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Han P, Tang X, Koch H, Dong X, Hou L, Wang D, Zhao Q, Li Z, Liu M, Lücker S, Shi G. Unveiling unique microbial nitrogen cycling and nitrification driver in coastal Antarctica. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3143. [PMID: 38609359 PMCID: PMC11014942 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47392-4] [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: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Largely removed from anthropogenic delivery of nitrogen (N), Antarctica has notably low levels of nitrogen. Though our understanding of biological sources of ammonia have been elucidated, the microbial drivers of nitrate (NO3-) cycling in coastal Antarctica remains poorly understood. Here, we explore microbial N cycling in coastal Antarctica, unraveling the biological origin of NO3- via oxygen isotopes in soil and lake sediment, and through the reconstruction of 1968 metagenome-assembled genomes from 29 microbial phyla. Our analysis reveals the metabolic potential for microbial N2 fixation, nitrification, and denitrification, but not for anaerobic ammonium oxidation, signifying a unique microbial N-cycling dynamic. We identify the predominance of complete ammonia oxidizing (comammox) Nitrospira, capable of performing the entire nitrification process. Their adaptive strategies to the Antarctic environment likely include synthesis of trehalose for cold stress, high substrate affinity for resource utilization, and alternate metabolic pathways for nutrient-scarce conditions. We confirm the significant role of comammox Nitrospira in the autotrophic, nitrification process via 13C-DNA-based stable isotope probing. This research highlights the crucial contribution of nitrification to the N budget in coastal Antarctica, identifying comammox Nitrospira clade B as a nitrification driver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Han
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200241, China
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200241, China
- Institute of Eco-Chongming (IEC), East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Xiufeng Tang
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Hanna Koch
- Department of Microbiology, RIBES, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Center for Health & Bioresources, Bioresources Unit, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, A-3430, Tulln, Austria
| | - Xiyang Dong
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, 361005, China
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen, 361005, China
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Lijun Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200241, China
- Institute of Eco-Chongming (IEC), East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Danhe Wang
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Qian Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Zhe Li
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Min Liu
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200241, China.
- Institute of Eco-Chongming (IEC), East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai, 200062, China.
| | - Sebastian Lücker
- Department of Microbiology, RIBES, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Guitao Shi
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200241, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200241, China.
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Osburn MR, Selensky MJ, Beddows PA, Jacobson A, DeFranco K, Merediz-Alonso G. Microbial biogeography of the eastern Yucatán carbonate aquifer. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0168223. [PMID: 37916826 PMCID: PMC10701671 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01682-23] [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: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE The extensive Yucatán carbonate aquifer, located primarily in southeastern Mexico, is pockmarked by numerous sinkholes (cenotes) that lead to a complex web of underwater caves. The aquifer hosts a diverse yet understudied microbiome throughout its highly stratified water column, which is marked by a meteoric lens floating on intruding seawater owing to the coastal proximity and high permeability of the Yucatán carbonate platform. Here, we present a biogeographic survey of bacterial and archaeal communities from the eastern Yucatán aquifer. We apply a novel network analysis software that models ecological niche space from microbial taxonomic abundance data. Our analysis reveals that the aquifer community is composed of several distinct niches that follow broader regional and hydrological patterns. This work lays the groundwork for future investigations to characterize the biogeochemical potential of the entire aquifer with other systems biology approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena R. Osburn
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Matthew J. Selensky
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Patricia A. Beddows
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Andrew Jacobson
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Karyn DeFranco
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Gonzalo Merediz-Alonso
- Amigos de Sian Ka'an, and Consejo de Cuenca de la Península de Yucatán, Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico
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Nosalova L, Mekadim C, Mrazek J, Pristas P. Thiothrix and Sulfurovum genera dominate bacterial mats in Slovak cold sulfur springs. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOME 2023; 18:72. [PMID: 37730677 PMCID: PMC10512639 DOI: 10.1186/s40793-023-00527-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Microbiota of sulfur-rich environments has been extensively studied due to the biotechnological potential of sulfur bacteria, or as a model of ancient life. Cold terrestrial sulfur springs are less studied compared to sulfur-oxidizing microbiota of hydrothermal vents, volcanic environments, or soda lakes. Despite that, several studies suggested that sulfur springs harbor diverse microbial communities because of the unique geochemical conditions of upwelling waters. In this study, the microbiota of five terrestrial sulfur springs was examined using a 16 S rRNA gene sequencing. The clear dominance of the Proteobacteria and Campylobacterota phyla of cold sulfur springs microbiota was observed. Contrary to that, the microbiota of the hot sulfur spring was dominated by the Aquificota and Firmicutes phylum respectively. Sulfur-oxidizing genera constituted a dominant part of the microbial populations with the Thiothrix and Sulfurovum genera identified as the core microbiota of cold sulfur terrestrial springs in Slovakia. Additionally, the study emphasizes that sulfur springs in Slovakia support unique, poorly characterized bacterial communities of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea Nosalova
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Kosice, Srobarova 2, Kosice, 041 54, Slovakia
| | - Chahrazed Mekadim
- Laboratory of Anaerobic Microbiology, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Videnska, Prague, 1083, 14220, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Mrazek
- Laboratory of Anaerobic Microbiology, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Videnska, Prague, 1083, 14220, Czech Republic
| | - Peter Pristas
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Kosice, Srobarova 2, Kosice, 041 54, Slovakia.
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Centre of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Soltesovej 4-6, Kosice, 040 01, Slovakia.
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Magnuson E, Altshuler I, Freyria NJ, Leveille RJ, Whyte LG. Sulfur-cycling chemolithoautotrophic microbial community dominates a cold, anoxic, hypersaline Arctic spring. MICROBIOME 2023; 11:203. [PMID: 37697305 PMCID: PMC10494364 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-023-01628-5] [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: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gypsum Hill Spring, located in Nunavut in the Canadian High Arctic, is a rare example of a cold saline spring arising through thick permafrost. It perennially discharges cold (~ 7 °C), hypersaline (7-8% salinity), anoxic (~ 0.04 ppm O2), and highly reducing (~ - 430 mV) brines rich in sulfate (2.2 g.L-1) and sulfide (9.5 ppm), making Gypsum Hill an analog to putative sulfate-rich briny habitats on extraterrestrial bodies such as Mars. RESULTS Genome-resolved metagenomics and metatranscriptomics were utilized to describe an active microbial community containing novel metagenome-assembled genomes and dominated by sulfur-cycling Desulfobacterota and Gammaproteobacteria. Sulfate reduction was dominated by hydrogen-oxidizing chemolithoautotrophic Desulfovibrionaceae sp. and was identified in phyla not typically associated with sulfate reduction in novel lineages of Spirochaetota and Bacteroidota. Highly abundant and active sulfur-reducing Desulfuromusa sp. highly transcribed non-coding RNAs associated with transcriptional regulation, showing potential evidence of putative metabolic flexibility in response to substrate availability. Despite low oxygen availability, sulfide oxidation was primarily attributed to aerobic chemolithoautotrophic Halothiobacillaceae. Low abundance and transcription of photoautotrophs indicated sulfur-based chemolithoautotrophy drives primary productivity even during periods of constant illumination. CONCLUSIONS We identified a rare surficial chemolithoautotrophic, sulfur-cycling microbial community active in a unique anoxic, cold, hypersaline Arctic spring. We detected Mars-relevant metabolisms including hydrogenotrophic sulfate reduction, sulfur reduction, and sulfide oxidation, which indicate the potential for microbial life in analogous S-rich brines on past and present Mars. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisse Magnuson
- Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC Canada
| | - Ianina Altshuler
- MACE Laboratory, ALPOLE, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nastasia J. Freyria
- Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC Canada
| | - Richard J. Leveille
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada
- Geosciences Department, John Abbott College, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC Canada
| | - Lyle G. Whyte
- Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC Canada
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Lin X, Qiao B, Chang R, Li Y, Zheng W, He Z, Tian Y. Characterization of two keystone taxa, sulfur-oxidizing, and nitrate-reducing bacteria, by tracking their role transitions in the benzo[a]pyrene degradative microbiome. MICROBIOME 2023; 11:139. [PMID: 37355612 PMCID: PMC10290299 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-023-01583-1] [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: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Keystone taxa are drivers of microbiome structure and functioning, which may play critical roles in microbiome-level responses to recalcitrant pollution and are a key to bioremediation. However, the characterization and manipulation of such taxa is a major challenge due to the complexity of microbial communities and rapid turnover in both time and space. Here, microcosms were set up with benzo[a]-pyrene (BaP) and/or nitrate based on C-rich, S-rich, and N-limited mangrove sediments as reductive experimental models to trigger and track the turnover of keystone taxa to address this challenge. RESULTS Based on microbial co-occurrence network analysis, two keystone taxa, Sulfurovum and Sulfurimonas, were found to exhibit significant role transitions in different microcosms, where these two taxa played nonkeystone roles with neutral relationships in in situ mangrove sediments. However, Sulfurimonas transitioned to be keystone taxa in nitrate-replenished microcosms and formed a keystone guild with Thioalkalispira. Sulfurovum stood out in BaP-added microcosms and mutualized in a densely polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-degrader-centric keystone guild with Novosphingobium and Robiginitalea, where 63.25% of added BaP was removed. Under the occurrence of nitrate and BaP, they simultaneously played roles as keystone taxa in their respective guilds but exhibited significant competition. Comparative genomics and metagenome-assembled genome (MAG) analysis was then performed to reveal the metabolic potential of those keystone taxa and to empirically deduce their functional role in keystone guilds. Sulfurimonas possesses a better sense system and motility, indicative of its aggressive role in nitrate acquisition and conversion; Sulfurovum exhibited a better ability for oxidation resistance and transporting nutrients and electrons. High-efficiency thermal asymmetric interlaced polymerase reaction (hiTAIL-PCR) and enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP)-labeling approaches were employed to capture and label the BaP key degrader to further experimentally verify the roles of keystone taxa Sulfurovum in the keystone guilds. Observations of the enhancement in reactive oxygen species (ROS) removal, cell growth, and degradation efficiency by co-culture of isolated keystone taxa strains experimentally demonstrated that Sulfurovum contributes to the BaP degradative microbiome against BaP toxicity. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that the combined use of co-occurrence network analysis, comparative genomics, and co-culture of captured keystone taxa (3C-strategy) in microbial communities whose structure is strongly shaped by changing environmental factors can characterize keystone taxa roles in keystone guilds and may provide targets for manipulation to improve the function of the microbiome. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolan Lin
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Baoyi Qiao
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Ruirui Chang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Yixin Li
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Wei Zheng
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Zhili He
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519080, China
| | - Yun Tian
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China.
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Nosalova L, Piknova M, Kolesarova M, Pristas P. Cold Sulfur Springs-Neglected Niche for Autotrophic Sulfur-Oxidizing Bacteria. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1436. [PMID: 37374938 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11061436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the beginning of unicellular life, dissimilation reactions of autotrophic sulfur bacteria have been a crucial part of the biogeochemical sulfur cycle on Earth. A wide range of sulfur oxidation states is reflected in the diversity of metabolic pathways used by sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. This metabolically and phylogenetically diverse group of microorganisms inhabits a variety of environments, including extreme environments. Although they have been of interest to microbiologists for more than 150 years, meso- and psychrophilic chemolithoautotrophic sulfur-oxidizing microbiota are less studied compared to the microbiota of hot springs. Several recent studies suggested that cold sulfur waters harbor unique, yet not described, bacterial taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea Nosalova
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Kosice, 041 54 Kosice, Slovakia
| | - Maria Piknova
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Kosice, 041 54 Kosice, Slovakia
| | - Mariana Kolesarova
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Kosice, 041 54 Kosice, Slovakia
| | - Peter Pristas
- Centre of Biosciences, Institute of Animal Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 040 01 Kosice, Slovakia
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7
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Nosalova L, Kiskova J, Fecskeova LK, Piknova M, Pristas P. Bacterial Community Structure of Two Cold Sulfur Springs in Slovakia (Central Europe). Curr Microbiol 2023; 80:145. [PMID: 36949342 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-023-03251-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, especially those from hot springs, have attracted the attention of microbiologists for more than 150 years. In contrast, the microbial diversity of cold sulfur springs remains largely unrecognized. Culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches were used to study the diversity of sulfur-oxidizing bacterial communities in two cold sulfur springs in Slovakia. Geological conditions and resulting spring water chemistry appear to be major factors influencing the composition of the sulfur-oxidizing bacterial community. Bacterial communities in both springs were found to be dominated by Proteobacteria with Epsilonproteobacteria being prevalent in the high-salinity Stankovany spring and Alpha- and Gammaproteobacteria in the low-salinity Jovsa spring. Limited overlap was found between culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches with multiple taxa of cultivated sulfur-oxidizing bacteria not being detected by the culture-independent metagenomics approach. Moreover, four cultivated bacterial isolates could represent novel taxa based on the low similarity of their 16S rRNA gene sequence (similarity lower than 98%) to sequences of known bacteria. Our study supports the current view that multiple approaches are required to assess the bacterial diversity in natural habitats and indicates that sulfur springs in Slovakia harbor unique, yet-undescribed microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea Nosalova
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Kosice, Srobarova 2, 041 54, Kosice, Slovakia
| | - Jana Kiskova
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Kosice, Srobarova 2, 041 54, Kosice, Slovakia
| | - Livia Kolesar Fecskeova
- Associated Tissue Bank, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Kosice, Trieda SNP 1, 040 11, Kosice, Slovakia
| | - Maria Piknova
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Kosice, Srobarova 2, 041 54, Kosice, Slovakia.
| | - Peter Pristas
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Kosice, Srobarova 2, 041 54, Kosice, Slovakia
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Centre of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Soltesovej 4-6, 040 01, Kosice, Slovakia
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Jia T, Zhang L, Zhao Q, Peng Y. The effect of biofilm growth on the sulfur oxidation pathway and the synergy of microorganisms in desulfurization reactors under different pH conditions. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 432:128638. [PMID: 35306408 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Biofilm growth affects the oxygen transfer in biofilm and thus the oxidation pathway of sulfur and the synergy of microorganisms. In this study, the effect of biofilm growth on the oxidation pathway of H2S and the synergy of microorganisms in desulfurization reactors under different pH conditions was first discussed to enhance the understanding of desulfurization process. A biotrickling filter (BTF) was operated for 168 days under acidic condition (pH<4.7) and 32 days under alkaline condition (7.0 <pH<10.2). In acidic period, the average growth mass (AGM) of biofilm was 0.04 g/L-BTF/d, and most of S-H2S was converted to S-SO42- (>89.0%). In alkaline period, the AGM raised to 0.97 g/L-BTF/d, and 77.0% of S-H2S was transferred to elemental sulfur (S0) and polysulfanes (R-Sx-R) accumulated in biofilm. The increase of biofilm and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria activity limited the oxygen transfer in alkaline biofilm, leading to the accumulation of S0 and the emergence of an obligate anaerobe- Acetoanaerobium (8.1%). The formation of R-Sx-R may be due to the reaction of S0 with thiols produced by a thiol-producing bacterium- Pseudomonas (6.7%). The uneven distribution of oxygen in biofilm caused by biofilm growth complicated the transfer pathway of sulfur and the synergy of microorganisms in desulfurization system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tipei Jia
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Liang Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Qi Zhao
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Yongzhen Peng
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China.
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Winkel M, Trivedi CB, Mourot R, Bradley JA, Vieth-Hillebrand A, Benning LG. Seasonality of Glacial Snow and Ice Microbial Communities. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:876848. [PMID: 35651494 PMCID: PMC9149292 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.876848] [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: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Blooms of microalgae on glaciers and ice sheets are amplifying surface ice melting rates, which are already affected by climate change. Most studies on glacial microorganisms (including snow and glacier ice algae) have so far focused on the spring and summer melt season, leading to a temporal bias, and a knowledge gap in our understanding of the variations in microbial diversity, productivity, and physiology on glacier surfaces year-round. Here, we investigated the microbial communities from Icelandic glacier surface snow and bare ice habitats, with sampling spanning two consecutive years and carried out in both winter and two summer seasons. We evaluated the seasonal differences in microbial community composition using Illumina sequencing of the 16S rRNA, 18S rRNA, and ITS marker genes and correlating them with geochemical signals in the snow and ice. During summer, Chloromonas, Chlainomonas, Raphidonema, and Hydrurus dominated surface snow algal communities, while Ancylonema and Mesotaenium dominated the surface bare ice habitats. In winter, algae could not be detected, and the community composition was dominated by bacteria and fungi. The dominant bacterial taxa found in both winter and summer samples were Bacteriodetes, Actinobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria. The winter bacterial communities showed high similarities to airborne and fresh snow bacteria reported in other studies. This points toward the importance of dry and wet deposition as a wintertime source of microorganisms to the glacier surface. Winter samples were also richer in nutrients than summer samples, except for dissolved organic carbon-which was highest in summer snow and ice samples with blooming microalgae, suggesting that nutrients are accumulated during winter but primarily used by the microbial communities in the summer. Overall, our study shows that glacial snow and ice microbial communities are highly variable on a seasonal basis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Winkel
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Christopher B Trivedi
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Rey Mourot
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany
| | - James A Bradley
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany.,School of Geography, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andrea Vieth-Hillebrand
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Liane G Benning
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany.,Department of Earth Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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10
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Nagar S, Talwar C, Motelica-Heino M, Richnow HH, Shakarad M, Lal R, Negi RK. Microbial Ecology of Sulfur Biogeochemical Cycling at a Mesothermal Hot Spring Atop Northern Himalayas, India. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:848010. [PMID: 35495730 PMCID: PMC9044081 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.848010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sulfur related prokaryotes residing in hot spring present good opportunity for exploring the limitless possibilities of integral ecosystem processes. Metagenomic analysis further expands the phylogenetic breadth of these extraordinary sulfur (S) metabolizing microorganisms as well as their complex metabolic networks and syntrophic interactions in environmental biosystems. Through this study, we explored and expanded the microbial genetic repertoire with focus on S cycling genes through metagenomic analysis of S contaminated hot spring, located at the Northern Himalayas. The analysis revealed rich diversity of microbial consortia with established roles in S cycling such as Pseudomonas, Thioalkalivibrio, Desulfovibrio, and Desulfobulbaceae (Proteobacteria). The major gene families inferred to be abundant across microbial mat, sediment, and water were assigned to Proteobacteria as reflected from the reads per kilobase (RPKs) categorized into translation and ribosomal structure and biogenesis. An analysis of sequence similarity showed conserved pattern of both dsrAB genes (n = 178) retrieved from all metagenomes while other S disproportionation proteins were diverged due to different structural and chemical substrates. The diversity of S oxidizing bacteria (SOB) and sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) with conserved (r)dsrAB suggests for it to be an important adaptation for microbial fitness at this site. Here, (i) the oxidative and reductive dsr evolutionary time-scale phylogeny proved that the earliest (but not the first) dsrAB proteins belong to anaerobic Thiobacillus with other (rdsr) oxidizers, also we confirm that (ii) SRBs belongs to δ-Proteobacteria occurring independent lateral gene transfer (LGT) of dsr genes to different and few novel lineages. Further, the structural prediction of unassigned DsrAB proteins confirmed their relatedness with species of Desulfovibrio (TM score = 0.86, 0.98, 0.96) and Archaeoglobus fulgidus (TM score = 0.97, 0.98). We proposed that the genetic repertoire might provide the basis of studying time-scale evolution and horizontal gene transfer of these genes in biogeochemical S cycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shekhar Nagar
- Fish Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Chandni Talwar
- Fish Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Mikael Motelica-Heino
- UMR 7327, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut des Sciences de la Terre D'Orleans (ISTO), Université d'Orleans-Brgm, Orleans, France
| | - Hans-Hermann Richnow
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mallikarjun Shakarad
- Evolutionary Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Rup Lal
- NASI Senior Scientist Platinum Jubilee Fellow, The Energy and Resources Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Ram Krishan Negi
- Fish Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
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11
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Jia T, Sun S, Zhao Q, Peng Y, Zhang L. Extremely acidic condition (pH<1.0) as a novel strategy to achieve high-efficient hydrogen sulfide removal in biotrickling filter: Biomass accumulation, sulfur oxidation pathway and microbial analysis. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 294:133770. [PMID: 35101433 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.133770] [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: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Extremely acidic conditions (pH < 1.0) during hydrogen sulfide (H2S) biotreatment significantly reduce the cost of pH regulation; however, there remain challenges to its applications. The present study investigated the H2S removal and biomass variations in biotrickling filter (BTF) under long-term highly acidic conditions. A BTF operated for 144 days at pH 0.5-1.0 achieved an H2S elimination capacity (EC) of 109.9 g/(m3·h) (removal efficiency = 97.0%) at an empty bed retention time of 20 s, with an average biomass concentration at 20.6 g/L-BTF. The biomass concentration at neutral pH increased from 22.3 to 49.5 g/L-BTF within 28 days. In this case, elemental sulfur (S0) accumulated due to insufficient oxygen transfer in biofilm, which aggravated the BTF blockage problem. After long-term domestication under extremely acidic conditions, a mixotrophic acidophilic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) Alicyclobacillus (abundance 55.4%) were enriched in the extremely acidic biofilm, while non-aciduric bacteria were eliminated, which maintained the balance of biofilm thickness. Biofilm with optimum thickness ensured oxygen transfer and H2S oxidation, avoiding the accumulation of S0. The BTF performance improved due to the enrichment of active mixotrophic SOB with high abundance under extremely acidic conditions. The mixotrophic SOB is expected to be further enriched under extremely acidic conditions by adding carbohydrates to enhance H2S removal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tipei Jia
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, PR China
| | - Shihao Sun
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, PR China
| | - Qi Zhao
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, PR China
| | - Yongzhen Peng
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, PR China
| | - Liang Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, PR China.
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12
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Tartari G, Copetti D, Franzetti A, Balordi M, Salerno F, Thakuri S, Leoni B, Chiarello G, Cristiani P. Manganese-mediated hydrochemistry and microbiology in a meromictic subalpine lake (Lake Idro, Northern Italy) - A biogeochemical approach. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 795:148743. [PMID: 34328936 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This study presents the findings from several field campaigns carried out in Lake Idro (Northern Italy), a deep (124 m) meromictic-subalpine lake, whose water column is subdivided in a mixolimnion (~0-40 m) and a monimolimnion (~40-124 m). Hydrochemical data highlight two main peculiarities characterizing the Lake Idro meromixis: a) presence of a high manganese/iron ratio (up to 20 mol/mol), b) absence of a clear chemocline between the two main layers. The high manganese content contributed to the formation of a stable manganese dominated deep turbid stratum (40-65 m), enveloping the redoxcline (~45-55 m) in the upper monimolimnion. The presence of this turbid stratum in Lake Idro is described for the first time in this study. The paper examines the distribution of dissolved and particulate forms of transition metals (Mn and Fe), alkaline earth metals (Ca and Mg), and other macro-constituents or nutrients (S, P, NO3-N, NH4-N), discussing their behavior over the redoxcline, where the main transition processes occur. Field measurements and theoretical considerations suggest that the deep turbid stratum is formed by a complex mixture of manganese and iron compounds with a prevalence of Mn(II)/Mn(III) in different forms including dissolved, colloidal, and fine particles, that give to the turbid stratum a white-pink opalescent coloration. The bacteria populations show a clear stratification with the upper aerobic layer dominated by the heterotrophic Flavobacterium sp., the turbid stratum hosting a specific microbiological pool, dominated by Caldimonas sp., and the deeper anaerobic layer dominated by the sulfur-oxidizing and denitrifier Sulfuricurvum sp. The occurrence in August 2010 of an anomalous lake surface coloration lasting about four weeks and developing from milky white-green to red-brown suggests that the upper zone of the turbid stratum could be eroded during intense weather-hydrological conditions with the final red-brown coloration resulting from the oxidation of Mn(II)/Mn(III) to Mn(IV) compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianni Tartari
- Water Research Institute, National Research Council, Via del Mulino, 19, 20861 Brugherio, Italy
| | - Diego Copetti
- Water Research Institute, National Research Council, Via del Mulino, 19, 20861 Brugherio, Italy.
| | - Andrea Franzetti
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Marcella Balordi
- Ricerca sul Sistema Energetico, RSE S.p.A., Department of Sustainable Development and Energy Sources, Via Rubattino 54, 20134 Milano, Italy
| | - Franco Salerno
- Water Research Institute, National Research Council, Via del Mulino, 19, 20861 Brugherio, Italy
| | - Sudeep Thakuri
- Water Research Institute, National Research Council, Via del Mulino, 19, 20861 Brugherio, Italy; Tribhuvan University, Central Department of Environmental Science, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Barbara Leoni
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Gianluca Chiarello
- Department of Chemistry, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Golgi 19, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Pierangela Cristiani
- Ricerca sul Sistema Energetico, RSE S.p.A., Department of Sustainable Development and Energy Sources, Via Rubattino 54, 20134 Milano, Italy
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13
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Meziti A, Nikouli E, Hatt JK, Konstantinidis KT, Kormas KA. Time series metagenomic sampling of the Thermopyles, Greece, geothermal springs reveals stable microbial communities dominated by novel sulfur-oxidizing chemoautotrophs. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:3710-3726. [PMID: 33350070 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Geothermal springs are essentially unaffected by environmental conditions aboveground as they are continuously supplied with subsurface water with little variability in chemistry. Therefore, changes in their microbial community composition and function, especially over a long period, are expected to be limited but this assumption has not yet been rigorously tested. Toward closing this knowledge gap, we applied whole metagenome sequencing to 17 water samples collected between 2010 and 2016 from the Thermopyles sulfur-rich geothermal springs in central Greece. As revealed by 16S rRNA gene fragments recovered in the metagenomes, Epsilonproteobacteria-related operational taxonomic units (OTUs) dominated most samples and grouping of samples based on OTU abundances exhibited no apparent seasonal pattern. Similarities between samples regarding functional gene content were high, with all samples sharing >70% similarity in functional pathways. These community-wide patterns were further confirmed by analysis of metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), which showed that novel species and genera of the chemoautotrophic Campylobacterales order dominated the springs. These MAGs carried different pathways for thiosulfate or sulfide oxidation coupled to carbon fixation pathways. Overall, our study showed that even in the long term, functions of microbial communities in a moderately hot terrestrial spring remain stable, presumably driving the corresponding stability in community structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Meziti
- Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, University of Thessaly, Volos, 38446, Greece.,School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Ford Environmental Science and Technology Building, 311 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - E Nikouli
- Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, University of Thessaly, Volos, 38446, Greece.,School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Ford Environmental Science and Technology Building, 311 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - J K Hatt
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Ford Environmental Science and Technology Building, 311 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - K T Konstantinidis
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Ford Environmental Science and Technology Building, 311 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.,School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Ford Environmental Sciences and Technology Building, 311 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - K A Kormas
- Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, University of Thessaly, Volos, 38446, Greece
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14
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Abstract
A unique environment at Borup Fiord Pass is characterized by a sulfur-enriched glacial ecosystem in the low-temperature Canadian High Arctic. BFP represents one of the best terrestrial analog sites for studying icy, sulfur-rich worlds outside our own, such as Europa and Mars. The site also allows investigation of sulfur-based microbial metabolisms in cold environments here on Earth. Here, we report whole-genome sequencing data that suggest that sulfur cycling metabolisms at BFP are more widely used across bacterial taxa than predicted. From our analyses, the metabolic capability of sulfur oxidation among multiple community members appears likely due to functional redundancy present in their genomes. Functional redundancy, with respect to sulfur-oxidation at the BFP sulfur-ice environment, may indicate that this dynamic ecosystem hosts microorganisms that are able to use multiple sulfur electron donors alongside other metabolic pathways, including those for carbon and nitrogen. Biological sulfur cycling in polar, low-temperature ecosystems is an understudied phenomenon in part due to difficulty of access and the dynamic nature of glacial environments. One such environment where sulfur cycling is known to play an important role in microbial metabolisms is located at Borup Fiord Pass (BFP) in the Canadian High Arctic. Here, transient springs emerge from ice near the terminus of a glacier, creating a large area of proglacial aufeis (spring-derived ice) that is often covered in bright yellow/white sulfur, sulfate, and carbonate mineral precipitates accompanied by a strong odor of hydrogen sulfide. Metagenomic sequencing of samples from multiple sites and of various sample types across the BFP glacial system produced 31 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) that were queried for sulfur, nitrogen, and carbon cycling/metabolism genes. An abundance of sulfur cycling genes was widespread across the isolated MAGs and sample metagenomes taxonomically associated with the bacterial classes Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria and Campylobacteria (formerly the Epsilonproteobacteria). This corroborates previous research from BFP implicating Campylobacteria as the primary class responsible for sulfur oxidation; however, data reported here suggested putative sulfur oxidation by organisms in both the alphaproteobacterial and gammaproteobacterial classes that was not predicted by previous work. These findings indicate that in low-temperature, sulfur-based environments, functional redundancy may be a key mechanism that microorganisms use to enable coexistence whenever energy is limited and/or focused by redox chemistry. IMPORTANCE A unique environment at Borup Fiord Pass is characterized by a sulfur-enriched glacial ecosystem in the low-temperature Canadian High Arctic. BFP represents one of the best terrestrial analog sites for studying icy, sulfur-rich worlds outside our own, such as Europa and Mars. The site also allows investigation of sulfur-based microbial metabolisms in cold environments here on Earth. Here, we report whole-genome sequencing data that suggest that sulfur cycling metabolisms at BFP are more widely used across bacterial taxa than predicted. From our analyses, the metabolic capability of sulfur oxidation among multiple community members appears likely due to functional redundancy present in their genomes. Functional redundancy, with respect to sulfur-oxidation at the BFP sulfur-ice environment, may indicate that this dynamic ecosystem hosts microorganisms that are able to use multiple sulfur electron donors alongside other metabolic pathways, including those for carbon and nitrogen.
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15
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Pang Y, Gu T, Zhang G, Yu Z, Zhou Y, Zhu DZ, Zhang Y, Zhang T. Experimental study on volatile sulfur compound inhibition using a single-chamber membrane-free microbial electrolysis cell. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 27:30571-30582. [PMID: 32468370 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-09325-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Odor emissions from sewer systems and wastewater treatment plants have attracted much attention due to the potential negative effects on human health. A single-chamber membrane-free microbial electrolysis cell was proposed for the removal of sulfides in a sewer system. The feasibility of the use of volatile sulfur compounds and their removal efficiency in liquid and headspace gas phases were investigated using synthetic wastewater with real sewer sediment and Ru/Ir-coated titanium electrodes. The results indicate that hydrogen sulfide and volatile organic sulfur compounds were effectively inhibited in the liquid phase upon electrochemical treatment at current densities of 1.55, 2.06, and 2.58 mA/cm2, and their removal rates reached up to 86.2-100%, except for dimethyl trisulfide, the amount of which increased greatly at 1.55 mA/cm2. In addition, the amount of volatile sulfur compounds in the headspace decreased greatly; however, the total theoretical odor concentration was still high, and methanethiol and ethanethiol greatly contributed to the total strength of the odor concentration due to their low odor threshold concentrations. The major pathway for sulfide removal in the single-chamber membrane-free microbial electrolysis cell is biotic oxidation, the removal rate of which was 0.4-0.5 mg/min, 4-5 times that of indirect electrochemical oxidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Pang
- The Institute of Municipal Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Tianfeng Gu
- The Institute of Municipal Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Guijiao Zhang
- The Institute of Municipal Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2W2, Canada
| | - Zhiguang Yu
- The Institute of Municipal Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Yongchao Zhou
- The Institute of Municipal Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
| | - David Z Zhu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2W2, Canada
| | - Yiping Zhang
- The Institute of Municipal Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Tuqiao Zhang
- The Institute of Municipal Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
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16
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Magnuson E, Mykytczuk NC, Pellerin A, Goordial J, Twine SM, Wing B, Foote SJ, Fulton K, Whyte LG. Thiomicrorhabdus
streamers and sulfur cycling in perennial hypersaline cold springs in the Canadian high Arctic. Environ Microbiol 2020; 23:3384-3400. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elisse Magnuson
- Natural Resource Sciences McGill University Montreal QC Canada
| | | | - Andre Pellerin
- Centre for Geomicrobiology Aarhus University Aarhus Denmark
| | - Jacqueline Goordial
- Natural Resource Sciences McGill University Montreal QC Canada
- School of Environmental Sciences University of Guelph Guelph, ON Canada
| | - Susan M. Twine
- Institute for Biological Sciences National Research Council Ottawa Ontario
| | - Boswell Wing
- Earth and Planetary Sciences McGill University Montreal QC Canada
| | - Simon J. Foote
- Institute for Biological Sciences National Research Council Ottawa Ontario
| | - Kelly Fulton
- Institute for Biological Sciences National Research Council Ottawa Ontario
| | - Lyle G. Whyte
- Natural Resource Sciences McGill University Montreal QC Canada
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17
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D'Angeli IM, Ghezzi D, Leuko S, Firrincieli A, Parise M, Fiorucci A, Vigna B, Addesso R, Baldantoni D, Carbone C, Miller AZ, Jurado V, Saiz-Jimenez C, De Waele J, Cappelletti M. Geomicrobiology of a seawater-influenced active sulfuric acid cave. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0220706. [PMID: 31393920 PMCID: PMC6687129 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2018] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Fetida Cave is an active sulfuric acid cave influenced by seawater, showing abundant microbial communities that organize themselves under three main different morphologies: water filaments, vermiculations and moonmilk deposits. These biofilms/deposits have different cave distribution, pH, macro- and microelement and mineralogical composition, carbon and nitrogen content. In particular, water filaments and vermiculations had circumneutral and slightly acidic pH, respectively, both had abundant organic carbon and high microbial diversity. They were rich in macro- and microelements, deriving from mineral dissolution, and, in the case of water filaments, from seawater composition. Vermiculations had different color, partly associated with their mineralogy, and unusual minerals probably due to trapping capacities. Moonmilk was composed of gypsum, poor in organic matter, had an extremely low pH (0-1) and low microbial diversity. Based on 16S rRNA gene analysis, the microbial composition of the biofilms/deposits included autotrophic taxa associated with sulfur and nitrogen cycles and biomineralization processes. In particular, water filaments communities were characterized by bacterial taxa involved in sulfur oxidation and reduction in aquatic, aphotic, microaerophilic/anoxic environments (Campylobacterales, Thiotrichales, Arenicellales, Desulfobacterales, Desulforomonadales) and in chemolithotrophy in marine habitats (Oceanospirillales, Chromatiales). Their biodiversity was linked to the morphology of the water filaments and their collection site. Microbial communities within vermiculations were partly related to their color and showed high abundance of unclassified Betaproteobacteria and sulfur-oxidizing Hydrogenophilales (including Sulfuriferula), and Acidiferrobacterales (including Sulfurifustis), sulfur-reducing Desulfurellales, and ammonia-oxidizing Planctomycetes and Nitrospirae. The microbial community associated with gypsum moonmilk showed the strong dominance (>60%) of the archaeal genus Thermoplasma and lower abundance of chemolithotrophic Acidithiobacillus, metal-oxidizing Metallibacterium, Sulfobacillus, and Acidibacillus. This study describes the geomicrobiology of water filaments, vermiculations and gypsum moonmilk from Fetida Cave, providing insights into the microbial taxa that characterize each morphology and contribute to biogeochemical cycles and speleogenesis of this peculiar seawater-influenced sulfuric acid cave.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilenia M D'Angeli
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Daniele Ghezzi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Stefan Leuko
- DLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology, Köln, Germany
| | - Andrea Firrincieli
- School of Environmental and Forest Science, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Mario Parise
- Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
| | - Adriano Fiorucci
- Department of Environment, Land and Infrastructure Engineering, Polytechnic University of Turin, Torino, Italy
| | - Bartolomeo Vigna
- Department of Environment, Land and Infrastructure Engineering, Polytechnic University of Turin, Torino, Italy
| | - Rosangela Addesso
- Department of Chemistry and Biology "Adolfo Zambelli", University of Salerno, Fisciano (SA), Italy
| | - Daniela Baldantoni
- Department of Chemistry and Biology "Adolfo Zambelli", University of Salerno, Fisciano (SA), Italy
| | - Cristina Carbone
- DISTAV, Department of Geological, Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Valme Jurado
- Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiologia, IRNAS-CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
| | | | - Jo De Waele
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Martina Cappelletti
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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18
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Hatam I, Petticrew EL, French TD, Owens PN, Laval B, Baldwin SA. The bacterial community of Quesnel Lake sediments impacted by a catastrophic mine tailings spill differ in composition from those at undisturbed locations - two years post-spill. Sci Rep 2019; 9:2705. [PMID: 30804448 PMCID: PMC6389986 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-38909-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The West Basin of Quesnel Lake (British Columbia, Canada) suffered a catastrophic disturbance event in August 2014 when mine tailings and scoured natural material were deposited into the lake’s West Basin due to an impoundment failure at the adjacent Mount Polley copper-gold mine. The deposit covered a significant portion of the West Basin floor with a thick layer of material. Since lake sediments host bacterial communities that play key roles in the geochemical cycling in lacustrine environments, it is important to understand which groups inhabit the newly deposited material and what this implies for the ecological function of the West Basin. Here we report a study conducted two years post-spill, comparing the bacterial communities from sediments of both disturbed and undisturbed sites. Our results show that sediments from disturbed sites differed in physical and chemical properties than those in undisturbed sites (e.g. higher pH, particle size and Cu concentration). Furthermore, bacterial communities from the disturbed sites appeared to be legacy communities from the tailings impoundment, with metabolic potential revolving mainly around the cycling of S and metals, whereas the ones from the undisturbed sites were associated with the cycling of N.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Hatam
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T1Z3, Canada.
| | - E L Petticrew
- Geography Program and Quesnel River Research Centre, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, V2N4Z9, Canada
| | - T D French
- Geography Program and Quesnel River Research Centre, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, V2N4Z9, Canada.,Environmental Science Program and Quesnel River Research Centre, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, V2N4Z9, Canada
| | - P N Owens
- Environmental Science Program and Quesnel River Research Centre, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, V2N4Z9, Canada
| | - B Laval
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T1Z3, Canada
| | - S A Baldwin
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T1Z3, Canada.
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19
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Trivedi CB, Lau GE, Grasby SE, Templeton AS, Spear JR. Low-Temperature Sulfidic-Ice Microbial Communities, Borup Fiord Pass, Canadian High Arctic. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:1622. [PMID: 30087659 PMCID: PMC6066561 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
A sulfur-dominated supraglacial spring system found at Borup Fiord Pass (BFP), Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada, is a unique sulfur-on-ice system expressed along the toe of a glacier. BFP has an intermittent flowing, subsurface-derived, glacial spring that creates a large white-yellow icing (aufeis) that extends down-valley. Over field campaigns in 2014, 2016, and 2017, numerous samples were collected and analyzed for both microbial community composition and aqueous geochemistry. Samples were collected from multiple site types: spring discharge fluid, aufeis (spring-derived ice), melt pools with sedimented cryoconite material, and mineral precipitate scrapings, to probe how microbial communities differed between site types in a dynamic freeze/thaw sulfur-rich system. Dissolved sulfate varied between 0.07 and 11.6 mM and was correlated with chloride concentrations, where the fluids were saltiest among spring fluids. The highest sulfate samples exhibited high dissolved sulfide values between 0.22 and 2.25 mM. 16S rRNA gene sequencing from melt pool and aufeis samples from the 2014 campaign were highly abundant in operational taxonomic units (OTUs) closely related to sulfur-oxidizing microorganisms (SOM; Sulfurimonas, Sulfurovum, and Sulfuricurvum). Subsequent sampling 2 weeks later had fewer SOMs and showed an increased abundance of the genus Flavobacterium. Desulfocapsa, an organism that specializes in the disproportionation of inorganic sulfur compounds was also found. Samples from 2016 and 2017 revealed that microorganisms present were highly similar in community composition to 2014 samples, primarily echoed by the continued presence of Flavobacterium sp. Results suggest that while there may be acute events where sulfur cycling organisms dominate, a basal community structure appears to dominate over time and site type. These results further enhance our knowledge of low-temperature sulfur systems on Earth, and help to guide the search for potential life on extraterrestrial worlds, such as Europa, where similar low-temperature sulfur-rich conditions may exist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher B. Trivedi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, United States
| | - Graham E. Lau
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | | | - Alexis S. Templeton
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - John R. Spear
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, United States
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20
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Waite DW, Vanwonterghem I, Rinke C, Parks DH, Zhang Y, Takai K, Sievert SM, Simon J, Campbell BJ, Hanson TE, Woyke T, Klotz MG, Hugenholtz P. Comparative Genomic Analysis of the Class Epsilonproteobacteria and Proposed Reclassification to Epsilonbacteraeota (phyl. nov.). Front Microbiol 2017; 8:682. [PMID: 28484436 PMCID: PMC5401914 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 224] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 04/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The Epsilonproteobacteria is the fifth validly described class of the phylum Proteobacteria, known primarily for clinical relevance and for chemolithotrophy in various terrestrial and marine environments, including deep-sea hydrothermal vents. As 16S rRNA gene repositories have expanded and protein marker analysis become more common, the phylogenetic placement of this class has become less certain. A number of recent analyses of the bacterial tree of life using both 16S rRNA and concatenated marker gene analyses have failed to recover the Epsilonproteobacteria as monophyletic with all other classes of Proteobacteria. In order to address this issue, we investigated the phylogenetic placement of this class in the bacterial domain using 16S and 23S rRNA genes, as well as 120 single-copy marker proteins. Single- and concatenated-marker trees were created using a data set of 4,170 bacterial representatives, including 98 Epsilonproteobacteria. Phylogenies were inferred under a variety of tree building methods, with sequential jackknifing of outgroup phyla to ensure robustness of phylogenetic affiliations under differing combinations of bacterial genomes. Based on the assessment of nearly 300 phylogenetic tree topologies, we conclude that the continued inclusion of Epsilonproteobacteria within the Proteobacteria is not warranted, and that this group should be reassigned to a novel phylum for which we propose the name Epsilonbacteraeota (phyl. nov.). We further recommend the reclassification of the order Desulfurellales (Deltaproteobacteria) to a novel class within this phylum and a number of subordinate changes to ensure consistency with the genome-based phylogeny. Phylogenomic analysis of 658 genomes belonging to the newly proposed Epsilonbacteraeota suggests that the ancestor of this phylum was an autotrophic, motile, thermophilic chemolithotroph that likely assimilated nitrogen from ammonium taken up from the environment or generated from environmental nitrate and nitrite by employing a variety of functional redox modules. The emergence of chemoorganoheterotrophic lifestyles in several Epsilonbacteraeota families is the result of multiple independent losses of various ancestral chemolithoautotrophic pathways. Our proposed reclassification of this group resolves an important anomaly in bacterial systematics and ensures that the taxonomy of Proteobacteria remains robust, specifically as genome-based taxonomies become more common.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W. Waite
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St LuciaQLD, Australia
| | - Inka Vanwonterghem
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St LuciaQLD, Australia
| | - Christian Rinke
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St LuciaQLD, Australia
| | - Donovan H. Parks
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St LuciaQLD, Australia
| | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, College of the Environment and Life Sciences, University of Rhode Island, KingstonRI, USA
| | - Ken Takai
- Department of Subsurface Geobiological Analysis and Research, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and TechnologyYokosuka, Japan
| | - Stefan M. Sievert
- Department of Biology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods HoleMA, USA
| | - Jörg Simon
- Microbial Energy Conversion and Biotechnology, Department of Biology, Technische Universität DarmstadtDarmstadt, Germany
| | - Barbara J. Campbell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Life Science Facility, Clemson University, ClemsonSC, USA
| | - Thomas E. Hanson
- School of Marine Science and Policy, College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, Delaware Biotechnology Institute, University of Delaware, NewarkDE, USA
| | - Tanja Woyke
- Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute, Walnut CreekCA, USA
| | - Martin G. Klotz
- Department of Biology and School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Queens College of the City University of New York, New YorkNY, USA
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Institute of Marine Microbes and Ecospheres, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen UniversityXiamen, China
| | - Philip Hugenholtz
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St LuciaQLD, Australia
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21
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Rossmassler K, Hanson TE, Campbell BJ. Diverse sulfur metabolisms from two subterranean sulfidic spring systems. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2016; 363:fnw162. [DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnw162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
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22
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Marziah Z, Mahdzir A, Musa MN, Jaafar AB, Azhim A, Hara H. Abundance of sulfur-degrading bacteria in a benthic bacterial community of shallow sea sediment in the off-Terengganu coast of the South China Sea. Microbiologyopen 2016; 5:967-978. [PMID: 27256005 PMCID: PMC5221450 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2015] [Revised: 04/14/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
This study for the first time provides insight into the bacterial community in the benthic region of the Off‐Terengganu Coastline, which is considered to be anthropogenically polluted due to heavy fishing vessel commotion. Subsurface bacteria were randomly collected from two locations at different depths and were examined using the 16S rDNA V3‐V4 marker gene on the Illumina™ Miseq platform. In addition, the physiochemical parameters of the sediment were also measured. Surprisingly, the results show a high diversity of sulfur‐oxidizing bacteria in the surveyed area, where Sulfurovum sp. was identified to predominate the overall bacterial community. The physiochemical parameters reveal insufficient evidence of hydrothermal vents in the surveyed area. However, there are traces of hydrocarbon pollutants such as gasoline, diesel, and mineral oil in this area. It is assumed that sediment accumulation in the lee of breakwater plays an important role in trapping the runoff from the nearby harbor, which includes oil spills. Based on the common knowledge, Sulvurofum sp. is a native bacterium that exists in deep hydrothermal vents and volcanic territories. Although the reason for the abundance of Sulfurovum sp. in the surveyed area is still unclear, there is a possibility that metabolic adaptation plays an important role in regulating hydrocarbon pollutants for survival. The work presented in this paper therefore has profound implications for future studies on Sulfurovum sp. versatility. However, future research is needed to strengthen the findings of this study and to provide a better evidence regarding the metabolic response of this bacterium toward hydrocarbon pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahar Marziah
- Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra, Kuala Lumpur, 54100, Malaysia
| | - Akbariah Mahdzir
- Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra, Kuala Lumpur, 54100, Malaysia.,Ocean Thermal Energy Centre (OTEC-KL), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra, Kuala Lumpur, 54100, Malaysia
| | - Md Nor Musa
- Ocean Thermal Energy Centre (OTEC-KL), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra, Kuala Lumpur, 54100, Malaysia
| | - Abu Bakar Jaafar
- Perdana School of Science, Technology and Innovation Policy, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra, Kuala Lumpur, 54100, Malaysia
| | - Azran Azhim
- Kuliyyah of Science, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuantan, 25200, Malaysia
| | - Hirofumi Hara
- Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra, Kuala Lumpur, 54100, Malaysia
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Itävaara M, Salavirta H, Marjamaa K, Ruskeeniemi T. Geomicrobiology and Metagenomics of Terrestrial Deep Subsurface Microbiomes. ADVANCES IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY 2016; 94:1-77. [PMID: 26917241 DOI: 10.1016/bs.aambs.2015.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Fractures in the deep subsurface of Earth's crust are inhabited by diverse microbial communities that participate in biogeochemical cycles of the Earth. Life on Earth, which arose c. 3.5-4.0 billion years ago, reaches down at least 5 km in the crust. Deep mines, caves, and boreholes have provided scientists with opportunities to sample deep subsurface microbiomes and to obtain information on the species diversity and functions. A wide variety of bacteria, archaea, eukaryotes, and viruses are now known to reside in the crust, but their functions are still largely unknown. The crust at different depths has varying geological composition and hosts endemic microbiomes accordingly. The diversity is driven by geological formations and gases evolving from deeper depths. Cooperation among different species is still mostly unexplored, but viruses are known to restrict density of bacterial and archaeal populations. Due to the complex growth requirements of the deep subsurface microbiomes, the new knowledge about their diversity and functions is mostly obtained by molecular methods, eg, meta'omics'. Geomicrobiology is a multidisciplinary research area combining disciplines from geology, mineralogy, geochemistry, and microbiology. Geomicrobiology is concerned with the interaction of microorganisms and geological processes. At the surface of mineralogical or rock surfaces, geomicrobial processes occur mainly under aerobic conditions. In the deep subsurface, however, the environmental conditions are reducing and anaerobic. The present chapter describes the world of microbiomes in deep terrestrial geological environments as well as metagenomic and metatranscriptomic methods suitable for studies of these enigmatic communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Itävaara
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, Espoo, Finland
| | - H Salavirta
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, Espoo, Finland
| | - K Marjamaa
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, Espoo, Finland
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24
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Warren LA, Kendra KE, Brady AL, Slater GF. Sulfur Biogeochemistry of an Oil Sands Composite Tailings Deposit. Front Microbiol 2016; 6:1533. [PMID: 26869997 PMCID: PMC4737920 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.01533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Composite tailings (CT), an engineered, alkaline, saline mixture of oil sands tailings (FFT), processed sand and gypsum (CaSO4; 1 kg CaSO4 per m3 FFT) are used as a dry reclamation strategy in the Alberta Oil Sands Region (AOSR). It is estimated that 9.6 × 108 m3 of CT are either in, or awaiting emplacement in surface pits within the AOSR, highlighting their potential global importance in sulfur cycling. Here, in the first CT sulfur biogeochemistry investigation, integrated geochemical, pyrosequencing and lipid analyses identified high aqueous concentrations of ∑H2S (>300 μM) and highly altered sulfur compounds composition; low cell biomass (3.3 × 106– 6.0 × 106 cells g−1) and modest bacterial diversity (H' range between 1.4 and 1.9) across 5 depths spanning 34 m of an in situ CT deposit. Pyrosequence results identified a total of 29,719 bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences, representing 131 OTUs spanning19 phyla including 7 candidate divisions, not reported in oil sands tailings pond studies to date. Legacy FFT common phyla, notably, gamma and beta Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Chloroflexi were represented. However, overall CT microbial diversity and PLFA values were low relative to other contexts. The identified known sulfate/sulfur reducing bacteria constituted at most 2% of the abundance; however, over 90% of the 131 OTUs identified are capable of sulfur metabolism. While PCR biases caution against overinterpretation of pyrosequence surveys, bacterial sequence results identified here, align with phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) and geochemical results. The highest bacterial diversities were associated with the depth of highest porewater [∑H2S] (22–24 m) and joint porewater co-occurrence of Fe2+ and ∑H2S (6–8 m). Three distinct bacterial community structure depths corresponded to CT porewater regions of (1) shallow evident Fe(II) (<6 m), (2) co-occurring Fe(II) and ∑H2S (6–8 m) and (3) extensive ∑H2S (6–34 m) (UniFrac). Candidate divisions GNO2, NKB19 and Spam were present only at 6–8 m associated with co-occurring [Fe(II)] and [∑H2S]. Collectively, results indicate that CT materials are differentiated from other sulfur rich environments by modestly diverse, low abundance, but highly sulfur active and more enigmatic communities (7 candidate divisions present within the 19 phyla identified).
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Affiliation(s)
- Lesley A Warren
- School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University Hamilton ON, Canada
| | - Kathryn E Kendra
- School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University Hamilton ON, Canada
| | - Allyson L Brady
- School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University Hamilton ON, Canada
| | - Greg F Slater
- School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University Hamilton ON, Canada
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25
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Bradley JA, Singarayer JS, Anesio AM. Microbial community dynamics in the forefield of glaciers. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 281:rspb.2014.0882. [PMID: 25274358 PMCID: PMC4213609 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.0882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Retreating ice fronts (as a result of a warming climate) expose large expanses of deglaciated forefield, which become colonized by microbes and plants. There has been increasing interest in characterizing the biogeochemical development of these ecosystems using a chronosequence approach. Prior to the establishment of plants, microbes use autochthonously produced and allochthonously delivered nutrients for growth. The microbial community composition is largely made up of heterotrophic microbes (both bacteria and fungi), autotrophic microbes and nitrogen-fixing diazotrophs. Microbial activity is thought to be responsible for the initial build-up of labile nutrient pools, facilitating the growth of higher order plant life in developed soils. However, it is unclear to what extent these ecosystems rely on external sources of nutrients such as ancient carbon pools and periodic nitrogen deposition. Furthermore, the seasonal variation of chronosequence dynamics and the effect of winter are largely unexplored. Modelling this ecosystem will provide a quantitative evaluation of the key processes and could guide the focus of future research. Year-round datasets combined with novel metagenomic techniques will help answer some of the pressing questions in this relatively new but rapidly expanding field, which is of growing interest in the context of future large-scale ice retreat.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A Bradley
- School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1SS, UK
| | - Joy S Singarayer
- Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6BB, UK
| | - Alexandre M Anesio
- School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1SS, UK
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Microbial carbon metabolism associated with electrogenic sulphur oxidation in coastal sediments. ISME JOURNAL 2015; 9:1966-78. [PMID: 25679534 PMCID: PMC4542026 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2015.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2014] [Revised: 12/08/2014] [Accepted: 12/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Recently, a novel electrogenic type of sulphur oxidation was documented in marine sediments, whereby filamentous cable bacteria (Desulfobulbaceae) are mediating electron transport over cm-scale distances. These cable bacteria are capable of developing an extensive network within days, implying a highly efficient carbon acquisition strategy. Presently, the carbon metabolism of cable bacteria is unknown, and hence we adopted a multidisciplinary approach to study the carbon substrate utilization of both cable bacteria and associated microbial community in sediment incubations. Fluorescence in situ hybridization showed rapid downward growth of cable bacteria, concomitant with high rates of electrogenic sulphur oxidation, as quantified by microelectrode profiling. We studied heterotrophy and autotrophy by following 13C-propionate and -bicarbonate incorporation into bacterial fatty acids. This biomarker analysis showed that propionate uptake was limited to fatty acid signatures typical for the genus Desulfobulbus. The nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry analysis confirmed heterotrophic rather than autotrophic growth of cable bacteria. Still, high bicarbonate uptake was observed in concert with the development of cable bacteria. Clone libraries of 16S complementary DNA showed numerous sequences associated to chemoautotrophic sulphur-oxidizing Epsilon- and Gammaproteobacteria, whereas 13C-bicarbonate biomarker labelling suggested that these sulphur-oxidizing bacteria were active far below the oxygen penetration. A targeted manipulation experiment demonstrated that chemoautotrophic carbon fixation was tightly linked to the heterotrophic activity of the cable bacteria down to cm depth. Overall, the results suggest that electrogenic sulphur oxidation is performed by a microbial consortium, consisting of chemoorganotrophic cable bacteria and chemolithoautotrophic Epsilon- and Gammaproteobacteria. The metabolic linkage between these two groups is presently unknown and needs further study.
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Mulec J, Krištůfek V, Chroňáková A, Oarga A, Scharfen J, Šestauberová M. Microbiology of healing mud (fango) from Roman thermae aquae iasae archaeological site (Varaždinske Toplice, Croatia). MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2015; 69:293-306. [PMID: 25241172 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-014-0491-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2014] [Accepted: 09/01/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We found well-preserved, rocky artefacts that had been buried in the healing mud (fango) for more than 1,500 years at the Roman archaeological site at Varaždinske Toplice. This Roman pool with fango sediments and artefacts is fed from hot sulphidic springs. The fango exhibited nearly neutral pH, a high level of organic C, an elevated concentration of heavy metals and a high total microbial biomass, greater than 10(8) cells per gram of dry weight. The dominant microbes, assessed by molecular profiling (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis), were affiliated with Thiobacillus, Sulfuricurvum, Polaromonas, and Bdellovibrio. Polymerase chain reaction screening for microbial functional guilds revealed the presence of sulphur oxidizers and methanogens but no sulphate reducers. The dominance of four Proteobacterial classes (α-, β-, δ- and ε-Proteobacteria) was confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridisation; Actinobacteria were less abundant. Cultivable bacteria represented up to 23.4 % of the total bacterial counts when cultivation media was enriched with fango. These bacteria represented the genera Acinetobacter, Aeromonas, Arthrobacter, Comamonas, Ewingella, Flavobacterium, Pseudomonas, Rahnella and Staphylococcus. This study showed that the heterogeneous nature of fango at neutral pH created various microniches, which largely supported microbial life based on sulphur-driven, autotrophic denitrification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janez Mulec
- Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Karst Research Institute, Titov trg 2, 6230, Postojna, Slovenia,
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28
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Handley KM, Bartels D, O'Loughlin EJ, Williams KH, Trimble WL, Skinner K, Gilbert JA, Desai N, Glass EM, Paczian T, Wilke A, Antonopoulos D, Kemner KM, Meyer F. The complete genome sequence for putative H2- and S-oxidizerCandidatusSulfuricurvum sp., assembledde novofrom an aquifer-derived metagenome. Environ Microbiol 2014; 16:3443-62. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.12453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2013] [Accepted: 03/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kim M. Handley
- Department of Ecology and Evolution; University of Chicago; Chicago IL 60637 USA
- Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology; Argonne National Laboratory; Lemont IL 60439 USA
| | - Daniela Bartels
- Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology; Argonne National Laboratory; Lemont IL 60439 USA
- Computation Institute; University of Chicago; Chicago IL 60637 USA
| | | | - Kenneth H. Williams
- Earth Science Division; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Berkeley CA USA
| | - William L. Trimble
- Mathematics and Computer Science Division; Argonne National Laboratory; Lemont IL 60439 USA
| | - Kelly Skinner
- Biosciences Division; Argonne National Laboratory; Lemont IL 60439 USA
| | - Jack A. Gilbert
- Department of Ecology and Evolution; University of Chicago; Chicago IL 60637 USA
- Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology; Argonne National Laboratory; Lemont IL 60439 USA
- Biosciences Division; Argonne National Laboratory; Lemont IL 60439 USA
| | - Narayan Desai
- Mathematics and Computer Science Division; Argonne National Laboratory; Lemont IL 60439 USA
| | - Elizabeth M. Glass
- Computation Institute; University of Chicago; Chicago IL 60637 USA
- Mathematics and Computer Science Division; Argonne National Laboratory; Lemont IL 60439 USA
| | - Tobias Paczian
- Computation Institute; University of Chicago; Chicago IL 60637 USA
- Mathematics and Computer Science Division; Argonne National Laboratory; Lemont IL 60439 USA
| | - Andreas Wilke
- Computation Institute; University of Chicago; Chicago IL 60637 USA
- Mathematics and Computer Science Division; Argonne National Laboratory; Lemont IL 60439 USA
| | - Dionysios Antonopoulos
- Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology; Argonne National Laboratory; Lemont IL 60439 USA
- Biosciences Division; Argonne National Laboratory; Lemont IL 60439 USA
| | - Kenneth M. Kemner
- Biosciences Division; Argonne National Laboratory; Lemont IL 60439 USA
| | - Folker Meyer
- Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology; Argonne National Laboratory; Lemont IL 60439 USA
- Computation Institute; University of Chicago; Chicago IL 60637 USA
- Mathematics and Computer Science Division; Argonne National Laboratory; Lemont IL 60439 USA
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