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Selden CR, LaBrie R, Ganley LC, Crocker DR, Peleg O, Perry DC, Reich HG, Sasaki M, Thibodeau PS, Isanta-Navarro J. Is our understanding of aquatic ecosystems sufficient to quantify ecologically driven climate feedbacks? GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17351. [PMID: 38837306 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
The Earth functions as an integrated system-its current habitability to complex life is an emergent property dependent on interactions among biological, chemical, and physical components. As global warming affects ecosystem structure and function, so too will the biosphere affect climate by altering atmospheric gas composition and planetary albedo. Constraining these ecosystem-climate feedbacks is essential to accurately predict future change and develop mitigation strategies; however, the interplay among ecosystem processes complicates the assessment of their impact. Here, we explore the state-of-knowledge on how ecological and biological processes (e.g., competition, trophic interactions, metabolism, and adaptation) affect the directionality and magnitude of feedbacks between ecosystems and climate, using illustrative examples from the aquatic sphere. We argue that, despite ample evidence for the likely significance of many, our present understanding of the combinatorial effects of ecosystem dynamics precludes the robust quantification of most ecologically driven climate feedbacks. Constraining these effects must be prioritized within the ecological sciences for only by studying the biosphere as both subject and arbiter of global climate can we develop a sufficiently holistic view of the Earth system to accurately predict Earth's future and unravel its past.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corday R Selden
- Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Richard LaBrie
- Interdisciplinary Environmental Research Centre, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Freiberg, Germany
| | - Laura C Ganley
- Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, New England Aquarium, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Daniel R Crocker
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ohad Peleg
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Danielle C Perry
- Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Hannah G Reich
- Department of Biological Sciences, Biological Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Matthew Sasaki
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, Mansfield, Connecticut, USA
| | - Patricia S Thibodeau
- School of Marine and Environmental Programs, University of New England, Biddeford, Maine, USA
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2
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Alsante A, Thornton DCO, Brooks SD. Effect of Aggregation and Molecular Size on the Ice Nucleation Efficiency of Proteins. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:4594-4605. [PMID: 38408303 PMCID: PMC10938890 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c06835] [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: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Aerosol acts as ice-nucleating particles (INPs) by catalyzing the formation of ice crystals in clouds at temperatures above the homogeneous nucleation threshold (-38 °C). In this study, we show that the immersion mode ice nucleation efficiency of the environmentally relevant protein, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO), occurs at temperatures between -6.8 and -31.6 °C. Further, we suggest that this range is controlled by the RuBisCO concentration and protein aggregation. The warmest median nucleation temperature (-7.9 ± 0.8 °C) was associated with the highest concentration of RuBisCO (2 × 10-1 mg mL-1) and large aggregates with a hydrodynamic diameter of ∼103 nm. We investigated four additional chemically and structurally diverse proteins, plus the tripeptide glutathione, and found that each of them was a less effective INP than RuBisCO. Ice nucleation efficiency of the proteins was independent of the size (molecular weight) for the five proteins investigated in this study. In contrast to previous work, increasing the concentration and degree of aggregation did not universally increase ice nucleation efficiency. RuBisCO was the exception to this generalization, although the underlying molecular mechanism determining why aggregated RuBisCO is such an effective INP remains elusive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa
N. Alsante
- Department
of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Daniel C. O. Thornton
- Department
of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Sarah D. Brooks
- Department
of Atmospheric Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
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3
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Gollnisch R, Ahrén D, Rengefors K. Single-cell genomics of a bloom-forming phytoplankton species reveals population genetic structure across continents. THE ISME JOURNAL 2024; 18:wrae045. [PMID: 38489771 PMCID: PMC11065318 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae045] [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: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
The study of microbial diversity over time and space is fundamental to the understanding of their ecology and evolution. The underlying processes driving these patterns are not fully resolved but can be studied using population genetic approaches. Here we investigated the population genetic structure of Gonyostomum semen, a bloom-forming phytoplankton species, across two continents. The species appears to be expanding in Europe, whereas similar trends are not observed in the USA. Our aim was to investigate if populations of Gonyostomum semen in Europe and in the USA are genetically differentiated, if there is population genetic structure within the continents, and what the potential drivers of differentiation are. To this end, we used a novel method based on single-amplified genomes combined with Restriction-site Associated DNA sequencing that allows de novo genotyping of natural single-cell isolates without the need for culturing. We amplified over 900 single-cell genomes from 25 lake populations across Europe and the USA and identified two distinct population clusters, one in Europe and another in the USA. Low genetic diversity in European populations supports the hypothesized recent expansion of Gonyostomum semen on this continent. Geographic population structure within each continent was associated with differences in environmental variables that may have led to ecological divergence of population clusters. Overall, our results show that single-amplified genomes combined with Restriction-site Associated DNA sequencing can be used to analyze microalgal population structure and differentiation based on single-cell isolates from natural, uncultured samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphael Gollnisch
- Department of Biology, Aquatic Ecology, Lund University, 22362 Lund, Sweden
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3AN, UK
| | - Dag Ahrén
- National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden (NBIS), SciLifeLab, Department of Biology, Lund University, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Karin Rengefors
- Department of Biology, Aquatic Ecology, Lund University, 22362 Lund, Sweden
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4
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Noirmain F, Baray JL, Deguillaume L, Van Baelen J, Latour D. Exploring the size-dependent dynamics of photosynthetic cells in rainwater: The influence of atmospheric variables and rain characteristics. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 906:167746. [PMID: 37827319 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167746] [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: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
The presence of microalgae in the atmosphere raises health and environmental concerns. Despite recent scientific advances, our knowledge of the origins and dynamics of photosynthetic cells in relation to atmospheric processes is limited due to a lack of empirical data. To address this gap, we conducted a one-year survey, collecting and analyzing rainwater samples. This study proposes to investigate the temporal dynamics of photosynthetic cells based on their size in combination with a unique dataset of variables of interest: type of rain and its characteristics, local meteorology, concentrations of inorganic chemical species, and long-range air mass transport. The analysis of the biochemical composition of rainwater, along with its correlation with the origin of air masses using ions as tracers, provides evidence of the long-range transport of photosynthetic cells. Additionally, our study reveals distinct removal mechanisms from the atmosphere for photosynthetic cells depending on their size. Our results suggest that convective events with high-intensity rainfall led to the efficient removal of medium-sized photosynthetic cells (4-15 μm) from the atmosphere. However, removal mechanisms for small (<4 μm) and large-sized cells (>15 μm) are not influenced by microphysical rainfall characteristics and seem to be governed by different atmospheric processes: dry deposition is proposed to be a significant mechanism for the removal of large-sized photosynthetic cells, while small-sized cells detected in rain are correlated with the horizontal wind speed and duration of rainfall, particularly during stratiform events. This implies that the removal of photosynthetic cells from the atmosphere is strongly influenced by environmental variables, which are expected to vary in response to global change. Therefore, it is crucial to enhance the monitoring of photosynthetic cells in relation to atmospheric processes and investigate the potential impact of the dissemination of genetic material from distant sources on recipient ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Noirmain
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Laboratoire Microorganismes: Genome, Environnement (LMGE), UMR6023, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
| | - Jean-Luc Baray
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Laboratoire de Météorologie Physique (LaMP), UMR6016, Clermont-Ferrand, France; Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Observatoire de Physique du Globe de Clermont Ferrand (OPGC), UAR833, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Laurent Deguillaume
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Laboratoire de Météorologie Physique (LaMP), UMR6016, Clermont-Ferrand, France; Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Observatoire de Physique du Globe de Clermont Ferrand (OPGC), UAR833, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Joël Van Baelen
- Université de La Réunion, CNRS, Météo-France, Laboratoire de l'Atmosphère et des Cyclones (LACy), UMR8105, St Denis de la Réunion, France
| | - Delphine Latour
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Laboratoire Microorganismes: Genome, Environnement (LMGE), UMR6023, Clermont-Ferrand, France
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5
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Žilka M, Tropeková M, Zahradníková E, Kováčik Ľ, Ščevková J. Temporal variation in the spectrum and concentration of airborne microalgae and cyanobacteria in the urban environments of inland temperate climate. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:97616-97628. [PMID: 37594706 PMCID: PMC10495494 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-29341-8] [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: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Despite their non-negligible representation among the airborne bioparticles and known allergenicity, autotrophic microorganisms-microalgae and cyanobacteria-are not commonly reported or studied by aerobiological monitoring stations due to the challenging identification in their desiccated and fragmented state. Using a gravimetric method with open plates at the same time as Hirst-type volumetric bioparticle sampler, we were able to cultivate the autotrophic microorganisms and use it as a reference for correct retrospective identification of the microalgae and cyanobacteria captured by the volumetric trap. Only in this way, reliable data on their presence in the air of a given area can be obtained and analysed with regard to their temporal variation and environmental factors. We gained these data for an inland temperate region over 3 years (2018, 2020-2021), identifying the microalgal genera Bracteacoccus, Desmococcus, Geminella, Chlorella, Klebsormidium, and Stichococcus (Chlorophyta) and cyanobacterium Nostoc in the volumetric trap samples and three more in the cultivated samples. The mean annual concentration recorded over 3 years was 19,182 cells*day/m3, with the greatest contribution from the genus Bracteacoccus (57%). Unlike some other bioparticles like pollen grains, autotrophic microorganisms were present in the samples over the course of the whole year, with greatest abundance in February and April. The peak daily concentration reached the highest value (1011 cells/m3) in 2021, while the mean daily concentration during the three analysed years was 56 cells/m3. The analysis of intra-diurnal patterns showed their increased presence in daylight hours, with a peak between 2 and 4 p.m. for most genera, which is especially important due to their potential to trigger allergy symptoms. From the environmental factors, wind speed had a most significant positive association with their concentration, while relative air humidity had a negative influence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matúš Žilka
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Révová 39, 811 02, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Mária Tropeková
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Révová 39, 811 02, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Eva Zahradníková
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Révová 39, 811 02, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ľubomír Kováčik
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Révová 39, 811 02, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jana Ščevková
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Révová 39, 811 02, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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Tesson SVM, Barbato M, Rosati B. Aerosolization flux, bio-products, and dispersal capacities in the freshwater microalga Limnomonas gaiensis (Chlorophyceae). Commun Biol 2023; 6:809. [PMID: 37537210 PMCID: PMC10400582 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05183-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Little is known on the spreading capacities of Limnomonas gaiensis across freshwater lakes in Northern Europe. In this study, we show that the species could successfully be aerosolized from water sources by bubble bursting (2-40 particles.cm-3), irrespectively of its density in the water source or of the jet velocity used to simulate wave breaking. The species viability was impacted by both water turbulences and aerosolization. The survival rate of emitted cells was low, strain-specific, and differently impacted by bubble busting processes. The entity "microalga and bionts" could produce ethanol, and actively nucleate ice (principally ≤-18 °C) mediated soluble ice nucleation active proteins, thereby potentially impacting smog and cloud formation. Moreover, smallest strains could better cope with applied stressors. Survival to short-term exposure to temperatures down to -21 °C and freezing events further suggest that L. gaiensis could be air dispersed and contribute to their deposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvie V M Tesson
- Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
- Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - Marta Barbato
- Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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7
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Rybalka N, Blanke M, Tzvetkova A, Noll A, Roos C, Boy J, Boy D, Nimptsch D, Godoy R, Friedl T. Unrecognized diversity and distribution of soil algae from Maritime Antarctica (Fildes Peninsula, King George Island). Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1118747. [PMID: 37434717 PMCID: PMC10332270 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1118747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Eukaryotic algae in the top few centimeters of fellfield soils of ice-free Maritime Antarctica have many important effects on their habitat, such as being significant drivers of organic matter input into the soils and reducing the impact of wind erosion by soil aggregate formation. To better understand the diversity and distribution of Antarctic terrestrial algae, we performed a pilot study on the surface soils of Meseta, an ice-free plateau mountain crest of Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, being hardly influenced by the marine realm and anthropogenic disturbances. It is openly exposed to microbial colonization from outside Antarctica and connected to the much harsher and dryer ice-free zones of the continental Antarctic. A temperate reference site under mild land use, SchF, was included to further test for the Meseta algae distribution in a contrasting environment. Methods We employed a paired-end metabarcoding analysis based on amplicons of the highly variable nuclear-encoded ITS2 rDNA region, complemented by a clone library approach. It targeted the four algal classes, Chlorophyceae, Trebouxiophyceae, Ulvophyceae, and Xanthophyceae, representing key groups of cold-adapted soil algae. Results A surprisingly high diversity of 830 algal OTUs was revealed, assigned to 58 genera in the four targeted algal classes. Members of the green algal class Trebouxiophyceae predominated in the soil algae communities. The major part of the algal biodiversity, 86.1% of all algal OTUs, could not be identified at the species level due to insufficient representation in reference sequence databases. The classes Ulvophyceae and Xanthophyceae exhibited the most unknown species diversity. About 9% of the Meseta algae species diversity was shared with that of the temperate reference site in Germany. Discussion In the small portion of algal OTUs for which their distribution could be assessed, the entire ITS2 sequence identity with references shows that the soil algae likely have a wide distribution beyond the Polar regions. They probably originated from soil algae propagule banks in far southern regions, transported by aeolian transport over long distances. The dynamics and severity of environmental conditions at the soil surface, determined by high wind currents, and the soil algae's high adaptability to harsh environmental conditions may account for the high similarity of soil algal communities between the northern and southern parts of the Meseta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nataliya Rybalka
- Department of Experimental Phycology and Culture Collection of Algae (EPSAG), Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Matthias Blanke
- Department of Experimental Phycology and Culture Collection of Algae (EPSAG), Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Bioinformatics, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ana Tzvetkova
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Human Molecular Genetics Group, Department of Functional Genomics, Interfaculty Institute of Genetics and Functional Genomics, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Angela Noll
- Primate Genetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Christian Roos
- Primate Genetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jens Boy
- Institute of Soil Science, Leibniz University, Hanover, Germany
| | - Diana Boy
- Institute of Microbiology, Leibniz University, Hanover, Germany
| | - Daniel Nimptsch
- Department of Experimental Phycology and Culture Collection of Algae (EPSAG), Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Roberto Godoy
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Thomas Friedl
- Department of Experimental Phycology and Culture Collection of Algae (EPSAG), Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany
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8
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Jensen LZ, Glasius M, Gryning SE, Massling A, Finster K, Šantl-Temkiv T. Seasonal Variation of the Atmospheric Bacterial Community in the Greenlandic High Arctic Is Influenced by Weather Events and Local and Distant Sources. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:909980. [PMID: 35879956 PMCID: PMC9307761 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.909980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Arctic is a hot spot for climate change with potentially large consequences on a global scale. Aerosols, including bioaerosols, are important players in regulating the heat balance through direct interaction with sunlight and indirectly, through inducing cloud formation. Airborne bacteria are the major bioaerosols with some species producing the most potent ice nucleating compounds known, which are implicated in the formation of ice in clouds. Little is known about the numbers and dynamics of airborne bacteria in the Arctic and even less about their seasonal variability. We collected aerosol samples and wet deposition samples in spring 2015 and summer 2016, at the Villum Research Station in Northeast Greenland. We used amplicon sequencing and qPCR targeting the 16S rRNA genes to assess the quantities and composition of the DNA and cDNA-level bacterial community. We found a clear seasonal variation in the atmospheric bacterial community, which is likely due to variable sources and meteorology. In early spring, the atmospheric bacterial community was dominated by taxa originating from temperate and Subarctic regions and arriving at the sampling site through long-range transport. We observed an efficient washout of the aerosolized bacterial cells during a snowstorm, which was followed by very low concentrations of bacteria in the atmosphere during the consecutive 4 weeks. We suggest that this is because in late spring, the long-range transport ceased, and the local sources which comprised only of ice and snow surfaces were weak resulting in low bacterial concentrations. This was supported by observed changes in the chemical composition of aerosols. In summer, the air bacterial community was confined to local sources such as soil, plant material and melting sea-ice. Aerosolized and deposited Cyanobacteria in spring had a high activity potential, implying their activity in the atmosphere or in surface snow. Overall, we show how the composition of bacterial aerosols in the high Arctic varies on a seasonal scale, identify their potential sources, demonstrate how their community sizes varies in time, investigate their diversity and determine their activity potential during and post Arctic haze.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lasse Z. Jensen
- Section for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- iCLIMATE Aarhus University Interdisciplinary Centre for Climate Change, Roskilde, Denmark
| | | | - Sven-Erik Gryning
- DTU Wind and Energy Systems, Technical University of Denmark, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Andreas Massling
- iCLIMATE Aarhus University Interdisciplinary Centre for Climate Change, Roskilde, Denmark
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Kai Finster
- Section for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Tina Šantl-Temkiv
- Section for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- iCLIMATE Aarhus University Interdisciplinary Centre for Climate Change, Roskilde, Denmark
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- *Correspondence: Tina Šantl-Temkiv,
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9
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Maltz MR, Carey CJ, Freund HL, Botthoff JK, Hart SC, Stajich JE, Aarons SM, Aciego SM, Blakowski M, Dove NC, Barnes ME, Pombubpa N, Aronson EL. Landscape Topography and Regional Drought Alters Dust Microbiomes in the Sierra Nevada of California. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:856454. [PMID: 35836417 PMCID: PMC9274194 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.856454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Dust provides an ecologically significant input of nutrients, especially in slowly eroding ecosystems where chemical weathering intensity limits nutrient inputs from underlying bedrock. In addition to nutrient inputs, incoming dust is a vector for dispersing dust-associated microorganisms. While little is known about dust-microbial dispersal, dust deposits may have transformative effects on ecosystems far from where the dust was emitted. Using molecular analyses, we examined spatiotemporal variation in incoming dust microbiomes along an elevational gradient within the Sierra Nevada of California. We sampled throughout two dry seasons and found that dust microbiomes differed by elevation across two summer dry seasons (2014 and 2015), which corresponded to competing droughts in dust source areas. Dust microbial taxa richness decreased with elevation and was inversely proportional to dust heterogeneity. Likewise, dust phosphorus content increased with elevation. At lower elevations, early season dust microbiomes were more diverse than those found later in the year. The relative abundances of microbial groups shifted during the summer dry season. Furthermore, mutualistic fungal diversity increased with elevation, which may have corresponded with the biogeography of their plant hosts. Although dust fungal pathogen diversity was equivalent across elevations, elevation and sampling month interactions for the relative abundance, diversity, and richness of fungal pathogens suggest that these pathogens differed temporally across elevations, with potential implications for humans and wildlife. This study shows that landscape topography and droughts in source locations may alter the composition and diversity of ecologically relevant dust-associated microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mia R. Maltz
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
- Center for Conservation Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
- BREATHE Center, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Chelsea J. Carey
- Point Blue Conservation Sciences, Petaluma, CA, United States
- Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics Program, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Hannah L. Freund
- Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics Program, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Jon K. Botthoff
- Center for Conservation Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Stephen C. Hart
- Sierra Nevada Research Institute, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, United States
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, United States
| | - Jason E. Stajich
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
- Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics Program, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Sarah M. Aarons
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Sarah M. Aciego
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, United States
- Noctilucent Aviation, Bridgeport, TX, United States
| | - Molly Blakowski
- Department of Watershed Science, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United States
| | - Nicholas C. Dove
- Sierra Nevada Research Institute, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, United States
- Environmental Systems Graduate Group, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, United States
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - Morgan E. Barnes
- Sierra Nevada Research Institute, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, United States
- Environmental Systems Graduate Group, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, United States
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Biological Sciences, Richland, WA, United States
| | - Nuttapon Pombubpa
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Emma L. Aronson
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
- Center for Conservation Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
- BREATHE Center, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
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10
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Hartmann S, Ling M, Dreyer LSA, Zipori A, Finster K, Grawe S, Jensen LZ, Borck S, Reicher N, Drace T, Niedermeier D, Jones NC, Hoffmann SV, Wex H, Rudich Y, Boesen T, Šantl-Temkiv T. Structure and Protein-Protein Interactions of Ice Nucleation Proteins Drive Their Activity. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:872306. [PMID: 35783412 PMCID: PMC9247515 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.872306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbially-produced ice nucleating proteins (INpro) are unique molecular structures with the highest known catalytic efficiency for ice formation. Airborne microorganisms utilize these proteins to enhance their survival by reducing their atmospheric residence times. INpro also have critical environmental effects including impacts on the atmospheric water cycle, through their role in cloud and precipitation formation, as well as frost damage on crops. INpro are ubiquitously present in the atmosphere where they are emitted from diverse terrestrial and marine environments. Even though bacterial genes encoding INpro have been discovered and sequenced decades ago, the details of how the INpro molecular structure and oligomerization foster their unique ice-nucleation activity remain elusive. Using machine-learning based software AlphaFold 2 and trRosetta, we obtained and analysed the first ab initio structural models of full length and truncated versions of bacterial INpro. The modeling revealed a novel beta-helix structure of the INpro central repeat domain responsible for ice nucleation activity. This domain consists of repeated stacks of two beta strands connected by two sharp turns. One beta-strand is decorated with a TxT amino acid sequence motif and the other strand has an SxL[T/I] motif. The core formed between the stacked beta helix-pairs is unusually polar and very distinct from previous INpro models. Using synchrotron radiation circular dichroism, we validated the β-strand content of the central repeat domain in the model. Combining the structural model with functional studies of purified recombinant INpro, electron microscopy and modeling, we further demonstrate that the formation of dimers and higher-order oligomers is key to INpro activity. Using computational docking of the new INpro model based on rigid-body algorithms we could reproduce a previously proposed homodimer structure of the INpro CRD with an interface along a highly conserved tyrosine ladder and show that the dimer model agrees with our functional data. The parallel dimer structure creates a surface where the TxT motif of one monomer aligns with the SxL[T/I] motif of the other monomer widening the surface that interacts with water molecules and therefore enhancing the ice nucleation activity. This work presents a major advance in understanding the molecular foundation for bacterial ice-nucleation activity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Meilee Ling
- Department of Biology, Microbiology Section, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Section for Protein Science, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Lasse S. A. Dreyer
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Section for Protein Science, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Assaf Zipori
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Kai Finster
- Department of Biology, Microbiology Section, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Sarah Grawe
- Institute for Tropospheric Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lasse Z. Jensen
- Department of Biology, Microbiology Section, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Section for Protein Science, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Stella Borck
- Department of Biology, Microbiology Section, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Section for Protein Science, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Naama Reicher
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Taner Drace
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Section for Protein Science, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Nykola C. Jones
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Institute for Storage Ring Facilities, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Søren V. Hoffmann
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Institute for Storage Ring Facilities, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Heike Wex
- Institute for Tropospheric Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Yinon Rudich
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Thomas Boesen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Section for Protein Science, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center and Center for Electromicrobiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Thomas Boesen,
| | - Tina Šantl-Temkiv
- Department of Biology, Microbiology Section, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- *Correspondence: Tina Šantl-Temkiv,
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11
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Wiśniewska KA, Śliwińska-Wilczewska S, Lewandowska AU. Airborne microalgal and cyanobacterial diversity and composition during rain events in the southern Baltic Sea region. Sci Rep 2022; 12:2029. [PMID: 35132131 PMCID: PMC8821709 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-06107-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Airborne cyanobacteria and microalgae are commonly found in the atmosphere and may pose a serious human health risk. This study presents an innovative investigation of the washout efficiency of airborne cyanobacteria and microalgae in the Gulf of Gdańsk (southern Baltic Sea). For the first time, the number and type of cyanobacteria and microalgae were determined in rainwater samples and in air before and after rainfall events. The number of cyanobacteria and microalgae cells in the rainwater samples ranged, depending on, e.g., weather conditions, from 100 cells L-1 to 342.2 × 103 cells L-1. Several harmful taxa, such as Chlorococcum sp., Oocystis sp., Anabaena sp., Leptolyngbya sp., Nodularia sp., Pseudanabaena sp., Synechococcus sp., Synechocystis sp., and Gymnodinium sp., were noted in our study. Washing out by rain is extremely relevant to human health and decreases the chance that people inhale these species and their toxic metabolic products. The greatest diversity of airborne microalgae and cyanobacteria was recorded in July 2019, despite this being the period with the lowest number of cells in rainwater samples. Research conducted in the southern Baltic Sea region confirmed the relationship between the occurrence of cyanobacteria and microalgae in the air and blooms in the sea. It is worth emphasizing that the number of microalgae and cyanobacteria cells decreased by up to 87% after a rainfall event relative to that before the rainfall event. The obtained results significantly increase the level of knowledge about cyanobacteria and microalgae present in the air. By demonstrating the washout efficiencies of cyanobacteria and microalgae, the results indicate the potential of individual taxa to be removed from the atmosphere with rainfall. The findings of this study are helpful for further research on airborne microorganisms and air quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kinga A Wiśniewska
- Division of Marine Chemistry and Environmental Protection, Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdańsk, Av. M. Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378, Gdynia, Poland
| | - Sylwia Śliwińska-Wilczewska
- Division of Marine Ecosystems Functioning, Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdańsk, Al. M. Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378, Gdynia, Poland.
| | - Anita U Lewandowska
- Division of Marine Chemistry and Environmental Protection, Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdańsk, Av. M. Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378, Gdynia, Poland
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12
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Alsante AN, Thornton DCO, Brooks SD. Ocean Aerobiology. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:764178. [PMID: 34777320 PMCID: PMC8586456 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.764178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Ocean aerobiology is defined here as the study of biological particles of marine origin, including living organisms, present in the atmosphere and their role in ecological, biogeochemical, and climate processes. Hundreds of trillions of microorganisms are exchanged between ocean and atmosphere daily. Within a few days, tropospheric transport potentially disperses microorganisms over continents and between oceans. There is a need to better identify and quantify marine aerobiota, characterize the time spans and distances of marine microorganisms’ atmospheric transport, and determine whether microorganisms acclimate to atmospheric conditions and remain viable, or even grow. Exploring the atmosphere as a microbial habitat is fundamental for understanding the consequences of dispersal and will expand our knowledge of biodiversity, biogeography, and ecosystem connectivity across different marine environments. Marine organic matter is chemically transformed in the atmosphere, including remineralization back to CO2. The magnitude of these transformations is insignificant in the context of the annual marine carbon cycle, but may be a significant sink for marine recalcitrant organic matter over long (∼104 years) timescales. In addition, organic matter in sea spray aerosol plays a significant role in the Earth’s radiative budget by scattering solar radiation, and indirectly by affecting cloud properties. Marine organic matter is generally a poor source of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), but a significant source of ice nucleating particles (INPs), affecting the formation of mixed-phase and ice clouds. This review will show that marine biogenic aerosol plays an impactful, but poorly constrained, role in marine ecosystems, biogeochemical processes, and the Earth’s climate system. Further work is needed to characterize the connectivity and feedbacks between the atmosphere and ocean ecosystems in order to integrate this complexity into Earth System models, facilitating future climate and biogeochemical predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa N Alsante
- Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Daniel C O Thornton
- Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Sarah D Brooks
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
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13
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Genitsaris S, Stefanidou N, Beeri-Shlevin Y, Viner-Mozzini Y, Moustaka-Gouni M, Ninio S, Sukenik A. Air-dispersed aquatic microorganisms show establishment and growth preferences in different freshwater colonisation habitats. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2021; 97:6356561. [PMID: 34424315 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiab122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We attempted to mimic aeolian ecosystems to examine how filters posed by regional characteristics can influence the establishment and growth of airborne microcolonisers of a common air source. Using a natural single source of aerosols we applied a combined microscopy and high-throughput sequencing approach to examine the diversity, settling and growth potential of air-dispersed microbes in water containers representing newly formed aquatic colonisation habitats of different trophic states and salinity. Heterotrophic microeukaryotes were favoured as initial settlers when nutrients were low, while autotrophs rapidly proliferated in the high-nutrient containers, possibly due to favourable germinating conditions for their preferred mode of dispersal with resting spores. Following settling of colonisers, we investigated two contrasting hypotheses: if the different water colonisation habitats harboured the same microbial communities after establishment and growth periods, this would point towards a selection of best-fit cosmopolitan colonisers, regardless of habitat-specific characteristics. Alternatively, community dissimilarities after the growth period would suggest a selection of settlers due to bottom-up controls combined with priority effects. Both analyses suggested that the structure of the microbial communities in the different colonisation habitats were driven by nutrient content and salinity, showing clustering to similar bottom-up forces and dissimilarities in significantly different colonisation habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savvas Genitsaris
- Section of Ecology and Taxonomy, School of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Zografou Campus, 15784 Athens, Greece.,Department of Botany, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Natassa Stefanidou
- Department of Botany, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Yaron Beeri-Shlevin
- The Yigal Allon Kinneret Limnological Laboratory, Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, Migdal 14950, Israel
| | - Yehudit Viner-Mozzini
- The Yigal Allon Kinneret Limnological Laboratory, Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, Migdal 14950, Israel
| | - Maria Moustaka-Gouni
- Department of Botany, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Shira Ninio
- The Yigal Allon Kinneret Limnological Laboratory, Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, Migdal 14950, Israel
| | - Assaf Sukenik
- The Yigal Allon Kinneret Limnological Laboratory, Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, Migdal 14950, Israel
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14
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Xi Y, Mercier A, Kuang C, Yun J, Christy A, Melo L, Maldonado MT, Raymond JA, Bertram AK. Concentrations and properties of ice nucleating substances in exudates from Antarctic sea-ice diatoms. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2021; 23:323-334. [PMID: 33464270 DOI: 10.1039/d0em00398k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The ocean contains ice nucleating substances (INSs), some of which can be emitted to the atmosphere where they can influence the formation and properties of clouds. A possible source of INSs in the ocean is exudates from sea-ice diatoms. Here we examine the concentrations and properties of INSs in supernatant samples from dense sea-ice diatom communities collected from Ross Sea and McMurdo Sound in the Antarctic. The median freezing temperatures of the samples ranged from approximately -17 to -22 °C. Based on our results and a comparison with results reported in the literature, the ice nucleating ability of exudates from sea-ice diatoms is likely not drastically different from the ice nucleating ability of exudates from temperate diatoms. The number of INSs per mass of DOC for the supernatant samples were lower than those reported previously for the sea surface microlayer and bulk sea water collected in the Arctic and Atlantic. The INSs in the supernatant sample collected from Ross Sea were not sensitive to temperatures up to 100 °C, were larger than 300 kDa, and were different from ice shaping and recrystallization inhibiting molecules present in the same sample. Possible candidates for these INSs include polysaccharide containing nanogels. The INSs in the supernatant sample collected from McMurdo Sound were sensitive to temperatures of 80 and 100 °C and were larger than 1000 kDa. Possible candidates for these INSs include protein containing nanogels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Xi
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada.
| | - Alexia Mercier
- Department of Chemistry, Sorbonne University, 4 place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Cheng Kuang
- Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2020 - 2207 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Jingwei Yun
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada.
| | - Ashton Christy
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada.
| | - Luke Melo
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada.
| | - Maria T Maldonado
- Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2020 - 2207 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - James A Raymond
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, 4505 S. Maryland Pkwy., Las Vegas, NV89154, USA
| | - Allan K Bertram
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada.
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15
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The Effect of Abiotic Factors on Abundance and Photosynthetic Performance of Airborne Cyanobacteria and Microalgae Isolated from the Southern Baltic Sea Region. Cells 2021; 10:cells10010103. [PMID: 33429949 PMCID: PMC7826845 DOI: 10.3390/cells10010103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteria and microalgae present in the aquatic or terrestrial environment may be emitted into the air and transported along with air masses over long distances. As a result of staying in the atmosphere, these organisms may develop a greater tolerance to stressful factors, but this topic is still relatively unknown. The main aim was to show an autecological characteristic of some airborne microalgae and cyanobacteria strains by a factorial laboratory experiment approach, including changes in irradiance, temperature, and salinity conditions. The additional purpose of this work was also to present part of the Culture Collection of Baltic Algae (CCBA) collection, which consists of airborne algae (AA) isolated from the atmospheric air of the southern Baltic Sea region. Altogether, 61 strains of airborne cyanobacteria and microalgae from the southern Baltic Sea region were isolated from May 2018 to August 2020. Selected microorganisms were tested in controlled laboratory conditions to identify their response to different irradiance (10–190 µmol photons m−2 s−1), temperature (13–23 °C), and salinity conditions (0–36 PSU). The highest numbers of cells (above 30 × 105 cell mL−1) were recorded for cyanobacterium Nostoc sp., and for diatoms Nitzschia sp., Amphora sp., and Halamphora sp. We found that for cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. as well as for green alga Coccomyxa sp. the maximum cell concentrations were recorded at the salinity of 0 PSU. Moreover, cyanobacteria Planktolyngbya contorta, Pseudanabaena catenata, Leptolyngbya foveolarum, Gloeocapsa sp., and Rivularia sp. were able to grow only at a salinity of 0 PSU. On the other hand, in the range of 16–24 PSU, the highest cell numbers of examined diatoms have been identified. Our research provided that deposited airborne microalgae and cyanobacteria showed full colonization potential. The present experiment suggests that the adaptive abilities of microorganisms, in particular those producing toxins, may contribute to the spread in the future. Thus, it may increase human exposure to their negative health effects. Any distinctive adaptations of the genera give them an additional competitive advantage and a greater chance for territorial expansion.
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16
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Cyanobacteria and Algae in Clouds and Rain in the Area of puy de Dôme, Central France. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 87:AEM.01850-20. [PMID: 33097513 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01850-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The atmosphere contains diverse living microbes, of which the heterotrophic community has been the best studied. Microbes with other trophic modes, such as photoautotrophy, have received much less attention. In this study, culture-independent and dependent methods were used to examine the presence and diversity of oxygenic photoautotrophic microbes in clouds and rain collected at or around puy de Dôme Mountain, central France. Cloud water was collected from the summit of puy de Dôme (1,465 m above sea level [a.s.l.]) for cultivation and metagenomic analysis. Cyanobacteria, diatoms, green algae, and other oxygenic photoautotrophs were found to be recurrent members of clouds, while green algae affiliated with the Chlorellaceae were successfully cultured from three different clouds. Additionally, rain samples were collected below the mountain from Opme meteorological station (680 m a.s.l.). The abundance of chlorophyll a-containing cells and the diversity of cyanobacteria and green algae in rain were assessed by flow cytometry and amplicon sequencing. The corresponding downward flux of chlorophyll a-containing organisms to the ground, entering surface ecosystems with rain, varied with time and was estimated to be between ∼1 and >300 cells cm-2 day-1 during the sampling period. Besides abundant pollen from Pinales and Rosales, cyanobacteria of the Chroococcidiopsidales and green algae of the Trebouxiales were dominant in rain samples. Certain members of these taxa are known to be ubiquitous and stress tolerant and could use the atmosphere for dispersal. Overall, our results indicate that the atmosphere carries diverse, viable oxygenic photoautotrophic microbes and acts as a dispersal vector for this microbial guild.IMPORTANCE Information regarding the diversity and abundance of oxygenic photoautotrophs in the atmosphere is limited. More information from diverse locations is needed. These airborne organisms could have important impacts upon atmospheric processes and on the ecosystems they enter after deposition. Oxygenic photoautotrophic microbes are integral to ecosystem functioning, and some have the potential to affect human health. A better understanding of the diversity and the movements of these aeolian dispersed organisms is needed to understand their ecology, as well as how they could affect ecosystems and human health.
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17
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Mestre M, Höfer J. The Microbial Conveyor Belt: Connecting the Globe through Dispersion and Dormancy. Trends Microbiol 2020; 29:482-492. [PMID: 33281016 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2020.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Despite the recent increase in knowledge concerning microorganisms, the processes determining their global distribution and functioning have not been disentangled. Microbial dormant stages are adapted to endure specific adverse conditions related to their dispersion path, suggesting that dispersion is not entirely a stochastic process. Long-term dormancy enhances microbial dispersion, promoting the ubiquity of microorganisms. The evidence leads us to propose that there is a global, recurrent, and spatially cyclical dispersion of microorganisms that we have called the Microbial Conveyor Belt. These dispersion cycles directly influence the distribution of microorganisms, the global cycling of inorganic and organic matter, and thus the Earth system's functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mireia Mestre
- Centro de Investigación Oceanográfica COPAS Sur-Austral, Departamento de Oceanografía, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile; Centro FONDAP de Investigación Dinámica de Ecosistemas Marinos de Altas Latitudes (IDEAL), Valdivia, Chile.
| | - Juan Höfer
- Centro FONDAP de Investigación Dinámica de Ecosistemas Marinos de Altas Latitudes (IDEAL), Valdivia, Chile; Escuela de Ciencias del Mar, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile; Centro de Investigación y Formación San Ignacio de Huinay, Huinay, Chile.
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18
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Wiśniewska KA, Śliwińska-Wilczewska S, Lewandowska AU. The first characterization of airborne cyanobacteria and microalgae in the Adriatic Sea region. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0238808. [PMID: 32913356 PMCID: PMC7482968 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0238808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The presence of airborne cyanobacteria and microalgae as well as their negative impacts on human health have been documented by many researchers worldwide. However, studies on cyanobacteria and microalgae are few compared with those on bacteria and viruses. Research is especially lacking on the presence and taxonomic composition of cyanobacteria and microalgae near economically important water bodies with much tourism, such as the Adriatic Sea region. Here, we present the first characterization of the airborne cyanobacteria and microalgae in this area. Sampling conducted between 11th and 15th June 2017 revealed a total of 15 taxa of airborne cyanobacteria and microalgae. Inhalation of many of the detected taxa, including Synechocystis sp., Synechococcus sp., Bracteacoccus sp., Chlorella sp., Chlorococcum sp., Stichococcus sp., and Amphora sp., poses potential threats to human health. Aside from two green algae, all identified organisms were capable of producing harmful metabolites, including toxins. Moreover, we documented the presence of the cyanobacterium Snowella sp. and the green alga Tetrastrum sp., taxa that had not been previously documented in the atmosphere by other researchers. Our study shows that the Adriatic Sea region seems to be a productive location for future research on airborne cyanobacteria and microalgae in the context of their impacts on human health, especially during the peak of tourism activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kinga A. Wiśniewska
- Division of Marine Chemistry and Environmental Protection, Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdansk, Gdynia, Pomerania, Poland
- * E-mail:
| | - Sylwia Śliwińska-Wilczewska
- Division of Marine Ecosystems Functioning, Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdansk, Gdynia, Pomerania, Poland
| | - Anita U. Lewandowska
- Division of Marine Chemistry and Environmental Protection, Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdansk, Gdynia, Pomerania, Poland
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Maghembe R, Damian D, Makaranga A, Nyandoro SS, Lyantagaye SL, Kusari S, Hatti-Kaul R. Omics for Bioprospecting and Drug Discovery from Bacteria and Microalgae. Antibiotics (Basel) 2020; 9:antibiotics9050229. [PMID: 32375367 PMCID: PMC7277505 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics9050229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
"Omics" represent a combinatorial approach to high-throughput analysis of biological entities for various purposes. It broadly encompasses genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, lipidomics, and metabolomics. Bacteria and microalgae exhibit a wide range of genetic, biochemical and concomitantly, physiological variations owing to their exposure to biotic and abiotic dynamics in their ecosystem conditions. Consequently, optimal conditions for adequate growth and production of useful bacterial or microalgal metabolites are critically unpredictable. Traditional methods employ microbe isolation and 'blind'-culture optimization with numerous chemical analyses making the bioprospecting process laborious, strenuous, and costly. Advances in the next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have offered a platform for the pan-genomic analysis of microbes from community and strain downstream to the gene level. Changing conditions in nature or laboratory accompany epigenetic modulation, variation in gene expression, and subsequent biochemical profiles defining an organism's inherent metabolic repertoire. Proteome and metabolome analysis could further our understanding of the molecular and biochemical attributes of the microbes under research. This review provides an overview of recent studies that have employed omics as a robust, broad-spectrum approach for screening bacteria and microalgae to exploit their potential as sources of drug leads by focusing on their genomes, secondary metabolite biosynthetic pathway genes, transcriptomes, and metabolomes. We also highlight how recent studies have combined molecular biology with analytical chemistry methods, which further underscore the need for advances in bioinformatics and chemoinformatics as vital instruments in the discovery of novel bacterial and microalgal strains as well as new drug leads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reuben Maghembe
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Dar es Salaam, P.O. Box 25179, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; (R.M.); (D.D.); (S.L.L.)
- Department of Biological and Marine Sciences, Marian University College, P.O. Box 47, Bagamoyo, Tanzania;
- Division of Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, Center for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lund University, Box 124, 22100 Lund, Sweden
| | - Donath Damian
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Dar es Salaam, P.O. Box 25179, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; (R.M.); (D.D.); (S.L.L.)
| | - Abdalah Makaranga
- Department of Biological and Marine Sciences, Marian University College, P.O. Box 47, Bagamoyo, Tanzania;
- International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Omics of Algae Group, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Stephen Samwel Nyandoro
- Chemistry Department, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Dar es Salaam, P.O. Box 35061, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;
| | - Sylvester Leonard Lyantagaye
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Dar es Salaam, P.O. Box 25179, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; (R.M.); (D.D.); (S.L.L.)
- Department of Biochemistry, Mbeya College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Dar es Salaam, P.O. Box 608, Mbeya, Tanzania
| | - Souvik Kusari
- Institute of Environmental Research (INFU), Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Technische Universität Dortmund, Otto-Hahn-Straße 6, 44221 Dortmund, Germany
- Correspondence: (S.K.); (R.H.-K.); Tel.: +49-2317554086 (S.K.); +46-462224840 (R.H.-K.)
| | - Rajni Hatti-Kaul
- Division of Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, Center for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lund University, Box 124, 22100 Lund, Sweden
- Correspondence: (S.K.); (R.H.-K.); Tel.: +49-2317554086 (S.K.); +46-462224840 (R.H.-K.)
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Warren SD, Clair LL, Stark LR, Lewis LA, Pombubpa N, Kurbessoian T, Stajich JE, Aanderud ZT. Reproduction and Dispersal of Biological Soil Crust Organisms. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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Wiśniewska K, Lewandowska AU, Śliwińska-Wilczewska S. The importance of cyanobacteria and microalgae present in aerosols to human health and the environment - Review study. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2019; 131:104964. [PMID: 31351382 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.104964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Airborne microalgae and cyanobacteria are among the least studied organisms in aerobiology. While those of them living in freshwater and seawater are well recognized, those constituting the components of aerosols are rarely the focus of research. However, their presence has been noted by scientists from all over the world. The presence of these organisms is not indifferent to the environment as they participate in the formation of clouds and influence both the hydrological cycle and Earth's climate. Recent studies have concentrated mostly on the negative impact of airborne cyanobacteria and microalgae, as well as the toxic compounds they produce, on human health. This review focuses on measurement results published on those bioaerosols, combining the achievements of scientists from the last century with the latest reports and trends. Within it gaps in current knowledge are discussed, including the role of airborne organisms in the transport of harmful chemicals like PAHs and heavy metals. The current studies on which it is based emphasize the advantages and disadvantages of the measurement methods used in sampling and analysing. It also visualizes, in the form of maps, where research on bioaerosols has so far been conducted, while at the same time determining the share of organisms potentially dangerous to human health. In addition, we have also tried to recommend future research directions for both environmental and laboratory-based studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Wiśniewska
- Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdansk, Division of Marine Chemistry and Environmental Protection, Av. M. Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| | - A U Lewandowska
- Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdansk, Division of Marine Chemistry and Environmental Protection, Av. M. Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland.
| | - S Śliwińska-Wilczewska
- Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdansk, Division of Marine Ecosystems Functioning, Al. M. Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
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Šantl-Temkiv T, Lange R, Beddows D, Rauter U, Pilgaard S, Dall'Osto M, Gunde-Cimerman N, Massling A, Wex H. Biogenic Sources of Ice Nucleating Particles at the High Arctic Site Villum Research Station. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:10580-10590. [PMID: 31094516 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b00991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The radiative balance in the Arctic region is sensitive to in-cloud processes, which principally depend on atmospheric aerosols, including ice nucleating particles (INPs). High temperature INPs (active at ≥-15 °C) are common in the Arctic. While laboratory and limited in situ studies show that the high-temperature active INPs are associated with bioaerosols and biogenic compounds, there is still little quantitative insight into the Arctic biogenic INPs and bioaerosols. We measured concentrations of bioaerosols, bacteria, and biogenic INPs at the Villum Research Station (VRS, Station Nord) in a large number of snow (15) and air (51) samples. We found that INPs active at high subzero temperatures were present both in spring and summer. Air INP concentrations were higher in summer (18 INP m-3 at ≥-10 °C) than in spring (<4 INP m-3 at ≥-10 °C), when abundant INPs were found in snowfall (1.4 INP mL-1 at ≥-10 °C). Also, in summer, a significantly higher number of microbial and bacterial cells were present compared to the spring. A large proportion (60%-100%) of INPs that were active between -6 °C and -20 °C could be deactivated by heating to 100 °C, which was indicative of their predominantly proteinaceous origin. In addition, there was a significant linear regression between the summer air concentrations of INPs active at ≥-10 °C and air concentrations of bacterial-marker-genes (p < 0.0001, R2 = 0.999, n = 6), pointing at bacterial cells as the source of high-temperature active INPs. In conclusion, the majority of INPs was of proteinaceous, and possibly of bacterial, origin and was found in air during summer and in snowfall during springtime.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Šantl-Temkiv
- Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy , Aarhus University , 8000 Aarhus , Denmark
- Department of Bioscience, Microbiology Section , Aarhus University , 116 Ny Munkegad , 8000 Aarhus , Denmark
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Center , Aarhus University , 8000 Aarhus , Denmark
- Department of Environmental Science, iCLIMATE Aarhus University Interdisciplinary Centre for Climate Change , Aarhus University , 4000 Roskilde , Denmark
| | - Robert Lange
- Department of Environmental Science , Aarhus University , 4000 Roskilde , Denmark
| | - David Beddows
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences , University of Birmingham , B15 2TT Birmingham , U.K
| | - Urška Rauter
- Department of Biology , University of Ljubljana , 1000 Ljubljana , Slovenia
| | - Stephanie Pilgaard
- Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy , Aarhus University , 8000 Aarhus , Denmark
- Department of Bioscience, Microbiology Section , Aarhus University , 116 Ny Munkegad , 8000 Aarhus , Denmark
| | - Manuel Dall'Osto
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography , Institute of Marine Sciences , 08003 Barcelona , Spain
| | | | - Andreas Massling
- Department of Environmental Science, iCLIMATE Aarhus University Interdisciplinary Centre for Climate Change , Aarhus University , 4000 Roskilde , Denmark
- Department of Environmental Science , Aarhus University , 4000 Roskilde , Denmark
| | - Heike Wex
- Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research , 04318 Leipzig , Germany
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