metagenomics have provided a wealth of information about virus-host dynamics in hypersaline environments suggesting that halovirus populations and halophilic microorganisms are dynamic over time and spatially distributed around the highly saline environments on the Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina S Atanasova
- Department of Biosciences and Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Dennis H Bamford
- Department of Biosciences and Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hanna M Oksanen
- Department of Biosciences and Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Hiraoka S, Yang CC, Iwasaki W. Metagenomics and Bioinformatics in Microbial Ecology: Current Status and Beyond. Microbes Environ 2016; 31:204-12. [PMID: 27383682 PMCID: PMC5017796 DOI: 10.1264/jsme2.me16024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Metagenomic approaches are now commonly used in microbial ecology to study microbial communities in more detail, including many strains that cannot be cultivated in the laboratory. Bioinformatic analyses make it possible to mine huge metagenomic datasets and discover general patterns that govern microbial ecosystems. However, the findings of typical metagenomic and bioinformatic analyses still do not completely describe the ecology and evolution of microbes in their environments. Most analyses still depend on straightforward sequence similarity searches against reference databases. We herein review the current state of metagenomics and bioinformatics in microbial ecology and discuss future directions for the field. New techniques will allow us to go beyond routine analyses and broaden our knowledge of microbial ecosystems. We need to enrich reference databases, promote platforms that enable meta- or comprehensive analyses of diverse metagenomic datasets, devise methods that utilize long-read sequence information, and develop more powerful bioinformatic methods to analyze data from diverse perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Hiraoka
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, the University of Tokyo
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24
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Colangelo-Lillis J, Wing BA, Whyte LG. Low viral predation pressure in cold hypersaline Arctic sediments and limits on lytic replication. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2016; 8:250-260. [PMID: 26743115 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2015] [Revised: 11/30/2015] [Accepted: 12/22/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Viruses are ubiquitous drivers of microbial ecology and evolution and contribute to biogeochemical cycling. Attention to these attributes has been more substantial for marine viruses than viruses of other environments. Microscopy-based investigation of the viral communities from two cold, hypersaline Arctic springs was undertaken to explore the effects of these conditions on microbe-viral ecology. Sediments and water samples were collected along transects from each spring, from anoxic spring outlets through oxygenated downstream channels. Viral abundance, virus-microbe ratios and modelled virus-microbe contact rates were lower than comparable aqueous and sedimentary environments and most similar to deep subsurface sediments. No individual cell from either spring was visibly infected. Viruses in these springs appear to play a smaller role in controlling microbial populations through lytic activity than in marine water column or surface sedimentary environments. Relief from viral predation indicates the microbial communities are primarily controlled by nutrient limitation. The similarity of these springs to deep subsurface sediments suggests a biogeographic divide in viral replication strategy in marine sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse Colangelo-Lillis
- Earth and Planetary Science, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0E8, Canada
- McGill Space Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2A7, Canada
| | - Boswell A Wing
- Earth and Planetary Science, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0E8, Canada
- McGill Space Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2A7, Canada
| | - Lyle G Whyte
- McGill Space Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2A7, Canada
- Natural Resource Science, McGill University, St-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, H9X 3V9, Canada
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25
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Colangelo-Lillis J, Eicken H, Carpenter SD, Deming JW. Evidence for marine origin and microbial-viral habitability of sub-zero hypersaline aqueous inclusions within permafrost near Barrow, Alaska. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2016; 92:fiw053. [PMID: 26976841 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiw053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryopegs are sub-surface hypersaline brines at sub-zero temperatures within permafrost; their global extent and distribution are unknown. The permafrost barrier to surface and groundwater advection maintains these brines as semi-isolated systems over geological time. A cryopeg 7 m below ground near Barrow, Alaska, was sampled for geochemical and microbiological analysis. Sub-surface brines (in situtemperature of -6 °C, salinity of 115 ppt), and an associated sediment-infused ice wedge (melt salinity of 0.04 ppt) were sampled using sterile technique. Major ionic concentrations in the brine corresponded more closely to other (Siberian) cryopegs than to Standard seawater or the ice wedge. Ionic ratios and stable isotope analysis of water conformed to a marine or brackish origin with subsequent Rayleigh fractionation. The brine contained ∼1000× more bacteria than surrounding ice, relatively high viral numbers suggestive of infection and reproduction, and an unusually high ratio of particulate to dissolved extracellular polysaccharide substances. A viral metagenome indicated a high frequency of temperate viruses and limited viral diversity compared to surface environments, with closest similarity to low water activity environments. Interpretations of the results underscore the isolation of these underexplored microbial ecosystems from past and present oceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Colangelo-Lillis
- School of Oceanography and Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - H Eicken
- International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA
| | - S D Carpenter
- School of Oceanography and Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - J W Deming
- School of Oceanography and Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
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Oren A. Life in Hypersaline Environments. THEIR WORLD: A DIVERSITY OF MICROBIAL ENVIRONMENTS 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-28071-4_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Antunes A, Alam I, Simões MF, Daniels C, Ferreira AJS, Siam R, El-Dorry H, Bajic VB. First Insights into the Viral Communities of the Deep-sea Anoxic Brines of the Red Sea. GENOMICS PROTEOMICS & BIOINFORMATICS 2015; 13:304-9. [PMID: 26529193 PMCID: PMC4678784 DOI: 10.1016/j.gpb.2015.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2015] [Revised: 06/09/2015] [Accepted: 06/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The deep-sea brines of the Red Sea include some of the most extreme and unique environments on Earth. They combine high salinities with increases in temperature, heavy metals, hydrostatic pressure, and anoxic conditions, creating unique settings for thriving populations of novel extremophiles. Despite a recent increase of studies focusing on these unusual biotopes, their viral communities remain unexplored. The current survey explores four metagenomic datasets obtained from different brine–seawater interface samples, focusing specifically on the diversity of their viral communities. Data analysis confirmed that the particle-attached viral communities present in the brine–seawater interfaces were diverse and generally dominated by Caudovirales, yet appearing distinct from sample to sample. With a level of caution, we report the unexpected finding of Phycodnaviridae, which infects algae and plants, and trace amounts of insect-infecting Iridoviridae. Results from Kebrit Deep revealed stratification in the viral communities present in the interface: the upper-interface was enriched with viruses associated with typical marine bacteria, while the lower-interface was enriched with haloviruses and halophages. These results provide first insights into the unexplored viral communities present in deep-sea brines of the Red Sea, representing one of the first steps for ongoing and future sampling efforts and studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Antunes
- Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division (CEMSE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Intikhab Alam
- Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division (CEMSE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Marta Filipa Simões
- Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division (CEMSE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Camille Daniels
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ari J S Ferreira
- Biology Department, American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Rania Siam
- Biology Department, American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Hamza El-Dorry
- Biology Department, American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Vladimir B Bajic
- Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division (CEMSE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
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28
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Abstract
Hypersaline waters and salt crystals are known to contain high numbers of haloarchaeal cells and their viruses. Both culture-dependent and culture-independent studies indicate that these viruses represent a world-wide distributed reservoir of orphan genes and possibly novel virion morphotypes. To date, 90 viruses have been described for halophilic archaeal hosts, all belonging to the Halobacteriaceae family. This number is higher than that described for the members of any other archaeal family, but still very low compared to the viruses of bacteria and eukaryotes. The known haloarchaeal viruses represent icosahedral tailed, icosahedral internal membrane-containing, pleomorphic, and spindle-shaped virion morphotypes. This morphotype distribution is low, especially when compared to the astronomical number (>10(31)) of viruses on Earth. This strongly suggests that only certain protein folds are capable of making a functional virion. Viruses infecting cells belonging to any of the three domains of life are known to share similar major capsid protein folds which can be used to classify viruses into structure-based lineages. The latest observation supporting this proposal comes from the studies of icosahedral tailed haloarchaeal viruses which are the most abundant virus isolates from hypersaline environments. These viruses were shown to have the same major capsid protein fold (HK97-fold) with tailed bacteriophages belonging to the order Caudovirales and with eukaryotic herpes viruses. This proposes that these viruses have a common origin dating back to ancient times. Here we summarize the current knowledge of haloarchaeal viruses from the perspective of virus morphotypes.
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Tschitschko B, Williams TJ, Allen MA, Páez-Espino D, Kyrpides N, Zhong L, Raftery MJ, Cavicchioli R. Antarctic archaea-virus interactions: metaproteome-led analysis of invasion, evasion and adaptation. ISME JOURNAL 2015; 9:2094-107. [PMID: 26125682 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2015.110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2014] [Revised: 04/15/2015] [Accepted: 05/19/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Despite knowledge that viruses are abundant in natural ecosystems, there is limited understanding of which viruses infect which hosts, and how both hosts and viruses respond to those interactions-interactions that ultimately shape community structure and dynamics. In Deep Lake, Antarctica, intergenera gene exchange occurs rampantly within the low complexity, haloarchaea-dominated community, strongly balanced by distinctions in niche adaptation which maintain sympatric speciation. By performing metaproteomics for the first time on haloarchaea, genomic variation of S-layer, archaella and other cell surface proteins was linked to mechanisms of infection evasion. CRISPR defense systems were found to be active, with haloarchaea responding to at least eight distinct types of viruses, including those infecting between genera. The role of BREX systems in defending against viruses was also examined. Although evasion and defense were evident, both hosts and viruses also may benefit from viruses carrying and expressing host genes, thereby potentially enhancing genetic variation and phenotypic differences within populations. The data point to a complex inter-play leading to a dynamic optimization of host-virus interactions. This comprehensive overview was achieved only through the integration of results from metaproteomics, genomics and metagenomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Tschitschko
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Timothy J Williams
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Michelle A Allen
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Nikos Kyrpides
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, USA
| | - Ling Zhong
- Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry Facility, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Mark J Raftery
- Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry Facility, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ricardo Cavicchioli
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Ventosa A, de la Haba RR, Sánchez-Porro C, Papke RT. Microbial diversity of hypersaline environments: a metagenomic approach. Curr Opin Microbiol 2015; 25:80-7. [PMID: 26056770 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2015.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2015] [Revised: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 05/01/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies based on metagenomics and other molecular techniques have permitted a detailed knowledge of the microbial diversity and metabolic activities of microorganisms in hypersaline environments. The current accepted model of community structure in hypersaline environments is that the square archaeon Haloquadratum waslbyi, the bacteroidete Salinibacter ruber and nanohaloarchaea are predominant members at higher salt concentrations, while more diverse archaeal and bacterial taxa are observed in habitats with intermediate salinities. Additionally, metagenomic studies may provide insight into the isolation and characterization of the principal microbes in these habitats, such as the recently described gammaproteobacterium Spiribacter salinus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Ventosa
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain.
| | - Rafael R de la Haba
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Cristina Sánchez-Porro
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
| | - R Thane Papke
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, 06269 Storrs, CT, USA
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Archaeal viruses multiply: temporal screening in a solar saltern. Viruses 2015; 7:1902-26. [PMID: 25866903 PMCID: PMC4411682 DOI: 10.3390/v7041902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2015] [Revised: 03/16/2015] [Accepted: 03/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypersaline environments around the world are dominated by archaea and their viruses. To date, very little is known about these viruses and their interaction with the host strains when compared to bacterial and eukaryotic viruses. We performed the first culture-dependent temporal screening of haloarchaeal viruses and their hosts in the saltern of Samut Sakhon, Thailand, during two subsequent years (2009, 2010). Altogether we obtained 36 haloarchaeal virus isolates and 36 archaeal strains, significantly increasing the number of known archaeal virus isolates. Interestingly, the morphological distribution of our temporal isolates (head-tailed, pleomorphic, and icosahedral membrane-containing viruses) was similar to the outcome of our previous spatial survey supporting the observations of a global resemblance of halophilic microorganisms and their viruses. Myoviruses represented the most abundant virus morphotype with strikingly broad host ranges. The other viral morphotypes (siphoviruses, as well as pleomorphic and icosahedral internal membrane-containing viruses) were more host-specific. We also identified a group of Halorubrum strains highly susceptible to numerous different viruses (up to 26). This high virus sensitivity, the abundance of broad host range viruses, and the maintenance of infectivity over a period of one year suggest constant interplay of halophilic microorganisms and their viruses within an extreme environment.
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32
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Martínez-García M, Santos F, Moreno-Paz M, Parro V, Antón J. Unveiling viral-host interactions within the 'microbial dark matter'. Nat Commun 2014; 5:4542. [PMID: 25119473 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2014] [Accepted: 06/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Viruses control natural microbial communities. Identification of virus-host pairs relies either on their cultivation or on metagenomics and tentative assignment based on genomic signatures. Both approaches have severe drawbacks when aiming to target such pairs within the uncultured majority. Here we present an unambiguous way to assign viruses to hosts that does not rely on any previous information about either of them nor requires their cultivation. First, genomic contents of individual cells present in an environmental sample are retrieved by means of single-cell genomic technologies. Then, individual cell genomes are hybridized against a set of individual viral genomes from the same sample, previously immobilized on a microarray. Infected cells will yield positive hybridization as they carry viral genomes, which can be then sequenced and characterized. Using this method, we pinpoint viruses infecting the ubiquitous hyperhalophilic Nanohaloarchaeota, included in the so-called 'microbial dark matter' (the uncultured fraction of the microbial world).
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Martínez-García
- 1] Departamento de Fisiología, Genética y Microbiología, Universidad de Alicante, 03080 Alicante, Spain [2]
| | - Fernando Santos
- 1] Departamento de Fisiología, Genética y Microbiología, Universidad de Alicante, 03080 Alicante, Spain [2]
| | - Mercedes Moreno-Paz
- Departamento de Evolución Molecular, Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CSIC), Torrejón de Ardoz, 28850 Madrid, Spain
| | - Víctor Parro
- Departamento de Evolución Molecular, Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CSIC), Torrejón de Ardoz, 28850 Madrid, Spain
| | - Josefa Antón
- Departamento de Fisiología, Genética y Microbiología, Universidad de Alicante, 03080 Alicante, Spain
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Gomariz M, Martínez-García M, Santos F, Rodriguez F, Capella-Gutiérrez S, Gabaldón T, Rosselló-Móra R, Meseguer I, Antón J. From community approaches to single-cell genomics: the discovery of ubiquitous hyperhalophilic Bacteroidetes generalists. ISME JOURNAL 2014; 9:16-31. [PMID: 24926861 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2014.95] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2013] [Revised: 05/08/2014] [Accepted: 05/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The microbiota of multi-pond solar salterns around the world has been analyzed using a variety of culture-dependent and molecular techniques. However, studies addressing the dynamic nature of these systems are very scarce. Here we have characterized the temporal variation during 1 year of the microbiota of five ponds with increasing salinity (from 18% to >40%), by means of CARD-FISH and DGGE. Microbial community structure was statistically correlated with several environmental parameters, including ionic composition and meteorological factors, indicating that the microbial community was dynamic as specific phylotypes appeared only at certain times of the year. In addition to total salinity, microbial composition was strongly influenced by temperature and specific ionic composition. Remarkably, DGGE analyses unveiled the presence of most phylotypes previously detected in hypersaline systems using metagenomics and other molecular techniques, such as the very abundant Haloquadratum and Salinibacter representatives or the recently described low GC Actinobacteria and Nanohaloarchaeota. In addition, an uncultured group of Bacteroidetes was present along the whole range of salinity. Database searches indicated a previously unrecognized widespread distribution of this phylotype. Single-cell genome analysis of five members of this group suggested a set of metabolic characteristics that could provide competitive advantages in hypersaline environments, such as polymer degradation capabilities, the presence of retinal-binding light-activated proton pumps and arsenate reduction potential. In addition, the fairly high metagenomic fragment recruitment obtained for these single cells in both the intermediate and hypersaline ponds further confirm the DGGE data and point to the generalist lifestyle of this new Bacteroidetes group.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Gomariz
- 1] Department of Materials, Optics and Electronics, University Miguel Hernández of Elche, Alicante, Spain [2] Department of Physiology, Genetics, and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Manuel Martínez-García
- Department of Physiology, Genetics, and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Fernando Santos
- Department of Physiology, Genetics, and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | | | | | - Toni Gabaldón
- 1] Bioinformatics and Genomics Programme, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona, Spain [2] Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ramon Rosselló-Móra
- Marine Microbiology Group, Department of Ecology and Marine Resources, Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain
| | - Inmaculada Meseguer
- Department of Materials, Optics and Electronics, University Miguel Hernández of Elche, Alicante, Spain
| | - Josefa Antón
- Department of Physiology, Genetics, and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
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Mojica KDA, Brussaard CPD. Factors affecting virus dynamics and microbial host-virus interactions in marine environments. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2014; 89:495-515. [PMID: 24754794 DOI: 10.1111/1574-6941.12343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2013] [Revised: 04/07/2014] [Accepted: 04/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine microorganisms constitute the largest percentage of living biomass and serve as the major driving force behind nutrient and energy cycles. While viruses only comprise a small percentage of this biomass (i.e., 5%), they dominate in numerical abundance and genetic diversity. Through host infection and mortality, viruses affect microbial population dynamics, community composition, genetic evolution, and biogeochemical cycling. However, the field of marine viral ecology is currently limited by a lack of data regarding how different environmental factors regulate virus dynamics and host-virus interactions. The goal of the present minireview was to contribute to the evolution of marine viral ecology, through the assimilation of available data regarding the manner and degree to which environmental factors affect viral decay and infectivity as well as influence latent period and production. Considering the ecological importance of viruses in the marine ecosystem and the increasing pressure from anthropogenic activity and global climate change on marine systems, a synthesis of existing information provides a timely framework for future research initiatives in viral ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina D A Mojica
- Department of Biological Oceanography, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Den Burg, The Netherlands
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New approaches indicate constant viral diversity despite shifts in assemblage structure in an Australian hypersaline lake. Appl Environ Microbiol 2013; 79:6755-64. [PMID: 23995931 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01946-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
It is widely stated that viruses represent the most significant source of biodiversity on Earth, yet characterizing the diversity of viral assemblages in natural systems remains difficult. Viral diversity studies are challenging because viruses lack universally present, phylogenetically informative genes. Here, we developed an approach to estimate viral diversity using a series of functional and novel conserved genes. This approach provides direct estimates of viral assemblage diversity while retaining resolution at the level of individual viral populations in a natural system. We characterized viral assemblages in eight samples from hypersaline Lake Tyrrell (LT), Victoria, Australia, using 39,636 viral contigs. We defined viral operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in two ways. First, we used genes with three different functional predictions that were abundantly represented in the data set. Second, we clustered proteins of unknown function based on sequence similarity, and we chose genes represented by three clusters with numerous members to define OTUs. In combination, diversity metrics indicated between 412 and 735 sampled populations, and the number of populations remained relatively constant across samples. We determined the relative representation of each viral OTU in each sample and found that viral assemblage structures correlate with salinity and solution chemistry. LT viral assemblages were near-replicates from the same site sampled a few days apart but differed significantly on other spatial and temporal scales. The OTU definition approach proposed here paves the way for metagenomics-based analyses of viral assemblages using ecological models previously applied to bacteria and archaea.
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A metagenomic alkaline protease from saline habitat: Cloning, over-expression and functional attributes. Int J Biol Macromol 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2012.10.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Boujelben I, Yarza P, Almansa C, Villamor J, Maalej S, Antón J, Santos F. Virioplankton community structure in Tunisian solar salterns. Appl Environ Microbiol 2012; 78:7429-37. [PMID: 22904045 PMCID: PMC3457115 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01793-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2012] [Accepted: 08/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The microbial community inhabiting Sfax solar salterns on the east coast of Tunisia has been studied by means of different molecular and culture-dependent tools that have unveiled the presence of novel microbial groups as well as a community structure different from that of other coastal hypersaline environments. We have focused on the study of the viral assemblages of these salterns and their changes along the salinity gradient and over time. Viruses from three ponds (C4, M1, and TS) encompassing salinities from moderately hypersaline to saturated (around 14, 19, and 35%, respectively) were sampled in May and October 2009 and analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Additionally, for all three October samples and the May TS sample, viral metagenomic DNA was cloned in fosmids, end sequenced, and analyzed. Viral concentration, as well as virus-to-cell ratios, increased along the salinity gradient, with around 10(10) virus-like particles (VLPs)/ml in close-to-saturation ponds, which represents the highest viral concentration reported so far for aquatic systems. Four distinct morphologies could be observed with TEM (spherical, tailed, spindled, and filamentous) but with various proportions in the different samples. Metagenomic analyses indicated that every pond harbored a distinct viral assemblage whose G+C content could be roughly correlated with that of the active part of the microbial community that may have constituted the putative hosts. As previously reported for hypersaline metaviromes, most sequences did not have matches in the databases, although some were conserved among the Sfax metaviromes. BLASTx, BLASTp, and dinucleotide frequency analyses indicated that (i) factors additional to salinity could be structuring viral communities and (ii) every metavirome had unique gene contents and dinucleotide frequencies. Comparison with hypersaline metaviromes available in the databases indicated that the viral assemblages present in close-to-saturation environments located thousands of kilometers apart presented some common traits among them in spite of their differences regarding the putative hosts. A small core metavirome for close-to-saturation systems was found that contained 7 sequences of around 100 nucleotides (nt) whose function was not hinted at by in silico search results, although it most likely represents properties essential for hyperhalophilic viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines Boujelben
- Département des Sciences de la Vie, Faculté des Sciences de Sfax, Université de Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
- Departamento de Fisiología, Genética y Microbiología, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Pablo Yarza
- Departamento de Fisiología, Genética y Microbiología, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Cristina Almansa
- Servicios Técnicos de Investigación (SSTTI), Unidad de Microscopía, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Judith Villamor
- Departamento de Fisiología, Genética y Microbiología, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Sami Maalej
- Département des Sciences de la Vie, Faculté des Sciences de Sfax, Université de Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - Josefa Antón
- Departamento de Fisiología, Genética y Microbiología, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
- Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio Ramón Margalef, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Fernando Santos
- Departamento de Fisiología, Genética y Microbiología, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
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Dynamic viral populations in hypersaline systems as revealed by metagenomic assembly. Appl Environ Microbiol 2012; 78:6309-20. [PMID: 22773627 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01212-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Viruses of the Bacteria and Archaea play important roles in microbial evolution and ecology, and yet viral dynamics in natural systems remain poorly understood. Here, we created de novo assemblies from 6.4 Gbp of metagenomic sequence from eight community viral concentrate samples, collected from 12 h to 3 years apart from hypersaline Lake Tyrrell (LT), Victoria, Australia. Through extensive manual assembly curation, we reconstructed 7 complete and 28 partial novel genomes of viruses and virus-like entities (VLEs, which could be viruses or plasmids). We tracked these 35 populations across the eight samples and found that they are generally stable on the timescale of days and transient on the timescale of years, with some exceptions. Cross-detection of the 35 LT populations in three previously described haloviral metagenomes was limited to a few genes, and most previously sequenced haloviruses were not detected in our samples, though 3 were detected upon reducing our detection threshold from 90% to 75% nucleotide identity. Similar results were obtained when we applied our methods to haloviral metagenomic data previously reported from San Diego, CA: 10 contigs that we assembled from that system exhibited a variety of detection patterns on a timescale of weeks to 1 month but were generally not detected in LT. Our results suggest that most haloviral populations have a limited or, possibly, a temporally variable global distribution. This study provides high-resolution insight into viral biogeography and dynamics and it places "snapshot" viral metagenomes, collected at a single time and location, in context.
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