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Peoples LM, Seixas MH, Evans KA, Bilbrey EM, Ranieri JR, Tappenbeck TH, Dore JE, Baumann A, Church MJ. Out of sight, but not out of season: Nitrifier distributions and population dynamics in a large oligotrophic lake. Environ Microbiol 2024; 26:e16616. [PMID: 38517638 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Nitrification is an important control on the form and distribution of nitrogen in freshwater ecosystems. However, the seasonality of nitrogen pools and the diversity of organisms catalyzing this process have not been well documented in oligotrophic lakes. Here, we show that nitrogen pools and nitrifying organisms in Flathead Lake are temporally and vertically dynamic, with nitrifiers displaying specific preferences depending on the season. While the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) Nitrosomonadaceae and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) Nitrotoga dominate at depth in the summer, the ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) Nitrososphaerota and NOB Nitrospirota become abundant in the winter. Given clear seasonality in ammonium, with higher concentrations during the summer, we hypothesize that the succession between these two nitrifying groups may be due to nitrogen affinity, with AOB more competitive when ammonia concentrations are higher and AOA when they are lower. Nitrifiers in Flathead Lake share more than 99% average nucleotide identity with those reported in other North American lakes but are distinct from those in Europe and Asia, indicating a role for geographic isolation as a factor controlling speciation among nitrifiers. Our study shows there are seasonal shifts in nitrogen pools and nitrifying populations, highlighting the dynamic spatial and temporal nature of nitrogen cycling in freshwater ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan M Peoples
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, Montana, USA
| | - Miranda H Seixas
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, Montana, USA
| | - Kate A Evans
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, Montana, USA
| | - Evan M Bilbrey
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, Montana, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho, USA
| | - John R Ranieri
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, Montana, USA
| | - Tyler H Tappenbeck
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, Montana, USA
| | - John E Dore
- Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Adam Baumann
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, Montana, USA
| | - Matthew J Church
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, Montana, USA
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2
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Li T, Wang X, Wang X, Huang J, Shen L. Mechanisms Driving the Distribution and Activity of Mineralization and Nitrification in the Reservoir Riparian Zone. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2023; 86:1829-1846. [PMID: 36702929 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-023-02180-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The riparian zone ecosystems have greater energy flow and elemental cycling than adjacent terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Mineralization and nitrification are important initiating processes in the nitrogen cycle, but their distribution and activity under different environmental conditions in the riparian zone and the driving mechanisms are still not clear. We investigated the effects of environmental and microbial factors on mineralization and nitrification activities by analyzing the community of alkaline (apr) and neutral (npr) metallopeptidase, ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), and bacteria (AOB) in soils and sediments under different land-use types in the riparian zone of Miyun Reservoir, as well as measuring potential nitrogen mineralization and ammonia oxidation rates (AOR). The results showed that the mineralization and nitrification activities of soils were greater than those of sediments. AOA and AOB dominate the ammonia oxidation activity of soil and sediment, respectively. NH4+ content was a key factor influencing the ecological niche differentiation between AOA and AOB. The high carbon and nitrogen content of the woodland significantly increased mineralization and nitrification activity. Microbial communities were significantly clustered in the woodland. The land-use type, not the flooding condition, determined the distribution of microbial community structure. The diversity of npr was significantly correlated with potential N mineralization rates, while the transcript abundance of AOA was significantly correlated with ammonia oxidation rates. Our study suggests that environmental changes regulate the distribution and activity of mineralization and nitrification processes in the reservoir riparian zone by affecting the transcript abundance, diversity and community structure of the microbial functional genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Li
- College of Resources, Environment and Tourism, Capital Normal University, No. 105, North West Third Ring Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Xiaoyan Wang
- College of Resources, Environment and Tourism, Capital Normal University, No. 105, North West Third Ring Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100048, China.
| | - Xia Wang
- College of Resources, Environment and Tourism, Capital Normal University, No. 105, North West Third Ring Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Jingyu Huang
- College of Resources, Environment and Tourism, Capital Normal University, No. 105, North West Third Ring Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Lei Shen
- College of Resources, Environment and Tourism, Capital Normal University, No. 105, North West Third Ring Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100048, China
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Menéndez-Serra M, Triadó-Margarit X, Casamayor EO. Ecological and Metabolic Thresholds in the Bacterial, Protist, and Fungal Microbiome of Ephemeral Saline Lakes (Monegros Desert, Spain). MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2021; 82:885-896. [PMID: 33725151 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-021-01732-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
We studied the 16S and 18S rRNA genes of the bacterial, protist, and fungal microbiomes of 131 samples collected in 14 ephemeral small inland lakes located in the endorheic area of the Monegros Desert (NE Spain). The sampling covered different temporal flooding/desiccation cycles that created natural salinity gradients between 0.1% (w/v) and salt saturation. We aimed to test the hypothesis of a lack of competitive advantage for microorganisms using the "salt-in" strategy in highly fluctuating hypersaline environments where temperature and salinity transitions widely vary within short time periods, as in ephemeral inland lakes. Overall, 5653 bacterial zOTUs and 2658 eukaryal zOTUs were detected heterogeneously distributed with significant variations on taxonomy and general energy-yielding metabolisms and trophic strategies along the gradient. We observed a more diverse bacterial assembly than initially expected at extreme salinities and a lack of dominance of a few "salt-in" organisms. Microbial thresholds were unveiled for these highly fluctuating hypersaline environments with high selective pressures. We conclude that the extremely high dynamism observed in the ephemeral lakes of Monegros may have given a competitive advantage for more versatile ("salt-out") organisms compared to those better adapted to stable high salinities usually more common in solar salterns. Ephemeral inland saline lakes offered a well-suited natural framework for highly detailed evolutionary and ecological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateu Menéndez-Serra
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group, Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Acces Cala Sant Francesc 14, 17300, Blanes, Spain
| | - Xavier Triadó-Margarit
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group, Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Acces Cala Sant Francesc 14, 17300, Blanes, Spain
| | - Emilio O Casamayor
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group, Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Acces Cala Sant Francesc 14, 17300, Blanes, Spain.
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Menéndez-Serra M, Ontiveros VJ, Triadó-Margarit X, Alonso D, Casamayor EO. Dynamics and ecological distributions of the Archaea microbiome from inland saline lakes (Monegros Desert, Spain). FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2020; 96:5719565. [PMID: 32006018 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiaa019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
We characterized the rich Archaea microbiome of shallow inland lakes (Monegros Desert, NE Spain) by 16S rRNA gene tag sequencing covering a wide salinity range (0.1%-40% w/v) along 3 years. Up to 990 operational taxonomic units (OTUs; >97% identity) were detected allocated in 14 major archaeal phyla and heterogeneously distributed along the salt gradient. Dynamics and idiosyncratic ecological distributions were uncovered for the different phyla. A high genetic richness was observed for Woesearchaeota and Pacearchaeota (>370 OTUs each), followed by Halobacteria (105), Nanohaloarchaeota (62) and Thermoplasmata (19). Overall, the distribution of genetic richness was strongly correlated with environmental niche amplitude, but not with occurrence. We unveiled high occurrence for a very rich Woesearchaeota assemblage, and an unexpected positive correlation of Pacearchaeota abundance with salinity at >15% dissolved salt content. The estimated dynamic behaviour (temporal 'turnover' rates of presence/absence data) unveiled Thaumarchaeota and Halobacteria as the most dynamic groups, and Aenigmarchaeota and Thermoplasmata as the most stable. The DPANN Pacearchaeota, Woesearchaeota, and Nanohaloarchaeota showed intermediate rates, suggesting higher resilience to environmental perturbations. A rich and dynamic Archaea microbiome was unveiled, including unseen ecological traits for relevant members of the still largely unknown DPANN group, supporting a strong ecological differentiation between Pacearchaeota and Woesearchaeota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateu Menéndez-Serra
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group, Centre of Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), 17300 Blanes, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Vicente J Ontiveros
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology Group, Centre of Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), 17300 Blanes, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Xavier Triadó-Margarit
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group, Centre of Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), 17300 Blanes, Catalonia, Spain
| | - David Alonso
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology Group, Centre of Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), 17300 Blanes, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Emilio O Casamayor
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group, Centre of Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), 17300 Blanes, Catalonia, Spain
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Llorens-Marès T, Catalan J, Casamayor EO. Taxonomy and functional interactions in upper and bottom waters of an oligotrophic high-mountain deep lake (Redon, Pyrenees) unveiled by microbial metagenomics. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 707:135929. [PMID: 31863999 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
High mountain lakes are, in general, highly sensitive systems to external forcing and good sentinels of global environmental changes. For a better understanding of internal lake processes, we examined microbial biodiversity and potential biogeochemical interactions in the oligotrophic deep high-mountain Lake Redon (Pyrenees, 2240 m altitude) using shotgun metagenomics. We analyzed the two ends of the range of environmental conditions found in Lake Redon, at 2 and 60 m depths. Bacteria were the most abundant component of the metagenomic reads (>90%) and the diversity indices of both taxonomic (16S and 18S rRNA) and functional (carbon-, nitrogen-, sulfur-, and phosphorous-cycling) related genes were higher in the bottom dark layer than in the upper compartment. A marked segregation was observed both in biodiversity and in the dominant energy and biomass generating pathways between the extremes. The aerobic respiration was mainly dominated by heterotrophic Burkholderiales at the top and Actinobacteria and Burkholderiales at the lake bottom. The potential for an active nitrogen cycle (nitrogen fixation, nitrification, nitrite oxidation, and nitrate reduction) was mainly found at 60 m, and potential for methanogenesis, anaerobic ammonia oxidation and dissimilatory sulfur pathways were only observed there. Some unexpected and mostly unseen energy and biomass pathways were found relevant for the biogeochemical cycling in lake Redon, i.e., those related to carbon monoxide oxidation and phosphonates processing. We provide a general scheme of the main biogeochemical processes that may operate in the sentinel deep Lake Redon. This framework may help for a better understanding of the whole lake metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Llorens-Marès
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group, Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes-CSIC, Acc. Cala St Francesc 14, E-17300 Blanes, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Jordi Catalan
- CREAF - CSIC, Campus UAB, Edifici C, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Emilio O Casamayor
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group, Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes-CSIC, Acc. Cala St Francesc 14, E-17300 Blanes, Catalonia, Spain.
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6
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Menéndez-Serra M, Triadó-Margarit X, Castañeda C, Herrero J, Casamayor EO. Microbial composition, potential functional roles and genetic novelty in gypsum-rich and hypersaline soils of Monegros and Gallocanta (Spain). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 650:343-353. [PMID: 30199680 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.09.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Revised: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Soil microbial communities (both Bacteria and Archaea) were studied after 16S rRNA genes massive sequencing in two hypersaline and gypsum-rich contrasted sites located in NE Spain. Soil microbial communities were also locally analysed according to environmental variables, including geological, physico-chemical, biogeochemically, and climatic data. Typical soil characteristics, climate data, and plant composition clearly split the two sites and major differences among the microbial communities for the areas were initially expected. Overall, high values of microbial species richness (up to 2300 taxa) and ecological diversity was detected in both sites. High genetic novelty levels were found mostly to environmental sequences, highlighting the high potential for microbiological studies. In contrast to the initial expectations, a substantial overlapping between Monegros and Gallocanta microbes was observed, indicating a high similarity despite of the geographical, botanical and environmental distances between sites, in agreement with both high dispersal and local selection inherent to the microbial world. The potential biogeochemical cycling showed small differences between sites, with presence of photosynthetic green and purple sulfur bacteria, cyanobacteria and aerobic and anaerobic chemolitotrophs. Potential for aerobic methane oxidation and anaerobic methanogenesis was observed in both sites, with predominance of potential nitrification mostly by ammonia-oxidizing archaea, nitrite oxidation and denitrification, and minor contribution for nitrate reduction and nitrate ammonification. The predicted functions based on the taxonomic composition showed high overlapping between the two studied regions, despite their difference in gypsum richness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateu Menéndez-Serra
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group, Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Acces Cala Sant Francesc 14, Blanes 17300, Spain
| | - Xavier Triadó-Margarit
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group, Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Acces Cala Sant Francesc 14, Blanes 17300, Spain
| | - Carmen Castañeda
- Estación Experimental de Aula Dei (EEAD-CSIC), Av. Montañana 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Juan Herrero
- Estación Experimental de Aula Dei (EEAD-CSIC), Av. Montañana 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Emilio O Casamayor
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group, Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Acces Cala Sant Francesc 14, Blanes 17300, Spain.
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7
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Merbt SN, Proia L, Prosser JI, Martí E, Casamayor EO, von Schiller D. Stream drying drives microbial ammonia oxidation and first-flush nitrate export. Ecology 2018; 97:2192-2198. [PMID: 27859084 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2015] [Revised: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 05/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Stream microbial communities and associated processes are influenced by environmental fluctuations that may ultimately dictate nutrient export. Discharge fluctuations caused by intermittent stream flow are increasing worldwide in response to global change. We examined the impact of flow cessation and drying on in-stream nitrogen cycling. We determined archaeal (AOA) and bacterial ammonia oxidizer (AOB) abundance and ammonia oxidation activity in surface and deep sediments from different sites along the Fuirosos stream (Spain) subjected to contrasting hydrological conditions (i.e., running water, isolated pools, and dry streambeds). AOA were more abundant than AOB, with no major changes across hydrological conditions or sediment layers. However, ammonia oxidation activity and sediment nitrate content increased with the degree of stream drying, especially in surface sediments. Upscaling of our results shows that ammonia oxidation in dry streambeds can contribute considerably (~50%) to the high nitrate export typically observed in intermittent streams during first-flush events following flow reconnection. Our study illustrates how the dry channels of intermittent streams can be potential hotspots of ammonia oxidation. Consequently, shifts in the duration, spatial extent and severity of intermittent flow can play a decisive role in shaping nitrogen cycling and export along fluvial networks in response to global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie N Merbt
- Eawag-Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Department of Environmental Toxicology, Überlandstrasse 133 Postfach 611, 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Lorenzo Proia
- Catalan Institute for Water Research, Emili Grahit 101, 17003, Girona, Spain.,Ecology of Aquatic Systems, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Boulevard du Triomphe, B-1050, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - James I Prosser
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Cruickshank Building, St. Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, United Kingdom
| | - Eugènia Martí
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group, Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes, CEAB-CSIC, Accés a la Cala St. Francesc 14, 17300, Blanes, Spain
| | - Emilio O Casamayor
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group, Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes, CEAB-CSIC, Accés a la Cala St. Francesc 14, 17300, Blanes, Spain
| | - Daniel von Schiller
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country, PO Box 644, 48080, Bilbao, Spain
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Zhang LM, Duff AM, Smith CJ. Community and functional shifts in ammonia oxidizers across terrestrial and marine (soil/sediment) boundaries in two coastal Bay ecosystems. Environ Microbiol 2018; 20:2834-2853. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Revised: 03/01/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Li-Mei Zhang
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences; NUI Galway, University Road; Galway Ireland
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology; Research Center for Eco-Environmental Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 18 Shuangqing Rd.; Haidan Beijing 100085 P.R. China
| | - Aoife M. Duff
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences; NUI Galway, University Road; Galway Ireland
| | - Cindy J. Smith
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences; NUI Galway, University Road; Galway Ireland
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9
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Restrepo-Ortiz CX, Merbt SN, Barrero-Canossa J, Fuchs BM, Casamayor EO. Development of a 16S rRNA-targeted fluorescence in situ hybridization probe for quantification of the ammonia-oxidizer Nitrosotalea devanaterra and its relatives. Syst Appl Microbiol 2018; 41:408-413. [PMID: 29747878 DOI: 10.1016/j.syapm.2018.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Revised: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The Thaumarchaeota SAGMCG-1 group and, in particular, members of the genus Nitrosotalea have high occurrence in acidic soils, the rhizosphere, groundwater and oligotrophic lakes, and play a potential role in nitrogen cycling. In this study, the specific oligonucleotide fluorescence in situ hybridization probe SAG357 was designed for this Thaumarchaeota group based on the available 16S rRNA gene sequences in databases, and included the ammonia-oxidizing species Nitrosotalea devanaterra. Cell permeabilization for catalyzed reporter deposition fluorescence in situ detection and the hybridization conditions were optimized on enrichment cultures of the target species N. devanaterra, as well as the non-target ammonia-oxidizing archaeon Nitrosopumilus maritimus. Probe specificity was improved with a competitor oligonucleotide, and fluorescence intensity and cell visualization were enhanced by the design and application of two adjacent helpers. Probe performance was tested in soil samples along a pH gradient, and counting results matched the expected in situ distributions. Probe SAG357 and the CARD-FISH protocol developed in the present study will help to improve the current understanding of the ecology and physiology of N. devanaterra and its relatives in natural environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- C X Restrepo-Ortiz
- Center of Advanced Studies of Blanes, CEAB-CSIC, Accés Cala Sant Francesc, 14, Blanes, Spain
| | - S N Merbt
- Center of Advanced Studies of Blanes, CEAB-CSIC, Accés Cala Sant Francesc, 14, Blanes, Spain
| | - J Barrero-Canossa
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstraße 1, Bremen, Germany
| | - B M Fuchs
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstraße 1, Bremen, Germany
| | - E O Casamayor
- Center of Advanced Studies of Blanes, CEAB-CSIC, Accés Cala Sant Francesc, 14, Blanes, Spain.
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Alves RJE, Minh BQ, Urich T, von Haeseler A, Schleper C. Unifying the global phylogeny and environmental distribution of ammonia-oxidising archaea based on amoA genes. Nat Commun 2018; 9:1517. [PMID: 29666365 PMCID: PMC5904100 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03861-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Ammonia-oxidising archaea (AOA) are ubiquitous and abundant in nature and play a major role in nitrogen cycling. AOA have been studied intensively based on the amoA gene (encoding ammonia monooxygenase subunit A), making it the most sequenced functional marker gene. Here, based on extensive phylogenetic and meta-data analyses of 33,378 curated archaeal amoA sequences, we define a highly resolved taxonomy and uncover global environmental patterns that challenge many earlier generalisations. Particularly, we show: (i) the global frequency of AOA is extremely uneven, with few clades dominating AOA diversity in most ecosystems; (ii) characterised AOA do not represent most predominant clades in nature, including soils and oceans; (iii) the functional role of the most prevalent environmental AOA clade remains unclear; and (iv) AOA harbour molecular signatures that possibly reflect phenotypic traits. Our work synthesises information from a decade of research and provides the first integrative framework to study AOA in a global context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo J Eloy Alves
- Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics Division, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bui Quang Minh
- Center for Integrative Bioinformatics Vienna, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, Campus Vienna Biocenter 5, Dr. Bohr Gasse 9, 1030, Vienna, Austria
- Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, 2601, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Tim Urich
- Institute of Microbiology, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University, Felix-Hausdorff-Strasse 8, 17487, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Arndt von Haeseler
- Center for Integrative Bioinformatics Vienna, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, Campus Vienna Biocenter 5, Dr. Bohr Gasse 9, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christa Schleper
- Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics Division, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
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Frouin E, Bes M, Ollivier B, Quéméneur M, Postec A, Debroas D, Armougom F, Erauso G. Diversity of Rare and Abundant Prokaryotic Phylotypes in the Prony Hydrothermal Field and Comparison with Other Serpentinite-Hosted Ecosystems. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:102. [PMID: 29467733 PMCID: PMC5808123 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The Bay of Prony, South of New Caledonia, represents a unique serpentinite-hosted hydrothermal field due to its coastal situation. It harbors both submarine and intertidal active sites, discharging hydrogen- and methane-rich alkaline fluids of low salinity and mild temperature through porous carbonate edifices. In this study, we have extensively investigated the bacterial and archaeal communities inhabiting the hydrothermal chimneys from one intertidal and three submarine sites by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. We show that the bacterial community of the intertidal site is clearly distinct from that of the submarine sites with species distribution patterns driven by only a few abundant populations, affiliated to the Chloroflexi and Proteobacteria phyla. In contrast, the distribution of archaeal taxa seems less site-dependent, as exemplified by the co-occurrence, in both submarine and intertidal sites, of two dominant phylotypes of Methanosarcinales previously thought to be restricted to serpentinizing systems, either marine (Lost City Hydrothermal Field) or terrestrial (The Cedars ultrabasic springs). Over 70% of the phylotypes were rare and included, among others, all those affiliated to candidate divisions. We finally compared the distribution of bacterial and archaeal phylotypes of Prony Hydrothermal Field with those of five previously studied serpentinizing systems of geographically distant sites. Although sensu stricto no core microbial community was identified, a few uncultivated lineages, notably within the archaeal order Methanosarcinales and the bacterial class Dehalococcoidia (the candidate division MSBL5) were exclusively found in a few serpentinizing systems while other operational taxonomic units belonging to the orders Clostridiales, Thermoanaerobacterales, or the genus Hydrogenophaga, were abundantly distributed in several sites. These lineages may represent taxonomic signatures of serpentinizing ecosystems. These findings extend our current knowledge of the microbial diversity inhabiting serpentinizing systems and their biogeography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eléonore Frouin
- Aix-Marseille Univ, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO UM 110, Marseille, France
| | - Méline Bes
- Aix-Marseille Univ, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO UM 110, Marseille, France
| | - Bernard Ollivier
- Aix-Marseille Univ, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO UM 110, Marseille, France
| | - Marianne Quéméneur
- Aix-Marseille Univ, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO UM 110, Marseille, France
| | - Anne Postec
- Aix-Marseille Univ, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO UM 110, Marseille, France
| | - Didier Debroas
- CNRS UMR 6023, Laboratoire "Microorganismes - Génome et Environnement", Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Fabrice Armougom
- Aix-Marseille Univ, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO UM 110, Marseille, France
| | - Gaël Erauso
- Aix-Marseille Univ, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO UM 110, Marseille, France
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Ortiz-Alvarez R, Casamayor EO. High occurrence of Pacearchaeota and Woesearchaeota (Archaea superphylum DPANN) in the surface waters of oligotrophic high-altitude lakes. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2016; 8:210-7. [PMID: 26711582 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2015] [Accepted: 12/16/2015] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
We carried out a regional survey on the archaea composition from surface waters of > 300 high-altitude Pyrenean lakes (average altitude 2300 m, pH range 4.4-10.1) by 16S rRNA gene tag sequencing. Relative Archaea abundances ranged between 0% and 6.3% of total prokaryotes amplicons in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) mixture, and we detected 769 operational taxonomic units (OTUs; grouped at 97% identity) that split into 13 different lineages, with altitude and pH having a significant effect on the community composition. Woesearchaeota and Pacearchaeota (formerly Euryarchaeota DHVEG-6 cluster) dominated the data set (83% of total OTUS), showed a high occurrence (presence in c. 75% of the lakes) and had relative abundances significantly and positively correlated with the phylogenetic diversity of bacterial communities. Micrarchaeota-Diapherotrites (formerly Euryarchaeota MEG cluster), Methanomicrobia, Thermoplasmata and ammonia-oxidizing thaumarchaeota (AOA) showed relative abundances between 1% and 3% and occurrences between 14% and 26%. Minor lineages were SM1K20, Aenigmarchaeota (formerly Euryarchaeota DSEG cluster), Methanobacteria, Bathyarchaeota and SCG. Environmental preferences substantially differed among lineages, with Aenigmarchaeota and Methanomicrobia having the largest habitat breadth, and Thermoplasmata, AOA and Micrarchaeota having the smallest. Pacearchaeota and Woesearchaeota had been mostly reported from saline habitats and sediments, but surface waters of oligotrophic alpine lakes are suitable environments for such ecologically spread and genetically diverse archaeal lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rudiger Ortiz-Alvarez
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group-Limnological Observatory of the Pyrenees, Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Blanes, Catalonia, 17300, Spain
| | - Emilio O Casamayor
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group-Limnological Observatory of the Pyrenees, Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Blanes, Catalonia, 17300, Spain
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Bao L, Wang X, Chen Y. Abundance and distribution of ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms in the sediments of Beiyun River, China. ANN MICROBIOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s13213-016-1191-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
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14
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Huang R, Zhao DY, Zeng J, Tian MY, Shen F, Jiang CL, Huang F, Yu ZB, Wu QL. Bioturbation of Tubificid worms affects the abundance and community composition of ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria in surface lake sediments. ANN MICROBIOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s13213-016-1192-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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15
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Zhang Q, Tang F, Zhou Y, Xu J, Chen H, Wang M, Laanbroek HJ. Shifts in the pelagic ammonia-oxidizing microbial communities along the eutrophic estuary of Yong River in Ningbo City, China. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:1180. [PMID: 26579089 PMCID: PMC4621301 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.01180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Aerobic ammonia oxidation plays a key role in the nitrogen cycle, and the diversity of the responsible microorganisms is regulated by environmental factors. Abundance and composition of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) were investigated in the surface waters along an environmental gradient of the Yong River in Ningbo, East China. Water samples were collected from three pelagic zones: (1) freshwaters in the urban canals of Ningbo, (2) brackish waters in the downstream Yong River, and (3) coastal marine water of Hangzhou Bay. Shifts in activity and diversity of the ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms occurred simultaneously with changes in environmental factors, among which salinity and the availabilities of ammonium and oxygen. The AOA abundance was always higher than that of AOB and was related to the ammonia oxidation activity. The ratios of AOA/AOB in the brackish and marine waters were significantly higher than those found in freshwaters. Both AOA and AOB showed similar community compositions in brackish and marine waters, but only 31 and 35% similarity, respectively, between these waters and the urban inland freshwaters. Most of AOA-amoA sequences from freshwater were affiliated with sequences obtained from terrestrial environments and those collected from brackish and coastal areas were ubiquitous in marine, coastal, and terrestrial ecosystems. All AOB from freshwaters belonged to Nitrosomonas, and the AOB from brackish and marine waters mainly belonged to Nitrosospira.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiufang Zhang
- Faculty of Architectural Civil Engineering and Environment, Ningbo University Ningbo, China
| | - Fangyuan Tang
- Faculty of Architectural Civil Engineering and Environment, Ningbo University Ningbo, China
| | - Yangjing Zhou
- Faculty of Architectural Civil Engineering and Environment, Ningbo University Ningbo, China
| | - Jirong Xu
- Faculty of Architectural Civil Engineering and Environment, Ningbo University Ningbo, China
| | - Heping Chen
- Faculty of Architectural Civil Engineering and Environment, Ningbo University Ningbo, China
| | - Mingkuang Wang
- Faculty of Architectural Civil Engineering and Environment, Ningbo University Ningbo, China
| | - Hendrikus J Laanbroek
- Department of Microbial Wetland Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) Wageningen, Netherlands ; Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University Utrecht, Netherlands
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Sintes E, De Corte D, Ouillon N, Herndl GJ. Macroecological patterns of archaeal ammonia oxidizers in the Atlantic Ocean. Mol Ecol 2015; 24:4931-42. [PMID: 26336038 PMCID: PMC4950044 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2014] [Revised: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 08/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Macroecological patterns are found in animals and plants, but also in micro-organisms. Macroecological and biogeographic distribution patterns in marine Archaea, however, have not been studied yet. Ammonia-oxidizing Archaea (AOA) show a bipolar distribution (i.e. similar communities in the northernmost and the southernmost locations, separated by distinct communities in the tropical and gyral regions) throughout the Atlantic, detectable from epipelagic to upper bathypelagic layers (<2000 m depth). This tentatively suggests an influence of the epipelagic conditions of organic matter production on bathypelagic AOA communities. The AOA communities below 2000 m depth showed a less pronounced biogeographic distribution pattern than the upper 2000 m water column. Overall, AOA in the surface and deep Atlantic waters exhibit distance-decay relationships and follow the Rapoport rule in a similar way as bacterial communities and macroorganisms. This indicates a major role of environmental conditions in shaping the community composition and assembly (species sorting) and no, or only weak limits for dispersal in the oceanic thaumarchaeal communities. However, there is indication of a different strength of these relationships between AOA and Bacteria, linked to the intrinsic differences between these two domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Sintes
- Department of Limnology and Bio‐OceanographyCenter of EcologyUniversity of ViennaAlthanstrasse 141090ViennaAustria
| | - Daniele De Corte
- Department of Limnology and Bio‐OceanographyCenter of EcologyUniversity of ViennaAlthanstrasse 141090ViennaAustria
| | - Natascha Ouillon
- Department of Limnology and Bio‐OceanographyCenter of EcologyUniversity of ViennaAlthanstrasse 141090ViennaAustria
| | - Gerhard J. Herndl
- Department of Limnology and Bio‐OceanographyCenter of EcologyUniversity of ViennaAlthanstrasse 141090ViennaAustria
- Department of Biological OceanographyRoyal Netherlands Institute for Sea ResearchPO Box 591790Den BurgThe Netherlands
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17
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Caliz J, Montes-Borrego M, Triadó-Margarit X, Metsis M, Landa BB, Casamayor EO. Influence of edaphic, climatic, and agronomic factors on the composition and abundance of nitrifying microorganisms in the rhizosphere of commercial olive crops. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0125787. [PMID: 25950678 PMCID: PMC4423868 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2014] [Accepted: 03/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The microbial ecology of the nitrogen cycle in agricultural soils is an issue of major interest. We hypothesized a major effect by farm management systems (mineral versus organic fertilizers) and a minor influence of soil texture and plant variety on the composition and abundance of microbial nitrifiers. We explored changes in composition (16S rRNA gene) of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), bacteria (AOB), and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB), and in abundance of AOA and AOB (qPCR of amoA genes) in the rhizosphere of 96 olive orchards differing in climatic conditions, agricultural practices, soil properties, and olive variety. Majority of archaea were 1.1b thaumarchaeota (soil crenarchaeotic group, SCG) closely related to the AOA genus Nitrososphaera. Most AOB (97%) were identical to Nitrosospira tenuis and most NOB (76%) were closely related to Nitrospira sp. Common factors shaping nitrifiers assemblage composition were pH, soil texture, and olive variety. AOB abundance was positively correlated with altitude, pH, and clay content, whereas AOA abundances showed significant relationships with organic nitrogen content and exchangeable K. The abundances of AOA differed significantly among soil textures and olive varieties, and those of AOB among soil management systems and olive varieties. Overall, we observed minor effects by orchard management system, soil cover crop practices, plantation age, or soil organic matter content, and major influence of soil texture, pH, and olive tree variety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan Caliz
- Biogeodynamics & Biodiversity Group, Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes, CEAB-CSIC, Blanes, Girona
| | - Miguel Montes-Borrego
- Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario (ceiA3), Córdoba, Spain
| | - Xavier Triadó-Margarit
- Biogeodynamics & Biodiversity Group, Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes, CEAB-CSIC, Blanes, Girona
| | - Madis Metsis
- Tallinn University, Institute of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Narva mnt 25, Tallinn 10120, Estonia
| | - Blanca B. Landa
- Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario (ceiA3), Córdoba, Spain
| | - Emilio O. Casamayor
- Biogeodynamics & Biodiversity Group, Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes, CEAB-CSIC, Blanes, Girona
- * E-mail:
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18
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Prokaryotic functional gene diversity in the sunlit ocean: Stumbling in the dark. Curr Opin Microbiol 2015; 25:33-9. [PMID: 25863027 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2015.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2014] [Revised: 03/07/2015] [Accepted: 03/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Prokaryotes are extremely abundant in the ocean where they drive biogeochemical cycles. The recent development and application of -omics techniques has provided an astonishing amount of information revealing the existence of a vast diversity of functional genes and a large heterogeneity within each gene. The big challenge for microbial ecologists is now to understand the ecological relevance of this variability for ecosystem functioning, a question that remains largely understudied. This brief review highlights some of the latest advances in the study of the diversity of biogeochemically relevant functional genes in the sunlit ocean.
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Connecting biodiversity and potential functional role in modern euxinic environments by microbial metagenomics. ISME JOURNAL 2015; 9:1648-61. [PMID: 25575307 PMCID: PMC4478705 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2014.254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2014] [Revised: 11/17/2014] [Accepted: 11/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Stratified sulfurous lakes are appropriate environments for studying the links between composition and functionality in microbial communities and are potentially modern analogs of anoxic conditions prevailing in the ancient ocean. We explored these aspects in the Lake Banyoles karstic area (NE Spain) through metagenomics and in silico reconstruction of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur metabolic pathways that were tightly coupled through a few bacterial groups. The potential for nitrogen fixation and denitrification was detected in both autotrophs and heterotrophs, with a major role for nitrogen and carbon fixations in Chlorobiaceae. Campylobacterales accounted for a large percentage of denitrification genes, while Gallionellales were putatively involved in denitrification, iron oxidation and carbon fixation and may have a major role in the biogeochemistry of the iron cycle. Bacteroidales were also abundant and showed potential for dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium. The very low abundance of genes for nitrification, the minor presence of anammox genes, the high potential for nitrogen fixation and mineralization and the potential for chemotrophic CO2 fixation and CO oxidation all provide potential clues on the anoxic zones functioning. We observed higher gene abundance of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria than ammonia-oxidizing archaea that may have a geochemical and evolutionary link related to the dominance of Fe in these environments. Overall, these results offer a more detailed perspective on the microbial ecology of anoxic environments and may help to develop new geochemical proxies to infer biology and chemistry interactions in ancient ecosystems.
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Merbt SN, Auguet JC, Blesa A, Martí E, Casamayor EO. Wastewater treatment plant effluents change abundance and composition of ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms in mediterranean urban stream biofilms. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2015; 69:66-74. [PMID: 25062836 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-014-0464-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2014] [Accepted: 07/09/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Streams affected by wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents are hotspots of nitrification. We analyzed the influence of WWTP inputs on the abundance, distribution, and composition of epilithic ammonia-oxidizing (AO) assemblages in five Mediterranean urban streams by qPCR and amoA gene cloning and sequencing of both archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB). The effluents significantly modified stream chemical parameters, and changes in longitudinal profiles of both NH(4)(+) and NO(3)(-) indicated stimulated nitrification activity. WWTP effluents were an allocthonous source of both AOA, essentially from the Nitrosotalea cluster, and mostly of AOB, mainly Nitrosomonas oligotropha, Nitrosomonas communis, and Nitrosospira spp. changing the relative abundance and the natural composition of AO assemblages. Under natural conditions, Nitrososphaera and Nitrosopumilus AOA dominated AO assemblages, and AOB were barely detected. After the WWTP perturbation, epilithic AOB increased by orders of magnitude whereas AOA did not show quantitative changes but a shift in population composition to dominance of Nitrosotalea spp. The foraneous AOB successfully settled in downstream biofilms and probably carried out most of the nitrification activity. Nitrosotalea were only observed downstream and only in biofilms exposed to either darkness or low irradiance. In addition to other potential environmental limitations for AOA distribution, this result suggests in situ photosensitivity as previously reported for Nitrosotalea under laboratory conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie N Merbt
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group, Centre of Advanced Studies of Blanes, CEAB-CSIC, Spanish Council for Scientific Research, Accés Cala St. Francesc 14, E-17300, Blanes, Spain
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21
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Monteiro M, Séneca J, Magalhães C. The history of aerobic ammonia oxidizers: from the first discoveries to today. J Microbiol 2014; 52:537-47. [PMID: 24972807 DOI: 10.1007/s12275-014-4114-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2014] [Revised: 06/11/2014] [Accepted: 06/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Nitrification, the oxidation of ammonia to nitrite and nitrate, has long been considered a central biological process in the global nitrogen cycle, with its first description dated 133 years ago. Until 2005, bacteria were considered the only organisms capable of nitrification. However, the recent discovery of a chemoautotrophic ammonia-oxidizing archaeon, Nitrosopumilus maritimus, changed our concept of the range of organisms involved in nitrification, highlighting the importance of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) as potential players in global biogeochemical nitrogen transformations. The uniqueness of these archaea justified the creation of a novel archaeal phylum, Thaumarchaeota. These recent discoveries increased the global scientific interest within the microbial ecology society and have triggered an analysis of the importance of bacterial vs archaeal ammonia oxidation in a wide range of natural ecosystems. In this mini review we provide a chronological perspective of the current knowledge on the ammonia oxidation pathway of nitrification, based on the main physiological, ecological and genomic discoveries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Monteiro
- EcoBioTec Laboratory, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto, Rua dos Bragas 289, P 4050-123, Porto, Portugal
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22
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Meyer A, Focks A, Radl V, Welzl G, Schöning I, Schloter M. Influence of land use intensity on the diversity of ammonia oxidizing bacteria and archaea in soils from grassland ecosystems. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2014; 67:161-166. [PMID: 24141944 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-013-0310-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2013] [Accepted: 10/03/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
In the present study, the influence of the land use intensity on the diversity of ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA) in soils from different grassland ecosystems has been investigated in spring and summer of the season (April and July). Diversity of AOA and AOB was studied by TRFLP fingerprinting of amoA amplicons. The diversity from AOB was low and dominated by a peak that could be assigned to Nitrosospira. The obtained profiles for AOB were very stable and neither influenced by the land use intensity nor by the time point of sampling. In contrast, the obtained patterns for AOA were more complex although one peak that could be assigned to Nitrosopumilus was dominating all profiles independent from the land use intensity and the sampling time point. Overall, the AOA profiles were much more dynamic than those of AOB and responded clearly to the land use intensity. An influence of the sampling time point was again not visible. Whereas AOB profiles were clearly linked to potential nitrification rates in soil, major TRFs from AOA were negatively correlated to DOC and ammonium availability and not related to potential nitrification rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annabel Meyer
- Chair for Soil Ecology, Technische Universität München, Ingolstädter Landstr 1, 85764, Neuerberg, Germany
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Yang J, Jiang H, Dong H, Wang H, Wu G, Hou W, Liu W, Zhang C, Sun Y, Lai Z. amoA-encoding archaea and thaumarchaeol in the lakes on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China. Front Microbiol 2013; 4:329. [PMID: 24273535 PMCID: PMC3824093 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2013.00329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2013] [Accepted: 10/17/2013] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
All known ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) belong to the phylum Thaumarchaeota within the domain Archaea. AOA possess the diagnostic amoA gene (encoding the alpha subunit of ammonia monooxygenase) and produce lipid biomarker thaumarchaeol. Although the abundance and diversity of amoA gene-encoding archaea (AEA) in freshwater lakes have been well-studied, little is known about AEA ecology in saline/hypersaline lakes. In this study, the distribution of the archaeal amoA gene and thaumarchaeol were investigated in nine Qinghai–Tibetan lakes with a salinity range from freshwater to salt-saturation (salinity: 325 g L-1). The results showed that the archaeal amoA gene was present in hypersaline lakes with salinity up to 160 g L-1. The archaeal amoA gene diversity in Tibetan lakes was different from those in other lakes worldwide, suggesting Tibetan lakes (high elevation, strong ultraviolet, and dry climate) may host a unique AEA population of different evolutionary origin from those in other lakes. Thaumarchaeol was present in all of the studied hypersaline lakes, even in those where no AEA amoA gene was observed. Future research is needed to determine the ecological function of AEA and possible sources of thaumarchaeol in the Qinghai–Tibetan hypersaline lakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences Wuhan, China ; Key Lab of Salt Lake Resources and Chemistry, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences Xining, China
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Short MD, Abell GCJ, Bodrossy L, van den Akker B. Application of a novel functional gene microarray to probe the functional ecology of ammonia oxidation in nitrifying activated sludge. PLoS One 2013; 8:e77139. [PMID: 24155925 PMCID: PMC3796556 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0077139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2013] [Accepted: 08/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
We report on the first study trialling a newly-developed, functional gene microarray (FGA) for characterising bacterial and archaeal ammonia oxidisers in activated sludge. Mixed liquor (ML) and media biofilm samples from a full-scale integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) plant were analysed with the FGA to profile the diversity and relative abundance of ammonia-oxidising archaea and bacteria (AOA and AOB respectively). FGA analyses of AOA and AOB communities revealed ubiquitous distribution of AOA across all samples – an important finding for these newly-discovered and poorly characterised organisms. Results also revealed striking differences in the functional ecology of attached versus suspended communities within the IFAS reactor. Quantitative assessment of AOB and AOA functional gene abundance revealed a dominance of AOB in the ML and approximately equal distribution of AOA and AOB in the media-attached biofilm. Subsequent correlations of functional gene abundance data with key water quality parameters suggested an important functional role for media-attached AOB in particular for IFAS reactor nitrification performance and indicate possible functional redundancy in some IFAS ammonia oxidiser communities. Results from this investigation demonstrate the capacity of the FGA to resolve subtle ecological shifts in key microbial communities in nitrifying activated sludge and indicate its value as a tool for better understanding the linkages between the ecology and performance of these engineered systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D. Short
- UNSW Water Research Centre, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- SA Water Centre for Water Management and Reuse, School of Natural and Built Environments, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Guy C. J. Abell
- CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research and Wealth from Oceans National Research Flagship, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Levente Bodrossy
- CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research and Wealth from Oceans National Research Flagship, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Ben van den Akker
- UNSW Water Research Centre, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
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Faith DP. Biodiversity and evolutionary history: useful extensions of the PD phylogenetic diversity assessment framework. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2013; 1289:69-89. [PMID: 23773093 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.12186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Evolutionary biology is a core discipline in biodiversity science. Evolutionary history or phylogeny provides one natural measure of biodiversity through the popular phylogenetic diversity (PD) measure. The evolutionary model underlying PD means that it can be interpreted as quantifying the relative feature diversity of sets of species. Quantifying feature diversity measures possible future uses and benefits or option values. Interpretation of PD as counting-up features is the basis for an emerging broad family of PD calculations, of use to both biodiversity researchers and decision makers. Many of these calculations extend conventional species-level indices to the features level. Useful PD calculations include PD complementarity and endemism, Hill and Valley numbers incorporating abundance, and PD dissimilarities. A flexible analysis framework is provided by expected PD calculations, applied to either probabilities of extinction or presence-absence. Practical extensions include phylogenetic risk analysis and measures of distinctiveness and endemism. These support the integration of phylogenetic diversity into biodiversity conservation and monitoring programs.
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Restrepo-Ortiz CX, Auguet JC, Casamayor EO. Targeting spatiotemporal dynamics of planktonic SAGMGC-1 and segregation of ammonia-oxidizing thaumarchaeota ecotypes by newly designed primers and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Environ Microbiol 2013; 16:689-700. [PMID: 23848190 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.12191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2013] [Revised: 06/11/2013] [Accepted: 06/11/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The annual dynamics of three different ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) ecotypes (amoA gene) and of the SAGMGC-1 (Nitrosotalea-like aquatic Thaumarchaeota) group (16S rRNA gene) were studied by newly designed specific primers and quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis in a deep oligotrophic high mountain lake (Lake Redon, Limnological Observatory of the Pyrenees, Spain). We observed segregated distributions of the main AOA populations, peaking separately in time and space, and under different ammonia concentrations and irradiance conditions. Strong positive correlation in gene abundances was found along the annual survey between 16S rRNA SAGMAGC-1 and one of the amoA ecotypes suggesting the potential for ammonia oxidation in the freshwater SAGMAGC-1 clade. We also observed dominance of Nitrosotalea-like ecotypes over Nitrosopumilus-like (Marine Group 1.1a) and not the same annual dynamics for the two thaumarchaeotal clades. The fine scale segregation in space and time of the different AOA ecotypes indicated the presence of phylogenetically close but ecologically segregated AOA species specifically adapted to specific environmental conditions. It remains to be elucidated what would be such environmental drivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia X Restrepo-Ortiz
- Limnological Observatory of the Pyrenees (LOOP)-Biogeodynamics and Biodiversity Interactions Group, Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes, CEAB-CSIC, Accés Cala Sant Francesc, 14, Blanes, Girona, 17300, Spain
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27
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Cao H, Auguet JC, Gu JD. Global ecological pattern of ammonia-oxidizing archaea. PLoS One 2013; 8:e52853. [PMID: 23468838 PMCID: PMC3585293 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0052853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2012] [Accepted: 11/22/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The global distribution of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), which play a pivotal role in the nitrification process, has been confirmed through numerous ecological studies. Though newly available amoA (ammonia monooxygenase subunit A) gene sequences from new environments are accumulating rapidly in public repositories, a lack of information on the ecological and evolutionary factors shaping community assembly of AOA on the global scale is apparent. METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS We conducted a meta-analysis on uncultured AOA using over ca. 6,200 archaeal amoA gene sequences, so as to reveal their community distribution patterns along a wide spectrum of physicochemical conditions and habitat types. The sequences were dereplicated at 95% identity level resulting in a dataset containing 1,476 archaeal amoA gene sequences from eight habitat types: namely soil, freshwater, freshwater sediment, estuarine sediment, marine water, marine sediment, geothermal system, and symbiosis. The updated comprehensive amoA phylogeny was composed of three major monophyletic clusters (i.e. Nitrosopumilus, Nitrosotalea, Nitrosocaldus) and a non-monophyletic cluster constituted mostly by soil and sediment sequences that we named Nitrososphaera. Diversity measurements indicated that marine and estuarine sediments as well as symbionts might be the largest reservoirs of AOA diversity. Phylogenetic analyses were further carried out using macroevolutionary analyses to explore the diversification pattern and rates of nitrifying archaea. In contrast to other habitats that displayed constant diversification rates, marine planktonic AOA interestingly exhibit a very recent and accelerating diversification rate congruent with the lowest phylogenetic diversity observed in their habitats. This result suggested the existence of AOA communities with different evolutionary history in the different habitats. CONCLUSION AND SIGNIFICANCE Based on an up-to-date amoA phylogeny, this analysis provided insights into the possible evolutionary mechanisms and environmental parameters that shape AOA community assembly at global scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiluo Cao
- Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology and Toxicology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jean-Christophe Auguet
- Equipe Environnement et Microbiologie, UMR CNRS-IPREM 5254, Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, Pau, France
| | - Ji-Dong Gu
- Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology and Toxicology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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Auguet JC, Casamayor EO. Partitioning ofThaumarchaeotapopulations along environmental gradients in high mountain lakes. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/1574-6941.12047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Christophe Auguet
- Limnological Observatory of the Pyrenees (LOOP) - Biogeodynamics & Biodiversity Group; Department of Continental Ecology; Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes CEAB-CSIC; Girona; Spain
| | - Emilio O. Casamayor
- Limnological Observatory of the Pyrenees (LOOP) - Biogeodynamics & Biodiversity Group; Department of Continental Ecology; Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes CEAB-CSIC; Girona; Spain
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