Characterization of archaeal and bacterial communities thriving in methane-seeping on-land mud volcanoes,Niigata, Japan

International Microbiology - Submarine mud volcanoes (MVs) have attracted significant interest in the scientific community for obtaining clues on the subsurface biosphere. On-land MVs, which are...     

New magnet-sensitive structures in bacterial and archaeal cells

The objects of the investigation were: distribution of intracellular magnet-sensitive structures among different taxonomic groups of prokaryotes, localisation and organisation of the magnet-sensitive inclusions (MsI) in cells. The MsI were discovered in representatives of both prokaryotic domains (Bacteria and Archaea), 2 kingdoms and 7 orders of bacteria. They were some amorphous or non-crystalline globules with the electron-transparent centre surrounded with an electron-dense homogenous matrix. The magnetic nature of the structures was shown by attraction with an applied magnet both for the cell suspensions and for the MsI isolated and separated from the destroyed cells. The MsI were studied with transparent electron microscopy and with X-ray analyses. When the cells were grown in the iron-containing nutrient medium, the matrix was enriched with iron. It was shown also that some bacteria grown with cobalt or with chromium contained the cobalt- or chromium-enriched magnetic inclusions.     

A meta-analysis of changes in bacterial and archaeal communities with time

Ecologists have long studied the temporal dynamics of plant and animal communities with much less attention paid to the temporal dynamics exhibited by microbial communities. As a result, we do not know if overarching temporal trends exist for microbial communities or if changes in microbial communities are generally predictable with time. Using microbial time series assessed via high-throughput sequencing, we conducted a meta-analysis of temporal dynamics in microbial communities, including 76 sites representing air, aquatic, soil, brewery wastewater treatment, human- and plant-associated microbial biomes. We found that temporal variability in both within- and between-community diversity was consistent among microbial communities from similar environments. Community structure changed systematically with time in less than half of the cases, and the highest rates of change were observed within ranges of 1 day to 1 month for all communities examined. Microbial communities exhibited species–time relationships (STRs), which describe the accumulation of new taxa to a community, similar to those observed previously for plant and animal communities, suggesting that STRs are remarkably consistent across a broad range of taxa. These results highlight that a continued integration of microbial ecology into the broader field of ecology will provide new insight into the temporal patterns of microbial and ‘macro''-bial communities alike.     

Distribution of sediment bacterial and archaeal communities in plateau freshwater lakes

Both Bacteria and Archaea might be involved in various biogeochemical processes in lacustrine sediment ecosystems. However, the factors governing the intra-lake distribution of sediment bacterial and archaeal communities in various freshwater lakes remain unclear. The present study investigated the sediment bacterial and archaeal communities in 13 freshwater lakes on the Yunnan Plateau. Quantitative PCR assay showed a large variation in bacterial and archaeal abundances. Illumina MiSeq sequencing illustrated high bacterial and archaeal diversities. Bacterial abundance was regulated by sediment total organic carbon and total nitrogen, and water depth, while nitrate nitrogen was an important determinant of bacterial diversity. Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chlorobi, Chloroflexi, Cyanobacteria, Firmicutes, Gemmatimonadetes, Nitrospirae, Planctomycetes, and Verrucomicrobia were the major components of sediment bacterial communities. Proteobacteria was the largest phylum, but its major classes and their proportions varied greatly among different lakes, affected by sediment nitrate nitrogen. In addition, both Euryarchaeota and Crenarchaeota were important members in sediment archaeal communities, while unclassified Archaea usually showed the dominance.     

Ecology and evolution of antimicrobial resistance in bacterial communities

Accumulating evidence suggests that the response of bacteria to antibiotics is significantly affected by the presence of other interacting microbes. These interactions are not typically accounted for when determining pathogen sensitivity to antibiotics. In this perspective, we argue that resistance and evolutionary responses to antibiotic treatments should not be considered only a trait of an individual bacteria species but also an emergent property of the microbial community in which pathogens are embedded. We outline how interspecies interactions can affect the responses of individual species and communities to antibiotic treatment, and how these responses could affect the strength of selection, potentially changing the trajectory of resistance evolution. Finally, we identify key areas of future research which will allow for a more complete understanding of antibiotic resistance in bacterial communities. We emphasise that acknowledging the ecological context, i.e. the interactions that occur between pathogens and within communities, could help the development of more efficient and effective antibiotic treatments.Subject terms: Microbial ecology, Antibiotics, Bacterial evolution     

Biogeographical patterns of bacterial and archaeal communities from distant hypersaline environments

Microorganisms are globally distributed but new evidence shows that the microbial structure of their communities can vary due to geographical location and environmental parameters. In this study, 50 samples including brines and sediments from Europe, Spanish-Atlantic and South America were analysed by applying the operational phylogenetic unit (OPU) approach in order to understand whether microbial community structures in hypersaline environments exhibited biogeographical patterns. The fine-tuned identification of approximately 1000 OPUs (almost equivalent to “species”) using multivariate analysis revealed regionally distinct taxa compositions. This segregation was more diffuse at the genus level and pointed to a phylogenetic and metabolic redundancy at the higher taxa level, where their different species acquired distinct advantages related to the regional physicochemical idiosyncrasies. The presence of previously undescribed groups was also shown in these environments, such as Parcubacteria, or members of Nanohaloarchaeota in anaerobic hypersaline sediments. Finally, an important OPU overlap was observed between anoxic sediments and their overlaying brines, indicating versatile metabolism for the pelagic organisms.     

Influence of temperature and soil water content on bacterial, archaeal and denitrifying microbial communities in drained fen grassland soil microcosms

In this study, microcosms were used to investigate the influence of temperature (4 and 28 degrees C) and water content (45% and 90% WHC) on microbial communities and activities in carbon-rich fen soil. Bacterial, archaeal and denitrifier community composition was assessed during incubation of microcosms for 12 weeks using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) profiling of 16S rRNA and nitrous oxide reductase (nosZ) genes. In addition, microbial and denitrifier abundance, potential denitrification activity and production of greenhouse gases were measured. No detectable changes were observed in prokaryote or denitrifier abundance. In general, cumulatively after 12 weeks more carbon was respired at the higher temperature (3.7 mg CO(2) g(-1) soil), irrespective of the water content, whereas nitrous oxide production was greater under wet conditions (98-336 microg N(2)O g(-1) soil). After an initial lag phase, methane emissions (963 microg CH(4) g(-1) soil) were observed only under warm and wet conditions. T-RFLP analyses of bacterial 16S rRNA and nosZ genes revealed small or undetectable community changes in response to temperature and water content, suggesting that bacterial and denitrifying microbial communities are stable and do not respond significantly to seasonal changes in soil conditions. In contrast, archaeal microbial community structure was more dynamic and was strongly influenced by temperature.     

Heterotrophic and autotrophic microbial populations in cold perennial springs of the high arctic

The saline springs of Gypsum Hill in the Canadian high Arctic are a rare example of cold springs originating from deep groundwater and rising to the surface through thick permafrost. The heterotrophic bacteria and autotrophic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (up to 40% of the total microbial community) isolated from the spring waters and sediments were classified into four phyla (Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria) based on 16S rRNA gene analysis; heterotrophic isolates were primarily psychrotolerant, salt-tolerant, facultative anaerobes. Some of the isolates contained genes for thiosulfate oxidation (soxB) and anoxygenic photosynthesis (pufM), possibly enabling the strains to better compete in these sulfur-rich environments subject to long periods of illumination in the Arctic summer. Although leucine uptake by the spring water microbial community was low, CO(2) uptake was relatively high under dark incubation, reinforcing the idea that primary production by chemoautotrophs is an important process in the springs. The small amounts of hydrocarbons in gases exsolving from the springs (0.38 to 0.51% CH(4)) were compositionally and isotopically consistent with microbial methanogenesis and possible methanotrophy. Anaerobic heterotrophic sulfur oxidation and aerobic autotrophic sulfur oxidation activities were demonstrated in sediment slurries. Overall, our results describe an active microbial community capable of sustainability in an extreme environment that experiences prolonged periods of continuous light or darkness, low temperatures, and moderate salinity, where life seems to rely on chemolithoautotrophy.     

Persistence of bacterial and archaeal communities in sea ice through an Arctic winter

The structure of bacterial communities in first‐year spring and summer sea ice differs from that in source seawaters, suggesting selection during ice formation in autumn or taxon‐specific mortality in the ice during winter. We tested these hypotheses by weekly sampling (January–March 2004) of first‐year winter sea ice (Franklin Bay, Western Arctic) that experienced temperatures from ?9°C to ?26°C, generating community fingerprints and clone libraries for Bacteria and Archaea. Despite severe conditions and significant decreases in microbial abundance, no significant changes in richness or community structure were detected in the ice. Communities of Bacteria and Archaea in the ice, as in under‐ice seawater, were dominated by SAR11 clade Alphaproteobacteria and Marine Group I Crenarchaeota, neither of which is known from later season sea ice. The bacterial ice library contained clones of Gammaproteobacteria from oligotrophic seawater clades (e.g. OM60, OM182) but no clones from gammaproteobacterial genera commonly detected in later season sea ice by similar methods (e.g. Colwellia, Psychrobacter). The only common sea ice bacterial genus detected in winter ice was Polaribacter. Overall, selection during ice formation and mortality during winter appear to play minor roles in the process of microbial succession that leads to distinctive spring and summer sea ice communities.     

Metagenome and metaproteome analyses of microbial communities in mesophilic biogas-producing anaerobic batch fermentations indicate concerted plant carbohydrate degradation

Microbial communities in biogas batch fermentations, using straw and hay as co-substrates, were analyzed at the gene and protein level by metagenomic and metaproteomic approaches. The analysis of metagenomic data revealed that the Clostridiales and Bacteroidales orders were prevalent in the community. However, the number of sequences assigned to the Clostridiales order decreased during fermentation, whereas the number of sequences assigned to the Bacteroidales order increased. In addition, changes at the functional level were monitored and the metaproteomic analyses detected transporter proteins and flagellins, which were expressed mainly by members of the Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes phyla. A high number of sugar transporters, expressed by members of the Bacteroidetes, proved their potential to take up various glycans efficiently. Metagenome data also showed that methanogenic organisms represented less than 4% of the community, while 20–30% of the identified proteins were of archeal origin. These data suggested that methanogens were disproportionally active.     

Shifts of tundra bacterial and archaeal communities along a permafrost thaw gradient in Alaska

Understanding the response of permafrost microbial communities to climate warming is crucial for evaluating ecosystem feedbacks to global change. This study investigated soil bacterial and archaeal communities by Illumina MiSeq sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons across a permafrost thaw gradient at different depths in Alaska with thaw progression for over three decades. Over 4.6 million passing 16S rRNA gene sequences were obtained from a total of 97 samples, corresponding to 61 known classes and 470 genera. Soil depth and the associated soil physical–chemical properties had predominant impacts on the diversity and composition of the microbial communities. Both richness and evenness of the microbial communities decreased with soil depth. Acidobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Alpha‐ and Gamma‐Proteobacteria dominated the microbial communities in the upper horizon, whereas abundances of Bacteroidetes, Delta‐Proteobacteria and Firmicutes increased towards deeper soils. Effects of thaw progression were absent in microbial communities in the near‐surface organic soil, probably due to greater temperature variation. Thaw progression decreased the abundances of the majority of the associated taxa in the lower organic soil, but increased the abundances of those in the mineral soil, including groups potentially involved in recalcitrant C degradation (Actinomycetales, Chitinophaga, etc.). The changes in microbial communities may be related to altered soil C sources by thaw progression. Collectively, this study revealed different impacts of thaw in the organic and mineral horizons and suggests the importance of studying both the upper and deeper soils while evaluating microbial responses to permafrost thaw.     

Layered structure of bacterial and archaeal communities and their in situ activities in anaerobic granules

The microbial community structure and spatial distribution of microorganisms and their in situ activities in anaerobic granules were investigated by 16S rRNA gene-based molecular techniques and microsensors for CH(4), H(2), pH, and the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP). The 16S rRNA gene-cloning analysis revealed that the clones related to the phyla Alphaproteobacteria (detection frequency, 51%), Firmicutes (20%), Chloroflexi (9%), and Betaproteobacteria (8%) dominated the bacterial clone library, and the predominant clones in the archaeal clone library were affiliated with Methanosaeta (73%). In situ hybridization with oligonucleotide probes at the phylum level revealed that these microorganisms were numerically abundant in the granule. A layered structure of microorganisms was found in the granule, where Chloroflexi and Betaproteobacteria were present in the outer shell of the granule, Firmicutes were found in the middle layer, and aceticlastic Archaea were restricted to the inner layer. Microsensor measurements for CH(4), H(2), pH, and ORP revealed that acid and H(2) production occurred in the upper part of the granule, below which H(2) consumption and CH(4) production were detected. Direct comparison of the in situ activity distribution with the spatial distribution of the microorganisms implied that Chloroflexi contributed to the degradation of complex organic compounds in the outermost layer, H(2) was produced mainly by Firmicutes in the middle layer, and Methanosaeta produced CH(4) in the inner layer. We determined the effective diffusion coefficient for H(2) in the anaerobic granules to be 2.66 x 10(-5) cm(2) s(-1), which was 57% in water.     

Nitrogen economy of endolithic microbial communities in hot and cold deserts

The source of combined nitrogen in endolithic microbial communities was studied in samples from desert localities in North and South America, the Middle East, South Africa, and Antarctica. Nitrogen fixation (acetylene reduction) seems to occur only exceptionally. Evidence suggests that, in general, the nitrogen source for endolithic microorganisms in deserts is abiotically fixed nitrogen produced by atmospheric electric discharges (lightning or aurorae), conveyed to the rock by atmospheric precipitation. Nitrogen is apparently not a limiting factor in these low-productivity communities. An incomplete nitrogen cycle seems to be present which includes the following pathways: supply of nitrates and ammonia from the atmosphere; decomposition of organic matter to ammonia; reassimilation of ammonia; ammonia volatilization; loss of organic matter through weathering (only in certain Antarctic rocks); biological nitrogen fixation (exceptional).     

Spatial variability of marine bacterial and archaeal communities along the particulate matter continuum

Biotic and abiotic particles shape the microspatial architecture that defines the microbial aquatic habitat, being particles highly variable in size and quality along oceanic horizontal and vertical gradients. We analysed the prokaryotic (bacterial and archaeal) diversity and community composition present in six distinct particle size classes ranging from the pico‐ to the microscale (0.2 to 200 μm). Further, we studied their variations along oceanographic horizontal (from the coast to open oceanic waters) and vertical (from the ocean surface into the meso‐ and bathypelagic ocean) gradients. In general, prokaryotic community composition was more variable with depth than in the transition from the coast to the open ocean. Comparing the six size‐fractions, distinct prokaryotic communities were detected in each size‐fraction, and whereas bacteria were more diverse in the larger size‐fractions, archaea were more diverse in the smaller size‐fractions. Comparison of prokaryotic community composition among particle size‐fractions showed that most, but not all, taxonomic groups have a preference for a certain size‐fraction sustained with depth. Species sorting, or the presence of diverse ecotypes with distinct size‐fraction preferences, may explain why this trend is not conserved in all taxa.     

Changes in northern Gulf of Mexico sediment bacterial and archaeal communities exposed to hypoxia

Biogeochemical changes in marine sediments during coastal water hypoxia are well described, but less is known about underlying changes in microbial communities. Bacterial and archaeal communities in Louisiana continental shelf (LCS) hypoxic zone sediments were characterized by pyrosequencing 16S rRNA V4‐region gene fragments obtained by PCR amplification of community genomic DNA with bacterial‐ or archaeal‐specific primers. Duplicate LCS sediment cores collected during hypoxia had higher concentrations of Fe(II), and dissolved inorganic carbon, phosphate, and ammonium than cores collected when overlying water oxygen concentrations were normal. Pyrosequencing yielded 158 686 bacterial and 225 591 archaeal sequences from 20 sediment samples, representing five 2‐cm depth intervals in the duplicate cores. Bacterial communities grouped by sampling date and sediment depth in a neighbor‐joining analysis using Chao–Jaccard shared species values. Redundancy analysis indicated that variance in bacterial communities was mainly associated with differences in sediment chemistry between oxic and hypoxic water column conditions. Gammaproteobacteria (26.5%) were most prominent among bacterial sequences, followed by Firmicutes (9.6%), and Alphaproteobacteria (5.6%). Crenarchaeotal, thaumarchaeotal, and euryarchaeotal lineages accounted for 57%, 27%, and 16% of archaeal sequences, respectively. In Thaumarchaeota Marine Group I, sequences were 96–99% identical to the Nitrosopumilus maritimus SCM1 sequence, were highest in surficial sediments, and accounted for 31% of archaeal sequences when waters were normoxic vs. 13% of archaeal sequences when waters were hypoxic. Redundancy analysis showed Nitrosopumilus‐related sequence abundance was correlated with high solid‐phase Fe(III) concentrations, whereas most of the remaining archaeal clusters were not. In contrast, crenarchaeotal sequences were from phylogenetically diverse lineages, differed little in relative abundance between sampling times, and increased to high relative abundance with sediment depth. These results provide further evidence that marine sediment microbial community composition can be structured according to sediment chemistry and suggest the expansion of hypoxia in coastal waters may alter sediment microbial communities involved in carbon and nitrogen cycling.     

Bicarbonate-dependent production and methanogenic consumption of acetate in anoxic paddy soil

Abstract Acetate turnover was measured in slurries of anoxic methanogenic paddy soil after addition of carrier-free [2-¹⁴C]-acetate. Acetate concentrations stayed fairly constant for about 1–2 days indicating steady state between production and consumption reactions. Depending on the experiment, acetate concentrations were between 100 and 3000 μM. Turnover rates were determined from the logarithmic decrease of [2-¹⁴C]-acetate or from the accumulation of acetate in the presence of chloroform resulting in similar values, i.e. 12–13 nmol h⁻¹g⁻¹d.w. soil at 17°C and 36–88 nmol h⁻¹g⁻¹d.w. at 30°C. Acetate consumption was completely inhibited by chloroform. The respiratory index (RI) was < 0.27. Hence, acetate was apparently consumed by methanogenic bacteria. About 80–90% of the CH₄ produced originated from the methyl group of acetate. The role of homoacetogenesis for acetate production was studied by measuring the incorporation of radioactive bicarbonate into acetate. In different experiments, CO₂ incorporation accounted for fractions of 1–60% of the acetate produced, about 10% being the most likely value for steady-state conditions. The fraction increased at high H₂ concentrations and decreased at high acetate concentrations. The rate of H₂ production that was required for chemolithotrophic acetate production from CO₂ was two orders of magnitude higher than the actually measured rate. Hence, most of the CO₂ incorporation into acetate was caused by electron donors other than H₂ (e.g., carbohydrates) and/or by exchange reactions.     

Contrasting patterns of the bacterial and archaeal communities in a high-elevation river in northwestern China

The patterns of macrobiota in lotic ecosystems have been extensively explored, however, the dynamics of microbiota remain poorly investigated, especially in the high-elevation region. To address this deficit, we collected eight samples to unveil the bacterial and archaeal community in the Kaidu river, located at the arid region of northwestern China (an average of 2,500 m a.s.l.). For the bacterial community, phylogenetically Betaproteobacteria prevailed, followed by Alphaproteobacteria and Actinobacteria; at the finer genus level, Limnohabitans and Variovorax were prominent. Along the river, the bacterial community showed a continuous succession. Specifically, their α- and β-diversity gradually increased, suggesting a distance-decay pattern. Additionally, there was an ecological transition between the dominant and the rare sub-community along the river: the relative abundance of the dominant members gradually decreased as the rare members increased. We report that temperature and spatial distance were significantly related to the variation of bacterial community. Variance partitioning analysis showed that the environmental factors contributed more to the bacterial community than did the spatial distance. In the case of the archaeal community, the methanogenic groups, mainly Methanosaeta and Methanosarcina, were prominent within the Kaidu river. Unlike the continuous change in the patterns of the bacterial community, the archaeal community showed a constant pattern along the river. Our results showed that the archaeal community was independent of the environmental and spatial factors. We propose that the inoculation of soil-derived archaea is responsible for the archaeal community in the Kaidu river. Together, our study demonstrated that the bacterial community in the high-elevation Kaidu river is a continuum, whereas the archaeal community is not.     

Phylogenetic diversity of bacterial and archaeal communities in the anoxic zone of the Cariaco Basin

Microbial community samples were collected from the anoxic zone of the Cariaco Basin at depths of 320, 500, and 1,310 m on a November 1996 cruise and were used to construct 16S ribosomal DNA libraries. Of 60 nonchimeric sequences in the 320-m library, 56 belonged to the epsilon subdivision of the Proteobacteria (epsilon-Proteobacteria) and 53 were closely related to ectosymbionts of Rimicaris exoculata and Alvinella pompejana, which are referred to here as epsilon symbiont relatives (ESR). The 500-m library contained sequences affiliated with the fibrobacteria, the Flexibacter-Cytophaga-Bacteroides division, the division Verrucomicrobia, the division Proteobacteria, and the OP3 candidate division. The Proteobacteria included members of the gamma, delta, epsilon and new candidate subdivisions, and gamma-proteobacterial sequences were dominant (25.6%) among the proteobacterial sequences. As in the 320-m library, the majority of the epsilon-proteobacteria belonged to the ESR group. The genus Fibrobacter and its relatives were the second largest group in the library (23.6%), followed by the delta-proteobacteria and the epsilon-proteobacteria. The 1,310-m library had the greatest diversity; 59 nonchimeric clones in the library contained 30 unique sequences belonging to the planctomycetes, the fibrobacteria, the Flexibacter-Cytophaga-Bacteroides division, the Proteobacteria, and the OP3 and OP8 candidate divisions. The proteobacteria included members of new candidate subdivisions and the beta, gamma, delta, and epsilon-subdivisions. ESR sequences were still present in the 1,310-m library but in a much lower proportion (8.5%). One archaeal sequence was present in the 500-m library (2% of all microorganisms in the library), and eight archaeal sequences were present in the 1,310-m library (13.6%). All archaeal sequences fell into two groups; two clones in the 1,310-m library belonged to the kingdom Crenarchaeota and the remaining sequences in both libraries belonged to the kingdom Euryarchaeota. The latter group appears to be related to the Eel-TA1f2 sequence, which belongs to an archaeon suggested to be able to oxidize methane anaerobically. Based on phylogenetic inferences and measurements of dark CO(2) fixation, we hypothesized that (i) the ESR are autotrophic anaerobic sulfide oxidizers, (ii) sulfate reduction and fermentative metabolism may be carried out by a large number of bacteria in the 500- and 1,310-m libraries, and (iii) members of the Euryarchaeota found in relatively large numbers in the 1,310-m library may be involved in anaerobic methane oxidation. Overall, the composition of microbial communities from the Cariaco Basin resembles the compositions of communities from several anaerobic sediments, supporting the hypothesis that the Cariaco Basin water column is similar to anaerobic sediments.