海洋中藻菌相互关系及其生态功能

海洋中藻类与细菌密不可分,具有错综复杂的互作关系(如互利共生、敌对拮抗或竞争抑制等),共同构成了海洋生态系统结构与功能的重要调控者。在藻类细胞周围往往存在着特殊的藻际微环境,其中生存着独特的微生物群落,因此藻际环境成为藻菌相互作用的主战场。藻际环境中细菌群落的构建具有一定的规律。在自然生态系统中,藻菌互作影响赤潮生消动态过程,并在水质修复中具有重要作用潜力。同时,藻类和细菌作为驱动海洋固碳与储碳的主要生物因子,在海洋碳循环中具有尤为重要的作用。本文对海洋中藻菌互作关系的研究现状进行了综述,并在此基础上,对未来研究提出了几点展望。例如,目前对海洋中藻菌关系受病毒的调控作用了解甚少,值得未来深入研究。     

锥状斯氏藻藻华期间群体感应信号菌株的动态变化

群体感应信号(quorum sensing, QS)是细菌的一种特殊交流方式, 它具有调节种群密度、生物膜形成、毒素产生以及色素的形成等多种功能。藻菌关系是藻华过程中重要的一环, 为了探求藻华过程中信号微生物的动态变化, 我们以深圳大鹏湾的锥状斯氏藻(Scrippsiella trochoidea)藻华中的QS 菌株为研究对象, 应用报告菌株和环境微生物宏基因组方法, 监测了藻华爆发期间信号微生物的动态变化过程, 并构建了藻类、QS 微生物与其它微生物的相关性关系。结果表明:在筛选的QS 菌株中经去冗余和重复后成功鉴定了7 种不同的细菌, 分别是冷杆菌Psychrobacter cryohalolentis、普罗维登斯菌Providencia sneebia、假单胞菌Pseudomonas stutzeri、微小杆菌Exiguobacterium sp. AT1b、产酸克雷伯菌Klebsiellaoxytoca、球形赖氨酸芽孢杆菌Lysinibacillus sphaericus 和鲍氏不动杆菌Acinetobacter baumannii。相关性分析发现P.sneebia 的丰度与藻类数量变化呈正相关, 而L. sphaericus 和P. stutzeri 的丰度与藻类数量变化呈负相关, 其它QS 微生物中未见显著相关性。综合实验的结果来看, QS 微生物在藻际微生物的群体结构中扮演着一定的生态作用, 它帮助我们从一个新的视角了解藻华过程中QS 微生物的丰度变化和网络关系, 为认识藻菌关系提供了新的思路。     

藻际菌胶团的特征、调节机制与生态功能

藻类对促进海洋物质循环、维持水生环境的生态平衡具有重要作用。在藻菌关系中,基于微生物的多样性和重要性,藻类与细菌之间的相互关系成为了研究的热点。藻际(phycosphere)环境是藻菌共生的一种典型生态位(niche),在这一生境中微生物形成的菌胶团(zoogloea consortium)是调控藻菌关系的重要组成部分。以往的研究证明菌胶团具有结构多样性和功能多样性,在维持藻际环境稳定、物质循环和信息交流方面具有重要的生态意义。本文中,笔者以藻际菌胶团为重点,综述其物质基础(物种组成、胞外聚合物类别)、结构特征(生物被膜)以及生态功能,并从化学信号的角度探讨了群体感应信号(quorum sensing)对菌胶团的调节机制。论文旨在梳理菌胶团的形成特点及其在营养摄取、环境抗性、功能维持上的最新进展,并在此基础上提出展望,为未来深入理解藻际菌胶团的生态学机制提供化学生态学思路。     

东海原甲藻和海洋异养细菌对磷酸盐的竞争吸收

在水生生态系统的研究中, 微型藻类与海洋细菌的相互关系越来越引起人们的重视。微型藻类是引起赤潮的主要生物, 其与海洋细菌的关系主要表现在藻、菌既可相互促进生长, 又可相互抑制以至于杀灭对方。这种复杂的生态关系因藻种及菌种的不同而异, 并受到环境等因素的影响。       

藻菌共生处理污水的机制与应用研究进展

在污水处理领域,藻菌共生有同步脱氮、除磷效率高、排放温室气体量低、生物质可资源化回收等优势,近年来受到学者的重视。目前鲜有综述污水处理中藻类与细菌、真菌及混合藻菌间互作机制的文章。本文从藻类-细菌、藻类-真菌、混合藻-混合菌3个方面介绍藻菌共生处理污水的研究进展,重点阐述藻菌间营养物质交换、信号传导及生物絮凝3种不同互作机制,总结污水处理中常见的藻菌共生生物反应器及其应用效果,并从互作机理研究、规模化应用及生物质回收利用的角度展望了今后的研究方向。     

海洋细菌生态学的若干前沿课题及其研究新进展

海洋细菌在海洋生态系统中的重要作用随着微食物环的提出被深入认识和充分肯定。本文概述了海洋细菌在微食物环中的重要生态作用及微食物环的研究进展,海洋细菌在碳的生物地球化学循环中的重要性,海洋细菌的活性及其群落结构与功能,分析了藻际环境特性和藻际微生物在赤潮多发海域的生态作用,提出了我国海洋细菌生态学研究的若干新思考与新任务,强调了基于"以菌治藻"的新理念,开展针对于赤潮灾害防除的"微食物环-赤潮-关键微生物菌群"耦合互作这一重要科学问题研究的必要性及紧迫性。     

微生物在藻际环境中的物质循环作用

浮游植物作为海洋初级生产力的主要驱动者,其功能的发挥与共生微生物密不可分.藻类(甲藻、硅藻或蓝藻)的栖息环境中存在多样的共生细菌,各类细菌拥有不同的组成比例,但某些异养细菌在藻际环境中总是占据优势地位,如变形杆菌、黄杆菌及放线菌等.基于微生物在调节微食物网、促进物质循环和维持生态系统平衡中的重要意义,本文主要以赤潮事件的藻际环境为例,尝试梳理上述主导性“常驻微生物”在“藻-菌”共生体物质转化中的作用.特别是针对近些年来倍受关注的黄杆菌和玫瑰杆菌,着重例述了它们在物质代谢中的行为与生态策略,以更好地理解常驻物种在藻际生态位中的生态行为与协同进化.     

深圳大鹏湾海域锥状斯氏藻赤潮期间细菌群落结构变化研究

目的:近年来,赤潮在我国的发生呈增加的趋势,并造成了极大的经济损失。过去研究赤潮发生的机理主要集中在理化因素的影响,而越来越多的证据表明仅凭借营养盐等环境因素并不能解释大部分赤潮现象,藻际微生物可能发挥着重要作用。本文跟踪观测了2010年7月深圳大鹏湾海域爆发的锥状斯氏藻赤潮生消过程中细菌群落丰度种类的变化,从微生物与赤潮藻相互作用的角度探讨了赤潮的生消过程,讨论了不同时期不同关键菌群的特殊作用,为解释赤潮爆发和消亡提供了新的视角,为赤潮的监控和防治新方法的建立奠定了理论基础。方法:本文按时间顺序共采集该赤潮9次样本,利用末端限制性酶切片段长度多态性分析(T-RFLP)等分子生物学方法,通过主成分分析、克隆文库的构建,研究了微生物群落的变化过程,并探讨了特定种属的微生物在赤潮发生、发展和消亡过程中的作用。结果:从浮游细菌丰度来看,随着锥状斯氏藻细胞数量的波动,浮游细菌总数也随之呈现相应的变化。从浮游细菌的种类来看,它们主要属于变形杆菌门(Proteobacteria)、拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)和厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)。从浮游细菌的动态变化过程来看,赤潮生消过程中,浮游细菌群落呈现出一定的演替现象,特别是在赤潮后期,群落主成分变化尤为显著。从关键菌群的作用来看,属于γ变形杆菌门的Alteromonas sp.一直占有较高的丰度,赤潮中后期受到菌群相互作用导致比例下降,而赤潮后期其他关键菌群的丰度的增高可能是导致赤潮消亡的重要原因。结论:本文利用T-RFLP这一DNA指纹技术分析微生物群落结构和多样性特征,通过研究赤潮生消过程中藻际浮游细菌群落的动态变化,发现随着赤潮的发展,浮游细菌群落发生着相应的变化。结果说明赤潮藻体丰度数量的改变影响着浮游细菌群落的组成。相对地,细菌群落的适应调整迅速造成赤潮藻体局部生长环境的改变,从而影响赤潮的发展过程。     

微藻与细菌作用关系的研究进展

藻类是水生环境中的初级生产者,它的生长常常伴随着细菌并受菌的影响。有研究者指出藻类和细菌有着密不可分的关系。一些研究表明与藻相关的主体细菌是特定的细菌群体,特别是α-变形菌频繁地发现,说明这类菌可能能够开启和维持共生关系。最近的研究提出了营养物质交换是菌藻共生的基础,这类相关化合物是复杂的和特定的分子,可能参与信号处理和监控作用,而不只是被动扩散。同时,这种作用很明显不是静态的,它的开启和终止可能是对环境和发育的响应。需要指出的是明确菌藻关系的作用机理还有待于进一步的深入研究,本篇综述结合新提出的理论,对细菌与微藻作用关系的研究进展进行总结,概括了微藻与菌的作用关系(进化关系,营养依赖,代谢互补和协作生物合成),这种作用关系涉及到的菌的分类(膜菌和藻际微环境菌,促生菌PGPB和溶藻菌)以及菌藻作用的应用(废水处理和生物燃料生产)的情况,并对菌藻关系的未来发展做了展望。     

藻际环境微生态结构与功能的研究进展

藻际环境是以藻类分泌物为骨架构成的微型生态结构,包含多样的生物和非生物,主要是微生物、胞外多糖、蛋白质和核酸等物质。藻际环境为复杂的藻菌互动提供平台,也为藻际系统的物质代谢、能量流动和信息交流提供基础。藻际环境不仅可以形成特殊的生态位,而且藻菌作用对多种生源要素循环起到了关键的作用;同时,藻际多糖的沉降为碳封存做出了重要贡献;再者,藻类在应激的时候,可以通过藻际环境形成对种群的保护。基于藻际环境结构和功能多样化的特点,解析其中的生态过程,对未来阐释生态现象的发生(如藻华)和生态修复都具有重要意义。该文综述了藻际环境的特性、影响因素和功能,旨在更好地认识藻际生态位,为藻类系统生态学发展提供理论依据。     

The time delays influence on the dynamical complexity of algal blooms in the presence of bacteria

Bacteria associated with oceanic algal blooms are acknowledged to play important roles in carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycling. They influence the climate, mediate primary production, participate in biogeochemical cycles, and maintain ecological balance. A greater insight on the control of the interactions between microalgae and other microorganisms, particularly bacteria, would be helpful in exploring the role of bacteria on algal blooms in lakes. The present study is to investigate the effects of bacteria on the occurrence of algal blooms in lakes. We propose a nonlinear mathematical model by taking into account interactions among nutrients, algae, detritus and bacteria in a lake. We assume that bacteria enhance the growth of algal biomass through remineralization only. Equilibria are analyzed for feasibility and stability, substantiated via numerical simulations. Increase in uptake rate of nutrients by algae and bacteria death rate generates transcritical bifurcations. We perform a global sensitivity analysis to identify the important parameters of the model having a significant impact on the densities of algae and bacteria in the lake. Our findings show that massive algal production might occur in the presence of bacteria, and microalgae-bacteria interactions can be beneficial to the massive production of microalgae. Further, the effect of time delays involved in the bacterial decomposition conversion of detritus into nutrients is studied. Chaotic oscillations may arise via equilibrium destabilization on increasing the values of the time lag. To support chaos occurrence, the Poincaré map is drawn and the Lyapunov exponents are also computed. The findings, critically important for lake restoration, indicate that hypoxia in the lake can be prevented if detritus removal is performed on a regular basis, at time intervals smaller than the critical threshold in the delay with which detritus is decomposed into nutrients.     

Molecular approaches to diagnosing nutritional physiology in harmful algae: Implications for studying the effects of eutrophication

Every year harmful algal blooms (HABs) cause serious impacts to local economies, coastal ecosystems, and human health on a global scale. It is well known that nutrient availability can influence important aspects of harmful algae biology and ecology, such as growth, toxin production, and life cycle stage, as well as bloom initiation, persistence and decline. Increases in the rate of supply of organic matter to ecosystems (eutrophication) carries many possible ramifications to coastal systems, including the potential for nutrient enrichment and the potential for stimulation of harmful algal blooms. Traditional studies on algal nutrition typically use either cultured isolates or community level assays, to examine nutrient uptake, nutrient preference, elemental composition, and other metrics of a species’ response to nutrients. In the last decade, technological advances have led to a great increase in the number of sequences available for critical harmful species. This, in turn, has led to new insights with regards to algal nutrition, and these advances highlight the promise of molecular technologies, and genomic approaches, to improving our understanding of algal nutrient acquisition and nutritional physiological ecology, in both cultures and field populations. With these developments increased monitoring of nutritional physiology in field populations of harmful algae will allow us to better discriminate how eutrophication impacts these groups.     

Microbial to reef scale interactions between the reef-building coral Montastraea annularis and benthic algae

Competition between reef-building corals and benthic algae is of key importance for reef dynamics. These interactions occur on many spatial scales, ranging from chemical to regional. Using microprobes, 16S rDNA pyrosequencing and underwater surveys, we examined the interactions between the reef-building coral Montastraea annularis and four types of benthic algae. The macroalgae Dictyota bartayresiana and Halimeda opuntia, as well as a mixed consortium of turf algae, caused hypoxia on the adjacent coral tissue. Turf algae were also associated with major shifts in the bacterial communities at the interaction zones, including more pathogens and virulence genes. In contrast to turf algae, interactions with crustose coralline algae (CCA) and M. annularis did not appear to be antagonistic at any scale. These zones were not hypoxic, the microbes were not pathogen-like and the abundance of coral-CCA interactions was positively correlated with per cent coral cover. We propose a model in which fleshy algae (i.e. some species of turf and fleshy macroalgae) alter benthic competition dynamics by stimulating bacterial respiration and promoting invasion of virulent bacteria on corals. This gives fleshy algae a competitive advantage over corals when human activities, such as overfishing and eutrophication, remove controls on algal abundance. Together, these results demonstrate the intricate connections and mechanisms that structure coral reefs.     

Influence of metazooplankton on interactions of bacteria and phytoplankton in an oligotrophic lake

Commensalism based on organic carbon supplied by phytoplanktonand competition for mineral nutrients are important interactionsbetween bacteria and phytoplankton in oligotrophic clear-watersystems. Both interactions are influenced by zooplankton activity.To examine the relation ship between algae and bacteria in LakeLa Caldera, we studied: the correlations among phyto plankton,bacteria and phosphorus (P) dynamics; the ratio of organic carbonsupplied by algae to organic carbon demand by bacteria; andthe importance of P remineralized by metazooplankton for bothcommunities. Phytoplankton and bacteria had a similar seasonaldynamics, and there was a sig nificant and positive relationshipbetween bacterial abundance and algal biomass (P<0.01). However,the release of organic carbon from phytoplankton was usuallyhigher than the bacterioplankton carbon requirement. P availablevia zooplankton remineralization satisfied between 74 and 316%of the minimum P demands of algae and bacteria. To elucidatewhether zooplankton operate similarly on algae and bacterialgrowth or indirectly influence bacterial growth through phytoplanktonmetab olism, we performed zooplankton manipulation experiments.High zooplankton biomass in these experiments stimulated bothprimary and bacterial production, but release of organic carbonfrom phytoplankton declined. These results suggest a directstimulus of bacterial growth, so algae and bac teria can balancegrazing losses by compensatory growth. Further, the algal decreaseof the organic carbon supply for bacteria could, over time,lead to a change in the algae-bacteria interaction from competitionto commensalism. This reduction in organic carbon excretioncould affect the balance of the competitive interaction.     

Algicidal bacteria in the sea and their impact on algal blooms

Over the past two decades, many reports have revealed the existence of bacteria capable of killing phytoplankton. These algicidal bacteria sometimes increase in abundance concurrently with the decline of algal blooms, suggesting that they may affect algal bloom dynamics. Here, we synthesize the existing knowledge on algicidal bacteria interactions with marine eukaryotic microalgae. We discuss the effectiveness of the current methods to characterize the algicidal phenotype in an ecosystem context. We briefly consider the literature on the phylogenetic identification of algicidal bacteria, their interaction with their algal prey, the characterization of algicidal molecules, and the enumeration of algicidal bacteria during algal blooms. We conclude that, due to limitations of current methods, the evidence for algicidal bacteria causing algal bloom decline is circumstantial. New methods and an ecosystem approach are needed to test hypotheses on the impact of algicidal bacteria in algal bloom dynamics. This will require enlarging the scope of inquiry from its current focus on the potential utility of algicidal bacteria in the control of harmful algal blooms. We suggest conceptualizing bacterial algicidy within the general problem of bacterial regulation of algal community structure in the ocean.     

微藻-细菌共生体系在废水处理中的应用

在微藻-细菌协同共生的过程中,藻类光合作用释放的氧气被异养微生物利用来矿化水体中的污染物,细菌呼吸为藻类提供二氧化碳作为碳源。近年来,藻类-细菌协同共生体系在污水处理中的应用得到了广泛的研究。本文重点综述了菌藻协同共生体系中微藻与细菌之间的三种相互作用,以及菌藻协同共生体系在废水处理中的应用。菌藻协同共生体系中的微藻与细菌通过营养交换、信号转导及基因转移等相互作用实现共赢。该体系广泛用于处理富营养化、重金属、药物、多环芳烃(polycyclicaromatic hydrocarbons,PAHs)、石油烃化合物等难降解的有机污染的水体。对于氮、磷等营养物质的去除,其主要机理涉及同化作用、厌氧氨氧化作用、硝化与反硝化作用、磷酸化作用等。对重金属、药物、石油烃化合物及其他有机化合物的去除机制主要是生物吸附、生物富集及细胞内外的生物降解。     

The chemical defense ecology of marine unicellular plankton: constraints, mechanisms, and impacts

The activities of unicellular microbes dominate the ecology of the marine environment, but the chemical signals that determine behavioral interactions are poorly known. In particular, chemical signals between microbial predators and prey contribute to food selection or avoidance and to defense, factors that probably affect trophic structure and such large-scale features as algal blooms. Using defense as an example, I consider physical constraints on the transmission of chemical information, and strategies and mechanisms that microbes might use to send chemical signals. Chemical signals in a low Re, viscosity-dominated physical environment are transferred by molecular diffusion and laminar advection, and may be perceived at nanomolar levels or lower. Events that occur on small temporal and physical scales in the "near-field" of prey are likely to play a role in cell-cell interactions. On the basis of cost-benefit optimization and the need for rapid activation, I suggest that microbial defense system strategies might be highly dynamic. These strategies include compartmented and activated reactions, utilizing both pulsed release of dissolved signals and contact-activated signals at the cell surface. Bioluminescence and extrusome discharge are two visible manifestations of rapidly activated microbial defenses that may serve as models for other chemical reactions as yet undetected due to the technical problems of measuring transient chemical gradients around single cells. As an example, I detail an algal dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) cleavage reaction that appears to deter protozoan feeding and explore it as a possible model for a rapidly activated, short-range chemical defense system. Although the exploration of chemical interactions among planktonic microbes is in its infancy, ecological models from macroorganisms provide useful hints of the complexity likely to be found.     

Detection of bacteria associated with harmful algal blooms from coastal and microcosm environments using electronic microarrays

With the global expansion of harmful algal blooms (HABs), several measures, including molecular approaches, have been undertaken to monitor its occurrence. Many reports have indicated the significant roles of bacteria in controlling algal bloom dynamics. Attempts have been made to utilize the bacteria/harmful algae relationship in HAB monitoring. In this study, bacterial assemblages monitored during coastal HABs and bacterial communities in induced microcosm blooms were investigated. Samples were analysed using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of the 16S rRNA gene. DGGE bands with peculiar patterns before, during, and after algal blooms were isolated and identified. Probes for six ribotypes representing organisms associated with Chatonella spp., Heterocapsa circularisquama, or Heterosigma akashiwo were used for analysis on NanoChip electronic microarray. In addition, a new approach using cultured bacteria species was developed to detect longer (533 bp) polymerase chain reaction-amplified products on the electronic microarray. The use of fluorescently labelled primers allowed the detection of individual species in single or mixed DNA conditions. The developed approach enabled the detection of the presence or absence and relative abundance of the HAB-related ribotypes in coastal and microcosm blooms. This study indicates the ability of electronic microarray platform to detect or monitor bacteria in natural and induced environments.