Genomic Insights Into the Acid Adaptation of Novel Methanotrophs Enriched From Acidic Forest Soils

Unlocking synergies: Harnessing the potential of biological methane sequestration through metabolic coupling between Methylomicrobium alcaliphilum 20Z and Chlorella sp. HS2

A halotolerant consortium between microalgae and methanotrophic bacteria could effectively remediate in situ CH4 and CO2, particularly using saline wastewater sources. Herein, Methylomicrobium alcaliphilum 20Z was demonstrated to form a mutualistic association with Chlorella sp. HS2 at a salinity level above 3.0%. Co-culture significantly enhanced the growth of both microbes, independent of initial inoculum ratios. Additionally, increased methane provision in enclosed serum bottles led to saturated methane removal. Subsequent analyses suggested nearly an order of magnitude increase in the amount of carbon sequestered in biomass in methane-fed co-cultures, conditions that also maintained a suitable cultural pH suitable for methanotrophic growth. Collectively, these results suggest a robust metabolic coupling between the two microbes and the influence of the factors other than gaseous exchange on the assembled consortium. Therefore, multi-faceted investigations are needed to harness the significant methane removal potential of the identified halotolerant consortium under conditions relevant to real-world operation scenarios.

Biogeography of microbial communities in high-latitude ecosystems: Contrasting drivers for methanogens, methanotrophs and global prokaryotes

Methane-cycling is becoming more important in high-latitude ecosystems as global warming makes permafrost organic carbon increasingly available. We explored 387 samples from three high-latitudes regions (Siberia, Alaska and Patagonia) focusing on mineral/organic soils (wetlands, peatlands, forest), lake/pond sediment and water. Physicochemical, climatic and geographic variables were integrated with 16S rDNA amplicon sequences to determine the structure of the overall microbial communities and of specific methanogenic and methanotrophic guilds. Physicochemistry (especially pH) explained the largest proportion of variation in guild composition, confirming species sorting (i.e., environmental filtering) as a key mechanism in microbial assembly. Geographic distance impacted more strongly beta diversity for (i) methanogens and methanotrophs than the overall prokaryotes and, (ii) the sediment habitat, suggesting that dispersal limitation contributed to shape the communities of methane-cycling microorganisms. Bioindicator taxa characterising different ecological niches (i.e., specific combinations of geographic, climatic and physicochemical variables) were identified, highlighting the importance of Methanoregula as generalist methanogens. Methylocystis and Methylocapsa were key methanotrophs in low pH niches while Methylobacter and Methylomonadaceae in neutral environments. This work gives insight into the present and projected distribution of methane-cycling microbes at high latitudes under climate change predictions, which is crucial for constraining their impact on greenhouse gas budgets.

Thermophilic methane oxidation is widespread in Aotearoa-New Zealand geothermal fields

Geothermal areas represent substantial point sources for greenhouse gas emissions such as methane. While it is known that methanotrophic microorganisms act as a biofilter, decreasing the efflux of methane in most soils to the atmosphere, the diversity and the extent to which methane is consumed by thermophilic microorganisms in geothermal ecosystems has not been widely explored. To determine the extent of biologically mediated methane oxidation at elevated temperatures, we set up 57 microcosms using soils from 14 Aotearoa-New Zealand geothermal fields and show that moderately thermophilic (>40°C) and thermophilic (>60°C) methane oxidation is common across the region. Methane oxidation was detected in 54% (n = 31) of the geothermal soil microcosms tested at temperatures up to 75°C (pH 1.5-8.1), with oxidation rates ranging from 0.5 to 17.4 μmol g-1 d-1 wet weight. The abundance of known aerobic methanotrophs (up to 60.7% Methylacidiphilum and 11.2% Methylothermus) and putative anaerobic methanotrophs (up to 76.7% Bathyarchaeota) provides some explanation for the rapid rates of methane oxidation observed in microcosms. However, not all methane oxidation was attributable to known taxa; in some methane-consuming microcosms we detected methanotroph taxa in conditions outside of their known temperature range for growth, and in other examples, we observed methane oxidation in the absence of known methanotrophs through 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Both of these observations suggest unidentified methane oxidizing microorganisms or undescribed methanotrophic syntrophic associations may also be present. Subsequent enrichment cultures from microcosms yielded communities not predicted by the original diversity studies and showed rates inconsistent with microcosms (≤24.5 μmol d-1), highlighting difficulties in culturing representative thermophilic methanotrophs. Finally, to determine the active methane oxidation processes, we attempted to elucidate metabolic pathways from two enrichment cultures actively oxidizing methane using metatranscriptomics. The most highly expressed genes in both enrichments (methane monooxygenases, methanol dehydrogenases and PqqA precursor peptides) were related to methanotrophs from Methylococcaceae, Methylocystaceae and Methylothermaceae. This is the first example of using metatranscriptomics to investigate methanotrophs from geothermal environments and gives insight into the metabolic pathways involved in thermophilic methanotrophy.

Streptantibioticus silvisoli sp. nov., acidotolerant actinomycetes from pine litter, reclassification of Streptomyces cocklensis, Streptomyces ferralitis, Streptomyces parmotrematis and Streptomyces rubrisoli as Actinacidiphila cocklensis comb. nov., Streptantibioticus ferralitis comb. nov., Streptantibioticus parmotrematis comb. nov. and Streptantibioticus rubrisoli comb. nov., and emended descriptions of the genus Streptantibioticus, the family Streptomycetaceae and Streptomyces iconiensis

Filamentous actinomycetes, designated SL13 and SL54T, were isolated from pine litter and their taxonomic status resolved using a polyphasic approach. The isolates exhibit chemotaxonomic and morphological properties consistent with their classification in the family Streptomycetaceae. They form extensively branched substrate mycelia bearing aerial hyphae that differentiate into straight chains of cylindrical spores. The whole-organism hydrolysates contain ll-diaminopimelic acid, glucose, mannose and ribose, the predominant isoprenologue is MK-9(H8), the polar lipids are diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylglycerol and glycophospholipids, and the major fatty acids are anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 0, iso-C16 : 0 and anteiso-C17 : 0. Phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and multilocus gene sequences of conserved housekeeping genes show that the isolates form a well-supported lineage that is most closely related to Streptomyces parmotrematis NBRC 115203T. All of these strains form a well-defined clade in the multilocus sequence analysis tree together with Streptantibioticus cattleyicolor DSM 46488T, Streptomyces ferralitis DSM 41836T and Streptomyces rubrisoli DSM 42083T. Draft genomes assemblies of the isolates are rich in biosynthetic gene clusters predicted to produce novel specialized metabolites and stress-related genes which provide an insight into how they have adapted to the harsh conditions that prevail in pine litter. Phylogenomically, both isolates belong to the same lineage as the type strains of S. cattleyicolor, S. ferralitis, S. parmotrematis and S. rubrisoli; these relationships are underpinned by high average amino acid identity, average nucleotide identity and genomic DNA-DNA hybridization values. These metrics confirm that isolates SL13 and SL54T belong to a novel species that is most closely related to S. parmotrematis NBRC 115203T and that these strains together with S. ferralitis DSM 41836T, S. rubrisoli DSM 42083T belong to the genus Streptantibioticus. Consequently, it is proposed that the isolates be recognized as a new Streptantibioticus species, Streptantibioticus silvisoli comb. nov., with isolate SL54T (=DSM 111111T=PCM3044T) as the type strain, and that S. ferralitis, S. parmotrematis and S. rubrisoli be transferred to the genus Streptantibioticus as Streptantibioticus ferralitis comb. nov., Streptantibioticus parmotrematis comb. nov. and Streptantibioticus rubrisoli comb. nov. Emended descriptions are given for the genus Streptantibioticus, the family Streptomycetaceae and for Streptomyces iconiensis which was found to be a close relative of the isolates in the 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses. It is also proposed that Streptomyces cocklensis be transferred to the genus Actinacidiphila as Actinacidiphila cocklensis comb. nov based on its position in the MLSA and phylogenomic trees and associated genomic data.

Acidophilic methanotrophs: Occurrence, diversity, and possible bioremediation applications

Methanotrophs have been identified and isolated from acidic environments such as wetlands, acidic soils, peat bogs, and groundwater aquifers. Due to their methane (CH₄ ) utilization as a carbon and energy source, acidophilic methanotrophs are important in controlling the release of atmospheric CH₄ , an important greenhouse gas, from acidic wetlands and other environments. Methanotrophs have also played an important role in the biodegradation and bioremediation of a variety of pollutants including chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) using CH₄ monooxygenases via a process known as cometabolism. Under neutral pH conditions, anaerobic bioremediation via carbon source addition is a commonly used and highly effective approach to treat CVOCs in groundwater. However, complete dechlorination of CVOCs is typically inhibited at low pH. Acidophilic methanotrophs have recently been observed to degrade a range of CVOCs at pH < 5.5, suggesting that cometabolic treatment may be an option for CVOCs and other contaminants in acidic aquifers. This paper provides an overview of the occurrence, diversity, and physiological activities of methanotrophs in acidic environments and highlights the potential application of these organisms for enhancing contaminant biodegradation and bioremediation.

How methanotrophs respond to pH: A review of ecophysiology

Varying pH globally affects terrestrial microbial communities and biochemical cycles. Methanotrophs effectively mitigate methane fluxes in terrestrial habitats. Many methanotrophs grow optimally at neutral pH. However, recent discoveries show that methanotrophs grow in strongly acidic and alkaline environments. Here, we summarize the existing knowledge on the ecophysiology of methanotrophs under different pH conditions. The distribution pattern of diverse subgroups is described with respect to their relationship with pH. In addition, their responses to pH stress, consisting of structure-function traits and substrate affinity traits, are reviewed. Furthermore, we propose a putative energy trade-off model aiming at shedding light on the adaptation mechanisms of methanotrophs from a novel perspective. Finally, we take an outlook on methanotrophs' ecophysiology affected by pH, which would offer new insights into the methane cycle and global climate change.

Prospecting the significance of methane-utilizing bacteria in agriculture

Microorganisms act as both the source and sink of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, thus making a significant contribution to the environment as an important driver of climate change. The rhizosphere and phyllosphere of plants growing in natural (mangroves) and artificial wetlands (flooded agricultural ecosystems) harbor methane-utilizing bacteria that oxidize methane at the source and reduce its net flux. For several decades, microorganisms have been used as biofertilizers to promote plant growth. However, now their role in reducing net methane flux, especially from flooded agricultural ecosystems is gaining momentum globally. Research in this context has mainly focused on taxonomic aspects related to methanotrophy among diverse bacterial genera, and environmental factors that govern methane utilization in natural and artificial wetland ecosystems. In the last few decades, concerted efforts have been made to develop multifunctional microbial inoculants that can oxidize methane and alleviate greenhouse gas emissions, as well as promote plant growth. In this context, combinations of taxonomic groups commonly found in rice paddies and those used as biofertilizers are being explored. This review deals with methanotrophy among diverse bacterial domains, factors influencing methane-utilizing ability, and explores the potential of novel methane-utilizing microbial consortia with plant growth-promoting traits in flooded ecosystems.

Genome Sequence of a Thermoacidophilic Methanotroph Belonging to the Verrucomicrobiota Phylum from Geothermal Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park: A Metagenomic Assembly and Reconstruction

Verrucomicrobiotal methanotrophs are thermoacidophilic methane oxidizers that have been isolated from volcanic and geothermal regions of the world. We used a metagenomic approach that entailed obtaining the whole genome sequence of a verrucomicrobiotal methanotroph from a microbial consortium enriched from samples obtained from Nymph Lake (89.9 °C, pH 2.73) in Yellowstone National Park in the USA. To identify and reconstruct the verrucomicrobiotal genome from Illumina NovaSeq 6000 sequencing data, we constructed a bioinformatic pipeline with various combinations of de novo assembly, alignment, and binning algorithms. Based on the marker gene (pmoA), we identified and assembled the Candidatus Methylacidiphilum sp. YNP IV genome (2.47 Mbp, 2392 ORF, and 41.26% GC content). In a comparison of average nucleotide identity between Ca. Methylacidiphilum sp. YNP IV and Ca. Methylacidiphilum fumariolicum SolV, its closest 16S rRNA gene sequence relative, is lower than 95%, suggesting that Ca. Methylacidiphilum sp. YNP IV can be regarded as a different species. The Ca. Methylacidiphilum sp. YNP IV genome assembly showed most of the key genes for methane metabolism, the CBB pathway for CO₂ fixation, nitrogen fixation and assimilation, hydrogenases, and rare earth elements transporter, as well as defense mechanisms. The assembly and reconstruction of a thermoacidophilic methanotroph belonging to the Verrucomicrobiota phylum from a geothermal environment adds further evidence and knowledge concerning the diversity of biological methane oxidation and on the adaptation of this geochemically relevant reaction in extreme environments.

How Can Litter Modify the Fluxes of CO2 and CH4 from Forest Soils? A Mini-Review

Forests contribute strongly to global carbon (C) sequestration and the exchange of greenhouse gases (GHG) between the soil and the atmosphere. Whilst the microbial activity of forest soils is a major determinant of net GHG exchange, this may be modified by the presence of litter through a range of mechanisms. Litter may act as a physical barrier modifying gas exchange, water movement/retention and temperature/irradiance fluctuations; provide a source of nutrients for microbes; enhance any priming effects, and facilitate macro-aggregate formation. Moreover, any effects are influenced by litter quality and regulated by tree species, climatic conditions (rainfall, temperature), and forest management (clear-cutting, fertilization, extensive deforestation). Based on climate change projections, the importance of the litter layer is likely to increase due to an litter increase and changes in quality. Future studies will therefore have to take into account the effects of litter on soil CO2 and CH4 fluxes for various types of forests globally, including the impact of climate change, insect infestation, and shifts in tree species composition, as well as a better understanding of its role in monoterpene production, which requires the integration of microbiological studies conducted on soils in different climatic zones.

Candidatus Eremiobacterota, a metabolically and phylogenetically diverse terrestrial phylum with acid-tolerant adaptations

Candidatus phylum Eremiobacterota (formerly WPS-2) is an as-yet-uncultured bacterial clade that takes its name from Ca. Eremiobacter, an Antarctic soil aerobe proposed to be capable of a novel form of chemolithoautotrophy termed atmospheric chemosynthesis, that uses the energy derived from atmospheric H₂-oxidation to fix CO₂ through the Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) cycle via type 1E RuBisCO. To elucidate the phylogenetic affiliation and metabolic capacities of Ca. Eremiobacterota, we analysed 63 public metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) and nine new MAGs generated from Antarctic soil metagenomes. These MAGs represent both recognized classes within Ca. Eremiobacterota, namely Ca. Eremiobacteria and UBP9. Ca. Eremiobacteria are inferred to be facultatively acidophilic with a preference for peptides and amino acids as nutrient sources. Epifluorescence microscopy revealed Ca. Eremiobacteria cells from Antarctica desert soil to be coccoid in shape. Two orders are recognized within class Ca. Eremiobacteria: Ca. Eremiobacterales and Ca. Baltobacterales. The latter are metabolically versatile, with individual members having genes required for trace gas driven autotrophy, anoxygenic photosynthesis, CO oxidation, and anaerobic respiration. UBP9, here renamed Ca. Xenobia class. nov., are inferred to be obligate heterotrophs with acidophilic adaptations, but individual members having highly divergent metabolic capacities compared to Ca. Eremiobacteria, especially with regard to respiration and central carbon metabolism. We conclude Ca. Eremiobacterota to be an ecologically versatile phylum with the potential to thrive under an array of "extreme" environmental conditions.

Community Organization and Metagenomics of Bacterial Assemblages Across Local Scale pH Gradients in Northern Forest Soils

Soil pH has shown to predict bacterial diversity, but mechanisms are still poorly understood. To investigate how bacteria distribute themselves as a function of soil pH, we assessed community composition, diversity, assembly, and gene abundance across local (ca. 1 km) scale gradients in soil pH from ~ 3.8 to 6.5 created by differences in soil parent material in three northern forests. Plant species were the same on all sites, with no evidence of agriculture in the past. Concentrations of extractable calcium, iron, and phosphorus also varied significantly across the pH gradients. Among taxa, Alphaproteobacteria and Acidobacteria were more common in soils with acidic pH values. Overall richness and diversity of OTUs peaked at intermediate pH values. Variations in OTU richness and diversity also had a quadratic fit with concentrations of extractable calcium and phosphorus. Community assembly was via homogeneous deterministic processes in soils with acidic pH values, whereas stochastic processes dominated in soils with near-neutral pH values. Although we expected selection via genes for acid tolerance response in acidic soils, genes for genetic information processing were more selective. Taxa in higher pH soils had differential abundance of transporter genes, suggesting adaptation to acquire metabolic substrates from soils. Soil bacterial communities in northern forest soils are incredibly diverse, and we still have much to learn about how soil pH and co-varying soil parameters directly drive gene selection in this critical component of ecosystem structure.

Methane utilizing plant growth-promoting microbial diversity analysis of flooded paddy ecosystem of India

Methane utilizing bacteria (MUB) are known to inhabit the flooded paddy ecosystem where they play an important role in regulating net methane (CH₄) emission. We hypothesize that efficient MUB having plant growth-promoting (PGP) attributes can be used for developing novel bio-inoculant for flooded paddy ecosystem which might not only reduce methane emission but also assist in improving the plant growth parameters. Hence, soil and plant samples were collected from the phyllosphere, rhizosphere, and non-rhizosphere of five rice-growing regions of India at the tillering stage and investigated for efficient methane-oxidizing and PGP bacteria. Based on the monooxygenase activity and percent methane utilization on NMS medium with methane as the sole C source, 123 isolates were identified and grouped phylogenetically into 13 bacteria and 2 yeast genera. Among different regions, a significantly higher number of isolates were obtained from lowland flooded paddy ecosystems of Aduthurai (33.33%) followed by Ernakulum (20.33%) and Brahmaputra valley (19.51%) as compared to upland irrigated regions of Gaya (17.07%) and Varanasi (8.94%). Among sub-samples, a significantly higher number of isolates were found inhabiting the phyllosphere (58.54%) followed by non-rhizosphere (25.20%) and rhizosphere (15.45%). Significantly higher utilization of methane and PGP attributes were observed in 30 isolates belonging to genera Hyphomicrobium, Burkholderia, Methylobacterium, Paenibacillus, Pseudomonas, Rahnella, and Meyerozyma. M. oryzae MNL7 showed significantly better growth with 74.33% of CH₄ utilization at the rate of 302.9 ± 5.58 and exhibited half-maximal growth rate, K_s of 1.92 ± 0.092 mg CH₄ L^-1. Besides the ability to utilize CH₄, P. polymyxa MaAL70 possessed PGP attributes such as solubilization of P, K, and Zn, fixation of atmospheric N and production of indole acetic acid (IAA). Both these promising isolates can be explored in the future for developing novel biofertilizers for flooded paddies.

Genomic and Physiological Properties of a Facultative Methane-Oxidizing Bacterial Strain of Methylocystis sp. from a Wetland

Methane-oxidizing bacteria are crucial players in controlling methane emissions. This study aimed to isolate and characterize a novel wetland methanotroph to reveal its role in the wetland environment based on genomic information. Based on phylogenomic analysis, the isolated strain, designated as B8, is a novel species in the genus Methylocystis. Strain B8 grew in a temperature range of 15 °C to 37 °C (optimum 30–35 °C) and a pH range of 6.5 to 10 (optimum 8.5–9). Methane, methanol, and acetate were used as carbon sources. Hydrogen was produced under oxygen-limited conditions. The assembled genome comprised of 3.39 Mbp and 59.9 mol% G + C content. The genome contained two types of particulate methane monooxygenases (pMMO) for low-affinity methane oxidation (pMMO1) and high-affinity methane oxidation (pMMO2). It was revealed that strain B8 might survive atmospheric methane concentration. Furthermore, the genome had various genes for hydrogenase, nitrogen fixation, polyhydroxybutyrate synthesis, and heavy metal resistance. This metabolic versatility of strain B8 might enable its survival in wetland environments.

Influence of dragon bamboo with different planting patterns on microbial community and physicochemical property of soil on sunny and shady slopes

Dragon bamboo (Dendrocalamus giganteus) is a giant sympodial bamboo species widely distributed in Asia. However, it remains unclear how dragon bamboo and soil microbes interact to affect soil properties. In this study, we investigated the planting patterns (semi-natural and artificial) on different slopes (sunny and shady) to determine the effects on soil properties and microbial community. The results showed that the soil in which dragon bamboo was grown was acidic, with a pH value of ∼5. Also, the soil organic matter content, nitrogen hydrolysate concentration, total nitrogen, available potassium, and total potassium of the dragon bamboo semi-natural forest significantly improved, especially on the sunny slope. In contrast, the available phosphorus level was higher in the artificial bamboo forest, probably owing to the phosphate fertilizer application. The bacterial and fungal diversity and the bacterial abundance were all higher on the sunny slope of the semi-natural forest than those in the other samples. The microbial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) shared between the shady and sunny slopes accounted for 47.8-62.2%, but the core OTUs of all samples were only 24.4-30.4% of each sample, suggesting that the slope type had a significant effect on the microbial community. Some acidophilic microbes, such as Acidobacteria groups, Streptomyces and Mortierella, became dominant in dragon bamboo forest soil. A PICRUSt analysis of the bacterial functional groups revealed that post-translational modification, cell division, and coenzyme transport and metabolism were abundant in the semi-natural forest. However, some microorganisms with strong stress resistance might be activated in the artificial forest. Taken together, these results illustrated the influence of dragon bamboo growth on soil physicochemical property and microbial community, which might help understand the growth status of dragon bamboo under different planting patterns.

Methylococcus geothermalis sp. nov., a methanotroph isolated from a geothermal field in the Republic of Korea

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile and coccoid methanotroph, strain IM1^T, was isolated from hot spring soil. Cells of strain IM1^T were catalase-negative, oxidase-positive and displayed a characteristic intracytoplasmic membrane arrangement of type I methanotrophs. The strain possessed genes encoding both membrane-bound and soluble methane monooxygenases and grew only on methane or methanol. The strain was capable of growth at temperatures between 15 and 48 °C (optimum, 30-45 °C) and pH values between pH 4.8 and 8.2 (optimum, pH 6.2-7.0). Based on phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene and PmoA sequences, strain IM1^T was demonstrated to be affiliated to the genus Methylococcus. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of this strain was most closely related to the sequences of an uncultured bacterium clone FD09 (100 %) and a partially described cultured Methylococcus sp. GDS2.4 (99.78 %). The most closely related taxonomically described strains were Methylococcus capsulatus Texas^T (97.92 %), Methylococcus capsulatus Bath (97.86 %) and Methyloterricola oryzae 73a^T (94.21 %). Strain IM1^T shared average nucleotide identity values of 85.93 and 85.62 % with Methylococcus capsulatus strains Texas^T and Bath, respectively. The digital DNA-DNA hybridization value with the closest type strain was 29.90 %. The DNA G+C content of strain IM1^T was 63.3 mol% and the major cellular fatty acids were C_16 : 0 (39.0 %), C_16 : 1  ω7c (24.0 %), C_16 : 1  ω6c (13.6 %) and C_16 : 1  ω5c (12.0 %). The major ubiquinone was methylene-ubiquinone-8. On the basis of phenotypic, genetic and phylogenetic data, strain IM1^T represents a novel species of the genus Methylococcus for which the name Methylococcus geothermalis sp. nov. is proposed, with strain IM1^T (=JCM 33941^T=KCTC 72677^T) as the type strain.

Investigation of microbial community interactions between Lake Washington methanotrophs using -------genome-scale metabolic modeling

Background

The role of methane in global warming has become paramount to the environment and the human society, especially in the past few decades. Methane cycling microbial communities play an important role in the global methane cycle, which is why the characterization of these communities is critical to understand and manipulate their behavior. Methanotrophs are a major player in these communities and are able to oxidize methane as their primary carbon source.

Results

Lake Washington is a freshwater lake characterized by a methane-oxygen countergradient that contains a methane cycling microbial community. Methanotrophs are a major part of this community involved in assimilating methane from lake water. Two significant methanotrophic species in this community are Methylobacter and Methylomonas. In this work, these methanotrophs are computationally studied via developing highly curated genome-scale metabolic models. Each model was then integrated to form a community model with a multi-level optimization framework. The competitive and mutualistic metabolic interactions among Methylobacter and Methylomonas were also characterized. The community model was next tested under carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen limited conditions in addition to a nutrient-rich condition to observe the systematic shifts in the internal metabolic pathways and extracellular metabolite exchanges. Each condition showed variations in the methane oxidation pathway, pyruvate metabolism, and the TCA cycle as well as the excretion of formaldehyde and carbon di-oxide in the community. Finally, the community model was simulated under fixed ratios of these two members to reflect the opposing behavior in the two-member synthetic community and in sediment-incubated communities. The community simulations predicted a noticeable switch in intracellular carbon metabolism and formaldehyde transfer between community members in sediment-incubated vs. synthetic condition.

Conclusion

In this work, we attempted to predict the response of a simplified methane cycling microbial community from Lake Washington to varying environments and also provide an insight into the difference of dynamics in sediment-incubated microcosm community and synthetic co-cultures. Overall, this study lays the ground for in silico systems-level studies of freshwater lake ecosystems, which can drive future efforts of understanding, engineering, and modifying these communities for dealing with global warming issues.

Functional structures of soil microbial community relate to contrasting N2O emission patterns from a highly acidified forest

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) is an important greenhouse gas contributing to global climate change. Emissions of N₂O from acidic forests are increasing rapidly; however, little is known about the mechanisms driving these emissions. We analyzed soil samples from a high N₂O emission area (HEA, 224-601 μg N m^-2 h^-1) and an adjacent low emission area (LEA, 20-30 μg N m^-2 h^-1) of a highly acidified forest. HEA showed similar carbon and nitrogen (N) pools and microbial biomass to LEA, but significantly higher moisture and extractable nutrients than LEA did. GeoChip 4 detected 298 gene families (unadjusted P < 0.05; 94, adjusted P < 0.05) showing significantly different structures between HEA and LEA. Both areas had highly diverse N cycling functional genes. However, HEA had higher relative abundances of nor, P450nor, and archaeal nitrifier nirK, which provided evidence for the importance of denitrifiers in N₂O emission. HEA also showed significantly higher relative abundances of lignin- and cellulose-degrading genes, oxygen-limitation-response genes and denitrifier ppk, but lower abundances of N- and phosphorus (P) -limitation-response genes especially denitrifier pstS, corresponding to the higher moisture and extractable nutrients conducive to denitrification. The moisture, extractable nutrients and pH explained over 50% variation in microbial communities, and extractable P appeared as the key factor driving community variation and consequently regulated N₂O production. CAPSULE ABSTRACT: N₂O emission in highly acidified forest soils was related to the diverse N functional genes, especially denitrification genes, and was affected by soil properties.

Methane oxidation in anoxic lake water stimulated by nitrate and sulfate addition

Methanotrophic bacteria play a key role in limiting methane emissions from lakes. It is generally assumed that methanotrophic bacteria are mostly active at the oxic-anoxic transition zone in stratified lakes, where they use oxygen to oxidize methane. Here, we describe a methanotroph of the genera Methylobacter that is performing high-rate (up to 72 μM day-1 ) methane oxidation in the anoxic hypolimnion of the temperate Lacamas Lake (Washington, USA), stimulated by both nitrate and sulfate addition. Oxic and anoxic incubations both showed active methane oxidation by a Methylobacter species, with anoxic rates being threefold higher. In anoxic incubations, Methylobacter cell numbers increased almost two orders of magnitude within 3 days, suggesting that this specific Methylobacter species is a facultative anaerobe with a rapid response capability. Genomic analysis revealed adaptations to oxygen-limitation as well as pathways for mixed-acid fermentation and H2 production. The denitrification pathway was incomplete, lacking the genes narG/napA and nosZ, allowing only for methane oxidation coupled to nitrite-reduction. Our data suggest that Methylobacter can be an important driver of the conversion of methane in oxygen-limited lake systems and potentially use alternative electron acceptors or fermentation to remain active under oxygen-depleted conditions.

Effect of temperature on methane oxidation and community composition in landfill cover soil

Municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills are the third largest anthropogenic source of methane (CH₄) emissions in the United States. The majority of CH₄ generated in landfills is converted to carbon dioxide (CO₂) by CH₄-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) present in the landfill cover soil, whose activity is controlled by various environmental factors including temperature. As landfill temperature can fluctuate substantially seasonally, rates of CH₄ oxidation can also vary, and this could lead to incomplete oxidation. This study aims at analyzing the effect of temperature on CH₄ oxidation potential and microbial community structure of methanotrophs in laboratory-based studies of landfill cover soil and cultivated consortia. Soil and enrichment cultures were incubated at temperatures ranging from 6 to 70 °C, and rates of CH₄ oxidation were measured, and the microbial community structure was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and shotgun metagenome sequencing. CH₄ oxidation occurred at temperatures from 6 to 50 °C in soil microcosm tests, and 6-40 °C in enrichment culture batch tests; maximum rates of oxidation were obtained at 30 °C. A corresponding shift in the soil microbiota was observed, with a transition from putative psychrophilic to thermophilic methanotrophs with increasing incubation temperature. A strong shift in methanotrophic community structure was observed above 30 °C. At temperatures up to 30 °C, methanotrophs from the genus Methylobacter were dominant in soils and enrichment cultures; at a temperature of 40 °C, putative thermophilic methanotrophs from the genus Methylocaldum become dominant. Maximum rate measurements of nearly 195 μg CH₄ g^-1 day^-1 were observed in soil incubations, while observed maximum rates in enrichments were significantly lower, likely as a result of diffusion limitations. This study demonstrates that temperature is a critical factor affecting rates of landfill soil CH₄ oxidation in vitro and that changing rates of CH₄ oxidation are in part driven by changes in methylotroph community structure.