1
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Bueno de Mesquita CP, Hartman WH, Ardón M, Tringe SG. Disentangling the effects of sulfate and other seawater ions on microbial communities and greenhouse gas emissions in a coastal forested wetland. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 4:ycae040. [PMID: 38628812 PMCID: PMC11020224 DOI: 10.1093/ismeco/ycae040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Seawater intrusion into freshwater wetlands causes changes in microbial communities and biogeochemistry, but the exact mechanisms driving these changes remain unclear. Here we use a manipulative laboratory microcosm experiment, combined with DNA sequencing and biogeochemical measurements, to tease apart the effects of sulfate from other seawater ions. We examined changes in microbial taxonomy and function as well as emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide in response to changes in ion concentrations. Greenhouse gas emissions and microbial richness and composition were altered by artificial seawater regardless of whether sulfate was present, whereas sulfate alone did not alter emissions or communities. Surprisingly, addition of sulfate alone did not lead to increases in the abundance of sulfate reducing bacteria or sulfur cycling genes. Similarly, genes involved in carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling responded more strongly to artificial seawater than to sulfate. These results suggest that other ions present in seawater, not sulfate, drive ecological and biogeochemical responses to seawater intrusion and may be drivers of increased methane emissions in soils that received artificial seawater addition. A better understanding of how the different components of salt water alter microbial community composition and function is necessary to forecast the consequences of coastal wetland salinization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clifton P Bueno de Mesquita
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
| | - Wyatt H Hartman
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
| | - Marcelo Ardón
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States
| | - Susannah G Tringe
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
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2
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Fairén AG, Rodríguez N, Sánchez-García L, Rojas P, Uceda ER, Carrizo D, Amils R, Sanz JL. Ecological successions throughout the desiccation of Tirez lagoon (Spain) as an astrobiological time-analog for wet-to-dry transitions on Mars. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1423. [PMID: 36755119 PMCID: PMC9908944 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28327-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Tirez was a small and seasonal endorheic athalassohaline lagoon that was located in central Spain. In recent years, the lagoon has totally dried out, offering for the first time the opportunity to analyze its desiccation process as a "time-analog" to similar events occurred in paleolakes with varying salinity during the wet-to-dry transition on early Mars. On the martian cratered highlands, an early period of water ponding within enclosed basins evolved to a complete desiccation of the lakes, leading to deposition of evaporitic sequences during the Noachian and into the Late Hesperian. As Tirez also underwent a process of desiccation, here we describe (i) the microbial ecology of Tirez when the lagoon was still active 20 years ago, with prokaryotes adapted to extreme saline conditions; (ii) the composition of the microbial community in the dried lake sediments today, in many case groups that thrive in sediments of extreme environments; and (iii) the molecular and isotopic analysis of the lipid biomarkers that can be recovered from the sediments today. We discuss the implications of these results to better understanding the ecology of possible Martian microbial communities during the wet-to-dry transition at the end of the Hesperian, and how they may inform about research strategies to search for possible biomarkers in Mars after all the water was lost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto G Fairén
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), 28850, Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain. .,Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
| | - Nuria Rodríguez
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), 28850, Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain.,Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Patricia Rojas
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Esther R Uceda
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel Carrizo
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), 28850, Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain
| | - Ricardo Amils
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), 28850, Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain.,Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain.,Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - José L Sanz
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
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3
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Bourhane Z, Cagnon C, Castañeda C, Rodríguez-Ochoa R, Álvaro-Fuentes J, Cravo-Laureau C, Duran R. Vertical organization of microbial communities in Salineta hypersaline wetland, Spain. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:869907. [PMID: 36778872 PMCID: PMC9911865 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.869907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial communities inhabiting hypersaline wetlands, well adapted to the environmental fluctuations due to flooding and desiccation events, play a key role in the biogeochemical cycles, ensuring ecosystem service. To better understand the ecosystem functioning, we studied soil microbial communities of Salineta wetland (NE Spain) in dry and wet seasons in three different landscape stations representing situations characteristic of ephemeral saline lakes: S1 soil usually submerged, S2 soil intermittently flooded, and S3 soil with halophytes. Microbial community composition was determined according to different redox layers by 16S rRNA gene barcoding. We observed reversed redox gradient, negative at the surface and positive in depth, which was identified by PERMANOVA as the main factor explaining microbial distribution. The Pseudomonadota, Gemmatimonadota, Bacteroidota, Desulfobacterota, and Halobacteriota phyla were dominant in all stations. Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) revealed that the upper soil surface layer was characterized by the predominance of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) affiliated to strictly or facultative anaerobic halophilic bacteria and archaea while the subsurface soil layer was dominated by an OTU affiliated to Roseibaca, an aerobic alkali-tolerant bacterium. In addition, the potential functional capabilities, inferred by PICRUSt2 analysis, involved in carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycles were similar in all samples, irrespective of the redox stratification, suggesting functional redundancy. Our findings show microbial community changes according to water flooding conditions, which represent useful information for biomonitoring and management of these wetlands whose extreme aridity and salinity conditions are exposed to irreversible changes due to human activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeina Bourhane
- Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM, Pau, France
| | - Christine Cagnon
- Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM, Pau, France
| | | | - Rafael Rodríguez-Ochoa
- Departamento de Medio Ambiente y Ciencias del Suelo, Universidad de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
| | | | | | - Robert Duran
- Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM, Pau, France
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4
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Santini TC, Gramenz L, Southam G, Zammit C. Microbial Community Structure Is Most Strongly Associated With Geographical Distance and pH in Salt Lake Sediments. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:920056. [PMID: 35756015 PMCID: PMC9221066 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.920056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Salt lakes are globally significant microbial habitats, hosting substantial novel microbial diversity and functional capacity. Extremes of salinity and pH both pose major challenges for survival of microbial life in terrestrial and aquatic environments, and are frequently cited as primary influences on microbial diversity across a wide variety of environments. However, few studies have attempted to identify spatial and geochemical contributions to microbial community composition, functional capacity, and environmental tolerances in salt lakes, limiting exploration of novel halophilic and halotolerant microbial species and their potential biotechnological applications. Here, we collected sediment samples from 16 salt lakes at pH values that ranged from pH 4 to 9, distributed across 48,000 km2 of the Archaean Yilgarn Craton in southwestern Australia to identify associations between environmental factors and microbial community composition, and used a high throughput culturing approach to identify the limits of salt and pH tolerance during iron and sulfur oxidation in these microbial communities. Geographical distance between lakes was the primary contributor to variation in microbial community composition, with pH identified as the most important geochemical contributor to variation in microbial community composition. Microbial community composition split into two clear groups by pH: Bacillota dominated microbial communities in acidic saline lakes, whereas Euryarchaeota dominated microbial communities in alkaline saline lakes. Iron oxidation was observed at salinities up to 160 g L-1 NaCl at pH values as low as pH 1.5, and sulfur oxidation was observed at salinities up to 160 g L-1 NaCl between pH values 2-10, more than doubling previously observed tolerances to NaCl salinity amongst cultivable iron and sulfur oxidizers at these extreme pH values. OTU level diversity in the salt lake microbial communities emerged as the major indicator of iron- and sulfur-oxidizing capacity and environmental tolerances to extremes of pH and salinity. Overall, when bioprospecting for novel microbial functional capacity and environmental tolerances, our study supports sampling from remote, previously unexplored, and maximally distant locations, and prioritizing for OTU level diversity rather than present geochemical conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talitha C. Santini
- UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Lucy Gramenz
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Gordon Southam
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Carla Zammit
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
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5
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Preston LJ, Barcenilla R, Dartnell LR, Kucukkilic-Stephens E, Olsson-Francis K. Infrared Spectroscopic Detection of Biosignatures at Lake Tírez, Spain: Implications for Mars. ASTROBIOLOGY 2020; 20:15-25. [PMID: 31592682 PMCID: PMC6987737 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2019.2106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The detection of potential biosignatures with mineral matrices is part of a multifaceted approach in the search for life on other planetary bodies. The 2020 ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover includes within its payload three IR spectrometers in the form of ISEM (Infrared Spectrometer for ExoMars), MicrOmega, and Ma-MISS (Mars Multispectral Imager for Subsurface Studies). The use of this technique in the detection and characterization of biosignatures is of great value. Organic materials are often co-deposited in terrestrial evaporites and as such have been proposed as relevant analogs in the search for life on Mars. This study focuses on Ca-sulfates collected from the hypersaline Tírez Lake in Spain. Mid infrared and visible near infrared analysis of soils, salt crusts, and crystals with green and red layering indicative of microbial colonization of the samples was acquired from across the lake and identified the main mineral to be gypsum with inputs of carbonate and silica. Organic functional groups that could be attributed to amides and carboxylic acids were identified as well as chlorophyll; however, due to the strong mineralogical absorptions observed, these were hard to unambiguously discern. Taxonomical assignment demonstrated that the archaeal community within the samples was dominated by the halophilic extremophile Halobacteriaceae while the bacterial community was dominated by the class Nocardiaceae. The results of this research highlight that sulfates on Mars are a mixed blessing, acting as an effective host for organic matter preservation but also a material that masks the presence of organic functional groups when analyzed with spectroscopic tools similar to those due to fly on the 2020 ExoMars rover. A suite of complementary analytical techniques therefore should be used to support the spectral identification of any candidate extraterrestrial biosignatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louisa J. Preston
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, UK
| | - Rebeca Barcenilla
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, UK
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, London, UK
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6
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Crisler JD, Chen F, Clark BC, Schneegurt MA. Cultivation and characterization of the bacterial assemblage of epsomic Basque Lake, BC. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 2019; 112:1105-1119. [PMID: 30737709 PMCID: PMC6548648 DOI: 10.1007/s10482-019-01244-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Athalassohaline waters that are rich in divalent ions are good analogues for the chemical environments of Mars and the ocean worlds. Sulfate salts, along with chlorides, are important in Mars regolith with Ca, Fe, Mg, and Na counterions. Certain lakes in the Pacific Northwest are saturated with MgSO4 as epsomite. Here we report on the microbial community of Basque Lake, BC, a group of playas that is saturated with MgSO4. More than 60 bacterial isolates were obtained from Basque Lake soils by enrichment culture and repetitive streak-plating using media containing 10% (~ 1.7 M) NaCl or 50% (~ 2 M) MgSO4. Most of the isolates (~ 75%) were Gram-positive, motile, and produced endospores. Isolates related to Marinococcus halophilus and Virgibacillus marismortui dominated the collection. Halomonas and Salinivibrio were Gram-negative genera found at Basque Lake. Nearly all of the Basque Lake isolates grew at 50% MgSO4, with 65% growing at 60% MgSO4. Several isolates could grow in saturated (67%) MgSO4 (aw = 0.90). All of the isolates grew at 10% NaCl with 70% growing at 20% salinity (~ 3.5 M NaCl; aw = 0.82). Basque Lake isolates grew better at basic pH than acidic pH, with 80% growing at pH 9 and 30% growing at pH 10. Only 20% of the isolates grew at pH 5. Numerical taxonomy dendrograms based on 44 phenetic characteristics showed a strong correspondence to phylogenetic trees constructed from 16S rRNA gene sequences. Pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene sequences from direct DNA extracts of Basque Lake soils recovered predominantly Proteobacteria (60%), Firmicutes (11%), and unclassified bacteria (27%). Microbes capable of growth under the extreme chemical conditions of Mars are a particular concern for forward planetary protection should they contaminate a spacecraft.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D Crisler
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wichita State University, 26, 1845 Fairmount, Wichita, KS, 67260, USA
| | - Fei Chen
- Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | | | - Mark A Schneegurt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wichita State University, 26, 1845 Fairmount, Wichita, KS, 67260, USA.
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7
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Martin‐Cuadrado A, Senel E, Martínez‐García M, Cifuentes A, Santos F, Almansa C, Moreno‐Paz M, Blanco Y, García‐Villadangos M, Cura MÁG, Sanz‐Montero ME, Rodríguez‐Aranda JP, Rosselló‐Móra R, Antón J, Parro V. Prokaryotic and viral community of the sulfate‐rich crust from Peñahueca ephemeral lake, an astrobiology analogue. Environ Microbiol 2019; 21:3577-3600. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ece Senel
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and MicrobiologyUniversity of Alicante Alicante Spain
- Department of BiologyGraduate School of Sciences, Eskisehir Technical University Yunusemre Campus, Eskisehir 26470 Turkey
| | - Manuel Martínez‐García
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and MicrobiologyUniversity of Alicante Alicante Spain
| | - Ana Cifuentes
- Department of Ecology and Marine Resources, Marine Microbiology GroupMediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, CSIC‐UIB) Esporles Spain
| | - Fernando Santos
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and MicrobiologyUniversity of Alicante Alicante Spain
| | - Cristina Almansa
- Research Technical Services (SSTTI), Microscopy UnitUniversity of Alicante Alicante Spain
| | - Mercedes Moreno‐Paz
- Department of Molecular EvolutionCentro de Astrobiología (INTA‐CSIC) Madrid Spain
| | - Yolanda Blanco
- Department of Molecular EvolutionCentro de Astrobiología (INTA‐CSIC) Madrid Spain
| | | | | | | | | | - Ramon Rosselló‐Móra
- Department of BiologyGraduate School of Sciences, Eskisehir Technical University Yunusemre Campus, Eskisehir 26470 Turkey
| | - Josefa Antón
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and MicrobiologyUniversity of Alicante Alicante Spain
| | - Víctor Parro
- Department of Molecular EvolutionCentro de Astrobiología (INTA‐CSIC) Madrid Spain
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8
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Salgaonkar BB, Sawant DT, Harinarayanan S, Bragança JM. Alpha-amylase Production by Extremely Halophilic ArchaeonHalococcusStrain GUVSC8. STARCH-STARKE 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/star.201800018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bhakti B. Salgaonkar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani; K K Birla, Goa Campus; NH-17B Zuarinagar 403 726 Goa India
- Department of Microbiology, Goa University; Taleigao Plateau; 403 206 Goa India
| | - Divya T. Sawant
- Department of Microbiology, Goa University; Taleigao Plateau; 403 206 Goa India
| | - Saranya Harinarayanan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani; K K Birla, Goa Campus; NH-17B Zuarinagar 403 726 Goa India
| | - Judith M. Bragança
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani; K K Birla, Goa Campus; NH-17B Zuarinagar 403 726 Goa India
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9
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Genderjahn S, Alawi M, Mangelsdorf K, Horn F, Wagner D. Desiccation- and Saline-Tolerant Bacteria and Archaea in Kalahari Pan Sediments. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2082. [PMID: 30294305 PMCID: PMC6158459 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
More than 41% of the Earth's land area is covered by permanent or seasonally arid dryland ecosystems. Global development and human activity have led to an increase in aridity, resulting in ecosystem degradation and desertification around the world. The objective of the present work was to investigate and compare the microbial community structure and geochemical characteristics of two geographically distinct saline pan sediments in the Kalahari Desert of southern Africa. Our data suggest that these microbial communities have been shaped by geochemical drivers, including water content, salinity, and the supply of organic matter. Using Illumina 16S rRNA gene sequencing, this study provides new insights into the diversity of bacteria and archaea in semi-arid, saline, and low-carbon environments. Many of the observed taxa are halophilic and adapted to water-limiting conditions. The analysis reveals a high relative abundance of halophilic archaea (primarily Halobacteria), and the bacterial diversity is marked by an abundance of Gemmatimonadetes and spore-forming Firmicutes. In the deeper, anoxic layers, candidate division MSBL1, and acetogenic bacteria (Acetothermia) are abundant. Together, the taxonomic information and geochemical data suggest that acetogenesis could be a prevalent form of metabolism in the deep layers of a saline pan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffi Genderjahn
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, Section 5.3 Geomicrobiology, Potsdam, Germany.,GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, Section 3.2 Organic Geochemistry, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Mashal Alawi
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, Section 5.3 Geomicrobiology, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Kai Mangelsdorf
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, Section 3.2 Organic Geochemistry, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Fabian Horn
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, Section 5.3 Geomicrobiology, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Dirk Wagner
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, Section 5.3 Geomicrobiology, Potsdam, Germany.,Institute of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
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10
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Price A, Pearson VK, Schwenzer SP, Miot J, Olsson-Francis K. Nitrate-Dependent Iron Oxidation: A Potential Mars Metabolism. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:513. [PMID: 29616015 PMCID: PMC5869265 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This work considers the hypothetical viability of microbial nitrate-dependent Fe2+ oxidation (NDFO) for supporting simple life in the context of the early Mars environment. This draws on knowledge built up over several decades of remote and in situ observation, as well as recent discoveries that have shaped current understanding of early Mars. Our current understanding is that certain early martian environments fulfill several of the key requirements for microbes with NDFO metabolism. First, abundant Fe2+ has been identified on Mars and provides evidence of an accessible electron donor; evidence of anoxia suggests that abiotic Fe2+ oxidation by molecular oxygen would not have interfered and competed with microbial iron metabolism in these environments. Second, nitrate, which can be used by some iron oxidizing microorganisms as an electron acceptor, has also been confirmed in modern aeolian and ancient sediment deposits on Mars. In addition to redox substrates, reservoirs of both organic and inorganic carbon are available for biosynthesis, and geochemical evidence suggests that lacustrine systems during the hydrologically active Noachian period (4.1-3.7 Ga) match the circumneutral pH requirements of nitrate-dependent iron-oxidizing microorganisms. As well as potentially acting as a primary producer in early martian lakes and fluvial systems, the light-independent nature of NDFO suggests that such microbes could have persisted in sub-surface aquifers long after the desiccation of the surface, provided that adequate carbon and nitrates sources were prevalent. Traces of NDFO microorganisms may be preserved in the rock record by biomineralization and cellular encrustation in zones of high Fe2+ concentrations. These processes could produce morphological biosignatures, preserve distinctive Fe-isotope variation patterns, and enhance preservation of biological organic compounds. Such biosignatures could be detectable by future missions to Mars with appropriate instrumentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Price
- Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria K. Pearson
- Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Susanne P. Schwenzer
- Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Jennyfer Miot
- CNRS, Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Université Pierre et Marie Curie – Sorbonne Universités, UMR 7590, Paris, France
| | - Karen Olsson-Francis
- Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
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11
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Mora-Ruiz MDR, Cifuentes A, Font-Verdera F, Pérez-Fernández C, Farias ME, González B, Orfila A, Rosselló-Móra R. Biogeographical patterns of bacterial and archaeal communities from distant hypersaline environments. Syst Appl Microbiol 2017; 41:139-150. [PMID: 29352612 DOI: 10.1016/j.syapm.2017.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Revised: 10/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Microorganisms are globally distributed but new evidence shows that the microbial structure of their communities can vary due to geographical location and environmental parameters. In this study, 50 samples including brines and sediments from Europe, Spanish-Atlantic and South America were analysed by applying the operational phylogenetic unit (OPU) approach in order to understand whether microbial community structures in hypersaline environments exhibited biogeographical patterns. The fine-tuned identification of approximately 1000 OPUs (almost equivalent to "species") using multivariate analysis revealed regionally distinct taxa compositions. This segregation was more diffuse at the genus level and pointed to a phylogenetic and metabolic redundancy at the higher taxa level, where their different species acquired distinct advantages related to the regional physicochemical idiosyncrasies. The presence of previously undescribed groups was also shown in these environments, such as Parcubacteria, or members of Nanohaloarchaeota in anaerobic hypersaline sediments. Finally, an important OPU overlap was observed between anoxic sediments and their overlaying brines, indicating versatile metabolism for the pelagic organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Del R Mora-Ruiz
- Department of Ecology and Marine Resources, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, UIB-CSIC), Spain.
| | - A Cifuentes
- Department of Ecology and Marine Resources, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, UIB-CSIC), Spain
| | - F Font-Verdera
- Department of Ecology and Marine Resources, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, UIB-CSIC), Spain
| | - C Pérez-Fernández
- Environmental Microbiology Laboratory, Puerto Rico University, Rio Piedras campus, Puerto Rico
| | - M E Farias
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT, CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - B González
- Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez - Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability, Santiago, Chile
| | - A Orfila
- Marine Technology and Operational Oceanography Department, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain
| | - R Rosselló-Móra
- Department of Ecology and Marine Resources, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, UIB-CSIC), Spain
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12
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Methane Emissions in Spanish Saline Lakes: Current Rates, Temperature and Salinity Responses, and Evolution under Different Climate Change Scenarios. WATER 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/w9090659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Wetlands are among the most biologically active ecosystems on Earth, playing an important role in the global carbon cycle. Methane production in wetlands, resulting from anaerobic respiration of organic matter, accounts for an important part of natural sources of methane. In this work, we have evaluated the methane release rates of saline shallow lakes located in Central Spain, some of which maintain natural conditions, whereas others are hydrologically altered, with lowered salinity, or even presenting trophic alterations. We used sediment core plus water incubations to determine the release of methane from the studied lakes to the atmosphere, integrating both diffusion and ebullition processes, as well as the effects of temperature and salinity on methane production. The studied hypersaline lakes released methane at rates within the lowest range reported for temperate lakes and wetlands, whereas in hydrologically altered lakes that have dropped their salinity these rates were markedly higher. Models built with the specific response of methane release rates to temperature regarding the temperature changes expected according to the RCP climate scenarios predicted significant increases of these rates for the future, which could almost double current methane release for some of the studied lakes under the most pessimistic mitigation scenario (RCP8.5).
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Leboulanger C, Agogué H, Bernard C, Bouvy M, Carré C, Cellamare M, Duval C, Fouilland E, Got P, Intertaglia L, Lavergne C, Le Floc’h E, Roques C, Sarazin G. Microbial Diversity and Cyanobacterial Production in Dziani Dzaha Crater Lake, a Unique Tropical Thalassohaline Environment. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0168879. [PMID: 28045976 PMCID: PMC5207672 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
This study describes, for the first time, the water chemistry and microbial diversity in Dziani Dzaha, a tropical crater lake located on Mayotte Island (Comoros archipelago, Western Indian Ocean). The lake water had a high level of dissolved matter and high alkalinity (10.6-14.5 g L-1 eq. CO32-, i.e. 160-220 mM compare to around 2-2.5 in seawater), with salinity up to 52 psu, 1.5 higher than seawater. Hierarchical clustering discriminated Dziani Dzaha water from other alkaline, saline lakes, highlighting its thalassohaline nature. The phytoplankton biomass was very high, with a total chlorophyll a concentration of 524 to 875 μg chl a L-1 depending on the survey, homogeneously distributed from surface to bottom (4 m). Throughout the whole water column the photosynthetic biomass was dominated (>97% of total biovolume) by the filamentous cyanobacteria Arthrospira sp. with a straight morphotype. In situ daily photosynthetic oxygen production ranged from 17.3 to 22.2 g O2 m-2 d-1, consistent with experimental production / irradiance measurements and modeling. Heterotrophic bacterioplankton was extremely abundant, with cell densities up to 1.5 108 cells mL-1 in the whole water column. Isolation and culture of 59 Eubacteria strains revealed the prevalence of alkaliphilic and halophilic organisms together with taxa unknown to date, based on 16S rRNA gene analysis. A single cloning-sequencing approach using archaeal 16S rDNA gene primers unveiled the presence of diverse extremophilic Euryarchaeota. The water chemistry of Dziani Dzaha Lake supports the hypothesis that it was derived from seawater and strongly modified by geological conditions and microbial activities that increased the alkalinity. Dziani Dzaha has a unique consortium of cyanobacteria, phytoplankton, heterotrophic Eubacteria and Archaea, with very few unicellular protozoa, that will deserve further deep analysis to unravel its uncommon diversity. A single taxon, belonging to the genus Arthrospira, was found responsible for almost all photosynthetic primary production.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hélène Agogué
- UMR LIENSs, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, La Rochelle, France
| | - Cécile Bernard
- UMR MCAM, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Marc Bouvy
- UMR MARBEC, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Sète-Montpellier, France
| | - Claire Carré
- UMR MARBEC, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Sète-Montpellier, France
| | - Maria Cellamare
- UMR MCAM, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Charlotte Duval
- UMR MCAM, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Eric Fouilland
- UMR MARBEC, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sète-Montpellier, France
| | - Patrice Got
- UMR MARBEC, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sète-Montpellier, France
| | - Laurent Intertaglia
- Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls-sur-Mer, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | - Céline Lavergne
- UMR LIENSs, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, La Rochelle, France
| | - Emilie Le Floc’h
- UMR MARBEC, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sète-Montpellier, France
| | - Cécile Roques
- UMR MARBEC, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sète-Montpellier, France
| | - Gérard Sarazin
- UMR7154 Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France
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Draft Genome Sequence of a
Halorubrum
H3 Strain Isolated from the Burlinskoye Salt Lake (Altai Krai, Russia). GENOME ANNOUNCEMENTS 2015; 3:3/3/e00566-15. [PMID: 26044423 PMCID: PMC4457060 DOI: 10.1128/genomea.00566-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
A Halorubrum H3 strain was isolated from a water and silt sample from Burlinskoye Lake (Altai Krai, Russia, 53°8′19″N 78°24′27″E). According to 16S rRNA sequences, this strain is most closely related to Halorubrum saccharovorum. The completely sequenced and annotated genome is 3,282,373 bp and contains 3,237 genes.
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Microbial Diversity in Engineered Haloalkaline Environments Shaped by Shared Geochemical Drivers Observed in Natural Analogues. Appl Environ Microbiol 2015; 81:5026-36. [PMID: 25979895 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01238-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2015] [Accepted: 05/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial communities in engineered terrestrial haloalkaline environments have been poorly characterized relative to their natural counterparts and are geologically recent in formation, offering opportunities to explore microbial diversity and assembly in dynamic, geochemically comparable contexts. In this study, the microbial community structure and geochemical characteristics of three geographically dispersed bauxite residue environments along a remediation gradient were assessed and subsequently compared with other engineered and natural haloalkaline systems. In bauxite residues, bacterial communities were similar at the phylum level (dominated by Proteobacteria and Firmicutes) to those found in soda lakes, oil sands tailings, and nuclear wastes; however, they differed at lower taxonomic levels, with only 23% of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) shared with other haloalkaline environments. Although being less diverse than natural analogues, bauxite residue harbored substantial novel bacterial taxa, with 90% of OTUs nonmatchable to cultured representative sequences. Fungal communities were dominated by Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, consistent with previous studies of hypersaline environments, and also harbored substantial novel (73% of OTUs) taxa. In bauxite residues, community structure was clearly linked to geochemical and physical environmental parameters, with 84% of variation in bacterial and 73% of variation in fungal community structures explained by environmental parameters. The major driver of bacterial community structure (salinity) was consistent across natural and engineered environments; however, drivers differed for fungal community structure between natural (pH) and engineered (total alkalinity) environments. This study demonstrates that both engineered and natural terrestrial haloalkaline environments host substantial repositories of microbial diversity, which are strongly shaped by geochemical drivers.
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