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Wang XW, Tan X, Dang CC, Lu Y, Xie GJ, Liu BF. Thermophilic microorganisms involved in the nitrogen cycle in thermal environments: Advances and prospects. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 896:165259. [PMID: 37400035 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Thermophilic microorganisms mediated significant element cycles and material conversion in the early Earth as well as mediating current thermal environments. Over the past few years, versatile microbial communities that drive the nitrogen cycle have been identified in thermal environments. Understanding the microbial-mediated nitrogen cycling processes in these thermal environments has important implications for the cultivation and application of thermal environment microorganisms as well as for exploring the global nitrogen cycle. This work provides a comprehensive review of different thermophilic nitrogen-cycling microorganisms and processes, which are described in detail according to several categories, including nitrogen fixation, nitrification, denitrification, anaerobic ammonium oxidation, and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium. In particular, we assess the environmental significance and potential applications of thermophilic nitrogen-cycling microorganisms, and highlight knowledge gaps and future research opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Wei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Xin Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Cheng-Cheng Dang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Yang Lu
- The Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Guo-Jun Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China.
| | - Bing-Feng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
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2
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Twing KI, Ward LM, Kane ZK, Sanders A, Price RE, Pendleton HL, Giovannelli D, Brazelton WJ, McGlynn SE. Microbial ecology of a shallow alkaline hydrothermal vent: Strýtan Hydrothermal Field, Eyjafördur, northern Iceland. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:960335. [PMID: 36466646 PMCID: PMC9713835 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.960335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Strýtan Hydrothermal Field (SHF) is a submarine system located in Eyjafördur in northern Iceland composed of two main vents: Big Strýtan and Arnarnesstrýtan. The vents are shallow, ranging from 16 to 70 m water depth, and vent high pH (up to 10.2), moderate temperature (T max ∼70°C), anoxic, fresh fluids elevated in dissolved silica, with slightly elevated concentrations of hydrogen and methane. In contrast to other alkaline hydrothermal vents, SHF is unique because it is hosted in basalt and therefore the high pH is not created by serpentinization. While previous studies have assessed the geology and geochemistry of this site, the microbial diversity of SHF has not been explored in detail. Here we present a microbial diversity survey of the actively venting fluids and chimneys from Big Strýtan and Arnarnesstrýtan, using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Community members from the vent fluids are mostly aerobic heterotrophic bacteria; however, within the chimneys oxic, low oxygen, and anoxic habitats could be distinguished, where taxa putatively capable of acetogenesis, sulfur-cycling, and hydrogen metabolism were observed. Very few archaea were observed in the samples. The inhabitants of SHF are more similar to terrestrial hot spring samples than other marine sites. It has been hypothesized that life on Earth (and elsewhere in the solar system) could have originated in an alkaline hydrothermal system, however all other studied alkaline submarine hydrothermal systems to date are fueled by serpentinization. SHF adds to our understandings of hydrothermal vents in relationship to microbial diversity, evolution, and possibly the origin of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina I. Twing
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Department of Microbiology, Weber State University, Ogden, UT, United States
| | - L. M. Ward
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Geosciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA, United States
| | - Zachary K. Kane
- Department of Microbiology, Weber State University, Ogden, UT, United States
| | - Alexa Sanders
- Department of Microbiology, Weber State University, Ogden, UT, United States
| | - Roy Edward Price
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - H. Lizethe Pendleton
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Donato Giovannelli
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy
| | - William J. Brazelton
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Shawn E. McGlynn
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
- Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, Saitama, Japan
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3
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Song ZQ, Wang L, Liang F, Zhou Q, Pei D, Jiang H, Li WJ. nifH gene expression and diversity in geothermal springs of Tengchong, China. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:980924. [PMID: 36160261 PMCID: PMC9493357 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.980924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Terrestrial hot springs have been suggested to harbor diverse diazotrophic lineages by using DNA-based nifH gene phylogenetic analysis. However, only a small amount of diazotrophs were ever confirmed to perform nitrogen fixation. In order to explore the compositions of active diazotrophic populations in hot springs, the in situ expression and diversity of nifH and 16S rRNA genes were investigated in the sediments of hot springs (pH 4.3-9.1; temperature 34-84°C) in Tengchong, China, by using high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that active diazotrophs were diverse in the studied Tengchong hot springs. The main active diazotrophs in high-temperature hot springs were affiliated with Aquificae, while those in low-temperature hot springs belonged to Cyanobacteria and Nitrospirae. Such dominance of Aquificae and Nitrospirae of diazotrophs has not been reported in other ecosystems. This suggests that hot springs may harbor unique active diazotrophs in comparison with other type of ecosystems. Furthermore, there were significant differences in the phylogenetic lineages of diazotrophs between hot springs of Tengchong and other regions, indicating that diazotrophs have geographical distribution patterns. Statistical analysis suggests that the expression and distribution of nifH gene were influenced by temperature and concentrations of ammonia and sulfur seem in Tengchong hot springs. These findings avail us to understand element cycling mediated by diazotrophs in hot spring ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao-Qi Song
- College of Biology and Food, Shangqiu Normal University, Shangqiu, China
| | - Li Wang
- College of Biology and Food, Shangqiu Normal University, Shangqiu, China
| | - Feng Liang
- College of Biology and Food, Shangqiu Normal University, Shangqiu, China
| | - Qingfeng Zhou
- College of Biology and Food, Shangqiu Normal University, Shangqiu, China
| | - Dongli Pei
- College of Biology and Food, Shangqiu Normal University, Shangqiu, China
| | - Hongchen Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Wen-Jun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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4
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Pi HW, Lin JJ, Chen CA, Wang PH, Chiang YR, Huang CC, Young CC, Li WH. Origin and evolution of nitrogen fixation in prokaryotes. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6673025. [PMID: 35993177 PMCID: PMC9447857 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The origin of nitrogen fixation is an important issue in evolutionary biology. While nitrogen is required by all living organisms, only a small fraction of bacteria and archaea can fix nitrogen. The prevailing view is that nitrogen fixation first evolved in archaea and was later transferred to bacteria. However, nitrogen-fixing (Nif) bacteria are far larger in number and far more diverse in ecological niches than Nif archaea. We, therefore, propose the bacteria-first hypothesis, which postulates that nitrogen fixation first evolved in bacteria and was later transferred to archaea. As >30,000 prokaryotic genomes have been sequenced, we conduct an in-depth comparison of the two hypotheses. We first identify the six genes involved in nitrogen fixation in all sequenced prokaryotic genomes and then reconstruct phylogenetic trees using the six Nif proteins individually or in combination. In each of these trees, the earliest lineages are bacterial Nif protein sequences and in the oldest clade (group) the archaeal sequences are all nested inside bacterial sequences, suggesting that the Nif proteins first evolved in bacteria. The bacteria-first hypothesis is further supported by the observation that the majority of Nif archaea carry the major bacterial Mo (molybdenum) transporter (ModABC) rather than the archaeal Mo transporter (WtpABC). Moreover, in our phylogeny of all available ModA and WtpA protein sequences, the earliest lineages are bacterial sequences while archaeal sequences are nested inside bacterial sequences. Furthermore, the bacteria-first hypothesis is supported by available isotopic data. In conclusion, our study strongly supports the bacteria-first hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Wei Pi
- Ph.D. Program in Microbial Genomics, National Chung Hsing University and Academia Sinica, Taiwan.,Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan 11529
| | - Jinn Jy Lin
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan 11529
| | - Chi An Chen
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan 11529.,Genome and Systems Biology Degree Program, Academia Sinica and National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Po Hsiang Wang
- Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Central University, Taoyuan, Taiwan 32001.,Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan 145-0061
| | - Yin Ru Chiang
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan 11529
| | - Chieh Chen Huang
- Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan 402
| | - Chiu Chung Young
- Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan 402
| | - Wen Hsiung Li
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan 11529.,Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago 60637, USA
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5
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Metagenomic analysis of microbial community structure and function in a improved biofilter with odorous gases. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1731. [PMID: 35110663 PMCID: PMC8810771 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05858-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Biofilters have been broadly applied to degrade the odorous gases from industrial emissions. A industrial scale biofilter was set up to treat the odorous gases. To explore biofilter potentials, the microbial community structure and function must be well defined. Using of improved biofilter, the differences in microbial community structures and functions in biofilters before and after treatment were investigated by metagenomic analysis. Odorous gases have the potential to alter the microbial community structure in the sludge of biofilter. A total of 90,016 genes assigned into various functional metabolic pathways were identified. In the improved biofilter, the dominant phyla were Proteobacteria, Planctomycetes, and Chloroflexi, and the dominant genera were Thioalkalivibrio, Thauera, and Pseudomonas. Several xenobiotic biodegradation-related pathways showed significant changes during the treatment process. Compared with the original biofilter, Thermotogae and Crenarchaeota phyla were significantly enriched in the improved biofilter, suggesting their important role in nitrogen-fixing. Furthermore, several nitrogen metabolic pathway-related genes, such as nirA and nifA, and sulfur metabolic pathway-related genes, such as fccB and phsA, were considered to be efficient genes that were involved in removing odorous gases. Our findings can be used for improving the efficiency of biofilter and helping the industrial enterprises to reduce the emission of waste gases.
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6
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Chao YT, Lai SH, Chang MH, Chen CC, Lee WF, Chen JW, Hsu YC. A potential microbiological approach to the evaluation of earthquake-induced soil liquefaction. iScience 2021; 24:102984. [PMID: 34485866 PMCID: PMC8403730 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Earthquakes occur thousands of times every day around the world. They are naturally destructive seismic events and often result in soil liquefaction. Soil microbiota plays a vital role in soil environments and may serve as an effective indicator to assess soil liquefaction after earthquakes. This study aimed to detect the microbial community abundance and composition in soil samples of different depths. Soil samples were collected in Southern Taiwan immediately after the 2010 earthquake. Their physical characteristics were determined, and their microbial communities were analyzed through 16S amplicon sequencing. The results revealed that Nitrospirae phylum dominated in the liquefied layer. In particular, the genus HB118, dominant in the liquefied layer, was not detected at other soil depths or in the expelled liquefied soil. This finding not only provides valuable insights into changes in microbial community composition at different soil depths after earthquakes but also suggests a useful indicator for monitoring liquefied soil. This study characterized the microbial composition of liquefied soil after an earthquake Most abundant phylum Nitrospirae found in liquefied soil if 3 most abundant phyla removed HB118 spp is correlated with liquefied soil We set up the alternative monitoring methods of soil liquefaction after seismic events
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Ting Chao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | - Sheng Hao Lai
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | - Mei Hsun Chang
- Department of Civil Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan
| | - Chun Chi Chen
- Department of Civil Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan
| | - Wei Feng Lee
- Department of Civil Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan
| | - Jing Wen Chen
- Department of Civil Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan
| | - Yi Chiung Hsu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
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7
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Chen Y, Nishihara A, Iino T, Ohkuma M, Haruta S. Caldicellulosiruptor diazotrophicus sp. nov., a thermophilic, nitrogen-fixing fermentative bacterium isolated from a terrestrial hot spring in Japan. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2021; 71. [PMID: 34542397 DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.005014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A novel nitrogen-fixing fermentative bacterium, designated as YA01T, was isolated from Nakabusa hot springs in Japan. The short-rod cells of strain YA01T were Gram-positive and non-sporulating. Phylogenetic trees of the 16S rRNA gene sequence and concatenated sequences of 40 single-copy ribosomal genes revealed that strain YA01T belonged to the genus Caldicellulosiruptor and was closely related to Caldicellulosiruptor hydrothermalis 108T, Caldicellulosiruptor bescii DSM 6725T and Caldicellulosiruptor kronotskyensis 2002T. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain YA01T shares less than 98.1 % identity to the known Caldicellulosiruptor species. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 34.8 mol%. Strain YA01T shares low genome-wide average nucleotide identity (90.31-91.10 %), average amino acid identity (91.45-92.10 %) and <70 % digital DNA-DNA hybridization value (41.8-44.2 %) with the three related species of the genus Caldicellulosiruptor. Strain YA01T grew at 50-78 °C (optimum, 70 °C) and at pH 5.0-9.5 (optimum, pH 6.5). Strain YA01T mainly produced acetate by consuming d(+)-glucose as a carbon source. The main cellular fatty acids were iso-C17 : 0 (35.7 %), C16 : 0 (33.3 %), DMA16 : 0 (6.6 %) and iso-C15 : 0 (5.9 %). Based on its distinct phylogenetic position, biochemical and physiological characteristics, and the major cellular fatty acids, strain YA01T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Caldicellulosiruptor for which the name Caldicellulosiruptor diazotrophicus sp. nov. is proposed (type strain YA01T=DSM 112098T=JCM 34253T).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxin Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
| | - Arisa Nishihara
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan.,Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan
| | - Takao Iino
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan.,Japan Collection of Microorganisms, RIKEN BioResource Research Center, 3-1-1 Koyadai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0074, Japan
| | - Moriya Ohkuma
- Japan Collection of Microorganisms, RIKEN BioResource Research Center, 3-1-1 Koyadai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0074, Japan
| | - Shin Haruta
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
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Ivanovsky RN, Lebedeva NV, Keppen OI, Tourova TP. Nitrogen Metabolism of an Anoxygenic Filamentous Phototrophic Bacterium Oscillocholris trichoides Strain DG-6. Microbiology (Reading) 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s0026261721040068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract—
The possible nitrogen sources for Osc. trichoides DG6, a typical strain of the Oscillochloridaceae family, are ammonium, N2, glutamate, asparagine, glycine, and glutamine. The assimilation of molecular nitrogen occurs with the participation of nitrogenase, the structural gene of which, nifH, is located in the gene cluster which also includes the genes of the nifD and nifK nitrogenase subunits and the auxiliary nifB gene. Considering that nifHBDK clusters have been also annotated in the genomes of other members of the Oscillochloridaceae family, including uncultured and candidate taxa, it can be assumed that the ability to fix nitrogen is a property immanent for this entire family. The pathways for assimilating ammonium in the cells grown using different nitrogen sources may differ. Osc. trichoides DG6 growing in a medium containing ammonium assimilated it with the participation of glutamate dehydrogenase, which is determined by a single gene. The expression product of this gene has dual functionality and can be used to implement the reaction with both NAD and NADP. With the growth of Osc. trichoides DG6 on a medium with glutamate as the only nitrogen source all the enzymes necessary for the implementation of the GS‑GOGAT pathway were found in the cells. However, for the glutamine synthetase reaction, ammonium, which was absent in the growth medium, was required. The source of ammonium may be glutamate metabolized through glutamate dehydrogenase.
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Kawai S, Martinez JN, Lichtenberg M, Trampe E, Kühl M, Tank M, Haruta S, Nishihara A, Hanada S, Thiel V. In-Situ Metatranscriptomic Analyses Reveal the Metabolic Flexibility of the Thermophilic Anoxygenic Photosynthetic Bacterium Chloroflexus aggregans in a Hot Spring Cyanobacteria-Dominated Microbial Mat. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9030652. [PMID: 33801086 PMCID: PMC8004040 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9030652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chloroflexus aggregans is a metabolically versatile, thermophilic, anoxygenic phototrophic member of the phylum Chloroflexota (formerly Chloroflexi), which can grow photoheterotrophically, photoautotrophically, chemoheterotrophically, and chemoautotrophically. In hot spring-associated microbial mats, C. aggregans co-exists with oxygenic cyanobacteria under dynamic micro-environmental conditions. To elucidate the predominant growth modes of C. aggregans, relative transcription levels of energy metabolism- and CO2 fixation-related genes were studied in Nakabusa Hot Springs microbial mats over a diel cycle and correlated with microscale in situ measurements of O2 and light. Metatranscriptomic analyses indicated two periods with different modes of energy metabolism of C. aggregans: (1) phototrophy around midday and (2) chemotrophy in the early morning hours. During midday, C. aggregans mainly employed photoheterotrophy when the microbial mats were hyperoxic (400–800 µmol L−1 O2). In the early morning hours, relative transcription peaks of genes encoding uptake hydrogenase, key enzymes for carbon fixation, respiratory complexes as well as enzymes for TCA cycle and acetate uptake suggest an aerobic chemomixotrophic lifestyle. This is the first in situ study of the versatile energy metabolism of C. aggregans based on gene transcription patterns. The results provide novel insights into the metabolic flexibility of these filamentous anoxygenic phototrophs that thrive under dynamic environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigeru Kawai
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan; (J.N.M.); (M.T.); (S.H.); (A.N.); (S.H.)
- Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Kanagawa 237-0061, Japan
- Correspondence: (S.K.); (V.T.)
| | - Joval N. Martinez
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan; (J.N.M.); (M.T.); (S.H.); (A.N.); (S.H.)
- Department of Natural Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of St. La Salle, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental 6100, Philippines
| | - Mads Lichtenberg
- Department of Biology, Marine Biological Section, University of Copenhagen, Strandpromenaden 5, 3000 Helsingør, Denmark; (M.L.); (E.T.); (M.K.)
| | - Erik Trampe
- Department of Biology, Marine Biological Section, University of Copenhagen, Strandpromenaden 5, 3000 Helsingør, Denmark; (M.L.); (E.T.); (M.K.)
| | - Michael Kühl
- Department of Biology, Marine Biological Section, University of Copenhagen, Strandpromenaden 5, 3000 Helsingør, Denmark; (M.L.); (E.T.); (M.K.)
| | - Marcus Tank
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan; (J.N.M.); (M.T.); (S.H.); (A.N.); (S.H.)
- DSMZ—German Culture Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Culture, GmbH Inhoffenstraße 7B, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Shin Haruta
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan; (J.N.M.); (M.T.); (S.H.); (A.N.); (S.H.)
| | - Arisa Nishihara
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan; (J.N.M.); (M.T.); (S.H.); (A.N.); (S.H.)
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Ibaraki 305-8566, Japan
| | - Satoshi Hanada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan; (J.N.M.); (M.T.); (S.H.); (A.N.); (S.H.)
| | - Vera Thiel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan; (J.N.M.); (M.T.); (S.H.); (A.N.); (S.H.)
- DSMZ—German Culture Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Culture, GmbH Inhoffenstraße 7B, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
- Correspondence: (S.K.); (V.T.)
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10
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DeCastro ME, Doane MP, Dinsdale EA, Rodríguez-Belmonte E, González-Siso MI. Exploring the taxonomical and functional profile of As Burgas hot spring focusing on thermostable β-galactosidases. Sci Rep 2021; 11:101. [PMID: 33420292 PMCID: PMC7794327 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80489-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In the present study we investigate the microbial community inhabiting As Burgas geothermal spring, located in Ourense (Galicia, Spain). The approximately 23 Gbp of Illumina sequences generated for each replicate revealed a complex microbial community dominated by Bacteria in which Proteobacteria and Aquificae were the two prevalent phyla. An association between the two most prevalent genera, Thermus and Hydrogenobacter, was suggested by the relationship of their metabolism. The high relative abundance of sequences involved in the Calvin-Benson cycle and the reductive TCA cycle unveils the dominance of an autotrophic population. Important pathways from the nitrogen and sulfur cycle are potentially taking place in As Burgas hot spring. In the assembled reads, two complete ORFs matching GH2 beta-galactosidases were found. To assess their functional characterization, the two ORFs were cloned and overexpressed in E. coli. The pTsbg enzyme had activity towards o-Nitrophenyl-β-D-galactopyranoside (ONPG) and p-Nitrophenyl-β-D-fucopyranoside, with high thermal stability and showing maximal activity at 85 °C and pH 6, nevertheless the enzyme failed to hydrolyze lactose. The other enzyme, Tsbg, was unable to hydrolyze even ONPG or lactose. This finding highlights the challenge of finding novel active enzymes based only on their sequence.
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Affiliation(s)
- María-Eugenia DeCastro
- Grupo EXPRELA, Centro de Investigacións Científicas Avanzadas (CICA), Facultade de Ciencias, Universidade da Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Michael P Doane
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr., San Diego, CA, 92182, USA
- Syndey Institute of Marine Science, 19 Chowder Bay Rd, Mosman, NSW, 2088, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Ann Dinsdale
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr., San Diego, CA, 92182, USA
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Sturt Rd, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Esther Rodríguez-Belmonte
- Grupo EXPRELA, Centro de Investigacións Científicas Avanzadas (CICA), Facultade de Ciencias, Universidade da Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
| | - María-Isabel González-Siso
- Grupo EXPRELA, Centro de Investigacións Científicas Avanzadas (CICA), Facultade de Ciencias, Universidade da Coruña, A Coruña, Spain.
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11
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Okamoto T, Shinjo R, Nishihara A, Uesaka K, Tanaka A, Sugiura D, Kondo M. Genotypic Variation of Endophytic Nitrogen-Fixing Activity and Bacterial Flora in Rice Stem Based on Sugar Content. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:719259. [PMID: 34447404 PMCID: PMC8383490 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.719259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Enhancement of the nitrogen-fixing ability of endophytic bacteria in rice is expected to result in improved nitrogen use under low-nitrogen conditions. Endophytic nitrogen-fixing bacteria require a large amount of energy to fix atmospheric nitrogen. However, it is unknown which carbon source and bacteria would affect nitrogen-fixing activity in rice. Therefore, this study examined genotypic variations in the nitrogen-fixing ability of rice plant stem as affected by non-structural carbohydrates and endophytic bacterial flora in field-grown rice. In the field experiments, six varieties and 10 genotypes of rice were grown in 2017 and 2018 to compare the acetylene reduction activity (nitrogen-fixing activity) and non-structural carbohydrates (glucose, sucrose, and starch) concentration in their stems at the heading stage. For the bacterial flora analysis, two genes were amplified using a primer set of 16S rRNA and nitrogenase (NifH) gene-specific primers. Next, acetylene reduction activity was correlated with sugar concentration among genotypes in both years, suggesting that the levels of soluble sugars influenced stem nitrogen-fixing activity. Bacterial flora analysis also suggested the presence of common and genotype-specific bacterial flora in both 16S rRNA and nifH genes. Similarly, bacteria classified as rhizobia, such as Bradyrhizobium sp. (Alphaproteobacteria) and Paraburkholderia sp. (Betaproteobacteria), were highly abundant in all rice genotypes, suggesting that these bacteria make major contributions to the nitrogen fixation process in rice stems. Gammaproteobacteria were more abundant in CG14 as well, which showed the highest acetylene reduction activity and sugar concentration among genotypes and is also proposed to contribute to the higher amount of nitrogen-fixing activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takanori Okamoto
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
- *Correspondence: Takanori Okamoto
| | - Rina Shinjo
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Arisa Nishihara
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Kazuma Uesaka
- Center for Gene Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Aiko Tanaka
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Daisuke Sugiura
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Motohiko Kondo
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
- Motohiko Kondo
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12
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Chen Y, Nishihara A, Haruta S. Nitrogen-fixing Ability and Nitrogen Fixation-related Genes of Thermophilic Fermentative Bacteria in the Genus Caldicellulosiruptor. Microbes Environ 2021; 36. [PMID: 34108360 PMCID: PMC8209448 DOI: 10.1264/jsme2.me21018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Fermentative nitrogen-fixing bacteria have not yet been examined in detail in thermal environments. In the present study, we isolated the thermophilic fermentative bacterium, strain YA01 from a hot spring. This strain grew at temperatures up to 78°C. A phylogenetic analysis based on its 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain YA01 belonged to the genus Caldicellulosiruptor, which are fermentative bacteria in the phylum Firmicutes, with 97.7–98.0% sequence identity to its closest relatives. Strain YA01 clearly exhibited N2-dependent growth at 70°C. We also confirmed N2-dependent growth in the relatives of strain YA01, Caldicellulosiruptor hydrothermalis 108 and Caldicellulosiruptor kronotskyensis 2002. The nitrogenase activities of these three strains were examined using the acetylene reduction assay. Similar activities were detected for all tested strains, and were slightly suppressed by the addition of ammonium. A genome analysis revealed that strain YA01, as well as other Caldicellulosiruptor, possessed a gene set for nitrogen fixation, but lacked the nifN gene, which encodes a nitrogenase iron-molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis protein that is commonly detected in nitrogen-fixing bacteria. The amino acid sequences of nitrogenase encoded by nifH, nifD, and nifK shared 92–98% similarity in Caldicellulosiruptor. A phylogenetic tree of concatenated NifHDK sequences showed that NifHDK of Caldicellulosiruptor was in the deepest clade. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate the nitrogen-fixing ability of fermentative bacteria at 70°C. Caldicellulosiruptor may have retained an ancient nitrogen-fixing enzyme system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxin Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University
| | - Arisa Nishihara
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University.,Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)
| | - Shin Haruta
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University
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13
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Zhang Q, Campos M, Larama G, Acuña JJ, Valenzuela B, Solis F, Zamorano P, Araya R, Sadowsky MJ, Jorquera MA. Composition and predicted functions of the bacterial community in spouting pool sediments from the El Tatio Geyser field in Chile. Arch Microbiol 2020; 203:389-397. [PMID: 32816051 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-020-02020-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The El Tatio Geyser Field (ETGF), located in Northern Chile, is the main geyser field in the southern hemisphere. Despite this, details of its microbial ecology are still unknown. Here, we briefly report on the composition and predicted functions of the bacterial community in spouting pool sediments from the ETGF as revealed by high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes. Results of this analysis showed that while there were differences in richness and diversity between samples, bacterial communities were primarily dominated by the phyla Proteobacteria, followed Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Acidobacteria, and Chloroflexi. Analyses of predicted functional activity indicated that the functions were mostly attributed to chemoheterotrophy and aerobic chemoheterotrophy, followed by sulfur (respiration of sulfur compounds and sulfate) and nitrogen (nitrate reduction, respiration of nitrogen and nitrate) cycling. Taken together, our results suggest a high diversity in taxonomy and predictive functions of bacterial communities in sediments from spouting pools. This study provides fundamentally important information on the structure and function predictive functions of microbiota communities in spouting pools. Moreover, since the ETGF is intensively visited and impacted by tens of thousands of tourists every year, our results can be used to help guide the design of sustainable conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Zhang
- The BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, 140 Gortner Lab, 1479 Gortner Ave, St Paul, MN, 55108-6106, USA
| | - Marco Campos
- Laboratorio de Ecología Microbiana Aplicada (EMALAB), Departamento de Ciencias Químicas y Recursos Naturales, Universidad de La Frontera, Ave. Francisco Salazar 01145, Temuco, Chile.,Network for Extreme Environment Research (NEXER), Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus (BIOREN), Universidad de La Frontera, Ave. Francisco Salazar 01145, Temuco, Chile
| | - Giovanni Larama
- Laboratorio de Ecología Microbiana Aplicada (EMALAB), Departamento de Ciencias Químicas y Recursos Naturales, Universidad de La Frontera, Ave. Francisco Salazar 01145, Temuco, Chile.,Network for Extreme Environment Research (NEXER), Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus (BIOREN), Universidad de La Frontera, Ave. Francisco Salazar 01145, Temuco, Chile
| | - Jacquelinne J Acuña
- Laboratorio de Ecología Microbiana Aplicada (EMALAB), Departamento de Ciencias Químicas y Recursos Naturales, Universidad de La Frontera, Ave. Francisco Salazar 01145, Temuco, Chile.,Network for Extreme Environment Research (NEXER), Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus (BIOREN), Universidad de La Frontera, Ave. Francisco Salazar 01145, Temuco, Chile
| | - Bernardita Valenzuela
- Laboratorio de Extremófilos, Instituto Antofagasta, Universidad de Antofagasta, Av. Angamos 601, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Francisco Solis
- Laboratorio de Extremófilos, Instituto Antofagasta, Universidad de Antofagasta, Av. Angamos 601, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Pedro Zamorano
- Laboratorio de Extremófilos, Instituto Antofagasta, Universidad de Antofagasta, Av. Angamos 601, Antofagasta, Chile.,Departamento Biomédico, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Rubén Araya
- Instituto de Ciencias Naturales Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad de Antofagasta, Av. Angamos 601, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Michael J Sadowsky
- The BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, 140 Gortner Lab, 1479 Gortner Ave, St Paul, MN, 55108-6106, USA.,Department of Soil, Water, and Climate, and Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, 439 Borlaug Hall 1991 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Milko A Jorquera
- Laboratorio de Ecología Microbiana Aplicada (EMALAB), Departamento de Ciencias Químicas y Recursos Naturales, Universidad de La Frontera, Ave. Francisco Salazar 01145, Temuco, Chile. .,Network for Extreme Environment Research (NEXER), Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus (BIOREN), Universidad de La Frontera, Ave. Francisco Salazar 01145, Temuco, Chile.
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14
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Martínez-Espinosa RM. Microorganisms and Their Metabolic Capabilities in the Context of the Biogeochemical Nitrogen Cycle at Extreme Environments. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21124228. [PMID: 32545812 PMCID: PMC7349289 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21124228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Extreme microorganisms (extremophile) are organisms that inhabit environments characterized by inhospitable parameters for most live beings (extreme temperatures and pH values, high or low ionic strength, pressure, or scarcity of nutrients). To grow optimally under these conditions, extremophiles have evolved molecular adaptations affecting their physiology, metabolism, cell signaling, etc. Due to their peculiarities in terms of physiology and metabolism, they have become good models for (i) understanding the limits of life on Earth, (ii) exploring the possible existence of extraterrestrial life (Astrobiology), or (iii) to look for potential applications in biotechnology. Recent research has revealed that extremophilic microbes play key roles in all biogeochemical cycles on Earth. Nitrogen cycle (N-cycle) is one of the most important biogeochemical cycles in nature; thanks to it, nitrogen is converted into multiple chemical forms, which circulate among atmospheric, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. This review summarizes recent knowledge on the role of extreme microorganisms in the N-cycle in extremophilic ecosystems, with special emphasis on members of the Archaea domain. Potential implications of these microbes in global warming and nitrogen balance, as well as their biotechnological applications are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa María Martínez-Espinosa
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Division, Agrochemistry and Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Sciences, University of Alicante, Ap. 99, E-03080 Alicante, Spain; ; Tel.: +34-965903400 (ext. 1258)
- Multidisciplinary Institute for Environmental Studies “Ramón Margalef”, University of Alicante, Ap. 99, E-03080 Alicante, Spain
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15
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Iino T, Kawai S, Yuki M, Dekio I, Ohkuma M, Haruta S. Thermaurantimonas aggregans gen. nov., sp. nov., a moderately thermophilic heterotrophic aggregating bacterium isolated from microbial mats at a terrestrial hot spring. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2020; 70:1117-1121. [DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.003888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Takao Iino
- Japan Collection of Microorganisms, RIKEN BioResource Research Center, 3-1-1 Koyadai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0074, Japan
| | - Shigeru Kawai
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
| | - Masahiro Yuki
- Japan Collection of Microorganisms, RIKEN BioResource Research Center, 3-1-1 Koyadai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0074, Japan
| | - Itaru Dekio
- Skin Microbe Laboratory, Mildix Skin Clinic, 3rd Floor, 3-98 Senju, Adachi-ku, Tokyo 120-0034, Japan
- Japan Collection of Microorganisms, RIKEN BioResource Research Center, 3-1-1 Koyadai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0074, Japan
| | - Moriya Ohkuma
- Japan Collection of Microorganisms, RIKEN BioResource Research Center, 3-1-1 Koyadai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0074, Japan
| | - Shin Haruta
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
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16
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken Takai
- Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)
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17
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Martinez JN, Nishihara A, Lichtenberg M, Trampe E, Kawai S, Tank M, Kühl M, Hanada S, Thiel V. Vertical Distribution and Diversity of Phototrophic Bacteria within a Hot Spring Microbial Mat (Nakabusa Hot Springs, Japan). Microbes Environ 2019; 34:374-387. [PMID: 31685759 PMCID: PMC6934398 DOI: 10.1264/jsme2.me19047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Phototrophic microbial mats are assemblages of vertically layered microbial populations dominated by photosynthetic microorganisms. In order to elucidate the vertical distribution and diversity of phototrophic microorganisms in a hot spring-associated microbial mat in Nakabusa (Japan), we analyzed the 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequences of the microbial mat separated into five depth horizons, and correlated them with microsensor measurements of O2 and spectral scalar irradiance. A stable core community and high diversity of phototrophic organisms dominated by the filamentous anoxygenic phototrophs, Roseiflexus castenholzii and Chloroflexus aggregans were identified together with the spectral signatures of bacteriochlorophylls (BChls) a and c absorption in all mat layers. In the upper mat layers, a high abundance of cyanobacteria (Thermosynechococcus sp.) correlated with strong spectral signatures of chlorophyll a and phycobiliprotein absorption near the surface in a zone of high O2 concentrations during the day. Deeper mat layers were dominated by uncultured chemotrophic Chlorobi such as the novel putatively sulfate-reducing “Ca. Thermonerobacter sp.”, which showed increasing abundance with depth correlating with low O2 in these layers enabling anaerobic metabolism. Oxygen tolerance and requirements for the novel phototroph “Ca. Chloroanaerofilum sp.” and the uncultured chemotrophic Armatimonadetes member type OS-L detected in Nakabusa hot springs, Japan appeared to differ from previously suggested lifestyles for close relatives identified in hot springs in Yellowstone National Park, USA. The present study identified various microenvironmental gradients and niche differentiation enabling the co-existence of diverse chlorophototrophs in metabolically diverse communities in hot springs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joval N Martinez
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University.,Department of Natural Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of St. La Salle
| | - Arisa Nishihara
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University.,Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)
| | - Mads Lichtenberg
- Marine Biological Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen
| | - Erik Trampe
- Marine Biological Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen
| | - Shigeru Kawai
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University
| | - Marcus Tank
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University
| | - Michael Kühl
- Marine Biological Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen
| | - Satoshi Hanada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University
| | - Vera Thiel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University
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18
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Kawai S, Kamiya N, Matsuura K, Haruta S. Symbiotic Growth of a Thermophilic Sulfide-Oxidizing Photoautotroph and an Elemental Sulfur-Disproportionating Chemolithoautotroph and Cooperative Dissimilatory Oxidation of Sulfide to Sulfate. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1150. [PMID: 31178849 PMCID: PMC6543001 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01150] [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: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A thermophilic filamentous anoxygenic photosynthetic bacterium, Chloroflexus aggregans, is widely distributed in neutral to slightly alkaline hot springs. Sulfide has been suggested as an electron donor for autotrophic growth in microbial mats dominated with C. aggregans, but remarkable photoautotrophic growth of isolated C. aggregans has not been observed with sulfide as the sole electron source. From the idea that sulfide is oxidized to elemental sulfur by C. aggregans and the accumulation of elemental sulfur may have an inhibitory effect for the growth, the effects of an elemental sulfur-disproportionating bacterium that consumes elemental sulfur was examined on the autotrophic growth of C. aggregans, strain NA9-6, isolated from Nakabusa hot spring. A sulfur-disproportionating bacterium, Caldimicrobium thiodismutans strain TF1, also isolated from Nakabusa hot spring was co-cultured with C. aggregans. C. aggregans and C. thiodismutans were successfully co-cultured in a medium containing thiosulfate as the sole electron source and bicarbonate as the sole carbon source. Quantitative conversion of thiosulfate to sulfate and a small transient accumulation of sulfide was observed in the co-culture. Then the electron source of the established co-culture was changed from thiosulfate to sulfide, and the growth of C. aggregans and C. thiodismutans was successfully observed with sulfide as the sole electron donor for the autotrophic growth of the co-culture. During the cultivation in the light, simultaneous consumption and accumulation of sulfide and sulfate, respectively, were observed, accompanied with the increase of cellular DNAs of both species. C. thiodismutans likely works as an elemental sulfur scavenger for C. aggregans, and C. aggregans seems to work as a sulfide scavenger for C. thiodismutans. These results suggest that C. aggregans grows autotrophically with sulfide as the electron donor in the co-culture with C. thiodismutans, and the consumption of elemental sulfur by C. thiodismutans enabled the continuous growth of the C. aggregans in the symbiotic system. This study shows a novel symbiotic relationship between a sulfide-oxidizing photoautotroph and an elemental sulfur-disproportionating chemolithoautotroph via cooperative dissimilatory sulfide oxidation to sulfate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigeru Kawai
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Japan
| | - Naoki Kamiya
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Japan
| | - Katsumi Matsuura
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Japan
| | - Shin Haruta
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Japan
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19
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Nishihara A, Matsuura K, Tank M, McGlynn SE, Thiel V, Haruta S. Nitrogenase Activity in Thermophilic Chemolithoautotrophic Bacteria in the Phylum Aquificae Isolated under Nitrogen-Fixing Conditions from Nakabusa Hot Springs. Microbes Environ 2018; 33:394-401. [PMID: 30473565 PMCID: PMC6307999 DOI: 10.1264/jsme2.me18041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The phylum Aquificae comprises chemolithoautotrophic thermophilic to hyperthermophilic bacteria, in which the nitrogenase reductase gene (nifH) has been reported. However, nitrogen-fixing activity has not yet been demonstrated in members of this deeply branching bacterial phylum. We isolated two thermophilic diazotrophic strains from chemosynthetic microbial communities in slightly alkaline hot springs (≥70°C) in Nakabusa, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. A phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA genes identified these strains as members of the genus Hydrogenobacter within Aquificae. Their NifH sequences showed 96.5 and 97.4% amino acid sequence identities to that from Hydrogenobacter thermophilus TK-6. Nitrogenase activity, measured by acetylene reduction, was confirmed in both strains at 70°C. These novel strains grew under semi-aerobic conditions by using CO2 as the sole carbon source and N2 as the sole nitrogen source in media containing hydrogen and/or thiosulfate. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of active nitrogen fixation in thermophilic bacteria at 70°C and in the phylum Aquificae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arisa Nishihara
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University
| | - Katsumi Matsuura
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University
| | - Marcus Tank
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University
| | - Shawn E McGlynn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University.,Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology.,Biofunctional Catalyst Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science.,Blue Marble Space Institute of Science
| | - Vera Thiel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University
| | - Shin Haruta
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University
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