New insights into relationships between active and dormant organisms,phylogenetic diversity and ecosystem productivity

Marine microbes make up a key part of ocean food webs and drive ocean chemistry through a range of metabolic processes. A fundamental question in ecology is whether the diversity of organisms in a community shapes the ecological functions of that community. While there is substantial evidence to support a positive link between diversity and ecological productivity for macro‐organisms in terrestrial environments, this relationship has not previously been verified for marine microbial communities. One factor complicating the understanding of this relationship is that many marine microbes are dormant and are easily dispersed by ocean currents, making it difficult to ensure that the organisms found in a given environmental sample accurately reflect processes occurring in that environment. Another complication is that, due to microbes great range of genotypic and phenotypic variability, communities with distantly related species may have greater range of metabolic functions than communities have the same richness and evenness, but in which the species present are more closely related to each other. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Galand et al. (2015) provide compelling evidence that the most metabolically active communities are those in which the nondormant portion of the microbial community has the highest phylogenetic diversity. They also illustrate that focusing on the active portion of the community allows for detection of temporal patterns in community structure that would not be otherwise evident. The authors’ point out that the presence of many dormant organisms that do not contribute to ecosystem functioning is a feature that makes microbial ecosystems fundamentally different from macro‐ecosystems and that this difference needs to be accounted for in microbial ecology theory.     

Dissimilatory sulphate reduction in hypersaline coastal pans: an integrated microbiological and geochemical study

Here, we report on the spatial and temporal variation in sulphate‐reducing bacterial community structure and activity in three hypersaline coastal pans. Community structure was determined using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Cluster analysis of DGGE patterns indicated that similar microbial populations were generally found in individual pans but varied from one pan to the other. Sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB) were quantified by competitive polymerase chain reaction based on the amplification of the dsrAB genes. Cell numbers and in situ sulphate reduction activities varied between seasons and pans but in general showed low variation in depth. Sulphate reduction activity was not correlated with microbial population size indicating that community composition is relevant for specific microbial processes. Principal component analysis coupled with correlation analyses suggested that salinity, sulphate concentration, C/N ratio and pH were the most important factors in explaining variations in SRB community composition. Most sequences derived from DGGE amplicons belonged to members of the Desulfobacteraceae and Desulfohalobiaceae families.     

Sediment Microbial Community Composition and Methylmercury Pollution at Four Mercury Mine–Impacted Sites

Mercury pollution presents a globally significant threat to human and ecosystem health. An important transformation in the mercury cycle is the conversion of inorganic mercury to methylmercury, a toxic substance that negatively affects neurological function and bioaccumulates in food chains. This transformation is primarily bacterially mediated, and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) have been specifically implicated as key mercury methylators in lake and estuarine sediments. This study used phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis to investigate sediment microbial community composition at four abandoned mercury mine–impacted sites in the California Coast Range: the Abbott, Reed, Sulphur Bank, and Mt. Diablo mines. Differences in watershed and hydrology among these sites were related to differences in microbial community composition. The Abbott and Sulphur Bank mines had the highest levels of methylmercury. Floc (a type of precipitate that forms when acid mine drainage contacts lake or river water) and sediment samples differed in terms of several important environmental variables and microbial community composition, but did not have statistically different methylmercury concentrations. Quantification of PLFA biomarkers for SRB (10Mel6:0 for Desulfobacter and i17:1 for Desulfovibrio) revealed that Desulfobacter and Desulfovibrio organisms made up higher percentages of overall microbial biomass at the Sulphur Bank and Mt. Diablo mines than at the Abbott and Reed mines. Correlations between these SRB biomarker fatty acids and methylmercury concentrations suggest that Desulfobacter and Desulfovibrio organisms may contribute to methylmercury production in the Abbott, Reed, and Sulphur Bank mines but may not be important contributors to methylmercury in the Mt. Diablo Mine.     

Effects of electron donors on anaerobic microbial debromination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a class of widely used flame retardants that have been highly accumulated in sediments. It is reported that microorganisms play an important role in the reductive debromination of PBDEs in anaerobic sediments. However, little is known about the effects of electron donors on the microbial community structure and their debromination capacity in PBDE transformation. In this study, alternate carbon substrates were used as electron donors to enrich the PBDE-debrominating microbial consortia to evaluate the effects of electron donors on PBDE microbial debromination. Decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) was found to be the dominant (more than 50%) PBDEs congener in all consortia, and the percentage of BDE-209 was deceased by 12% (methanol), 11% (ethanol), 8% (acetate), 9% (lactate), 5% (pyruvate), and 11% (no electron donors), while the relative abundances of most lesser-brominated PBDEs increased after 90-day incubation compared to the initial profile of PBDEs. Substantial shifts in the microbial community structure among different amendments were observed based on denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis results. Pseudomonas spp. were identified to be the predominant organisms and the abundances of Band R, which was associated with Pseudomonas sp. SCSWA09, was well correlated with the biodegradation rate of BDE-209. Finally, the microbial community structure was highly correlated with the concentration of deca-BDE, octa-BDE and total nitrogen. These results provide insights into in situ bioremediation of environments contaminated by PBDEs and our understanding of microbial ecology associated with PBDE-debromination.     

Fish growth enhances microbial sulfur cycling in aquaculture pond sediments

Microbial sulfate reduction and sulfur oxidation are vital processes to enhance organic matter degradation in sediments. However, the diversity and composition of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) and their environmental driving factors are still poorly understood in aquaculture ponds, which received mounting of organic matter. In this study, bacterial communities, SRB and SOB from sediments of aquaculture ponds with different sizes of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) were analysed using high-throughput sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). The results indicated that microbial communities in aquaculture pond sediments of large juvenile fish showed the highest richness and abundance of SRB and SOB, potentially further enhancing microbial sulfur cycling. Specifically, SRB were dominated by Desulfobulbus and Desulfovibrio, whereas SOB were dominated by Dechloromonas and Leptothrix. Although large juvenile fish ponds had relatively lower concentrations of sulfur compounds (i.e. total sulfur, acid-volatile sulfide and elemental sulfur) than those of larval fish ponds, more abundant SRB and SOB were found in the large juvenile fish ponds. Further redundancy analysis (RDA) and linear regression indicated that sulfur compounds and sediment suspension are the major environmental factors shaping the abundance and community structure of SRB and SOB in aquaculture pond sediments. Findings of this study expand our current understanding of microbial driving sulfur cycling in aquaculture ecosystems and also provide novel insights for ecological and green aquaculture managements.     

南海Formosa冷泉区沉积物微生物多样性与分布规律研究

【目的】当前对全球冷泉生态系统微生物生态学研究显示，冷泉生态系统中主要微生物类群为参与甲烷代谢的微生物，它们的分布差异与所处冷泉区生物地球化学环境密切相关。但在冷泉区内也存在环境因子截然不同的生境，尚缺乏比较冷泉区内小尺度生境间微生物多样性和分布规律的研究。本研究旨在分析南海Formosa冷泉区内不同生境间微生物多样性差异，完善和理解不同环境因子对冷泉内微生物群落结构的影响。【方法】对采集自南海Formosa冷泉区不同生境(黑色菌席区、白色菌席区和碳酸盐岩区)沉积物样本中古菌和细菌16S rRNA基因进行测序，结合环境因子，比较微生物多样性差异，分析环境因子对微生物分布的影响。【结果】发现在Formosa冷泉内的不同生境中，甲烷厌氧氧化古菌(anaerobic methanotrophic archaea,ANME)是主要古菌类群，占古菌总体相对丰度超过70%；在菌席区ANME-1b和ANME-2a/b是主要ANME亚群，碳酸盐岩区则是ANME-1b。硫酸盐还原菌(sulfate-reducing bacteria,SRB)和硫氧化菌(sulfur-oxidizing bacteria...     

Phylogeography of Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria among Disturbed Sediments, Disclosed by Analysis of the Dissimilatory Sulfite Reductase Genes (dsrAB)

Sediment samples were collected worldwide from 16 locations on four continents (in New York, California, New Jersey, Virginia, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Italy, Latvia, and South Korea) to assess the extent of the diversity and the distribution patterns of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in contaminated sediments. The SRB communities were examined by terminal restriction fragment (TRF) length polymorphism (TRFLP) analysis of the dissimilatory sulfite reductase genes (dsrAB) with NdeII digests. The fingerprints of dsrAB genes contained a total of 369 fluorescent TRFs, of which <20% were present in the GenBank database. The global sulfidogenic communities appeared to be significantly different among the anthropogenically impacted (petroleum-contaminated) sites, but nearly all were less diverse than pristine habitats, such as mangroves. A global SRB indicator species of petroleum pollution was not identified. However, several dsrAB gene sequences corresponding to hydrocarbon-degrading isolates or consortium members were detected in geographically widely separated polluted sites. Finally, a cluster analysis of the TRFLP fingerprints indicated that many SRB microbial communities were most similar on the basis of close geographic proximity (tens of kilometers). Yet, on larger scales (hundreds to thousands of kilometers) SRB communities could cluster with geographically widely separated sites and not necessarily with the site with the closest proximity. These data demonstrate that SRB populations do not adhere to a biogeographic distribution pattern similar to that of larger eukaryotic organisms, with the greatest species diversity radiating from the Indo-Pacific region. Rather, a patchy SRB distribution is encountered, implying an initially uniform SRB community that has differentiated over time.     

Microbial analysis of backflowed injection water from a nitrate-treated North Sea oil reservoir

Reservoir souring in offshore oil fields is caused by hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) produced by sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB), most often as a consequence of sea water injection. Biocide treatment is commonly used to inhibit SRB, but has now been replaced by nitrate treatment on several North Sea oil fields. At the Statfjord field, injection wells from one nitrate-treated reservoir and one biocide-treated reservoir were reversed (backflowed) and sampled for microbial analysis. The two reservoirs have similar properties and share the same pre-nitrate treatment history. A 16S rRNA gene-based community analysis (PCR-DGGE) combined with enrichment culture studies showed that, after 6 months of nitrate injection (0.25 mM NO₃ ⁻), heterotrophic and chemolithotrophic nitrate-reducing bacteria (NRB) formed major populations in the nitrate-treated reservoir. The NRB community was able to utilize the same substrates as the SRB community. Compared to the biocide-treated reservoir, the microbial community in the nitrate-treated reservoir was more phylogenetically diverse and able to grow on a wider range of substrates. Enrichment culture studies showed that SRB were present in both reservoirs, but the nitrate-treated reservoir had the least diverse SRB community. Isolation and characterisation of one of the dominant populations observed during nitrate treatment (strain STF-07) showed that heterotrophic denitrifying bacteria affiliated to Terasakiella probably contributed significantly to the inhibition of SRB. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Mapping field-scale spatial patterns of size and activity of the denitrifier community

There is ample evidence that microbial processes can exhibit large variations in activity on a field scale. However, very little is known about the spatial distribution of the microbial communities mediating these processes. Here we used geostatistical modelling to explore spatial patterns of size and activity of the denitrifying community, a functional guild involved in N-cycling, in a grassland field subjected to different cattle grazing regimes. We observed a non-random distribution pattern of the size of the denitrifier community estimated by quantification of the denitrification genes copy numbers with a macro-scale spatial dependence (6–16 m) and mapped the distribution of this functional guild in the field. The spatial patterns of soil properties, which were strongly affected by presence of cattle, imposed significant control on potential denitrification activity, potential N₂O production and relative abundance of some denitrification genes but not on the size of the denitrifier community. Absolute abundance of most denitrification genes was not correlated with the distribution patterns of potential denitrification activity or potential N₂O production. However, the relative abundance of bacteria possessing the nosZ gene encoding the N₂O reductase in the total bacterial community was a strong predictor of the N₂O/(N₂ + N₂O) ratio, which provides evidence for a relationship between bacterial community composition based on the relative abundance of denitrifiers in the total bacterial community and ecosystem processes. More generally, the presented geostatistical approach allows integrated mapping of microbial communities, and hence can facilitate our understanding of relationships between the ecology of microbial communities and microbial processes along environmental gradients.     

Drivers and patterns of microbial community assembly in a Lyme disease vector

Vector‐borne diseases constitute a major global health burden and are increasing in geographic range and prevalence. Mounting evidence has demonstrated that the vector microbiome can impact pathogen dynamics, making the microbiome a focal point in vector‐borne disease ecology. However, efforts to generalize preliminary findings across studies and systems and translate these findings into disease control strategies are hindered by a lack of fundamental understanding of the processes shaping the vector microbiome and the interactions therein. Here, we use 16S rRNA sequencing and apply a community ecology framework to analyze microbiome community assembly and interactions in Ixodes pacificus, the Lyme disease vector in the western United States. We find that vertical transmission routes drive population‐level patterns in I. pacificus microbial diversity and composition, but that microbial function and overall abundance do not vary over time or between clutches. Further, we find that the I. pacificus microbiome is not strongly structured based on competition but assembles nonrandomly, potentially due to vector‐specific filtering processes which largely eliminate all but the dominant endosymbiont, Rickettsia. At the scale of the individual I. pacificus, we find support for a highly limited internal microbial community, and hypothesize that the tick endosymbiont may be the most important component of the vector microbiome in influencing pathogen dynamics.     

Limited evidence for ecosystem‐level change on reefs exposed to Haliotis rubra (‘blacklip abalone’) exploitation

It is increasingly recognized that fisheries must take the broader ecosystem into account for sustainable management of marine systems, requiring an understanding of the interaction between fished species and other organisms. This study uses a correlative approach to investigate potential interactions between benthic organisms and Haliotis rubra, a dominant herbivore that is the subject of a large and valuable commercial fishery in south‐eastern Australia. Specific emphasis was placed on understanding associations between H. rubra and understorey organisms, because particular understorey algae (crustose coralline algae) provide critical habitat for H. rubra larval recruitment and juvenile ecology. Broad‐scale surveys along the 6–8 m depth contour (the depth range where H. rubra fishing activity is intense) were conducted across four regions (separated by 10⁴?10⁵ m), including at least 10 sites (separated by 10²?10³ m) within each region. Positive correlations between H. rubra and crustose coralline algae were found, while negative correlations were observed between H. rubra and sessile invertebrates and understorey algae. While significant, these associations were weak and H. rubra abundance generally only explained a small proportion of the variability in the abundance of understorey organisms (r² 0.02–0.30). H. rubra abundance also had a minor influence on community‐level understorey patterns in comparison with differences in community structure attributable to regional variation. Patterns of H. rubra abundance and benthic community structure were also examined in relation to depth at a restricted number of sites. At sites where differences in understorey groups were evident, H. rubra abundance also varied significantly, highlighting the issue of confounding when contrasting patterns of understorey abundance using a correlative approach. Further manipulative experiments are required to confirm causal relationships; however, the available correlative evidence suggests limited ecosystem effects of H. rubra depletion at the scale of individual reefs.     

Contrasting diversity patterns of crenarchaeal, bacterial and fungal soil communities in an alpine landscape

Background

The advent of molecular techniques in microbial ecology has aroused interest in gaining an understanding about the spatial distribution of regional pools of soil microbes and the main drivers responsible of these spatial patterns. Here, we assessed the distribution of crenarcheal, bacterial and fungal communities in an alpine landscape displaying high turnover in plant species over short distances. Our aim is to determine the relative contribution of plant species composition, environmental conditions, and geographic isolation on microbial community distribution.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Eleven types of habitats that best represent the landscape heterogeneity were investigated. Crenarchaeal, bacterial and fungal communities were described by means of Single Strand Conformation Polymorphism. Relationships between microbial beta diversity patterns were examined by using Bray-Curtis dissimilarities and Principal Coordinate Analyses. Distance-based redundancy analyses and variation partitioning were used to estimate the relative contributions of different drivers on microbial beta diversity. Microbial communities tended to be habitat-specific and did not display significant spatial autocorrelation. Microbial beta diversity correlated with soil pH. Fungal beta-diversity was mainly related to soil organic matter. Though the effect of plant species composition was significant for all microbial groups, it was much stronger for Fungi. In contrast, geographic distances did not have any effect on microbial beta diversity.

Conclusions/Significance

Microbial communities exhibit non-random spatial patterns of diversity in alpine landscapes. Crenarcheal, bacterial and fungal community turnover is high and associated with plant species composition through different set of soil variables, but is not caused by geographical isolation.     

Distribution of anaerobic methane-oxidizing and sulfate-reducing communities in the G11 Nyegga pockmark,Norwegian Sea

Pockmarks are seabed geological structures sustaining methane seepage in cold seeps. Based on RNA-derived sequences the active fraction of the archaeal community was analysed in sediments associated with the G11 pockmark, in the Nyegga region of the Norwegian Sea. The anaerobic methanotrophic Archaea (ANME) and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) communities were studied as well. The vertical distribution of the archaeal community assessed by PCR-DGGE highlighted the presence of ANME-2 in surface sediments, and ANME-1 in deeper sediments. Enrichments of methanogens showed the presence of hydrogenotrophic methanogens of the Methanogenium genus in surface sediment layers as well. The active fraction of the archaeal community was uniquely composed of ANME-2 in the shallow sulfate-rich sediments. Functional methyl coenzyme M reductase gene libraries showed that sequences affiliated with the ANME-1 and ANME-3 groups appeared in the deeper sediments but ANME-2 dominated both surface and deeper layers. Finally, dissimilatory sulfite reductase gene libraries revealed a high SRB diversity (i.e. Desulfobacteraceae, Desulfobulbaceae, Syntrophobacteraceae and Firmicutes) in the shallow sulfate-rich sediments. The SRB diversity was much lower in the deeper section. Overall, these results show that the microbial community in sediments associated with a pockmark harbour classical cold seep ANME and SRB communities.     

Population Dynamics of a Single-Stage Sulfidogenic Bioreactor Treating Synthetic Zinc-Containing Waste Streams

Waste streams from industrial processes such as metal smelting or mining contain high concentrations of sulfate and metals with low pH. Dissimilatory sulfate reduction carried out by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) at low pH can combine sulfate reduction with metal-sulfide precipitation and thus open possibilities for selective metal recovery. This study investigates the microbial diversity and population changes of a single-stage sulfidogenic gas-lift bioreactor treating synthetic zinc-rich waste water at pH 5.5 by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of 16S rRNA gene fragments and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The results indicate the presence of a diverse range of phylogenetic groups with the predominant microbial populations belonging to the Desulfovibrionaceae from δ-Proteobacteria. Desulfovibrio desulfuricans-like populations were the most abundant among the SRB during the three stable phases of varying sulfide and zinc concentrations and increased from 13% to 54% of the total bacterial populations over time. The second largest group was Desulfovibrio marrakechensis-like SRB that increased from 1% to about 10% with decreasing sulfide concentrations. Desulfovibrio aminophilus-like populations were the only SRB to decrease in numbers with decreasing sulfide concentrations. However, their population was <1% of the total bacterial population in the reactor at all analyzed time points. The number of dissimilatory sulfate reductase (DsrA) gene copies per number of SRB cells decreased from 3.5 to 2 DsrA copies when the sulfide concentration was reduced, suggesting that the cells' sulfate-reducing capacity was also lowered. This study has identified the species present in a single-stage sulfidogenic bioreactor treating zinc-rich wastewater at low pH and provides insights into the microbial ecology of this biotechnological process.     

Activity-based cell sorting reveals responses of uncultured archaea and bacteria to substrate amendment

Metagenomic studies have revolutionized our understanding of the metabolic potential of uncultured microorganisms in various ecosystems. However, many of these genomic predictions have yet to be experimentally tested, and the functional expression of genomic potential often remains unaddressed. In order to obtain a more thorough understanding of cell physiology, novel techniques capable of testing microbial metabolism under close to in situ conditions must be developed. Here, we provide a benchmark study to demonstrate that bioorthogonal non-canonical amino acid tagging (BONCAT) in combination with fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and 16S rRNA gene sequencing can be used to identify anabolically active members of a microbial community incubated in the presence of various growth substrates or under changing physicochemical conditions. We applied this approach to a hot spring sediment microbiome from Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, USA) and identified several microbes that changed their activity levels in response to substrate addition, including uncultured members of the phyla Thaumarchaeota, Acidobacteria, and Fervidibacteria. Because shifts in activity in response to substrate amendment or headspace changes are indicative of microbial preferences for particular growth conditions, results from this and future BONCAT-FACS studies could inform the development of cultivation media to specifically enrich uncultured microbes. Most importantly, BONCAT-FACS is capable of providing information on the physiology of uncultured organisms at as close to in situ conditions as experimentally possible.Subject terms: Environmental microbiology, Microbial communities, Microbial ecology, Archaea     

S cycling: Characterization of natural communities of sulfate-reducing bacteria by 165 rRNA sequence comparisons

Past studies of microbial communities responsible for geochemical transformations have been limited by an inability to representatively cultivate, and then identify, the constituent members. Ribosomal RNA sequences, particularly 16S-like rRNAs, provide a measure of phylogenetic relationship that can now be used to examine the structure and diversity of microbial communities. Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) play an important role in the sulfur cycle and the terminal mineralization of organic matter in estuarine and marine environments. Because the Gram-negative mesophilic SRB comprise a phylogenetically coherent assemblage, their communities are well suited to explorations through rRNA sequence-based methodologies. In this study we related molecular biological methods using rRNA probes to geochemical measurements at two different sites. At an unvegetated site in northwest Florida, rates of sulfate reduction were low and SRB rRNA comprised about 5% of the total rRNA extracted from the sediment. The other site, a salt marsh in New Hampshire, had higher rates of sulfate-reduction with SRB rRNA accounting for up to 30% of the total rRNA extracted from the sediment. SRB community structure differed dramatically between the two sites with Desulfobulbus rRNA much less abundant in the unvegetated site than in the salt marsh. The differences in these SRB communities reflect differences in the ecology of their habitats.Contribution No. 917 from the Gulf Ecology Division, NHEERL, Gulf Breeze, FL. Correspondence to: R. Devereux.     

Biogeographic patterns of soil diazotrophic communities across six forests in the North America

Soil diazotrophs play important roles in ecosystem functioning by converting atmospheric N₂ into biologically available ammonium. However, the diversity and distribution of soil diazotrophic communities in different forests and whether they follow biogeographic patterns similar to macroorganisms still remain unclear. By sequencing nifH gene amplicons, we surveyed the diversity, structure and biogeographic patterns of soil diazotrophic communities across six North American forests (126 nested samples). Our results showed that each forest harboured markedly different soil diazotrophic communities and that these communities followed traditional biogeographic patterns similar to plant and animal communities, including the taxa–area relationship (TAR) and latitudinal diversity gradient. Significantly higher community diversity and lower microbial spatial turnover rates (i.e. z‐values) were found for rainforests (~0.06) than temperate forests (~0.1). The gradient pattern of TARs and community diversity was strongly correlated (r² > 0.5) with latitude, annual mean temperature, plant species richness and precipitation, and weakly correlated (r² < 0.25) with pH and soil moisture. This study suggests that even microbial subcommunities (e.g. soil diazotrophs) follow general biogeographic patterns (e.g. TAR, latitudinal diversity gradient), and indicates that the metabolic theory of ecology and habitat heterogeneity may be the major underlying ecological mechanisms shaping the biogeographic patterns of soil diazotrophic communities.     

Microbial ecology of chlorinated solvent biodegradation

This study focused on the microbial ecology of tetrachloroethene (PCE) degradation to trichloroethene, cis‐1,2‐dichloroethene and vinyl chloride to evaluate the relationship between the microbial community and the potential accumulation or degradation of these toxic metabolites. Multiple soil microcosms supplied with different organic substrates were artificially contaminated with PCE. A thymidine analogue, bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), was added to the microcosms and incorporated into the DNA of actively replicating cells. We compared the total and active bacterial communities during the 50‐day incubations by using phylogenic microarrays and 454 pyrosequencing to identify microorganisms and functional genes associated with PCE degradation to ethene. By use of this integrative approach, both the key community members and the ecological functions concomitant with complete PCE degradation could be determined, including the presence and activity of microbial community members responsible for producing hydrogen and acetate, which are critical for Dehalococcoides‐mediated PCE degradation. In addition, by correlation of chemical data and phylogenic microarray data, we identified several bacteria that could potentially oxidize hydrogen. These results demonstrate that PCE degradation is dependent on some microbial community members for production of appropriate metabolites, while other members of the community compete for hydrogen in soil at low redox potentials.     

Spatial scale impacts microbial community composition and distribution within and across stream ecosystems in North and Central America

A mechanistic understanding of factors that structure spatiotemporal community composition is a major challenge in microbial ecology. Our study of microbial communities in the headwaters of three freshwater stream networks showed significant community changes at the small spatial scale of benthic habitats when compared to changes at mid- and large-spatial scales associated with stream order and catchment. Catchment (which included temperate and tropical catchments) had the strongest influence on community composition followed by habitat type (epipsammon or epilithon) and stream orders. Alpha diversity of benthic microbiomes resulted from interactions between catchment, habitat, and canopy. Epilithon contained relatively more Cyanobacteria and algae while Acidobacteria and Actinobacteria proportions were higher in epipsammic habitats. Turnover from replacement created ~60%–95% of beta diversity differences among habitats, stream orders, and catchments. Turnover within a habitat type generally decreased downstream indicating longitudinal linkages in stream networks while between habitat turnover also shaped benthic microbial community assembly. Our study suggests that factors influencing microbial community composition shift in dominance across spatial scales, with habitat dominating locally and catchment dominating globally.     

Sulphur‐oxidizing and sulphate‐reducing communities in Brazilian mangrove sediments

Mangrove soils are anaerobic environments rich in sulphate and organic matter. Although the sulphur cycle is one of the major actors in this ecosystem, little is known regarding the sulphur bacteria communities in mangrove soils. We investigated the abundance, composition and diversity of sulphur‐oxidizing (SOB) and sulphate‐reducing (SRB) bacteria in sediments from three Brazilian mangrove communities: two contaminated, one with oil (OilMgv) and one with urban waste and sludge (AntMgv), and one pristine (PrsMgv). The community structures were assessed using quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), polymerase chain reaction‐denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR‐DGGE) and clone libraries, using genes for the enzymes adenosine‐5′‐phosphosulphate reductase (aprA) and sulphite reductase (Dsr) (dsrB). The abundance for qPCR showed the ratio dsrB/aprA to be variable among mangroves and higher according to the gradient observed for oil contamination in the OilMgv. The PCR‐DGGE patterns analysed by Nonmetric Multidimensional Scaling revealed differences among the structures of the three mangrove communities. The clone libraries showed that Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria and Deltaproteobacteria were the most abundant groups associated with sulphur cycling in mangrove sediments. We conclude that the microbial SOB and SRB communities in mangrove soils are different in each mangrove forest and that such microbial communities could possibly be used as a proxy for contamination in mangrove forests.