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Jablonska M, Eleršek T, Kogovšek P, Skok S, Oarga-Mulec A, Mulec J. Molecular Screening for Cyanobacteria and Their Cyanotoxin Potential in Diverse Habitats. Toxins (Basel) 2024; 16:333. [PMID: 39195743 PMCID: PMC11360522 DOI: 10.3390/toxins16080333] [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: 05/29/2024] [Revised: 07/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are adaptable and dominant organisms that exist in many harsh and extreme environments due to their great ecological tolerance. They produce various secondary metabolites, including cyanotoxins. While cyanobacteria are well studied in surface waters and some aerial habitats, numerous other habitats and niches remain underexplored. We collected 61 samples of: (i) biofilms from springs, (ii) aerial microbial mats from buildings and subaerial mats from caves, and (iii) water from borehole wells, caves, alkaline, saline, sulphidic, thermal, and iron springs, rivers, seas, and melted cave ice from five countries (Croatia, Georgia, Italy, Serbia, and Slovenia). We used (q)PCR to detect cyanobacteria (phycocyanin intergenic spacer-PC-IGS and cyanobacteria-specific 16S rRNA gene) and cyanotoxin genes (microcystins-mcyE, saxitoxins-sxtA, cylindrospermopsins-cyrJ), as well as amplicon sequencing and morphological observations for taxonomic identification. Cyanobacteria were detected in samples from caves, a saline spring, and an alkaline spring. While mcyE or sxtA genes were not observed in any sample, cyrJ results showed the presence of a potential cylindrospermopsin producer in a biofilm from a sulphidic spring in Slovenia. This study contributes to our understanding of cyanobacteria occurrence in diverse habitats, including rare and extreme ones, and provides relevant methodological considerations for future research in such environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maša Jablonska
- Department of Genetic Toxicology and Cancer Biology, National Institute of Biology, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
- Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tina Eleršek
- Department of Genetic Toxicology and Cancer Biology, National Institute of Biology, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Polona Kogovšek
- Department of Biotechnology and Systems Biology, National Institute of Biology, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Sara Skok
- Karst Research Institute, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, 6230 Postojna, Slovenia;
| | - Andreea Oarga-Mulec
- Materials Research Laboratory, University of Nova Gorica, 5000 Nova Gorica, Slovenia;
| | - Janez Mulec
- Karst Research Institute, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, 6230 Postojna, Slovenia;
- UNESCO Chair on Karst Education, University of Nova Gorica, 5271 Vipava, Slovenia
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2
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Grim SL, Stuart DG, Aron P, Levin NE, Kinsman-Costello L, Waldbauer JR, Dick GJ. Seasonal shifts in community composition and proteome expression in a sulphur-cycling cyanobacterial mat. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:2516-2533. [PMID: 37596970 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
Seasonal changes in light and physicochemical conditions have strong impacts on cyanobacteria, but how they affect community structure, metabolism, and biogeochemistry of cyanobacterial mats remains unclear. Light may be particularly influential for cyanobacterial mats exposed to sulphide by altering the balance of oxygenic photosynthesis and sulphide-driven anoxygenic photosynthesis. We studied temporal shifts in irradiance, water chemistry, and community structure and function of microbial mats in the Middle Island Sinkhole (MIS), where anoxic and sulphate-rich groundwater provides habitat for cyanobacteria that conduct both oxygenic and anoxygenic photosynthesis. Seasonal changes in light and groundwater chemistry were accompanied by shifts in bacterial community composition, with a succession of dominant cyanobacteria from Phormidium to Planktothrix, and an increase in diatoms, sulphur-oxidizing bacteria, and sulphate-reducing bacteria from summer to autumn. Differential abundance of cyanobacterial light-harvesting proteins likely reflects a physiological response of cyanobacteria to light level. Beggiatoa sulphur oxidation proteins were more abundant in autumn. Correlated abundances of taxa through time suggest interactions between sulphur oxidizers and sulphate reducers, sulphate reducers and heterotrophs, and cyanobacteria and heterotrophs. These results support the conclusion that seasonal change, including light availability, has a strong influence on community composition and biogeochemical cycling of sulphur and O2 in cyanobacterial mats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon L Grim
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Dack G Stuart
- Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Phoebe Aron
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Naomi E Levin
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | | | - Jacob R Waldbauer
- Department of the Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Gregory J Dick
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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3
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Li P, Li S, Yuan D, Lin K. On-site and high-resolution spectrophotometric measurement of total dissolved sulfide in natural waters. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 863:160919. [PMID: 36529398 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Reliable high-resolution data is essential for understanding the aquatic sulfur biogeochemical processes. However, the accurate quantification of total dissolved sulfide (TDS) remains challenging due to its low concentration and vulnerability to oxidation. Furthermore, the frequency and the spatial coverage of TDS measurements are constrained by the cost of the laboratory analysis. In this study, an automated portable system was developed for on-site real-time measurement of trace TDS in natural waters. This system was based on the classic methylene blue (MB) spectrophotometric assay combined with on-line solid phase extraction (SPE) and flow injection analysis (FIA). A commercially available weak-cation-exchange cartridge was used as the SPE sorbent. Experimental parameters affecting the performance of the proposed system were optimized. Under the optimized conditions, linear calibration range of 0.02-2.50 μmol L-1 was obtained with a sample loading volume of 5.0 mL and a sample throughput of 12 h-1. The limit of detection could be lowered to 0.003 μmol L-1 by pre-concentrating 10.0 mL sample. The precision, determined as the relative standard deviation (RSD), was <2.75 % (n = 11) and the recoveries from spiked samples ranged from 54.4 % to 97.5 % with RSDs of 1.1-2.3 % (n = 3). Furthermore, the FIA-SPE-MB system was successfully deployed in the Taihu Lake for continuous 48 h monitoring of variations in TDS, demonstrating the applicability of this system for on-site TDS measurement in natural waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Li
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Coastal Ecology and Environmental Studies, Xiamen 361102, PR China; College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, PR China
| | - Songtao Li
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Coastal Ecology and Environmental Studies, Xiamen 361102, PR China; College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, PR China
| | - Dongxing Yuan
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Coastal Ecology and Environmental Studies, Xiamen 361102, PR China; College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, PR China
| | - Kunde Lin
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Coastal Ecology and Environmental Studies, Xiamen 361102, PR China; College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, PR China.
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4
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The Transcriptional Repressor PerR Senses Sulfane Sulfur by Cysteine Persulfidation at the Structural Zn 2+ Site in Synechococcus sp. PCC7002. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:antiox12020423. [PMID: 36829981 PMCID: PMC9952342 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12020423] [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: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteria can perform both anoxygenic and oxygenic photosynthesis, a characteristic which ensured that these organisms were crucial in the evolution of the early Earth and the biosphere. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced in oxygenic photosynthesis and reactive sulfur species (RSS) produced in anoxygenic photosynthesis are closely related to intracellular redox equilibrium. ROS comprise superoxide anion (O2●-), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and hydroxyl radicals (●OH). RSS comprise H2S and sulfane sulfur (persulfide, polysulfide, and S8). Although the sensing mechanism for ROS in cyanobacteria has been explored, that of RSS has not been elucidated. Here, we studied the function of the transcriptional repressor PerR in RSS sensing in Synechococcus sp. PCC7002 (PCC7002). PerR was previously reported to sense ROS; however, our results revealed that it also participated in RSS sensing. PerR repressed the expression of prxI and downregulated the tolerance of PCC7002 to polysulfide (H2Sn). The reporter system indicated that PerR sensed H2Sn. Cys121 of the Cys4:Zn2+ site, which contains four cysteines (Cys121, Cys124, Cys160, and Cys163) bound to one zinc atom, could be modified by H2Sn to Cys121-SSH, as a result of which the zinc atom was released from the site. Moreover, Cys19 could also be modified by polysulfide to Cys19-SSH. Thus, our results reveal that PerR, a representative of the Cys4 zinc finger proteins, senses H2Sn. Our findings provide a new perspective to explore the adaptation strategy of cyanobacteria in Proterozoic and contemporary sulfurization oceans.
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Block KR, O'Brien JM, Edwards WJ, Marnocha CL. Vertical structure of the bacterial diversity in meromictic Fayetteville Green Lake. Microbiologyopen 2021; 10:e1228. [PMID: 34459548 PMCID: PMC8330806 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.1228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The permanently stratified water columns in euxinic meromictic lakes produce niche environments for phototrophic sulfur oxidizers and diverse sulfur metabolisms. While Green Lake (Fayetteville, New York, NY) is known to host a diverse community of ecologically important sulfur bacteria, analyses of its microbial communities, to date, have been largely based on pigment analysis and smaller datasets from Sanger sequencing techniques. Here, we present the results of next-generation sequencing of the eubacterial community in the context of the water column geochemistry. We observed abundant purple and green sulfur bacteria, as well as anoxygenic photosynthesis-capable cyanobacteria within the upper monimolimnion. Amidst the phototrophs, we found other sulfur-cycling bacteria including sulfur disproportionators and chemotrophic sulfur oxidizers, further detailing our understanding of the sulfur cycle and microbial ecology of euxinic, meromictic lakes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joy M. O'Brien
- Department of BiologyNiagara UniversityLewistonNew YorkUSA
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Klatt JM, Gomez-Saez GV, Meyer S, Ristova PP, Yilmaz P, Granitsiotis MS, Macalady JL, Lavik G, Polerecky L, Bühring SI. Versatile cyanobacteria control the timing and extent of sulfide production in a Proterozoic analog microbial mat. THE ISME JOURNAL 2020; 14:3024-3037. [PMID: 32770117 PMCID: PMC7784965 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-0734-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Cyanobacterial mats were hotspots of biogeochemical cycling during the Precambrian. However, mechanisms that controlled O2 release by these ecosystems are poorly understood. In an analog to Proterozoic coastal ecosystems, the Frasassi sulfidic springs mats, we studied the regulation of oxygenic and sulfide-driven anoxygenic photosynthesis (OP and AP) in versatile cyanobacteria, and interactions with sulfur reducing bacteria (SRB). Using microsensors and stable isotope probing we found that dissolved organic carbon (DOC) released by OP fuels sulfide production, likely by a specialized SRB population. Increased sulfide fluxes were only stimulated after the cyanobacteria switched from AP to OP. O2 production triggered migration of large sulfur-oxidizing bacteria from the surface to underneath the cyanobacterial layer. The resultant sulfide shield tempered AP and allowed OP to occur for a longer duration over a diel cycle. The lack of cyanobacterial DOC supply to SRB during AP therefore maximized O2 export. This mechanism is unique to benthic ecosystems because transitions between metabolisms occur on the same time scale as solute transport to functionally distinct layers, with the rearrangement of the system by migration of microorganisms exaggerating the effect. Overall, cyanobacterial versatility disrupts the synergistic relationship between sulfide production and AP, and thus enhances diel O2 production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith M Klatt
- Microsensor Group, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany.
| | - Gonzalo V Gomez-Saez
- Hydrothermal Geomicrobiology, MARUM, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- Alfred Wegener Institute-Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Sciences, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Steffi Meyer
- Microsensor Group, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
- Thünen Institute of Baltic Sea Fisheries, Thünen Institute, Rostock, Germany
| | - Petra Pop Ristova
- Hydrothermal Geomicrobiology, MARUM, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Pelin Yilmaz
- Microbial Physiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Michael S Granitsiotis
- Research Unit Environmental Genomics, Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Patras, Agrinio, Greece
- DOE, Joint Genome Institute, Lawerence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Gaute Lavik
- Biogeochemistry Group, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Lubos Polerecky
- Microsensor Group, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
- Department of Earth Sciences-Geochemistry, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Solveig I Bühring
- Hydrothermal Geomicrobiology, MARUM, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
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7
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Yoshimura KM, Todorova S, Biddle JF. Mercury geochemistry and microbial diversity in meromictic Glacier Lake, Jamesville, NY. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2020; 12:195-202. [PMID: 32036624 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Meromictic lakes are stratified lakes that typically stimulate phototrophic anoxic microbial metabolism, including the transformation of sulphur. Less studied are the transformations of mercury in these environments, and the microorganisms, which mediate these reactions. In order to further an understanding of redox species, mercury and microbial populations in meromictic lakes, we examined the geochemistry and microbiology of Glacier Lake in Jamesville, NY. We found an anoxic transition at a depth of 6 m, followed by active nitrate and sulphate utilization. A chlorophyll a maximum was located at 11 m, coinciding with peaks of several photoautotrophic microbial lineages and total mercury and methyl mercury. Via amplicon sequencing, the microbial population showed pronounced peaks of cyanobacteria at 10 m, Chlorobi at 12 m and Chloroflexi at 14 m. Sulphate-reducing bacteria were also most abundant between 10 and 14 m depth. A functional gene indicating the potential for the production of methyl mercury, hgcA, was detected at several depths in the lake. Our work suggests that in addition to the sulphur cycle, the cycling of mercury may be indirectly coupled with phototrophic processes in Glacier Lake.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Svetoslava Todorova
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Jennifer F Biddle
- School of Marine Science and Policy, University of Delaware, Lewes, DE, USA
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8
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Liu D, Zhang J, Lü C, Xia Y, Liu H, Jiao N, Xun L, Liu J. Synechococcus sp. Strain PCC7002 Uses Sulfide:Quinone Oxidoreductase To Detoxify Exogenous Sulfide and To Convert Endogenous Sulfide to Cellular Sulfane Sulfur. mBio 2020; 11:e03420-19. [PMID: 32098824 PMCID: PMC7042703 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03420-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Eutrophication and deoxygenation possibly occur in coastal waters due to excessive nutrients from agricultural and aquacultural activities, leading to sulfide accumulation. Cyanobacteria, as photosynthetic prokaryotes, play significant roles in carbon fixation in the ocean. Although some cyanobacteria can use sulfide as the electron donor for photosynthesis under anaerobic conditions, little is known on how they interact with sulfide under aerobic conditions. In this study, we report that Synechococcus sp. strain PCC7002 (PCC7002), harboring an sqr gene encoding sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase (SQR), oxidized self-produced sulfide to S0, present as persulfide and polysulfide in the cell. The Δsqr mutant contained less cellular S0 and had increased expression of key genes involved in photosynthesis, but it was less competitive than the wild type in cocultures. Further, PCC7002 with SQR and persulfide dioxygenase (PDO) oxidized exogenous sulfide to tolerate high sulfide levels. Thus, SQR offers some benefits to cyanobacteria even under aerobic conditions, explaining the common presence of SQR in cyanobacteria.IMPORTANCE Cyanobacteria are a major force for primary production via oxygenic photosynthesis in the ocean. A marine cyanobacterium, PCC7002, is actively involved in sulfide metabolism. It uses SQR to detoxify exogenous sulfide, enabling it to survive better than its Δsqr mutant in sulfide-rich environments. PCC7002 also uses SQR to oxidize endogenously generated sulfide to S0, which is required for the proper expression of key genes involved in photosynthesis. Thus, SQR has at least two physiological functions in PCC7002. The observation provides a new perspective for the interplays of C and S cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daixi Liu
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
- Joint Lab for Ocean Research and Education at Dalhousie University, Shandong University and Xiamen University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jiajie Zhang
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
- Joint Lab for Ocean Research and Education at Dalhousie University, Shandong University and Xiamen University, Qingdao, China
| | - Chuanjuan Lü
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yongzhen Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Huaiwei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Nianzhi Jiao
- Joint Lab for Ocean Research and Education at Dalhousie University, Shandong University and Xiamen University, Qingdao, China
- Institute of Marine Microbes and Ecospheres, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Luying Xun
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Jihua Liu
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
- Joint Lab for Ocean Research and Education at Dalhousie University, Shandong University and Xiamen University, Qingdao, China
- Institute of Marine Microbes and Ecospheres, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
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9
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Hamilton TL. The trouble with oxygen: The ecophysiology of extant phototrophs and implications for the evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis. Free Radic Biol Med 2019; 140:233-249. [PMID: 31078729 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2019.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Revised: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The ability to harvest light to drive chemical reactions and gain energy provided microbes access to high energy electron donors which fueled primary productivity, biogeochemical cycles, and microbial evolution. Oxygenic photosynthesis is often cited as the most important microbial innovation-the emergence of oxygen-evolving photosynthesis, aided by geologic events, is credited with tipping the scale from a reducing early Earth to an oxygenated world that eventually lead to complex life. Anoxygenic photosynthesis predates oxygen-evolving photosynthesis and played a key role in developing and fine-tuning the photosystem architecture of modern oxygenic phototrophs. The release of oxygen as a by-product of metabolic activity would have caused oxidative damage to anaerobic microbiota that evolved under the anoxic, reducing conditions of early Earth. Photosynthetic machinery is particularly susceptible to the adverse effects of oxygen and reactive oxygen species and these effects are compounded by light. As a result, phototrophs employ additional detoxification mechanisms to mitigate oxidative stress and have evolved alternative oxygen-dependent enzymes for chlorophyll biosynthesis. Phylogenetic reconstruction studies and biochemical characterization suggest photosynthetic reactions centers, particularly in Cyanobacteria, evolved to both increase efficiency of electron transfer and avoid photodamage caused by chlorophyll radicals that is acute in the presence of oxygen. Here we review the oxygen and reactive oxygen species detoxification mechanisms observed in extant anoxygenic and oxygenic photosynthetic bacteria as well as the emergence of these mechanisms over evolutionary time. We examine the distribution of phototrophs in modern systems and phylogenetic reconstructions to evaluate the emergence of mechanisms to mediate oxidative damage and highlight changes in photosystems and reaction centers, chlorophyll biosynthesis, and niche space in response to oxygen production. This synthesis supports an emergence of H2S-driven anoxygenic photosynthesis in Cyanobacteria prior to the evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis and underscores a role for the former metabolism in fueling fine-tuning of the oxygen evolving complex and mechanisms to repair oxidative damage. In contrast, we note the lack of elaborate mechanisms to deal with oxygen in non-cyanobacterial anoxygenic phototrophs suggesting these microbes have occupied similar niche space throughout Earth's history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trinity L Hamilton
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA; Biotechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA.
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10
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Demoulin CF, Lara YJ, Cornet L, François C, Baurain D, Wilmotte A, Javaux EJ. Cyanobacteria evolution: Insight from the fossil record. Free Radic Biol Med 2019; 140:206-223. [PMID: 31078731 PMCID: PMC6880289 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2019.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Revised: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria played an important role in the evolution of Early Earth and the biosphere. They are responsible for the oxygenation of the atmosphere and oceans since the Great Oxidation Event around 2.4 Ga, debatably earlier. They are also major primary producers in past and present oceans, and the ancestors of the chloroplast. Nevertheless, the identification of cyanobacteria in the early fossil record remains ambiguous because the morphological criteria commonly used are not always reliable for microfossil interpretation. Recently, new biosignatures specific to cyanobacteria were proposed. Here, we review the classic and new cyanobacterial biosignatures. We also assess the reliability of the previously described cyanobacteria fossil record and the challenges of molecular approaches on modern cyanobacteria. Finally, we suggest possible new calibration points for molecular clocks, and strategies to improve our understanding of the timing and pattern of the evolution of cyanobacteria and oxygenic photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine F Demoulin
- Early Life Traces & Evolution - Astrobiology, UR ASTROBIOLOGY, Geology Department, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
| | - Yannick J Lara
- Early Life Traces & Evolution - Astrobiology, UR ASTROBIOLOGY, Geology Department, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Luc Cornet
- Early Life Traces & Evolution - Astrobiology, UR ASTROBIOLOGY, Geology Department, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium; Eukaryotic Phylogenomics, InBioS-PhytoSYSTEMS, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Camille François
- Early Life Traces & Evolution - Astrobiology, UR ASTROBIOLOGY, Geology Department, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Denis Baurain
- Eukaryotic Phylogenomics, InBioS-PhytoSYSTEMS, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Annick Wilmotte
- BCCM/ULC Cyanobacteria Collection, InBioS-CIP, Centre for Protein Engineering, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Emmanuelle J Javaux
- Early Life Traces & Evolution - Astrobiology, UR ASTROBIOLOGY, Geology Department, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
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11
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Lin S, Mackey HR, Hao T, Guo G, van Loosdrecht MCM, Chen G. Biological sulfur oxidation in wastewater treatment: A review of emerging opportunities. WATER RESEARCH 2018; 143:399-415. [PMID: 29986249 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2018.06.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Revised: 06/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Sulfide prevails in both industrial and municipal waste streams and is one of the most troublesome issues with waste handling. Various technologies and strategies have been developed and used to deal with sulfide for decades, among which biological means make up a considerable portion due to their low operation requirements and flexibility. Sulfur bacteria play a vital role in these biotechnologies. In this article, conventional biological approaches dealing with sulfide and functional microorganisms are systematically reviewed. Linking the sulfur cycle with other nutrient cycles such as nitrogen or phosphorous, and with continued focus of waste remediation by sulfur bacteria, has led to emerging biotechnologies. Furthermore, opportunities for energy harvest and resource recovery based on sulfur bacteria are also discussed. The electroactivity of sulfur bacteria indicates a broad perspective of sulfur-based bioelectrochemical systems in terms of bioelectricity production and bioelectrochemical synthesis. The considerable PHA accumulation, high yield and anoxygenic growth conditions in certain phototrophic sulfur bacteria could provide an interesting alternative for bioplastic production. In this review, new merits of biological sulfide oxidation from a traditional environmental management perspective as well as a waste to resource perspective are presented along with their potential applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sen Lin
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hamish R Mackey
- Division of Sustainable Development, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Education City, Doha, Qatar
| | - Tianwei Hao
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau, China; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Gang Guo
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Mark C M van Loosdrecht
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Julianalaan 67, 2628 BC, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Guanghao Chen
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; Fok Ying Tung Research Institute, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Control & Treatment of Heavy Metal Pollution, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
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Cyanobacterial photosynthesis under sulfidic conditions: insights from the isolate Leptolyngbya sp. strain hensonii. ISME JOURNAL 2018; 12:568-584. [PMID: 29328062 PMCID: PMC5776472 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2017.193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2017] [Revised: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
We report the isolation of a pinnacle-forming cyanobacterium isolated from a microbial mat covering the sediment surface at Little Salt Spring—a flooded sinkhole in Florida with a perennially microoxic and sulfidic water column. The draft genome of the isolate encodes all of the enzymatic machinery necessary for both oxygenic and anoxygenic photosynthesis, as well as genes for methylating hopanoids at the C-2 position. The physiological response of the isolate to H2S is complex: (i) no induction time is necessary for anoxygenic photosynthesis; (ii) rates of anoxygenic photosynthesis are regulated by both H2S and irradiance; (iii) O2 production is inhibited by H2S concentrations as low as 1 μM and the recovery rate of oxygenic photosynthesis is dependent on irradiance; (iv) under the optimal light conditions for oxygenic photosynthesis, rates of anoxygenic photosynthesis are nearly double those of oxygenic photosynthesis. We hypothesize that the specific adaptation mechanisms of the isolate to H2S emerged from a close spatial interaction with sulfate-reducing bacteria. The new isolate, Leptolyngbya sp. strain hensonii, is not closely related to other well-characterized Cyanobacteria that can perform anoxygenic photosynthesis, which further highlights the need to characterize the diversity and biogeography of metabolically versatile Cyanobacteria. The isolate will be an ideal model organism for exploring the adaptation of Cyanobacteria to sulfidic conditions.
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