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Li Y, Zhang H, Guan Y, Cheng G, Li Z, Li Z, Cao M, Yin Y, Hu L, Shi J, Chen B. Functional genes and microorganisms controlling in situ methylmercury production and degradation in marine sediments: A case study in the Eastern China Coastal Seas. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 476:134965. [PMID: 38905972 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
Dominant microorganisms and functional genes, including hgcA, hgcB, merA, and merB, have been identified to be responsible for mercury (Hg) methylation or methylmercury (MeHg) demethylation. However, their in situ correlation with MeHg levels and the processes of Hg methylation and MeHg demethylation in coastal areas remains poorly understood. In this study, four functional genes related to Hg methylation and MeHg demethylation (hgcA, hgcB, merA, and merB) were all detected in the sediments of the Eastern China Coastal Seas (ECCSs) (representative coastal seas highly affected by human activities) using metagenomic approaches. HgcA was identified to be the key gene controlling the in situ net production of MeHg in the ECCSs. Based on metagenomic analysis and incubation experiments, sulfate-reducing bacteria were identified as the dominant microorganisms controlling Hg methylation in the ECCSs. In addition, hgcA gene was positively correlated with the MeHg content and Hg methylation rates, highlighting the potential roles of Hg methylation genes and microorganisms influenced by sediment physicochemical properties in MeHg cycling in the ECCSs. These findings highlighted the necessity of conducting similar studies in other natural systems for elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying MeHg production in aquatic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanbin Li
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Huimin Zhang
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Yingjun Guan
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Guoyi Cheng
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Zhaohong Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China
| | - Zhuang Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China
| | - Mengxi Cao
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health Effects of Persistent Toxic Substances, School of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Yongguang Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Ligang Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Jianbo Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Baowei Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China.
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Veeraswamy D, Subramanian A, Mohan D, Ettiyagounder P, Selvaraj PS, Ramasamy SP, Veeramani V. Exploring the origins and cleanup of mercury contamination: a comprehensive review. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:53943-53972. [PMID: 37964142 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-30636-z] [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: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Mercury is a global pollutant that poses significant risks to human health and the environment. Natural sources of mercury include volcanic eruptions, while anthropogenic sources include industrial processes, artisanal and small-scale gold mining, and fossil fuel combustion. Contamination can arise through various pathways, such as atmospheric deposition, water and soil contamination, bioaccumulation, and biomagnification in food chains. Various remediation strategies, including phytoremediation, bioremediation, chemical oxidation/reduction, and adsorption, have been developed to address mercury pollution, including physical, chemical, and biological approaches. The effectiveness of remediation techniques depends on the nature and extent of contamination and site-specific conditions. This review discusses the challenges associated with mercury pollution and remediation, including the need for effective monitoring and management strategies. Overall, this review offers a comprehensive understanding of mercury contamination and the range of remediation techniques available to mitigate its adverse impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davamani Veeraswamy
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Directorate of Natural Resource Management, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, 641 003, Tamil Nadu, India
- College of Engineering, Science and Environment, Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), ATC Building, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan Campus, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Arulmani Subramanian
- Department of Chemistry, Bannari Amman Institute of Technology, Sathyamangalam, 638 401, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - Deepasri Mohan
- Division of Environmental Sciences, Sher-E-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Shalimar, 190025, Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory, India
| | - Parameswari Ettiyagounder
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Directorate of Natural Resource Management, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, 641 003, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Paul Sebastian Selvaraj
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Directorate of Natural Resource Management, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, 641 003, Tamil Nadu, India
- College of Engineering, Science and Environment, Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), ATC Building, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan Campus, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Sangeetha Piriya Ramasamy
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Directorate of Natural Resource Management, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, 641 003, Tamil Nadu, India
- School of Water, Energy, and Environment, Cranfield University, Cranfield, MK43 0AL, UK
| | - Venkatesan Veeramani
- Department of Civil Engineering, University College of Engineering, Anna University, Ariyalur, 621 731, Tamil Nadu, India
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Sanz-Sáez I, Bravo AG, Ferri M, Carreras JM, Sánchez O, Sebastian M, Ruiz-González C, Capo E, Duarte CM, Gasol JM, Sánchez P, Acinas SG. Microorganisms Involved in Methylmercury Demethylation and Mercury Reduction are Widely Distributed and Active in the Bathypelagic Deep Ocean Waters. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:13795-13807. [PMID: 39046290 PMCID: PMC11308531 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c00663] [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: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
The ocean's mercury (Hg) content has tripled due to anthropogenic activities, and although the dark ocean (>200 m) has become an important Hg reservoir, concentrations of the toxic and bioaccumulative methylmercury (MeHg) are low and therefore very difficult to measure. As a consequence, the current understanding of the Hg cycle in the deep ocean is severely data-limited, and the factors controlling MeHg, as well as its transformation rates, remain largely unknown. By analyzing 52 globally distributed bathypelagic deep-ocean metagenomes and 26 new metatranscriptomes from the Malaspina Expedition, our study reveals the widespread distribution and expression of bacterial-coding genes merA and merB in the global bathypelagic ocean (∼4000 m depth). These genes, associated with HgII reduction and MeHg demethylation, respectively, are particularly prevalent within the particle-attached fraction. Moreover, our results indicate that water mass age and the organic matter composition shaped the structure of the communities harboring merA and merB genes living in different particle size fractions, their abundance, and their expression levels. Members of the orders Corynebacteriales, Rhodobacterales, Alteromonadales, Oceanospirillales, Moraxellales, and Flavobacteriales were the main taxonomic players containing merA and merB genes in the deep ocean. These findings, together with our previous results of pure culture isolates of the deep bathypelagic ocean possessing the metabolic capacity to degrade MeHg, indicated that both methylmercury demethylation and HgII reduction likely occur in the global dark ocean, the largest biome in the biosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Sanz-Sáez
- Departament
de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut
de Ciències del Mar, ICM-CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Andrea G. Bravo
- Departament
de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut
de Ciències del Mar, ICM-CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Marta Ferri
- Departament
de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut
de Ciències del Mar, ICM-CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Joan-Martí Carreras
- Departament
de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut
de Ciències del Mar, ICM-CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Olga Sánchez
- Departament
de Genètica i Microbiologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Marta Sebastian
- Departament
de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut
de Ciències del Mar, ICM-CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Clara Ruiz-González
- Departament
de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut
de Ciències del Mar, ICM-CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Eric Capo
- Departament
de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut
de Ciències del Mar, ICM-CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Carlos M. Duarte
- Red
Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences
and Engineering, King Abdullah University
of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900,Saudi Arabia
| | - Josep M. Gasol
- Departament
de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut
de Ciències del Mar, ICM-CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Pablo Sánchez
- Departament
de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut
de Ciències del Mar, ICM-CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Silvia G. Acinas
- Departament
de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut
de Ciències del Mar, ICM-CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
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Al Mamun A, Rahman MM, Huq MA, Rahman MM, Rana MR, Rahman ST, Khatun ML, Alam MK. Phytoremediation: a transgenic perspective in omics era. Transgenic Res 2024; 33:175-194. [PMID: 38922381 DOI: 10.1007/s11248-024-00393-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Phytoremediation is an environmental safety strategy that might serve as a viable preventative approach to reduce soil contamination in a cost-effective manner. Using plants to remediate pollution from the environment is referred to as phytoremediation. In the past few decades, plants have undergone genetic manipulation to overcome inherent limitations by using genetically modified plants. This review illustrates the eco-friendly process of cleaning the environment using transgenic strategies combined with omics technologies. Herbicides tolerance and phytoremediation abilities have been established in genetically modified plants. Transgenic plants have eliminated the pesticides atrazine and metolachlor from the soil. To expand the application of genetically engineered plants for phytoremediation process, it is essential to test strategies in the field and have contingency planning. Omics techniques were used for understanding various genetic, hormonal, and metabolic pathways responsible for phytoremediation in soil. Transcriptomics and metabolomics provide useful information as resources to understand the mechanisms behind phytoremediation. This review aims to highlight the integration of transgenic strategies and omics technologies to enhance phytoremediation efficiency, emphasizing the need for field testing and comprehensive planning for successful implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah Al Mamun
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Biological Science, Islamic University, Kushtia, 7003, Bangladesh
| | - M Mizanur Rahman
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Biological Science, Islamic University, Kushtia, 7003, Bangladesh.
| | - Md Amdadul Huq
- Department of Food and Nutrition, College of Biotechnology and Natural Resources, Chung-Ang University, Anseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, 17546, Republic of Korea
| | - Md Mashiar Rahman
- Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Jashore University of Science and Technology, Jashore, 7408, Bangladesh
| | - Md Rasel Rana
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Biological Science, Islamic University, Kushtia, 7003, Bangladesh
| | - Shabiha Tasbir Rahman
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Biological Science, Islamic University, Kushtia, 7003, Bangladesh
| | - Mst Lata Khatun
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Biological Science, Islamic University, Kushtia, 7003, Bangladesh
| | - Md Khasrul Alam
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Biological Science, Islamic University, Kushtia, 7003, Bangladesh
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5
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Bhat A, Sharma R, Desigan K, Lucas MM, Mishra A, Bowers RM, Woyke T, Epstein B, Tiffin P, Pueyo JJ, Paape T. Horizontal gene transfer of the Mer operon is associated with large effects on the transcriptome and increased tolerance to mercury in nitrogen-fixing bacteria. BMC Microbiol 2024; 24:247. [PMID: 38971740 PMCID: PMC11227200 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-024-03391-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mercury (Hg) is highly toxic and has the potential to cause severe health problems for humans and foraging animals when transported into edible plant parts. Soil rhizobia that form symbiosis with legumes may possess mechanisms to prevent heavy metal translocation from roots to shoots in plants by exporting metals from nodules or compartmentalizing metal ions inside nodules. Horizontal gene transfer has potential to confer immediate de novo adaptations to stress. We used comparative genomics of high quality de novo assemblies to identify structural differences in the genomes of nitrogen-fixing rhizobia that were isolated from a mercury (Hg) mine site that show high variation in their tolerance to Hg. RESULTS Our analyses identified multiple structurally conserved merA homologs in the genomes of Sinorhizobium medicae and Rhizobium leguminosarum but only the strains that possessed a Mer operon exhibited 10-fold increased tolerance to Hg. RNAseq analysis revealed nearly all genes in the Mer operon were significantly up-regulated in response to Hg stress in free-living conditions and in nodules. In both free-living and nodule environments, we found the Hg-tolerant strains with a Mer operon exhibited the fewest number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the genome, indicating a rapid and efficient detoxification of Hg from the cells that reduced general stress responses to the Hg-treatment. Expression changes in S. medicae while in bacteroids showed that both rhizobia strain and host-plant tolerance affected the number of DEGs. Aside from Mer operon genes, nif genes which are involved in nitrogenase activity in S. medicae showed significant up-regulation in the most Hg-tolerant strain while inside the most Hg-accumulating host-plant. Transfer of a plasmid containing the Mer operon from the most tolerant strain to low-tolerant strains resulted in an immediate increase in Hg tolerance, indicating that the Mer operon is able to confer hyper tolerance to Hg. CONCLUSIONS Mer operons have not been previously reported in nitrogen-fixing rhizobia. This study demonstrates a pivotal role of the Mer operon in effective mercury detoxification and hypertolerance in nitrogen-fixing rhizobia. This finding has major implications not only for soil bioremediation, but also host plants growing in mercury contaminated soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditi Bhat
- Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, USA
| | | | | | | | - Ankita Mishra
- Institute for Advancing Health Through Agriculture, Texas A&M, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Robert M Bowers
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Tanja Woyke
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Brendan Epstein
- Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Peter Tiffin
- Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - José J Pueyo
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ICA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Tim Paape
- Institute for Advancing Health Through Agriculture, Texas A&M, College Station, TX, USA.
- USDA-ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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Verbeelen T, Fernandez CA, Nguyen TH, Gupta S, Leroy B, Wattiez R, Vlaeminck SE, Leys N, Ganigué R, Mastroleo F. Radiotolerance of N-cycle bacteria and their transcriptomic response to low-dose space-analogue ionizing irradiation. iScience 2024; 27:109596. [PMID: 38638570 PMCID: PMC11024918 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The advancement of regenerative life support systems (RLSS) is crucial to allow long-distance space travel. Within the Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative (MELiSSA), efficient nitrogen recovery from urine and other waste streams is vital to produce liquid fertilizer to feed food and oxygen production in subsequent photoautotrophic processes. This study explores the effects of ionizing radiation on nitrogen cycle bacteria that transform urea to nitrate. In particular, we assess the radiotolerance of Comamonas testosteroni, Nitrosomonas europaea, and Nitrobacter winogradskyi after exposure to acute γ-irradiation. Moreover, a comprehensive whole transcriptome analysis elucidates the effects of spaceflight-analogue low-dose ionizing radiation on the individual axenic strains and on their synthetic community o. This research sheds light on how the spaceflight environment could affect ureolysis and nitrification processes from a transcriptomic perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Verbeelen
- Nuclear Medical Applications (NMA), Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
- Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology (CMET), Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Celia Alvarez Fernandez
- Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology (CMET), Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Thanh Huy Nguyen
- Department of Proteomics and Microbiology, University of Mons, Av. Du Champs de Mars 6, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Surya Gupta
- Nuclear Medical Applications (NMA), Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
| | - Baptiste Leroy
- Department of Proteomics and Microbiology, University of Mons, Av. Du Champs de Mars 6, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Ruddy Wattiez
- Department of Proteomics and Microbiology, University of Mons, Av. Du Champs de Mars 6, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Siegfried E. Vlaeminck
- Research Group of Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
- Centre for Advanced Process Technology for Urban REsource Recovery (CAPTURE), Frieda Saeysstraat 1, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Natalie Leys
- Nuclear Medical Applications (NMA), Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
| | - Ramon Ganigué
- Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology (CMET), Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Centre for Advanced Process Technology for Urban REsource Recovery (CAPTURE), Frieda Saeysstraat 1, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Felice Mastroleo
- Nuclear Medical Applications (NMA), Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
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Makowska-Zawierucha N, Trzebny A, Zawierucha K, Manthapuri V, Bradley JA, Pruden A. Arctic plasmidome analysis reveals distinct relationships among associated antimicrobial resistance genes and virulence genes along anthropogenic gradients. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17293. [PMID: 38687495 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17293] [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: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Polar regions are relatively isolated from human activity and thus could offer insight into anthropogenic and ecological drivers of the spread of antibiotic resistance. Plasmids are of particular interest in this context given the central role that they are thought to play in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). However, plasmidomes are challenging to profile in environmental samples. The objective of this study was to compare various aspects of the plasmidome associated with glacial ice and adjacent aquatic environments across the high Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, representing a gradient of anthropogenic inputs and specific treated and untreated wastewater outflows to the sea. We accessed plasmidomes by applying enrichment cultures, plasmid isolation and shotgun Illumina sequencing of environmental samples. We examined the abundance and diversity of ARGs and other stress-response genes that might be co/cross-selected or co-transported in these environments, including biocide resistance genes (BRGs), metal resistance genes (MRGs), virulence genes (VGs) and integrons. We found striking differences between glacial ice and aquatic environments in terms of the ARGs carried by plasmids. We found a strong correlation between MRGs and ARGs in plasmids in the wastewaters and fjords. Alternatively, in glacial ice, VGs and BRGs genes were dominant, suggesting that glacial ice may be a repository of pathogenic strains. Moreover, ARGs were not found within the cassettes of integrons carried by the plasmids, which is suggestive of unique adaptive features of the microbial communities to their extreme environment. This study provides insight into the role of plasmids in facilitating bacterial adaptation to Arctic ecosystems as well as in shaping corresponding resistomes. Increasing human activity, warming of Arctic regions and associated increases in the meltwater run-off from glaciers could contribute to the release and spread of plasmid-related genes from Svalbard to the broader pool of ARGs in the Arctic Ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicoletta Makowska-Zawierucha
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznań, Poland
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Artur Trzebny
- Molecular Biology Techniques Laboratory, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznań, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Zawierucha
- Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznań, Poland
| | - Vineeth Manthapuri
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - James A Bradley
- Aix Marseille University, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO, Marseille, France
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Amy Pruden
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
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8
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Pereira-Garcia C, Sanz-Sáez I, Sánchez P, Coutinho FH, Bravo AG, Sánchez O, Acinas SG. Genomic and transcriptomic characterization of methylmercury detoxification in a deep ocean Alteromonas mediterranea ISS312. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 347:123725. [PMID: 38467369 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123725] [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: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is one of the most worrisome pollutants in marine systems. MeHg detoxification is mediated by merB and merA genes, responsible for the demethylation of MeHg and the reduction of inorganic mercury, respectively. Little is known about the biological capacity to detoxify this compound in marine environments, and even less the bacterial transcriptional changes during MeHg detoxification. This study provides the genomic and transcriptomic characterization of the deep ocean bacteria Alteromonas mediterranea ISS312 with capacity for MeHg degradation. Its genome sequence revealed four mer operons containing three merA gene and two merB gene copies, that could be horizontally transferred among distant related genomes by mobile genetic elements. The transcriptomic profiling in the presence of 5 μM MeHg showed that merA and merB genes are within the most expressed genes, although not all mer genes were equally transcribed. Besides, we aimed to identify functional orthologous genes that displayed expression profiles highly similar or identical to those genes within the mer operons, which could indicate they are under the same regulatory controls. We found contrasting expression profiles for each mer operon that were positively correlated with a wide array of functions mostly related to amino acid metabolism, but also to flagellar assembly or two component systems. Also, this study highlights that all merAB genes of the four operons were globally distributed across oceans layers with higher transcriptional activity in the mesopelagic deeper waters. Our study provides new insights about the transcriptional patterns related to the capacity of marine bacteria to detoxify MeHg, with important implications for the understanding of this process in marine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Pereira-Garcia
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Pg. Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, E08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain; Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain.
| | - Isabel Sanz-Sáez
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Pg. Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, E08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain; Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Pablo Sánchez
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Pg. Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, E08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Felipe H Coutinho
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Pg. Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, E08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Andrea G Bravo
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Pg. Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, E08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Olga Sánchez
- Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Silvia G Acinas
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Pg. Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, E08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain.
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9
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Hu Q, Wang J, Liu C, Feng Y, Chen H. Determinants of mer Promoter Activity from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:490. [PMID: 38674424 PMCID: PMC11049809 DOI: 10.3390/genes15040490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Since the MerR family is known for its special regulatory mechanism, we aimed to explore which factors determine the expression activity of the mer promoter. The Tn501/Tn21 mer promoter contains an abnormally long spacer (19 bp) between the -35 and -10 elements, which is essential for the unique DNA distortion mechanism. To further understand the role of base sequences in the mer promoter spacer, this study systematically engineered a series of mutant derivatives and used luminescent and fluorescent reporter genes to investigate the expression activity of these derivatives. The results reveal that the expression activity of the mer promoter is synergistically modulated by the spacer length (17 bp is optimal) and the region upstream of -10 (especially -13G). The spacing is regulated by MerR transcription factors through symmetrical sequences, and -13G presumably functions through interaction with the RNA polymerase sigma-70 subunit.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Hao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; (Q.H.); (J.W.); (C.L.); (Y.F.)
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10
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Pereira-García C, Del Amo EH, Vigués N, Rey-Velasco X, Rincón-Tomás B, Pérez-Cruz C, Sanz-Sáez I, Hu H, Bertilsson S, Pannier A, Soltmann U, Sánchez P, Acinas SG, Bravo AG, Alonso-Sáez L, Sánchez O. Unmasking the physiology of mercury detoxifying bacteria from polluted sediments. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 467:133685. [PMID: 38335604 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133685] [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: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Marine sediments polluted from anthropogenic activities can be major reservoirs of toxic mercury species. Some microorganisms in these environments have the capacity to detoxify these pollutants, by using the mer operon. In this study, we characterized microbial cultures isolated from polluted marine sediments growing under diverse environmental conditions of salinity, oxygen availability and mercury tolerance. Specific growth rates and percentage of mercury removal were measured in batch cultures for a selection of isolates. A culture affiliated with Pseudomonas putida (MERCC_1942), which contained a mer operon as well as other genes related to metal resistances, was selected as the best candidate for mercury elimination. In order to optimize mercury detoxification conditions for strain MERCC_1942 in continuous culture, three different dilution rates were tested in bioreactors until the cultures achieved steady state, and they were subsequently exposed to a mercury spike; after 24 h, strain MERCC_1942 removed up to 76% of the total mercury. Moreover, when adapted to high growth rates in bioreactors, this strain exhibited the highest specific mercury detoxification rates. Finally, an immobilization protocol using the sol-gel technology was optimized. These results highlight that some sediment bacteria show capacity to detoxify mercury and could be used for bioremediation applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Pereira-García
- Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain; Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elena H Del Amo
- Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain; Institut d'Ecologia Aquàtica, Facultat de Ciències, Universitat de Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain
| | - Núria Vigués
- Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Xavier Rey-Velasco
- Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain; Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Blanca Rincón-Tomás
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Txatxarramendi ugartea z/g, 48395 Sukarrieta, Spain
| | - Carla Pérez-Cruz
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Txatxarramendi ugartea z/g, 48395 Sukarrieta, Spain
| | - Isabel Sanz-Sáez
- Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Instituto de Diagnóstico Ambiental y Estudios del Agua (IDAEA-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Haiyan Hu
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, China
| | - Stefan Bertilsson
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Angela Pannier
- GMBU e.V., Department of Functional Coatings, D-01454 Radeberg, Germany
| | - Ulrich Soltmann
- GMBU e.V., Department of Functional Coatings, D-01454 Radeberg, Germany
| | - Pablo Sánchez
- Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Silvia G Acinas
- Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andrea G Bravo
- Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Alonso-Sáez
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Txatxarramendi ugartea z/g, 48395 Sukarrieta, Spain
| | - Olga Sánchez
- Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain.
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11
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Cai J, Yin B, Wang Y, Pan K, Xiao Y, Wang X. Gut microbiome play a crucial role in geographical and interspecies variations in mercury accumulation by fish. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169381. [PMID: 38101636 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169381] [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: 10/21/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) contamination in fish has raised global concerns for decades. The Hg biotransformation can be manipulated by gut microbiome and it is found to have a substantial impact on the speciation and final fate of Hg in fish. However, the contribution of intestinal microbiota in geographical and interspecies variations in fish Hg levels has not been thoroughly understood. The present study compared the Hg levels in wild marine fish captured from two distinct regions in South China sea. We observed a quite "ironic" phenomenon that MeHg levels in carnivorous fish from a region with minimal human impacts (Xisha Islands, 92 ± 7.2 ng g-1 FW) were much higher than those from a region with severe human impacts (Daya Bay, 19 ± 0.41 ng g-1 FW). Furthermore, the results showed that gut microbiome determined Hg biotransformation and played a crucial role in the variances in fish Hg levels across different geographical locations and species. The intestinal methylators, rather than demethylators, were more significant in affecting Hg biotransformation in fish. The carnivorous species in Xisha Islands exhibited a higher abundance of intestinal methylators, leading to higher MeHg accumulation. Besides, the gut microbiome could be shaped in response to the elevated Hg levels in these fish, which may benefit their adaptation to Hg toxicity and overall health preservation. However, anthropogenic activities (particularly overfishing) in Daya Bay have severely affected the fish population, disrupting the reciprocal relationships between fish and intestinal microbiota and rendering them more susceptible to pathogenic microbes. Overall, this study provided a comprehensive understanding of the role of gut microbiome in Hg bioaccumulation in fish and offered valuable insights into the co-evolutionary dynamics between fish and gut microbiome in the presence of Hg exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jieyi Cai
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Bingxin Yin
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yunhui Wang
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Ke Pan
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Yayuan Xiao
- Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation & Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Science, Guangzhou 510300, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fishery Ecology Environment, Guangzhou 510300, China
| | - Xun Wang
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
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12
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Hui CY, Ma BC, Hu SY, Wu C. Tailored bacteria tackling with environmental mercury: Inspired by natural mercuric detoxification operons. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 341:123016. [PMID: 38008253 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123016] [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: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) and its inorganic and organic compounds significantly threaten the ecosystem and human health. However, the natural and anthropogenic Hg environmental inputs exceed 5000 metric tons annually. Hg is usually discharged in elemental or ionic forms, accumulating in surface water and sediments where Hg-methylating microbes-mediated biotransformation occurs. Microbial genetic factors such as the mer operon play a significant role in the complex Hg biogeochemical cycle. Previous reviews summarize the fate of environmental Hg, its biogeochemistry, and the mechanism of bacterial Hg resistance. This review mainly focuses on the mer operon and its components in detecting, absorbing, bioaccumulating, and detoxifying environmental Hg. Four components of the mer operon, including the MerR regulator, divergent mer promoter, and detoxification factors MerA and MerB, are rare bio-parts for assembling synthetic bacteria, which tackle pollutant Hg. Bacteria are designed to integrate synthetic biology, protein engineering, and metabolic engineering. In summary, this review highlights that designed bacteria based on the mer operon can potentially sense and bioremediate pollutant Hg in a green and low-cost manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Ye Hui
- Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, 2019 Buxin Road, Shenzhen, 518020, China.
| | - Bing-Chan Ma
- Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, 2019 Buxin Road, Shenzhen, 518020, China; School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Shun-Yu Hu
- Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, 2019 Buxin Road, Shenzhen, 518020, China; Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Can Wu
- Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, 2019 Buxin Road, Shenzhen, 518020, China; Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
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13
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Armstrong G, Janssen SE, Poulin BA, Tate MT, Krabbenhoft DP, Hurley JP. Competition between Dissolved Organic Matter and Freshwater Plankton Control Methylmercury Isotope Fractionation during Uptake and Photochemical Demethylation. ACS EARTH & SPACE CHEMISTRY 2023; 7:2382-2392. [PMID: 38148993 PMCID: PMC10749477 DOI: 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.3c00154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Isotope fractionation related to photochemical reactions and planktonic uptake at the base of the food web is a major uncertainty in the biological application of mercury (Hg) stable isotopes. In freshwater systems, it is unclear how competitive interactions among methylmercury (MeHg), dissolved organic matter (DOM), and phytoplankton govern the magnitude of mass-dependent and mass-independent fractionation. This study investigated how DOM alters rates of planktonic MeHg uptake and photodegradation and corresponding Hg isotope fractionation in the presence of freshwater phytoplankton species, Raphidocelis subcapitata. Outdoor sunlight exposure experiments utilizing R. subcapitata were performed in the presence of different DOM samples using environmentally relevant ratios of MeHg-DOM thiol groups. The extent of Δ199Hg in phytoplankton incubations (2.99‰ St. Louis River HPOA, 1.88‰ Lake Erie HPOA) was lower compared to paired abiotic control experiments (4.29 and 2.86‰, respectively) after ∼30 h of irradiation, resulting from cell shading or other limiting factors reducing the extent of photodemethylation. Although the Δ199Hg/Δ201Hg ratio was uniform across experiments (∼1.4), Δ199Hg/δ202Hg slopes varied dramatically (from -0.96 to 15.4) across incubations with R. subcapitata and DOM. In addition, no evidence of Hg isotope fractionation was observed within R. subcapitata cells. This study provides a refined examination of Hg isotope fractionation markers for key processes occurring in the lower food web prior to bioaccumulation, critical for accurately accounting for the photochemical processing of Hg isotopes across a wide spectrum of freshwater systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace
J. Armstrong
- U.S.
Geological Survey Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Madison, Wisconsin 53726, United States
- Environmental
Chemistry and Technology Program, University
of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Sarah E. Janssen
- U.S.
Geological Survey Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Madison, Wisconsin 53726, United States
| | - Brett A. Poulin
- Department
of Environmental Toxicology, University
of California Davis, Davis, California 95616 United States
| | - Michael T. Tate
- U.S.
Geological Survey Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Madison, Wisconsin 53726, United States
| | - David P. Krabbenhoft
- U.S.
Geological Survey Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Madison, Wisconsin 53726, United States
| | - James P. Hurley
- Environmental
Chemistry and Technology Program, University
of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
- University
of Wisconsin Aquatic Sciences Center, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
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14
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Liu Q, Liu S, Zhou XQ, Liu YR. Assessing microbial degradation potential of methylmercury in different types of paddy soil through short-term incubation. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 337:122603. [PMID: 37748640 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122603] [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: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
The neurotoxic methylmercury (MeHg) in paddy soils can accumulate in rice grains. Microbial demethylation is an important pathway of MeHg degradation in soil, but the effect of soil type on microbial degradation of MeHg remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated MeHg degradation in eight typical paddy soils and analyzed the associations between soil physiochemical properties and microbial degradation efficiencies of MeHg. Results showed that MeHg was significantly degraded in unsterilized paddy soils, and the microbial degradation efficiency ranged from 10.8% to 64.6% after a 30-day incubation. The high microbial degradation efficiency of MeHg was observed in the soils with high levels of clay content, whereas relatively low degradation efficiency was found in the red paddy soils. We identified that Paenibacillaceae was the most important microbial predictor of MeHg degradation and was positively correlated with the degradation efficiency in the soils. The abundances of these microbial taxa associated with MeHg degradation were positively correlated with clay content. In addition, Eh, pH, and SOC could influence microbial degradation of MeHg by regulating certain microbial communities. Our results indicate that soil type is crucial in driving MeHg degradation, which has important implications for the mitigation of MeHg pollution in various croplands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China; College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Siyuan Liu
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xin-Quan Zhou
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China; College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yu-Rong Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China; College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
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15
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Wang Z, Gu D, Hong Y, Hu Y, Gu J, Tang Y, Zhou X, Zhang Y, Jiao X, Li Q. Microevolution of Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:- derived from Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium through complicated transpositions. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113227. [PMID: 37837619 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar 4,[5],12:i:- (Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:-), derived from S. Typhimurium, has become the dominant serotype causing human salmonellosis. In this study, we define the genetic mechanism of the generation of Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:- from S. Typhimurium through complicated transpositions and demonstrate that Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:- displays more efficient colonization and survival abilities in mice than its parent S. Typhimurium strain. We identified intermediate strains carrying both resistance regions (RRs) and the fljAB operon for the generation of Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:-. The insertion of RR3 into the chromosomal hin-iroB site of S. Typhimurium produced RR3-S. Typhimurium as a primary intermediate. Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:- was then produced by replacing the fljAB operon and/or its flanking sequences through intramolecular transpositions mediated by IS26 and/or IS1R elements in RR3-S. Typhimurium, which was further confirmed both in vitro and in vivo. Overall, we demonstrate the molecular mechanism underlying the origin, generation, and advantage of RRs-Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:- from S. Typhimurium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agri-food Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture of China, Yangzhou University, 48 Wenhui East Road, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Key Lab of Zoonosis/Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, 48 Wenhui East Road, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu, China; Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-product Safety, Yangzhou University, 48 Wenhui East Road, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dan Gu
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agri-food Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture of China, Yangzhou University, 48 Wenhui East Road, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Key Lab of Zoonosis/Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, 48 Wenhui East Road, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu, China; Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-product Safety, Yangzhou University, 48 Wenhui East Road, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yaming Hong
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agri-food Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture of China, Yangzhou University, 48 Wenhui East Road, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Key Lab of Zoonosis/Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, 48 Wenhui East Road, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu, China; Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-product Safety, Yangzhou University, 48 Wenhui East Road, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yachen Hu
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agri-food Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture of China, Yangzhou University, 48 Wenhui East Road, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Key Lab of Zoonosis/Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, 48 Wenhui East Road, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu, China; Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-product Safety, Yangzhou University, 48 Wenhui East Road, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jiaojie Gu
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agri-food Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture of China, Yangzhou University, 48 Wenhui East Road, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Key Lab of Zoonosis/Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, 48 Wenhui East Road, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu, China; Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-product Safety, Yangzhou University, 48 Wenhui East Road, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuanyue Tang
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agri-food Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture of China, Yangzhou University, 48 Wenhui East Road, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Key Lab of Zoonosis/Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, 48 Wenhui East Road, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu, China; Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-product Safety, Yangzhou University, 48 Wenhui East Road, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaohui Zhou
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA; School of Public Health and Emergency Management, Southern University of Science and Technology, 1088 Xueyuan Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, China
| | - Yunzeng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agri-food Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture of China, Yangzhou University, 48 Wenhui East Road, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Key Lab of Zoonosis/Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, 48 Wenhui East Road, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu, China; Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-product Safety, Yangzhou University, 48 Wenhui East Road, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Xinan Jiao
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agri-food Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture of China, Yangzhou University, 48 Wenhui East Road, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Key Lab of Zoonosis/Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, 48 Wenhui East Road, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu, China; Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-product Safety, Yangzhou University, 48 Wenhui East Road, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Qiuchun Li
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agri-food Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture of China, Yangzhou University, 48 Wenhui East Road, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Key Lab of Zoonosis/Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, 48 Wenhui East Road, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu, China; Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-product Safety, Yangzhou University, 48 Wenhui East Road, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu, China.
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16
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Pardhe BD, Lee MJ, Lee JH, Do H, Oh TJ. Biochemical and structural basis of mercuric reductase, GbsMerA, from Gelidibacter salicanalis PAMC21136. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17854. [PMID: 37857791 PMCID: PMC10587081 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44968-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Heavy metals, including mercury, are non-biodegradable and highly toxic to microorganisms even at low concentrations. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the environmental adaptability of microorganisms with Hg resistance holds promise for their use in Hg bioremediation. We characterized GbsMerA, a mercury reductase belonging to the mercury-resistant operon of Gelidibacter salicanalis PAMC21136, and found its maximum activity of 474.7 µmol/min/mg in reducing Hg+2. In the presence of Ag and Mn, the enzyme exhibited moderate activity as 236.5 µmol/min/mg and 69 µmol/min/mg, respectively. GbsMerA exhibited optimal activity at pH 7.0 and a temperature of 60 °C. Moreover, the crystal structure of GbsMerA and structural comparison with homologues indicated that GbsMerA contains residues, Tyr437´ and Asp47, which may be responsible for metal transfer at the si-face by providing a hydroxyl group (-OH) to abstract a proton from the thiol group of cysteine. The complex structure with NADPH indicated that Y174 in the re-face can change its side chain direction upon NADPH binding, indicating that Y174 may have a role as a gate for NADPH binding. Moreover, the heterologous host expressing GbsMerA (pGbsMerA) is more resistant to Hg toxicity when compared to the host lacking GbsMerA. Overall, this study provides a background for understanding the catalytic mechanism and Hg detoxification by GbsMerA and suggests the application of genetically engineered E. coli strains for environmental Hg removal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bashu Dev Pardhe
- Department of Life Science and Biochemical Engineering, Graduate School, SunMoon University, Asan, 31460, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Ju Lee
- Research Unit of Cryogenic Novel Material, Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon, 21990, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun Hyuck Lee
- Research Unit of Cryogenic Novel Material, Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon, 21990, Republic of Korea
- Department of Polar Sciences, University of Science and Technology, Incheon, 21990, Republic of Korea
| | - Hackwon Do
- Research Unit of Cryogenic Novel Material, Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon, 21990, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Polar Sciences, University of Science and Technology, Incheon, 21990, Republic of Korea.
| | - Tae-Jin Oh
- Department of Life Science and Biochemical Engineering, Graduate School, SunMoon University, Asan, 31460, Republic of Korea.
- Genome-Based BioIT Convergence Institute, Asan, 31460, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Biotechnology, SunMoon University, Asan, 31460, Republic of Korea.
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17
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Rebelo A, Almeida A, Peixe L, Antunes P, Novais C. Unraveling the Role of Metals and Organic Acids in Bacterial Antimicrobial Resistance in the Food Chain. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:1474. [PMID: 37760770 PMCID: PMC10525130 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12091474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has a significant impact on human, animal, and environmental health, being spread in diverse settings. Antibiotic misuse and overuse in the food chain are widely recognized as primary drivers of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. However, other antimicrobials, such as metals and organic acids, commonly present in agri-food environments (e.g., in feed, biocides, or as long-term pollutants), may also contribute to this global public health problem, although this remains a debatable topic owing to limited data. This review aims to provide insights into the current role of metals (i.e., copper, arsenic, and mercury) and organic acids in the emergence and spread of AMR in the food chain. Based on a thorough literature review, this study adopts a unique integrative approach, analyzing in detail the known antimicrobial mechanisms of metals and organic acids, as well as the molecular adaptive tolerance strategies developed by diverse bacteria to overcome their action. Additionally, the interplay between the tolerance to metals or organic acids and AMR is explored, with particular focus on co-selection events. Through a comprehensive analysis, this review highlights potential silent drivers of AMR within the food chain and the need for further research at molecular and epidemiological levels across different food contexts worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreia Rebelo
- UCIBIO—Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; (A.R.); (L.P.)
- Associate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- ESS, Polytechnic of Porto, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
| | - Agostinho Almeida
- LAQV/REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal;
| | - Luísa Peixe
- UCIBIO—Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; (A.R.); (L.P.)
- Associate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Patrícia Antunes
- UCIBIO—Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; (A.R.); (L.P.)
- Associate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences (FCNAUP), University of Porto, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
| | - Carla Novais
- UCIBIO—Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; (A.R.); (L.P.)
- Associate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
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18
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Ren Z, Jiang W, Sun N, Shi J, Zhang D, Zhang J, Wang Z, Yang J, Yu J, Lv Z. Responses of the structure and function of microbes in Yellow River Estuary sediments to different levels of mercury. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 190:106097. [PMID: 37441819 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106097] [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: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
The health and stability of the estuary of the Yellow River ecosystem have come under increasing pressure from land-based inputs of heavy metals. While it is known that heavy metals affect the function and health of the microbial community, there remains little knowledge on the responses of the microbial community to heavy metals, particularly highly toxic mercury. The research aimed to characterize the responses of the sediment microbial community of the estuary of the Yellow River to different levels of mercury stress. Estuary sediment samples were collected for microbial community analysis, measurement of mercury [including total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg)], and measurement of other physicochemical factors, including pH, total organic carbon (TOC), sulfide, iron ratio (Fe3+/Fe2+), ammonium salt (NH4+), and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). The application of 16S rRNA sequencing identified 60 phyla of bacteria, dominated by Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes. Stations with higher THg or MeHg and lower microbial abundance and diversity were generally distributed further outside of the estuary. Besides mercury, the measured physicochemical factors had impacts on microbial diversities and distribution. Metagenomics assessment of three stations, representative of low, moderate, and high mercury concentrations and measured physicochemical factors, revealed the abundances and functions of predicted genes. The most abundant genes regulating the metabolic pathways were categorized as metabolic, environmental information processing, and genetic information processing, genes. At stations with high levels of mercury, the dominant genes were related to energy metabolism, signal transport, and membrane transport. Functional genes with a mercury-resistance function were generally in the mer system (merA, merC, merT, merR), alkylmercury lyase, and metal-transporting ATPase. These results offer insight into the microbial community structure of the sediments in the Yellow River Estuary and the microbial function of mercury resistance under mercury stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhonghua Ren
- Institute for Advanced Study of Coastal Ecology, Lu Dong University, Yantai, 264025, China.
| | - Wenliang Jiang
- Institute for Advanced Study of Coastal Ecology, Lu Dong University, Yantai, 264025, China
| | - Na Sun
- MabPlex International Co. Ltd (Worldwide), Yantai, 265500, China
| | - Junfeng Shi
- Clinical Research Center, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, 261042, China
| | - Depu Zhang
- Institute of Marine Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China
| | - Jingjing Zhang
- Institute for Advanced Study of Coastal Ecology, Lu Dong University, Yantai, 264025, China
| | - Zhikang Wang
- Institute for Advanced Study of Coastal Ecology, Lu Dong University, Yantai, 264025, China
| | - Jisong Yang
- Institute for Advanced Study of Coastal Ecology, Lu Dong University, Yantai, 264025, China
| | - Junbao Yu
- Institute for Advanced Study of Coastal Ecology, Lu Dong University, Yantai, 264025, China
| | - Zhenbo Lv
- Institute for Advanced Study of Coastal Ecology, Lu Dong University, Yantai, 264025, China.
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19
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Coe GL, Krout IN, Munro-Ehrlich M, Beamish CR, Vorojeikina D, Colman DR, Boyd EJ, Walk ST, Rand MD. Assessing the role of the gut microbiome in methylmercury demethylation and elimination in humans and gnotobiotic mice. Arch Toxicol 2023; 97:2399-2418. [PMID: 37392210 PMCID: PMC10913183 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-023-03548-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
The risk of methylmercury (MeHg) toxicity following ingestion of contaminated foodstuffs (e.g., fish) is directly related to the kinetics of MeHg elimination among individuals. Yet, the factors driving the wide range of inter-individual variability in MeHg elimination within a population are poorly understood. Here, we investigated the relationship between MeHg elimination, gut microbiome demethylation activity, and gut microbiome composition using a coordinated human clinical trial and gnotobiotic mouse modeling approach together with metagenomic sequence analysis. We first observed MeHg elimination half-lives (t1/2) ranging from 28 to 90 days across 27 volunteers. Subsequently, we found that ingestion of a prebiotic induced changes in the gut microbiome and mixed effects (increased, decrease, and no effect) on elimination in these same individuals. Nonetheless, elimination rates were found to correlate with MeHg demethylation activity in cultured stool samples. In mice, attempts to remove the microbiome via generation of germ-free (GF) animals or through antibiotic (Abx) treatment both diminished MeHg demethylation to a similar extent. While both conditions substantially slowed elimination, Abx treatment resulted in significantly slower elimination than the GF condition, indicating an additional role for host-derived factors in supporting elimination. Human fecal microbiomes transplanted to GF mice restored elimination rates to that seen in control mice. Metagenomic sequence analysis of human fecal DNA did not identify genes encoding proteins typically involved in demethylation (e.g., merB, organomercury lyase). However, the abundance of several anaerobic taxa, notably Alistipes onderdonkii, were positively correlated with MeHg elimination. Surprisingly, mono-colonization of GF free mice with A. onderdonkii did not restore MeHg elimination to control levels. Collectively, our findings indicate the human gut microbiome uses a non-conventional pathway of demethylation to increase MeHg elimination that relies on yet to be resolved functions encoded by the gut microbes and the hostClinical Trial NCT04060212, prospectively registered 10/1/2019.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genevieve L Coe
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Ian N Krout
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Mason Munro-Ehrlich
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Catherine R Beamish
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Daria Vorojeikina
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Daniel R Colman
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Eric J Boyd
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Seth T Walk
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Matthew D Rand
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA.
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20
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Xie F, Yuan Q, Qie Y, Meng Y, Luan F. Capacity, stability and energy requirement of divalent mercury uptake by non-methylating/non-demethylating bacteria. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 450:131074. [PMID: 36848841 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) uptake by demethylating bacteria and inorganic divalent mercury [Hg(II)] uptake by methylating bacteria have been extensively investigated because uptake is the initial step of the intracellular Hg transformation. However, MeHg and Hg(II) uptake by non-methylating/non-demethylating bacteria is overlooked, which may play an important role in the biogeochemical cycling of mercury concerning their ubiquitous presence in the environment. Here we report that Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, a model strain of non-methylating/non-demethylating bacteria, can take up and immobilize MeHg and Hg(II) rapidly without intracellular transformation. In addition, when taken up into MR-1 cells, the intracellular MeHg and Hg(II) were proved to be hardly exported over time. In contrast, adsorbed mercury on cell surface was observed to be easily desorbed or remobilized. Moreover, inactivated MR-1 cells (starved and CCCP-treated) were still capable of taking up nonnegligible amounts of MeHg and Hg(II) over an extended period in the absence and presence of cysteine, suggesting that active metabolism may be not required for both MeHg and Hg(II) uptake. Our results provide an improved understanding of divalent mercury uptake by non-methylating/non-demethylating bacteria and highlight the possible broader involvement of these bacteria in mercury cycling in natural environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuyu Xie
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
| | - Qingke Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, PR China
| | - Yukang Qie
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
| | - Ying Meng
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, PR China.
| | - Fubo Luan
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China.
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21
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Prosenkov A, Cagnon C, Gallego JLR, Pelaez AI. The microbiome of a brownfield highly polluted with mercury and arsenic. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 323:121305. [PMID: 36804142 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121305] [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: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Abandoned brownfields represent a challenge for their recovery. To apply sustainable remediation technologies, such as bioremediation or phytoremediation, indigenous microorganisms are essential agents since they are adapted to the ecology of the soil. Better understanding of microbial communities inhabiting those soils, identification of microorganisms that drive detoxification process and recognising their needs and interactions will significantly improve the outcome of the remediation. With this in mind we have carried out a detailed metagenomic analysis to explore the taxonomic and functional diversity of the prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbial communities in soils, several mineralogically distinct types of pyrometallurgic waste, and groundwater sediments of a former mercury mining and metallurgy site which harbour very high levels of arsenic and mercury pollution. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities were identified, which turned out to be more diverse in the surrounding contaminated soils compared to the pyrometallurgic waste. The highest diversity loss was observed in two environments most contaminated with mercury and arsenic (stupp, a solid mercury condenser residue and arsenic-rich soot from arsenic condensers). Interestingly, microbial communities in the stupp were dominated by an overwhelming majority of archaea of the phylum Crenarchaeota, while Ascomycota and Basidiomycota fungi comprised the fungal communities of both stump and soot, results that show the impressive ability of these previously unreported microorganisms to colonize these extreme brownfield environments. Functional predictions for mercury and arsenic resistance/detoxification genes show their increase in environments with higher levels of pollution. Our work establishes the bases to design sustainable remediation methods and, equally important, to study in depth the genetic and functional mechanisms that enable the subsistence of microbial populations in these extremely selective environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Prosenkov
- Area of Microbiology, Department of Functional Biology, Environmental Biogeochemistry and Raw Materials Group and IUBA, University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
| | - Christine Cagnon
- Universite de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM, Pau, France
| | - José Luis R Gallego
- INDUROT and Environmental Biogeochemistry and Raw Materials Group, Campus of Mieres, University of Oviedo, 33600 Mieres, Asturias, Spain
| | - Ana Isabel Pelaez
- Area of Microbiology, Department of Functional Biology, Environmental Biogeochemistry and Raw Materials Group and IUBA, University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
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22
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Singh AD, Khanna K, Kour J, Dhiman S, Bhardwaj T, Devi K, Sharma N, Kumar P, Kapoor N, Sharma P, Arora P, Sharma A, Bhardwaj R. Critical review on biogeochemical dynamics of mercury (Hg) and its abatement strategies. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 319:137917. [PMID: 36706814 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.137917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is among the naturally occurring heavy metal with elemental, organic, and inorganic distributions in the environment. Being considered a global pollutant, high pools of Hg-emissions ranging from >6000 to 8000 Mg Hg/year get accumulated by the natural and anthropogenic activities in the atmosphere. These toxicants have high persistence, toxicity, and widespread contamination in the soil, water, and air resources. Hg accumulation inside the plant parts amplifies the traces of toxic elements in the linking food chains, leads to Hg exposure to humans, and acts as a potential genotoxic, neurotoxic and carcinogenic entity. However, excessive Hg levels are equally toxic to the plant system and severely disrupt the physiological and metabolic processes in plants. Thus, a plausible link between Hg-concentration and its biogeochemical behavior is highly imperative to analyze the plant-soil interactions. Therefore, it is requisite to bring these toxic contaminants in between the acceptable limits to safeguard the environment. Plants efficiently incorporate or absorb the bioavailable Hg from the soil thus a constructive understanding of Hg uptake, translocation/sequestration involving specific heavy metal transporters, and detoxification mechanisms are drawn. Whereas recent investigations in biological remediation of Hg provide insights into the potential associations between the plants and microbes. Furthermore, intense research on Hg-induced antioxidants, protein networks, metabolic mechanisms, and signaling pathways is required to understand these bioremediations techniques. This review sheds light on the mercury (Hg) sources, pollution, biogeochemical cycles, its uptake, translocation, and detoxification methods with respect to its molecular approaches in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arun Dev Singh
- Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India.
| | - Kanika Khanna
- Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India
| | - Jaspreet Kour
- Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India
| | - Shalini Dhiman
- Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India
| | - Tamanna Bhardwaj
- Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India
| | - Kamini Devi
- Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India
| | - Neerja Sharma
- Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India
| | - Pardeep Kumar
- Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India
| | - Nitika Kapoor
- P.G. Department of Botany, Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya, Jalandhar, Punjab, India
| | - Priyanka Sharma
- School of Bioengineering Sciences and Research, MIT-ADT University, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Priya Arora
- Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India
| | - Anket Sharma
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Renu Bhardwaj
- Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India.
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23
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Elfidasari D, Rijal MS, Shalsabilla SE, Rahma Fadila DS, Cici A, Pikoli MR, Tetriana D, Sugoro I. Intestinal bacteria diversity of suckermouth catfish (Pterygoplichthys pardalis) in the Cd, Hg, and Pb contaminated Ciliwung River, Indonesia. Heliyon 2023; 9:e14842. [PMID: 37025814 PMCID: PMC10070546 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The contamination of aquatic environments with heavy metals poses a serious threat to fish, potentially leading to diseases or even death. Therefore, there is an urgent need for studies to investigate the adaptability of fish in heavy metal-contaminated environments. Several studies have explored the adaptability of suckermouth catfish (P. pardalis) to survive in the contaminated Ciliwung River. The findings obtained showed that the presence of intestinal bacteria helped these fish overcome the heavy metals in their intestines, thereby enabling the fish to survive. Analysis using the Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology has succeeded in identifying diversity of these bacteria in P. pardalis living in the Ciliwung River, which contaminated with Cd (0.3-1.6 ppm in the water & 0.9-1.6 ppm in the sediment), Hg (0.6-2 ppm in the water & 0.6-1.8 ppm in the sediment), and Pb (59.9-73.8 ppm in the water & 26.1-58.6 ppm in the sediment). Diversity index of intestinal bacteria in P. pardalis was relatively high, but it had a negative correlation with the presence of these contaminants. Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria were abundant in the intestines of P. pardalis from the upstream to downstream of the river, with an overall abundance range of 15-48%. Furthermore, Mycobacterium along with 6 other genera were identified as core intestinal bacteria. The presence of these bacterial communities in all the samples affected their survival in heavy metals-contaminated rivers. The fish's adaptability to live in this harsh environment indicated that it has the potential to be utilized as a bioremediator of heavy metals in river sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dewi Elfidasari
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Al Azhar University Indonesia, Jakarta 12110, Indonesia
| | - Mohammad Syamsul Rijal
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, Banten 15412, Indonesia
| | - Syalwa Ersadiwi Shalsabilla
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, Banten 15412, Indonesia
| | - Diannisa Syahwa Rahma Fadila
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, Banten 15412, Indonesia
| | - Ade Cici
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, Banten 15412, Indonesia
| | - Megga Ratnasari Pikoli
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, Banten 15412, Indonesia
| | - Devita Tetriana
- National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Jakarta 12440, Indonesia
| | - Irawan Sugoro
- National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Jakarta 12440, Indonesia
- Corresponding author.
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24
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Tavoosi N, Akhavan Sepahi A, Amoozegar MA, Kiarostami V. Toxic heavy metal/oxyanion tolerance in haloarchaea from some saline and hypersaline ecosystems. J Basic Microbiol 2023; 63:558-569. [PMID: 36892092 DOI: 10.1002/jobm.202200465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
Toxic heavy metal/oxyanion contamination has increased severely through the last decades. In this study, 169 native haloarchaeal strains were isolated from different saline and hypersaline econiches of Iran. After providing pure culture and performing morphological, physiological, and biochemical tests, haloarchaea resistance toward arsenate, selenite, chromate, cadmium, zinc, lead, copper, and mercury were surveyed using an agar dilution method. On the basis of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs), the least toxicities were found with selenite and arsenate, while the haloarchaeal strains revealed the highest sensitivity for mercury. On the other hand, the majority of haloarchaeal strains exhibited similar responses to chromate and zinc, whereas the resistance level of the isolates to lead, cadmium, and copper was very heterogeneous. 16 S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequence analysis revealed that most haloarchaeal strains belong to the Halorubrum and Natrinema genera. The obtained results from this study showed that among the identified isolates, Halococcus morrhuae strain 498 had an exceptional resistance toward selenite and cadmium (64 and 16 mM, respectively). Also, Halovarius luteus strain DA5 exhibited a remarkable tolerance against copper (32 mM). Moreover, strain Salt5, identified as Haloarcula sp., was the only strain that could tolerate all eight tested heavy metals/oxyanions and had a significant tolerance of mercury (1.5 mM).
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazanin Tavoosi
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Islamic Azad University, North Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abbas Akhavan Sepahi
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Islamic Azad University, North Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Ali Amoozegar
- Extremophiles Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, School of Biology and Center of Excellence in Phylogeny of Living Organisms, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Vahid Kiarostami
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Islamic Azad University, North Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran
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25
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Diverse Methylmercury (MeHg) Producers and Degraders Inhabit Acid Mine Drainage Sediments, but Few Taxa Correlate with MeHg Accumulation. mSystems 2023; 8:e0073622. [PMID: 36507660 PMCID: PMC9948709 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00736-22] [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] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a notorious neurotoxin, and its production and degradation in the environment are mainly driven by microorganisms. A variety of microbial MeHg producers carrying the gene pair hgcAB and degraders carrying the merB gene have been separately reported in recent studies. However, surprisingly little attention has been paid to the simultaneous investigation of the diversities of microbial MeHg producers and degraders in a given habitat, and no studies have been performed to explore to what extent these two contrasting microbial groups correlate with MeHg accumulation in the habitat of interest. Here, we collected 86 acid mine drainage (AMD) sediments from an area spanning approximately 500,000 km2 in southern China and profiled the sediment-borne putative MeHg producers and degraders using genome-resolved metagenomics. 46 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) containing hgcAB and 93 MAGs containing merB were obtained, including those from various taxa without previously known MeHg-metabolizing microorganisms. These diverse MeHg-metabolizing MAGs were formed largely via multiple independent horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events. The putative MeHg producers from Deltaproteobacteria and Firmicutes as well as MeHg degraders from Acidithiobacillia were closely correlated with MeHg accumulation in the sediments. Furthermore, these three taxa, in combination with two abiotic factors, explained over 60% of the variance in MeHg accumulation. Most of the members of these taxa were characterized by their metabolic potential for nitrogen fixation and copper tolerance. Overall, these findings improve our understanding of the ecology of MeHg-metabolizing microorganisms and likely have implications for the development of management strategies for the reduction of MeHg accumulation in the AMD sediments. IMPORTANCE Microorganisms are the main drivers of MeHg production and degradation in the environment. However, little attention has been paid to the simultaneous investigation of the diversities of microbial MeHg producers and degraders in a given habitat. We used genome-resolved metagenomics to reveal the vast phylogenetic and metabolic diversities of putative MeHg producers and degraders in AMD sediments. Our results show that the diversity of MeHg-metabolizing microorganisms (particularly MeHg degraders) in AMD sediments is much higher than was previously recognized. Via multiple linear regression analysis, we identified both microbial and abiotic factors affecting MeHg accumulation in AMD sediments. Despite their great diversity, only a few taxa of MeHg-metabolizing microorganisms were closely correlated with MeHg accumulation. This work underscores the importance of using genome-resolved metagenomics to survey MeHg-metabolizing microorganisms and provides a framework for the illumination of the microbial basis of MeHg accumulation via the characterization of physicochemical properties, MeHg-metabolizing microorganisms, and the correlations between them.
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26
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Dell'Anno F, Joaquim van Zyl L, Trindade M, Buschi E, Cannavacciuolo A, Pepi M, Sansone C, Brunet C, Ianora A, de Pascale D, Golyshin PN, Dell'Anno A, Rastelli E. Microbiome enrichment from contaminated marine sediments unveils novel bacterial strains for petroleum hydrocarbon and heavy metal bioremediation. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 317:120772. [PMID: 36455775 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals are some of the most widespread contaminants affecting marine ecosystems, urgently needing effective and sustainable remediation solutions. Microbial-based bioremediation is gaining increasing interest as an effective, economically and environmentally sustainable strategy. Here, we hypothesized that the heavily polluted coastal area facing the Sarno River mouth, which discharges >3 tons of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and ∼15 tons of heavy metals (HMs) into the sea annually, hosts unique microbiomes including marine bacteria useful for PAHs and HMs bioremediation. We thus enriched the microbiome of marine sediments, contextually selecting for HM-resistant bacteria. The enriched mixed bacterial culture was subjected to whole-DNA sequencing, metagenome-assembled-genomes (MAGs) annotation, and further sub-culturing to obtain the major bacterial species as pure strains. We obtained two novel isolates corresponding to the two most abundant MAGs (Alcanivorax xenomutans strain-SRM1 and Halomonas alkaliantarctica strain-SRM2), and tested their ability to degrade PAHs and remove HMs. Both strains exhibited high PAHs degradation (60-100%) and HMs removal (21-100%) yield, and we described in detail >60 genes in their MAGs to unveil the possible genetic basis for such abilities. Most promising yields (∼100%) were obtained towards naphthalene, pyrene and lead. We propose these novel bacterial strains and related genetic repertoire to be further exploited for effective bioremediation of marine environments contaminated with both PAHs and HMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Dell'Anno
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica "Anton Dohrn", Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy.
| | - Leonardo Joaquim van Zyl
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute for Microbial Biotechnology and Metagenomics, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, 7535, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Marla Trindade
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute for Microbial Biotechnology and Metagenomics, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, 7535, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Emanuela Buschi
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica "Anton Dohrn", Fano Marine Centre, Viale Adriatico 1-N, 61032, Fano, Italy.
| | - Antonio Cannavacciuolo
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica "Anton Dohrn", Fano Marine Centre, Viale Adriatico 1-N, 61032, Fano, Italy.
| | - Milva Pepi
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica "Anton Dohrn", Fano Marine Centre, Viale Adriatico 1-N, 61032, Fano, Italy.
| | - Clementina Sansone
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica "Anton Dohrn", Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy.
| | - Christophe Brunet
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica "Anton Dohrn", Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy.
| | - Adrianna Ianora
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica "Anton Dohrn", Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy.
| | - Donatella de Pascale
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica "Anton Dohrn", Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy.
| | - Peter N Golyshin
- Centre for Environmental Biotechnology, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK.
| | - Antonio Dell'Anno
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Università Politecnica Delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131, Ancona, Italy.
| | - Eugenio Rastelli
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica "Anton Dohrn", Fano Marine Centre, Viale Adriatico 1-N, 61032, Fano, Italy.
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27
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Cho CH, Park SI, Huang TY, Lee Y, Ciniglia C, Yadavalli HC, Yang SW, Bhattacharya D, Yoon HS. Genome-wide signatures of adaptation to extreme environments in red algae. Nat Commun 2023; 14:10. [PMID: 36599855 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35566-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The high temperature, acidity, and heavy metal-rich environments associated with hot springs have a major impact on biological processes in resident cells. One group of photosynthetic eukaryotes, the Cyanidiophyceae (Rhodophyta), has successfully thrived in hot springs and associated sites worldwide for more than 1 billion years. Here, we analyze chromosome-level assemblies from three representative Cyanidiophyceae species to study environmental adaptation at the genomic level. We find that subtelomeric gene duplication of functional genes and loss of canonical eukaryotic traits played a major role in environmental adaptation, in addition to horizontal gene transfer events. Shared responses to environmental stress exist in Cyanidiales and Galdieriales, however, most of the adaptive genes (e.g., for arsenic detoxification) evolved independently in these lineages. Our results underline the power of local selection to shape eukaryotic genomes that may face vastly different stresses in adjacent, extreme microhabitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chung Hyun Cho
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Korea
| | - Seung In Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Korea
| | - Tzu-Yen Huang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Korea
| | - Yongsung Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Korea
| | - Claudia Ciniglia
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Science and Technologies, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy
| | - Hari Chandana Yadavalli
- Department of Systems Biology, Institute of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seong Wook Yang
- Department of Systems Biology, Institute of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
| | | | - Hwan Su Yoon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Korea.
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28
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Simon A, Colom J, Mazhar S, Khokhlova E, Deaton J, Rea K. Bacillus megaterium Renuspore ® as a potential probiotic for gut health and detoxification of unwanted dietary contaminants. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1125616. [PMID: 37113219 PMCID: PMC10126418 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1125616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to diverse environmental pollutants and food contaminants is ever-increasing. The risks related to the bioaccumulation of such xenobiotics in the air and food chain have exerted negative effects on human health, such as inflammation, oxidative stress, DNA damage, gastrointestinal disorders, and chronic diseases. The use of probiotics is considered an economical and versatile tool for the detoxification of hazardous chemicals that are persistent in the environment and food chain, potentially for scavenging unwanted xenobiotics in the gut. In this study, Bacillus megaterium MIT411 (Renuspore®) was characterized for general probiotic properties including antimicrobial activity, dietary metabolism, and antioxidant activity, and for the capacity to detoxify several environmental contaminants that can be found in the food chain. In silico studies revealed genes associated with carbohydrate, protein and lipid metabolism, xenobiotic chelation or degradation, and antioxidant properties. Bacillus megaterium MIT411 (Renuspore®) demonstrated high levels of total antioxidant activities, in addition to antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Staphylococcus aureus, and Campylobacter jejuni in vitro. The metabolic analysis demonstrated strong enzymatic activity with a high release of amino acids and beneficial short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Moreover, Renuspore® effectively chelated the heavy metals, mercury and lead, without negatively impacting the beneficial minerals, iron, magnesium, or calcium, and degraded the environmental contaminants, nitrite, ammonia, and 4-Chloro-2-nitrophenol. These findings suggest that Renuspore® may play a beneficial role in supporting gut health metabolism and eliminating unwanted dietary contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie Simon
- ADM Cork H&W Ltd., Bioinnovation Unit, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Joan Colom
- ADM Cork H&W Ltd., Bioinnovation Unit, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Shahneela Mazhar
- ADM Cork H&W Ltd., Bioinnovation Unit, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Ekaterina Khokhlova
- ADM Cork H&W Ltd., Bioinnovation Unit, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - John Deaton
- Deerland Probiotics and Enzymes/ADM, Kennesaw, GA, United States
| | - Kieran Rea
- ADM Cork H&W Ltd., Bioinnovation Unit, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- *Correspondence: Kieran Rea
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29
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Tada Y, Marumoto K, Iwamoto Y, Takeda K, Sakugawa H. Distribution and phylogeny of mercury methylation, demethylation, and reduction genes in the Seto Inland Sea of Japan. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 186:114381. [PMID: 36459771 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114381] [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: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) adversely affects human and environmental health. To evaluate the mercury (Hg) speciation (methylation, demethylation, and reduction) of microorganisms in coastal seawater, we analyzed the microbial functional gene sets involved in Hg methylation (hgcA and hgcB), demethylation (merB), and reduction (merA) using a metagenomic approach in the eastern and western parts (the Kii and Bungo channels, respectively) of the Seto Inland Sea (SIS) of Japan. We determined the concentration of dissolved total mercury (dTHg) and methylated mercury (dMeHg) in seawater. The metagenomic analysis detected hgcAB, merA, and merB in both channels, whereas the phylogenies of these genes differed between them. A correlation between Hg concentration (both dTHg and dMeHg) and the relative abundance of each gene was not observed. Our data suggests that microbial Hg methylation and demethylation could occur in the SIS and there could be a distinct microbial Hg speciation process between the Kii and Bungo channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuya Tada
- National Institute for Minamata Disease, Department of Environment and Public Health, Kumamoto, Japan.
| | - Kohji Marumoto
- National Institute for Minamata Disease, Department of Environment and Public Health, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Yoko Iwamoto
- Hiroshima University, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Takeda
- Hiroshima University, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Sakugawa
- Hiroshima University, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima, Japan
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30
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Rasool Kamli M, Malik A, S M Sabir J, Ahmad Rather I, Kim CB. Insights into the biodegradation and heavy metal resistance potential of the genus Brevibacillus through comparative genome analyses. Gene 2022; 846:146853. [PMID: 36070852 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.146853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Members of the genus Brevibacillus belonging to the familyPaenibacillaceae are Gram-positive/variable, endospore-forming, and rod-shaped bacteria that dwell in various environmental habitats. Brevibacillus spp. have a wide range of enzyme activities such as degradation of various carbohydrates, plastics, and they possess resistance against heavy metals. These characteristics make them encouraging contenders for biotechnological applications.In this work, we analyzed the reference genomes of 19Brevibacillusspecies, focusing on discovering the biodegradation and heavy metal resistance capabilities of this little studied genus from genomic data. The results indicate that several strain specific traits were identified. For example Brevibacillus halotolerans s-14, and Brevibacillus laterosporus DSM 25 have more glycoside hydrolases (GHs) compared to other carbohydrate-active enzymes, and therefore might be more suitable for biodegradation of carbohydrates. In contrast, strains such as Brevibacillus antibioticus TGS2-1, with a higher number of glycosyltransfereases (GTs) may aid in the biosynthesis of complex carbohydrates. Our results also suggest some correlation between heavy metal resistance and polyurethane degradation, thus indicating that heavy metal resistance strains (e.g. Brevibacillus reuszeri J31TS6) can be a promising source of enzymes for polyurethane degradation. These strain specific features make the members of this bacterial group potential candidates for further investigations with industrial implications. This work also represents the first exhaustive study of Brevibacillus at the genome scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Majid Rasool Kamli
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; Center of excellence in Bionanoscience Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Adeel Malik
- Institute of Intelligence Informatics Technology, Sangmyung University, Seoul 03016, Republic of Korea
| | - Jamal S M Sabir
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; Center of excellence in Bionanoscience Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Irfan Ahmad Rather
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; Center of excellence in Bionanoscience Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Chang-Bae Kim
- Department of Biotechnology, Sangmyung University, Seoul 03016, Republic of Korea.
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31
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Guardia AE, Wagner A, Busalmen JP, Di Capua C, Cortéz N, Beligni MV. The draft genome of Andean Rhodopseudomonas sp. strain AZUL predicts genome plasticity and adaptation to chemical homeostasis. BMC Microbiol 2022; 22:297. [PMID: 36494611 PMCID: PMC9733117 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-022-02685-w] [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: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The genus Rhodopseudomonas comprises purple non-sulfur bacteria with extremely versatile metabolisms. Characterization of several strains revealed that each is a distinct ecotype highly adapted to its specific micro-habitat. Here we present the sequencing, genomic comparison and functional annotation of AZUL, a Rhodopseudomonas strain isolated from a high altitude Andean lagoon dominated by extreme conditions and fluctuating levels of chemicals. Average nucleotide identity (ANI) analysis of 39 strains of this genus showed that the genome of AZUL is 96.2% identical to that of strain AAP120, which suggests that they belong to the same species. ANI values also show clear separation at the species level with the rest of the strains, being more closely related to R. palustris. Pangenomic analyses revealed that the genus Rhodopseudomonas has an open pangenome and that its core genome represents roughly 5 to 12% of the total gene repertoire of the genus. Functional annotation showed that AZUL has genes that participate in conferring genome plasticity and that, in addition to sharing the basal metabolic complexity of the genus, it is also specialized in metal and multidrug resistance and in responding to nutrient limitation. Our results also indicate that AZUL might have evolved to use some of the mechanisms involved in resistance as redox reactions for bioenergetic purposes. Most of those features are shared with strain AAP120, and mainly involve the presence of additional orthologs responsible for the mentioned processes. Altogether, our results suggest that AZUL, one of the few bacteria from its habitat with a sequenced genome, is highly adapted to the extreme and changing conditions that constitute its niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aisha E. Guardia
- grid.473319.b0000 0004 0461 9871Ingeniería de Interfases y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Tecnología de Materiales (INTEMA-CONICET-UNMdP), Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Agustín Wagner
- grid.10814.3c0000 0001 2097 3211Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Zavalla, Argentina
| | - Juan P. Busalmen
- grid.473319.b0000 0004 0461 9871Ingeniería de Interfases y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Tecnología de Materiales (INTEMA-CONICET-UNMdP), Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Cecilia Di Capua
- grid.501777.30000 0004 0638 1836Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-CONICET-UNR), Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Néstor Cortéz
- grid.501777.30000 0004 0638 1836Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-CONICET-UNR), Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - María V. Beligni
- grid.412221.60000 0000 9969 0902Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas (IIB-CONICET-UNMdP), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Argentina
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32
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Li X, Yang Z, Zhang G, Si S, Wu X, Cai L. Plasmid Genomes Reveal the Distribution, Abundance, and Organization of Mercury-Related Genes and Their Co-Distribution with Antibiotic Resistant Genes in Gammaproteobacteria. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:2149. [PMID: 36421823 PMCID: PMC9690531 DOI: 10.3390/genes13112149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) pollution poses human health and environmental risks worldwide, as it can have toxic effects and causes selective pressure that facilitates the spread of antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) among microbes. More and more studies have revealed that numerous Hg-related genes (HRGs) can help to resist and transform Hg. In the present study, we systematically analyzed the HRG distribution, abundance, organization, and their co-distribution with ARGs, using 18,731 publicly available plasmid genomes isolated from a Gammaproteobacteria host. Our results revealed that there were many Hg-resistant (mer) operon genes but they were not extensively distributed across plasmids, with only 9.20% of plasmids harboring HRGs. Additionally, no hgcAB genes (which methylate Hg to create methylmercury) were identified in any of the analyzed plasmids. The host source significantly influenced the number of HRGs harbored by plasmids; plasmids isolated from humans and animals harbored a significantly smaller number of HRGs than plasmids isolated from the wastewater and sludge. HRG clusters displayed an extremely high organizational diversity (88 HRG cluster types), though incidences of more than half of the HRG cluster types was <5. This indicates the frequent rearrangement among HRGs in plasmids. The 1368 plasmids harboring both HRGs and ARGs, were dominated by Klebsiella, followed by Escherichia, Salmonella, and Enterobacter. The tightness of the HRG and ARG co-distribution in plasmids was affected by the host sources but not by pathogenicity. HRGs were more likely to co-occur with specific ARG classes (sulfonamide, macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin, and aminoglycoside resistance genes). Collectively, our results reveal the distribution characteristics of HRGs in plasmids, and they have important implications for further understanding the environmental risks caused by the spread of ARGs through the plasmid-mediated co-transfer of ARGs and HRGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyang Li
- School of Life and Health Science, Kaili University, Kaili 556011, China
- Bacterial Genome Data Mining & Bioinformatic Analysis Center, Kaili University, Kaili 556011, China
| | - Zilin Yang
- School of Sciences, Kaili University, Kaili 556018, China
| | - Guohui Zhang
- School of Life and Health Science, Kaili University, Kaili 556011, China
| | - Shengli Si
- School of Life and Health Science, Kaili University, Kaili 556011, China
| | - Xianzhi Wu
- School of Life and Health Science, Kaili University, Kaili 556011, China
| | - Lin Cai
- Shenzhen Institute of Guangdong Ocean University, Shenzhen 518120, China
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33
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Souza SSR, Turcotte MR, Li J, Zhang X, Wolfe KL, Gao F, Benton CS, Andam CP. Population analysis of heavy metal and biocide resistance genes in Salmonella enterica from human clinical cases in New Hampshire, United States. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:983083. [PMID: 36338064 PMCID: PMC9626534 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.983083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbes frequently encounter heavy metals and other toxic compounds generated from natural biogeochemical processes and anthropogenic activities. Here, we analyzed the prevalence and association of genes conferring resistance to heavy metals, biocides, and antimicrobial compounds in 394 genome sequences of clinical human-derived S. enterica from New Hampshire, USA. The most prevalent was the gold operon (gesABC-golTSB), which was present in 99.2% of the genomes. In contrast, the other five heavy metal operons (arsenic, copper, mercury, silver, tellurite) were present in 0.76% (3/394)-5.58% (22/394) of the total population. The heavy metal operons and three biocide resistance genes were differentially distributed across 15 sequence types (STs) and 16 serotypes. The number of heavy metal operons and biocide resistance genes per genome was significantly associated with high number of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes per genome. Notable is the mercury operon which exhibited significant association with genes conferring resistance to aminoglycosides, cephalosporins, diaminopyrimidine, sulfonamide, and fosfomycin. The mercury operon was co-located with the AMR genes aac(3)-IV, ant(3")-IIa, aph(3')-Ia, and aph(4)-Ia, CTX-M-65, dfrA14, sul1, and fosA3 genes within the same plasmid types. Lastly, we found evidence for negative selection of individual genes of each heavy metal operon and the biocide resistance genes (dN/dS < 1). Our study highlights the need for continued surveillance of S. enterica serotypes that carry those genes that confer resistance to heavy metals and biocides that are often associated with mobile AMR genes. The selective pressures imposed by heavy metals and biocides on S. enterica may contribute to the co-selection and spread of AMR in human infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie S. R. Souza
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, United States
| | - Madison R. Turcotte
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, United States
| | - Jinfeng Li
- New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Concord, NH, United States
| | - Xinglu Zhang
- New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Concord, NH, United States
| | - Kristin L. Wolfe
- New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Concord, NH, United States
| | - Fengxiang Gao
- New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Concord, NH, United States
| | | | - Cheryl P. Andam
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, United States
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34
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Krout IN, Scrimale T, Rand MD. Targeted Intracellular Demethylation of Methylmercury Enhances Elimination Kinetics and Reduces Developmental Toxicity in Transgenic Drosophila. Toxicol Sci 2022; 190:146-157. [PMID: 36200918 PMCID: PMC9960040 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfac105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) persists today as a priority public health concern. Mechanisms influencing MeHg metabolism, kinetics, and toxicity outcomes are therefore essential knowledge for informing exposure risks. Evidence points to different toxic potencies of MeHg and inorganic mercury (Hg2+), highlighting the role for biotransformation (demethylation) in regulating MeHg toxicokinetics/dynamics. Whereas microbial MeHg demethylation in the gut is seen to influence elimination kinetics, the potential for systemic demethylation in tissues and target organs to influence MeHg toxicity remains uncertain. To investigate the consequences of systemic MeHg demethylation across development, we engineered transgenic Drosophila to express the bacterial organomercurial lyase enzyme (merB) in a targeted and tissue-specific manner. With all combinations of merB-induced demethylation, ubiquitously (via an actin promoter) or in a tissue-specific manner (ie, gut, muscle, neurons), we observe a rescue of MeHg-induced eclosion failure at the pupal to adult transition. In MeHg-fed larvae with ubiquitous or targeted (gut and muscle) merB expression, we see a significant decrease in MeHg body burden at the pupal stage relative to control flies. We also observe a significant increase in the MeHg elimination rate with merB demethylation induced in adults (control, t1/2 = 7.2 days; merB flies, t1/2 = 3.1 days). With neuronal-specific merB expression, we observe a rescue of MeHg-induced eclosion failure without a decrease in Hg body burden, but a redistribution of Hg away from the brain. These results demonstrate the previously unidentified potential for intracellular MeHg demethylation to promote transport and elimination of Hg, and reduce developmental MeHg toxicity. Impact Statement: These findings demonstrate the potential for MeHg demethylation in situ to contribute significantly to the MeHg elimination and distribution kinetics of whole animals and thereby affords a means of protection against the toxic insult of MeHg. Therefore, this study reveals important insight into processes that can determine an individual's resistance or susceptibility to MeHg and provides rationale for therapies targeting a novel metabolism-based pathways to alleviate toxicity risk stemming from MeHg exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian N Krout
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: and E-mail:
| | - Thomas Scrimale
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14620, USA
| | - Matthew D Rand
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: and E-mail:
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35
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Frey B, Rast BM, Qi W, Stierli B, Brunner I. Long-term mercury contamination does not affect the microbial gene potential for C and N cycling in soils but enhances detoxification gene abundance. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1034138. [PMID: 36274742 PMCID: PMC9581213 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1034138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Soil microorganisms are key transformers of mercury (Hg), a toxic and widespread pollutant. It remains uncertain, however, how long-term exposure to Hg affects crucial microbial functions, such as litter decomposition and nitrogen cycling. Here, we used a metagenomic approach to investigate the state of soil functions in an agricultural floodplain contaminated with Hg for more than 80 years. We sampled soils along a gradient of Hg contamination (high, moderate, low). Hg concentrations at the highly contaminated site (36 mg kg–1 dry soil on average) were approximately 10 times higher than at the moderately contaminated site (3 mg kg–1 dry soil) and more than 100 times higher than at the site with low contamination (0.25 mg kg–1 dry soil; corresponding to the natural background concentration in Switzerland). The analysis of the CAZy and NCyc databases showed that carbon and nitrogen cycling was not strongly affected with high Hg concentrations, although a significant change in the beta-diversity of the predicted genes was observed. The only functional classes from the CAZy database that were significantly positively overrepresented under higher Hg concentrations were genes involved in pectin degradation, and from the NCyc database dissimilatory nitrate reduction and N-fixation. When comparing between low and high Hg concentrations the genes of the EggNOG functional category of inorganic ion transport and metabolism, two genes encoding Hg transport proteins and one gene involved in heavy metal transport detoxification were among those that were highly significantly overrepresented. A look at genes specifically involved in detoxification of Hg species, such as the mer and hgc genes, showed a significant overrepresentation when Hg contamination was increased. Normalized counts of these genes revealed a dominant role for the phylum Proteobacteria. In particular, most counts for almost all mer genes were found in Betaproteobacteria. In contrast, hgc genes were most abundant in Desulfuromonadales. Overall, we conclude from this metagenomic analysis that long-term exposure to high Hg triggers shifts in the functional beta-diversity of the predicted microbial genes, but we do not see a dramatic change or breakdown in functional capabilities, but rather functional redundancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beat Frey
- Forest Soils and Biogeochemistry, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Beat Frey,
| | - Basil M. Rast
- Forest Soils and Biogeochemistry, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Weihong Qi
- FGCZ Functional Genomics Center Zurich, ETH Zürich and University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Beat Stierli
- Forest Soils and Biogeochemistry, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Ivano Brunner
- Forest Soils and Biogeochemistry, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
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36
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Ba Q, Zhou J, Li J, Cheng S, Zhang X, Wang H. Mutagenic Characteristics of Six Heavy Metals in Escherichia coli: The Commonality and Specificity. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:13867-13877. [PMID: 36121417 PMCID: PMC9536316 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c04785] [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: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The history of long-term environmental exposure to heavy metals can be recorded in the genome as sporadic and specific mutations. Variable environments introduce diverse and adaptive mutations to organisms. To reveal the information hidden in genomes about environmental exposure to heavy metals, we performed long-term mutation accumulation (MA) experiments with Escherichia coli, analyzed genomes from 36 populations across 1650 generations with 6 heavy metal exposure regimes (arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel, and lead), and inferred metal-specific evolution modes at the genomic level. All heavy metals induced genetic mutations with a mean rate of 3.459 × 10-9 per nucleotide per generation. The mutational spectrum exhibited distinct signatures; however, heavy metals also shared common mutation signatures prominently associated with all cancer types. The mutated genes showed an average similarity of 54.4% within the same exposure regime, whereas only 38.8% between exposure regimes. In terms of biological insights, mutated genes were enriched to fundamental cellular processes such as metabolism, motility, and transport. Our study elucidates the mutagenic commonality and specificity of environmental heavy metals, which are highly specific at mutational features and locus, but conserved at gene and functional levels, and may play crucial roles in the convergence of adaptation to heavy metals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Ba
- State
Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Center for Single-Cell
Omics, School of Public Health, Shanghai
Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Jingqi Zhou
- State
Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Center for Single-Cell
Omics, School of Public Health, Shanghai
Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Jingquan Li
- State
Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Center for Single-Cell
Omics, School of Public Health, Shanghai
Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Shujun Cheng
- State
Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Center for Single-Cell
Omics, School of Public Health, Shanghai
Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Xiaokang Zhang
- School
of Public Health and Health Management, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou 341000, China
| | - Hui Wang
- State
Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Center for Single-Cell
Omics, School of Public Health, Shanghai
Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
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37
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Singh S, Kumar V, Gupta P, Ray M. The trafficking of Hg II by alleviating its toxicity via Citrobacter sp. IITISM25 in batch and pilot-scale investigation. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 433:128711. [PMID: 35395524 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The study aims to see how effective the Citrobacter species strain is in removing HgII under stressful conditions. For this, a response surface methodology was chosen to optimized pH, temperature, and biomass for effective biotransformation of HgII. The optimized value for pH, temperature, and biomass were 6.5, 30 °C, and 2 mg/l with 89% HgII removal potential. TEM-EDX showed accumulated mercury onto the bacterial surface. Pot study was conducted to check the potentiality of this strain in alleviating the toxicity in Solanum lycopersicum L. under different concentrations of mercury. The enhancement in antioxidative enzymes, as well as mercury accumulation, was observed in test plants inoculated with IITISM25. Obtained result showed a greater accumulation of mercury in the root system than that of the shoot system due to poor translocation. Moreover, mercury reductase enzyme synthesis was also boosted by the addition of β-mercaptoethanol and L-cysteine. The optimized condition for maximum enzyme synthesis was at pH 7.5 and temperature 30 °C with Km = 48.07 μmol and Vmax = 9.75 μmol/min. Thus, we can say that Citrobacter species strain IITISM25 can be effectively applied in remediation of HgII stress condition as well as promotion of Solanum lycopersicum L growth under stress conditions as a promising host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shalini Singh
- Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad 826 004, Jharkhand, India
| | - Vipin Kumar
- Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad 826 004, Jharkhand, India.
| | - Pratishtha Gupta
- Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad 826 004, Jharkhand, India
| | - Madhurya Ray
- Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad 826 004, Jharkhand, India
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38
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Liu J, Li Y, Duan D, Peng G, Li P, Lei P, Zhong H, Tsui MTK, Pan K. Effects and mechanisms of organic matter regulating the methylmercury dynamics in mangrove sediments. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 432:128690. [PMID: 35325865 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Mangrove ecosystems serve as an important carbon sink but also could be a hotspot that produces neurotoxic methylmercury (MeHg). Although many studies have focused on mercury (Hg) contamination in this carbon-rich ecosystem, our understanding of the effects and mechanisms of the organic matter (OM) regulation of MeHg production in mangrove sediments is still limited. Here, we examined the effects of Hg contamination and OM enrichment on MeHg production in anoxic mangrove sediments and identified the major microbial guilds attending this process. The mangrove sediments possessed a high potential for producing MeHg, but this was counterbalanced by its rapid degradation. Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) such as Desulfobacterales, Desulfovibrionales, and Syntrophobacterales were the major methylators. OM diagenesis significantly changed the biogeochemical conditions, accelerating MeHg degradation in the sediments. The enhanced MeHg degradation could be attributed to the abundant sulfide produced during OM decomposition, which could potentially inhibit the Hg methylation by immobilization of inorganic Hg, abiotically degrade MeHg, and favor the non-mer-mediated degradation of MeHg by SRB. Our study provides both geochemical and microbial clues that can partly explain the low MeHg levels widely observed in mangrove sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingli Liu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Yanping Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Dandan Duan
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China
| | - Guogan Peng
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Ping Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Pei Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Huan Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Martin Tsz-Ki Tsui
- School of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ke Pan
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.
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Nádudvari Á, Cabała J, Marynowski L, Jabłońska M, Dziurowicz M, Malczewski D, Kozielska B, Siupka P, Piotrowska-Seget Z, Simoneit BRT, Szczyrba M. High concentrations of HgS, MeHg and toxic gas emissions in thermally affected waste dumps from hard coal mining in Poland. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 431:128542. [PMID: 35248960 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128542] [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: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
This study aims to provide numerous environmental research approaches to understand the formation of mineral and organic mercury compounds in self-heating coal waste dumps of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB). The results are combined with environmental and health risk assessments. The mineralogy comprised accessory minerals in the fine fraction of thermally affected waste, i.e., Hg sulfides, most likely cinnabar or metacinnabar. Moreover, other metals, e.g., Pb, Zn and Cu, were found as sulfide forms. Apart from Hg, the ICP-ES/MS data confirmed the high content of Mn, Zn, Pb, Hg, Cr and Ba in these wastes. The high concentration of available Hg resulted in elevated MeHg concentrations in the dumps. There were no correlations or trends between MeHg concentrations and elemental Hg, TS, TOC, and pH. Furthermore, we did not detect microbial genes responsible for Hg methylation. The organic compounds identified in waste and emitted gases, such as organic acids, or free methyl radicals, common in such burn environments, could be responsible for the formation of MeHg. The concentration levels of gases, e.g., benzene, formaldehyde, NH3, emitted by the vents, reached or surpassed acceptable levels numerous times. The potential ecological and human health risks of these dumps were moderate to very high due to the significant influence of the high Hg concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ádám Nádudvari
- University of Silesia in Katowice, Faculty of Natural Sciences, 60 Będzińska Street, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland.
| | - Jerzy Cabała
- University of Silesia in Katowice, Faculty of Natural Sciences, 60 Będzińska Street, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland
| | - Leszek Marynowski
- University of Silesia in Katowice, Faculty of Natural Sciences, 60 Będzińska Street, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland
| | - Mariola Jabłońska
- University of Silesia in Katowice, Faculty of Natural Sciences, 60 Będzińska Street, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland
| | - Maria Dziurowicz
- University of Silesia in Katowice, Faculty of Natural Sciences, 60 Będzińska Street, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland
| | - Dariusz Malczewski
- University of Silesia in Katowice, Faculty of Natural Sciences, 60 Będzińska Street, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland
| | - Barbara Kozielska
- Silesian University of Technology, Faculty of Power and Environmental Engineering, Department of Air Protection, 22B Konarskiego St., 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
| | - Piotr Siupka
- University of Silesia in Katowice, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Jagiellonska 28, 40-032 Katowice, Poland
| | - Zofia Piotrowska-Seget
- University of Silesia in Katowice, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Jagiellonska 28, 40-032 Katowice, Poland
| | - Bernd R T Simoneit
- Oregon State University, Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Mirosław Szczyrba
- University of Silesia in Katowice, Faculty of Natural Sciences, 60 Będzińska Street, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland
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40
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Gaeta NC, de Carvalho DU, Fontana H, Sano E, Moura Q, Fuga B, Munoz PM, Gregory L, Lincopan N. Genomic features of a multidrug-resistant and mercury-tolerant environmental Escherichia coli recovered after a mining dam disaster in South America. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 823:153590. [PMID: 35122850 PMCID: PMC8994849 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Mining dam disasters contribute to the contamination of aquatic environments, impacting associated ecosystems and wildlife. A multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli strain (B2C) was isolated from a river water sample in Brazil after the Mariana mining dam disaster. The genome was sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform, and de novo assembled using Unicycler. Resistome, virulome, and plasmidome were predicted using bioinformatics tools. Data analysis revealed that E. coli B2C belonged to sequence type ST219 and phylogroup E. Strikingly, a broad resistome (antibiotics, hazardous heavy metals, and biocides) was predicted, including the presence of the clinically relevant blaCTX-M-2 extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) gene, qacE∆1 efflux pump gene, and the mer (mercury resistance) operon. SNP-based analysis revealed that environmental E. coli B2C was clustered along to ESBL-negative E. coli strains of ST219 isolated between 1980 and 2021 from livestock in the United States of America. Acquisition of clinically relevant genes by ST219 seems to be a recent genetic event related to anthropogenic activities, where polluted water environments may contribute to its dissemination at the human-animal-environment interface. In addition, the presence of genes conferring resistance to heavy metals could be related to environmental pollution from mining activities. Antimicrobial resistance genes could be essential biomarkers of environmental exposure to human and mining pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália C Gaeta
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Daniel U de Carvalho
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Herrison Fontana
- Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmacy, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; One Health Brazilian Resistance Project (OneBR), Brazil
| | - Elder Sano
- One Health Brazilian Resistance Project (OneBR), Brazil; Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Quézia Moura
- Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Espírito Santo, Vila Velha, Brazil
| | - Bruna Fuga
- Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmacy, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; One Health Brazilian Resistance Project (OneBR), Brazil; Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Lilian Gregory
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Nilton Lincopan
- Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmacy, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; One Health Brazilian Resistance Project (OneBR), Brazil; Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
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41
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An Y, Zhang R, Yang S, Wang Y, Lei Y, Peng S, Song L. Microbial mercury methylation potential in a large-scale municipal solid waste landfill, China. WASTE MANAGEMENT (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2022; 145:102-111. [PMID: 35526502 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2022.04.038] [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: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Landfills harbor ideal conditions for microbial mercury methylation. However, the levels and distribution of mercury (Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg), potential microbial Hg methylation, and their linkage within landfills are largely unknown. In the present study, total mercury (THg), MeHg, the Hg methylation gene (hgcA) and mer operon were quantified in 30 waste samples from different depths (0-30 m) at 5 locations within a large-scale landfill in China. The average concentrations of THg and MeHg in the solid waste samples were 1422.91 ng/g and 3.15 ng/g, respectively. THg (up to 14405.29 ng/g) and MeHg (up to 10.42 ng/g) have high concentrations in the middle part (10-15 m) along the depth profiles. The concentration of THg was strongly positively (both p < 0.05) correlated with the MeHg concentration and the relative abundance of hgcA, indicating that the THg concentration can play an important role in microbial Hg methylation. The hgcA genes were detected in most samples and mer operon were detected in all samples. Combined hgcA qPCR and metagenomics data showed that Archaea Methanofollis may mainly account for Hg methylation within landfills. These findings provide fundamental knowledge on Hg cycles in landfills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuwei An
- Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing 400074, China; Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China; Chongqing School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
| | - Shu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China.
| | - Yangqing Wang
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
| | - Yu Lei
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
| | - Shaohong Peng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Petrochemical Pollution Process and Control, Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, Maoming 525000, China
| | - Liyan Song
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China.
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42
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Yin B, Tan S, Wang J, Pan K, Wang WX, Wang X. Antibiotic application may raise the potential of methylmercury accumulation in fish. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 819:152946. [PMID: 35038517 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.152946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) biotransformation can significantly affect the Hg speciation and bioaccumulation in fish, where gut microbiota play an important role in this process. Antibiotics have been extensively used in aquaculture and can affect gut microbial structure. However, the influence of antibiotics on Hg biotransformation in fish has not been thoroughly understood. The present study investigated the effects of antibiotic (florfenicol) application on gut microbiota and subsequent impacts on Hg biotransformation and bioaccumulation in tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus). The results showed that the florfenicol treatment did not affect IHg accumulation in the IHg-exposed fish or the MeHg accumulation in the MeHg-exposed fish. However, methylation was significantly weakened (from 0.015% d-1 to 0.005% d-1) and demethylation was completely terminated (from 0.046% d-1 to non-observable level) in the florfenicol-treated fish as compared to the control fish. This can be ascribed to the major shift in the richness of microbial methylators/demethylators in fish gut. Furthermore, florfenicol disturbed the homeostasis of gut microbiome and enhanced the growth of opportunistic pathogens. Our results strongly suggested that antibiotic application significantly altered the gut microbial community, thereby increasing the potential of MeHg accumulation by fish. This study highlights the importance of appropriate use of antibiotics in aquaculture as well as decreasing the environmental risks of Hg contamination in fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingxin Yin
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou 511458, China
| | - Sha Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resource, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Junjie Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Healthy and Safe Aquaculture, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Ke Pan
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Wen-Xiong Wang
- School of Energy and Environment and State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; Research Centre for the Oceans and Human Health, City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Xun Wang
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
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43
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Yu RQ, Barkay T. Microbial mercury transformations: Molecules, functions and organisms. ADVANCES IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY 2022; 118:31-90. [PMID: 35461663 DOI: 10.1016/bs.aambs.2022.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) methylation, methylmercury (MeHg) demethylation, and inorganic redox transformations of Hg are microbe-mediating processes that determine the fate and cycling of Hg and MeHg in many environments, and by doing so influence the health of humans and wild life. The discovery of the Hg methylation genes, hgcAB, in the last decade together with advances in high throughput and genome sequencing methods, have resulted in an expanded appreciation of the diversity of Hg methylating microbes. This review aims to describe experimentally confirmed and recently discovered hgcAB gene-carrying Hg methylating microbes; phylogenetic and taxonomic analyses are presented. In addition, the current knowledge on transformation mechanisms, the organisms that carry them out, and the impact of environmental parameters on Hg methylation, MeHg demethylation, and inorganic Hg reduction and oxidation is summarized. This knowledge provides a foundation for future action toward mitigating the impact of environmental Hg pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ri-Qing Yu
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, TX, United States.
| | - Tamar Barkay
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
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44
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Cardona GI, Escobar MC, Acosta-González A, Marín P, Marqués S. Highly mercury-resistant strains from different Colombian Amazon ecosystems affected by artisanal gold mining activities. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 106:2775-2793. [PMID: 35344092 PMCID: PMC8990959 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-022-11860-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Two sites of the Colombian Amazon region with different levels of human intervention and mercury pollution were selected for the collection of samples of river and lake water, sediments, and associated forest soils. The Tarapacá region, affected mainly by barrage mining, showed low mercury concentrations, whilst in the Taraira region, affected by underground mining, there were several points with high mercury pollution levels. A collection of 72 bacterial and 10 yeast strains with different levels of mercury resistance was isolated and characterized. Most of the highly resistant bacterial strains (MIC > 40 mg L−1 HgCl2) were isolated from soil and sediment samples and belonged to either Pseudomonas (60%) or Bacillus (20%). Most of highly resistant bacterial strains were positive for the presence of the merA gene, suggesting an active mercury resistance mechanism. This was confirmed in the two most resistant strains, Pseudomonas sp. TP30 and Burkholderia contaminans TR100 (MIC = 64 and 71 mg L−1 HgCl2, respectively), which in the presence of increasing mercury concentrations expressed the merA gene at increasing levels, concomitant with a significant mercury reduction activity. Analysis of the MerA sequences present in the different isolates suggested a high gene conservation within the taxonomic groups but also several horizontal gene transfer events between taxonomically distant genera. We also observed a positive correspondence between the presence of the merA gene and the number of antibiotics to which the strains were resistant to. The most resistant strains are good candidates for future applications in the bioremediation of mercury-contaminated sites in the Amazon. Key points • Amazon sediments affected by underground gold mining have higher Hg levels. • Highly Hg-resistant isolates belonged to Pseudomonas and Bacillus genera. • TR100 and TP30 strains showed remediation potential to be used in the Amazon region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gladys Inés Cardona
- Instituto Amazónico de Investigaciones Científicas SINCHI, 110321, Bogotá, Colombia.
| | - María Camila Escobar
- Instituto Amazónico de Investigaciones Científicas SINCHI, 110321, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | - Patricia Marín
- Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Department of Environmental Protection, Granada, Spain
| | - Silvia Marqués
- Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Department of Environmental Protection, Granada, Spain
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45
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Barkay T, Gu B. Demethylation─The Other Side of the Mercury Methylation Coin: A Critical Review. ACS ENVIRONMENTAL AU 2022; 2:77-97. [PMID: 37101582 PMCID: PMC10114901 DOI: 10.1021/acsenvironau.1c00022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The public and environmental health consequences of mercury (Hg) methylation have drawn much attention and considerable research to Hg methylation processes and their dynamics in diverse environments and under a multitude of conditions. However, the net methylmercury (MeHg) concentration that accumulates in the environment is equally determined by the rate of MeHg degradation, a complex process mediated by a variety of biotic and abiotic mechanisms, about which our knowledge is limited. Here we review the current knowledge on MeHg degradation and its potential pathways and mechanisms. We describe detoxification by resistant microorganisms that employ the Hg resistance (mer) system to reductively break the carbon-mercury (C-Hg) bond producing methane (CH4) and inorganic mercuric Hg(II), which is then reduced by the mercuric reductase to elemental Hg(0). Very recent research has begun to elucidate a mechanism for the long-recognized mer-independent oxidative demethylation, likely involving some strains of anaerobic bacteria as well as aerobic methane-oxidizing bacteria, i.e., methanotrophs. In addition, photochemical and chemical demethylation processes are described, including the roles of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and free radicals as well as dark abiotic demethylation in the natural environment about which little is currently known. We focus on mechanisms and processes of demethylation and highlight the uncertainties and known effects of environmental factors leading to MeHg degradation. Finally, we suggest future research directions to further elucidate the chemical and biochemical mechanisms of biotic and abiotic demethylation and their significance in controlling net MeHg production in natural ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar Barkay
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, United States
| | - Baohua Gu
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
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46
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Sanz-Sáez I, Pereira-García C, Bravo AG, Trujillo L, Pla i Ferriol M, Capilla M, Sánchez P, Rodríguez Martín-Doimeadios RC, Acinas SG, Sánchez O. Prevalence of Heterotrophic Methylmercury Detoxifying Bacteria across Oceanic Regions. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:3452-3461. [PMID: 35245029 PMCID: PMC8928480 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c05635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Microbial reduction of inorganic divalent mercury (Hg2+) and methylmercury (MeHg) demethylation is performed by the mer operon, specifically by merA and merB genes, respectively, but little is known about the mercury tolerance capacity of marine microorganisms and its prevalence in the ocean. Here, combining culture-dependent analyses with metagenomic and metatranscriptomic data, we show that marine bacteria that encode mer genes are widespread and active in the global ocean. We explored the distribution of these genes in 290 marine heterotrophic bacteria (Alteromonas and Marinobacter spp.) isolated from different oceanographic regions and depths, and assessed their tolerance to diverse concentrations of Hg2+ and MeHg. In particular, the Alteromonas sp. ISS312 strain presented the highest tolerance capacity and a degradation efficiency for MeHg of 98.2% in 24 h. Fragment recruitment analyses of Alteromonas sp. genomes (ISS312 strain and its associated reconstructed metagenome assembled genome MAG-0289) against microbial bathypelagic metagenomes confirm their prevalence in the deep ocean. Moreover, we retrieved 54 merA and 6 merB genes variants related to the Alteromonas sp. ISS312 strain from global metagenomes and metatranscriptomes from Tara Oceans. Our findings highlight the biological reductive MeHg degradation as a relevant pathway of the ocean Hg biogeochemical cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Sanz-Sáez
- Departament
de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut
de Ciències del Mar, ICM-CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Carla Pereira-García
- Departament
de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut
de Ciències del Mar, ICM-CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Andrea G. Bravo
- Departament
de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut
de Ciències del Mar, ICM-CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Laura Trujillo
- Departament
de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut
de Ciències del Mar, ICM-CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Martí Pla i Ferriol
- Departament
de Genètica i Microbiologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Miguel Capilla
- Research
Group in Environmental Engineering (GI2AM), Department of Chemical
Engineering, University of Valencia, Av. De la Universitat S/N, 46100 Burjassot, Spain
| | - Pablo Sánchez
- Departament
de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut
de Ciències del Mar, ICM-CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Rosa Carmen Rodríguez Martín-Doimeadios
- Environmental
Sciences Institute (ICAM), Department of Analytical Chemistry and
Food Technology, University of Castilla-La
Mancha, Avda. Carlos
III s/n, 45071 Toledo, Spain
| | - Silvia G. Acinas
- Departament
de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut
de Ciències del Mar, ICM-CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Olga Sánchez
- Departament
de Genètica i Microbiologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
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47
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Tan S, Xu X, Cheng H, Wang J, Wang X. The alteration of gut microbiome community play an important role in mercury biotransformation in largemouth bass. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 204:112026. [PMID: 34509480 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) biotransformation is an important process that can affect the speciation and bioaccumulation of Hg in fish. The intestinal microbiota has been suggested to take part in this process. However, Hg biotransformation in fish is still unclear and the responses of gut microbiota to different Hg exposure scenarios have not been well addressed. The present study investigated the bioaccumulation and biotransformation of Hg in a freshwater fish (Micropterus salmoides) and characterized the gut microbiome community under dietary inorganic Hg (IHg) or methylmercury (MeHg) exposure, aiming to evaluate the effects of gut microbiome's activities on the internal-handling and fate of Hg in fish. Significant Hg methylation was observed in fish under IHg exposure, whereas there was no demethylation occurred in MeHg-treated fish. Both IHg and MeHg could significantly alter the community composition of gut microbiome. The administrated IHg in the food could enhance the growth of methylators, resulting in additional MeHg production in fish gut. However, abundance of demethylators was greatly decreased under either IHg or MeHg exposure, leading the demethylation process to be negligible. The results strongly suggested that the behaviors of gut bacterial community played an important role in the presence or absence of biotransformation processes. This study elucidated the importance of gut microbiome in Hg biotransformation process, and helped to develop a novel perspective to understand the Hg bioaccumulation of fish in realistic environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sha Tan
- Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province and Hong Kong Region on Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resource, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, PR China
| | - Xiaowei Xu
- Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province and Hong Kong Region on Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Hao Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China
| | - Junjie Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Healthy and Safe Aquaculture, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Xun Wang
- Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province and Hong Kong Region on Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
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Lombardino J, Bijlani S, Singh NK, Wood JM, Barker R, Gilroy S, Wang CCC, Venkateswaran K. Genomic Characterization of Potential Plant Growth-Promoting Features of Sphingomonas Strains Isolated from the International Space Station. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0199421. [PMID: 35019675 PMCID: PMC8754149 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01994-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In an ongoing microbial tracking investigation of the International Space Station (ISS), several Sphingomonas strains were isolated. Based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence, phylogenetic analysis identified the ISS strains as Sphingomonas sanguinis (n = 2) and one strain isolated from the Kennedy Space Center cleanroom (used to assemble various Mars mission spacecraft components) as Sphingomonas paucimobilis. Metagenomic sequence analyses of different ISS locations identified 23 Sphingomonas species. An abundance of shotgun metagenomic reads were detected for S. sanguinis in the location from where the ISS strains were isolated. A complete metagenome-assembled genome was generated from the shotgun reads metagenome, and its comparison with the whole-genome sequences (WGS) of the ISS S. sanguinis isolates revealed that they were highly similar. In addition to the phylogeny, the WGS of these Sphingomonas strains were compared with the WGS of the type strains to elucidate genes that can potentially aid in plant growth promotion. Furthermore, the WGS comparison of these strains with the well-characterized Sphingomonas sp. LK11, an arid desert strain, identified several genes responsible for the production of phytohormones and for stress tolerance. Production of one of the phytohormones, indole-3-acetic acid, was further confirmed in the ISS strains using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Pathways associated with phosphate uptake, metabolism, and solubilization in soil were conserved across all the S. sanguinis and S. paucimobilis strains tested. Furthermore, genes thought to promote plant resistance to abiotic stress, including heat/cold shock response, heavy metal resistance, and oxidative and osmotic stress resistance, appear to be present in these space-related S. sanguinis and S. paucimobilis strains. Characterizing these biotechnologically important microorganisms found on the ISS and harnessing their key features will aid in the development of self-sustainable long-term space missions in the future. IMPORTANCESphingomonas is ubiquitous in nature, including the anthropogenically contaminated extreme environments. Members of the Sphingomonas genus have been identified as potential candidates for space biomining beyond earth. This study describes the isolation and identification of Sphingomonas members from the ISS, which are capable of producing the phytohormone indole-3-acetic acid. Microbial production of phytohormones will help future in situ studies, grow plants beyond low earth orbit, and establish self-sustainable life support systems. Beyond phytohormone production, stable genomic elements of abiotic stress resistance, heavy metal resistance, and oxidative and osmotic stress resistance were identified, rendering the ISS Sphingomonas isolate a strong candidate for biotechnology-related applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Swati Bijlani
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Nitin K. Singh
- Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Jason M. Wood
- Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Richard Barker
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Simon Gilroy
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Clay C. C. Wang
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Kasthuri Venkateswaran
- Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
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49
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Alviz-Gazitua P, Durán RE, Millacura FA, Cárdenas F, Rojas LA, Seeger M. Cupriavidus metallidurans CH34 Possesses Aromatic Catabolic Versatility and Degrades Benzene in the Presence of Mercury and Cadmium. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10020484. [PMID: 35208938 PMCID: PMC8879955 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10020484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Heavy metal co-contamination in crude oil-polluted environments may inhibit microbial bioremediation of hydrocarbons. The model heavy metal-resistant bacterium Cupriavidus metallidurans CH34 possesses cadmium and mercury resistance, as well as genes related to the catabolism of hazardous BTEX aromatic hydrocarbons. The aims of this study were to analyze the aromatic catabolic potential of C. metallidurans CH34 and to determine the functionality of the predicted benzene catabolic pathway and the influence of cadmium and mercury on benzene degradation. Three chromosome-encoded bacterial multicomponent monooxygenases (BMMs) are involved in benzene catabolic pathways. Growth assessment, intermediates identification, and gene expression analysis indicate the functionality of the benzene catabolic pathway. Strain CH34 degraded benzene via phenol and 2-hydroxymuconic semialdehyde. Transcriptional analyses revealed a transition from the expression of catechol 2,3-dioxygenase (tomB) in the early exponential phase to catechol 1,2-dioxygenase (catA1 and catA2) in the late exponential phase. The minimum inhibitory concentration to Hg (II) and Cd (II) was significantly lower in the presence of benzene, demonstrating the effect of co-contamination on bacterial growth. Notably, this study showed that C. metallidurans CH34 degraded benzene in the presence of Hg (II) or Cd (II).
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Alviz-Gazitua
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular y Biotecnología Ambiental, Departamento de Química & Centro de Biotecnología, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Avenida España 1680, Valparaíso 2390123, Chile; (P.A.-G.); (R.E.D.); (F.A.M.); (F.C.)
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Biodiversidad, Universidad de los Lagos, Osorno 5311890, Chile
| | - Roberto E. Durán
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular y Biotecnología Ambiental, Departamento de Química & Centro de Biotecnología, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Avenida España 1680, Valparaíso 2390123, Chile; (P.A.-G.); (R.E.D.); (F.A.M.); (F.C.)
| | - Felipe A. Millacura
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular y Biotecnología Ambiental, Departamento de Química & Centro de Biotecnología, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Avenida España 1680, Valparaíso 2390123, Chile; (P.A.-G.); (R.E.D.); (F.A.M.); (F.C.)
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JQ, UK
| | - Franco Cárdenas
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular y Biotecnología Ambiental, Departamento de Química & Centro de Biotecnología, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Avenida España 1680, Valparaíso 2390123, Chile; (P.A.-G.); (R.E.D.); (F.A.M.); (F.C.)
- Centro Regional de Estudios en Alimentos Saludables (CREAS), Avenida Universidad 330, Curauma, Valparaíso 2373223, Chile
| | - Luis A. Rojas
- Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Católica del Norte, Avenida Angamos 610, Antofagasta 1270709, Chile;
| | - Michael Seeger
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular y Biotecnología Ambiental, Departamento de Química & Centro de Biotecnología, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Avenida España 1680, Valparaíso 2390123, Chile; (P.A.-G.); (R.E.D.); (F.A.M.); (F.C.)
- Correspondence: or
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50
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Vats P, Kaur UJ, Rishi P. Heavy metal-induced selection and proliferation of antibiotic resistance: A review. J Appl Microbiol 2022; 132:4058-4076. [PMID: 35170159 DOI: 10.1111/jam.15492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is recognized as a global threat to public health. The selection and evolution of antibiotic resistance in clinical pathogens was believed to be majorly driven by the imprudent use of antibiotics. However, concerns regarding the same, through selection pressure by a multitude of other antimicrobial agents, such as heavy metals, are also growing. Heavy metal contamination co-selects antibiotic and metal resistance through numerous mechanisms, such as co-resistance and cross-resistance. Here, we have reviewed the role of heavy metals as antimicrobial resistance driving agents and the underlying concept and mechanisms of co-selection, while also highlighting the scarcity in studies explicitly inspecting the process of co-selection in clinical settings. Prospective strategies to manage heavy metal-induced antibiotic resistance have also been deliberated, underlining the need to find specific inhibitors so that alternate medicinal combinations can be added to the existing therapeutic armamentarium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prakriti Vats
- Department of Microbiology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Ujjwal Jit Kaur
- Department of Microbiology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Praveen Rishi
- Department of Microbiology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
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