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Irby I, Broddrick JT. Microbial adaptation to spaceflight is correlated with bacteriophage-encoded functions. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3474. [PMID: 38750067 PMCID: PMC11096397 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42104-w] [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: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Evidence from the International Space Station suggests microbial populations are rapidly adapting to the spacecraft environment; however, the mechanism of this adaptation is not understood. Bacteriophages are prolific mediators of bacterial adaptation on Earth. Here we survey 245 genomes sequenced from bacterial strains isolated on the International Space Station for dormant (lysogenic) bacteriophages. Our analysis indicates phage-associated genes are significantly different between spaceflight strains and their terrestrial counterparts. In addition, we identify 283 complete prophages, those that could initiate bacterial lysis and infect additional hosts, of which 21% are novel. These prophage regions encode functions that correlate with increased persistence in extreme environments, such as spaceflight, to include antimicrobial resistance and virulence, DNA damage repair, and dormancy. Our results correlate microbial adaptation in spaceflight to bacteriophage-encoded functions that may impact human health in spaceflight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Irby
- Space Biosciences Research Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jared T Broddrick
- Space Biosciences Research Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, USA.
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Simpson AC, Sengupta P, Zhang F, Hameed A, Parker CW, Singh NK, Miliotis G, Rekha PD, Raman K, Mason CE, Venkateswaran K. Phylogenomics, phenotypic, and functional traits of five novel (Earth-derived) bacterial species isolated from the International Space Station and their prevalence in metagenomes. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19207. [PMID: 37932283 PMCID: PMC10628120 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44172-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
With the advent of long-term human habitation in space and on the moon, understanding how the built environment microbiome of space habitats differs from Earth habitats, and how microbes survive, proliferate and spread in space conditions, is becoming more important. The microbial tracking mission series has been monitoring the microbiome of the International Space Station (ISS) for almost a decade. During this mission series, six unique strains of Gram-stain-positive bacteria, including two spore-forming and three non-spore-forming species, were isolated from the environmental surfaces of the ISS. The analysis of their 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed > 99% similarities with previously described bacterial species. To further explore their phylogenetic affiliation, whole genome sequencing was undertaken. For all strains, the gyrB gene exhibited < 93% similarity with closely related species, which proved effective in categorizing these ISS strains as novel species. Average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values, when compared to any known bacterial species, were < 94% and <50% respectively for all species described here. Traditional biochemical tests, fatty acid profiling, polar lipid, and cell wall composition analyses were performed to generate phenotypic characterization of these ISS strains. A study of the shotgun metagenomic reads from the ISS samples, from which the novel species were isolated, showed that only 0.1% of the total reads mapped to the novel species, supporting the idea that these novel species are rare in the ISS environments. In-depth annotation of the genomes unveiled a variety of genes linked to amino acid and derivative synthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, cofactors, vitamins, prosthetic groups, pigments, and protein metabolism. Further analysis of these ISS-isolated organisms revealed that, on average, they contain 46 genes associated with virulence, disease, and defense. The main predicted functions of these genes are: conferring resistance to antibiotics and toxic compounds, and enabling invasion and intracellular resistance. After conducting antiSMASH analysis, it was found that there are roughly 16 cluster types across the six strains, including β-lactone and type III polyketide synthase (T3PKS) clusters. Based on these multi-faceted taxonomic methods, it was concluded that these six ISS strains represent five novel species, which we propose to name as follows: Arthrobacter burdickii IIF3SC-B10T (= NRRL B-65660T = DSM 115933T), Leifsonia virtsii F6_8S_P_1AT (= NRRL B-65661T = DSM 115931T), Leifsonia williamsii F6_8S_P_1BT (= NRRL B-65662T = DSM 115932T), Paenibacillus vandeheii F6_3S_P_1CT (= NRRL B-65663T = DSM 115940T), and Sporosarcina highlanderae F6_3S_P_2T (= NRRL B-65664T = DSM 115943T). Identifying and characterizing the genomes and phenotypes of novel microbes found in space habitats, like those explored in this study, is integral for expanding our genomic databases of space-relevant microbes. This approach offers the only reliable method to determine species composition, track microbial dispersion, and anticipate potential threats to human health from monitoring microbes on the surfaces and equipment within space habitats. By unraveling these microbial mysteries, we take a crucial step towards ensuring the safety and success of future space missions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna C Simpson
- Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Pratyay Sengupta
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600 036, India
- Center for Integrative Biology and Systems mEdicine (IBSE), Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600 036, India
- Robert Bosch Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (RBCDSAI), Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600 036, India
| | - Flora Zhang
- Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Asif Hameed
- Yenepoya Research Centre, Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), Mangalore, 575018, India
| | - Ceth W Parker
- Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Nitin K Singh
- Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Georgios Miliotis
- Antimicrobial Resistance and Microbial Ecology Group, School of Medicine, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Punchappady D Rekha
- Yenepoya Research Centre, Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), Mangalore, 575018, India
| | - Karthik Raman
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600 036, India
- Center for Integrative Biology and Systems mEdicine (IBSE), Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600 036, India
- Robert Bosch Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (RBCDSAI), Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600 036, India
| | - Christopher E Mason
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, and the WorldQuant Initiative for Quantitative Prediction, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Kasthuri Venkateswaran
- Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
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Simpson AC, Sengupta P, Zhang F, Hameed A, Parker CW, Singh NK, Miliotis G, Rekha PD, Raman K, Mason CE, Venkateswaran K. Phylogenetic affiliations and genomic characterization of novel bacterial species and their abundance in the International Space Station. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3126314. [PMID: 37461605 PMCID: PMC10350232 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3126314/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Background With the advent of long-term human habitation in space and on the moon, understanding how the built environment microbiome of space habitats differs from Earth habits, and how microbes survive, proliferate and spread in space conditions, is coming more and more important. The Microbial Tracking mission series has been monitoring the microbiome of the International Space Station (ISS) for almost a decade. During this mission series, six unique strains of Gram-positive bacteria, including two spore-forming and three non-spore-forming species, were isolated from the environmental surfaces of the International Space Station (ISS). Results The analysis of their 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed <99% similarities with previously described bacterial species. To further explore their phylogenetic affiliation, whole genome sequencing (WGS) was undertaken. For all strains, the gyrB gene exhibited <93% similarity with closely related species, which proved effective in categorizing these ISS strains as novel species. Average ucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values, when compared to any known bacterial species, were less than <94% and 50% respectively for all species described here. Traditional biochemical tests, fatty acid profiling, polar lipid, and cell wall composition analyses were performed to generate phenotypic characterization of these ISS strains. A study of the shotgun metagenomic reads from the ISS samples, from which the novel species were isolated, showed that only 0.1% of the total reads mapped to the novel species, supporting the idea that these novel species are rare in the ISS environments. In-depth annotation of the genomes unveiled a variety of genes linked to amino acid and derivative synthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, cofactors, vitamins, prosthetic groups, pigments, and protein metabolism. Further analysis of these ISS-isolated organisms revealed that, on average, they contain 46 genes associated with virulence, disease, and defense. The main predicted functions of these genes are: conferring resistance to antibiotics and toxic compounds, and enabling invasion and intracellular resistance. After conducting antiSMASH analysis, it was found that there are roughly 16 cluster types across the six strains, including β-lactone and type III polyketide synthase (T3PKS) clusters. Conclusions Based on these multi-faceted taxonomic methods, it was concluded that these six ISS strains represent five novel species, which we propose to name as follows: Arthrobacter burdickii IIF3SC-B10T (=NRRL B-65660T), Leifsonia virtsii, F6_8S_P_1AT (=NRRL B-65661T), Leifsonia williamsii, F6_8S_P_1BT (=NRRL B- 65662T and DSMZ 115932T), Paenibacillus vandeheii, F6_3S_P_1CT(=NRRL B-65663T and DSMZ 115940T), and Sporosarcina highlanderae F6_3S_P_2 T(=NRRL B-65664T and DSMZ 115943T). Identifying and characterizing the genomes and phenotypes of novel microbes found in space habitats, like those explored in this study, is integral for expanding our genomic databases of space-relevant microbes. This approach offers the only reliable method to determine species composition, track microbial dispersion, and anticipate potential threats to human health from monitoring microbes on the surfaces and equipment within space habitats. By unraveling these microbial mysteries, we take a crucial step towards ensuring the safety and success of future space missions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna C. Simpson
- Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - Pratyay Sengupta
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600 036, India
- Center for Integrative Biology and Systems mEdicine (IBSE), Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600 036, India
- Robert Bosch Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (RBCDSAI), Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600 036, India
| | - Flora Zhang
- Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - Asif Hameed
- Yenepoya Research Centre, Yenepoya Deemed to be University, Mangalore 575018, India
| | - Ceth W. Parker
- Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - Nitin K. Singh
- Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - Georgios Miliotis
- Antimicrobial Resistance and Microbial Ecology Group, School of Medicine, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Punchappady D. Rekha
- Yenepoya Research Centre, Yenepoya Deemed to be University, Mangalore 575018, India
| | - Karthik Raman
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600 036, India
- Center for Integrative Biology and Systems mEdicine (IBSE), Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600 036, India
- Robert Bosch Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (RBCDSAI), Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600 036, India
| | - Christopher E. Mason
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, and the WorldQuant Initiative for Quantitative Prediction, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Kasthuri Venkateswaran
- Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
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Simpson AC, Eedara VVR, Singh NK, Damle N, Parker CW, Karouia F, Mason CE, Venkateswaran K. Comparative genomic analysis of Cohnella hashimotonis sp. nov. isolated from the International Space Station. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1166013. [PMID: 37396358 PMCID: PMC10308117 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1166013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
A single strain from the family Paenibacillaceae was isolated from the wall behind the Waste Hygiene Compartment aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in April 2018, as part of the Microbial Tracking mission series. This strain was identified as a gram-positive, rod-shaped, oxidase-positive, catalase-negative motile bacterium in the genus Cohnella, designated as F6_2S_P_1T. The 16S sequence of the F6_2S_P_1T strain places it in a clade with C. rhizosphaerae and C. ginsengisoli, which were originally isolated from plant tissue or rhizosphere environments. The closest 16S and gyrB matches to strain F6_2S_P_1T are to C. rhizosphaerae with 98.84 and 93.99% sequence similarity, while a core single-copy gene phylogeny from all publicly available Cohnella genomes places it as more closely related to C. ginsengisoli. Average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values to any described Cohnella species are <89 and <22%, respectively. The major fatty acids for strain F6_2S_P_1T are anteiso-C15:0 (51.7%), iso-C16:0 (23.1%), and iso-C15:0 (10.5%), and it is able to metabolize a wide range of carbon compounds. Given the results of the ANI and dDDH analyses, this ISS strain is a novel species within the genus Cohnella for which we propose the name Cohnella hashimotonis, with the type strain F6_2S_P_1T (=NRRL B-65657T and DSMZ 115098T). Because no closely related Cohnella genomes were available, this study generated the whole-genome sequences (WGSs) of the type strains for C. rhizosphaerae and C. ginsengisoli. Phylogenetic and pangenomic analysis reveals that F6_2S_P_1T, C. rhizosphaerae, and C. ginsengisoli, along with two uncharacterized Cohnella strains, possess a shared set of 332 gene clusters which are not shared with any other WGS of Cohnella species, and form a distinct clade branching off from C. nanjingensis. Functional traits were predicted for the genomes of strain F6_2S_P_1T and other members of this clade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna C. Simpson
- California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - V. V. Ramprasad Eedara
- Department of Plant Science, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
| | - Nitin K. Singh
- California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - Namita Damle
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, and the WorldQuant Initiative for Quantitative Prediction, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Ceth W. Parker
- California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | | | - Christopher E. Mason
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, and the WorldQuant Initiative for Quantitative Prediction, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Kasthuri Venkateswaran
- California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, United States
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Tierney BT, Singh NK, Simpson AC, Hujer AM, Bonomo RA, Mason CE, Venkateswaran K. Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter pittii is adapting to and exhibiting potential succession aboard the International Space Station. MICROBIOME 2022; 10:210. [PMID: 36503581 PMCID: PMC9743659 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-022-01358-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Monitoring the adaptation of microorganisms to the extreme environment of the International Space Station (ISS) is crucial to understanding microbial evolution and infection prevention. Acinetobacter pittii is an opportunistic nosocomial pathogen, primarily impacting immunocompromised patients, that was recently isolated from two missions aboard the ISS. RESULTS Here, we report how ISS-associated A. pittii (n = 20 genomes) has formed its own genetically and functionally discrete clade distinct from most Earth-bound isolates (n = 291 genomes). The antimicrobial susceptibility testing of ISS strains and two related clinical isolates demonstrated that ISS strains acquired more resistance, specifically with regard to expanded-spectrum cephalosporins, despite no prediction of increased resistance based on genomic analysis of resistance genes. By investigating 402 longitudinal environmental and host-associated ISS metagenomes, we observed that viable A. pittii is increasing in relative abundance and therefore potentially exhibiting succession, being identified in >2X more metagenomic samples in back-to-back missions. ISS strains additionally contain functions that enable them to survive in harsh environments, including the transcriptional regulator LexA. Via a genome-wide association study, we identified a high level of mutational burden in methionine sulfoxide reductase genes relative to the most closely related Earth strains. CONCLUSIONS Overall, these results indicated a step forward in understanding how microorganisms might evolve and alter their antibiotic resistance phenotype in extreme, resource-limited, human-built environments. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Braden T Tierney
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Nitin K Singh
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91109, USA
| | - Anna C Simpson
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91109, USA
| | - Andrea M Hujer
- Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Robert A Bonomo
- Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
- Departments of Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Molecular Biology and Microbiology, and Proteomics and Bioinformatics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
- CWRU-Cleveland VAMC Center for Antimicrobial Resistance and Epidemiology (Case VA CARES), Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Christopher E Mason
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
| | - Kasthuri Venkateswaran
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91109, USA.
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Urbaniak C, Morrison MD, Thissen JB, Karouia F, Smith DJ, Mehta S, Jaing C, Venkateswaran K. Microbial Tracking-2, a metagenomics analysis of bacteria and fungi onboard the International Space Station. MICROBIOME 2022; 10:100. [PMID: 35765106 PMCID: PMC9241228 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-022-01293-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The International Space Station (ISS) is a unique and complex built environment with the ISS surface microbiome originating from crew and cargo or from life support recirculation in an almost entirely closed system. The Microbial Tracking 1 (MT-1) project was the first ISS environmental surface study to report on the metagenome profiles without using whole-genome amplification. The study surveyed the microbial communities from eight surfaces over a 14-month period. The Microbial Tracking 2 (MT-2) project aimed to continue the work of MT-1, sampling an additional four flights from the same locations, over another 14 months. METHODS Eight surfaces across the ISS were sampled with sterile wipes and processed upon return to Earth. DNA extracted from the processed samples (and controls) were treated with propidium monoazide (PMA) to detect intact/viable cells or left untreated and to detect the total DNA population (free DNA/compromised cells/intact cells/viable cells). DNA extracted from PMA-treated and untreated samples were analyzed using shotgun metagenomics. Samples were cultured for bacteria and fungi to supplement the above results. RESULTS Staphylococcus sp. and Malassezia sp. were the most represented bacterial and fungal species, respectively, on the ISS. Overall, the ISS surface microbiome was dominated by organisms associated with the human skin. Multi-dimensional scaling and differential abundance analysis showed significant temporal changes in the microbial population but no spatial differences. The ISS antimicrobial resistance gene profiles were however more stable over time, with no differences over the 5-year span of the MT-1 and MT-2 studies. Twenty-nine antimicrobial resistance genes were detected across all samples, with macrolide/lincosamide/streptogramin resistance being the most widespread. Metagenomic assembled genomes were reconstructed from the dataset, resulting in 82 MAGs. Functional assessment of the collective MAGs showed a propensity for amino acid utilization over carbohydrate metabolism. Co-occurrence analyses showed strong associations between bacterial and fungal genera. Culture analysis showed the microbial load to be on average 3.0 × 105 cfu/m2 CONCLUSIONS: Utilizing various metagenomics analyses and culture methods, we provided a comprehensive analysis of the ISS surface microbiome, showing microbial burden, bacterial and fungal species prevalence, changes in the microbiome, and resistome over time and space, as well as the functional capabilities and microbial interactions of this unique built microbiome. Data from this study may help to inform policies for future space missions to ensure an ISS surface microbiome that promotes astronaut health and spacecraft integrity. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Urbaniak
- Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91109, USA
| | - Michael D Morrison
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA
| | - James B Thissen
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA
| | - Fathi Karouia
- KBRwyle, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Mountain View, CA, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Exobiology Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, 94035, USA
| | - David J Smith
- Space Biosciences Research Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Mountain View, CA, USA
| | - Satish Mehta
- JesTech, NASA-Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Crystal Jaing
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA
| | - Kasthuri Venkateswaran
- Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91109, USA.
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Singh NK, Lavire C, Nesme J, Vial L, Nesme X, Mason CE, Lassalle F, Venkateswaran K. Comparative Genomics of Novel Agrobacterium G3 Strains Isolated From the International Space Station and Description of Agrobacterium tomkonis sp. nov. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:765943. [PMID: 34938279 PMCID: PMC8685578 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.765943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Strains of Agrobacterium genomospecies 3 (i.e., genomovar G3 of the Agrobacterium tumefaciens species complex) have been previously isolated from diverse environments, including in association with plant roots, with algae, as part of a lignocellulose degrading community, from a hospital environment, as a human opportunistic pathogen, or as reported in this study, from a surface within the International Space Station. Polyphasic taxonomic methods revealed the relationship of Agrobacterium G3 strains to other Agrobacterium spp., which supports the description of a novel species. The G3 strains tested (n = 9) were phenotypically distinguishable among the strains from other genomospecies of the genus Agrobacterium. Phylogenetic analyses of the 16S rRNA gene, gyrB gene, multi-locus sequence analysis, and 1,089-gene core-genome gene concatenate concur that tested G3 strains belong to the Agrobacterium genus and they form a clade distinct from other validly described Agrobacterium species. The distinctiveness of this clade was confirmed by average nucleotide identity (ANI) and in silico digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) comparisons between the G3 tested strains and all known Agrobacterium species type strains, since obtained values were considerably below the 95% (ANI) and 70% (dDDH) thresholds used for the species delineation. According to the core-genome phylogeny and ANI comparisons, the closest relatives of G3 strains were Agrobacterium sp. strains UGM030330-04 and K599, members of a novel genomospecies we propose to call genomovar G21. Using this polyphasic approach, we characterized the phenotypic and genotypic synapomorphies of Agrobacterium G3, showing it is a bona fide bacterial species, well separated from previously named Agrobacterium species or other recognized genomic species. We thus propose the name Agrobacterium tomkonis for this species previously referred to as Agrobacterium genomospecies 3. The type strain of A. tomkonis is IIF1SW-B1T (= LMG 32164 = NRRL B-65602). Comparative genomic analysis show A. tomkonis strains have species-specific genes associated with secretion of secondary metabolites, including an exopolysaccharide and putative adhesins and resistance to copper. A. tomkonis specific gene functions notably relate to surface adhesion and could be involved to colonize nutrient-poor and harsh habitats. The A. tomkonis strains from the ISS showed presence of a 40-kbp plasmid and several other potential mobile genetic elements detected that could also be part of conjugative elements or integrated prophages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitin K. Singh
- Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - Céline Lavire
- CNRS, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR Ecologie Microbienne, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Joseph Nesme
- Section of Microbiology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ludovic Vial
- CNRS, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR Ecologie Microbienne, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Xavier Nesme
- CNRS, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR Ecologie Microbienne, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Christopher E. Mason
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Florent Lassalle
- Parasites and Microbes Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Kasthuri Venkateswaran
- Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
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