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Chowdhury A, Ventura GT, Owino Y, Lalk EJ, MacAdam N, Dooma JM, Ono S, Fowler M, MacDonald A, Bennett R, MacRae RA, Hubert CRJ, Bentley JN, Kerr MJ. Cold seep formation from salt diapir-controlled deep biosphere oases. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2316878121. [PMID: 38466851 PMCID: PMC10963010 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2316878121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Deep sea cold seeps are sites where hydrogen sulfide, methane, and other hydrocarbon-rich fluids vent from the ocean floor. They are an important component of Earth's carbon cycle in which subsurface hydrocarbons form the energy source for highly diverse benthic micro- and macro-fauna in what is otherwise vast and spartan sea scape. Passive continental margin cold seeps are typically attributed to the migration of hydrocarbons generated from deeply buried source rocks. Many of these seeps occur over salt tectonic provinces, where the movement of salt generates complex fault systems that can enable fluid migration or create seals and traps associated with reservoir formation. The elevated advective heat transport of the salt also produces a chimney effect directly over these structures. Here, we provide geophysical and geochemical evidence that the salt chimney effect in conjunction with diapiric faulting drives a subsurface groundwater circulation system that brings dissolved inorganic carbon, nutrient-rich deep basinal fluids, and potentially overlying seawater onto the crests of deeply buried salt diapirs. The mobilized fluids fuel methanogenic archaea locally enhancing the deep biosphere. The resulting elevated biogenic methane production, alongside the upward heat-driven fluid transport, represents a previously unrecognized mechanism of cold seep formation and regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anirban Chowdhury
- Department of Geology, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NSB3H 3C3, Canada
| | - Gregory T. Ventura
- Department of Geology, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NSB3H 3C3, Canada
| | - Yaisa Owino
- Department of Geology, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NSB3H 3C3, Canada
| | - Ellen J. Lalk
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
| | - Natasha MacAdam
- Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, Halifax, NSB3J 3J9, Canada
| | - John M. Dooma
- Department of Geology, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NSB3H 3C3, Canada
| | - Shuhei Ono
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
| | - Martin Fowler
- Applied Petroleum Technology (Canada) Ltd., Calgary, ABT3A 2M3, Canada
| | - Adam MacDonald
- Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, Halifax, NSB3J 3J9, Canada
| | - Robbie Bennett
- Natural Resources Canada, Geological Survey of Canada-Atlantic, Dartmouth, NSB2Y 4A2, Canada
| | - R. Andrew MacRae
- Department of Geology, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NSB3H 3C3, Canada
| | - Casey R. J. Hubert
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, ABT2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Jeremy N. Bentley
- Department of Geology, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NSB3H 3C3, Canada
| | - Mitchell J. Kerr
- Department of Geology, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NSB3H 3C3, Canada
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Dai X, Acosta N, Lu X, Hubert CRJ, Lee J, Frankowski K, Bautista MA, Waddell BJ, Du K, McCalder J, Meddings J, Ruecker N, Williamson T, Southern DA, Hollman J, Achari G, Ryan MC, Hrudey SE, Lee BE, Pang X, Clark RG, Parkins MD, Chekouo T. A Bayesian framework for modeling COVID-19 case numbers through longitudinal monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater. Stat Med 2024; 43:1153-1169. [PMID: 38221776 DOI: 10.1002/sim.10009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Wastewater-based surveillance has become an important tool for research groups and public health agencies investigating and monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and other public health emergencies including other pathogens and drug abuse. While there is an emerging body of evidence exploring the possibility of predicting COVID-19 infections from wastewater signals, there remain significant challenges for statistical modeling. Longitudinal observations of viral copies in municipal wastewater can be influenced by noisy datasets and missing values with irregular and sparse samplings. We propose an integrative Bayesian framework to predict daily positive cases from weekly wastewater observations with missing values via functional data analysis techniques. In a unified procedure, the proposed analysis models severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 RNA wastewater signals as a realization of a smooth process with error and combines the smooth process with COVID-19 cases to evaluate the prediction of positive cases. We demonstrate that the proposed framework can achieve these objectives with high predictive accuracies through simulated and observed real data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaotian Dai
- Department of Mathematics, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, USA
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Nicole Acosta
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Xuewen Lu
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Casey R J Hubert
- Department of Biological Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jangwoo Lee
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Biological Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Kevin Frankowski
- Advancing Canadian Water Assets, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Maria A Bautista
- Department of Biological Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Barbara J Waddell
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Kristine Du
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Janine McCalder
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Biological Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jon Meddings
- Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Norma Ruecker
- Water Services, City of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Tyler Williamson
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Centre for Health Informatics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Danielle A Southern
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Centre for Health Informatics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jordan Hollman
- Department of Geosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Gopal Achari
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - M Cathryn Ryan
- Department of Geosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Steve E Hrudey
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Bonita E Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Xiaoli Pang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Rhonda G Clark
- Department of Biological Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Michael D Parkins
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Thierry Chekouo
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Division of Biostatistics and Health Data Science, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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3
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Parkins MD, Lee BE, Acosta N, Bautista M, Hubert CRJ, Hrudey SE, Frankowski K, Pang XL. Wastewater-based surveillance as a tool for public health action: SARS-CoV-2 and beyond. Clin Microbiol Rev 2024; 37:e0010322. [PMID: 38095438 PMCID: PMC10938902 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00103-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) has undergone dramatic advancement in the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The power and potential of this platform technology were rapidly realized when it became evident that not only did WBS-measured SARS-CoV-2 RNA correlate strongly with COVID-19 clinical disease within monitored populations but also, in fact, it functioned as a leading indicator. Teams from across the globe rapidly innovated novel approaches by which wastewater could be collected from diverse sewersheds ranging from wastewater treatment plants (enabling community-level surveillance) to more granular locations including individual neighborhoods and high-risk buildings such as long-term care facilities (LTCF). Efficient processes enabled SARS-CoV-2 RNA extraction and concentration from the highly dilute wastewater matrix. Molecular and genomic tools to identify, quantify, and characterize SARS-CoV-2 and its various variants were adapted from clinical programs and applied to these mixed environmental systems. Novel data-sharing tools allowed this information to be mobilized and made immediately available to public health and government decision-makers and even the public, enabling evidence-informed decision-making based on local disease dynamics. WBS has since been recognized as a tool of transformative potential, providing near-real-time cost-effective, objective, comprehensive, and inclusive data on the changing prevalence of measured analytes across space and time in populations. However, as a consequence of rapid innovation from hundreds of teams simultaneously, tremendous heterogeneity currently exists in the SARS-CoV-2 WBS literature. This manuscript provides a state-of-the-art review of WBS as established with SARS-CoV-2 and details the current work underway expanding its scope to other infectious disease targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D. Parkins
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- O’Brien Institute of Public Health, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Bonita E. Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Nicole Acosta
- Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Maria Bautista
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Casey R. J. Hubert
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Steve E. Hrudey
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Kevin Frankowski
- Advancing Canadian Water Assets, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Xiao-Li Pang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Provincial Health Laboratory, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Hasing ME, Lee BE, Gao T, Li Q, Qiu Y, Ellehoj E, Graber TE, Fuzzen M, Servos M, Landgraff C, Delatolla R, Tipples G, Zelyas N, Hinshaw D, Maal-Bared R, Sikora C, Parkins M, Hubert CRJ, Frankowski K, Hrudey SE, Pang XL. Wastewater surveillance monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and dynamics of transmission and community burden of COVID-19. Emerg Microbes Infect 2023; 12:2233638. [PMID: 37409382 PMCID: PMC10408568 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2023.2233638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based surveillance is a valuable approach for monitoring COVID-19 at community level. Monitoring SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) in wastewater has become increasingly relevant when clinical testing capacity and case-based surveillance are limited. In this study, we ascertained the turnover of six VOC in Alberta wastewater from May 2020 to May 2022. Wastewater samples from nine wastewater treatment plants across Alberta were analysed using VOC-specific RT-qPCR assays. The performance of the RT-qPCR assays in identifying VOC in wastewater was evaluated against next generation sequencing. The relative abundance of each VOC in wastewater was compared to positivity rate in COVID-19 testing. VOC-specific RT-qPCR assays performed comparatively well against next generation sequencing; concordance rates ranged from 89% to 98% for detection of Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Omicron BA.1 and Omicron BA.2, with a slightly lower rate of 85% for Delta (p < 0.01). Elevated relative abundance of Alpha, Delta, Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 were each associated with increased COVID-19 positivity rate. Alpha, Delta and Omicron BA.2 reached 90% relative abundance in wastewater within 80, 111 and 62 days after their initial detection, respectively. Omicron BA.1 increased more rapidly, reaching a 90% relative abundance in wastewater after 35 days. Our results from VOC surveillance in wastewater correspond with clinical observations that Omicron is the VOC with highest disease burden over the shortest period in Alberta to date. The findings suggest that changes in relative abundance of a VOC in wastewater can be used as a supplementary indicator to track and perhaps predict COVID-19 burden in a population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria E. Hasing
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Bonita E. Lee
- Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Tiejun Gao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Qiaozhi Li
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Yuanyuan Qiu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Erik Ellehoj
- Ellehoj Redmond Consulting, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Tyson E. Graber
- Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Meghan Fuzzen
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mark Servos
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chrystal Landgraff
- Division of Enteric Diseases, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Robert Delatolla
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Graham Tipples
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Public Health Laboratory, Alberta Precision Laboratories, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Nathan Zelyas
- Public Health Laboratory, Alberta Precision Laboratories, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Deena Hinshaw
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Christopher Sikora
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Michael Parkins
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Casey R. J. Hubert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Kevin Frankowski
- Advancing Canadian Water Assets, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Steve E. Hrudey
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Xiaoli L. Pang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Public Health Laboratory, Alberta Precision Laboratories, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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5
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Acosta N, Dai X, Bautista MA, Waddell BJ, Lee J, Du K, McCalder J, Pradhan P, Papparis C, Lu X, Chekouo T, Krusina A, Southern D, Williamson T, Clark RG, Patterson RA, Westlund P, Meddings J, Ruecker N, Lammiman C, Duerr C, Achari G, Hrudey SE, Lee BE, Pang X, Frankowski K, Hubert CRJ, Parkins MD. Wastewater-based surveillance can be used to model COVID-19-associated workforce absenteeism. Sci Total Environ 2023; 900:165172. [PMID: 37379934 PMCID: PMC10292917 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) of infectious diseases is a powerful tool for understanding community COVID-19 disease burden and informing public health policy. The potential of WBS for understanding COVID-19's impact in non-healthcare settings has not been explored to the same degree. Here we examined how SARS-CoV-2 measured from municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) correlates with workforce absenteeism. SARS-CoV-2 RNA N1 and N2 were quantified three times per week by RT-qPCR in samples collected at three WWTPs servicing Calgary and surrounding areas, Canada (1.4 million residents) between June 2020 and March 2022. Wastewater trends were compared to workforce absenteeism using data from the largest employer in the city (>15,000 staff). Absences were classified as being COVID-19-related, COVID-19-confirmed, and unrelated to COVID-19. Poisson regression was performed to generate a prediction model for COVID-19 absenteeism based on wastewater data. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in 95.5 % (85/89) of weeks assessed. During this period 6592 COVID-19-related absences (1896 confirmed) and 4524 unrelated absences COVID-19 cases were recorded. A generalized linear regression using a Poisson distribution was performed to predict COVID-19-confirmed absences out of the total number of absent employees using wastewater data as a leading indicator (P < 0.0001). The Poisson regression with wastewater as a one-week leading signal has an Akaike information criterion (AIC) of 858, compared to a null model (excluding wastewater predictor) with an AIC of 1895. The likelihood-ratio test comparing the model with wastewater signal with the null model shows statistical significance (P < 0.0001). We also assessed the variation of predictions when the regression model was applied to new data, with the predicted values and corresponding confidence intervals closely tracking actual absenteeism data. Wastewater-based surveillance has the potential to be used by employers to anticipate workforce requirements and optimize human resource allocation in response to trackable respiratory illnesses like COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Acosta
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Xiaotian Dai
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Maria A Bautista
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Barbara J Waddell
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Jangwoo Lee
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Kristine Du
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Janine McCalder
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Puja Pradhan
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Chloe Papparis
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Xuewen Lu
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Thierry Chekouo
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada; Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, 420 Delaware St. S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Alexander Krusina
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Danielle Southern
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Tyler Williamson
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada; O'Brien Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Dr NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - Rhonda G Clark
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Raymond A Patterson
- Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary, SH 250, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | | | - Jon Meddings
- Department of Medicine, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Norma Ruecker
- Water Services, City of Calgary, 625 25 Ave SE, Calgary, Alberta T2G 4k8, Canada
| | - Christopher Lammiman
- Calgary Emergency Management Agency (CEMA), City of Calgary, 673 1 St NE, Calgary, Alberta T2E 6R2, Canada
| | - Coby Duerr
- Calgary Emergency Management Agency (CEMA), City of Calgary, 673 1 St NE, Calgary, Alberta T2E 6R2, Canada
| | - Gopal Achari
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Calgary, 622 Collegiate Pl NW, T2N 4V8, Canada
| | - Steve E Hrudey
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, 116 St. and 85 Ave, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada; Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, University of Alberta, 116 St. and 85 Ave, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Bonita E Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, 116 St. and 85 Ave, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada; Women & Children's Health Research Institute, 116 St. and 85 Ave, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada; Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, 116 St. and 85 Ave, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Xiaoli Pang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, 116 St. and 85 Ave, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada; Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, 116 St. and 85 Ave, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada; Alberta Precision Laboratories, Public Health Laboratory, Alberta Health Services, 116 St. and 85 Ave, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Kevin Frankowski
- Advancing Canadian Water Assets, University of Calgary, 3131 210 Ave SE, Calgary, Alberta T0L 0X0, Canada
| | - Casey R J Hubert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Michael D Parkins
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada; Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada.
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Ji M, Smith AF, Rattray JE, England WE, Hubert CRJ. Potential for natural attenuation of crude oil hydrocarbons in benthic microbiomes near coastal communities in Kivalliq, Nunavut, Canada. Mar Pollut Bull 2023; 196:115557. [PMID: 37776739 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
Oil spilled in marine environments can settle to the seafloor through aggregation and sedimentation processes. This has been predicted to be especially relevant in the Arctic due to plankton blooms initiated by melting sea ice. These conditions exist in the Kivalliq region in Nunavut, Canada, where elevated shipping traffic has increased the risk of accidental spills. Experimental microcosms combining surface sediment and crude oil were incubated at 4 °C over 21 weeks to evaluate the biodegradation potential of seabed microbiomes. Sediments sampled near the communities of Arviat and Chesterfield Inlet were assessed for biodegradation capabilities by combining hydrocarbon geochemistry with 16S rRNA gene and metagenomic sequencing, revealing decreased microbial diversity but enrichment of oil-degrading taxa. Alkane and aromatic hydrocarbon losses corresponded to detection of genes and genomes that encode enzymes for aerobic biodegradation of these compounds, pointing to the utility of marine microbiome surveys for predicting the fate of oil released into Arctic marine environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Ji
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
| | - Alastair F Smith
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jayne E Rattray
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Whitney E England
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Casey R J Hubert
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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7
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Peng Y, Lu Z, Pan D, Shi LD, Zhao Z, Liu Q, Zhang C, Jia K, Li J, Hubert CRJ, Dong X. Viruses in deep-sea cold seep sediments harbor diverse survival mechanisms and remain genetically conserved within species. ISME J 2023; 17:1774-1784. [PMID: 37573455 PMCID: PMC10504277 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01491-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023]
Abstract
Deep sea cold seep sediments have been discovered to harbor novel, abundant, and diverse bacterial and archaeal viruses. However, little is known about viral genetic features and evolutionary patterns in these environments. Here, we examined the evolutionary ecology of viruses across active and extinct seep stages in the area of Haima cold seeps in the South China Sea. A total of 338 viral operational taxonomic units are identified and linked to 36 bacterial and archaeal phyla. The dynamics of host-virus interactions are informed by diverse antiviral defense systems across 43 families found in 487 microbial genomes. Cold seep viruses are predicted to harbor diverse adaptive strategies to persist in this environment, including counter-defense systems, auxiliary metabolic genes, reverse transcriptases, and alternative genetic code assignments. Extremely low nucleotide diversity is observed in cold seep viral populations, being influenced by factors including microbial host, sediment depth, and cold seep stage. Most cold seep viral genes are under strong purifying selection with trajectories that differ depending on whether cold seeps are active or extinct. This work sheds light on the understanding of environmental adaptation mechanisms and evolutionary patterns of viruses in the sub-seafloor biosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongyi Peng
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, 361005, China
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519082, China
| | - Zijian Lu
- South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China
| | - Donald Pan
- School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Ling-Dong Shi
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Zhao Zhao
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519082, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000, China
| | - Qing Liu
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519082, China
| | - Chuwen Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Kuntong Jia
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519082, China
| | - Jiwei Li
- Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, 572000, China
| | - Casey R J Hubert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Xiyang Dong
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, 361005, China.
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000, China.
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8
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Lee J, Acosta N, Waddell BJ, Du K, Xiang K, Van Doorn J, Low K, Bautista MA, McCalder J, Dai X, Lu X, Chekouo T, Pradhan P, Sedaghat N, Papparis C, Buchner Beaudet A, Chen J, Chan L, Vivas L, Westlund P, Bhatnagar S, Stefani S, Visser G, Cabaj J, Bertazzon S, Sarabi S, Achari G, Clark RG, Hrudey SE, Lee BE, Pang X, Webster B, Ghali WA, Buret AG, Williamson T, Southern DA, Meddings J, Frankowski K, Hubert CRJ, Parkins MD. Campus node-based wastewater surveillance enables COVID-19 case localization and confirms lower SARS-CoV-2 burden relative to the surrounding community. Water Res 2023; 244:120469. [PMID: 37634459 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Revised: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) has been established as a powerful tool that can guide health policy at multiple levels of government. However, this approach has not been well assessed at more granular scales, including large work sites such as University campuses. Between August 2021 and April 2022, we explored the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater using qPCR assays from multiple complimentary sewer catchments and residential buildings spanning the University of Calgary's campus and how this compared to levels from the municipal wastewater treatment plant servicing the campus. Real-time contact tracing data was used to evaluate an association between wastewater SARS-CoV-2 burden and clinically confirmed cases and to assess the potential of WBS as a tool for disease monitoring across worksites. Concentrations of wastewater SARS-CoV-2 N1 and N2 RNA varied significantly across six sampling sites - regardless of several normalization strategies - with certain catchments consistently demonstrating values 1-2 orders higher than the others. Relative to clinical cases identified in specific sewersheds, WBS provided one-week leading indicator. Additionally, our comprehensive monitoring strategy enabled an estimation of the total burden of SARS-CoV-2 for the campus per capita, which was significantly lower than the surrounding community (p≤0.001). Allele-specific qPCR assays confirmed that variants across campus were representative of the community at large, and at no time did emerging variants first debut on campus. This study demonstrates how WBS can be efficiently applied to locate hotspots of disease activity at a very granular scale, and predict disease burden across large, complex worksites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jangwoo Lee
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive, NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 2V5, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Nicole Acosta
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive, NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 2V5, Canada
| | - Barbara J Waddell
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive, NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 2V5, Canada
| | - Kristine Du
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive, NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 2V5, Canada
| | - Kevin Xiang
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Jennifer Van Doorn
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Kashtin Low
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Maria A Bautista
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Janine McCalder
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive, NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 2V5, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Xiaotian Dai
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Xuewen Lu
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Thierry Chekouo
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada; Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Puja Pradhan
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive, NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 2V5, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Navid Sedaghat
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive, NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 2V5, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Chloe Papparis
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive, NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 2V5, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Alexander Buchner Beaudet
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive, NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 2V5, Canada
| | - Jianwei Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Leslie Chan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Laura Vivas
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | | | - Srijak Bhatnagar
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada; Faculty of Science and Technology, Athabasca University, Athabasca, Alberta, Canada
| | - September Stefani
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive, NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 2V5, Canada
| | - Gail Visser
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive, NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 2V5, Canada
| | - Jason Cabaj
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Canada; Provincial Population & Public Health, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Canada; O'Brien Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | | | - Shahrzad Sarabi
- Department of Geography, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Gopal Achari
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Rhonda G Clark
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Steve E Hrudey
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Bonita E Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Women & Children's Health Research Institute, Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Xiaoli Pang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Precision Laboratories, Public Health Laboratory, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Brendan Webster
- Occupational Health Staff Wellness, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - William Amin Ghali
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Canada; O'Brien Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada; Centre for Health Informatics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Andre Gerald Buret
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Tyler Williamson
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada; O'Brien Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada; Centre for Health Informatics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Danielle A Southern
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada; O'Brien Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada; Centre for Health Informatics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Jon Meddings
- Department of Medicine, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Canada
| | - Kevin Frankowski
- Advancing Canadian Water Assets, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Casey R J Hubert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Michael D Parkins
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive, NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 2V5, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Canada; O'Brien Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.
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9
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Ferguson DK, Li C, Chakraborty A, Gittins DA, Fowler M, Webb J, Campbell C, Morrison N, MacDonald A, Hubert CRJ. Multi-year seabed environmental baseline in deep-sea offshore oil prospective areas established using microbial biodiversity. Mar Pollut Bull 2023; 194:115308. [PMID: 37517246 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Microorganisms are the ocean's first responders to marine pollution events, yet baseline studies rarely focus on microbial communities. Temporal and spatial microbial biodiversity baselines were established using bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing of seafloor sediments in a deep-water oil prospective area along the Scotian Slope off Canada's east coast sampled during 2015-2018. Bacterial diversity was generally similar in space and time, with members of the family Woeseiaceae detected consistently in >1 % relative abundance, similar to seabed sediments in other parts of the world. Anomalous biodiversity results at one site featured lower Woeseiaceae as well as higher levels of bacterial groups specifically associated with cold seeps such as Aminicenantes. This was unexpected given that site selection was based on sediment geochemistry not revealing any petroleum hydrocarbons in these locations. This finding highlights the sensitivity and specificity of microbial DNA sequencing in environmental monitoring. Microbiome assessments like this one represent an important strategy for incorporating microbial biodiversity as a new and useful metric for establishing robust environmental baselines that are necessary for understanding ecosystem responses to marine pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deidra K Ferguson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
| | - Carmen Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Anirban Chakraborty
- Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID, USA
| | - Daniel A Gittins
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Martin Fowler
- Applied Petroleum Technology Canada, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jamie Webb
- Applied Petroleum Technology Canada, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Calvin Campbell
- Natural Resources Canada, Geological Survey of Canada-Atlantic, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Natasha Morrison
- Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, Government of Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Adam MacDonald
- Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, Government of Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Casey R J Hubert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
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10
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Zorz J, Li C, Chakraborty A, Gittins DA, Surcon T, Morrison N, Bennett R, MacDonald A, Hubert CRJ. SituSeq: an offline protocol for rapid and remote Nanopore 16S rRNA amplicon sequence analysis. ISME Commun 2023; 3:33. [PMID: 37081077 PMCID: PMC10119094 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-023-00239-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
Microbiome analysis through 16S rRNA gene sequencing is a crucial tool for understanding the microbial ecology of any habitat or ecosystem. However, workflows require large equipment, stable internet, and extensive computing power such that most of the work is performed far away from sample collection in both space and time. Performing amplicon sequencing and analysis at sample collection would have positive implications in many instances including remote fieldwork and point-of-care medical diagnoses. Here we present SituSeq, an offline and portable workflow for the sequencing and analysis of 16S rRNA gene amplicons using Nanopore sequencing and a standard laptop computer. SituSeq was validated by comparing Nanopore 16S rRNA gene amplicons, Illumina 16S rRNA gene amplicons, and Illumina metagenomes, sequenced using the same environmental DNA. Comparisons revealed consistent community composition, ecological trends, and sequence identity across platforms. Correlation between the abundance of taxa in each taxonomic level in Illumina and Nanopore data sets was high (Pearson's r > 0.9), and over 70% of Illumina 16S rRNA gene sequences matched a Nanopore sequence with greater than 97% sequence identity. On board a research vessel on the open ocean, SituSeq was used to analyze amplicon sequences from deep sea sediments less than 2 h after sequencing, and 8 h after sample collection. The rapidly available results informed decisions about subsequent sampling in near real-time while the offshore expedition was still underway. SituSeq is a portable and user-friendly workflow that helps to bring the power of microbial genomics and diagnostics to many more researchers and situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jackie Zorz
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
| | - Carmen Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Anirban Chakraborty
- Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID, USA
| | - Daniel A Gittins
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Taylor Surcon
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Natasha Morrison
- Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, Government of Nova Scotia, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Robbie Bennett
- Natural Resources Canada, Geological Survey of Canada-Atlantic, Dartmouth, NS, Canada
| | - Adam MacDonald
- Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, Government of Nova Scotia, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Casey R J Hubert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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11
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Dong X, Peng Y, Wang M, Woods L, Wu W, Wang Y, Xiao X, Li J, Jia K, Greening C, Shao Z, Hubert CRJ. Evolutionary ecology of microbial populations inhabiting deep sea sediments associated with cold seeps. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1127. [PMID: 36854684 PMCID: PMC9974965 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36877-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Deep sea cold seep sediments host abundant and diverse microbial populations that significantly influence biogeochemical cycles. While numerous studies have revealed their community structure and functional capabilities, little is known about genetic heterogeneity within species. Here, we examine intraspecies diversity patterns of 39 abundant species identified in sediment layers down to 430 cm below the sea floor across six cold seep sites. These populations are grouped as aerobic methane-oxidizing bacteria, anaerobic methanotrophic archaea and sulfate-reducing bacteria. Different evolutionary trajectories are observed at the genomic level among these physiologically and phylogenetically diverse populations, with generally low rates of homologous recombination and strong purifying selection. Functional genes related to methane (pmoA and mcrA) and sulfate (dsrA) metabolisms are under strong purifying selection in most species investigated. These genes differ in evolutionary trajectories across phylogenetic clades but are functionally conserved across sites. Intrapopulation diversification of genomes and their mcrA and dsrA genes is depth-dependent and subject to different selection pressure throughout the sediment column redox zones at different sites. These results highlight the interplay between ecological processes and the evolution of key bacteria and archaea in deep sea cold seep extreme environments, shedding light on microbial adaptation in the subseafloor biosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiyang Dong
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, 361005, China.
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000, China.
| | - Yongyi Peng
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, 361005, China
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519082, China
| | - Muhua Wang
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000, China
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519082, China
| | - Laura Woods
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Wenxue Wu
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000, China
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519082, China
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Yong Wang
- Institute for Ocean Engineering, Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Xi Xiao
- Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey, China Geological Survey, Guangzhou, 510075, China
| | - Jiwei Li
- Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, 572000, China
| | - Kuntong Jia
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519082, China
| | - Chris Greening
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Zongze Shao
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, 361005, China.
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000, China.
| | - Casey R J Hubert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
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12
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Acosta N, Bautista MA, Waddell BJ, Du K, McCalder J, Pradhan P, Sedaghat N, Papparis C, Beaudet AB, Chen J, Van Doorn J, Xiang K, Chan L, Vivas L, Low K, Lu X, Lee J, Westlund P, Chekouo T, Dai X, Cabaj J, Bhatnagar S, Ruecker N, Achari G, Clark RG, Pearce C, Harrison JJ, Meddings J, Leal J, Ellison J, Missaghi B, Kanji JN, Larios O, Rennert‐May E, Kim J, Hrudey SE, Lee BE, Pang X, Frankowski K, Conly J, Hubert CRJ, Parkins MD. Surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 and its variants in wastewater of tertiary care hospitals correlates with increasing case burden and outbreaks. J Med Virol 2023; 95:e28442. [PMID: 36579780 PMCID: PMC9880705 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.28442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Wastewater-based SARS-CoV-2 surveillance enables unbiased and comprehensive monitoring of defined sewersheds. We performed real-time monitoring of hospital wastewater that differentiated Delta and Omicron variants within total SARS-CoV-2-RNA, enabling correlation to COVID-19 cases from three tertiary-care facilities with >2100 inpatient beds in Calgary, Canada. RNA was extracted from hospital wastewater between August/2021 and January/2022, and SARS-CoV-2 quantified using RT-qPCR. Assays targeting R203M and R203K/G204R established the proportional abundance of Delta and Omicron, respectively. Total and variant-specific SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater was compared to data for variant specific COVID-19 hospitalizations, hospital-acquired infections, and outbreaks. Ninety-six percent (188/196) of wastewater samples were SARS-CoV-2 positive. Total SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels in wastewater increased in tandem with total prevalent cases (Delta plus Omicron). Variant-specific assessments showed this increase to be mainly driven by Omicron. Hospital-acquired cases of COVID-19 were associated with large spikes in wastewater SARS-CoV-2 and levels were significantly increased during outbreaks relative to nonoutbreak periods for total SARS-CoV2, Delta and Omicron. SARS-CoV-2 in hospital wastewater was significantly higher during the Omicron-wave irrespective of outbreaks. Wastewater-based monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants represents a novel tool for passive COVID-19 infection surveillance, case identification, containment, and potentially to mitigate viral spread in hospitals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Acosta
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious DiseasesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada
| | | | - Barbara J. Waddell
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious DiseasesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada
| | - Kristine Du
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious DiseasesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada
| | - Janine McCalder
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious DiseasesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada,Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada
| | - Puja Pradhan
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious DiseasesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada,Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada
| | - Navid Sedaghat
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious DiseasesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada,Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada
| | - Chloe Papparis
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious DiseasesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada,Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada
| | | | - Jianwei Chen
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada
| | | | - Kevin Xiang
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada
| | - Leslie Chan
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada
| | - Laura Vivas
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada
| | - Kashtin Low
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious DiseasesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada
| | - Xuewen Lu
- Department of Mathematics and StatisticsUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada
| | - Jangwoo Lee
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious DiseasesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada
| | | | - Thierry Chekouo
- Department of Mathematics and StatisticsUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada,Division of Biostatistics, School of Public HealthUniversity of MinnesotaMinneapolisMinnesotaUSA
| | - Xiaotian Dai
- Department of Mathematics and StatisticsUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada
| | - Jason Cabaj
- Department of Community Health SciencesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada,Department of MedicineUniversity of Calgary and Alberta Health ServicesCalgaryCanada,Provincial Population & Public HealthAlberta Health ServicesCalgaryCanada,O'Brien Institute for Public HealthUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada
| | - Srijak Bhatnagar
- Faculty of Science and TechnologyAthabasca UniversityAthabascaAlbertaCanada
| | | | - Gopal Achari
- Department of Civil EngineeringUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada
| | - Rhonda G. Clark
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada
| | - Craig Pearce
- Infection Prevention and ControlAlberta Health ServicesCalgaryCanada
| | - Joe J. Harrison
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada,Snyder Institute for Chronic DiseasesUniversity of Calgary and Alberta Health ServicesCalgaryCanada
| | - Jon Meddings
- Department of MedicineUniversity of Calgary and Alberta Health ServicesCalgaryCanada
| | - Jenine Leal
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious DiseasesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada,Department of Community Health SciencesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada,O'Brien Institute for Public HealthUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada,Infection Prevention and ControlAlberta Health ServicesCalgaryCanada
| | - Jennifer Ellison
- Infection Prevention and ControlAlberta Health ServicesCalgaryCanada
| | - Bayan Missaghi
- Department of MedicineUniversity of Calgary and Alberta Health ServicesCalgaryCanada,Infection Prevention and ControlAlberta Health ServicesCalgaryCanada
| | - Jamil N. Kanji
- Department of MedicineUniversity of Calgary and Alberta Health ServicesCalgaryCanada,Department of Laboratory Medicine and PathologyUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada,Alberta Precision Laboratories, Public Health LaboratoryAlberta Health ServicesEdmontonAlbertaCanada,Department of Pathology and Laboratory MedicineUniversity of Calgary and Alberta Health ServicesCalgaryCanada
| | - Oscar Larios
- Department of MedicineUniversity of Calgary and Alberta Health ServicesCalgaryCanada,Infection Prevention and ControlAlberta Health ServicesCalgaryCanada,Alberta Precision Laboratories, Public Health LaboratoryAlberta Health ServicesEdmontonAlbertaCanada
| | - Elissa Rennert‐May
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious DiseasesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada,Department of Community Health SciencesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada,Department of MedicineUniversity of Calgary and Alberta Health ServicesCalgaryCanada,O'Brien Institute for Public HealthUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada,Snyder Institute for Chronic DiseasesUniversity of Calgary and Alberta Health ServicesCalgaryCanada
| | - Joseph Kim
- Department of MedicineUniversity of Calgary and Alberta Health ServicesCalgaryCanada,Infection Prevention and ControlAlberta Health ServicesCalgaryCanada
| | - Steve E. Hrudey
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and PathologyUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada,Department of Analytical and Environmental ToxicologyUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
| | - Bonita E. Lee
- Department of PediatricsUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada,Women & Children's Health Research InstituteEdmontonAlbertaCanada,Li Ka Shing Institute of VirologyUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
| | - Xiaoli Pang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and PathologyUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada,Alberta Precision Laboratories, Public Health LaboratoryAlberta Health ServicesEdmontonAlbertaCanada,Li Ka Shing Institute of VirologyUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
| | - Kevin Frankowski
- Advancing Canadian Water AssetsUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada
| | - John Conly
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious DiseasesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada,Department of MedicineUniversity of Calgary and Alberta Health ServicesCalgaryCanada,O'Brien Institute for Public HealthUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada,Infection Prevention and ControlAlberta Health ServicesCalgaryCanada,Snyder Institute for Chronic DiseasesUniversity of Calgary and Alberta Health ServicesCalgaryCanada,Department of Pathology and Laboratory MedicineUniversity of Calgary and Alberta Health ServicesCalgaryCanada
| | | | - Michael D. Parkins
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious DiseasesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada,Department of MedicineUniversity of Calgary and Alberta Health ServicesCalgaryCanada,Snyder Institute for Chronic DiseasesUniversity of Calgary and Alberta Health ServicesCalgaryCanada
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13
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Schmidt PJ, Acosta N, Chik AHS, D’Aoust PM, Delatolla R, Dhiyebi HA, Glier MB, Hubert CRJ, Kopetzky J, Mangat CS, Pang XL, Peterson SW, Prystajecky N, Qiu Y, Servos MR, Emelko MB. Realizing the value in "non-standard" parts of the qPCR standard curve by integrating fundamentals of quantitative microbiology. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1048661. [PMID: 36937263 PMCID: PMC10020645 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1048661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), commonly known as quantitative PCR (qPCR), is increasingly common in environmental microbiology applications. During the COVID-19 pandemic, qPCR combined with reverse transcription (RT-qPCR) has been used to detect and quantify SARS-CoV-2 in clinical diagnoses and wastewater monitoring of local trends. Estimation of concentrations using qPCR often features a log-linear standard curve model calibrating quantification cycle (Cq) values obtained from underlying fluorescence measurements to standard concentrations. This process works well at high concentrations within a linear dynamic range but has diminishing reliability at low concentrations because it cannot explain "non-standard" data such as Cq values reflecting increasing variability at low concentrations or non-detects that do not yield Cq values at all. Here, fundamental probabilistic modeling concepts from classical quantitative microbiology were integrated into standard curve modeling approaches by reflecting well-understood mechanisms for random error in microbial data. This work showed that data diverging from the log-linear regression model at low concentrations as well as non-detects can be seamlessly integrated into enhanced standard curve analysis. The newly developed model provides improved representation of standard curve data at low concentrations while converging asymptotically upon conventional log-linear regression at high concentrations and adding no fitting parameters. Such modeling facilitates exploration of the effects of various random error mechanisms in experiments generating standard curve data, enables quantification of uncertainty in standard curve parameters, and is an important step toward quantifying uncertainty in qPCR-based concentration estimates. Improving understanding of the random error in qPCR data and standard curve modeling is especially important when low concentrations are of particular interest and inappropriate analysis can unduly affect interpretation, conclusions regarding lab performance, reported concentration estimates, and associated decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip J. Schmidt
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Nicole Acosta
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | | | - Patrick M. D’Aoust
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Robert Delatolla
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Hadi A. Dhiyebi
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Melissa B. Glier
- Public Health Laboratory, BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Casey R. J. Hubert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Jennifer Kopetzky
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Chand S. Mangat
- Wastewater Surveillance Unit, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Xiao-Li Pang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Alberta Precision Laboratories, Public Health Laboratory, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Shelley W. Peterson
- Wastewater Surveillance Unit, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Natalie Prystajecky
- Public Health Laboratory, BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Yuanyuan Qiu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Mark R. Servos
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Monica B. Emelko
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
- *Correspondence: Monica B. Emelko,
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14
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Voegtlin SP, Barnes RJ, Hubert CRJ, Larter SR, Bryant SL. Formation of biologically influenced palladium microstructures by Desulfovibrio desulfuricans and Desulfovibrio ferrophilus IS5. N Biotechnol 2022; 72:128-138. [PMID: 36396027 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2022.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
A range of Desulfovibrio spp. can reduce metal ions to form metallic nanoparticles that remain attached to their surfaces. The bioreduction of palladium (Pd) has been given considerable attention due to its extensive use in areas of catalysis and electronics and other technological domains. In this study we report, for the first time, evidence for Pd(II) reduction by the highly corrosive Desulfovibrio ferrophilus IS5 strain to form surface attached Pd nanoparticles, as well as rapid formation of Pd(0) coated microbial nanowires. These filaments reached up to 8 µm in length and led to the formation of a tightly bound group of interconnected cells with enhanced ability to attach to a low carbon steel surface. Moreover, when supplied with high concentrations of Pd (≥ 100 mmol Pd(II) g-1 dry cells), both Desulfovibrio desulfuricans and D. ferrophilus IS5 formed bacteria/Pd hybrid porous microstructures comprising millions of cells. These three-dimensional structures reached up to 3 mm in diameter with a dose of 1200 mmol Pd(II) g-1 dry cells. Under suitable hydrodynamic conditions during reduction, two-dimensional nanosheets of Pd metal were formed that were up to several cm in length. Lower dosing of Pd(II) for promoting rapid synthesis of metal coated nanowires and enhanced attachment of cells onto metal surfaces could improve the efficiency of various biotechnological applications such as microbial fuel cells. Formation of biologically stimulated Pd microstructures could lead to a novel way to produce metal scaffolds or nanosheets for a wide variety of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen P Voegtlin
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Robert J Barnes
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Casey R J Hubert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Stephen R Larter
- Department of Geosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Steven L Bryant
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.
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15
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Lee J, Acosta N, Doorn JV, Low K, Westlund P, Chavarriaga MB, M. Waddell BJ, Du K, McCalder J, Pradhan P, Sedaghat N, Papparis C, Chen J, Xiang K, Chan L, Vivas L, Ruecker NJ, Webster B, Meddings J, Achari G, Cathryn Ryan M, Clark R, Frankowski K, Hubert CRJ, Parkins M. 1874. Comprehensive, longitudinal wastewater surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 across a university campus, demonstrates low levels of SARS-CoV-2 activity relative to the surrounding community. Open Forum Infect Dis 2022. [PMCID: PMC9752603 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofac492.1501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Universities are interactive communities where frequent contacts between individuals occur, increasing the risk of outbreaks of COVID-19. We embarked upon a real-time wastewater (WW) monitoring program across the University of Calgary (UofC) campus measuring WW SARS-CoV-2 burden relative to levels of disease in the broader surrounding community.
![]() The colour scheme shows 6 sewer sub-catchments at the University of Calgary. Autosamplers were deployed at 4 sampling nodes within sub-catchments CR and YA (both residence halls), and UCE and UCS (catchments that include several campus buildings).
![]() Log10-transformed abundance (i.e., copies per mL) of nucleocapsid gene (i.e., N1) for SARS-CoV-2 for each sampling location during October 2021 – April 2022. Locations denoted by the same letters (A, B, or C) show no statistical difference (p > 0.05) according to the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. The WWTP sample corresponds to a catchment area covering most of Calgary including the university campus, for which sampling locations CR, UCE, UCS, and UCW are defined in Fig. 1. Methods From October 2021 – April 2022, WW was collected thrice weekly across UofC campus through 4 individual sewer sampling nodes (Fig. 1) using autosamplers (C.E.C. Analytics, CA). Results from these 4 nodes were compared with community monitoring at Calgary’s largest WW treatment plant (WWTP), which received WW from surrounding neighborhoods, and also from UofC. Nucleic acid was extracted from WW for RTqPCR quantification of the N1 nucleocapside gene from SARS-CoV-2 genomic RNA. Qualitative (positive samples defined if cycle threshold < 40) and quantitative statistical analyses were performed using R. Results Levels of SARS-CoV-2 in WW were significantly lower at all campus monitoring sites relative to the WWTP (Wilcoxon rank-sum test p < 0.05; Fig. 2). The proportion of WW samples that were positive for SARS-CoV-2 was significantly higher for WWTP than at least two campus locations (p < 0.05 for Crowsnest Hall and UCE - University way and campus drive) according to Fischer’s exact 2-sided test. The proportion of WW samples with positive WW signals were still higher for WWTP than the other two locations, but statistically not significant (p = 0.216). Among campus locations, the buildings in UCE catchment showed much lower N1 signals than other catchments, likely owing to buildings in this catchment primarily being administration and classroom environments, with lower human-to-human contact and less defecation compared to the other 3 catchments, which include residence hall, a dining area, and/or laboratory spaces. Conclusion Our results show that SARS-CoV-2 RNA shedding in WW at the UofC is significantly lower than the city-wide signal associated with surrounding neighborhoods. Furthermore, we demonstrate that WW testing at well-defined nodes is a sampling strategy for potentially locating specific places where high transmission of infectious disease occurs. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jangwoo Lee
- University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | | | | | - Kashtin Low
- University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Kristine Du
- University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Kevin Xiang
- University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Leslie Chan
- University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Laura Vivas
- University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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16
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M. Waddell BJ, Oberding L, Acosta N, Chavarriaga MB, McCalder J, Toppings N, Du K, Pradhan P, Sedaghat N, Beaudet A, Man L, Cabaj J, Bhatnagar S, Ruecker NJ, Achari G, Cathryn Ryan M, Meddings J, Conly JM, Frankowski K, Hubert CRJ, Pillai D, Parkins M. 1873. Comparative performance of RTqPCR vs RTddPCR for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater (WW) collected from a range of sites and scales across the sewer network of Calgary, Alberta. Open Forum Infect Dis 2022. [PMCID: PMC9752490 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofac492.1500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background We sought to compare WW SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection across a range of sites and scales using RTqPCR and RTddPCR.
![]() Methods Composite-24h WW was collected from a WW treatment plant (WTP; n=18), a neighborhood (Nb1; n=12) and three hospitals; H-1, H-2, and H-3 (3-sites; A-C)(n=84). RNA was extracted using the 4S-silica column method. RTqPCR (QuantStudio5, ThermoFisher) and RTddPCR (C1000 Thermal Cycler and QX200 Droplet Reader, BioRad) quantified SARS-CoV-2 RNA nucleocapsid (N2, US CDC) and envelope (E Sarbeco, Corman et al 2020) in triplicate. Fisher’s exact test was used to compare assay sensitivity. Correlations between modalities and RNA - clinically-confirmed COVID-19 cases (defined by postal code of primary residence using 5-day rolling average) was assessed using Persons correlation. Results 114 samples were tested (02/23/2021-04/22/2021). SARS-CoV-2-N2 was identified in 90/114 (79%) by RTqPCR and 89/114 (78%) by ddPCR (p=1). SARS-CoV-2 E was found in 72/114 (63%) by RTqPCR and 90/114 (79%) by ddPCR, p=0.01. Correlations between modalities were strongest for N2 relative to E across all sites (see Table). N2 correlated with clinically diagnosed cases for both modalities greater at the level of the WTP (RTqPCR; r=0.8972, p< 0.0001and ddPCR; 0.933, p< 0.0001) relative to neighborhood (RTqPCR; r=0.6, p=0.04 and ddPCR; 0.60, p=0.04). E correlated to a lesser degree with cases at WTP (RTqPCR; r=0.65, p=0.0035 and ddPCR; 0.88, p=< 0.001) and neighborhoods (RTqPCR; r=0.40, p=0.20 and ddPCR; r=0.43, p=0.16). Conclusion SARS-CoV-2 detection of N2 was similar between RTqPCR and RTddPCR across a range of sites and scales in the sewershed, and this correlated best with clinical cases whereas E detection was superior with ddPCR. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Kristine Du
- University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | - Jason Cabaj
- University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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17
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Acosta N, Chavarriaga MB, Waddell BJM, McCalder J, Du K, Pradhan P, Sedaghat N, Papparis C, Chen J, Doorn JV, Xiang K, Chan L, Vivas L, Low K, Lu X, Chekouo T, Dai X, Cabaj J, Hrudey S, Bhatnagar S, Ruecker NJ, Achari G, Cathryn Ryan M, Clark R, Pearce C, Harrison J, Meddings J, Leal J, Missaghi B, Kanji J, Larios O, May ER, Kim J, Pang XL, Lee B, Frankowski K, Conly JM, Hubert CRJ, Parkins M. 1074. Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) in hospital wastewater (WW) and its correlation with hospitalized cases of COVID-19 and the occurrence of outbreaks. Open Forum Infect Dis 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofac492.915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
WW surveillance enables real time monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 burden in defined sewer catchment areas. Here, we assessed the occurrence of total, Delta and Omicron SARS-CoV-2 RNA in sewage from three tertiary-care hospitals in Calgary, Canada.
Methods
Nucleic acid was extracted from hospital (H) WW using the 4S-silica column method. H-1 and H-2 were assessed via a single autosampler whereas H-3 required three separate monitoring devices (a-c). SARS-CoV-2 RNA was quantified using two RT-qPCR approaches targeting the nucleocapsid gene; N1 and N200 assays, and the R203K/G204R and R203M mutations. Assays were positive if Cq< 40. Cross-correlation function analyses (CCF) was performed to determine the time-lagged relationships between WW signal and clinical cases. SARS-CoV-2 RNA abundance was compared to total hospitalized cases, nosocomial-acquired cases, and outbreaks. Statistical analyses were conducted using R.
Results
Ninety-six percent (188/196) of WW samples collected between Aug/21-Jan/22 were positive for SARS-CoV-2. Omicron rapidly supplanted Delta by mid-December and this correlated with lack of Delta-associated H-transmissions during a period of frequent outbreaks. The CCF analysis showed a positive autocorrelation between the RNA concentration and total cases, where the most dominant cross correlations occurred between -3 and 0 lags (weeks) (Cross-correlation values: 0.75, 0.579, 0.608, 0.528 and 0.746 for H-1, H-2, H-3a, H-3b and H-3c; respectively). VOC-specific assessments showed this positive association only to hold true for Omicron across all hospitals (cross-correlation occurred at lags -2 and 0, CFF value range between 0.648 -0.984). We observed a significant difference in median copies/ml SARS-CoV-2 N-1 between outbreak-free periods vs outbreaks for H-1 (46 [IQR: 11-150] vs 742 [IQR: 162-1176], P< 0.0001), H-2 (24 [IQR: 6-167] vs 214 [IQR: 57-560], P=0.009) and H-3c (2.32 [IQR: 0-19] vs 129 [IQR: 14-274], P=0.001).
Conclusion
WW surveillance is a powerful tool for early detection and monitoring of circulating SARS-CoV-2 VOCs. Total SARS-CoV-2 and VOC-specific WW signal correlated with hospitalized prevalent cases of COVID-19 and outbreak occurrence.
Disclosures
All Authors: No reported disclosures.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Kristine Du
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | - Puja Pradhan
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | | | | | - Jianwei Chen
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | | | - Kevin Xiang
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | - Leslie Chan
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | - Laura Vivas
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | - Kashtin Low
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | - Xuewen Lu
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | | | - Xiaotian Dai
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | - Jason Cabaj
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | - Steve Hrudey
- University of Alberta , Edmonton, Alberta , Canada
| | | | | | - Gopal Achari
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | | | - Rhonda Clark
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | - Craig Pearce
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | - Joe Harrison
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | - Jon Meddings
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | - Jenine Leal
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | | | - Jamil Kanji
- University of Alberta , Edmonton, Alberta , Canada
| | - Oscar Larios
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | | | - Joseph Kim
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | - Xiao-Li Pang
- University of Alberta , Edmonton, Alberta , Canada
| | - Bonita Lee
- University of Alberta , Edmonton, Alberta , Canada
| | | | - John M Conly
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
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18
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Au E, Waddell BJM, Acosta N, Du K, Chavarriaga MB, McCalder J, Doorn JV, Low K, Lu X, Chekouo T, Dai X, Cabaj J, Hrudey S, Bhatnagar S, Ruecker NJ, Achari G, Cathryn Ryan M, Clark R, Louie TJ, Ward L, Harrison J, Pitout J, Meddings J, Leal J, Missaghi B, Kanji J, Larios O, May ER, Kim J, Frankowski K, Hubert CRJ, Conly JM, Parkins M. 404. Surveillance of Clostridioides difficile Burden in Hospitals Through Wastewater Analysis. Open Forum Infect Dis 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofac492.482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
New tools capable of dynamic assessment of the varying burden of Clostridioides difficile infections are required to mitigate increased patient morbidity, mortality, and health costs. Wastewater (WW)-based epidemiology (WBE) is an emerging science, enabling comprehensive, inclusive, and unbiased assessment of populations, spatially and temporally. We sought to detect, quantify and track C. difficile across a range of scales using WBE.
Methods
WW collected from two hospitals; the Rockyview General Hospital (RGH; 600 beds) and Peter Lougheed Centre (PLC; 550 beds) both based in Calgary, were compared to that from a municipal WW Treatment Plant (WWTP) in Calgary, Canada. DNA was extracted from pellets collected after WW centrifugation. A multiplexed quantitative PCR assay was used to quantify the abundance of C. difficile 16S rRNA and toxin A (tcdA) genes. These were then assessed as raw values or as normalized ratios to three fecal biomarker genes: total bacterial 16S rRNA, human 18S rRNA, and Bacteroides HF183 16S rRNA. Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests were performed using RStudio and GraphPad Prism (version 9.3.1).
Results
Eight weekly samples collected from the RGH demonstrated significant changes in the levels of total C. difficile 16S rRNA gene and tcdA over time (P=0.0004 and P=0.0005, respectively, Kruskal-Wallis). Similar trends in total C. difficile and tcdA burden over time were observed when gene copies were normalized with the three fecal biomarker genes. Over a separate 13-week comparison, C. difficile and tcdA gene target abundance was greater in hospital WW (RGH and PLC) than in community-based samples from the WWTP (P=0.048 and P=0.012, respectively, Mann-Whitney). There was no significant difference in C. difficile and tcdA gene target abundance between RGH and PLC (P=0.896 and P=0.343, respectively, Mann-Whitney).
Clostridioides difficile genes in wastewater measured by quantitative PCR.
C. difficile 16S rRNA and tcdA gene abundance normalized as a ratio against total bacterial load (16S rRNA) varies over time and is markedly increased in hospitals relative to a municipal wastewater treatment plant in Calgary, Canada.
Conclusion
WW surveillance is a powerful tool that can monitor the burden the C. difficile across a range of scales in real-time. This tool could augment infection prevention and control and antimicrobial stewardship programs to better understand factors that contribute to colonization and infection.
Disclosures
Thomas J. Louie, MD, Artugen: Advisor/Consultant|Artugen: Grant/Research Support|Crestone: Advisor/Consultant|Crestone: Grant/Research Support|Finch Therapeutics: Advisor/Consultant|Finch Therapeutics: Grant/Research Support|Rebiotix: Advisor/Consultant|Rebiotix: Grant/Research Support|Seres Therapeutics: Advisor/Consultant|Seres Therapeutics: Grant/Research Support|summit plc: Advisor/Consultant|summit plc: Grant/Research Support|Vedanta Biosciences: Advisor/Consultant|Vedanta Biosciences: Grant/Research Support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Au
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | | | | | - Kristine Du
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | | | | | | | - Kashtin Low
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | - Xuewen Lu
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | | | - Xiaotian Dai
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | - Jason Cabaj
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | - Steve Hrudey
- University of Alberta , Edmonton, Alberta , Canada
| | | | | | - Gopal Achari
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | | | - Rhonda Clark
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | | | - Linda Ward
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | - Joe Harrison
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | | | - Jon Meddings
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | - Jenine Leal
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | | | - Jamil Kanji
- University of Alberta , Edmonton, Alberta , Canada
| | - Oscar Larios
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | | | - Joseph Kim
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
| | | | | | - John M Conly
- University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta , Canada
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19
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Milojevic T, Cramm MA, Hubert CRJ, Westall F. "Freezing" Thermophiles: From One Temperature Extreme to Another. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10122417. [PMID: 36557670 PMCID: PMC9782878 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10122417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
New detections of thermophiles in psychrobiotic (i.e., bearing cold-tolerant life forms) marine and terrestrial habitats including Arctic marine sediments, Antarctic accretion ice, permafrost, and elsewhere are continually being reported. These microorganisms present great opportunities for microbial ecologists to examine biogeographical processes for spore-formers and non-spore-formers alike, including dispersal histories connecting warm and cold biospheres. In this review, we examine different examples of thermophiles in cryobiotic locations, and highlight exploration of thermophiles at cold temperatures under laboratory conditions. The survival of thermophiles in psychrobiotic environments provokes novel considerations of physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying natural cryopreservation of microorganisms. Cultures of thermophiles maintained at low temperature may serve as a non-sporulating laboratory model for further exploration of metabolic potential of thermophiles at psychrobiotic temperatures, as well as for elucidating molecular mechanisms behind natural preservation and adaptation to psychrobiotic environments. These investigations are highly relevant for the search for life on other cold and icy planets in the Solar System, such as Mars, Europa and Enceladus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetyana Milojevic
- Exobiology Group, CNRS-Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, University of Orléans, Rue Charles Sadron, CEDEX 2, 45071 Orléans, France
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +33-2-3825-5548
| | - Margaret Anne Cramm
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Casey R. J. Hubert
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Frances Westall
- Exobiology Group, CNRS-Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, Rue Charles Sadron, CEDEX 2, 45071 Orléans, France
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20
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Bell E, Rattray JE, Sloan K, Sherry A, Pilloni G, Hubert CRJ. Hyperthermophilic endospores germinate and metabolize organic carbon in sediments heated to 80°C. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:5534-5545. [PMID: 36100999 PMCID: PMC9826295 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Cold surface sediments host a seedbank of functionally diverse thermophilic bacteria. These thermophiles are present as endospores, which are widely dispersed in aquatic environments. Here, we investigated the functional potential of endospore populations in cold surface sediments heated to 80°C. Microbial production of acetate was observed at 80°C and could be enhanced by supplying additional organic carbon substrates. Comparison of 16S rRNA gene amplicon libraries from 80°C enrichments to sediments heated to lower temperatures (50-70°C) showed that temperature selects for distinct populations of endospore-forming bacteria. Whereas sulfate-reducing thermophiles were enriched in 50-70°C incubations, 80°C exceeds their thermal tolerance and selects for hyperthermophilic organotrophic bacteria that are similarly detected in amplicon libraries from sediments heated to 90°C. Genome-resolved metagenomics revealed novel carbon cycling members of Symbiobacteriales, Thermosediminibacteraceae, Thermanaeromonas and Calditerricola with the genomic potential for the degradation of carbohydrates, sugars, amino acids and nucleotides. Endospores of thermophilic bacteria are deposited on seabed sediments worldwide where they remain dormant as they are buried in the accumulating sediments. Our results suggest that endospore populations could be activated by temperature increases encountered during burial and show the potential for organotrophic metabolic activity contributing to acetate generation in deep hot sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Bell
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryAlbertaCanada,School of Natural and Environmental SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUK
| | - Jayne E. Rattray
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryAlbertaCanada
| | - Kathryn Sloan
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryAlbertaCanada
| | - Angela Sherry
- Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment, Department of Applied SciencesNorthumbria UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUK
| | - Giovanni Pilloni
- ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering CompanyAnnandaleNew JerseyUSA
| | - Casey R. J. Hubert
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryAlbertaCanada,School of Natural and Environmental SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUK
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21
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Rattray JE, Chakraborty A, Elizondo G, Ellefson E, Bernard B, Brooks J, Hubert CRJ. Endospores associated with deep seabed geofluid features in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Geobiology 2022; 20:823-836. [PMID: 35993193 PMCID: PMC9804197 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have reported up to 1.9 × 1029 bacterial endospores in the upper kilometre of deep subseafloor marine sediments, however, little is understood about their origin and dispersal. In cold ocean environments, the presence of thermospores (endospores produced by thermophilic bacteria) suggests that distribution is governed by passive migration from warm anoxic sources possibly facilitated by geofluid flow, such as advective hydrocarbon seepage sourced from petroleum deposits deeper in the subsurface. This study assesses this hypothesis by measuring endospore abundance and distribution across 60 sites in Eastern Gulf of Mexico (EGM) sediments using a combination of the endospore biomarker 2,6-pyridine dicarboxylic acid or 'dipicolinic acid' (DPA), sequencing 16S rRNA genes of thermospores germinated in 50°C sediment incubations, petroleum geochemistry in the sediments and acoustic seabed data from sub-bottom profiling. High endospore abundance is associated with geologically active conduit features (mud volcanoes, pockmarks, escarpments and fault systems), consistent with subsurface fluid flow dispersing endospores from deep warm sources up into the cold ocean. Thermospores identified at conduit sites were most closely related to bacteria associated with the deep biosphere habitats including hydrocarbon systems. The high endospore abundance at geological seep features demonstrated here suggests that recalcitrant endospores and their chemical components (such as DPA) can be used in concert with geochemical and geophysical analyses to locate discharging seafloor features. This multiproxy approach can be used to better understand patterns of advective fluid flow in regions with complex geology like the EGM basin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayne E. Rattray
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryAlbertaCanada
| | - Anirban Chakraborty
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryAlbertaCanada
- Department of Biological SciencesIdaho State UniversityPocatelloIdahoUSA
| | - Gretta Elizondo
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryAlbertaCanada
| | - Emily Ellefson
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryAlbertaCanada
- Geological SciencesStanford UniversityStanfordCaliforniaUSA
| | | | | | - Casey R. J. Hubert
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryAlbertaCanada
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22
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Hubert CRJ, Acosta N, Waddell BJM, Hasing ME, Qiu Y, Fuzzen M, Harper NBJ, Bautista MA, Gao T, Papparis C, Van Doorn J, Du K, Xiang K, Chan L, Vivas L, Pradhan P, McCalder J, Low K, England WE, Kuzma D, Conly J, Ryan MC, Achari G, Hu J, Cabaj JL, Sikora C, Svenson L, Zelyas N, Servos M, Meddings J, Hrudey SE, Frankowski K, Parkins MD, Pang XL, Lee BE. Tracking Emergence and Spread of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant in Large and Small Communities by Wastewater Monitoring in Alberta, Canada. Emerg Infect Dis 2022. [PMID: 35867051 DOI: 10.1101/2022.03.07.22272055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Wastewater monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 enables early detection and monitoring of the COVID-19 disease burden in communities and can track specific variants of concern. We determined proportions of the Omicron and Delta variants across 30 municipalities covering >75% of the province of Alberta (population 4.5 million), Canada, during November 2021-January 2022. Larger cities Calgary and Edmonton exhibited more rapid emergence of Omicron than did smaller and more remote municipalities. Notable exceptions were Banff, a small international resort town, and Fort McMurray, a medium-sized northern community that has many workers who fly in and out regularly. The integrated wastewater signal revealed that the Omicron variant represented close to 100% of SARS-CoV-2 burden by late December, before the peak in newly diagnosed clinical cases throughout Alberta in mid-January. These findings demonstrate that wastewater monitoring offers early and reliable population-level results for establishing the extent and spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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23
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Gittins DA, Desiage PA, Morrison N, Rattray JE, Bhatnagar S, Chakraborty A, Zorz J, Li C, Horanszky O, Cramm MA, Bisiach F, Bennett R, Webb J, MacDonald A, Fowler M, Campbell DC, Hubert CRJ. Geological processes mediate a microbial dispersal loop in the deep biosphere. Sci Adv 2022; 8:eabn3485. [PMID: 36026445 PMCID: PMC9417182 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn3485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The deep biosphere is the largest microbial habitat on Earth and features abundant bacterial endospores. Whereas dormancy and survival at theoretical energy minima are hallmarks of microbial physiology in the subsurface, ecological processes such as dispersal and selection in the deep biosphere remain poorly understood. We investigated the biogeography of dispersing bacteria in the deep sea where upward hydrocarbon seepage was confirmed by acoustic imagery and geochemistry. Thermophilic endospores in the permanently cold seabed correlated with underlying seep conduits reveal geofluid-facilitated cell migration pathways originating in deep petroleum-bearing sediments. Endospore genomes highlight adaptations to life in anoxic petroleum systems and bear close resemblance to oil reservoir microbiomes globally. Upon transport out of the subsurface, viable thermophilic endospores reenter the geosphere by sediment burial, enabling germination and environmental selection at depth where new petroleum systems establish. This microbial dispersal loop circulates living biomass in and out of the deep biosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A. Gittins
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
- Corresponding author.
| | | | - Natasha Morrison
- Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, Government of Nova Scotia, Halifax, Canada
| | - Jayne E. Rattray
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Srijak Bhatnagar
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | | | - Jackie Zorz
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Carmen Li
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Oliver Horanszky
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Margaret A. Cramm
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Francesco Bisiach
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Robbie Bennett
- Natural Resources Canada, Geological Survey of Canada-Atlantic, Dartmouth, Canada
| | - Jamie Webb
- Applied Petroleum Technology, Calgary, Canada
| | - Adam MacDonald
- Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, Government of Nova Scotia, Halifax, Canada
| | | | - D. Calvin Campbell
- Natural Resources Canada, Geological Survey of Canada-Atlantic, Dartmouth, Canada
| | - Casey R. J. Hubert
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
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24
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Dong X, Zhang C, Peng Y, Zhang HX, Shi LD, Wei G, Hubert CRJ, Wang Y, Greening C. Phylogenetically and catabolically diverse diazotrophs reside in deep-sea cold seep sediments. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4885. [PMID: 35985998 PMCID: PMC9391474 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32503-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbially mediated nitrogen cycling in carbon-dominated cold seep environments remains poorly understood. So far anaerobic methanotrophic archaea (ANME-2) and their sulfate-reducing bacterial partners (SEEP-SRB1 clade) have been identified as diazotrophs in deep sea cold seep sediments. However, it is unclear whether other microbial groups can perform nitrogen fixation in such ecosystems. To fill this gap, we analyzed 61 metagenomes, 1428 metagenome-assembled genomes, and six metatranscriptomes derived from 11 globally distributed cold seeps. These sediments contain phylogenetically diverse nitrogenase genes corresponding to an expanded diversity of diazotrophic lineages. Diverse catabolic pathways were predicted to provide ATP for nitrogen fixation, suggesting diazotrophy in cold seeps is not necessarily associated with sulfate-dependent anaerobic oxidation of methane. Nitrogen fixation genes among various diazotrophic groups in cold seeps were inferred to be genetically mobile and subject to purifying selection. Our findings extend the capacity for diazotrophy to five candidate phyla (Altarchaeia, Omnitrophota, FCPU426, Caldatribacteriota and UBA6262), and suggest that cold seep diazotrophs might contribute substantially to the global nitrogen balance. Microbial nitrogen fixation could be important in the deep sea. Here the authors investigate metagenomes and metatranscriptomes of diazotrophs from deep sea cold seep sediments, reveal greater phylogenetic and functional diversity than hitherto known.
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25
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Chakraborty A, Rattray JE, Drake SS, Matthews S, Li C, Jørgensen BB, Hubert CRJ. Metabolic responses of thermophilic endospores to sudden heat-induced perturbation in marine sediment samples. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:958417. [PMID: 36033870 PMCID: PMC9411986 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.958417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbially mediated processes in a given habitat tend to be catalyzed by abundant populations that are ecologically adapted to exploit specific environmental characteristics. Typically, metabolic activities of rare populations are limited but may be stimulated in response to acute environmental stressors. Community responses to sudden changes in temperature and pressure can include suppression and activation of different populations, but these dynamics remain poorly understood. The permanently cold ocean floor hosts countless low-abundance microbes including endospores of thermophilic bacteria. Incubating sediments at high temperature resuscitates viable spores, causing the proliferation of bacterial populations. This presents a tractable system for investigating changes in a microbiome's community structure in response to dramatic environmental perturbations. Incubating permanently cold Arctic fjord sediments at 50°C for 216 h with and without volatile fatty acid amendment provoked major changes in community structure. Germination of thermophilic spores from the sediment rare biosphere was tracked using mass spectrometry-based metabolomics, radiotracer-based sulfate reduction rate measurements, and high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Comparing community similarity at different intervals of the incubations showed distinct temporal shifts in microbial populations, depending on organic substrate amendment. Metabolite patterns indicated that amino acids and other sediment-derived organics were decomposed by fermentative Clostridia within the first 12–48 h. This fueled early and late phases of exponential increases in sulfate reduction, highlighting the cross-feeding of volatile fatty acids as electron donors for different sulfate-reducing Desulfotomaculia populations. The succession of germinated endospores triggered by sudden exposure to high temperature and controlled by nutrient availability offers a model for understanding the ecological response of dormant microbial communities following major environmental perturbations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anirban Chakraborty
- Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- *Correspondence: Anirban Chakraborty
| | - Jayne E. Rattray
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Sienna S. Drake
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Stuart Matthews
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Carmen Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Bo Barker Jørgensen
- Section for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Casey R. J. Hubert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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26
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Hubert CRJ, Acosta N, Waddell BJM, Hasing ME, Qiu Y, Fuzzen M, Harper NBJ, Bautista MA, Gao T, Papparis C, Van Doorn J, Du K, Xiang K, Chan L, Vivas L, Pradhan P, McCalder J, Low K, England WE, Kuzma D, Conly J, Ryan MC, Achari G, Hu J, Cabaj JL, Sikora C, Svenson L, Zelyas N, Servos M, Meddings J, Hrudey SE, Frankowski K, Parkins MD, Pang XL, Lee BE. Tracking Emergence and Spread of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant in Large and Small Communities by Wastewater Monitoring in Alberta, Canada. Emerg Infect Dis 2022; 28:1770-1776. [PMID: 35867051 PMCID: PMC9423933 DOI: 10.3201/eid2809.220476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Wastewater monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 enables early detection and monitoring of the COVID-19 disease burden in communities and can track specific variants of concern. We determined proportions of the Omicron and Delta variants across 30 municipalities covering >75% of the province of Alberta (population 4.5 million), Canada, during November 2021-January 2022. Larger cities Calgary and Edmonton exhibited more rapid emergence of Omicron than did smaller and more remote municipalities. Notable exceptions were Banff, a small international resort town, and Fort McMurray, a medium-sized northern community that has many workers who fly in and out regularly. The integrated wastewater signal revealed that the Omicron variant represented close to 100% of SARS-CoV-2 burden by late December, before the peak in newly diagnosed clinical cases throughout Alberta in mid-January. These findings demonstrate that wastewater monitoring offers early and reliable population-level results for establishing the extent and spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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27
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Acosta N, Bautista MA, Waddell BJ, McCalder J, Beaudet AB, Man L, Pradhan P, Sedaghat N, Papparis C, Bacanu A, Hollman J, Krusina A, Southern DA, Williamson T, Li C, Bhatnagar S, Murphy S, Chen J, Kuzma D, Clark R, Meddings J, Hu J, Cabaj JL, Conly JM, Dai X, Lu X, Chekouo T, Ruecker NJ, Achari G, Ryan MC, Frankowski K, Hubert CRJ, Parkins MD. Longitudinal SARS-CoV-2 RNA wastewater monitoring across a range of scales correlates with total and regional COVID-19 burden in a well-defined urban population. Water Res 2022; 220:118611. [PMID: 35661506 PMCID: PMC9107283 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is an emerging surveillance tool that has been used to monitor the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic by tracking SARS-CoV-2 RNA shed into wastewater. WBE was performed to monitor the occurrence and spread of SARS-CoV-2 from three wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) and six neighborhoods in the city of Calgary, Canada (population 1.44 million). A total of 222 WWTP and 192 neighborhood samples were collected from June 2020 to May 2021, encompassing the end of the first-wave (June 2020), the second-wave (November end to December 2020) and the third-wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (mid-April to May 2021). Flow-weighted 24-hour composite samples were processed to extract RNA that was then analyzed for two SARS-CoV-2-specific regions of the nucleocapsid gene, N1 and N2, using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Using this approach SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in 98.06% (406/414) of wastewater samples. SARS-CoV-2 RNA abundance was compared to clinically diagnosed COVID-19 cases organized by the three-digit postal code of affected individuals' primary residences, enabling correlation analysis at neighborhood, WWTP and city-wide scales. Strong correlations were observed between N1 & N2 gene signals in wastewater and new daily cases for WWTPs and neighborhoods. Similarly, when flow rates at Calgary's three WWTPs were used to normalize observed concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and combine them into a city-wide signal, this was strongly correlated with regionally diagnosed COVID-19 cases and clinical test percent positivity rate. Linked census data demonstrated disproportionate SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater from areas of the city with lower socioeconomic status and more racialized communities. WBE across a range of urban scales was demonstrated to be an effective mechanism of COVID-19 surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Acosta
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - María A Bautista
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Barbara J Waddell
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Janine McCalder
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada; Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Alexander Buchner Beaudet
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada; Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Lawrence Man
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Puja Pradhan
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada; Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Navid Sedaghat
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada; Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Chloe Papparis
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada; Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Andra Bacanu
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada; Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Jordan Hollman
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada; Department of Geosciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Alexander Krusina
- Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Danielle A Southern
- Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Tyler Williamson
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4Z6, Canada; O'Brien Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, 3280 Hospital Dr NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - Carmen Li
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Srijak Bhatnagar
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Sean Murphy
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Jianwei Chen
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Darina Kuzma
- Advancing Canadian Water Assets, University of Calgary, 3131 210 Ave SE, Calgary, Alberta, T0L 0×0, Canada
| | - Rhonda Clark
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada; Advancing Canadian Water Assets, University of Calgary, 3131 210 Ave SE, Calgary, Alberta, T0L 0×0, Canada
| | - Jon Meddings
- Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Jia Hu
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4Z6, Canada; O'Brien Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, 3280 Hospital Dr NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4Z6, Canada; Provincial Population & Public Health, Alberta Health Services, 3030 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4W4, Canada
| | - Jason L Cabaj
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4Z6, Canada; O'Brien Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, 3280 Hospital Dr NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4Z6, Canada; Provincial Population & Public Health, Alberta Health Services, 3030 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4W4, Canada
| | - John M Conly
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada; O'Brien Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, 3280 Hospital Dr NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4Z6, Canada; Infection Prevention and Control, Alberta Health Services, 1403 29th Street NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 2T9, Canada; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada; Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Xiaotian Dai
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Calgary, 2500 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Xuewen Lu
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Calgary, 2500 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Thierry Chekouo
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Calgary, 2500 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Norma J Ruecker
- Water Quality Services, City of Calgary, 625 25 Ave SE, Calgary, Alberta, T2G 4k8, Canada
| | - Gopal Achari
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - M Cathryn Ryan
- Department of Geosciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Kevin Frankowski
- Advancing Canadian Water Assets, University of Calgary, 3131 210 Ave SE, Calgary, Alberta, T0L 0×0, Canada
| | - Casey R J Hubert
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Michael D Parkins
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada; Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada.
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28
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Chakraborty A, Suchy M, Hubert CRJ, Ryan MC. Vertical stratification of microbial communities and isotope geochemistry tie groundwater denitrification to sampling location within a nitrate-contaminated aquifer. Sci Total Environ 2022; 820:153092. [PMID: 35038526 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Nitrate pollution is a major threat to groundwater quality in agricultural areas. Natural attenuation of nitrate in contaminated aquifers is mediated by denitrifying microbial populations in anoxic environments. Vertical distribution of denitrifying microbial communities in aquifers is greatly influenced by groundwater redox conditions, local hydrogeological parameters, and seasonal variability in groundwater flow and recharge. In this study, we investigated groundwater geochemistry and the composition of bacterial and archaeal communities with increasing depth in a shallow nitrate-contaminated aquifer in British Columbia, Canada. High-resolution passive diffusion sampling was conducted to collect groundwater at 10-cm intervals from 4 to 20 m below ground surface (mbgs) in the aquifer. Geochemical analyses of major ions indicated a general shift in the groundwater chemistry below 16 mbgs including decreasing chloride concentrations that suggest two-end member mixing of shallow and deep groundwater with different chemistries. A redoxcline was further observed within a 2 m transition zone at 18-20 mbgs characterized by sharp declines in nitrate concentrations and increases in sulfate and total inorganic carbon. Excursions in δ15N-NO3- and δ18O-NO3- in the same depth interval are consistent with denitrification, and a concomitant decrease in δ34S-SO42- suggested that denitrification was coupled to sulfide or sulfur oxidation. Microbial communities within this depth interval were significantly dissimilar to those above and below, featuring putative lithotrophic denitrifying bacteria belonging to the genera Sulfurifustis, Sulfuritalea and Sulfuricella. These lineages were detected in greatest abundance at 19 mbgs while the abundances of putative heterotrophic sulfate-reducing bacteria belonging to the genus Desulfosporosinus were greatest at 20 mbgs. In addition to help distinguish denitrification from mixing-induced changes in groundwater chemistry, the above observed vertical stratification of the microbial key players connects nitrate removal to the locations of the aquifer sampled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anirban Chakraborty
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
| | - Martin Suchy
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Casey R J Hubert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - M Cathryn Ryan
- Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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29
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Khot V, Zorz J, Gittins DA, Chakraborty A, Bell E, Bautista MA, Paquette AJ, Hawley AK, Novotnik B, Hubert CRJ, Strous M, Bhatnagar S. CANT-HYD: A Curated Database of Phylogeny-Derived Hidden Markov Models for Annotation of Marker Genes Involved in Hydrocarbon Degradation. Front Microbiol 2022; 12:764058. [PMID: 35069469 PMCID: PMC8767102 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.764058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Many pathways for hydrocarbon degradation have been discovered, yet there are no dedicated tools to identify and predict the hydrocarbon degradation potential of microbial genomes and metagenomes. Here we present the Calgary approach to ANnoTating HYDrocarbon degradation genes (CANT-HYD), a database of 37 HMMs of marker genes involved in anaerobic and aerobic degradation pathways of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. Using this database, we identify understudied or overlooked hydrocarbon degradation potential in many phyla. We also demonstrate its application in analyzing high-throughput sequence data by predicting hydrocarbon utilization in large metagenomic datasets from diverse environments. CANT-HYD is available at https://github.com/dgittins/CANT-HYD-HydrocarbonBiodegradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varada Khot
- Energy Bioengineering and Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Jackie Zorz
- Energy Bioengineering and Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Daniel A Gittins
- Energy Bioengineering and Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Anirban Chakraborty
- Energy Bioengineering and Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Emma Bell
- Energy Bioengineering and Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - María A Bautista
- Energy Bioengineering and Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Alexandre J Paquette
- Energy Bioengineering and Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Alyse K Hawley
- Energy Bioengineering and Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Breda Novotnik
- Energy Bioengineering and Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Casey R J Hubert
- Energy Bioengineering and Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Marc Strous
- Energy Bioengineering and Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Srijak Bhatnagar
- Energy Bioengineering and Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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30
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Scheffer G, Hubert CRJ, Enning DR, Lahme S, Mand J, de Rezende JR. Metagenomic Investigation of a Low Diversity, High Salinity Offshore Oil Reservoir. Microorganisms 2021; 9:2266. [PMID: 34835392 PMCID: PMC8621343 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9112266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Oil reservoirs can represent extreme environments for microbial life due to low water availability, high salinity, high pressure and naturally occurring radionuclides. This study investigated the microbiome of saline formation water samples from a Gulf of Mexico oil reservoir. Metagenomic analysis and associated anaerobic enrichment cultures enabled investigations into metabolic potential for microbial activity and persistence in this environment given its high salinity (4.5%) and low nutrient availability. Preliminary 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing revealed very low microbial diversity. Accordingly, deep shotgun sequencing resulted in nine metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), including members of novel lineages QPJE01 (genus level) within the Halanaerobiaceae, and BM520 (family level) within the Bacteroidales. Genomes of the nine organisms included respiratory pathways such as nitrate reduction (in Arhodomonas, Flexistipes, Geotoga and Marinobacter MAGs) and thiosulfate reduction (in Arhodomonas, Flexistipes and Geotoga MAGs). Genomic evidence for adaptation to high salinity, withstanding radioactivity, and metal acquisition was also observed in different MAGs, possibly explaining their occurrence in this extreme habitat. Other metabolic features included the potential for quorum sensing and biofilm formation, and genes for forming endospores in some cases. Understanding the microbiomes of deep biosphere environments sheds light on the capabilities of uncultivated subsurface microorganisms and their potential roles in subsurface settings, including during oil recovery operations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle Scheffer
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada;
| | - Casey R. J. Hubert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada;
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK; (S.L.); (J.R.d.R.)
| | - Dennis R. Enning
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Technology, Berlin University of Applied Sciences and Technology, D-13347 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Sven Lahme
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK; (S.L.); (J.R.d.R.)
- Exxon Mobil Upstream Research Company, Spring, TX 77389, USA;
| | - Jaspreet Mand
- Exxon Mobil Upstream Research Company, Spring, TX 77389, USA;
| | - Júlia R. de Rezende
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK; (S.L.); (J.R.d.R.)
- The Lyell Centre, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
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31
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Murphy SMC, Bautista MA, Cramm MA, Hubert CRJ. Diesel and Crude Oil Biodegradation by Cold-Adapted Microbial Communities in the Labrador Sea. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:e0080021. [PMID: 34378990 PMCID: PMC8478444 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00800-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Oil spills in the subarctic marine environment off the coast of Labrador, Canada, are increasingly likely due to potential oil production and increases in ship traffic in the region. To understand the microbiome response and how nutrient biostimulation promotes biodegradation of oil spills in this cold marine setting, marine sediment microcosms amended with diesel or crude oil were incubated at in situ temperature (4°C) for several weeks. Sequencing of 16S rRNA genes following these spill simulations revealed decreased microbial diversity and enrichment of putative hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria that differed depending on the petroleum product. Metagenomic sequencing revealed that the genus Paraperlucidibaca harbors previously unrecognized capabilities for alkane biodegradation, which were also observed in Cycloclasticus. Genomic and amplicon sequencing together suggest that Oleispira and Thalassolituus degraded alkanes from diesel, while Zhongshania and the novel PGZG01 lineage contributed to crude oil alkane biodegradation. Greater losses in PAHs from crude oil than from diesel were consistent with Marinobacter, Pseudomonas_D, and Amphritea genomes exhibiting aromatic hydrocarbon biodegradation potential. Biostimulation with nitrogen and phosphorus (4.67 mM NH4Cl and 1.47 mM KH2PO4) was effective at enhancing n-alkane and PAH degradation following low-concentration (0.1% [vol/vol]) diesel and crude oil amendments, while at higher concentrations (1% [vol/vol]) only n-alkanes in diesel were consumed, suggesting toxicity induced by compounds in unrefined crude oil. Biostimulation allowed for a more rapid shift in the microbial community in response to petroleum amendments, more than doubling the rates of CO2 increase during the first few weeks of incubation. IMPORTANCE Increases in transportation of diesel and crude oil in the Labrador Sea will pose a significant threat to remote benthic and shoreline environments, where coastal communities and wildlife are particularly vulnerable to oil spill contaminants. Whereas marine microbiology has not been incorporated into environmental assessments in the Labrador Sea, there is a growing demand for microbial biodiversity evaluations given the pronounced impact of climate change in this region. Benthic microbial communities are important to consider given that a fraction of spilled oil typically sinks such that its biodegradation occurs at the seafloor, where novel taxa with previously unrecognized potential to degrade hydrocarbons were discovered in this work. Understanding how cold-adapted microbiomes catalyze hydrocarbon degradation at low in situ temperature is crucial in the Labrador Sea, which remains relatively cold throughout the year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean M. C. Murphy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - María A. Bautista
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Margaret A. Cramm
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Casey R. J. Hubert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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32
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Li Z, Pan D, Wei G, Pi W, Zhang C, Wang JH, Peng Y, Zhang L, Wang Y, Hubert CRJ, Dong X. Deep sea sediments associated with cold seeps are a subsurface reservoir of viral diversity. ISME J 2021; 15:2366-2378. [PMID: 33649554 PMCID: PMC8319345 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-021-00932-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In marine ecosystems, viruses exert control on the composition and metabolism of microbial communities, influencing overall biogeochemical cycling. Deep sea sediments associated with cold seeps are known to host taxonomically diverse microbial communities, but little is known about viruses infecting these microorganisms. Here, we probed metagenomes from seven geographically diverse cold seeps across global oceans to assess viral diversity, virus-host interaction, and virus-encoded auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs). Gene-sharing network comparisons with viruses inhabiting other ecosystems reveal that cold seep sediments harbour considerable unexplored viral diversity. Most cold seep viruses display high degrees of endemism with seep fluid flux being one of the main drivers of viral community composition. In silico predictions linked 14.2% of the viruses to microbial host populations with many belonging to poorly understood candidate bacterial and archaeal phyla. Lysis was predicted to be a predominant viral lifestyle based on lineage-specific virus/host abundance ratios. Metabolic predictions of prokaryotic host genomes and viral AMGs suggest that viruses influence microbial hydrocarbon biodegradation at cold seeps, as well as other carbon, sulfur and nitrogen cycling via virus-induced mortality and/or metabolic augmentation. Overall, these findings reveal the global diversity and biogeography of cold seep viruses and indicate how viruses may manipulate seep microbial ecology and biogeochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zexin Li
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Donald Pan
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Studies, The Water School, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL, USA
| | - Guangshan Wei
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, China
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, China
| | - Weiling Pi
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Chuwen Zhang
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Jiang-Hai Wang
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Yongyi Peng
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Lu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Environment and Resources of Zhejiang Province, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Advanced Technology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yong Wang
- Department of Life Science, Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China
| | - Casey R J Hubert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Xiyang Dong
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, China.
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33
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Wasmund K, Pelikan C, Schintlmeister A, Wagner M, Watzka M, Richter A, Bhatnagar S, Noel A, Hubert CRJ, Rattei T, Hofmann T, Hausmann B, Herbold CW, Loy A. Genomic insights into diverse bacterial taxa that degrade extracellular DNA in marine sediments. Nat Microbiol 2021; 6:885-898. [PMID: 34127845 PMCID: PMC8289736 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-021-00917-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Extracellular DNA is a major macromolecule in global element cycles, and is a particularly crucial phosphorus, nitrogen and carbon source for microorganisms in the seafloor. Nevertheless, the identities, ecophysiology and genetic features of DNA-foraging microorganisms in marine sediments are largely unknown. Here, we combined microcosm experiments, DNA stable isotope probing (SIP), single-cell SIP using nano-scale secondary isotope mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) and genome-centric metagenomics to study microbial catabolism of DNA and its subcomponents in marine sediments. 13C-DNA added to sediment microcosms was largely degraded within 10 d and mineralized to 13CO2. SIP probing of DNA revealed diverse ‘Candidatus Izemoplasma’, Lutibacter, Shewanella and Fusibacteraceae incorporated DNA-derived 13C-carbon. NanoSIMS confirmed incorporation of 13C into individual bacterial cells of Fusibacteraceae sorted from microcosms. Genomes of the 13C-labelled taxa all encoded enzymatic repertoires for catabolism of DNA or subcomponents of DNA. Comparative genomics indicated that diverse ‘Candidatus Izemoplasmatales’ (former Tenericutes) are exceptional because they encode multiple (up to five) predicted extracellular nucleases and are probably specialized DNA-degraders. Analyses of additional sediment metagenomes revealed extracellular nuclease genes are prevalent among Bacteroidota at diverse sites. Together, our results reveal the identities and functional properties of microorganisms that may contribute to the key ecosystem function of degrading and recycling DNA in the seabed. Using microcosms, stable isotope probing, genome-resolved metagenomics and NanoSIMS, the authors identify diverse bacterial taxa that can degrade extracellular DNA in marine sediments, including ‘Candidatus Izemoplasma’, which encode numerous extracellular nucleases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Wasmund
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. .,Austrian Polar Research Institute, Vienna, Austria. .,Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
| | - Claus Pelikan
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Austrian Polar Research Institute, Vienna, Austria
| | - Arno Schintlmeister
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Large-Instrument Facility for Environmental and Isotope Mass Spectrometry, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Wagner
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.,Large-Instrument Facility for Environmental and Isotope Mass Spectrometry, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Margarete Watzka
- Division of Terrestrial Ecosystem Research, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Richter
- Austrian Polar Research Institute, Vienna, Austria.,Division of Terrestrial Ecosystem Research, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Srijak Bhatnagar
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Amy Noel
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Casey R J Hubert
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Thomas Rattei
- Division of Computational Systems Biology, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thilo Hofmann
- Division of Environmental Geosciences, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bela Hausmann
- Joint Microbiome Facility of the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Craig W Herbold
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander Loy
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Austrian Polar Research Institute, Vienna, Austria.,Joint Microbiome Facility of the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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34
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Zhang C, Meckenstock RU, Weng S, Wei G, Hubert CRJ, Wang JH, Dong X. Marine sediments harbor diverse archaea and bacteria with the potential for anaerobic hydrocarbon degradation via fumarate addition. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2021; 97:6171024. [PMID: 33720296 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiab045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine sediments can contain large amounts of alkanes and methylated aromatic hydrocarbons that are introduced by natural processes or anthropogenic activities. These compounds can be biodegraded by anaerobic microorganisms via enzymatic addition of fumarate. However, the identity and ecological roles of a significant fraction of hydrocarbon degraders containing fumarate-adding enzymes (FAE) in various marine sediments remains unknown. By combining phylogenetic reconstructions, protein homolog modelling, and functional profiling of publicly available metagenomes and genomes, 61 draft bacterial and archaeal genomes encoding anaerobic hydrocarbon degradation via fumarate addition were obtained. Besides Desulfobacterota (previously known as Deltaproteobacteria) that are well-known to catalyze these reactions, Chloroflexi are dominant FAE-encoding bacteria in hydrocarbon-impacted sediments, potentially coupling sulfate reduction or fermentation to anaerobic hydrocarbon degradation. Among Archaea, besides Archaeoglobi previously shown to have this capability, genomes of Heimdallarchaeota, Lokiarchaeota, Thorarchaeota and Thermoplasmata also suggest fermentative hydrocarbon degradation using archaea-type FAE. These bacterial and archaeal hydrocarbon degraders occur in a wide range of marine sediments, including high abundances of FAE-encoding Asgard archaea associated with natural seeps and subseafloor ecosystems. Our results expand the knowledge of diverse archaeal and bacterial lineages engaged in anaerobic degradation of alkanes and methylated aromatic hydrocarbons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuwen Zhang
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, 2 Daxue Road, Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai 519082, China
| | - Rainer U Meckenstock
- Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, University Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 5, Essen 45141, Germany
| | - Shengze Weng
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, 2 Daxue Road, Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai 519082, China
| | - Guangshan Wei
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, 2 Daxue Road, Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai 519082, China.,Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, 184 Daxue Road, Siming District, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Casey R J Hubert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, AB T2N1N4, Canada
| | - Jiang-Hai Wang
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, 2 Daxue Road, Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai 519082, China
| | - Xiyang Dong
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, 2 Daxue Road, Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai 519082, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), 2 Daxue Road, XiangZhou District, Zhuhai 519000, China
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35
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Desmond DS, Saltymakova D, Smith A, Wolfe T, Snyder N, Polcwiartek K, Bautista M, Lemes M, Hubert CRJ, Barber DG, Isleifson D, Stern GA. Photooxidation and biodegradation potential of a light crude oil in first-year sea ice. Mar Pollut Bull 2021; 165:112154. [PMID: 33735684 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Disappearing sea ice in the Arctic region results in a pressing need to develop oil spill mitigation techniques suitable for ice-covered waters. The uncertainty around the nature of an oil spill in the Arctic arises from the ice-covered waters and sub-zero temperatures, and how they may influence natural attenuation efficiency. The Sea-ice Environmental Research Facility was used to create a simulated Arctic marine setting. This paper focuses on the potential for biodegradation of the bulk crude oil content (encapsulated in the upper regions of the ice), to provide insight regarding the possible fate of crude oil in an Arctic marine setting. Cheaper and faster methods of chemical composition analysis were applied to the samples to assess for weathering and transformation effects. Results suggest that brine volume in ice may not be sufficient at low temperatures to encompass biodegradation and that seawater is more suitable for biodegradation.
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36
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Cramm MA, Neves BDM, Manning CCM, Oldenburg TBP, Archambault P, Chakraborty A, Cyr-Parent A, Edinger EN, Jaggi A, Mort A, Tortell P, Hubert CRJ. Characterization of marine microbial communities around an Arctic seabed hydrocarbon seep at Scott Inlet, Baffin Bay. Sci Total Environ 2021; 762:143961. [PMID: 33373752 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Seabed hydrocarbon seeps present natural laboratories for investigating responses of marine ecosystems to petroleum input. A hydrocarbon seep near Scott Inlet, Baffin Bay, was visited for in situ observations and sampling in the summer of 2018. Video evidence of an active hydrocarbon seep was confirmed by methane and hydrocarbon analysis of the overlying water column, which is 260 m at this site. Elevated methane concentrations in bottom water above and down current from the seep decreased to background seawater levels in the mid-water column >150 m above the seafloor. Seafloor microbial mats morphologically resembling sulfide-oxidizing bacteria surrounded areas of bubble ebullition. Calcareous tube worms, brittle stars, shrimp, sponges, sea stars, sea anemones, sea urchins, small fish and soft corals were observed near the seep, with soft corals showing evidence for hydrocarbon incorporation. Sediment microbial communities included putative methane-oxidizing Methyloprofundus, sulfate-reducing Desulfobulbaceae and sulfide-oxidizing Sulfurovum. A metabolic gene diagnostic for aerobic methanotrophs (pmoA) was detected in the sediment and bottom water above the seep epicentre and up to 5 km away. Both 16S rRNA gene and pmoA amplicon sequencing revealed that pelagic microbial communities oriented along the geologic basement rise associated with methane seepage (running SW to NE) differed from communities in off-axis water up to 5 km away. Relative abundances of aerobic methanotrophs and putative hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria were elevated in the bottom water down current from the seep. Detection of bacterial clades typically associated with hydrocarbon and methane oxidation highlights the importance of Arctic marine microbial communities in mitigating hydrocarbon emissions from natural geologic sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret A Cramm
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada.
| | - Bárbara de Moura Neves
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ecological Sciences Section, 80 East White Hills Road, P.O. Box 5667, St. John's, Newfoundland A1C 5X1, Canada
| | - Cara C M Manning
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Thomas B P Oldenburg
- Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Philippe Archambault
- ArcticNet, Québec Océan, Takuvik Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Anirban Chakraborty
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Annie Cyr-Parent
- Department of Economic Development and Transportation, Government of Nunavut, Building 1104A, Inuksugait Plaza, PO Box 1000, Station 1500, Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0, Canada
| | - Evan N Edinger
- Memorial University of Newfoundland, 230 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John's, Newfoundland A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Aprami Jaggi
- Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Andrew Mort
- Natural Resources Canada, 3303 33 Street NW, Calgary, Alberta T2L 2A7, Canada
| | - Philippe Tortell
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Casey R J Hubert
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
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37
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Rattray JE, Chakraborty A, Li C, Elizondo G, John N, Wong M, Radović JR, Oldenburg TBP, Hubert CRJ. Sensitive quantification of dipicolinic acid from bacterial endospores in soils and sediments. Environ Microbiol 2020; 23:1397-1406. [PMID: 33264453 PMCID: PMC8048543 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Endospore-forming bacteria make up an important and numerically significant component of microbial communities in a range of settings including soils, industry, hospitals and marine sediments extending into the deep subsurface. Bacterial endospores are non-reproductive structures that protect DNA and improve cell survival during periods unfavourable for bacterial growth. An important determinant of endospores withstanding extreme environmental conditions is 2,6-pyridine dicarboxylic acid (i.e. dipicolinic acid, or DPA), which contributes heat resistance. This study presents an improved HPLC-fluorescence method for DPA quantification using a single 10-min run with pre-column Tb3+ chelation. Relative to existing DPA quantification methods, specific improvements pertain to sensitivity, detection limit and range, as well as the development of new free DPA and spore-specific DPA proxies. The method distinguishes DPA from intact and recently germinated spores, enabling responses to germinants in natural samples or experiments to be assessed in a new way. DPA-based endospore quantification depends on accurate spore-specific DPA contents, in particular, thermophilic spores are shown to have a higher DPA content, meaning that marine sediments with plentiful thermophilic spores may require spore number estimates to be revisited. This method has a wide range of potential applications for more accurately quantifying bacterial endospores in diverse environmental samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayne E Rattray
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Anirban Chakraborty
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Carmen Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Gretta Elizondo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Nisha John
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Michelle Wong
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Jagoš R Radović
- Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | | | - Casey R J Hubert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, T2N 1N4, Canada
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38
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Dong X, Rattray JE, Campbell DC, Webb J, Chakraborty A, Adebayo O, Matthews S, Li C, Fowler M, Morrison NM, MacDonald A, Groves RA, Lewis IA, Wang SH, Mayumi D, Greening C, Hubert CRJ. Thermogenic hydrocarbon biodegradation by diverse depth-stratified microbial populations at a Scotian Basin cold seep. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5825. [PMID: 33203858 PMCID: PMC7673041 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19648-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
At marine cold seeps, gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons migrate from deep subsurface origins to the sediment-water interface. Cold seep sediments are known to host taxonomically diverse microorganisms, but little is known about their metabolic potential and depth distribution in relation to hydrocarbon and electron acceptor availability. Here we combined geophysical, geochemical, metagenomic and metabolomic measurements to profile microbial activities at a newly discovered cold seep in the deep sea. Metagenomic profiling revealed compositional and functional differentiation between near-surface sediments and deeper subsurface layers. In both sulfate-rich and sulfate-depleted depths, various archaeal and bacterial community members are actively oxidizing thermogenic hydrocarbons anaerobically. Depth distributions of hydrocarbon-oxidizing archaea revealed that they are not necessarily associated with sulfate reduction, which is especially surprising for anaerobic ethane and butane oxidizers. Overall, these findings link subseafloor microbiomes to various biochemical mechanisms for the anaerobic degradation of deeply-sourced thermogenic hydrocarbons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiyang Dong
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519082, China.
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada.
| | - Jayne E Rattray
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - D Calvin Campbell
- Geological Survey of Canada-Atlantic, Dartmouth, NS, B3B 1A6, Canada
| | - Jamie Webb
- Applied Petroleum Technology (Canada), Calgary, AB, T2N 1Z6, Canada
| | - Anirban Chakraborty
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Oyeboade Adebayo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Stuart Matthews
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Carmen Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Martin Fowler
- Applied Petroleum Technology (Canada), Calgary, AB, T2N 1Z6, Canada
| | - Natasha M Morrison
- Nova Scotia Department of Energy and Mines, Halifax, NS, B2Y 4A2, Canada
| | - Adam MacDonald
- Nova Scotia Department of Energy and Mines, Halifax, NS, B2Y 4A2, Canada
| | - Ryan A Groves
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Ian A Lewis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Scott H Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Daisuke Mayumi
- Institute for Geo-Resources and Environment, Geological Survey of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, 305-8567, Japan
| | - Chris Greening
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Casey R J Hubert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada.
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39
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Ferguson DK, Li C, Jiang C, Chakraborty A, Grasby SE, Hubert CRJ. Natural attenuation of spilled crude oil by cold-adapted soil bacterial communities at a decommissioned High Arctic oil well site. Sci Total Environ 2020; 722:137258. [PMID: 32199353 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Romulus C-42 is a decommissioned oil well on Ellesmere Island in the Canadian High Arctic, and is the northernmost well to have produced oil and gas anywhere in the world. The remote site has been untouched since a crude oil spill in 1972, offering a rare opportunity to examine natural attenuation in Arctic soils >40 years after a pollution event. Bacterial community composition in crude oil contaminated soils was significantly different from adjacent background soils. Two members of the genus Rhodanobacter (Alphaproteobacteria) were found consistently in contaminated soils, whereas two members of the genus Sphingomonas (Gammaproteobacteria) appeared opposite to each other, one consistently within the oil contaminated soil and the other consistently in non-oil contaminated soils. GC of soil hydrocarbon extracts revealed moderate levels of biodegradation relative to the original oil produced in 1972. Despite conditions permissive for bacterial activity (>0 °C) being limited to only a few months each year, natural attenuation by cold adapted soil microbial communities has taken place since the oil spill over 40 years ago. Rhodanobacter and Sphingomonas lineages are associated with contaminated and baseline conditions in this extreme environment, revealing the utility of bacterial diversity measurements for assessing long-term responses of Arctic soils to pollution. ORIGINALITY-SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Romulus C-42, the northernmost onshore drilling well in the world, was decommissioned following a small crude oil spill in 1972. Soil bacterial diversity profiles obtained >40 years later revealed significant differences in oil contaminated soils relative to adjacent non-oil contaminated background soils, consistent with evidence for moderate biodegradation of spilled crude oil having taken place since 1972. The results indicate that microbial diversity profiling is an effective tool for assessing natural attenuation in remote High Arctic soils with a history of oil pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deidra K Ferguson
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, EEEL Building, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Carmen Li
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, EEEL Building, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Chunqing Jiang
- Geological Survey of Canada, 3303 - 33rd St NW, Calgary, Alberta T2L 2A7, Canada
| | - Anirban Chakraborty
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, EEEL Building, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Stephen E Grasby
- Geological Survey of Canada, 3303 - 33rd St NW, Calgary, Alberta T2L 2A7, Canada
| | - Casey R J Hubert
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, EEEL Building, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada.
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40
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de Rezende JR, Oldenburg TBP, Korin T, Richardson WDL, Fustic M, Aitken CM, Bowler BFJ, Sherry A, Grigoryan A, Voordouw G, Larter SR, Head IM, Hubert CRJ. Anaerobic microbial communities and their potential for bioenergy production in heavily biodegraded petroleum reservoirs. Environ Microbiol 2020; 22:3049-3065. [PMID: 32216020 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Most of the oil in low temperature, non-uplifted reservoirs is biodegraded due to millions of years of microbial activity, including via methanogenesis from crude oil. To evaluate stimulating additional methanogenesis in already heavily biodegraded oil reservoirs, oil sands samples were amended with nutrients and electron acceptors, but oil sands bitumen was the only organic substrate. Methane production was monitored for over 3000 days. Methanogenesis was observed in duplicate microcosms that were unamended, amended with sulfate or that were initially oxic, however methanogenesis was not observed in nitrate-amended controls. The highest rate of methane production was 0.15 μmol CH4 g-1 oil d-1 , orders of magnitude lower than other reports of methanogenesis from lighter crude oils. Methanogenic Archaea and several potential syntrophic bacterial partners were detected following the incubations. GC-MS and FTICR-MS revealed no significant bitumen alteration for any specific compound or compound class, suggesting that the very slow methanogenesis observed was coupled to bitumen biodegradation in an unspecific manner. After 3000 days, methanogenic communities were amended with benzoate resulting in methanogenesis rates that were 110-fold greater. This suggests that oil-to-methane conversion is limited by the recalcitrant nature of oil sands bitumen, not the microbial communities resident in heavy oil reservoirs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Júlia R de Rezende
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.,The Lyell Centre, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, UK
| | - Thomas B P Oldenburg
- PRG, Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 1N4
| | - Tetyana Korin
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - William D L Richardson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 1N4
| | - Milovan Fustic
- PRG, Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 1N4.,School of Mining and Geoscience, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan City, Kazakhstan
| | - Carolyn M Aitken
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Bernard F J Bowler
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Angela Sherry
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | | | - Gerrit Voordouw
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 1N4
| | - Stephen R Larter
- PRG, Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 1N4
| | - Ian M Head
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Casey R J Hubert
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 1N4
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41
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Bell E, Sherry A, Pilloni G, Suárez‐Suárez A, Cramm MA, Cueto G, Head IM, Hubert CRJ. Sediment cooling triggers germination and sulfate reduction by heat‐resistant thermophilic spore‐forming bacteria. Environ Microbiol 2019; 22:456-465. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Revised: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emma Bell
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne UK
| | - Angela Sherry
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne UK
| | | | - Ana Suárez‐Suárez
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne UK
| | - Margaret A. Cramm
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Calgary Calgary Alberta Canada
| | - Guillermo Cueto
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne UK
| | - Ian M. Head
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne UK
| | - Casey R. J. Hubert
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne UK
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Calgary Calgary Alberta Canada
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42
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Cramm MA, Chakraborty A, Li C, Ruff SE, Jørgensen BB, Hubert CRJ. Freezing Tolerance of Thermophilic Bacterial Endospores in Marine Sediments. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:945. [PMID: 31130935 PMCID: PMC6509201 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Dormant endospores of anaerobic, thermophilic bacteria found in cold marine sediments offer a useful model for studying microbial biogeography, dispersal, and survival. The dormant endospore phenotype confers resistance to unfavorable environmental conditions, allowing dispersal to be isolated and studied independently of other factors such as environmental selection. To study the resilience of thermospores to conditions relevant for survival in extreme cold conditions, their viability following different freezing treatments was tested. Marine sediment was frozen at either −80°C or −20°C for 10 days prior to pasteurization and incubation at +50°C for 21 days to assess thermospore viability. Sulfate reduction commenced at +50°C following both freezing pretreatments indicating persistence of thermophilic endospores of sulfate-reducing bacteria. The onset of sulfate reduction at +50°C was delayed in −80°C pretreated microcosms, which exhibited more variability between triplicates, compared to −20°C pretreated microcosms and parallel controls that were not frozen in advance. Microbial communities were evaluated by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, revealing an increase in the relative sequence abundance of thermophilic endospore-forming Firmicutes in all microcosms. Different freezing pretreatments (−80°C and −20°C) did not appreciably influence the shift in overall bacterial community composition that occurred during the +50°C incubations. Communities that had been frozen prior to +50°C incubation showed an increase in the relative sequence abundance of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) affiliated with the class Bacilli, relative to unfrozen controls. These results show that freezing impacts but does not obliterate thermospore populations and their ability to germinate and grow under appropriate conditions. Indeed the majority of the thermospore OTUs detected in this study (21 of 22) could be observed following one or both freezing treatments. These results are important for assessing thermospore viability in frozen samples and following cold exposure such as the very low temperatures that would be encountered during panspermia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret A Cramm
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Anirban Chakraborty
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Carmen Li
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - S Emil Ruff
- Energy Bioengineering Group, Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Bo Barker Jørgensen
- Center for Geomicrobiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Casey R J Hubert
- Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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43
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Hanson CA, Müller AL, Loy A, Dona C, Appel R, Jørgensen BB, Hubert CRJ. Historical Factors Associated With Past Environments Influence the Biogeography of Thermophilic Endospores in Arctic Marine Sediments. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:245. [PMID: 30873129 PMCID: PMC6403435 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Selection by the local, contemporary environment plays a prominent role in shaping the biogeography of microbes. However, the importance of historical factors in microbial biogeography is more debatable. Historical factors include past ecological and evolutionary circumstances that may have influenced present-day microbial diversity, such as dispersal and past environmental conditions. Diverse thermophilic sulfate-reducing Desulfotomaculum are present as dormant endospores in marine sediments worldwide where temperatures are too low to support their growth. Therefore, they are dispersed to here from elsewhere, presumably a hot, anoxic habitat. While dispersal through ocean currents must influence their distribution in cold marine sediments, it is not clear whether even earlier historical factors, related to the source habitat where these organisms were once active, also have an effect. We investigated whether these historical factors may have influenced the diversity and distribution of thermophilic endospores by comparing their diversity in 10 Arctic fjord surface sediments. Although community composition varied spatially, clear biogeographic patterns were only evident at a high level of taxonomic resolution (>97% sequence similarity of the 16S rRNA gene) achieved with oligotyping. In particular, the diversity and distribution of oligotypes differed for the two most prominent OTUs (defined using a standard 97% similarity cutoff). One OTU was dominated by a single ubiquitous oligotype, while the other OTU consisted of ten more spatially localized oligotypes that decreased in compositional similarity with geographic distance. These patterns are consistent with differences in historical factors that occurred when and where the taxa were once active, prior to sporulation. Further, the influence of history on biogeographic patterns was only revealed by analyzing microdiversity within OTUs, suggesting that populations within standard OTU-level groupings do not necessarily share a common ecological and evolutionary history.
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Affiliation(s)
- China A Hanson
- School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Albert L Müller
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander Loy
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Austrian Polar Research Institute, Vienna, Austria
| | - Clelia Dona
- School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Ramona Appel
- Department of Microbiology, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | | | - Casey R J Hubert
- School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.,Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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44
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Bell E, Blake LI, Sherry A, Head IM, Hubert CRJ. Distribution of thermophilic endospores in a temperate estuary indicate that dispersal history structures sediment microbial communities. Environ Microbiol 2018; 20:1134-1147. [PMID: 29393553 PMCID: PMC6849807 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Endospores of thermophilic bacteria are found in cold and temperate sediments where they persist in a dormant state. As inactive endospores that cannot grow at the low ambient temperatures, they are akin to tracer particles in cold sediments, unaffected by factors normally governing microbial biogeography (e.g., selection, drift, mutation). This makes thermophilic endospores ideal model organisms for studying microbial biogeography since their spatial distribution can be directly related to their dispersal history. To assess dispersal histories of estuarine bacteria, thermophilic endospores were enriched from sediments along a freshwater‐to‐marine transect of the River Tyne in high temperature incubations (50°C). Dispersal histories for 75 different taxa indicated that the majority of estuarine endospores were of terrestrial origin; most closely related to bacteria from warm habitats associated with industrial activity. A subset of the taxa detected were marine derived, with close relatives from hot deep marine biosphere habitats. These patterns are consistent with the sources of sediment in the River Tyne being predominantly terrestrial in origin. The results point to microbial communities in estuarine and marine sediments being structured by bi‐directional currents, terrestrial run‐off and industrial effluent as vectors of passive dispersal and immigration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Bell
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Lynsay I Blake
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Angela Sherry
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Ian M Head
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Casey R J Hubert
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, T2N 1N4, Canada
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45
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Dolfing J, Hubert CRJ. Using Thermodynamics to Predict the Outcomes of Nitrate-Based Oil Reservoir Souring Control Interventions. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:2575. [PMID: 29312252 PMCID: PMC5742191 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Souring is the undesirable production of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in oil reservoirs by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). Souring is a common problem during secondary oil recovery via water flooding, especially when seawater with its high sulfate concentration is introduced. Nitrate injection into these oil reservoirs can prevent and remediate souring by stimulating nitrate-reducing bacteria (NRB). Two conceptually different mechanisms for NRB-facilitated souring control have been proposed: nitrate-sulfate competition for electron donors (oil-derived organics or H2) and nitrate driven sulfide oxidation. Thermodynamics can facilitate predictions about which nitrate-driven mechanism is most likely to occur in different scenarios. From a thermodynamic perspective the question “Which reaction yields more energy, nitrate driven oxidation of sulfide or nitrate driven oxidation of organic compounds?” can be rephrased as: “Is acetate driven sulfate reduction to sulfide exergonic or endergonic?” Our analysis indicates that under conditions encountered in oil fields, sulfate driven oxidation of acetate (or other SRB organic electron donors) is always more favorable than sulfide oxidation to sulfate. That predicts that organotrophic NRB that oxidize acetate would outcompete lithotrophic NRB that oxidize sulfide. However, sulfide oxidation to elemental sulfur is different. At low acetate HS− oxidation is more favorable than acetate oxidation. Incomplete oxidation of sulfide to S0 is likely to occur when nitrate levels are low, and is favored by low temperatures; conditions that can be encountered at oil field above-ground facilities where intermediate sulfur compounds like S0 may cause corrosion. These findings have implications for reservoir management strategies and for assessing the success and progress of nitrate-based souring control strategies and the attendant risks of corrosion associated with souring and nitrate injection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Dolfing
- School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Casey R J Hubert
- School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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46
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McCann CM, Wade MJ, Gray ND, Roberts JA, Hubert CRJ, Graham DW. Microbial Communities in a High Arctic Polar Desert Landscape. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:419. [PMID: 27065980 PMCID: PMC4814466 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2015] [Accepted: 03/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The High Arctic is dominated by polar desert habitats whose microbial communities are poorly understood. In this study, we used next generation sequencing to describe the α- and β-diversity of microbial communities in polar desert soils from the Kongsfjorden region of Svalbard. Ten phyla dominated the soils and accounted for 95% of all sequences, with the Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Chloroflexi being the major lineages. In contrast to previous investigations of Arctic soils, relative Acidobacterial abundances were found to be very low as were the Archaea throughout the Kongsfjorden polar desert landscape. Lower Acidobacterial abundances were attributed to characteristic circumneutral soil pHs in this region, which has resulted from the weathering of underlying carbonate bedrock. In addition, we compared previously measured geochemical conditions as possible controls on soil microbial communities. Phosphorus, pH, nitrogen, and calcium levels all significantly correlated with β-diversity, indicating landscape-scale lithological control of available nutrients, which in turn, significantly influenced soil community composition. In addition, soil phosphorus and pH significantly correlated with α-diversity, particularly with the Shannon diversity and Chao 1 richness indices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare M McCann
- School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Matthew J Wade
- School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Neil D Gray
- School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | | | - Casey R J Hubert
- School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle UniversityNewcastle upon Tyne, UK; Energy Bioengineering and Geomicrobiology, University of Calgary, CalgaryAB, Canada
| | - David W Graham
- School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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47
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Robador A, Müller AL, Sawicka JE, Berry D, Hubert CRJ, Loy A, Jørgensen BB, Brüchert V. Activity and community structures of sulfate-reducing microorganisms in polar, temperate and tropical marine sediments. ISME J 2015; 10:796-809. [PMID: 26359912 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2015.157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2014] [Revised: 04/18/2015] [Accepted: 07/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Temperature has a fundamental impact on the metabolic rates of microorganisms and strongly influences microbial ecology and biogeochemical cycling in the environment. In this study, we examined the catabolic temperature response of natural communities of sulfate-reducing microorganisms (SRM) in polar, temperate and tropical marine sediments. In short-term sediment incubation experiments with (35)S-sulfate, we demonstrated how the cardinal temperatures for sulfate reduction correlate with mean annual sediment temperatures, indicating specific thermal adaptations of the dominant SRM in each of the investigated ecosystems. The community structure of putative SRM in the sediments, as revealed by pyrosequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicons and phylogenetic assignment to known SRM taxa, consistently correlated with in situ temperatures, but not with sediment organic carbon concentrations or C:N ratios of organic matter. Additionally, several species-level SRM phylotypes of the class Deltaproteobacteria tended to co-occur at sites with similar mean annual temperatures, regardless of geographic distance. The observed temperature adaptations of SRM imply that environmental temperature is a major controlling variable for physiological selection and ecological and evolutionary differentiation of microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Robador
- Department of Biogeochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Albert L Müller
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Wien, Austria
| | - Joanna E Sawicka
- Department of Geological Sciences, Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - David Berry
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Wien, Austria
| | - Casey R J Hubert
- School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Alexander Loy
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Wien, Austria.,Austrian Polar Research Institute, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bo Barker Jørgensen
- Department of Bioscience, Center for Geomicrobiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Volker Brüchert
- Department of Geological Sciences, Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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48
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Callbeck CM, Sherry A, Hubert CRJ, Gray ND, Voordouw G, Head IM. Improving PCR efficiency for accurate quantification of 16S rRNA genes. J Microbiol Methods 2013; 93:148-52. [PMID: 23524156 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2013.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2013] [Accepted: 03/10/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Quantitative real-time PCR is a valuable tool for microbial ecologists. To obtain accurate absolute quantification it is essential that PCR efficiency for pure standards is close to amplification efficiency for test samples. Counter to normal expectation that PCR efficiency might be lower in environmental DNA, due to the presence of PCR inhibitors, we report the counterintuitive observation that PCR efficiency of pure standards can be lower than for environmental DNA. This can lead to overestimation of gene abundances if not corrected. SYBR green-based qPCR assays of 16S rRNA genes targeting Bacteria, Syntrophus and Smithella spp., Marinobacter spp., Methanomicrobiales, Methanosarcinaceae, and Methanosaetaceae in samples from methanogenic crude oil biodegradation enrichments were tested. In five out of the six assays, PCR efficiency was lower with pure standards than with environmental DNA samples. We developed a solution to this problem based on amending pure clone standards with a background of non-target environmental 16S rRNA genes which significantly improved PCR efficiency of standards in the qPCR assays that exhibited this phenomenon. Overall this method of qPCR standard preparation achieved a more reliable and robust quantification of 16S rRNA genes. We believe this may be a potentially common issue in microbial ecology that often goes unreported, as intuitively one would not expect standards to have poorer PCR efficiency than samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron M Callbeck
- Petroleum Microbiology Research Group, University of Calgary, Department of Biological Sciences, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
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49
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de Rezende JR, Kjeldsen KU, Hubert CRJ, Finster K, Loy A, Jørgensen BB. Dispersal of thermophilic Desulfotomaculum endospores into Baltic Sea sediments over thousands of years. ISME J 2013; 7:72-84. [PMID: 22832348 PMCID: PMC3524260 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2012.83] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2012] [Revised: 06/11/2012] [Accepted: 06/11/2012] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Patterns of microbial biogeography result from a combination of dispersal, speciation and extinction, yet individual contributions exerted by each of these mechanisms are difficult to isolate and distinguish. The influx of endospores of thermophilic microorganisms to cold marine sediments offers a natural model for investigating passive dispersal in the ocean. We investigated the activity, diversity and abundance of thermophilic endospore-forming sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in Aarhus Bay by incubating pasteurized sediment between 28 and 85 °C, and by subsequent molecular diversity analyses of 16S rRNA and of the dissimilatory (bi)sulfite reductase (dsrAB) genes within the endospore-forming SRB genus Desulfotomaculum. The thermophilic Desulfotomaculum community in Aarhus Bay sediments consisted of at least 23 species-level 16S rRNA sequence phylotypes. In two cases, pairs of identical 16S rRNA and dsrAB sequences in Arctic surface sediment 3000 km away showed that the same phylotypes are present in both locations. Radiotracer-enhanced most probable number analysis revealed that the abundance of endospores of thermophilic SRB in Aarhus Bay sediment was ca. 10(4) per cm(3) at the surface and decreased exponentially to 10(0) per cm(3) at 6.5 m depth, corresponding to 4500 years of sediment age. Thus, a half-life of ca. 300 years was estimated for the thermophilic SRB endospores deposited in Aarhus Bay sediments. These endospores were similarly detected in the overlying water column, indicative of passive dispersal in water masses preceding sedimentation. The sources of these thermophiles remain enigmatic, but at least one source may be common to both Aarhus Bay and Arctic sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Júlia Rosa de Rezende
- Center for Geomicrobiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
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Andrade LL, Leite DCA, Ferreira EM, Ferreira LQ, Paula GR, Maguire MJ, Hubert CRJ, Peixoto RS, Domingues RMCP, Rosado AS. Microbial diversity and anaerobic hydrocarbon degradation potential in an oil-contaminated mangrove sediment. BMC Microbiol 2012; 12:186. [PMID: 22935169 PMCID: PMC3579730 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-12-186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2012] [Accepted: 08/23/2012] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mangrove forests are coastal wetlands that provide vital ecosystem services and serve as barriers against natural disasters like tsunamis, hurricanes and tropical storms. Mangroves harbour a large diversity of organisms, including microorganisms with important roles in nutrient cycling and availability. Due to tidal influence, mangroves are sites where crude oil from spills farther away can accumulate. The relationship between mangrove bacterial diversity and oil degradation in mangrove sediments remains poorly understood. Results Mangrove sediment was sampled from 0–5, 15–20 and 35–40 cm depth intervals from the Suruí River mangrove (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), which has a history of oil contamination. DGGE fingerprinting for bamA, dsr and 16S rRNA encoding fragment genes, and qPCR analysis using dsr and 16S rRNA gene fragment revealed differences with sediment depth. Conclusions Analysis of bacterial 16S rRNA gene diversity revealed changes with depth. DGGE for bamA and dsr genes shows that the anaerobic hydrocarbon-degrading community profile also changed between 5 and 15 cm depth, and is similar in the two deeper sediments, indicating that below 15 cm the anaerobic hydrocarbon-degrading community appears to be well established and homogeneous in this mangrove sediment. qPCR analysis revealed differences with sediment depth, with general bacterial abundance in the top layer (0–5 cm) being greater than in both deeper sediment layers (15–20 and 35–40 cm), which were similar to each other.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiza L Andrade
- Laboratório de Ecologia Molecular Microbiana, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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