Long term seasonal dynamics of synechococcus population structure in the gulf of aqaba, northern red sea

Seasonal and spatial variations of Synechococcus in abundance, pigment types, and genetic diversity in a temperate semi-enclosed bay

Synechococcus is abundant and globally widespread in various marine environments. Seasonal and spatial variations in Synechococcus abundance, pigment types, and genetic diversity were investigated based on flow cytometric analysis and high-throughput sequencing of cpcBA operon (encoding phycocyanin) and rpoC1 gene (encoding RNA polymerase) in a temperate semi-enclosed bay. Synechococcus abundance exhibited seasonal variations with the highest value in summer and the lowest value in winter, which was consistent with temperature variation. Three pigment types of Synechococcus type 1, type 2, and type 3 were distinguished based on cpcBA operon, which displayed obvious variations spatially between the inner and the outer bay. Freshwater discharge and water turbidity played important roles in regulating Synechococcus pigment types. Synechococcus assemblages were phylogenetically diverse (12 different lineages) based on rpoC1 gene and dominated by three core lineages S5.1-I, S5.1-IX, and S5.2-CB5 in different seasons. Our study demonstrated that Synechococcus abundance, pigment types, and genetic diversity displayed variations seasonally and spatially by different techniques, which were mainly driven by temperature, salinity, nutrients, and turbidity. The combination of more technical means provides more information for studying Synechococcus distribution. In this study, three pigment types of Synechococcus were discriminated simultaneously by dual lasers flow cytometer for the first time.

Design and use of a new primer pair for the characterization of the cyanobacteria Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus communities targeting petB gene through metabarcoding approaches

During the last years, the application of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies to search for specific genetic markers has become a crucial method for the characterization of microbial communities. Illumina MiSeq, likely the most widespread NGS platform for metabarcoding experiments and taxonomic classification, allows processing shorter reads than the classical SANGER sequencing method and therefore requires specific primer pairs that produce shorter amplicons. Specifically, for the analysis of the commonly studied Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus communities, the petB marker gene has recently stood out as able to provide deep coverage to determine the microdiversity of the community. However, current petB primer set produce a 597 bp amplicon that is not suitable for MiSeq chemistry. Here, we designed and tested a petB primer pair that targets both Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus communities producing an appropriate amplicon to be used with state-of-the-art Illumina MiSeq. This new primer set allows the classification of both groups to a low taxonomic level and is therefore suitable for high throughput experiments using MiSeq technologies, therefore constituting a useful, novel tool to facilitate further studies on Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus communities. •This work describes the de novo design of a Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus-specific petB primer pair, allowing the characterization of both populations to a low taxonomic level.•This primer pair is suitable for widespread Illumina MiSeq sequencing technologies.•petB was confirmed as an adequate target for the characterization of both picocyanobacteria.

Seasonal Patterns of Picocyanobacterial Community Structure in the Kuroshio Current

The nutrient-scarce, warm, and high-salinity Kuroshio current has a profound impact on both the marine ecology of the northwestern Pacific Ocean and the global climate. This study aims to reveal the seasonal dynamics of picoplankton in the subtropical Kuroshio current. Our results showed that one of the picocyanobacteria, Synechococcus, mainly distributed in the surface water layer regardless of seasonal changes, and the cell abundance ranged from 104 to 105 cells mL-1. In contrast, the maximum concentration of the other picocyanobacteria, Prochlorococcus, was maintained at more than 105 cells mL-1 throughout the year. In the summer and the autumn, Prochlorococcus were mainly concentrated at the water layer near the bottom of the euphotic zone. They were evenly distributed in the euphotic zone in the spring and winter. The stirring effect caused by the monsoon determined their distribution in the water column. In addition, the results of 16S rRNA gene diversity analysis showed that the seasonal changes in the relative abundance of Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus in the surface water of each station accounted for 20 to 40% of the total reads. The clade II of Synechococcus and the High-light II of Prochlorococcus were the dominant strains in the waters all year round. Regarding other picoplankton, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria occupied 45% and 10% of the total picoplankton in the four seasons. These data should be helpful for elucidating the impacts of global climate changes on marine ecology and biogeochemical cycles in the Western Boundary Currents in the future.

Seasonality of top-down control of bacterioplankton at two central Red Sea sites with different trophic status

The role of bottom-up (nutrient availability) and top-down (grazers and viruses mortality) controls on tropical bacterioplankton have been rarely investigated simultaneously from a seasonal perspective. We have assessed them through monthly samplings over 2 years in inshore and offshore waters of the central Red Sea differing in trophic status. Flow cytometric analysis allowed us to distinguish five groups of heterotrophic bacteria based on physiological properties (nucleic acid content, membrane integrity and active respiration), three groups of cyanobacteria (two populations of Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus), heterotrophic nanoflagellates (HNFs) and three groups of viruses based on nucleic acid content. The dynamics of bacterioplankton and their top-down controls varied with season and location, being more pronounced in inshore waters. HNFs abundances showed a strong preference for larger prey inshore (r = -0.62 to -0.59, p = 0.001-0.002). Positive relationships between viruses and heterotrophic bacterioplankton abundances were more marked inshore (r = 0.67, p < 0.001) than offshore (r = 0.44, p = 0.03). The negative correlation between HNFs and viruses abundances (r = -0.47, p = 0.02) in shallow waters indicates a persistent seasonal switch between protistan grazing and viral lysis that maintains the low bacterioplankton stocks in the central Red Sea area.

Spatio-temporal patterns of Synechococcus oligotypes in Moroccan lagoonal environments

Synechococcus are unicellular cyanobacteria susceptible to environmental fluctuations and can be used as bioindicators of eutrophication in marine ecosystems. We examined their distribution in two Moroccan lagoons, Marchica on the Mediterranean coast and Oualidia on the Atlantic, in the summers of 2014 and 2015 using 16S rRNA amplicon oligotyping. Synechococcus representatives recruited a higher number of reads from the 16S rRNA in Marchica in comparison to Oualidia. We identified 31 Synechococcus oligotypes that clustered into 10 clades with different distribution patterns. The Synechococcus community was mainly represented by oligotype 1 (clade III) in Marchica. Cooccurring clades IV and I had an important relative abundance in Marchica in the summer of 2014, which is unusual, as these clades are widespread in cold waters. Moreover, Clades VII and subcluster "5.3" formed a sizeable percentage of the Synechococcus community in Marchica. Notably, we found low Synechococcus sequence counts in the Atlantic Lagoon. These results showed that the relative abundance of Synechococcus reads is not constant over space and time and that rare members of the Synechococcus community did not follow a consistent pattern. Further studies are required to decipher Synechococcus dynamics and the impact of environmental parameters on their spatial and temporal distributions.

Phycobilisome light-harvesting efficiency in natural populations of the marine cyanobacteria Synechococcus increases with depth

Cyanobacteria of the genus Synechococcus play a key role as primary producers and drivers of the global carbon cycle in temperate and tropical oceans. Synechococcus use phycobilisomes as photosynthetic light-harvesting antennas. These contain phycoerythrin, a pigment-protein complex specialized for absorption of blue light, which penetrates deep into open ocean water. As light declines with depth, Synechococcus photo-acclimate by increasing both the density of photosynthetic membranes and the size of the phycobilisomes. This is achieved with the addition of phycoerythrin units, as demonstrated in laboratory studies. In this study, we probed Synechococcus populations in an oligotrophic water column habitat at increasing depths. We observed morphological changes and indications for an increase in phycobilin content with increasing depth, in summer stratified Synechococcus populations. Such an increase in antenna size is expected to come at the expense of decreased energy transfer efficiency through the antenna, since energy has a longer distance to travel. However, using fluorescence lifetime depth profile measurement approach, which is applied here for the first time, we found that light-harvesting quantum efficiency increased with depth in stratified water column. Calculated phycobilisome fluorescence quantum yields were 3.5% at 70 m and 0.7% at 130 m. Under these conditions, where heat dissipation is expected to be constant, lower fluorescence yields correspond to higher photochemical yields. During winter-mixing conditions, Synechococcus present an intermediate state of light harvesting, suggesting an acclimation of cells to the average light regime through the mixing depth (quantum yield of ~2%). Given this photo-acclimation strategy, the primary productivity attributed to marine Synechococcus should be reconsidered.

Probing the population of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus in an oligotrophic water column habitat at increasing depths reveals that light-harvesting quantum efficiency increases with depth.

Phylogenetic Structure of Synechococcus Assemblages and Its Environmental Determinants in the Bay and Strait Areas of a Continental Sea

Marine Synechococcus, a significant contributor to primary production, shows high phylogenetic diversity. However, studies on its phylogenetic composition in the Bohai Sea, the largest continental sea in China, are lacking. We sequenced rpoC1 (encodes the RNA polymerase β’ subunit protein) in samples from the Laizhou Bay (LZB) and Bohai Strait (BS) in June and November using high-throughput sequencing to reveal the phylogenetic composition of Synechococcus assemblages in the bay and strait areas of the Bohai Sea. In total, 12 lineages representing Synechococcus subclusters S5.1, S5.2, and S5.3 were identified. Spatially, clade I was obligately dominant in BS. In contrast, the Synechococcus assemblage in LZB was more diverse, with clades VI and III being highly abundant. In addition, we detected strong variation in Synechococcus structure between June and November in the Bohai Sea. Clades II, III, XX, and miyav were only detected in November. Vertically, variation in Synechococcus assemblage was not apparent among the water layers probably due to the shallow water depth with intense water mixing. Results of redundancy analysis (RDA) and random forest (RF) analysis together highlighted the key role of silicate in the Synechococcus assemblage. Our results suggested that the Bohai Sea provides various niches for different Synechococcus clades, resulting in a special phylogenetic composition of the Synechococcus assemblage, compared with that in the adjacent shelf sea and other continental seas in the world.

Spatio-Temporal Variation of Synechococcus Assemblages at DNA and cDNA Levels in the Tropical Estuarine and Coastal Waters

Synechococcus is a major contributor to global marine primary production. Here, its spatio-temporal variations in abundance and phylogenetic structure were studied at three stations of the South China Sea at both DNA and cDNA levels. Synechococcus cell abundance was lowest in March, but highest in October at two coastal stations. Its abundance was higher at the estuarine station, which reached a peak value of 1.36 × 105 cells/ml in April, owing to the nitrogen nutrients discharged from the Sanya River. Gene and gene transcript abundances of four Synechococcus lineages, clades II, III, VIII, and S5.3, were studied by quantitative PCR, which showed that clade II was the most abundant lineage at both DNA and cDNA levels. High-throughput sequencing revealed that, at the DNA level, Synechococcus assemblage was dominated by clade SY4 (a novel clade defined in this study), S5.2, and clade II in the coastal waters and was dominated by freshwater/S5.2 Synechococcus, reaching a value up to 88.61% in June, in estuarine waters. Changes in salinity and nutrient concentration caused by seasonal monsoonal forcing and river discharge were the key determinants of the spatio-temporal variation in Synechococcus assemblages at the DNA level. In comparison, high dissimilation among samples at the same stations and in the same seasons leads to the imperceptible spatio-temporal variation pattern of Synechococcus assemblages at the cDNA level. Furthermore, co-occurrence networks disclosed that Synechococcus community had closer and more complex internal interactions at the cDNA level. These discrepancies highlighted the necessity to study Synechococcus assemblages at both DNA and cDNA levels.

Seasonal environmental variability drives microdiversity within a coastal Synechococcus population

Marine microbes often show a high degree of physiological or ecological diversity below the species level. This microdiversity raises questions about the processes that drive diversification and permit coexistence of diverse yet closely related marine microbes, especially given the theoretical efficiency of competitive exclusion. Here, we provide insight with an 8‐year time series of diversity within Synechococcus, a widespread and important marine picophytoplankter. The population of Synechococcus on the Northeast U.S. Shelf is comprised of six main types, each of which displays a distinct and consistent seasonal pattern. With compositional data analysis, we show that these patterns can be reproduced with a simple model that couples differential responses to temperature and light with the seasonal cycle of the physical environment. These observations support the hypothesis that temporal variability in environmental factors can maintain microdiversity in marine microbial populations. We also identify how seasonal diversity patterns directly determine overarching Synechococcus population abundance features.

Temperature Responses of Heterotrophic Bacteria in Co-culture With a Red Sea Synechococcus Strain

Interactions between autotrophic and heterotrophic bacteria are fundamental for marine biogeochemical cycling. How global warming will affect the dynamics of these essential microbial players is not fully understood. The aims of this study were to identify the major groups of heterotrophic bacteria present in a Synechococcus culture originally isolated from the Red Sea and assess their joint responses to experimental warming within the metabolic ecology framework. A co-culture of Synechococcus sp. RS9907 and their associated heterotrophic bacteria, after determining their taxonomic affiliation by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, was acclimated and maintained in the lab at different temperatures (24-34°C). The abundance and cellular properties of Synechococcus and the three dominant heterotrophic bacterial groups (pertaining to the genera Paracoccus, Marinobacter, and Muricauda) were monitored by flow cytometry. The activation energy of Synechococcus, which grew at 0.94-1.38 d-1, was very similar (0.34 ± 0.02 eV) to the value hypothesized by the metabolic theory of ecology (MTE) for autotrophs (0.32 eV), while the values of the three heterotrophic bacteria ranged from 0.16 to 1.15 eV and were negatively correlated with their corresponding specific growth rates (2.38-24.4 d-1). The corresponding carrying capacities did not always follow the inverse relationship with temperature predicted by MTE, nor did we observe a consistent response of bacterial cell size and temperature. Our results show that the responses to future ocean warming of autotrophic and heterotrophic bacteria in microbial consortia might not be well described by theoretical universal rules.

Weekly variations of viruses and heterotrophic nanoflagellates and their potential impact on bacterioplankton in shallow waters of the central Red Sea

Bacterioplankton play a pivotal role in marine ecosystems. However, their temporal dynamics and underlying control mechanisms are poorly understood in tropical regions such as the Red Sea. Here, we assessed the impact of bottom-up (resource availability) and top-down (viruses and heterotrophic nanoflagellates) controls on bacterioplankton abundances by weekly sampling a coastal central Red Sea site in 2017. We monitored microbial abundances by flow cytometry together with a set of environmental variables including temperature, salinity, dissolved organic and inorganic nutrients and chlorophyll a. We distinguished five groups of heterotrophic bacteria depending on their physiological properties relative nucleic acid content, membrane integrity and cell-specific respiratory activity, two groups of Synechococcus cyanobacteria and three groups of viruses. Viruses controlled heterotrophic bacteria for most of the year, as supported by a negative correlation between their respective abundances and a positive one between bacterial mortality rates and mean viral abundances. On the contrary, heterotrophic nanoflagellates abundance covaried with that of heterotrophic bacteria. Heterotrophic nanoflagellates showed preference for larger bacteria from both the high and low nucleic acid content groups. Our results demonstrate that top-down control is fundamental in keeping heterotrophic bacterioplankton abundances low (< 5 × 10 ⁵ cells mL⁻¹) in Red Sea coastal waters.

Picocyanobacteria Community and Cyanophage Infection Responses to Nutrient Enrichment in a Mesocosms Experiment in Oligotrophic Waters

Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus are pico-sized cyanobacteria that play a fundamental role in oceanic primary production, being particularly important in warm, nutrient-poor waters. Their potential response to nutrient enrichment is expected to be contrasting and to differ from larger phytoplankton species. Here, we used a metagenomic approach to characterize the responses to nutrient enrichment in the community of picocyanobacteria and to analyze the cyanophage response during a mesocosms experiment in the oligotrophic Red Sea. Natural picoplankton community was dominated by Synechococcus clade II, with marginal presence of Prochlorococcus (0.3% bacterial reads). Increased nutrient input triggered a fast Synechococcus bloom, with clade II being the dominant, with no response of Prochlorococcus growth. The largest bloom developed in the mesocosms receiving a single initial input of nutrients, instead of daily additions. The relative abundances of cyanophage sequences in cellular metagenomes increased during the experiment from 12.6% of total virus reads up to 40% in the treatment with the largest Synechococcus bloom. The subsequent collapse of the bloom pointed to a cyanophage infection on Synechococcus that reduced its competitive capacity, and was then followed by a diatom bloom. The cyanophage attack appears to have preferentially affected the most abundant Synechococcus clade II, increasing the evenness within the host population. Our results highlight the relevance of host-phage interactions on determining population dynamics and diversity of Synechococcus populations.

Seasonal variability and vertical distribution of autotrophic and heterotrophic picoplankton in the Central Red Sea

The Red Sea is characterized by higher temperatures and salinities than other oligotrophic tropical regions. Here, we investigated the vertical and seasonal variations in the abundance and biomass of autotrophic and heterotrophic picoplankton. Using flow cytometry, we consistently observed five groups of autotrophs (Prochlorococcus, two populations of Synechococcus separated by their relative phycoerythrin fluorescence, low (LF-Syn) and high (HF-Syn), and two differently-sized groups of picoeukaryotes, small (Speuk) and large (Lpeuk)) and two groups of heterotrophic prokaryotes of low and high nucleic acid content (LNA and HNA, respectively). Samples were collected in 15 surveys conducted from 2015 to 2017 at a 700-m depth station in the central Red Sea. Surface temperature ranged from 24.6 to 32.6 °C with a constant value of 21.7 °C below 200 m. Integrated (0-100 m) chlorophyll a concentrations were low, with maximum values in fall (24.0 ± 2.7 mg m^-2) and minima in spring and summer (16.1 ± 1.9 and 1.1 mg m^-2, respectively). Picoplankton abundance was generally lower than in other tropical environments. Vertical distributions differed for each group, with Synechococcus and LNA prokaryotes more abundant at the surface while Prochlorococcus, picoeukaryotes and HNA prokaryotes peaked at the deep chlorophyll maximum, located between 40 and 76 m. Surface to 100 m depth-weighted abundances exhibited clear seasonal patterns for Prochlorococcus, with maxima in summer (7.83 × 10⁴ cells mL^-1, July 2015) and minima in winter (1.39 × 10⁴ cells mL^-1, January 2015). LF-Syn (0.32 - 2.70 × 10⁴ cells mL^-1 ), HF-Syn (1.11 - 3.20 × 10⁴ cells mL^-1) and Speuk (0.99 - 4.81 × 10² cells mL^-1) showed an inverse pattern to Prochlorococcus, while Lpeuk (0.16 - 7.05 × 10⁴ cells mL^-1) peaked in fall. Synechococcus unexpectedly outnumbered Prochlorococcus in winter and at the end of fall. The seasonality of heterotrophic prokaryotes (2.29 - 4.21×10⁵ cells mL^-1 ) was less noticeable than autotrophic picoplankton. The contribution of HNA cells was generally low in the upper layers, ranging from 36% in late spring and early summer to ca. 50% in winter and fall. Autotrophs dominated integrated picoplankton biomass in the upper 100 m, with 1.4-fold higher values in summer than in winter (mean 387 and 272 mg C m^-2, respectively). However, when the whole water column was considered, the biomass of heterotrophic prokaryotes exceeded that of autotrophic picoplankton with an average of 411 mg C m^-2. Despite being located in tropical waters, our results show that the picoplankton community seasonal differences in the central Red Sea are not fundamentally different from higher latitude regions.

Latitudinal and Vertical Variation of Synechococcus Assemblage Composition Along 170° W Transect From the South Pacific to the Arctic Ocean

Synechococcus is one of the most widely distributed and abundant picocyanobacteria in the global oceans. Although latitudinal variation of Synechococcus assemblage in marine surface waters has been observed, few studies compared Synechococcus assemblage composition in surface and subsurface waters at the basin scale. Here, we report marine Synechococcus diversity in the surface and deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) layers along 170° W from the South Pacific to the Arctic Ocean in summer. Along the transect, spatial niche partitioning of Synechococcus lineages in the surface waters was clearly observed. Species richness of surface Synechococcus assemblage was positively correlated with water temperature. Clade CRD1 was dominant in the areas (15° S-10° N and 35-40° N) associated with upwelling, and there were 3 different subclades with distinct distribution. CRD1-A was restricted in the North Equatorial Current (5-10° N), CRD1-B dominated in the equatorial upwelling region (15° S-0.17° N), and CRD1-C was only distributed in the North Pacific Current (35-40° N). Similarities between the Synechococcus assemblages in the surface and DCM layers were high at the upwelling regions and areas where the mixed layer was deep, while low in the Subtropical Gyres with strong stratification. Clade I, CRD1-B, and CRD1-C were major Synechococcus lineages in the DCM layer. In particular, clade I, which is composed of 7 subclades with distinct thermal niches, was widely distributed in the DCM layer. Overall, our results provide new insights into not only the latitudinal distribution of Synechococcus assemblages, but also their vertical variation in the central Pacific.

Parallel phylogeography of Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus

The globally abundant marine Cyanobacteria Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus share many physiological traits but presumably have different evolutionary histories and associated phylogeography. In Prochlorococcus, there is a clear phylogenetic hierarchy of ecotypes, whereas multiple Synechococcus clades have overlapping physiologies and environmental distributions. However, microbial traits are associated with different phylogenetic depths. Using this principle, we reclassified diversity at different phylogenetic levels and compared the phylogeography. We sequenced the genetic diversity of Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus from 339 samples across the tropical Pacific Ocean and North Atlantic Ocean using a highly variable phylogenetic marker gene (rpoC1). We observed clear parallel niche distributions of ecotypes leading to high Pianka's Index values driven by distinct shifts at two transition points. The first transition point at 6°N distinguished ecotypes adapted to warm waters but separated by macronutrient content. At 39°N, ecotypes adapted to warm, low macronutrient vs. colder, high macronutrient waters shifted. Finally, we detected parallel vertical and regional single-nucleotide polymorphism microdiversity within clades from both Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus, suggesting uniquely adapted populations at very specific depths, as well as between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Overall, this study demonstrates that Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus have shared phylogenetic organization of traits and associated phylogeography.

Seasonal Succession and Spatial Patterns of Synechococcus Microdiversity in a Salt Marsh Estuary Revealed through 16S rRNA Gene Oligotyping

Synechococcus are ubiquitous and cosmopolitan cyanobacteria that play important roles in global productivity and biogeochemical cycles. This study investigated the fine scale microdiversity, seasonal patterns, and spatial distributions of Synechococcus in estuarine waters of Little Sippewissett salt marsh (LSM) on Cape Cod, MA. The proportion of Synechococcus reads was higher in the summer than winter, and higher in coastal waters than within the estuary. Variations in the V4-V6 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene revealed 12 unique Synechococcus oligotypes. Two distinct communities emerged in early and late summer, each comprising a different set of statistically co-occurring Synechococcus oligotypes from different clades. The early summer community included clades I and IV, which correlated with lower temperature and higher dissolved oxygen levels. The late summer community included clades CB5, I, IV, and VI, which correlated with higher temperatures and higher salinity levels. Four rare oligotypes occurred in the late summer community, and their relative abundances more strongly correlated with high salinity than did other co-occurring oligotypes. The analysis revealed that multiple, closely related oligotypes comprised certain abundant clades (e.g., clade 1 in the early summer and clade CB5 in the late summer), but the correlations between these oligotypes varied from pair to pair, suggesting they had slightly different niches despite being closely related at the clade level. Lack of tidal water exchange between sampling stations gave rise to a unique oligotype not abundant at other locations in the estuary, suggesting physical isolation plays a role in generating additional microdiversity within the community. Together, these results contribute to our understanding of the environmental and ecological factors that influence patterns of Synechococcus microbial community composition over space and time in salt marsh estuarine waters.

Physiological and proteomic characterization of light adaptations in marine Synechococcus

Marine Synechococcus thrive over a range of light regimes in the ocean. We examined the proteomic, genomic and physiological responses of seven Synechococcus isolates to moderate irradiances (5-80 μE m^-2 s^-1 ), and show that Synechococcus spans a continuum of light responses ranging from low light optimized (LLO) to high light optimized (HLO). These light responses are linked to phylogeny and pigmentation. Marine sub-cluster 5.1A isolates with higher phycouribilin: phycoerythrobilin ratios fell toward the LLO end of the continuum, while sub-cluster 5.1B, 5.2 and estuarine Synechococcus with less phycouribilin fell toward the HLO end of the continuum. Global proteomes were highly responsive to light, with > 50% of abundant proteins varying more than twofold between the lowest and highest irradiance. All strains downregulated phycobilisome proteins with increasing irradiance. Regulation of proteins involved in photosynthetic electron transport, carbon fixation, oxidative stress protection (superoxide dismutases) and iron and nitrogen metabolism varied among strains, as did the number of high light inducible protein (Hlip) and DNA photolyase genes in their genomes. All but one LLO strain possessed the photoprotective orange carotenoid protein (OCP). The unique combinations of light responses in each strain gives rise to distinct photophysiological phenotypes that may affect Synechococcus distributions in the ocean.

mdRNA-Seq analysis of marine microbial communities from the northern Red Sea

Metatranscriptomic differential RNA-Seq (mdRNA-Seq) identifies the suite of active transcriptional start sites at single-nucleotide resolution through enrichment of primary transcript 5′ ends. Here we analyzed the microbial community at 45 m depth at Station A in the northern Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea, during 500 m deep mixing in February 2012 using mdRNA-Seq and a parallel classical RNA-Seq approach. We identified promoters active in situ for five different pico-planktonic genera (the SAR11 clade of Alphaproteobacteria, Synechococcus of Cyanobacteria, Euryarchaeota, Thaumarchaeota, and Micromonas as an example for picoeukaryotic algae), showing the applicability of this approach to highly diverse microbial communities. 16S rDNA quantification revealed that 24% of the analyzed community were group II marine Euryarchaeota in which we identified a highly abundant non-coding RNA, Tan1, and detected very high expression of genes encoding intrinsically disordered proteins, as well as enzymes for the synthesis of specific B vitamins, extracellular peptidases, carbohydrate-active enzymes, and transport systems. These results highlight previously unknown functions of Euryarchaeota with community-wide relevance. The complementation of metatranscriptomic studies with mdRNA-Seq provides substantial additional information regarding transcriptional start sites, promoter activities, and the identification of non-coding RNAs.

Delineating ecologically significant taxonomic units from global patterns of marine picocyanobacteria

Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus are the two most abundant and widespread phytoplankton in the global ocean. To better understand the factors controlling their biogeography, a reference database of the high-resolution taxonomic marker petB, encoding cytochrome b6, was used to recruit reads out of 109 metagenomes from the Tara Oceans expedition. An unsuspected novel genetic diversity was unveiled within both genera, even for the most abundant and well-characterized clades, and 136 divergent petB sequences were successfully assembled from metagenomic reads, significantly enriching the reference database. We then defined Ecologically Significant Taxonomic Units (ESTUs)-that is, organisms belonging to the same clade and occupying a common oceanic niche. Three major ESTU assemblages were identified along the cruise transect for Prochlorococcus and eight for Synechococcus Although Prochlorococcus HLIIIA and HLIVA ESTUs codominated in iron-depleted areas of the Pacific Ocean, CRD1 and the yet-to-be cultured EnvB were the prevalent Synechococcus clades in this area, with three different CRD1 and EnvB ESTUs occupying distinct ecological niches with regard to iron availability and temperature. Sharp community shifts were also observed over short geographic distances-for example, around the Marquesas Islands or between southern Indian and Atlantic Oceans-pointing to a tight correlation between ESTU assemblages and specific physico-chemical parameters. Together, this study demonstrates that there is a previously overlooked, ecologically meaningful, fine-scale diversity within some currently defined picocyanobacterial ecotypes, bringing novel insights into the ecology, diversity, and biology of the two most abundant phototrophs on Earth.

Effects of low temperature on tropical and temperate isolates of marine Synechococcus

Temperature is an important factor influencing the distribution of marine picocyanobacteria. However, molecular responses contributing to temperature preferences are poorly understood in these important primary producers. We compared the temperature acclimation of a tropical Synechococcus strain WH8102 with temperate strain BL107 at 18 °C relative to 22 °C and examined their global protein expression, growth patterns, photosynthetic efficiency and lipid composition. Global protein expression profiles demonstrate the partitioning of the proteome into major categories: photosynthesis (>40%), translation (10-15%) and membrane transport (2-8%) with distinct differences between and within strains grown at different temperatures. At low temperature, growth and photosynthesis of strain WH8102 was significantly decreased, while BL107 was largely unaffected. There was an increased abundance of proteins involved in protein biosynthesis at 18 °C for BL107. Each strain showed distinct differences in lipid composition with higher unsaturation in strain BL107. We hypothesize that differences in membrane fluidity, abundance of protein biosynthesis machinery and the maintenance of photosynthesis efficiency contribute to the acclimation of strain BL107 to low temperature. Additional proteins unique to BL107 may also contribute to this strain's improved fitness at low temperature. Such adaptive capacities are likely important factors favoring growth of temperate strains over tropical strains in high latitude niches.

Variable but persistent coexistence of Prochlorococcus ecotypes along temperature gradients in the ocean's surface mixed layer

The vast majority of the phytoplankton communities in surface mixed layer of the oligotrophic ocean are numerically dominated by one of two ecotypes of Prochlorococcus, eMIT9312 or eMED4. In this study, we surveyed large latitudinal transects in the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean to determine if these ecotypes discretely partition the surface mixed layer niche, or if populations exist as a continuum along key environmental gradients, particularly temperature. Transitions of dominance occurred at approximately 19-21°C, with the eMED4 ecotype dominating the colder, and eMIT9312 ecotype dominating the warmer regions. Within these zones of regional dominance, however, the minority ecotype was not competed to extinction. Rather, a robust log-linear relationship between ecotype ratio and temperature characterized this stabilized coexistence: for every 2.5°C increase in temperature, the eMIT9312:eMED4 ratio increased by an order of magnitude. This relationship was observed in both quantitative polymerase chain reaction and in pyrosequencing assays. Water column stratification also contributed to the ecotype ratio along the basin-scale transects, but to a lesser extent. Finally, instances where the ratio of the eMED4 and eMIT9312 abundances did not correlate well with temperature were identified. Such occurrences are likely due to changes in water temperatures outpacing changes in community structure.

Diversity of Synechococcus at the Martha's Vineyard Coastal Observatory: Insights from Culture Isolations, Clone Libraries, and Flow Cytometry

The cyanobacterium Synechococcus is a ubiquitous, important phytoplankter across the world's oceans. A high degree of genetic diversity exists within the marine group, which likely contributes to its global success. Over 20 clades with different distribution patterns have been identified. However, we do not fully understand the environmental factors that control clade distributions. These factors are likely to change seasonally, especially in dynamic coastal systems. To investigate how coastal Synechococcus assemblages change temporally, we assessed the diversity of Synechococcus at the Martha's Vineyard Coastal Observatory (MVCO) over three annual cycles with culture-dependent and independent approaches. We further investigated the abundance of both phycoerythrin (PE)-containing and phycocyanin (PC)-only Synechococcus with a flow cytometric setup that distinguishes PC-only Synechococcus from picoeukaryotes. We found that the Synechococcus assemblage at MVCO is diverse (13 different clades identified), but dominated by clade I representatives. Many clades were only isolated during late summer and fall, suggesting more favorable conditions for isolation at this time. PC-only strains from four different clades were isolated, but these cells were only detected by flow cytometry in a few samples over the time series, suggesting they are rare at this site. Within clade I, we identified four distinct subclades. The relative abundances of each subclade varied over the seasonal cycle, and the high Synechococcus cell concentration at MVCO may be maintained by the diversity found within this clade. This study highlights the need to understand how temporal aspects of the environment affect Synechococcus community structure and cell abundance.

Comparative genomics of Synechococcus and proposal of the new genus Parasynechococcus

Synechococcus is among the most important contributors to global primary productivity. The genomes of several strains of this taxon have been previously sequenced in an effort to understand the physiology and ecology of these highly diverse microorganisms. Here we present a comparative study of Synechococcus genomes. For that end, we developed GenTaxo, a program written in Perl to perform genomic taxonomy based on average nucleotide identity, average amino acid identity and dinucleotide signatures, which revealed that the analyzed strains are drastically distinct regarding their genomic content. Phylogenomic reconstruction indicated a division of Synechococcus in two clades (i.e. Synechococcus and the new genus Parasynechococcus), corroborating evidences that this is in fact a polyphyletic group. By clustering protein encoding genes into homologue groups we were able to trace the Pangenome and core genome of both marine and freshwater Synechococcus and determine the genotypic traits that differentiate these lineages.

Comparison of the seasonal variations of Synechococcus assemblage structures in estuarine waters and coastal waters of Hong Kong

Seasonal variation in the phylogenetic composition of Synechococcus assemblages in estuarine and coastal waters of Hong Kong was examined through pyrosequencing of the rpoC1 gene. Sixteen samples were collected in 2009 from two stations representing estuarine and ocean-influenced coastal waters, respectively. Synechococcus abundance in coastal waters gradually increased from 3.6 × 10(3) cells ml(-1) in March, reaching a peak value of 5.7 × 10(5) cells ml(-1) in July, and then gradually decreased to 9.3 × 10(3) cells ml(-1) in December. The changes in Synechococcus abundance in estuarine waters followed a pattern similar to that in coastal waters, whereas its composition shifted from being dominated by phycoerythrin-rich (PE-type) strains in winter to phycocyanin-only (PC-type) strains in summer owing to the increase in freshwater discharge from the Pearl River and higher water temperature. The high abundance of PC-type Synechococcus was composed of subcluster 5.2 marine Synechococcus, freshwater Synechococcus (F-PC), and Cyanobium. The Synechococcus assemblage in the coastal waters, on the other hand, was dominated by marine PE-type Synechococcus, with subcluster 5.1 clades II and VI as the major lineages from April to September, when the summer monsoon prevailed. Besides these two clades, clade III cooccurred with clade V at relatively high abundance in summer. During winter, the Synechococcus assemblage compositions at the two sites were similar and were dominated by subcluster 5.1 clades II and IX and an undescribed clade (represented by Synechococcus sp. strain miyav). Clade IX Synechococcus was a relatively ubiquitous PE-type Synechococcus found at both sites, and our study demonstrates that some strains of the clade have the ability to deal with large variation of salinity in subtropical estuarine environments. Our study suggests that changes in seawater temperature and salinity caused by the seasonal variation of monsoonal forcing are two major determinants of the community composition and abundance of Synechococcus assemblages in Hong Kong waters.

Marine microbial community dynamics and their ecological interpretation

Recent advances in studying the dynamics of marine microbial communities have shown that the composition of these communities follows predictable patterns and involves complex network interactions, which shed light on the underlying processes regulating these globally important organisms. Such 'holistic' (or organism- and system-based) studies of these communities complement popular reductionist, often culture-based, approaches for understanding organism function one gene or protein at a time. In this Review, we summarize our current understanding of marine microbial community dynamics at various scales, from hours to decades. We also explain how the data illustrate community resilience and seasonality, and reveal interactions among microorganisms.

A microarray for assessing transcription from pelagic marine microbial taxa

Metagenomic approaches have revealed unprecedented genetic diversity within microbial communities across vast expanses of the world's oceans. Linking this genetic diversity with key metabolic and cellular activities of microbial assemblages is a fundamental challenge. Here we report on a collaborative effort to design MicroTOOLs (Microbiological Targets for Ocean Observing Laboratories), a high-density oligonucleotide microarray that targets functional genes of diverse taxa in pelagic and coastal marine microbial communities. MicroTOOLs integrates nucleotide sequence information from disparate data types: genomes, PCR-amplicons, metagenomes, and metatranscriptomes. It targets 19 400 unique sequences over 145 different genes that are relevant to stress responses and microbial metabolism across the three domains of life and viruses. MicroTOOLs was used in a proof-of-concept experiment that compared the functional responses of microbial communities following Fe and P enrichments of surface water samples from the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. We detected transcription of 68% of the gene targets across major taxonomic groups, and the pattern of transcription indicated relief from Fe limitation and transition to N limitation in some taxa. Prochlorococcus (eHLI), Synechococcus (sub-cluster 5.3) and Alphaproteobacteria SAR11 clade (HIMB59) showed the strongest responses to the Fe enrichment. In addition, members of uncharacterized lineages also responded. The MicroTOOLs microarray provides a robust tool for comprehensive characterization of major functional groups of microbes in the open ocean, and the design can be easily amended for specific environments and research questions.

Connecting thermal physiology and latitudinal niche partitioning in marine Synechococcus

Marine Synechococcus cyanobacteria constitute a monophyletic group that displays a wide latitudinal distribution, ranging from the equator to the polar fronts. Whether these organisms are all physiologically adapted to stand a large temperature gradient or stenotherms with narrow growth temperature ranges has so far remained unexplored. We submitted a panel of six strains, isolated along a gradient of latitude in the North Atlantic Ocean, to long- and short-term variations of temperature. Upon a downward shift of temperature, the strains showed strikingly distinct resistance, seemingly related to their latitude of isolation, with tropical strains collapsing while northern strains were capable of growing. This behaviour was associated to differential photosynthetic performances. In the tropical strains, the rapid photosystem II inactivation and the decrease of the antioxydant β-carotene relative to chl a suggested a strong induction of oxidative stress. These different responses were related to the thermal preferenda of the strains. The northern strains could grow at 10 °C while the other strains preferred higher temperatures. In addition, we pointed out a correspondence between strain isolation temperature and phylogeny. In particular, clades I and IV laboratory strains were all collected in the coldest waters of the distribution area of marine Synechococus. We, however, show that clade I Synechococcus exhibit different levels of adaptation, which apparently reflect their location on the latitudinal temperature gradient. This study reveals the existence of lineages of marine Synechococcus physiologically specialised in different thermal niches, therefore suggesting the existence of temperature ecotypes within the marine Synechococcus radiation.

Diversity and evolutionary relationships of T7-like podoviruses infecting marine cyanobacteria

Phages are extremely abundant in the oceans, influencing the population dynamics, diversity and evolution of their hosts. Here we assessed the diversity and phylogenetic relationships among T7-like cyanophages using DNA polymerase (replication), major capsid (structural) and photosynthesis psbA (host-derived) genes from isolated phages. DNA polymerase and major capsid phylogeny divided them into two discrete clades with no evidence for gene exchange between clades. Clade A phages primarily infect Synechococcus while clade B phages infect either Synechococcus or Prochlorococcus. The major capsid gene of one of the phages from clade B carries a putative intron. Nearly all clade B phages encode psbA whereas clade A phages do not. This suggests an ancient separation between cyanophages from these two clades, with the acquisition or loss of psbA occurring around the time of their divergence. A mix and match of clustering patterns was found for the replication and structural genes within each major clade, even among phages infecting different host genera. This is suggestive of numerous gene exchanges within each major clade and indicates that core phage functions have not coevolved with specific hosts. In contrast, clustering of phage psbA broadly tracks that of the host genus. These findings suggest that T7-like cyanophages evolve through clade-limited gene exchanges and that different genes are subjected to vastly different selection pressures.

Marine cyanophages exhibit local and regional biogeography

Biogeographic patterns have been demonstrated for a wide range of microorganisms. Nevertheless, the biogeography of marine viruses has been slower to emerge. Here we investigate biogeographic patterns of marine cyanophages that infect Synechococcus sp. WH7803 across multiple spatial and temporal scales. We compared cyanophage myoviral communities from nine coastal sites in Southern New England (SNE), USA, one site in Long Island NY, and four sites from Bermuda's inshore waters by assaying cyanophage isolates using the myoviral g43 DNA polymerase gene. Cyanophage community composition varied temporally at each of the sites. Further, 6 years of sampling at one Narragansett Bay site revealed annual seasonal variations in community composition, driven by the seasonal reoccurrence of specific viral taxa. Although the four Bermuda communities were similar to one another, they were significantly different than the North American coastal communities, with almost no overlap of taxa between the two regions. Among the SNE sites, cyanophage community composition also varied significantly and was correlated with the body of water sampled (e.g. Narragansett Bay, Cape Cod Bay, Vineyard Sound), although here, the same viral taxa were found at multiple sites. This study demonstrates that marine cyanophages display striking seasonal and spatial biogeographic patterns.

The chaperonin-60 universal target is a barcode for bacteria that enables de novo assembly of metagenomic sequence data

Barcoding with molecular sequences is widely used to catalogue eukaryotic biodiversity. Studies investigating the community dynamics of microbes have relied heavily on gene-centric metagenomic profiling using two genes (16S rRNA and cpn60) to identify and track Bacteria. While there have been criteria formalized for barcoding of eukaryotes, these criteria have not been used to evaluate gene targets for other domains of life. Using the framework of the International Barcode of Life we evaluated DNA barcodes for Bacteria. Candidates from the 16S rRNA gene and the protein coding cpn60 gene were evaluated. Within complete bacterial genomes in the public domain representing 983 species from 21 phyla, the largest difference between median pairwise inter- and intra-specific distances (“barcode gap”) was found from cpn60. Distribution of sequence diversity along the ∼555 bp cpn60 target region was remarkably uniform. The barcode gap of the cpn60 universal target facilitated the faithful de novo assembly of full-length operational taxonomic units from pyrosequencing data from a synthetic microbial community. Analysis supported the recognition of both 16S rRNA and cpn60 as DNA barcodes for Bacteria. The cpn60 universal target was found to have a much larger barcode gap than 16S rRNA suggesting cpn60 as a preferred barcode for Bacteria. A large barcode gap for cpn60 provided a robust target for species-level characterization of data. The assembly of consensus sequences for barcodes was shown to be a reliable method for the identification and tracking of novel microbes in metagenomic studies.

Long-term characterization of free-living and particle-associated bacterial communities in Lake Tiefwaren reveals distinct seasonal patterns

Seasonal changes in environmental conditions have a strong impact on microbial community structure and dynamics in aquatic habitats. To better elucidate the response of bacterial communities to environmental changes, we have measured a large variety of limnetic variables and investigated bacterial community composition (BCC) and dynamics over seven consecutive years between 2003 and 2009 in mesotrophic Lake Tiefwaren (NE Germany). We separated between free-living (FL, >0.2, <5.0 μm) and particle-associated (PA, >5.0 μm) bacteria to account for different bacterial lifestyles and to obtain a higher resolution of the microbial diversity. Changes in BCC were studied by DGGE based on PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene fragments. Sequencing of DGGE bands revealed that ca. 70 % of all FL bacteria belonged to the Actinobacteria, whereas PA bacteria were dominated by Cyanobacteria (43 %). FL communities were generally less diverse and rather stable over time compared to their PA counterpart. Annual changes in reoccurring seasonal patterns of dominant freshwater bacteria were supported by statistical analyses, which revealed several significant correlations between DGGE profiles and various environmental variables, e.g. temperature and nutrients. Overall, FL bacteria were generally less affected by environmental changes than members of the PA fraction. Close association of PA bacteria with phytoplankton and zooplankton suggests a tight coupling of PA bacteria to organisms of higher trophic levels. Our results indicate substantial differences in bacterial lifestyle of pelagic freshwater bacteria, which are reflected by contrasting seasonal dynamics and relationships to a number of environmental variables.

Genetic identification of a high-affinity Ni transporter and the transcriptional response to Ni deprivation in Synechococcus sp. strain WH8102

One biological need for Ni in marine cyanobacteria stems from the utilization of the Ni metalloenzyme urease for the assimilation of urea as a nitrogen source. In many of the same cyanobacteria, including Synechococcus sp. strain WH8102, an additional and obligate nutrient requirement for Ni results from usage of a Ni superoxide dismutase (Ni-SOD), which is encoded by sodN. To better understand the effects of Ni deprivation on WH8102, parallel microarray-based analysis of gene expression and gene knockout experiments were conducted. The global transcriptional response to Ni deprivation depends upon the nitrogen source provided for growth; fewer than 1% of differentially expressed genes for Ni deprivation on ammonium or urea were concordantly expressed. Surprisingly, genes for putative Ni transporters, including one colocalized on the genome with sodN, sodT, were not induced despite an increase in Ni transport. Knockouts of the putative Ni transporter gene sodT appeared to be lethal in WH8102, so the genes for sodT and sodN in WH8102 were interrupted with the gene for Fe-SOD, sodB, and its promoter from Synechococcus sp. strain WH7803. The sodT::sodB exconjugants were unable to grow at low Ni concentrations, confirming that SodT is a Ni transporter. The sodN::sodB exconjugants displayed higher growth rates at low Ni concentrations than did the wild type, presumably due to a relaxed competition between urease and Ni-SOD for Ni. Both sodT::sodB and sodN::sodB lines exhibited an impaired ability to grow at low Fe concentrations. We propose a posttranslational allosteric SodT regulation involving the binding of Ni to a histidine-rich intracellular protein loop.

Diversity and Distribution of Marine Synechococcus: Multiple Gene Phylogenies for Consensus Classification and Development of qPCR Assays for Sensitive Measurement of Clades in the Ocean

Marine Synechococcus is a globally significant genus of cyanobacteria that is comprised of multiple genetic lineages or clades. These clades are thought to represent ecologically distinct units, or ecotypes. Because multiple clades often co-occur together in the oceans, Synechococcus are ideal microbes to explore how closely related bacterial taxa within the same functional guild of organisms co-exist and partition marine habitats. Here we sequenced multiple gene loci from cultured strains to confirm the congruency of clade classifications between the 16S-23S rDNA internally transcribed spacer (ITS), 16S rDNA, narB, ntcA, and rpoC1 loci commonly used in Synechococcus diversity studies. We designed quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays that target the ITS for 10 Synechococcus clades, including four clades, XV, XVI, CRD1, and CRD2, not covered by previous assays employing other loci. Our new qPCR assays are very sensitive and specific, detecting down to tens of cells per ml. Application of these qPCR assays to field samples from the northwest Atlantic showed clear shifts in Synechococcus community composition across a coastal to open-ocean transect. Consistent with previous studies, clades I and IV dominated cold, coastal Synechococcus communities. Clades II and X were abundant at the two warmer, off-shore stations, and at all stations multiple Synechococcus clades co-occurred. qPCR assays developed here provide valuable tools to further explore the dynamics of microbial community structure and the mechanisms of co-existence.