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van Lill M, Venter SN, Muema EK, Palmer M, Chan WY, Beukes CW, Steenkamp ET. SeqCode facilitates naming of South African rhizobia left in limbo. Syst Appl Microbiol 2024; 47:126504. [PMID: 38593622 DOI: 10.1016/j.syapm.2024.126504] [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: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
South Africa is well-known for the diversity of its legumes and their nitrogen-fixing bacterial symbionts. However, in contrast to their plant partners, remarkably few of these microbes (collectively referred to as rhizobia) from South Africa have been characterised and formally described. This is because the rules of the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes (ICNP) are at odds with South Africa's National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act and its associated regulations. The ICNP requires that a culture of the proposed type strain for a novel bacterial species be deposited in two international culture collections and be made available upon request without restrictions, which is not possible under South Africa's current national regulations. Here, we describe seven new Mesorhizobium species obtained from root nodules of Vachellia karroo, an iconic tree legume distributed across various biomes in southern Africa. For this purpose, 18 rhizobial isolates were delineated into putative species using genealogical concordance, after which their plausibility was explored with phenotypic characters and average genome relatedness. For naming these new species, we employed the rules of the recently published Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes described from Sequence Data (SeqCode), which utilizes genome sequences as nomenclatural types. The work presented in this study thus provides an illustrative example of how the SeqCode allows for a standardised approach for naming cultivated organisms for which the deposition of a type strain in international culture collections is currently problematic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melandré van Lill
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
| | - Stephanus N Venter
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Esther K Muema
- Department of Soil Science, Faculty of AgriSciences, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
| | - Marike Palmer
- Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Wai Y Chan
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | - Emma T Steenkamp
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
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2
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Sutcliffe IC, Rodriguez-R LM, Venter SN, Whitman WB. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? A call for community participation in the governance of the SeqCode. Syst Appl Microbiol 2024; 47:126498. [PMID: 38442686 DOI: 10.1016/j.syapm.2024.126498] [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: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Codes of nomenclature that provide well-regulated and stable frameworks for the naming of taxa are a fundamental underpinning of biological research. These Codes themselves require systems that govern their administration, interpretation and emendment. Here we review the provisions that have been made for the governance of the recently introduced Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes Described from Sequence Data (SeqCode), which provides a nomenclatural framework for the valid publication of names of Archaea and Bacteria using isolate genome, metagenome-assembled genome or single-amplified genome sequences as type material. The administrative structures supporting the SeqCode are designed to be open and inclusive. Direction is provided by the SeqCode Community, which we encourage those with an interest in prokaryotic systematics to join.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iain C Sutcliffe
- Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.
| | - Luis M Rodriguez-R
- Department of Microbiology and Digital Science Center (DiSC), University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck 60b0, Austria
| | - Stephanus N Venter
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - William B Whitman
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA C060b, USA
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3
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Rodriguez-R LM, Conrad RE, Viver T, Feistel DJ, Lindner BG, Venter SN, Orellana LH, Amann R, Rossello-Mora R, Konstantinidis KT. An ANI gap within bacterial species that advances the definitions of intra-species units. mBio 2024; 15:e0269623. [PMID: 38085031 PMCID: PMC10790751 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02696-23] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Bacterial strains and clonal complexes are two cornerstone concepts for microbiology that remain loosely defined, which confuses communication and research. Here we identify a natural gap in genome sequence comparisons among isolate genomes of all well-sequenced species that has gone unnoticed so far and could be used to more accurately and precisely define these and related concepts compared to current methods. These findings advance the molecular toolbox for accurately delineating and following the important units of diversity within prokaryotic species and thus should greatly facilitate future epidemiological and micro-diversity studies across clinical and environmental settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis M. Rodriguez-R
- Department of Microbiology, and Digital Science Center (DiSC), University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Roth E. Conrad
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Tomeu Viver
- Department of Animal and Microbial Biodiversity, Marine Microbiology Group, Mediterranean Institutes for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain
| | - Dorian J. Feistel
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Blake G. Lindner
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Stephanus N. Venter
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, and Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Luis H. Orellana
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Rudolf Amann
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Ramon Rossello-Mora
- Department of Animal and Microbial Biodiversity, Marine Microbiology Group, Mediterranean Institutes for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain
| | - Konstantinos T. Konstantinidis
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Viver T, Conrad RE, Rodriguez-R LM, Ramírez AS, Venter SN, Rocha-Cárdenas J, Llabrés M, Amann R, Konstantinidis KT, Rossello-Mora R. Towards estimating the number of strains that make up a natural bacterial population. Nat Commun 2024; 15:544. [PMID: 38228587 PMCID: PMC10791622 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44622-z] [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: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
What a strain is and how many strains make up a natural bacterial population remain elusive concepts despite their apparent importance for assessing the role of intra-population diversity in disease emergence or response to environmental perturbations. To advance these concepts, we sequenced 138 randomly selected Salinibacter ruber isolates from two solar salterns and assessed these genomes against companion short-read metagenomes from the same samples. The distribution of genome-aggregate average nucleotide identity (ANI) values among these isolates revealed a bimodal distribution, with four-fold lower occurrence of values between 99.2% and 99.8% relative to ANI >99.8% or <99.2%, revealing a natural "gap" in the sequence space within species. Accordingly, we used this ANI gap to define genomovars and a higher ANI value of >99.99% and shared gene-content >99.0% to define strains. Using these thresholds and extrapolating from how many metagenomic reads each genomovar uniquely recruited, we estimated that -although our 138 isolates represented about 80% of the Sal. ruber population- the total population in one saltern pond is composed of 5,500 to 11,000 genomovars, the great majority of which appear to be rare in-situ. These data also revealed that the most frequently recovered isolate in lab media was often not the most abundant genomovar in-situ, suggesting that cultivation biases are significant, even in cases that cultivation procedures are thought to be robust. The methodology and ANI thresholds outlined here should represent a useful guide for future microdiversity surveys of additional microbial species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomeu Viver
- Marine Microbiology Group, Department of Animal and Microbial Biodiversity, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain.
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany.
| | - Roth E Conrad
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Luis M Rodriguez-R
- Department of Microbiology, and Digital Science Center (DiSC), Universität of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Ana S Ramírez
- Unidad de Epidemiología y Medicina Preventiva, IUSA, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, C/Trasmontaña s/n, Arucas, 35413, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Stephanus N Venter
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, and Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Jairo Rocha-Cárdenas
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, 07122, Spain
| | - Mercè Llabrés
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, 07122, Spain
| | - Rudolf Amann
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Konstantinos T Konstantinidis
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Ramon Rossello-Mora
- Marine Microbiology Group, Department of Animal and Microbial Biodiversity, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain.
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Fourie A, Venter SN, Slippers B, Fourie G. Pantoea bathycoeliae sp. nov and Sodalis sp. are core gut microbiome symbionts of the two-spotted stink bug. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1284397. [PMID: 38098653 PMCID: PMC10720322 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1284397] [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: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Stink bug species (Pentatomoidea superfamily) have developed an interdependence with obligate bacterial gut symbionts in specialized midgut crypts (M4 sub-region). Species of the Enterobacteriaceae family (predominantly Pantoea) are vertically transferred to their offspring and provide nutrients that cannot be obtained from plant sap food sources. However, the bacteria in the other gut compartments of stink bugs have rarely been investigated. The two-spotted stink bug, Bathycoelia distincta, is a serious pest of macadamias in South Africa. Nothing is currently known regarding its gut microbiome or how symbionts are transferred between insect generations. In this study, the consistency of B. distincta gut bacteria across geographic locations and life stages was determined with 16S rRNA metabarcoding, considering both the M4 and other gut compartments. A novel Pantoea species was found to be the primary M4 gut symbiont and is vertically transferred to the offspring. The other gut compartments had a low bacterial diversity and genera varied between stink bug populations but a Sodalis species was prominent in all populations. Sequence data of the M4 compartment were used to produce high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) for the Pantoea and Sodalis species. Functional analyses suggested a similar role in nutrient provision for the host, yet also unique metabolites produced by each species. The Sodalis sp. also had additional traits, such as secretion systems, that likely allowed it to establish itself in the host. The Pantoea species was described as Pantoea bathycoeliae sp. nov based on the rules of the SeqCode.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Gerda Fourie
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Crosby KC, Rojas M, Sharma P, Johnson MA, Mazloom R, Kvitko BH, Smits THM, Venter SN, Coutinho TA, Heath LS, Palmer M, Vinatzer BA. Genomic delineation and description of species and within-species lineages in the genus Pantoea. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1254999. [PMID: 38029109 PMCID: PMC10665919 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1254999] [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: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
As the name of the genus Pantoea ("of all sorts and sources") suggests, this genus includes bacteria with a wide range of provenances, including plants, animals, soils, components of the water cycle, and humans. Some members of the genus are pathogenic to plants, and some are suspected to be opportunistic human pathogens; while others are used as microbial pesticides or show promise in biotechnological applications. During its taxonomic history, the genus and its species have seen many revisions. However, evolutionary and comparative genomics studies have started to provide a solid foundation for a more stable taxonomy. To move further toward this goal, we have built a 2,509-gene core genome tree of 437 public genome sequences representing the currently known diversity of the genus Pantoea. Clades were evaluated for being evolutionarily and ecologically significant by determining bootstrap support, gene content differences, and recent recombination events. These results were then integrated with genome metadata, published literature, descriptions of named species with standing in nomenclature, and circumscriptions of yet-unnamed species clusters, 15 of which we assigned names under the nascent SeqCode. Finally, genome-based circumscriptions and descriptions of each species and each significant genetic lineage within species were uploaded to the LINbase Web server so that newly sequenced genomes of isolates belonging to any of these groups could be precisely and accurately identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine C. Crosby
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Mariah Rojas
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Parul Sharma
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
- Graduate Program in Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Marcela A. Johnson
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
- Graduate Program in Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Reza Mazloom
- Department of Computer Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Brian H. Kvitko
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Theo H. M. Smits
- Environmental Genomics and System Biology Research Group, Institute of Natural Resource Sciences, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Wädenswil, Switzerland
| | - Stephanus N. Venter
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Teresa A. Coutinho
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Lenwood S. Heath
- Department of Computer Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Marike Palmer
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, United States
- Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Boris A. Vinatzer
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
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Claassens R, Venter SN, Beukes CW, Stępkowski T, Chan WY, Steenkamp ET. Bradyrhizobium xenonodulans sp. nov. isolated from nodules of Australian Acacia species invasive to South Africa. Syst Appl Microbiol 2023; 46:126452. [PMID: 37634485 DOI: 10.1016/j.syapm.2023.126452] [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: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
A genealogical concordance approach was used to delineate strains isolated from Acacia dealbata and Acacia mearnsii root nodules in South Africa. These isolates form part of Bradyrhizobium based on 16S rRNA sequence similarity. Phylogenetic analysis of six housekeeping genes (atpD, dnaK, glnII, gyrB, recA and rpoB) confirmed that these isolates represent a novel species, while pairwise average nucleotide identity (ANIb) calculations with the closest type strains (B. cosmicum 58S1T, B. betae PL7HG1T, B. ganzhouense CCBAU 51670 T, B. cytisi CTAW11T and B. rifense CTAW71T) resulted in values well below 95-96%. We further performed phenotypic tests which revealed that there are high levels of intraspecies variation, while an additional analysis of the nodA and nifD loci indicated that the symbiotic loci of the strains are closely related to those of Bradyrhizobium isolates with an Australian origin. Strain 14ABT (=LMG 31415 T = SARCC-753 T) is designated as the type strain of the novel species for which we propose the name Bradyrhizobium xenonodulans sp. nov.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricu Claassens
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Stephanus N Venter
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, Gauteng, South Africa
| | | | - Tomasz Stępkowski
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Institute of Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), Poland
| | - Wai Y Chan
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, Gauteng, South Africa; Right to Care, Centurion, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Emma T Steenkamp
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, Gauteng, South Africa.
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Avontuur JR, Wilken PM, Palmer M, Coetzee MPA, Stępkowski T, Venter SN, Steenkamp ET. Complex evolutionary history of photosynthesis in Bradyrhizobium. Microb Genom 2023; 9:001105. [PMID: 37676703 PMCID: PMC10569730 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.001105] [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: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Bradyrhizobium comprises a diverse group of bacteria with various lifestyles. Although best known for their nodule-based nitrogen-fixation in symbiosis with legumes, a select group of bradyrhizobia are also capable of photosynthesis. This ability seems to be rare among rhizobia, and its origin and evolution in these bacteria remain a subject of substantial debate. Therefore, our aim here was to investigate the distribution and evolution of photosynthesis in Bradyrhizobium using comparative genomics and representative genomes from closely related taxa in the families Nitrobacteraceae, Methylobacteriaceae, Boseaceae and Paracoccaceae . We identified photosynthesis gene clusters (PGCs) in 25 genomes belonging to three different Bradyrhizobium lineages, notably the so-called Photosynthetic, B. japonicum and B. elkanii supergroups. Also, two different PGC architectures were observed. One of these, PGC1, was present in genomes from the Photosynthetic supergroup and in three genomes from a species in the B. japonicum supergroup. The second cluster, PGC2, was also present in some strains from the B. japonicum supergroup, as well as in those from the B. elkanii supergroup. PGC2 was largely syntenic to the cluster found in Rhodopseudomonas palustris and Tardiphaga . Bayesian ancestral state reconstruction unambiguously showed that the ancestor of Bradyrhizobium lacked a PGC and that it was acquired horizontally by various lineages. Maximum-likelihood phylogenetic analyses of individual photosynthesis genes also suggested multiple acquisitions through horizontal gene transfer, followed by vertical inheritance and gene losses within the different lineages. Overall, our findings add to the existing body of knowledge on Bradyrhizobium ’s evolution and provide a meaningful basis from which to explore how these PGCs and the photosynthesis itself impact the physiology and ecology of these bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juanita R. Avontuur
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology (BGM), Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - P. Markus Wilken
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology (BGM), Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Marike Palmer
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Martin P. A. Coetzee
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology (BGM), Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Tomasz Stępkowski
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Institute of Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), Warszawa, Poland
| | - Stephanus N. Venter
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology (BGM), Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Emma T. Steenkamp
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology (BGM), Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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9
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Hedlund BP, Chuvochina M, Hugenholtz P, Konstantinidis KT, Murray AE, Palmer M, Parks DH, Probst AJ, Reysenbach AL, Rodriguez-R LM, Rossello-Mora R, Sutcliffe IC, Venter SN, Whitman WB. SeqCode: a nomenclatural code for prokaryotes described from sequence data. Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:1702-1708. [PMID: 36123442 PMCID: PMC9519449 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01214-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [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: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Most prokaryotes are not available as pure cultures and therefore ineligible for naming under the rules and recommendations of the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes (ICNP). Here we summarize the development of the SeqCode, a code of nomenclature under which genome sequences serve as nomenclatural types. This code enables valid publication of names of prokaryotes based upon isolate genome, metagenome-assembled genome or single-amplified genome sequences. Otherwise, it is similar to the ICNP with regard to the formation of names and rules of priority. It operates through the SeqCode Registry ( https://seqco.de/ ), a registration portal through which names and nomenclatural types are registered, validated and linked to metadata. We describe the two paths currently available within SeqCode to register and validate names, including Candidatus names, and provide examples for both. Recommendations on minimal standards for DNA sequences are provided. Thus, the SeqCode provides a reproducible and objective framework for the nomenclature of all prokaryotes regardless of cultivability and facilitates communication across microbiological disciplines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian P Hedlund
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Maria Chuvochina
- The University of Queensland, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Philip Hugenholtz
- The University of Queensland, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Alison E Murray
- Division of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Marike Palmer
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Donovan H Parks
- The University of Queensland, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Alexander J Probst
- Department of Chemistry, Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology (EMB), Group for Aquatic Microbial Ecology and Centre of Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | - Luis M Rodriguez-R
- Department of Microbiology and Digital Science Center (DiSC), University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Ramon Rossello-Mora
- Marine Microbiology Group, Department of Animal and Microbial Diversity, Mediterranean Institute of Advanced Studies (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain
| | - Iain C Sutcliffe
- Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Stephanus N Venter
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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10
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Whitman WB, Chuvochina M, Hedlund BP, Hugenholtz P, Konstantinidis KT, Murray AE, Palmer M, Parks DH, Probst AJ, Reysenbach AL, Rodriguez-R LM, Rossello-Mora R, Sutcliffe I, Venter SN. Development of the SeqCode: A proposed nomenclatural code for uncultivated prokaryotes with DNA sequences as type. Syst Appl Microbiol 2022; 45:126305. [PMID: 36049255 PMCID: PMC9489671 DOI: 10.1016/j.syapm.2022.126305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [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: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Over the last fifteen years, genomics has become fully integrated into prokaryotic systematics. The genomes of most type strains have been sequenced, genome sequence similarity is widely used for delineation of species, and phylogenomic methods are commonly used for classification of higher taxonomic ranks. Additionally, environmental genomics has revealed a vast diversity of as-yet-uncultivated taxa. In response to these developments, a new code of nomenclature, the Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes Described from Sequence Data (SeqCode), has been developed over the last two years to allow naming of Archaea and Bacteria using DNA sequences as the nomenclatural types. The SeqCode also allows naming of cultured organisms, including fastidious prokaryotes that cannot be deposited into culture collections. Several simplifications relative to the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes (ICNP) are implemented to make nomenclature more accessible, easier to apply and more readily communicated. By simplifying nomenclature with the goal of a unified classification, inclusive of both cultured and uncultured taxa, the SeqCode will facilitate the naming of taxa in every biome on Earth, encourage the isolation and characterization of as-yet-uncultivated taxa, and promote synergies between the ecological, environmental, physiological, biochemical, and molecular biological disciplines to more fully describe prokaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maria Chuvochina
- The University of Queensland, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, Australia
| | - Brian P Hedlund
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Philip Hugenholtz
- The University of Queensland, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, Australia
| | | | - Alison E Murray
- Division of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Marike Palmer
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Donovan H Parks
- The University of Queensland, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, Australia
| | - Alexander J Probst
- Department of Chemistry, Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology (EMB), Group for Aquatic Microbial Ecology and Centre of Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | - Luis M Rodriguez-R
- Department of Microbiology and Digital Science Center (DiSC), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 15 / 01-05, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Ramon Rossello-Mora
- Marine Microbiology Group, Department of Animal and Microbial Diversity, Mediterranean Institute of Advanced Studies (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Illes Balears, Spain
| | - Iain Sutcliffe
- Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Stephanus N Venter
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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11
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Conrad RE, Viver T, Gago JF, Hatt JK, Venter SN, Rossello-Mora R, Konstantinidis KT. Toward quantifying the adaptive role of bacterial pangenomes during environmental perturbations. ISME J 2022; 16:1222-1234. [PMID: 34887548 PMCID: PMC9039077 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-021-01149-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [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: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Metagenomic surveys have revealed that natural microbial communities are predominantly composed of sequence-discrete, species-like populations but the genetic and/or ecological processes that maintain such populations remain speculative, limiting our understanding of population speciation and adaptation to perturbations. To address this knowledge gap, we sequenced 112 Salinibacter ruber isolates and 12 companion metagenomes from four adjacent saltern ponds in Mallorca, Spain that were experimentally manipulated to dramatically alter salinity and light intensity, the two major drivers of this ecosystem. Our analyses showed that the pangenome of the local Sal. ruber population is open and similar in size (~15,000 genes) to that of randomly sampled Escherichia coli genomes. While most of the accessory (noncore) genes were isolate-specific and showed low in situ abundances based on the metagenomes compared to the core genes, indicating that they were functionally unimportant and/or transient, 3.5% of them became abundant when salinity (but not light) conditions changed and encoded for functions related to osmoregulation. Nonetheless, the ecological advantage of these genes, while significant, was apparently not strong enough to purge diversity within the population. Collectively, our results provide an explanation for how this immense intrapopulation gene diversity is maintained, which has implications for the prokaryotic species concept.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roth E Conrad
- Ocean Science & Engineering, School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Tomeu Viver
- Marine Microbiology Group, Department of Animal and Microbial Biodiversity, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain
| | - Juan F Gago
- Marine Microbiology Group, Department of Animal and Microbial Biodiversity, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain
| | - Janet K Hatt
- School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Stephanus N Venter
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, and Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Ramon Rossello-Mora
- Marine Microbiology Group, Department of Animal and Microbial Biodiversity, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain.
| | - Konstantinos T Konstantinidis
- Ocean Science & Engineering, School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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12
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Fourie A, Venter SN, Slippers B, Fourie G. A Detection Assay to Identify Alternative Food Sources of the Two-Spotted Stink Bug, Bathycoelia distincta (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). J Econ Entomol 2022; 115:519-525. [PMID: 35028665 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toab256] [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: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The two-spotted stink bug, Bathycoelia distincta Distant (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is a serious pest in South African macadamia orchards. This pest is predominantly controlled using insecticides, thus alternative control methods are essential. The stink bugs arrive as adults in the orchards, during the early nut set season, but little is known about their alternative plant hosts before their arrival. The aim of this study was to develop a PCR-based metabarcoding assay to identify plant material in the gut of B. distincta. Thereafter, the persistence of plant DNA in the gut, after switching food sources, was determined by rearing the stink bugs on Zea mays L. (Cyperales: Poaceae), transferring them to Macadamia sp. and then collecting insects at different time points. As a proof of concept, the assay was tested on insects collected from commercial macadamia orchards to determine if it can identify alternative food sources. The chloroplast gene markers, trnL and trnF, were most successful for plant DNA amplification. The time trial suggested that plant material can be detected 24 h after switching to the alternate food source and one of the samples still contained Z. mays DNA after five days. Various plant species were detected from the orchard collected samples, including known food sources of other stink bugs, such as tea plants (Camellia sinensis L. (Ericales:Theaceae)) and sunflowers (Helianthus annuus L. (Asterales: Asteraceae)). This study provides the first indication of potential alternative food sources of B. distincta. The assay developed in this study can now be implemented for large-scale field surveys to contribute to future integrated pest management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arista Fourie
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Stephanus N Venter
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Bernard Slippers
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Gerda Fourie
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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13
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Mavima L, Beukes CW, Palmer M, De Meyer SE, James EK, Maluk M, Muasya MA, Avontuur JR, Yin Chan W, Venter SN, Steenkamp ET. Delineation of Paraburkholderia tuberum sensu stricto and description of Paraburkholderia podalyriae sp. nov. nodulating the South African legume Podalyria calyptrata. Syst Appl Microbiol 2022; 45:126316. [DOI: 10.1016/j.syapm.2022.126316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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14
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Avontuur JR, Palmer M, Beukes CW, Chan WY, Tasiya T, van Zyl E, Coetzee MPA, Stepkowski T, Venter SN, Steenkamp ET. Bradyrhizobium altum sp. nov., Bradyrhizobium oropedii sp. nov. and Bradyrhizobium acaciae sp. nov. from South Africa show locally restricted and pantropical nodA phylogeographic patterns. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2021; 167:107338. [PMID: 34757168 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107338] [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: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Africa is known for its rich legume diversity with a significant number of endemic species originating in South Africa. Many of these legumes associate with rhizobial symbionts of the genus Bradyrhizobium, of which most represent new species. Yet, none of the Bradyrhizobium species from South Africa have been described. In this study, phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences of fourteen strains isolated in southern Africa from root nodules of diverse legumes (i.e., from the tribes Crotalarieae, Acacieae, Genisteae, Phaseoleae and Cassieae) revealed that they belong to the Bradyrhizobium elkanii supergroup. The taxonomic position and possible novelty of these strains were further interrogated using genealogical concordance of five housekeeping genes (atpD, dnaK, glnII, gyrB and rpoB). These phylogenies consistently recovered four monophyletic groups and one singleton within Bradyrhizobium. Of these groups, two were conspecific with Bradyrhizobium brasilense UFLA 03-321T and Bradyrhizobium ivorense CI-1BT, while the remaining three represented novel taxa. Their existence was further supported with genome data, as well as metabolic and physiological traits. Analysis of nodA gene sequences further showed that the evolution of these bacteria likely involved adapting to local legume hosts and environmental conditions through the acquisition, via horizontal gene transfer, of optimal symbiotic loci. We accordingly propose the following names Bradyrhizobium acaciae sp. nov. 10BBT (SARCC 730T = LMG 31409T), Bradyrhizobium oropedii sp. nov. Pear76T (SARCC 731T = LMG 31408T), and Bradyrhizobium altum sp. nov. Pear77T (SARCC 754T = LMG 31407T) to accommodate three novel species, all of which are symbionts of legumes in South Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juanita R Avontuur
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology (BGM), Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Marike Palmer
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
| | - Chrizelle W Beukes
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology (BGM), Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Wai Y Chan
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology (BGM), Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; National Institute for Communicable Disease, National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Taponeswa Tasiya
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology (BGM), Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Elritha van Zyl
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology (BGM), Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Martin P A Coetzee
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology (BGM), Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Tomasz Stepkowski
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Institute of Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), Poland
| | - Stephanus N Venter
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology (BGM), Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
| | - Emma T Steenkamp
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology (BGM), Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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15
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Human ZR, Roets F, Crous CJ, Wingfield MJ, de Beer ZW, Venter SN. Fire impacts bacterial composition in Protea repens (Proteaceae) infructescences. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2021; 368:6385756. [PMID: 34626182 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnab132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The diverse bacterial communities in and around plants provide important benefits, such as protection against pathogens and cycling of essential minerals through decomposition of moribund plant biomass. Biodiverse fynbos landscapes generally have limited deadwood habitats due to the absence of large trees and frequent fire. In this study, we determined the effect of a fire disturbance on the bacterial communities in a fynbos landscape dominated by the shrub Protea repens using 16S ribosomal RNA amplicon sequencing. The bacterial community composition in newly formed fruiting structures (infructescences) and soil at a recently burnt site was different from that in an unburnt site. Bacteria inhabiting P. repens infructescences were similar to well-known taxa from decomposing wood and litter. This suggests a putative role for these aboveground plant structures as reservoirs for postfire decomposer bacteria. The results imply that inordinately frequent fires, which are commonplace in the Anthropocene, are a significant disturbance to bacterial communities and could affect the diversity of potentially important microbes from these landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zander R Human
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
| | - Francois Roets
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa
| | - Casparus J Crous
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa
| | - Michael J Wingfield
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
| | - Z Wilhelm de Beer
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
| | - Stephanus N Venter
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
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16
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NandaKafle G, Huegen T, Potgieter SC, Steenkamp E, Venter SN, Brözel VS. Niche Preference of Escherichia coli in a Peri-Urban Pond Ecosystem. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11101020. [PMID: 34685391 PMCID: PMC8538306 DOI: 10.3390/life11101020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Escherichia coli comprises diverse strains with a large accessory genome, indicating functional diversity and the ability to adapt to a range of niches. Specific strains would display greatest fitness in niches matching their combination of phenotypic traits. Given this hypothesis, we sought to determine whether E. coli in a peri-urban pond and associated cattle pasture display niche preference. Samples were collected from water, sediment, aquatic plants, water snails associated with the pond, as well as bovine feces from cattle in an adjacent pasture. Isolates (120) were obtained after plating on Membrane Lactose Glucuronide Agar (MLGA). We used the uidA and mutS sequences for all isolates to determine phylogeny by maximum likelihood, and population structure through gene flow analysis. PCR was used to allocate isolates to phylogroups and to determine the presence of pathogenicity/virulence genes (stxI, stxII, eaeA, hlyA, ST, and LT). Antimicrobial resistance was determined using a disk diffusion assay for Tetracycline, Gentamicin, Ciprofloxacin, Meropenem, Ceftriaxone, and Azithromycin. Our results showed that isolates from water, sediment, and water plants were similar by phylogroup distribution, virulence gene distribution, and antibiotic resistance while both snail and feces populations were significantly different. Few of the feces isolates were significantly similar to aquatic ones, and most of the snail isolates were also different. Population structure analysis indicated three genetic backgrounds associated with bovine, snail, and aquatic environments. Collectively these data support niche preference of E. coli isolates occurring in this ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gitanjali NandaKafle
- Department of Biology and Microbiology, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA; (G.N.); (T.H.)
| | - Taylor Huegen
- Department of Biology and Microbiology, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA; (G.N.); (T.H.)
| | - Sarah C. Potgieter
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0004, South Africa; (S.C.P.); (E.S.); (S.N.V.)
| | - Emma Steenkamp
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0004, South Africa; (S.C.P.); (E.S.); (S.N.V.)
| | - Stephanus N. Venter
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0004, South Africa; (S.C.P.); (E.S.); (S.N.V.)
| | - Volker S. Brözel
- Department of Biology and Microbiology, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA; (G.N.); (T.H.)
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0004, South Africa; (S.C.P.); (E.S.); (S.N.V.)
- Correspondence:
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17
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Agarwal G, Choudhary D, Stice SP, Myers BK, Gitaitis RD, Venter SN, Kvitko BH, Dutta B. Pan-Genome-Wide Analysis of Pantoea ananatis Identified Genes Linked to Pathogenicity in Onion. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:684756. [PMID: 34489883 PMCID: PMC8417944 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.684756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pantoea ananatis, a gram negative and facultative anaerobic bacterium is a member of a Pantoea spp. complex that causes center rot of onion, which significantly affects onion yield and quality. This pathogen does not have typical virulence factors like type II or type III secretion systems but appears to require a biosynthetic gene-cluster, HiVir/PASVIL (located chromosomally comprised of 14 genes), for a phosphonate secondary metabolite, and the 'alt' gene cluster (located in plasmid and comprised of 11 genes) that aids in bacterial colonization in onion bulbs by imparting tolerance to thiosulfinates. We conducted a deep pan-genome-wide association study (pan-GWAS) to predict additional genes associated with pathogenicity in P. ananatis using a panel of diverse strains (n = 81). We utilized a red-onion scale necrosis assay as an indicator of pathogenicity. Based on this assay, we differentiated pathogenic (n = 51)- vs. non-pathogenic (n = 30)-strains phenotypically. Pan-genome analysis revealed a large core genome of 3,153 genes and a flexible accessory genome. Pan-GWAS using the presence and absence variants (PAVs) predicted 42 genes, including 14 from the previously identified HiVir/PASVIL cluster associated with pathogenicity, and 28 novel genes that were not previously associated with pathogenicity in onion. Of the 28 novel genes identified, eight have annotated functions of site-specific tyrosine kinase, N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase, conjugal transfer, and HTH-type transcriptional regulator. The remaining 20 genes are currently hypothetical. Further, a core-genome SNPs-based phylogeny and horizontal gene transfer (HGT) studies were also conducted to assess the extent of lateral gene transfer among diverse P. ananatis strains. Phylogenetic analysis based on PAVs and whole genome multi locus sequence typing (wgMLST) rather than core-genome SNPs distinguished red-scale necrosis inducing (pathogenic) strains from non-scale necrosis inducing (non-pathogenic) strains of P. ananatis. A total of 1182 HGT events including the HiVir/PASVIL and alt cluster genes were identified. These events could be regarded as a major contributing factor to the diversification, niche-adaptation and potential acquisition of pathogenicity/virulence genes in P. ananatis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaurav Agarwal
- Department of Plant Pathology, Coastal Plain Experimental Station, University of Georgia, Tifton, GA, United States
| | - Divya Choudhary
- Department of Plant Pathology, Coastal Plain Experimental Station, University of Georgia, Tifton, GA, United States
| | - Shaun P Stice
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Brendon K Myers
- Department of Plant Pathology, Coastal Plain Experimental Station, University of Georgia, Tifton, GA, United States
| | - Ronald D Gitaitis
- Department of Plant Pathology, Coastal Plain Experimental Station, University of Georgia, Tifton, GA, United States
| | - Stephanus N Venter
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Brian H Kvitko
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Bhabesh Dutta
- Department of Plant Pathology, Coastal Plain Experimental Station, University of Georgia, Tifton, GA, United States
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18
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Konstantinidis KT, Viver T, Conrad RE, Venter SN, Rossello-Mora R. Solar salterns as model systems to study the units of bacterial diversity that matter for ecosystem functioning. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2021; 73:151-157. [PMID: 34438234 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2021.07.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Microbial communities often harbor overwhelming species and gene diversity, making it challenging to determine the important units to study this diversity. We argue that the reduced, and thus tractable, microbial diversity of manmade salterns provides an ideal system to advance this cornerstone issue. We review recent time-series genomic and metagenomic studies of the saltern-dominating bacterial and archaeal taxa to show that these taxa form persistent, sequence-discrete, species-like populations. While these populations harbor extensive intra-population gene diversity, even within a single saltern site, only a small minority of these genes appear to be functionally important during environmental perturbations. We outline an approach to detect and track such populations and their ecologically important genes that should be broadly applicable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantinos T Konstantinidis
- Ocean Science & Engineering, School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA; School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA; School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Tomeu Viver
- Marine Microbiology Group, Department of Animal and Microbial Biodiversity, Mediterranean Institutes for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain
| | - Roth E Conrad
- Ocean Science & Engineering, School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA; School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Stephanus N Venter
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, and Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Ramon Rossello-Mora
- Marine Microbiology Group, Department of Animal and Microbial Biodiversity, Mediterranean Institutes for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain.
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19
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Murray AE, Freudenstein J, Gribaldo S, Hatzenpichler R, Hugenholtz P, Kämpfer P, Konstantinidis KT, Lane CE, Papke RT, Parks DH, Rossello-Mora R, Stott MB, Sutcliffe IC, Thrash JC, Venter SN, Whitman WB, Acinas SG, Amann RI, Anantharaman K, Armengaud J, Baker BJ, Barco RA, Bode HB, Boyd ES, Brady CL, Carini P, Chain PSG, Colman DR, DeAngelis KM, de Los Rios MA, Estrada-de Los Santos P, Dunlap CA, Eisen JA, Emerson D, Ettema TJG, Eveillard D, Girguis PR, Hentschel U, Hollibaugh JT, Hug LA, Inskeep WP, Ivanova EP, Klenk HP, Li WJ, Lloyd KG, Löffler FE, Makhalanyane TP, Moser DP, Nunoura T, Palmer M, Parro V, Pedrós-Alió C, Probst AJ, Smits THM, Steen AD, Steenkamp ET, Spang A, Stewart FJ, Tiedje JM, Vandamme P, Wagner M, Wang FP, Yarza P, Hedlund BP, Reysenbach AL. Author Correction: Roadmap for naming uncultivated Archaea and Bacteria. Nat Microbiol 2020; 6:136. [PMID: 33184503 PMCID: PMC7752755 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-020-00827-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison E Murray
- Division of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV, USA.
| | - John Freudenstein
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Simonetta Gribaldo
- Evolutionary Biology of the Microbial Cell, Department of Microbiology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Roland Hatzenpichler
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for Biofilm Engineering, and Thermal Biology Institute, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Philip Hugenholtz
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Peter Kämpfer
- Department of Applied Microbiology, Justus-Liebig-Universität, Giessen, Germany
| | | | - Christopher E Lane
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA
| | - R Thane Papke
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Donovan H Parks
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Ramon Rossello-Mora
- Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies, CSIC-UIB, Illes Balears, Spain
| | - Matthew B Stott
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Iain C Sutcliffe
- Department of Applied Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - J Cameron Thrash
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Stephanus N Venter
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | - Silvia G Acinas
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciènces del Mar, CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rudolf I Amann
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | | | - Jean Armengaud
- CEA Technological Innovations for Detection and Diagnosis Laboratory, CEA Pharmacology and Immunoanalysis Unit (SPI), Bagnols-sur-Cèze, France
| | - Brett J Baker
- Department of Marine Science, Marine Science Institute, University of Texas at Austin, Port Aransas, TX, USA
| | - Roman A Barco
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Helge B Bode
- Molecular Biotechnology, Department of Biosciences and Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS), Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Senckenberg Society for Nature Research, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Eric S Boyd
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | | | - Paul Carini
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Arizona, Tuscon, AZ, USA
| | - Patrick S G Chain
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | - Daniel R Colman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | | | | | | | - Christopher A Dunlap
- National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Crop Bioprotection Research Unit, Peoria, IL, USA
| | - Jonathan A Eisen
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - David Emerson
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, East Boothbay, ME, USA
| | - Thijs J G Ettema
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Peter R Girguis
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ute Hentschel
- GEOMAR-Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, RD3-Marine Ecology, RU-Marine Microbiology, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Laura A Hug
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
| | - William P Inskeep
- Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Elena P Ivanova
- School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Hans-Peter Klenk
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Wen-Jun Li
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Karen G Lloyd
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Frank E Löffler
- Departments of Microbiology and Civil & Environmental Engineering, Center for Environmental Biotechnology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.,Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Thulani P Makhalanyane
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Duane P Moser
- Division of Hydrologic Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Takuro Nunoura
- Research Center for Bioscience and Nanoscience (CeBN), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Japan
| | - Marike Palmer
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | | | | | - Alexander J Probst
- Department of Chemistry, Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Theo H M Smits
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Research Group, Institute for Environment and Natural Resources, Zürich University for Applied Sciences (ZHAW), Wädenswil, Switzerland
| | - Andrew D Steen
- Departments of Microbiology and Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Emma T Steenkamp
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Anja Spang
- Department for Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg, the Netherlands.,Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Frank J Stewart
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - James M Tiedje
- Center for Microbial Ecology, Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Peter Vandamme
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Michael Wagner
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Feng-Ping Wang
- International Center for Deep Life Investigation, School of Oceanography and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Brian P Hedlund
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, USA.
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20
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Mavima L, Beukes CW, Palmer M, De Meyer SE, James EK, Maluk M, Gross E, Dos Reis Junior FB, Avontuur JR, Chan WY, Venter SN, Steenkamp ET. Paraburkholderia youngii sp. nov. and 'Paraburkholderia atlantica' - Brazilian and Mexican Mimosa-associated rhizobia that were previously known as Paraburkholderia tuberum sv. mimosae. Syst Appl Microbiol 2020; 44:126152. [PMID: 33276286 DOI: 10.1016/j.syapm.2020.126152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [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: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 10/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have recognized South and Central/Latin American mimosoid legumes in the genera Mimosa, Piptadenia and Calliandra as hosts for various nodulating Paraburkholderia species. Several of these species have been validly named in the last two decades, e.g., P. nodosa, P. phymatum, P. diazotrophica, P. piptadeniae, P. ribeironis, P. sabiae and P. mimosarum. There are still, however, a number of diverse Paraburkholderia strains associated with these legumes that have an unclear taxonomic status. In this study, we focus on 30 of these strains which originate from the root nodules of Brazilian and Mexican Mimosa species. They were initially identified as P. tuberum and subsequently placed into a symbiovar (sv. mimosae) based on their host preferences. A polyphasic approach for the delineation of these strains was used, consisting of genealogical concordance analysis (using atpD, gyrB, acnA, pab and 16S rRNA gene sequences), together with comparisons of Average Nucleotide Identity (ANI), DNA G+C content ratios and phenotypic characteristics with those of the type strains of validly named Paraburkholderia species. Accordingly, these 30 strains were delineated into two distinct groups, of which one is conspecific with 'P. atlantica' CNPSo 3155T and the other new to Science. We propose the name Paraburkholderia youngii sp. nov. with type strain JPY169T (= LMG 31411T; SARCC751T) for this novel species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lazarus Mavima
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Chrizelle W Beukes
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Marike Palmer
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, United States of America
| | - Sofie E De Meyer
- MALDIID Pty Ltd, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia; Laboratory of Microbiology, Department Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Euan K James
- The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK
| | - Marta Maluk
- The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK
| | - Eduardo Gross
- Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, km 16 Rodovia Ilhéus - Itabuna, CEP 45662-900 Ilhéus, BA, Brazil
| | | | - Juanita R Avontuur
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Wai Y Chan
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; Biotechnology Platform, Agricultural Research Council Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute (ARC-OVI), Onderstepoort, South Africa
| | - Stephanus N Venter
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
| | - Emma T Steenkamp
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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21
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Murray AE, Freudenstein J, Gribaldo S, Hatzenpichler R, Hugenholtz P, Kämpfer P, Konstantinidis KT, Lane CE, Papke RT, Parks DH, Rossello-Mora R, Stott MB, Sutcliffe IC, Thrash JC, Venter SN, Whitman WB, Acinas SG, Amann RI, Anantharaman K, Armengaud J, Baker BJ, Barco RA, Bode HB, Boyd ES, Brady CL, Carini P, Chain PSG, Colman DR, DeAngelis KM, de Los Rios MA, Estrada-de Los Santos P, Dunlap CA, Eisen JA, Emerson D, Ettema TJG, Eveillard D, Girguis PR, Hentschel U, Hollibaugh JT, Hug LA, Inskeep WP, Ivanova EP, Klenk HP, Li WJ, Lloyd KG, Löffler FE, Makhalanyane TP, Moser DP, Nunoura T, Palmer M, Parro V, Pedrós-Alió C, Probst AJ, Smits THM, Steen AD, Steenkamp ET, Spang A, Stewart FJ, Tiedje JM, Vandamme P, Wagner M, Wang FP, Yarza P, Hedlund BP, Reysenbach AL. Roadmap for naming uncultivated Archaea and Bacteria. Nat Microbiol 2020; 5:987-994. [PMID: 32514073 PMCID: PMC7381421 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-020-0733-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.5] [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: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The assembly of single-amplified genomes (SAGs) and metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) has led to a surge in genome-based discoveries of members affiliated with Archaea and Bacteria, bringing with it a need to develop guidelines for nomenclature of uncultivated microorganisms. The International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes (ICNP) only recognizes cultures as 'type material', thereby preventing the naming of uncultivated organisms. In this Consensus Statement, we propose two potential paths to solve this nomenclatural conundrum. One option is the adoption of previously proposed modifications to the ICNP to recognize DNA sequences as acceptable type material; the other option creates a nomenclatural code for uncultivated Archaea and Bacteria that could eventually be merged with the ICNP in the future. Regardless of the path taken, we believe that action is needed now within the scientific community to develop consistent rules for nomenclature of uncultivated taxa in order to provide clarity and stability, and to effectively communicate microbial diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison E Murray
- Division of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV, USA.
| | - John Freudenstein
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Simonetta Gribaldo
- Evolutionary Biology of the Microbial Cell, Department of Microbiology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Roland Hatzenpichler
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for Biofilm Engineering, and Thermal Biology Institute, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Philip Hugenholtz
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Peter Kämpfer
- Department of Applied Microbiology, Justus-Liebig-Universität, Giessen, Germany
| | | | - Christopher E Lane
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA
| | - R Thane Papke
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Donovan H Parks
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Ramon Rossello-Mora
- Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies, CSIC-UIB, Illes Balears, Spain
| | - Matthew B Stott
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Iain C Sutcliffe
- Department of Applied Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - J Cameron Thrash
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Stephanus N Venter
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | - Silvia G Acinas
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciènces del Mar, CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rudolf I Amann
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | | | - Jean Armengaud
- CEA Technological Innovations for Detection and Diagnosis Laboratory, CEA Pharmacology and Immunoanalysis Unit (SPI), Bagnols-sur-Cèze, France
| | - Brett J Baker
- Department of Marine Science, Marine Science Institute, University of Texas at Austin, Port Aransas, TX, USA
| | - Roman A Barco
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Helge B Bode
- Molecular Biotechnology, Department of Biosciences and Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS), Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Senckenberg Society for Nature Research, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Eric S Boyd
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | | | - Paul Carini
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Arizona, Tuscon, AZ, USA
| | - Patrick S G Chain
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | - Daniel R Colman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | | | | | | | - Christopher A Dunlap
- National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Crop Bioprotection Research Unit, Peoria, IL, USA
| | - Jonathan A Eisen
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - David Emerson
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, East Boothbay, ME, USA
| | - Thijs J G Ettema
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Peter R Girguis
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ute Hentschel
- GEOMAR-Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, RD3-Marine Ecology, RU-Marine Microbiology, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Laura A Hug
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
| | - William P Inskeep
- Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Elena P Ivanova
- School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Hans-Peter Klenk
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Wen-Jun Li
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Karen G Lloyd
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Frank E Löffler
- Departments of Microbiology and Civil & Environmental Engineering, Center for Environmental Biotechnology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.,Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Thulani P Makhalanyane
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Duane P Moser
- Division of Hydrologic Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Takuro Nunoura
- Research Center for Bioscience and Nanoscience (CeBN), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Japan
| | - Marike Palmer
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | | | | | - Alexander J Probst
- Department of Chemistry, Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Theo H M Smits
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Research Group, Institute for Environment and Natural Resources, Zürich University for Applied Sciences (ZHAW), Wädenswil, Switzerland
| | - Andrew D Steen
- Departments of Microbiology and Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Emma T Steenkamp
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Anja Spang
- Department for Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg, the Netherlands.,Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Frank J Stewart
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - James M Tiedje
- Center for Microbial Ecology, Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Peter Vandamme
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Michael Wagner
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Feng-Ping Wang
- International Center for Deep Life Investigation, School of Oceanography and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Brian P Hedlund
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, USA.
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22
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Potgieter SC, Dai Z, Venter SN, Sigudu M, Pinto AJ. Microbial Nitrogen Metabolism in Chloraminated Drinking Water Reservoirs. mSphere 2020; 5:e00274-20. [PMID: 32350093 PMCID: PMC7193043 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00274-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [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: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Ammonia availability due to chloramination can promote the growth of nitrifying organisms, which can deplete chloramine residuals and result in operational problems for drinking water utilities. In this study, we used a metagenomic approach to determine the identity and functional potential of microorganisms involved in nitrogen biotransformation within chloraminated drinking water reservoirs. Spatial changes in the nitrogen species included an increase in nitrate concentrations accompanied by a decrease in ammonium concentrations with increasing distance from the site of chloramination. This nitrifying activity was likely driven by canonical ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (i.e., Nitrosomonas) and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (i.e., Nitrospira) as well as by complete-ammonia-oxidizing (i.e., comammox) Nitrospira-like bacteria. Functional annotation was used to evaluate genes associated with nitrogen metabolism, and the community gene catalogue contained mostly genes involved in nitrification, nitrate and nitrite reduction, and nitric oxide reduction. Furthermore, we assembled 47 high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) representing a highly diverse assemblage of bacteria. Of these, five MAGs showed high coverage across all samples, which included two Nitrosomonas, Nitrospira, Sphingomonas, and Rhizobiales-like MAGs. Systematic genome-level analyses of these MAGs in relation to nitrogen metabolism suggest that under ammonia-limited conditions, nitrate may be also reduced back to ammonia for assimilation. Alternatively, nitrate may be reduced to nitric oxide and may potentially play a role in regulating biofilm formation. Overall, this study provides insight into the microbial communities and their nitrogen metabolism and, together with the water chemistry data, improves our understanding of nitrogen biotransformation in chloraminated drinking water distribution systems.IMPORTANCE Chloramines are often used as a secondary disinfectant when free chlorine residuals are difficult to maintain. However, chloramination is often associated with the undesirable effect of nitrification, which results in operational problems for many drinking water utilities. The introduction of ammonia during chloramination provides a potential source of nitrogen either through the addition of excess ammonia or through chloramine decay. This promotes the growth of nitrifying microorganisms and provides a nitrogen source (i.e., nitrate) for the growth for other organisms. While the roles of canonical ammonia-oxidizing and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in chloraminated drinking water systems have been extensively investigated, those studies have largely adopted a targeted gene-centered approach. Further, little is known about the potential long-term cooccurrence of complete-ammonia-oxidizing (i.e., comammox) bacteria and the potential metabolic synergies of nitrifying organisms with their heterotrophic counterparts that are capable of denitrification and nitrogen assimilation. This study leveraged data obtained for genome-resolved metagenomics over a time series to show that while nitrifying bacteria are dominant and likely to play a major role in nitrification, their cooccurrence with heterotrophic organisms suggests that nitric oxide production and nitrate reduction to ammonia may also occur in chloraminated drinking water systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C Potgieter
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Zihan Dai
- Infrastructure and Environment Division, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Stephanus N Venter
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | - Ameet J Pinto
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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23
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Palmer M, Steenkamp ET, Blom J, Hedlund BP, Venter SN. All ANIs are not created equal: implications for prokaryotic species boundaries and integration of ANIs into polyphasic taxonomy. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2020; 70:2937-2948. [PMID: 32242793 DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.004124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [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] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In prokaryotic taxonomy, a set of criteria is commonly used to delineate species. These criteria are generally based on cohesion at the phylogenetic, phenotypic and genomic levels. One such criterion shown to have promise in the genomic era is average nucleotide identity (ANI), which provides an average measure of similarity across homologous regions shared by a pair of genomes. However, despite the popularity and relative ease of using this metric, ANI has undergone numerous refinements, with variations in genome fragmentation, homologue detection parameters and search algorithms. To test the robustness of a 95-96 % species cut-off range across all the commonly used ANI approaches, seven different methods were used to calculate ANI values for intra- and interspecies datasets representing three classes in the Proteobacteria. As a reference point, these methods were all compared to the widely used blast-based ANI (i.e. ANIb as implemented in JSpecies), and regression analyses were performed to investigate the correlation of these methods to ANIb with more than 130000 individual data points. From these analyses, it was clear that ANI methods did not provide consistent results regarding the conspecificity of isolates. Most of the methods investigated did not correlate perfectly with ANIb, particularly between 90 and 100% identity, which includes the proposed species boundary. There was also a difference in the correlation of methods for the different taxon sets. Our study thus suggests that the specific approach employed needs to be considered when ANI is used to delineate prokaryotic species. We furthermore suggest that one would first need to determine an appropriate cut-off value for a specific taxon set, based on the intraspecific diversity of that group, before conclusions on conspecificity of isolates can be made, and that the resulting species hypotheses be confirmed with analyses based on evolutionary history as part of the polyphasic approach to taxonomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marike Palmer
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Emma T Steenkamp
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Jochen Blom
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Brian P Hedlund
- Nevada Institute of Personalized Medicine, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Stephanus N Venter
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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24
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Estrada-de los Santos P, Palmer M, Steenkamp ET, Maluk M, Beukes C, Hirsch AM, James EK, Venter SN. Trinickia dabaoshanensis sp. nov., a new name for a lost species. Arch Microbiol 2019; 201:1313-1316. [DOI: 10.1007/s00203-019-01703-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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25
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Beukes CW, Boshoff FS, Phalane FL, Hassen AI, le Roux MM, Stȩpkowski T, Venter SN, Steenkamp ET. Both Alpha- and Beta-Rhizobia Occupy the Root Nodules of Vachellia karroo in South Africa. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1195. [PMID: 31214140 PMCID: PMC6558075 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [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: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Vachellia karroo (formerly Acacia karroo) is a wide-spread legume species indigenous to southern Africa. Little is known regarding the identity or diversity of rhizobia that associate with this plant in its native range in South Africa. The aims of this study were therefore: (i) to gather a collection of rhizobia associated with V. karroo from a wide range of geographic locations and biomes; (ii) to identify the isolates and infer their evolutionary relationships with known rhizobia; (iii) to confirm their nodulation abilities by using them in inoculation assays to induce nodules under glasshouse conditions. To achieve these aims, soil samples were collected from 28 locations in seven biomes throughout South Africa, which were then used to grow V. karroo seedlings under nitrogen-free conditions. The resulting 88 bacterial isolates were identified to genus-level using 16S rRNA sequence analysis and to putative species-level using recA-based phylogenetic analyses. Our results showed that the rhizobial isolates represented members of several genera of Alphaproteobacteria (Bradyrhizobium, Ensifer, Mesorhizobium, and Rhizobium), as well as Paraburkholderia from the Betaproteobacteria. Our study therefore greatly increases the known number of Paraburkholderia isolates which can associate with this southern African mimosoid host. We also show for the first time that members of this genus can associate with legumes, not only in the Fynbos biome, but also in the Albany Thicket and Succulent Karoo biomes. Twenty-six putative species were delineated among the 88 isolates, many of which appeared to be new to Science with other likely being conspecific or closely related to E. alkalisoli, M. abyssinicae, M. shonense, and P. tropica. We encountered only a single isolate of Bradyrhizobium, which is in contrast to the dominant association of this genus with Australian Acacia. V. karroo also associates with diverse genera in the Grassland biome where it is quite invasive and involved in bush encroachment. Our findings therefore suggest that V. karroo is a promiscuous host capable of forming effective nodules with both alpha- and beta-rhizobia, which could be a driving force behind the ecological success of this tree species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chrizelle W Beukes
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Francois S Boshoff
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Francina L Phalane
- Agricultural Research Council, Plant Health and Protection Institute, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Ahmed I Hassen
- Agricultural Research Council, Plant Health and Protection Institute, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Marianne M le Roux
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria National Botanical Garden, Pretoria, South Africa.,Department of Botany and Plant Biotechnology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Tomasz Stȩpkowski
- Autonomous Department of Microbial Biology, Faculty of Agriculture and Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences - SGGW, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Stephanus N Venter
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Emma T Steenkamp
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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26
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Palmer M, Venter SN, McTaggart AR, Coetzee MPA, Van Wyk S, Avontuur JR, Beukes CW, Fourie G, Santana QC, Van Der Nest MA, Blom J, Steenkamp ET. The synergistic effect of concatenation in phylogenomics: the case in Pantoea. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6698. [PMID: 31024760 PMCID: PMC6474361 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6698] [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: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
With the increased availability of genome sequences for bacteria, it has become routine practice to construct genome-based phylogenies. These phylogenies have formed the basis for various taxonomic decisions, especially for resolving problematic relationships between taxa. Despite the popularity of concatenating shared genes to obtain well-supported phylogenies, various issues regarding this combined-evidence approach have been raised. These include the introduction of phylogenetic error into datasets, as well as incongruence due to organism-level evolutionary processes, particularly horizontal gene transfer and incomplete lineage sorting. Because of the huge effect that this could have on phylogenies, we evaluated the impact of phylogenetic conflict caused by organism-level evolutionary processes on the established species phylogeny for Pantoea, a member of the Enterobacterales. We explored the presence and distribution of phylogenetic conflict at the gene partition and nucleotide levels, by identifying putative inter-lineage recombination events that might have contributed to such conflict. Furthermore, we determined whether smaller, randomly constructed datasets had sufficient signal to reconstruct the current species tree hypothesis or if they would be overshadowed by phylogenetic incongruence. We found that no individual gene tree was fully congruent with the species phylogeny of Pantoea, although many of the expected nodes were supported by various individual genes across the genome. Evidence of recombination was found across all lineages within Pantoea, and provides support for organism-level evolutionary processes as a potential source of phylogenetic conflict. The phylogenetic signal from at least 70 random genes recovered robust, well-supported phylogenies for the backbone and most species relationships of Pantoea, and was unaffected by phylogenetic conflict within the dataset. Furthermore, despite providing limited resolution among taxa at the level of single gene trees, concatenated analyses of genes that were identified as having no signal resulted in a phylogeny that resembled the species phylogeny of Pantoea. This distribution of signal and noise across the genome presents the ideal situation for phylogenetic inference, as the topology from a ≥70-gene concatenated species phylogeny is not driven by single genes, and our data suggests that this finding may also hold true for smaller datasets. We thus argue that, by using a concatenation-based approach in phylogenomics, one can obtain robust phylogenies due to the synergistic effect of the combined signal obtained from multiple genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marike Palmer
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB) and Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Stephanus N Venter
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB) and Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Alistair R McTaggart
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB) and Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa.,Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Martin P A Coetzee
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB) and Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Stephanie Van Wyk
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB) and Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Juanita R Avontuur
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB) and Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Chrizelle W Beukes
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB) and Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Gerda Fourie
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB) and Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Quentin C Santana
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB) and Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Magriet A Van Der Nest
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB) and Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Jochen Blom
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Justus Liebig Universität Gießen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Emma T Steenkamp
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB) and Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
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Avontuur JR, Palmer M, Beukes CW, Chan WY, Coetzee MPA, Blom J, Stępkowski T, Kyrpides NC, Woyke T, Shapiro N, Whitman WB, Venter SN, Steenkamp ET. Genome-informed Bradyrhizobium taxonomy: where to from here? Syst Appl Microbiol 2019; 42:427-439. [PMID: 31031014 DOI: 10.1016/j.syapm.2019.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [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: 02/01/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Bradyrhizobium is thought to be the largest and most diverse rhizobial genus, but this is not reflected in the number of described species. Although it was one of the first rhizobial genera recognised, its taxonomy remains complex. Various contemporary studies are showing that genome sequence information may simplify taxonomic decisions. Therefore, the growing availability of genomes for Bradyrhizobium will likely aid in the delineation and characterization of new species. In this study, we addressed two aims: first, we reviewed the availability and quality of available genomic resources for Bradyrhizobium. This was achieved by comparing genome sequences in terms of sequencing technologies used and estimated level of completeness for inclusion in genome-based phylogenetic analyses. Secondly, we utilized these genomes to investigate the taxonomic standing of Bradyrhizobium in light of its diverse lifestyles. Although genome sequences differed in terms of their quality and completeness, our data indicate that the use of these genome sequences is adequate for taxonomic purposes. By using these resources, we inferred a fully resolved, well-supported phylogeny. It separated Bradyrhizobium into seven lineages, three of which corresponded to the so-called supergroups known for the genus. Wide distribution of key lifestyle traits such as nodulation, nitrogen fixation and photosynthesis revealed that these traits have complicated evolutionary histories. We present the first robust Bradyrhizobium species phylogeny based on genome sequence information for investigating the evolution of this important assemblage of bacteria. Furthermore, this study provides the basis for using genome sequence information as a resource to make important taxonomic decisions, particularly at the species and genus levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juanita R Avontuur
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Marike Palmer
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Chrizelle W Beukes
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Wai Y Chan
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; Biotechnology Platform, Agricultural Research Council Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute (ARC-OVI), Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa
| | - Martin P A Coetzee
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Jochen Blom
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Tomasz Stępkowski
- Autonomous Department of Microbial Biology, Faculty of Agriculture and Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), Poland
| | | | - Tanja Woyke
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, United States
| | - Nicole Shapiro
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, United States
| | - William B Whitman
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Stephanus N Venter
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Emma T Steenkamp
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa. http://emma.steenkamp.up.ac.za
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Palmer M, Venter SN, Coetzee MP, Steenkamp ET. Prokaryotic species are sui generis evolutionary units. Syst Appl Microbiol 2019; 42:145-158. [DOI: 10.1016/j.syapm.2018.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Estrada-de Los Santos P, Palmer M, Chávez-Ramírez B, Beukes C, Steenkamp ET, Briscoe L, Khan N, Maluk M, Lafos M, Humm E, Arrabit M, Crook M, Gross E, Simon MF, Dos Reis Junior FB, Whitman WB, Shapiro N, Poole PS, Hirsch AM, Venter SN, James EK. Whole Genome Analyses Suggests that Burkholderia sensu lato Contains Two Additional Novel Genera ( Mycetohabitans gen. nov., and Trinickia gen. nov.): Implications for the Evolution of Diazotrophy and Nodulation in the Burkholderiaceae. Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:genes9080389. [PMID: 30071618 PMCID: PMC6116057 DOI: 10.3390/genes9080389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.2] [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: 05/24/2018] [Revised: 07/19/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Burkholderia sensu lato is a large and complex group, containing pathogenic, phytopathogenic, symbiotic and non-symbiotic strains from a very wide range of environmental (soil, water, plants, fungi) and clinical (animal, human) habitats. Its taxonomy has been evaluated several times through the analysis of 16S rRNA sequences, concantenated 4–7 housekeeping gene sequences, and lately by genome sequences. Currently, the division of this group into Burkholderia, Caballeronia, Paraburkholderia, and Robbsia is strongly supported by genome analysis. These new genera broadly correspond to the various habitats/lifestyles of Burkholderia s.l., e.g., all the plant beneficial and environmental (PBE) strains are included in Paraburkholderia (which also includes all the N2-fixing legume symbionts) and Caballeronia, while most of the human and animal pathogens are retained in Burkholderia sensu stricto. However, none of these genera can accommodate two important groups of species. One of these includes the closely related Paraburkholderia rhizoxinica and Paraburkholderia endofungorum, which are both symbionts of the fungal phytopathogen Rhizopus microsporus. The second group comprises the Mimosa-nodulating bacterium Paraburkholderia symbiotica, the phytopathogen Paraburkholderia caryophylli, and the soil bacteria Burkholderia dabaoshanensis and Paraburkholderia soli. In order to clarify their positions within Burkholderia sensu lato, a phylogenomic approach based on a maximum likelihood analysis of conserved genes from more than 100 Burkholderia sensu lato species was carried out. Additionally, the average nucleotide identity (ANI) and amino acid identity (AAI) were calculated. The data strongly supported the existence of two distinct and unique clades, which in fact sustain the description of two novel genera Mycetohabitans gen. nov. and Trinickia gen. nov. The newly proposed combinations are Mycetohabitans endofungorum comb. nov., Mycetohabitansrhizoxinica comb. nov., Trinickia caryophylli comb. nov., Trinickiadabaoshanensis comb. nov., Trinickia soli comb. nov., and Trinickiasymbiotica comb. nov. Given that the division between the genera that comprise Burkholderia s.l. in terms of their lifestyles is often complex, differential characteristics of the genomes of these new combinations were investigated. In addition, two important lifestyle-determining traits—diazotrophy and/or symbiotic nodulation, and pathogenesis—were analyzed in depth i.e., the phylogenetic positions of nitrogen fixation and nodulation genes in Trinickia via-à-vis other Burkholderiaceae were determined, and the possibility of pathogenesis in Mycetohabitans and Trinickia was tested by performing infection experiments on plants and the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. It is concluded that (1) T. symbiotica nif and nod genes fit within the wider Mimosa-nodulating Burkholderiaceae but appear in separate clades and that T. caryophyllinif genes are basal to the free-living Burkholderia s.l. strains, while with regard to pathogenesis (2) none of the Mycetohabitans and Trinickia strains tested are likely to be pathogenic, except for the known phytopathogen T. caryophylli.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marike Palmer
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0083, South Africa.
| | - Belén Chávez-Ramírez
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, 11340 Cd. de Mexico, Mexico.
| | - Chrizelle Beukes
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0083, South Africa.
| | - Emma T Steenkamp
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0083, South Africa.
| | - Leah Briscoe
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology and Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - Noor Khan
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology and Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - Marta Maluk
- The James Hutton Institute, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK.
| | | | - Ethan Humm
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology and Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - Monique Arrabit
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology and Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - Matthew Crook
- 450G Tracy Hall Science Building, Weber State University, Ogden, 84403 UT, USA.
| | - Eduardo Gross
- Center for Electron Microscopy, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Santa Cruz State University, 45662-900 Ilheus, BA, Brazil.
| | - Marcelo F Simon
- Embrapa CENARGEN, 70770-917 Brasilia, Distrito Federal, Brazil.
| | | | - William B Whitman
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
| | - Nicole Shapiro
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA 94598, USA.
| | - Philip S Poole
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RB, UK.
| | - Ann M Hirsch
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology and Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - Stephanus N Venter
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0083, South Africa.
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Masekela R, Vosloo S, Venter SN, de Beer WZ, Green RJ. The lung microbiome in children with HIV-bronchiectasis: a cross-sectional pilot study. BMC Pulm Med 2018; 18:87. [PMID: 29788934 PMCID: PMC5964725 DOI: 10.1186/s12890-018-0632-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2017] [Accepted: 04/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Data on the lung microbiome in HIV-infected children is limited. The current study sought to determine the lung microbiome in HIV-associated bronchiectasis and to assess its association with pulmonary exacerbations. METHODS A cross-sectional pilot study of 22 children (68% male; mean age 10.8 years) with HIV-associated bronchiectasis and a control group of 5 children with cystic fibrosis (CF). Thirty-one samples were collected, with 11 during exacerbations. Sputum samples were processed with 16S rRNA pyrosequencing. RESULTS The average number of operational taxonomy units (OTUs) was 298 ± 67 vs. 434 ± 90, for HIV-bronchiectasis and CF, respectively. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria was higher in HIV-bronchiectasis (72.3%), with only 22.2% Firmicutes. There was no correlation between lung functions (FEV1% and FEF25/75%) and bacterial community (r = 0.154; p = 0.470 and r = 0.178; p = 0.403), respectively. Bacterial assemblage of exacerbation and non-exacerbation samples in HIV-bronchiectasis was not significantly different (ANOSIM, RHIV-bronchiectasis = 0.08; p = 0.14 and RCF = 0.08, p = 0.50). Higher within-community heterogeneity and lower evenness was associated with CF (Shannon-Weiner (H') = 5.39 ± 0.38 and Pielou's evenness (J) 0.79 ± 0.10 vs. HIV-bronchiectasis (Shannon-Weiner (H') = 4.45 ± 0.49 and Pielou's (J) 0.89 ± 0.03. CONCLUSION The microbiome in children with HIV-associated bronchiectasis seems to be less rich, diverse and heterogeneous with predominance of Proteobacteria when compared to cystic fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Refiloe Masekela
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, 719 Umbilo Road, Congella, Durban, 4013 South Africa
| | - Solize Vosloo
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Stephanus N. Venter
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Wilhelm Z. de Beer
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Robin J. Green
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Palmer M, Steenkamp ET, Coetzee MPA, Avontuur JR, Chan WY, van Zyl E, Blom J, Venter SN. Mixta gen. nov., a new genus in the Erwiniaceae. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2018; 68:1396-1407. [DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.002540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Marike Palmer
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB) and Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Emma T. Steenkamp
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB) and Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Martin P. A. Coetzee
- DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB) and Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Genetics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Juanita R. Avontuur
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB) and Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Wai-Yin Chan
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB) and Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Biotechnology Platform (BTP), Agricultural Research Council Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute (ARC-OVI), Onderstepoort, South Africa
| | - Elritha van Zyl
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB) and Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Jochen Blom
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Stephanus N. Venter
- DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB) and Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Beukes CW, Palmer M, Manyaka P, Chan WY, Avontuur JR, van Zyl E, Huntemann M, Clum A, Pillay M, Palaniappan K, Varghese N, Mikhailova N, Stamatis D, Reddy TBK, Daum C, Shapiro N, Markowitz V, Ivanova N, Kyrpides N, Woyke T, Blom J, Whitman WB, Venter SN, Steenkamp ET. Corrigendum: Genome Data Provides High Support for Generic Boundaries in Burkholderia Sensu Lato. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:373. [PMID: 29576763 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00373] [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: 02/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
[This corrects the article on p. 1154 in vol. 8, PMID: 28694797.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Chrizelle W Beukes
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Marike Palmer
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Puseletso Manyaka
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Wai Y Chan
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Juanita R Avontuur
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Elritha van Zyl
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | - Alicia Clum
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, United States
| | - Manoj Pillay
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, United States
| | | | - Neha Varghese
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, United States
| | | | | | - T B K Reddy
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, United States
| | - Chris Daum
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, United States
| | - Nicole Shapiro
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, United States
| | | | | | - Nikos Kyrpides
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, United States
| | - Tanja Woyke
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, United States
| | - Jochen Blom
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - William B Whitman
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Stephanus N Venter
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Emma T Steenkamp
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Smit BA, Van Zyl E, Joubert JJ, Meyer W, Prévéral S, Lefèvre CT, Venter SN. Magnetotactic bacteria used to generate electricity based on Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction. Lett Appl Microbiol 2018; 66:362-367. [PMID: 29432641 DOI: 10.1111/lam.12862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [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: 08/08/2017] [Revised: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) have the unique ability to produce magnetic particles surrounded by a biomembrane to form the magnetosome organelle. Therefore, MTB have novel physical and magnetic properties and have consequently been used in several biotechnological applications. The magnetic properties of these micro-organisms and their magnetosomes have, however, never been used for the generation of electricity as described in this letter. Comparisons were made between, firstly, the electricity generated from purified magnetosomes, MTB culture (bacterial cells with magnetosomes) and sterile, liquid growth medium (control). Secondly, the electricity generated by a dilution series of purified magnetosomes were compared. A statistically significant difference was found between the voltage measured from the purified magnetosomes (highest voltage), MTB culture (lower voltage) and liquid growth medium (lowest voltage). In the dilution series, the voltage measured increased as the magnetosome concentration increased, but only up to an optimum concentration (0·0376 mg ml-1 ). In this study, we have demonstrated that a significantly higher voltage than that of the control could be measured when MTB or purified magnetosomes were pumped through a solenoid by applying Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY This study provides proof-of-concept of electromagnetic induction using magnetosomes or magnetotactic bacteria in an experimental setup based on the law of Faraday. The concept of using these bacteria or their biomineralized magnetic nanoparticles as a biological alternative in low voltage electricity generation has the potential to be further explored and developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- B A Smit
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - E Van Zyl
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - J J Joubert
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - W Meyer
- Department of Physics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - S Prévéral
- CNRS/CEA/Aix-Marseille Université, UMR7265 Biosciences and Biotechnologies Institute, Laboratoire de Bioénergétique Cellulaire, Saint Paul lez Durance, France
| | - C T Lefèvre
- CNRS/CEA/Aix-Marseille Université, UMR7265 Biosciences and Biotechnologies Institute, Laboratoire de Bioénergétique Cellulaire, Saint Paul lez Durance, France
| | - S N Venter
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Palmer M, Steenkamp ET, Coetzee MPA, Blom J, Venter SN. Genome-Based Characterization of Biological Processes That Differentiate Closely Related Bacteria. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:113. [PMID: 29467735 PMCID: PMC5808187 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriologists have strived toward attaining a natural classification system based on evolutionary relationships for nearly 100 years. In the early twentieth century it was accepted that a phylogeny-based system would be the most appropriate, but in the absence of molecular data, this approach proved exceedingly difficult. Subsequent technical advances and the increasing availability of genome sequencing have allowed for the generation of robust phylogenies at all taxonomic levels. In this study, we explored the possibility of linking biological characters to higher-level taxonomic groups in bacteria by making use of whole genome sequence information. For this purpose, we specifically targeted the genus Pantoea and its four main lineages. The shared gene sets were determined for Pantoea, the four lineages within the genus, as well as its sister-genus Tatumella. This was followed by functional characterization of the gene sets using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. In comparison to Tatumella, various traits involved in nutrient cycling were identified within Pantoea, providing evidence for increased efficacy in recycling of metabolites within the genus. Additionally, a number of traits associated with pathogenicity were identified within species often associated with opportunistic infections, with some support for adaptation toward overcoming host defenses. Some traits were also only conserved within specific lineages, potentially acquired in an ancestor to the lineage and subsequently maintained. It was also observed that the species isolated from the most diverse sources were generally the most versatile in their carbon metabolism. By investigating evolution, based on the more variable genomic regions, it may be possible to detect biologically relevant differences associated with the course of evolution and speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marike Palmer
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Emma T Steenkamp
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Martin P A Coetzee
- Department of Genetic, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Jochen Blom
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Stephanus N Venter
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Human ZR, Crous CJ, Roets F, Venter SN, Wingfield MJ, de Beer ZW. Biodiversity and ecology of flower-associated actinomycetes in different flowering stages of Protea repens. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 2017; 111:209-226. [PMID: 28936706 DOI: 10.1007/s10482-017-0942-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Actinomycete bacteria have previously been reported from reproductive structures (infructescences) of Protea (sugarbush/suikerbos) species, a niche dominated by fungi in the genera Knoxdaviesia and Sporothrix. It is probable that these taxa have symbiotic interactions, but a lack of knowledge regarding their diversity and general ecology precludes their study. We determined the diversity of actinomycetes within Protea repens inflorescence buds, open inflorescences, young and mature infructescences, and leaf litter surrounding these trees. Since the P. repens habitat is fire-prone, we also considered the potential of these bacteria to recolonise infructescences after fire. Actinomycetes were largely absent from flower buds and inflorescences but were consistently present in young and mature infructescences. Two Streptomyces spp. were the most consistent taxa recovered, one of which was also routinely isolated from leaf litter. Lower colonisation rates were evident in samples from a recently burnt site. One of the most consistent taxa isolated from older trees in the unburnt site was absent from this site. Our findings show that P. repens has a distinct community of actinomycetes dominated by a few species. These communities change over time and infructescence developmental stage, season and the age of the host population. Mature infructescences appear to be important sources of inoculum for some of the actinomycetes, seemingly disrupted by fire. Increased fire frequency limiting maturation of P. repens infructescences could thus impact future actinomycete colonisation in the landscape. Streptomyces spp. are likely to share this niche with the ophiostomatoid fungi, which merits further study regarding their interactions and mode of transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zander R Human
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agriculture Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Casparus J Crous
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.,Faculdade de Ciências, Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Francois Roets
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch, 7600, South Africa
| | - Stephanus N Venter
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agriculture Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Michael J Wingfield
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agriculture Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Z Wilhelm de Beer
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agriculture Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
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De Maayer P, Aliyu H, Vikram S, Blom J, Duffy B, Cowan DA, Smits THM, Venter SN, Coutinho TA. Phylogenomic, Pan-genomic, Pathogenomic and Evolutionary Genomic Insights into the Agronomically Relevant Enterobacteria Pantoea ananatis and Pantoea stewartii. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1755. [PMID: 28959245 PMCID: PMC5603701 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Pantoea ananatis is ubiquitously found in the environment and causes disease on a wide range of plant hosts. By contrast, its sister species, Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii is the host-specific causative agent of the devastating maize disease Stewart's wilt. This pathogen has a restricted lifecycle, overwintering in an insect vector before being introduced into susceptible maize cultivars, causing disease and returning to overwinter in its vector. The other subspecies of P. stewartii subsp. indologenes, has been isolated from different plant hosts and is predicted to proliferate in different environmental niches. Here we have, by the use of comparative genomics and a comprehensive suite of bioinformatic tools, analyzed the genomes of ten P. stewartii and nineteen P. ananatis strains. Our phylogenomic analyses have revealed that there are two distinct clades within P. ananatis while far less phylogenetic diversity was observed among the P. stewartii subspecies. Pan-genome analyses revealed a large core genome comprising of 3,571 protein coding sequences is shared among the twenty-nine compared strains. Furthermore, we showed that an extensive accessory genome made up largely by a mobilome of plasmids, integrated prophages, integrative and conjugative elements and insertion elements has resulted in extensive diversification of P. stewartii and P. ananatis. While these organisms share many pathogenicity determinants, our comparative genomic analyses show that they differ in terms of the secretion systems they encode. The genomic differences identified in this study have allowed us to postulate on the divergent evolutionary histories of the analyzed P. ananatis and P. stewartii strains and on the molecular basis underlying their ecological success and host range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pieter De Maayer
- School of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of the WitwatersrandJohannesburg, South Africa
| | - Habibu Aliyu
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Genomics Research Institute, University of PretoriaPretoria, South Africa
| | - Surendra Vikram
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Genomics Research Institute, University of PretoriaPretoria, South Africa
| | - Jochen Blom
- Department of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Justus-Liebig-University GiessenGiessen, Germany
| | - Brion Duffy
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Research Group, Institute for Natural Resource Sciences, Zurich University of Applied SciencesWinterthur, Switzerland
| | - Don A. Cowan
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Genomics Research Institute, University of PretoriaPretoria, South Africa
| | - Theo H. M. Smits
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Research Group, Institute for Natural Resource Sciences, Zurich University of Applied SciencesWinterthur, Switzerland
| | - Stephanus N. Venter
- Department of Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of PretoriaPretoria, South Africa
| | - Teresa A. Coutinho
- Department of Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of PretoriaPretoria, South Africa
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Abstract
Escherichia coli is widely considered to not survive for extended periods outside the intestines of warm-blooded animals; however, recent studies demonstrated that E. coli strains maintain populations in soil and water without any known fecal contamination. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the niche partitioning of E. coli occurs between cattle and their pasture. We attempted to clarify whether E. coli from bovine feces differs phenotypically and genotypically from isolates maintaining a population in pasture soil over winter. Soil, bovine fecal, and run-off samples were collected before and after the introduction of cattle to the pasture. Isolates (363) were genotyped by uidA and mutS sequences and phylogrouping, and evaluated for curli formation (Rough, Dry, And Red, or RDAR). Three types of clusters emerged, viz. bovine-associated, clusters devoid of cattle isolates and representing isolates endemic to the pasture environment, and clusters with both. All isolates clustered with strains of E. coli sensu stricto, distinct from the cryptic species Clades I, III, IV, and V. Pasture soil endemic and bovine fecal populations had very different phylogroup distributions, indicating niche partitioning. The soil endemic population was largely comprised of phylogroup B1 and had a higher average RDAR score than other isolates. These results indicate the existence of environmental E. coli strains that are phylogenetically distinct from bovine fecal isolates, and that have the ability to maintain populations in the soil environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tarren Seale
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria
| | - Toby Flint
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, South Dakota State University
| | - Madhav Nepal
- Department of Biology and Microbiology, South Dakota State University
| | | | - Volker S Brözel
- Department of Biology and Microbiology, South Dakota State University.,Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria
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Beukes CW, Palmer M, Manyaka P, Chan WY, Avontuur JR, van Zyl E, Huntemann M, Clum A, Pillay M, Palaniappan K, Varghese N, Mikhailova N, Stamatis D, Reddy TBK, Daum C, Shapiro N, Markowitz V, Ivanova N, Kyrpides N, Woyke T, Blom J, Whitman WB, Venter SN, Steenkamp ET. Genome Data Provides High Support for Generic Boundaries in Burkholderia Sensu Lato. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1154. [PMID: 28694797 PMCID: PMC5483467 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [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: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 06/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the taxonomy of Burkholderia has been extensively scrutinized, significant uncertainty remains regarding the generic boundaries and composition of this large and heterogeneous taxon. Here we used the amino acid and nucleotide sequences of 106 conserved proteins from 92 species to infer robust maximum likelihood phylogenies with which to investigate the generic structure of Burkholderia sensu lato. These data unambiguously supported five distinct lineages, of which four correspond to Burkholderia sensu stricto and the newly introduced genera Paraburkholderia, Caballeronia, and Robbsia. The fifth lineage was represented by P. rhizoxinica. Based on these findings, we propose 13 new combinations for those species previously described as members of Burkholderia but that form part of Caballeronia. These findings also suggest revision of the taxonomic status of P. rhizoxinica as it is does not form part of any of the genera currently recognized in Burkholderia sensu lato. From a phylogenetic point of view, Burkholderia sensu stricto has a sister relationship with the Caballeronia+Paraburkholderia clade. Also, the lineages represented by P. rhizoxinica and R. andropogonis, respectively, emerged prior to the radiation of the Burkholderia sensu stricto+Caballeronia+Paraburkholderia clade. Our findings therefore constitute a solid framework, not only for supporting current and future taxonomic decisions, but also for studying the evolution of this assemblage of medically, industrially and agriculturally important species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chrizelle W Beukes
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of PretoriaPretoria, South Africa
| | - Marike Palmer
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of PretoriaPretoria, South Africa
| | - Puseletso Manyaka
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of PretoriaPretoria, South Africa
| | - Wai Y Chan
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of PretoriaPretoria, South Africa
| | - Juanita R Avontuur
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of PretoriaPretoria, South Africa
| | - Elritha van Zyl
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of PretoriaPretoria, South Africa
| | | | - Alicia Clum
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut CreekCA, United States
| | - Manoj Pillay
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut CreekCA, United States
| | | | - Neha Varghese
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut CreekCA, United States
| | | | | | - T B K Reddy
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut CreekCA, United States
| | - Chris Daum
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut CreekCA, United States
| | - Nicole Shapiro
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut CreekCA, United States
| | | | | | - Nikos Kyrpides
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut CreekCA, United States
| | - Tanja Woyke
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut CreekCA, United States
| | - Jochen Blom
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Justus-Liebig-University GiessenGiessen, Germany
| | - William B Whitman
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, AthensGA, United States
| | - Stephanus N Venter
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of PretoriaPretoria, South Africa
| | - Emma T Steenkamp
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of PretoriaPretoria, South Africa
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Venter SN, Palmer M, Beukes CW, Chan WY, Shin G, van Zyl E, Seale T, Coutinho TA, Steenkamp ET. Practically delineating bacterial species with genealogical concordance. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 2017; 110:1311-1325. [DOI: 10.1007/s10482-017-0869-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/30/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Palmer M, Steenkamp ET, Coetzee MPA, Chan WY, van Zyl E, De Maayer P, Coutinho TA, Blom J, Smits THM, Duffy B, Venter SN. Phylogenomic resolution of the bacterial genus Pantoea and its relationship with Erwinia and Tatumella. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 2017; 110:1287-1309. [PMID: 28255640 DOI: 10.1007/s10482-017-0852-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Investigation of the evolutionary relationships between related bacterial species and genera with a variety of lifestyles have gained popularity in recent years. For analysing the evolution of specific traits, however, a robust phylogeny is essential. In this study we examined the evolutionary relationships among the closely related genera Erwinia, Tatumella and Pantoea, and also attempted to resolve the species relationships within Pantoea. To accomplish this, we used the whole genome sequence data for 35 different strains belonging to these three genera, as well as nine outgroup taxa. Multigene datasets consisting of the 1039 genes shared by these 44 strains were then generated and subjected to maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses, after which the results were compared to those using conventional multi-locus sequence analysis (MLSA) and ribosomal MLSA (rMLSA) approaches. The robustness of the respective phylogenies was then explored by considering the factors typically responsible for destabilizing phylogenetic trees. We found that the nucleotide datasets employed in the MLSA, rMLSA and 1039-gene datasets contained significant levels of homoplasy, substitution saturation and differential codon usage, all of which likely gave rise to the observed lineage specific rate heterogeneity. The effects of these factors were much less pronounced in the amino acid dataset for the 1039 genes, which allowed reconstruction of a fully supported and resolved phylogeny. The robustness of this amino acid tree was also supported by different subsets of the 1039 genes. In contrast to the smaller datasets (MLSA and rMLSA), the 1039 amino acid tree was also not as sensitive to long-branch attraction. The robust and well-supported evolutionary hypothesis for the three genera, which confidently resolved their various inter- and intrageneric relationships, represents a valuable resource for future studies. It will form the basis for studies aiming to understand the forces driving the divergence and maintenance of lineages, species and biological traits in this important group of bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marike Palmer
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Emma T Steenkamp
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Martin P A Coetzee
- Department of Genetics, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI),, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Wai-Yin Chan
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Elritha van Zyl
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Pieter De Maayer
- School of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Teresa A Coutinho
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Jochen Blom
- Computational Genomics, Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Theo H M Smits
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Research Group, Institute of Natural Resource Sciences, Zürich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), Wädenswil, Switzerland
| | - Brion Duffy
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Research Group, Institute of Natural Resource Sciences, Zürich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), Wädenswil, Switzerland
| | - Stephanus N Venter
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
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Human ZR, Slippers B, de Beer ZW, Wingfield MJ, Venter SN. Antifungal actinomycetes associated with the pine bark beetle, Orthotomicus erosus, in South Africa. S AFR J SCI 2017. [DOI: 10.17159/sajs.2017/20160215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Actinomycete bacteria are often associated with insects that have a mutualistic association with fungi. These bacteria are believed to be important to this insect–fungus association as they produce antibiotics that exclude other saprophytic fungi from the immediate environment. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of potentially protective actinomycetes associated with Orthotomicus erosus, an alien invasive pine bark beetle, in South Africa. This bark beetle and its relatives have an association with Ophiostomatales species which are often the only fungi found in the bark beetle galleries. We hypothesised that antibiotic-producing actinomycetes could be responsible for the paucity of other fungi in the galleries by producing compounds to which the Ophiostoma spp. are tolerant. Several actinomycetes in the genus Streptomyces and one Gordonia sp. were isolated from the beetle. Interestingly, most isolates were from the same species as actinomycetes associated with other pine-infesting insects from other parts of the world, including bark beetles and the woodwasp Sirex noctilio. Most actinomycetes isolated had strong antifungal properties against the selected test fungi, including Ophiostoma ips, which is the most common fungal symbiont of Orthotomicus erosus. Although the actinomycetes did not benefit Ophiostoma ips and the hypothesis was not supported, their sporadic association with Orthotomicus erosus suggests that they could have some impact on the composition of the fungal communities present in the bark beetle galleries, which is at present poorly understood.
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Human ZR, Moon K, Bae M, de Beer ZW, Cha S, Wingfield MJ, Slippers B, Oh DC, Venter SN. Antifungal Streptomyces spp. Associated with the Infructescences of Protea spp. in South Africa. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:1657. [PMID: 27853450 PMCID: PMC5090004 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [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: 08/14/2016] [Accepted: 10/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Common saprophytic fungi are seldom present in Protea infructescences, which is strange given the abundance of mainly dead plant tissue in this moist protected environment. We hypothesized that the absence of common saprophytic fungi in Protea infructescences could be due to a special symbiosis where the presence of microbes producing antifungal compounds protect the infructescence. Using a culture based survey, employing selective media and in vitro antifungal assays, we isolated antibiotic producing actinomycetes from infructescences of Protea repens and P. neriifolia from two geographically separated areas. Isolates were grouped into three different morphological groups and appeared to be common in the Protea spp. examined in this study. The three groups were supported in 16S rRNA and multi-locus gene trees and were identified as potentially novel Streptomyces spp. All of the groups had antifungal activity in vitro. Streptomyces sp. Group 1 had inhibitory activity against all tested fungi and the active compound produced by this species was identified as fungichromin. Streptomyces spp. Groups 2 and 3 had lower inhibition against all tested fungi, while Group 3 showed limited inhibition against Candida albicans and Sporothrix isolates. The active compound for Group 2 was also identified as fungichromin even though its production level was much lower than Group 1. The antifungal activity of Group 3 was linked to actiphenol. The observed antifungal activity of the isolated actinomycetes could contribute to protection of the plant material against common saprophytic fungi, as fungichromin was also detected in extracts of the infructescence. The results of this study suggest that the antifungal Streptomyces spp. could play an important role in defining the microbial population associated with Protea infructescences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zander R. Human
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agriculture Biotechnology Institute, University of PretoriaPretoria, South Africa
| | - Kyuho Moon
- Natural Products Research Institute, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National UniversitySeoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Munhyung Bae
- Natural Products Research Institute, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National UniversitySeoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Z. Wilhelm de Beer
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agriculture Biotechnology Institute, University of PretoriaPretoria, South Africa
| | - Sangwon Cha
- Department of Chemistry, Hankuk University of Foreign StudiesYongin, Republic of Korea
| | - Michael J. Wingfield
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agriculture Biotechnology Institute, University of PretoriaPretoria, South Africa
| | - Bernard Slippers
- Department of Genetics, Forestry and Agriculture Biotechnology Institute, University of PretoriaPretoria, South Africa
| | - Dong-Chan Oh
- Natural Products Research Institute, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National UniversitySeoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Stephanus N. Venter
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agriculture Biotechnology Institute, University of PretoriaPretoria, South Africa
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Beukes CW, Stępkowski T, Venter SN, Cłapa T, Phalane FL, le Roux MM, Steenkamp ET. Crotalarieae and Genisteae of the South African Great Escarpment are nodulated by novel Bradyrhizobium species with unique and diverse symbiotic loci. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2016; 100:206-218. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2016.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2015] [Revised: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 04/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Palmer M, de Maayer P, Poulsen M, Steenkamp ET, van Zyl E, Coutinho TA, Venter SN. Draft genome sequences of Pantoea agglomerans and Pantoea vagans isolates associated with termites. Stand Genomic Sci 2016; 11:23. [PMID: 26937267 PMCID: PMC4774006 DOI: 10.1186/s40793-016-0144-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2015] [Accepted: 01/20/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The genus Pantoea incorporates many economically and clinically important species. The plant-associated species, Pantoea agglomerans and Pantoea vagans, are closely related and are often isolated from similar environments. Plasmids conferring certain metabolic capabilities are also shared amongst these two species. The genomes of two isolates obtained from fungus-growing termites in South Africa were sequenced, assembled and annotated. A high number of orthologous genes are conserved within and between these species. The difference in genome size between P. agglomerans MP2 (4,733,829 bp) and P. vagans MP7 (4,598,703 bp) can largely be attributed to the differences in plasmid content. The genome sequences of these isolates may shed light on the common traits that enable P. agglomerans and P. vagans to co-occur in plant- and insect-associated niches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marike Palmer
- />Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology and the Genome Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002 South Africa
- />DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002 South Africa
| | - Pieter de Maayer
- />Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology and the Genome Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002 South Africa
- />Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002 South Africa
| | - Michael Poulsen
- />Department of Biology, Centre for Social Evolution, Section for Ecology and Evolution, University of Copenhagen, Univeritetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen East, Denmark
| | - Emma T. Steenkamp
- />Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology and the Genome Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002 South Africa
- />DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002 South Africa
| | - Elritha van Zyl
- />Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology and the Genome Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002 South Africa
- />DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002 South Africa
| | - Teresa A. Coutinho
- />Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology and the Genome Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002 South Africa
- />DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002 South Africa
| | - Stephanus N. Venter
- />Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology and the Genome Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002 South Africa
- />DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002 South Africa
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De Maayer P, Chan WY, Martin DAJ, Blom J, Venter SN, Duffy B, Cowan DA, Smits THM, Coutinho TA. Integrative conjugative elements of the ICEPan family play a potential role in Pantoea ananatis ecological diversification and antibiosis. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:576. [PMID: 26106378 PMCID: PMC4458695 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 03/18/2015] [Accepted: 05/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Pantoea ananatis is a highly versatile enterobacterium isolated from diverse environmental sources. The ecological diversity of this species may be attributed, in part, to the acquisition of mobile genetic elements. One such element is an Integrative and Conjugative Element (ICE). By means of in silico analyses the ICE elements belonging to a novel family, ICEPan, were identified in the genome sequences of five P. ananatis strains and characterized. PCR screening showed that ICEPan is prevalent among P. ananatis strains isolated from different environmental sources and geographic locations. Members of the ICEPan family share a common origin with ICEs of other enterobacteria, as well as conjugative plasmids of Erwinia spp. Aside from core modules for ICEPan integration, maintenance and dissemination, the ICEPan contain extensive non-conserved islands coding for proteins that may contribute toward various phenotypes such as stress response and antibiosis, and the highly diverse ICEPan thus plays a major role in the diversification of P. ananatis. An island is furthermore integrated within an ICEPan DNA repair-encoding locus umuDC and we postulate its role in stress-induced dissemination and/or expression of the genes on this island.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pieter De Maayer
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, University of Pretoria Pretoria, South Africa ; Department of Microbiology, University of Pretoria Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Wai-Yin Chan
- Department of Microbiology, University of Pretoria Pretoria, South Africa ; Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Douglas A J Martin
- Department of Microbiology, University of Pretoria Pretoria, South Africa ; Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Jochen Blom
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Justus Liebig University Giessen Giessen, Germany
| | - Stephanus N Venter
- Department of Microbiology, University of Pretoria Pretoria, South Africa ; Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Brion Duffy
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Research Group, Institute of Natural Resource Sciences, Zürich University of Applied Sciences Wädenswil, Switzerland
| | - Don A Cowan
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, University of Pretoria Pretoria, South Africa ; Department of Genetics, University of Pretoria Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Theo H M Smits
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Research Group, Institute of Natural Resource Sciences, Zürich University of Applied Sciences Wädenswil, Switzerland
| | - Teresa A Coutinho
- Department of Microbiology, University of Pretoria Pretoria, South Africa ; Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria Pretoria, South Africa
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Shyntum DY, Theron J, Venter SN, Moleleki LN, Toth IK, Coutinho TA. Pantoea ananatis Utilizes a Type VI Secretion System for Pathogenesis and Bacterial Competition. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 2015; 28:420-431. [PMID: 25411959 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-07-14-0219-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Type VI secretion systems (T6SSs) are a class of macromolecular machines that are recognized as an important virulence mechanism in several gram-negative bacteria. The genome of Pantoea ananatis LMG 2665(T), a pathogen of pineapple fruit and onion plants, carries two gene clusters whose predicted products have homology with T6SS-associated gene products from other bacteria. Nothing is known regarding the role of these T6SS-1 and T6SS-3 gene clusters in the biology of P. ananatis. Here, we present evidence that T6SS-1 plays an important role in the pathogenicity of P. ananatis LMG 2665(T) in onion plants, while a strain lacking T6SS-3 remains as pathogenic as the wild-type strain. We also investigated the role of the T6SS-1 system in bacterial competition, the results of which indicated that several bacteria compete less efficiently against wild-type LMG 2665(T) than a strain lacking T6SS-1. Additionally, we demonstrated that these phenotypes of strain LMG 2665(T) were reliant on the core T6SS products TssA and TssD (Hcp), thus indicating that the T6SS-1 gene cluster encodes a functioning T6SS. Collectively, our data provide the first evidence demonstrating that the T6SS-1 system is a virulence determinant of P. ananatis LMG 2665(T) and plays a role in bacterial competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divine Y Shyntum
- 1 Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, and
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Weller-Stuart T, Chan WY, Coutinho TA, Venter SN, Smits THM, Duffy B, Goszczynska T, Cowan DA, de Maayer P. Draft Genome Sequences of the Onion Center Rot Pathogen Pantoea ananatis PA4 and Maize Brown Stalk Rot Pathogen P. ananatis BD442. Genome Announc 2014; 2:e00750-14. [PMID: 25103759 PMCID: PMC4125770 DOI: 10.1128/genomea.00750-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2014] [Accepted: 07/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Pantoea ananatis is an emerging phytopathogen that infects a broad spectrum of plant hosts. Here, we present the genomes of two South African isolates, P. ananatis PA4, which causes center rot of onion, and BD442, isolated from brown stalk rot of maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Weller-Stuart
- Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), Department of Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Wai Yin Chan
- Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), Department of Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Teresa A Coutinho
- Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), Department of Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Stephanus N Venter
- Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), Department of Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Theo H M Smits
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Research Group, Institute for Natural Resources Sciences, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), Wädenswil, Switzerland
| | - Brion Duffy
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Research Group, Institute for Natural Resources Sciences, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), Wädenswil, Switzerland
| | - Teresa Goszczynska
- Agricultural Research Council, Plant Protection Research Institute (ARC-PPRI), Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Don A Cowan
- Centre of Microbial Ecology and Genomics (CMEG), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Pieter de Maayer
- Centre of Microbial Ecology and Genomics (CMEG), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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De Maayer P, Chan WY, Rubagotti E, Venter SN, Toth IK, Birch PRJ, Coutinho TA. Analysis of the Pantoea ananatis pan-genome reveals factors underlying its ability to colonize and interact with plant, insect and vertebrate hosts. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:404. [PMID: 24884520 PMCID: PMC4070556 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [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: 12/30/2013] [Accepted: 05/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Pantoea ananatis is found in a wide range of natural environments, including water, soil, as part of the epi- and endophytic flora of various plant hosts, and in the insect gut. Some strains have proven effective as biological control agents and plant-growth promoters, while other strains have been implicated in diseases of a broad range of plant hosts and humans. By analysing the pan-genome of eight sequenced P. ananatis strains isolated from different sources we identified factors potentially underlying its ability to colonize and interact with hosts in both the plant and animal Kingdoms. Results The pan-genome of the eight compared P. ananatis strains consisted of a core genome comprised of 3,876 protein coding sequences (CDSs) and a sizeable accessory genome consisting of 1,690 CDSs. We estimate that ~106 unique CDSs would be added to the pan-genome with each additional P. ananatis genome sequenced in the future. The accessory fraction is derived mainly from integrated prophages and codes mostly for proteins of unknown function. Comparison of the translated CDSs on the P. ananatis pan-genome with the proteins encoded on all sequenced bacterial genomes currently available revealed that P. ananatis carries a number of CDSs with orthologs restricted to bacteria associated with distinct hosts, namely plant-, animal- and insect-associated bacteria. These CDSs encode proteins with putative roles in transport and metabolism of carbohydrate and amino acid substrates, adherence to host tissues, protection against plant and animal defense mechanisms and the biosynthesis of potential pathogenicity determinants including insecticidal peptides, phytotoxins and type VI secretion system effectors. Conclusions P. ananatis has an ‘open’ pan-genome typical of bacterial species that colonize several different environments. The pan-genome incorporates a large number of genes encoding proteins that may enable P. ananatis to colonize, persist in and potentially cause disease symptoms in a wide range of plant and animal hosts. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-404) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pieter De Maayer
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa.
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Abstract
Investigations were carried out to evaluate and quantify colonization of laboratory-scale drinking water biofilms by a chromosomally green fluorescent protein (gfp)-tagged strain of Salmonella Typhimurium. Gfp encodes the green fluorescent protein and thus allows in situ detection of undisturbed cells and is ideally suited for monitoring Salmonella in biofilms. The fate and persistence of non-typhoidal Salmonella in simulated drinking water biofilms was investigated. The ability of Salmonella to form biofilms in monoculture and the fate and persistence of Salmonella in a mixed aquatic biofilm was examined. In monoculture S. Typhimurium formed loosely structured biofilms. Salmonella colonized established multi-species drinking water biofilms within 24 hours, forming micro-colonies within the biofilm. S. Typhimurium was also released at high levels from the drinking water-associated biofilm into the water passing through the system. This indicated that Salmonella could enter into, survive and grow within, and be released from a drinking water biofilm. The ability of Salmonella to survive and persist in a drinking water biofilm, and be released at high levels into the flow for recolonization elsewhere, indicates the potential for a persistent health risk to consumers once a network becomes contaminated with this bacterium.
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Affiliation(s)
- L M Schaefer
- Division of Natural Resources and the Environment, CSIR, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa E-mail: ; Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
| | - V S Brözel
- Department of Biology and Microbiology, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA; Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
| | - S N Venter
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
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De Maayer P, Chan WY, Blom J, Venter SN, Duffy B, Smits THM, Coutinho TA. The large universal Pantoea plasmid LPP-1 plays a major role in biological and ecological diversification. BMC Genomics 2012; 13:625. [PMID: 23151240 PMCID: PMC3505739 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-13-625] [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: 08/23/2012] [Accepted: 11/11/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Pantoea spp. are frequently isolated from a wide range of ecological niches and have various biological roles, as plant epi- or endophytes, biocontrol agents, plant-growth promoters or as pathogens of both plant and animal hosts. This suggests that members of this genus have undergone extensive genotypic diversification. One means by which this occurs among bacteria is through the acquisition and maintenance of plasmids. Here, we have analyzed and compared the sequences of a large plasmid common to all sequenced Pantoea spp. Results and discussion The Large PantoeaPlasmids (LPP-1) of twenty strains encompassing seven different Pantoea species, including pathogens and endo-/epiphytes of a wide range of plant hosts as well as insect-associated strains, were compared. The LPP-1 plasmid sequences range in size from ~281 to 794 kb and carry between 238 and 750 protein coding sequences (CDS). A core set of 46 proteins, encompassing 2.2% of the total pan-plasmid (2,095 CDS), conserved among all LPP-1 plasmid sequences, includes those required for thiamine and pigment biosynthesis. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that these plasmids have arisen from an ancestral plasmid, which has undergone extensive diversification. Analysis of the proteins encoded on LPP-1 also showed that these plasmids contribute to a wide range of Pantoea phenotypes, including the transport and catabolism of various substrates, inorganic ion assimilation, resistance to antibiotics and heavy metals, colonization and persistence in the host and environment, pathogenesis and antibiosis. Conclusions LPP-1 is universal to all Pantoea spp. whose genomes have been sequenced to date and is derived from an ancestral plasmid. LPP-1 encodes a large array of proteins that have played a major role in the adaptation of the different Pantoea spp. to their various ecological niches and their specialization as pathogens, biocontrol agents or benign saprophytes found in many diverse environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pieter De Maayer
- Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
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