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Cubillos CF, Aguilar P, Moreira D, Bertolino P, Iniesto M, Dorador C, López-García P. Exploring the prokaryote-eukaryote interplay in microbial mats from an Andean athalassohaline wetland. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0007224. [PMID: 38456669 PMCID: PMC10986560 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00072-24] [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: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbial community assembly results from the interaction between biotic and abiotic factors. However, environmental selection is thought to predominantly shape communities in extreme ecosystems. Salar de Huasco, situated in the high-altitude Andean Altiplano, represents a poly-extreme ecosystem displaying spatial gradients of physicochemical conditions. To disentangle the influence of abiotic and biotic factors, we studied prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities from microbial mats and underlying sediments across contrasting areas of this athalassohaline ecosystem. The prokaryotic communities were primarily composed of bacteria, notably including a significant proportion of photosynthetic organisms like Cyanobacteria and anoxygenic photosynthetic members of Alpha- and Gammaproteobacteria and Chloroflexi. Additionally, Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia, and Deltaproteobacteria were abundantly represented. Among eukaryotes, photosynthetic organisms (Ochrophyta and Archaeplastida) were predominant, alongside relatively abundant ciliates, cercozoans, and flagellated fungi. Salinity emerged as a key driver for the assembly of prokaryotic communities. Collectively, abiotic factors influenced both prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities, particularly those of algae. However, prokaryotic communities strongly correlated with photosynthetic eukaryotes, suggesting a pivotal role of biotic interactions in shaping these communities. Co-occurrence networks suggested potential interactions between different organisms, such as diatoms with specific photosynthetic and heterotrophic bacteria or with protist predators, indicating influences beyond environmental selection. While some associations may be explained by environmental preferences, the robust biotic correlations, alongside insights from other ecosystems and experimental studies, suggest that symbiotic and trophic interactions significantly shape microbial mat and sediment microbial communities in this athalassohaline ecosystem.IMPORTANCEHow biotic and abiotic factors influence microbial community assembly is still poorly defined. Here, we explore their influence on prokaryotic and eukaryotic community assembly within microbial mats and sediments of an Andean high-altitude polyextreme wetland system. We show that, in addition to abiotic elements, mutual interactions exist between prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities. Notably, photosynthetic eukaryotes exhibit a strong correlation with prokaryotic communities, specifically diatoms with certain bacteria and other protists. Our findings underscore the significance of biotic interactions in community assembly and emphasize the necessity of considering the complete microbial community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina F. Cubillos
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Pablo Aguilar
- Laboratorio de Complejidad Microbiana, Instituto Antofagasta and Centro de Bioingeniería y Biotecnología (CeBiB), Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Recursos Biológicos, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile
- Millennium Nucleus of Austral Invasive Salmonids - INVASAL, Concepción, Chile
| | - David Moreira
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Paola Bertolino
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Miguel Iniesto
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Cristina Dorador
- Laboratorio de Complejidad Microbiana, Instituto Antofagasta and Centro de Bioingeniería y Biotecnología (CeBiB), Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Recursos Biológicos, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile
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Li L, Chen S, Xue X, Chen J, Tian J, Huo L, Zhang T, Zeng X, Su S. Purifying selection drives distinctive arsenic metabolism pathways in prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 4:ycae106. [PMID: 39229495 PMCID: PMC11370035 DOI: 10.1093/ismeco/ycae106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2024] [Revised: 07/22/2024] [Accepted: 08/15/2024] [Indexed: 09/05/2024]
Abstract
Microbes play a crucial role in the arsenic biogeochemical cycle through specific metabolic pathways to adapt to arsenic toxicity. However, the different arsenic-detoxification strategies between prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes are poorly understood. This hampers our comprehension of how microbe-arsenic interactions drive the arsenic cycle and the development of microbial methods for remediation. In this study, we utilized conserved protein domains from 16 arsenic biotransformation genes (ABGs) to search for homologous proteins in 670 microbial genomes. Prokaryotes exhibited a wider species distribution of arsenic reduction- and arsenic efflux-related genes than fungi, whereas arsenic oxidation-related genes were more prevalent in fungi than in prokaryotes. This was supported by significantly higher acr3 (arsenite efflux permease) expression in bacteria (upregulated 3.72-fold) than in fungi (upregulated 1.54-fold) and higher aoxA (arsenite oxidase) expression in fungi (upregulated 5.11-fold) than in bacteria (upregulated 2.05-fold) under arsenite stress. The average values of nonsynonymous substitutions per nonsynonymous site to synonymous substitutions per synonymous site (dN/dS) of homologous ABGs were higher in archaea (0.098) and bacteria (0.124) than in fungi (0.051). Significant negative correlations between the dN/dS of ABGs and species distribution breadth and gene expression levels in archaea, bacteria, and fungi indicated that microbes establish the distinct strength of purifying selection for homologous ABGs. These differences contribute to the distinct arsenic metabolism pathways in prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes. These observations facilitate a significant shift from studying individual or several ABGs to characterizing the comprehensive microbial strategies of arsenic detoxification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijuan Li
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environment, MARA, Beijing 100081, P.R. China
| | - Songcan Chen
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Center for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Ximei Xue
- Institute of Urban Environment, Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, P.R. China
| | - Jieyin Chen
- Institute of Plant Protection, State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, P.R. China
| | - Jian Tian
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, P.R. China
| | - Lijuan Huo
- School of Environment and Resources, Taiyuan University of Science and Technology, Taiyuan 030024, P.R. China
| | - Tuo Zhang
- School of Environmental and Life Science, Nanning Normal University, Nanning 530100, P.R. China
| | - Xibai Zeng
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environment, MARA, Beijing 100081, P.R. China
| | - Shiming Su
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environment, MARA, Beijing 100081, P.R. China
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Pavez VB, Pacheco N, Castro-Severyn J, Pardo-Esté C, Álvarez J, Zepeda P, Krüger G, Gallardo K, Melo F, Vernal R, Aranda C, Remonsellez F, Saavedra CP. Characterization of biofilm formation by Exiguobacterium strains in response to arsenic exposure. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0265723. [PMID: 37819075 PMCID: PMC10714750 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02657-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE In this work, we characterized the composition, structure, and functional potential for biofilm formation of Exiguobacterium strains isolated from the Salar de Huasco in Chile in the presence of arsenic, an abundant metalloid in the Salar that exists in different oxidation states. Our results showed that the Exiguobacterium strains tested exhibit a significant capacity to form biofilms when exposed to arsenic, which would contribute to their resistance to the metalloid. The results highlight the importance of biofilm formation and the presence of specific resistance mechanisms in the ability of microorganisms to survive and thrive under adverse conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina B. Pavez
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Nicolás Pacheco
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan Castro-Severyn
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Aplicada y Extremófilos, Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Coral Pardo-Esté
- Laboratorio de Ecología Molecular y Microbiología Aplicada, Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Javiera Álvarez
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
- Laboratory of Allergic Inflammation, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Phillippi Zepeda
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gabriel Krüger
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Karem Gallardo
- Centro de Investigación Tecnológica del Agua en el Desierto (CEITSAZA), Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
- Departamento de Química, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Francisco Melo
- Laboratorio de Física no Lineal, Departamento de Física, USACH, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rolando Vernal
- Laboratorio de Biología Periodontal, Facultad de Odontología, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carlos Aranda
- Laboratorio de Microscopía Avanzada, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Biodiversidad Universidad de Los Lagos, Osorno, Chile
| | - Francisco Remonsellez
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Aplicada y Extremófilos, Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
- Centro de Investigación Tecnológica del Agua en el Desierto (CEITSAZA), Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Claudia P. Saavedra
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
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Pardo-Esté C, Leiva SG, Remonsellez F, Castro-Nallar E, Castro-Severyn J, Saavedra CP. Exploring the Influence of Small-Scale Geographical and Seasonal Variations Over the Microbial Diversity in a Poly-extreme Athalosaline Wetland. Curr Microbiol 2023; 80:297. [PMID: 37490160 PMCID: PMC10368551 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-023-03395-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Microorganisms are the most diverse life form on the planet and are critical for maintaining the geochemical cycles, especially in extreme environments. Bacterial communities are dynamic and respond directly to changes in abiotic conditions; among these communities, poly-extremophiles are particularly sensitive to perturbations due to their high specialization. Salar de Huasco is a high-altitude wetland located on the Chilean Altiplano exhibiting several conditions considered extreme for life, including negative water balance, extreme variations in temperature and pH values, high UV radiation, and the presence of various toxic metal(oids). However, previous reports have revealed a diverse bacterial community that has adapted to these conditions, here, we aimed to determine whether microbial community diversity and composition changed in response to geographical and seasonal variations. We found that there are significant differences in diversity, abundance, and composition in bacterial taxa that could be attributed to local geographical and seasonal variations, which in turn, can be associated with microbial traits. In conclusion, in this poly-extreme environment, small-scale changes can trigger significant changes in the microbial communities that maintain basic biogeochemical cycles. Further in depth analysis of microbial functionality and geo-ecological dynamics are necessary to better understand the relationships between seasonal changes and bacterial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coral Pardo-Esté
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
- Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Sergio Guajardo Leiva
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Talca, Campus Talca, Avda. Lircay s/n, Talca, Chile
- Centro de Ecología Integrativa, Universidad de Talca, Campus Talca, Avda. Lircay s/n, Talca, Chile
| | - Francisco Remonsellez
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Aplicada y Extremófilos, Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
- Centro de Investigación Tecnológica del Agua en el Desierto-CEITSAZA, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Eduardo Castro-Nallar
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Talca, Campus Talca, Avda. Lircay s/n, Talca, Chile
- Centro de Ecología Integrativa, Universidad de Talca, Campus Talca, Avda. Lircay s/n, Talca, Chile
| | - Juan Castro-Severyn
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Aplicada y Extremófilos, Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile.
| | - Claudia P Saavedra
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile.
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Castro-Severyn J, Pardo-Esté C, Araya-Durán I, Gariazzo V, Cabezas C, Valdés J, Remonsellez F, Saavedra CP. Biochemical, genomic and structural characteristics of the Acr3 pump in Exiguobacterium strains isolated from arsenic-rich Salar de Huasco sediments. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1047283. [PMID: 36406427 PMCID: PMC9671657 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1047283] [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: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Arsenic is a highly toxic metalloid of major concern for public safety. However, microorganisms have several resistance mechanisms, particularly the expression of arsenic pumps is a critical component for bacterial ability to expel it and decrease intracellular toxicity. In this study, we aimed to characterize the biochemical, structural, and genomic characteristics of the Acr3 pump among a group of Exiguobacterium strains isolated from different sites of the arsenic-rich Salar de Huasco (SH) ecosystem. We also determined whether the differences in As(III) resistance levels presented by the strains could be attributed to changes in the sequence or structure of this protein. In this context, we found that based on acr3 sequences the strains isolated from the SH grouped together phylogenetically, even though clustering based on gene sequence identity did not reflect the strain’s geographical origin. Furthermore, we determined the genetic context of the acr3 sequences and found that there are two versions of the organization of acr3 gene clusters, that do not reflect the strain’s origin nor arsenic resistance level. We also contribute to the knowledge regarding structure of the Acr3 protein and its possible implications on the functionality of the pump, finding that although important and conserved components of this family of proteins are present, there are several changes in the amino acidic sequences that may affect the interactions among amino acids in the 3D model, which in fact are evidenced as changes in the structure and residues contacts. Finally, we demonstrated through heterologous expression that the Exiguobacterium Acr3 pump does indeed improve the organisms As resistance level, as evidenced in the complemented E. coli strains. The understanding of arsenic detoxification processes in prokaryotes has vast biotechnological potential and it can also provide a lot of information to understand the processes of evolutionary adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Castro-Severyn
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Aplicada y Extremófilos, Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Coral Pardo-Esté
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ingrid Araya-Durán
- Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Valentina Gariazzo
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carolina Cabezas
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jorge Valdés
- Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Francisco Remonsellez
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Aplicada y Extremófilos, Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
- Centro de Investigación Tecnológica del Agua en el Desierto (CEITSAZA), Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Claudia P. Saavedra
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
- *Correspondence: Claudia P. Saavedra,
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Transcriptomic Analysis of the Dual Response of Rhodococcus aetherivorans BCP1 to Inorganic Arsenic Oxyanions. Appl Environ Microbiol 2022; 88:e0220921. [PMID: 35311511 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02209-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial strains belonging to the genus Rhodococcus are able to degrade various toxic organic compounds and tolerate high concentrations of metal(loid)s. We have previously shown that Rhodococcus aetherivorans BCP1 is resistant to various levels of the two arsenic inorganic species, arsenite [As(III)] and arsenate [As(V)]. However, while arsenite showed toxic effects at concentrations as low as 5 mM, arsenate at 30 mM boosted the growth rate of BCP1 cells and was toxic only at concentrations of >100 mM. Since such behavior could be linked to peculiar aspects of its metabolism, the transcriptomic analysis of BCP1 cells exposed to 5 mM As(III) and 30 mM As(V) was performed in this work. The aim was to clarify the mechanisms underlying the arsenic stress response of the two growth phenotypes in the presence of the two different oxyanions. The results revealed that As(III) induced higher activity of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging enzymes than As(V) in relation to the expression of enzymes involved in cellular damage recovery and redox buffers/cofactors (ergothioneine, mycofactocin, and mycothiol). Further, As(III) downregulated pathways related to cell division, while both oxyanions downregulated genes involved in glycolysis. Notably, As(V) induced the expression of enzymes participating in the synthesis of metallophores and rearranged the central and energetic metabolism, also inducing alternative pathways for ATP synthesis and glucose consumption. This study, in providing transcriptomic data on R. aetherivorans exposed to arsenic oxyanions, sheds some light on the plasticity of the rhodococcal response to arsenic stress, which may be important for the improvement of biotechnological applications. IMPORTANCE Members of the genus Rhodococcus show high metabolic versatility and the ability to tolerate/resist numerous stress conditions, including toxic metals. R. aetherivorans BCP1 is able to tolerate high concentrations of the two inorganic arsenic oxyanions, arsenite [As(III)] and arsenate [As(V)]. Despite the fact that BCP1 intracellularly converts As(V) into As(III), this strain responds very differently to the presence of these two oxyanions in terms of cell growth and toxic effects. Indeed, while As(III) is highly toxic, exposure to specific concentrations of As(V) seems to boost cell growth. In this work, we investigated the transcriptomic response, ATP synthesis, glucose consumption, and H2O2 degradation in BCP1 cells exposed to As(III) and As(V), inducing two different growth phenotypes. Our results give an overview of the transcriptional rearrangements associated with the dual response of BCP1 to the two oxyanions and provide novel insights into the energetic metabolism of Rhodococcus under arsenic stress.
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López MC, Galán B, Carmona M, Navarro Llorens JM, Peretó J, Porcar M, Getino L, Olivera ER, Luengo JM, Castro L, García JL. Xerotolerance: A New Property in Exiguobacterium Genus. Microorganisms 2021; 9:2455. [PMID: 34946057 PMCID: PMC8706201 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9122455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The highly xerotolerant bacterium classified as Exiguobacterium sp. Helios isolated from a solar panel in Spain showed a close relationship to Exiguobacterium sibiricum 255-15 isolated from Siberian permafrost. Xerotolerance has not been previously described as a characteristic of the extremely diverse Exiguobacterium genus, but both strains Helios and 255-15 showed higher xerotolerance than that described in the reference xerotolerant model strain Deinococcus radiodurans. Significant changes observed in the cell morphology after their desiccation suggests that the structure of cellular surface plays an important role in xerotolerance. Apart from its remarkable resistance to desiccation, Exiguobacterium sp. Helios strain shows several polyextremophilic characteristics that make it a promising chassis for biotechnological applications. Exiguobacterium sp. Helios cells produce nanoparticles of selenium in the presence of selenite linked to its resistance mechanism. Using the Lactobacillus plasmid pRCR12 that harbors a cherry marker, we have developed a transformation protocol for Exiguobacterium sp. Helios strain, being the first time that a bacterium of Exiguobacterium genus has been genetically modified. The comparison of Exiguobacterium sp. Helios and E. sibiricum 255-15 genomes revealed several interesting similarities and differences. Both strains contain a complete set of competence-related DNA transformation genes, suggesting that they might have natural competence, and an incomplete set of genes involved in sporulation; moreover, these strains not produce spores, suggesting that these genes might be involved in xerotolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Castillo López
- Microbial and Plant Biotechnology Department, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas-CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.C.L.); (B.G.); (M.C.)
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Av. Complutense s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Beatriz Galán
- Microbial and Plant Biotechnology Department, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas-CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.C.L.); (B.G.); (M.C.)
| | - Manuel Carmona
- Microbial and Plant Biotechnology Department, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas-CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.C.L.); (B.G.); (M.C.)
| | - Juana María Navarro Llorens
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Av. Complutense s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Juli Peretó
- Program for Applied Systems Biology and Synthetic Biology, Instituto de Biología Integrativa de Sistemas (I2SYSBIO) (UV-CSIC), Carrer del Catedràtic Agustín Escardino Benlloch s/n, 46980 Paterna, Spain; (J.P.); (M.P.)
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Valencia, 46100 Burjassot, Spain
| | - Manuel Porcar
- Program for Applied Systems Biology and Synthetic Biology, Instituto de Biología Integrativa de Sistemas (I2SYSBIO) (UV-CSIC), Carrer del Catedràtic Agustín Escardino Benlloch s/n, 46980 Paterna, Spain; (J.P.); (M.P.)
| | - Luis Getino
- Department of Molecular Biology, Facultades de Veterinaria y Biología, Universidad de León, 24007 León, Spain; (L.G.); (E.R.O.); (J.M.L.)
| | - Elías R. Olivera
- Department of Molecular Biology, Facultades de Veterinaria y Biología, Universidad de León, 24007 León, Spain; (L.G.); (E.R.O.); (J.M.L.)
| | - José M. Luengo
- Department of Molecular Biology, Facultades de Veterinaria y Biología, Universidad de León, 24007 León, Spain; (L.G.); (E.R.O.); (J.M.L.)
| | - Laura Castro
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Materials Science and Engineering and Electronic Technology, School of Experimental Sciences and Technology, Rey Juan Carlos University, 28933 Móstoles, Spain;
| | - José Luís García
- Microbial and Plant Biotechnology Department, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas-CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.C.L.); (B.G.); (M.C.)
- Program for Applied Systems Biology and Synthetic Biology, Instituto de Biología Integrativa de Sistemas (I2SYSBIO) (UV-CSIC), Carrer del Catedràtic Agustín Escardino Benlloch s/n, 46980 Paterna, Spain; (J.P.); (M.P.)
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Castro-Severyn J, Pardo-Esté C, Mendez KN, Fortt J, Marquez S, Molina F, Castro-Nallar E, Remonsellez F, Saavedra CP. Living to the High Extreme: Unraveling the Composition, Structure, and Functional Insights of Bacterial Communities Thriving in the Arsenic-Rich Salar de Huasco Altiplanic Ecosystem. Microbiol Spectr 2021; 9:e0044421. [PMID: 34190603 PMCID: PMC8552739 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00444-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial communities inhabiting extreme environments such as Salar de Huasco (SH) in northern Chile are adapted to thrive while exposed to several abiotic pressures and the presence of toxic elements such as arsenic (As). Hence, we aimed to uncover the role of As in shaping bacterial composition, structure, and functional potential in five different sites in this altiplanic wetland using a shotgun metagenomic approach. The sites exhibit wide gradients of As (9 to 321 mg/kg), and our results showed highly diverse communities and a clear dominance exerted by the Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes phyla. Functional potential analyses show broadly convergent patterns, contrasting with their great taxonomic variability. As-related metabolism, as well as other functional categories such as those related to the CH4 and S cycles, differs among the five communities. Particularly, we found that the distribution and abundance of As-related genes increase as the As concentration rises. Approximately 75% of the detected genes for As metabolism belong to expulsion mechanisms; arsJ and arsP pumps are related to sites with higher As concentrations and are present almost exclusively in Proteobacteria. Furthermore, taxonomic diversity and functional potential are reflected in the 12 reconstructed high-quality metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs) belonging to the Bacteroidetes (5), Proteobacteria (5), Cyanobacteria (1), and Gemmatimonadetes (1) phyla. We conclude that SH microbial communities are diverse and possess a broad genetic repertoire to thrive under extreme conditions, including increasing concentrations of highly toxic As. Finally, this environment represents a reservoir of unknown and undescribed microorganisms, with great metabolic versatility, which needs further study. IMPORTANCE As microbial communities inhabiting extreme environments are fundamental for maintaining ecosystems, many studies concerning composition, functionality, and interactions have been carried out. However, much is still unknown. Here, we sampled microbial communities in the Salar de Huasco, an extreme environment subjected to several abiotic stresses (high UV radiation, salinity and arsenic; low pressure and temperatures). We found that although microbes are taxonomically diverse, functional potential seems to have an important degree of convergence, suggesting high levels of adaptation. Particularly, arsenic metabolism showed differences associated with increasing concentrations of the metalloid throughout the area, and it effectively exerts a significant pressure over these organisms. Thus, the significance of this research is that we describe highly specialized communities thriving in little-explored environments subjected to several pressures, considered analogous of early Earth and other planets, that have the potential for unraveling technologies to face the repercussions of climate change in many areas of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Castro-Severyn
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Aplicada y Extremófilos, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Coral Pardo-Esté
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Aplicada y Extremófilos, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Katterinne N. Mendez
- Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jonathan Fortt
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Aplicada y Extremófilos, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Sebastian Marquez
- Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Franck Molina
- Sys2Diag, UMR9005 CNRS ALCEDIAG, Montpellier, France
| | - Eduardo Castro-Nallar
- Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Francisco Remonsellez
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Aplicada y Extremófilos, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
- Centro de Investigación Tecnológica del Agua en el Desierto-CEITSAZA, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Claudia P. Saavedra
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
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Zhang D, Zhu Z, Li Y, Li X, Guan Z, Zheng J. Comparative Genomics of Exiguobacterium Reveals What Makes a Cosmopolitan Bacterium. mSystems 2021; 6:e0038321. [PMID: 34282940 PMCID: PMC8407118 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00383-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the strategies used by bacteria to adapt to specific environmental conditions are widely reported, fewer studies have addressed how microbes with a cosmopolitan distribution can survive in diverse ecosystems. Exiguobacterium is a versatile genus whose members are commonly found in various habitats. To better understand the mechanisms underlying the universality of Exiguobacterium, we collected 105 strains from diverse environments and performed large-scale metabolic and adaptive ability tests. We found that most Exiguobacterium members have the capacity to survive under wide ranges of temperature, salinity, and pH. According to phylogenetic and average nucleotide identity analyses, we identified 27 putative species and classified two genetic groups: groups I and II. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that the Exiguobacterium members utilize a variety of complex polysaccharides and proteins to support survival in diverse environments and also employ a number of chaperonins and transporters for this purpose. We observed that the group I species can be found in more diverse terrestrial environments and have a larger genome size than the group II species. Our analyses revealed that the expansion of transporter families drove genomic expansion in group I strains, and we identified 25 transporter families, many of which are involved in the transport of important substrates and resistance to environmental stresses and are enriched in group I strains. This study provides important insights into both the overall general genetic basis for the cosmopolitan distribution of a bacterial genus and the evolutionary and adaptive strategies of Exiguobacterium. IMPORTANCE The wide distribution characteristics of Exiguobacterium make it a valuable model for studying the adaptive strategies of bacteria that can survive in multiple habitats. In this study, we reveal that members of the Exiguobacterium genus have a cosmopolitan distribution and share an extensive adaptability that enables them to survive in various environments. The capacities shared by Exiguobacterium members, such as their diverse means of polysaccharide utilization and environmental-stress resistance, provide an important basis for their cosmopolitan distribution. Furthermore, the selective expansion of transporter families has been a main driving force for genomic evolution in Exiguobacterium. Our findings improve our understanding of the adaptive and evolutionary mechanisms of cosmopolitan bacteria and the vital genomic traits that can facilitate niche adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dechao Zhang
- Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Zhaolu Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yangjie Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xudong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ziyu Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jinshui Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
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