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Cuevas M, Francisco I, Díaz-González F, Diaz M, Quatrini R, Beamud G, Pedrozo F, Temporetti P. Nutrient structure dynamics and microbial communities at the water-sediment interface in an extremely acidic lake in northern Patagonia. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1335978. [PMID: 38410393 PMCID: PMC10895001 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1335978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Lake Caviahue (37° 50 'S and 71° 06' W; Patagonia, Argentina) is an extreme case of a glacial, naturally acidic, aquatic environment (pH ~ 3). Knowledge of the bacterial communities in the water column of this lake, is incipient, with a basal quantification of the bacterioplankton abundance distribution in the North and South Basins of Lake Caviahue, and the described the presence of sulfur and iron oxidizing bacteria in the lake sediments. The role that bacterioplankton plays in nutrient utilization and recycling in this environment, especially in the phosphorus cycle, has not been studied. In this work, we explore this aspect in further depth by assessing the diversity of pelagic, littoral and sediment bacteria, using state of the art molecular methods and identifying the differences and commonalties in the composition of the cognate communities. Also, we investigate the interactions between the sediments of Lake Caviahue and the microbial communities present in both sediments, pore water and the water column, to comprehend the ecological relationships driving nutrient structure and fluxes, with a special focus on carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Two major environmental patterns were observed: (a) one distinguishing the surface water samples due to temperature, Fe2+, and electrical conductivity, and (b) another distinguishing winter and summer samples due to the high pH and increasing concentrations of N-NH4+, DOC and SO42-, from autumn and spring samples with high soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and iron concentrations. The largest bacterial abundance was found in autumn, alongside higher levels of dissolved phosphorus, iron forms, and increased conductivity. The highest values of bacterial biomass were found in the bottom strata of the lake, which is also where the greatest diversity in microbial communities was found. The experiments using continuous flow column microcosms showed that microbial growth over time, in both the test and control columns, was accompanied by a decrease in the concentration of dissolved nutrients (SRP and N-NH4+), providing proof that sediment microorganisms are active and contribute significantly to nutrient utilization/mobilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayra Cuevas
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA), Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche-UNComahue, CCT-Patagonia Norte, CONICET, San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
| | - Issotta Francisco
- Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia Ciencia & Vida, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, School of Biological Sciences, P. Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Fernando Díaz-González
- Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia Ciencia & Vida, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile
- Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
| | - Mónica Diaz
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA), Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche-UNComahue, CCT-Patagonia Norte, CONICET, San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
| | - Raquel Quatrini
- Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia Ciencia & Vida, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile
- Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
| | - Guadalupe Beamud
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA), Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche-UNComahue, CCT-Patagonia Norte, CONICET, San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
| | - Fernando Pedrozo
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA), Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche-UNComahue, CCT-Patagonia Norte, CONICET, San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
| | - Pedro Temporetti
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA), Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche-UNComahue, CCT-Patagonia Norte, CONICET, San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
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Egas RA, Sahonero-Canavesi DX, Bale NJ, Koenen M, Yildiz Ç, Villanueva L, Sousa DZ, Sánchez-Andrea I. Acetic acid stress response of the acidophilic sulfate reducer Acididesulfobacillus acetoxydans. Environ Microbiol 2024; 26:e16565. [PMID: 38356112 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16565] [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: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Acid mine drainage (AMD) waters are a severe environmental threat, due to their high metal content and low pH (pH <3). Current technologies treating AMD utilize neutrophilic sulfate-reducing microorganisms (SRMs), but acidophilic SRM could offer advantages. As AMDs are low in organics these processes require electron donor addition, which is often incompletely oxidized into organic acids (e.g., acetic acid). At low pH, acetic acid is undissociated and toxic to microorganisms. We investigated the stress response of the acetotrophic Acididesulfobacillus acetoxydans to acetic acid. A. acetoxydans was cultivated in bioreactors at pH 5.0 (optimum). For stress experiments, triplicate reactors were spiked until 7.5 mM of acetic acid and compared with (non-spiked) triplicate reactors for physiological, transcriptomic, and membrane lipid changes. After acetic acid spiking, the optical density initially dropped, followed by an adaptation phase during which growth resumed at a lower growth rate. Transcriptome analysis revealed a downregulation of genes involved in glutamate and aspartate synthesis following spiking. Membrane lipid analysis revealed a decrease in iso and anteiso fatty acid relative abundance; and an increase of acetyl-CoA as a fatty acid precursor. These adaptations allow A. acetoxydans to detoxify acetic acid, creating milder conditions for other microorganisms in AMD environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reinier A Egas
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Diana X Sahonero-Canavesi
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Texel, Den Burg, The Netherlands
| | - Nicole J Bale
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Texel, Den Burg, The Netherlands
| | - Michel Koenen
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Texel, Den Burg, The Netherlands
| | - Çağlar Yildiz
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Laura Villanueva
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Texel, Den Burg, The Netherlands
- Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Diana Z Sousa
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Centre for Living Technologies, Alliance TU/e, WUR, UU, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Irene Sánchez-Andrea
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Environmental Sciences and Sustainability Department, Science & Technology School, IE University, Segovia, Spain
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She Z, Wang J, Pan X, Ma D, Gao Y, Wang S, Chuai X, Yue Z. Decadal evolution of an acidic pit lake: Insights into the biogeochemical impacts of microbial community succession. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 243:120415. [PMID: 37517152 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120415] [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: 03/04/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Acidic pit lakes represent hydrological features resulting from the accumulation of acid mine drainage in mining operations. Long-term monitoring is essential for these extreme and contaminated environments, yet tracking investigations integrating microbial geochemical dynamics in acidic pit lakes have been lacking thus far. This study integrated historical data with field sampling to track decadal biogeochemical changes in an acidic pit lake. With limited artificial disturbance, significant and sustained biogeochemical changes were observed over the past decade. Surface water pH slowly increased from 2.8 to a maximum of 3.6, with a corresponding increase in bottom water pH to around 3.9, despite the accumulation of externally imported sulfate and metals. Elevated nutrient levels stimulated the macroscopic growth of Chlorophyta, resulting in a shift from reddish-brown to green water with floating algal bodies. Furthermore, microalgae-fixed organic carbon promoted the transition from the initial chemolithotrophy-based population dominated by Acidiphilium and Ferrovum to a heterotrophic community. The increase in heterotrophic iron- and sulfate-reducers may cause an elevation in ferrous levels and a decline in copper concentrations. However, most metals were not removed from the water column, potentially due to insufficient biosulfidogenesis or sulfide reoxidation. These findings offer novel insights into microbial succession in extreme ecosystem evolution and contribute to the management and remediation of acidic pit lakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhixiang She
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China; Anhui Engineering Research Center of Industrial Wastewater Treatment and Resource Recovery, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China; Key Laboratory of Nanominerals and Pollution Control of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China
| | - Jin Wang
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China; Anhui Engineering Research Center of Industrial Wastewater Treatment and Resource Recovery, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China; Key Laboratory of Nanominerals and Pollution Control of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China.
| | - Xin Pan
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China; Anhui Engineering Research Center of Industrial Wastewater Treatment and Resource Recovery, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China; Key Laboratory of Nanominerals and Pollution Control of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China
| | - Ding Ma
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China; Anhui Engineering Research Center of Industrial Wastewater Treatment and Resource Recovery, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China; Key Laboratory of Nanominerals and Pollution Control of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China
| | - Yijun Gao
- Luohe Mining Company Ltd, Anhui Maanshan Iron and Steel Mining Resources Group, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China
| | - Shaoping Wang
- Nanshan Mining Company Ltd, Anhui Maanshan Iron and Steel Mining Resources Group, Ma'anshan, Anhui 243000, China
| | - Xin Chuai
- Nanshan Mining Company Ltd, Anhui Maanshan Iron and Steel Mining Resources Group, Ma'anshan, Anhui 243000, China
| | - Zhengbo Yue
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China; Anhui Engineering Research Center of Industrial Wastewater Treatment and Resource Recovery, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China; Key Laboratory of Nanominerals and Pollution Control of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China.
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