Bacterial Community Structure and Function along a Heavy Metal Gradient

The response of the planktonic, sediment, and epilithic bacterial communities to increasing concentrations of heavy metals was determined in a polluted river. None of the communities demonstrated a pollution-related effect on bacterial numbers (viable and total), heterotrophic activity, resistance to Pb or Cu, or species diversity as determined by either the Shannon-Wiener diversity index or rarefaction. The lack of correlation between concentrations of heavy metals and resistance in the sediment bacterial community was investigated and found to be due at least in part to the high pH of the river water and the resultant reduction in heavy metal toxicity. The three different communities demonstrated characteristic profiles based on the relative abundances of bacterial strains grouped according to functional similarities.     

Effect of rainstorms on heterotrophic bacterial activity in a hypertrophic African lake

Hartbeespoort Dam is a hypertrophic man-made lake which is located in the Transvaal Province of South Africa. This region has recently experienced its most severe drought of the century. However, on three occasions in the summer rainy seasons of 1984 and 1985, major rainfalls (> 50 mm) occurred which caused large inflows to the lake. Inflowing river water entered as a density current causing marked silting of the water. Within the epilimnion (0–10 m) prior to these rainfalls there was usually no variation of bacterial numbers with depth, but heterotrophic bacterial activity (glucose uptake) decreased with depth concomitant with primary production. With the increased river inflow bacterial numbers did not increase but bacterial activity at the bottom of the epilimnion (10 m) increased to as high as 2.7 µg C l^–1 h^–1 in January 1985, reversing the depth profile of bacterial activity within the epilimnion. This resulted in decreased glucose concentrations (K_t + S_n) and turnover times. Heterotrophic activity per cell increased by between 2.5 and 5 times. These data demonstrate that storm events are important phenomena causing short-term changes in the metabolic activity of planktonic heterotrophic bacteria in lakes.     

Production of new organic carbon and its distribution between autotrophic picoplankton, bacteria, extracellular organic carbon and phytoplankton in an upland lake

• 1 Picoplankton community production (0.2–2μm) was investigated over 3 months, June-September 1991, in Llyn Padarn, a mesotrophic upland lake in north Wales.
• 2 The picoplankton was differentiated into autotrophic algae (<1–3μm) and heterotrophic bacteria (<0.2–1 μm) using differential filtration through a 1 μm pore size Nuclepore filter.
• 3 Efficient separation of these distinct metabolic constituents of picoplankton was obtained. A good correlation (r= 0.81, P < 0.001) was found between physical separation of bacterial and picoalgal cells from fluorescence microscopy and the distribution of heterotrophic metabolic activity between different cell size fractions measured by uptake of ¹⁴C-glucose.
• 4 Picoplankton community production was differentiated into the ‘absolute’ autotrophic production by picoalgae, corrected for overestimation due to retention of bacteria with the picoalgae, and the heterotrophic component, bacterial uptake of ‘extracellular organic carbon’ (EOC), derived from the entire phytoplankton community.
• 5 The heterotrophic contribution to picoplankton community production ranged from 88 to 1%, mean value 55% of total. Autotrophic picoplankton production was dominant in June and July, but in August and September heterotrophic uptake of EOC was the major input to picoplankton community production.
• 6 During the 3 months, the mean contributions to plankton production were autotrophic picoplankton 10.3%, heterotrophic bacterial uptake of EOC 9.7%, EOC in lake water 11.6% and phytoplankton (>3μm) 68.3%.
• 7 Bacteria accounted for about half the picopfankton community production via uptake of EOC. Thus although autotrophic picoplankton were ubiquitous, it is likely that their contribution via primary production to the carbon balance of planktonic environments has been overestimated in previous studies.

     

Use of heterotrophic CO2 assimilation as a measure of metabolic activity in planktonic and sessile bacteria

We have examined whether assimilation of CO2 can be used as a measure of metabolic activity in planktonic and sessile heterotrophic bacteria. CO2 assimilation by environmental samples and pure cultures of heterotrophic bacteria was studied using 14CO2 and 13CO2 as tracers. Heterotrophic growth on complex organic substrates resulted in assimilation of CO2 into cell biomass by activated sludge, drinking water biofilm, and pure cultures of Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Es. coli ATCC 13706, Rhodococcus ruber, Burkholderia sp., Bacillus circulans, Pseudomonas putida, Pseudomonas stutzeri, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Analysis of 13C-labelled phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) confirmed that heterotrophic bacteria may assimilate 13CO2 into cell macromolecules such as membrane lipids. All major PLFAs extracted from activated sludge and drinking water biofilm samples were enriched in 13C after incubation with CO2. Between 1.4% and 6.5% of the biomass produced by cultures of P. putida and a drinking water biofilm during growth in complex media was apparently derived from assimilation of CO2. Resting cells assimilated less CO2 compared to actively growing cells, and CO2 assimilation activity correlated with the amount of biomass produced during heterotrophic growth. The 14CO2 assimilation assay was evaluated as a tool to examine inhibitory effects of biocides on planktonic and sessile heterotrophs (biofilms). On the basis of 14CO2 assimilation activity, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of benzalkonium chloride was estimated to 21.1 and 127.2 mg l(-1) for planktonic and biofilm samples, respectively. The results indicate that assimilation of isotopically labelled CO2 can be used as a relatively simple measure of metabolic activity in heterotrophic bacteria. CO2 assimilation assays may be used to study the effects of antimicrobial agents on growth and survival of planktonic and sessile heterotrophic organisms.     

Evolutionary patterns in the family Ostreidae: Larviparity vs. oviparity

A comparison was made of the evolutionary patterns among larviparous and oviparous species of the family Ostreidae. The data reveal that larviparous species have experienced a wider range of environmental variables, life history traits, and levels of genetic variation than have oviparous species. Non-parametric correlation coefficients were obtained among fifteen variables (i.e., two genetic, four environmental and nine life-history variables). Among the life-history variables, mode of larval development, fecundity, egg size, initial size of the planktonic larva and planktonic larval period were found to covary significantly with the genetic variables. In a comparison of environmental and life-history variables, the mode of larval development and habitat water depth were found to covary. The implications of these results are discussed with reference to the evolution of the family Ostreidae.     

Decomposition of urea by size-fractionated planktonic community in a eutrophic reservoir in Japan

Free bacterial populations were separated from an intact planktonic community in water of a eutrophic reservoir in Japan by filtration through Whatman GF/ C glass fiber filters (mean porosity 1.2 µm). Urea decomposition by the free bacterial populations and the intact planktonic community was determined in six different months.The separated free bacteria apparently did not take part in urea-decomposition in waters of the reservoir through the year: the number of free heterotrophic bacteria increased during the urea-decomposition experiments, however, the concentration of urea did not decrease. Whereas, in five cases out of six, urea was decomposed by the intact planktonic community. Probably, phytoplankton were responsible for most of the urea-decomposition. On the assumption that the decomposition of urea obeyed first-order kinetics, rate constants were calculated to be 0.00–0.63 day^–1 with a mean value of 0.21 day^–1.     

Responses of Biofilm-Dwelling Ciliate Communities to Planktonic and Benthic Resource Enrichment

Four experiments covering different seasons were performed to test the impact of increased benthic and planktonic resource availability on the structure of biofilm-dwelling ciliate communities which were cultivated in river bypass systems. The growth of benthic bacteria was stimulated by the addition of dissolved organic carbon. The enrichment of the planktonic resource was achieved by supplementation with suspended bacteria. It was shown that both resource enrichments can differentially influence abundance and taxonomic structure of ciliate communities. Furthermore, both resources can influence different stages during biofilm colonization. Increased benthic bacterial growth mainly resulted in both an accumulation of primarily grazing-resistant bacterial filaments and in an increase in the number of vagile heterotrophic flagellates. This can stimulate nanophagous ciliates (feeding on flagellates) in addition to the direct stimulation of bacteriovorous ciliates. The effects of the planktonic bacteria enrichments were twofold: They could have been utilized either directly by suspension-feeding ciliates or indirectly through an enhanced growth of suspension-feeding attached heterotrophic flagellates, which were then in turn grazed upon by ciliates. The magnitude of responses of the total ciliate abundance to the two resource enrichments further depended on the background conditions, thereby showing temporarily variable limitations of these resources. Furthermore, the particular taxonomic groups stimulated by one resource type sometimes differed between the experiments, an observation which demonstrates that the response depends on different environmental factors and is not easily predictable based simply on resource type. Taken together, our results emphasize the need of a differentiated view on the effects of resources on complex biofilm-dwelling consumer communities with respect to both the origin of carbon source as well as the particular environmental conditions.     

Patterns in the Composition of Microbial Communities from a Subtropical River: Effects of Environmental,Spatial and Temporal Factors

Microbes are key components of aquatic ecosystems and play crucial roles in global biogeochemical cycles. However, the spatiotemporal dynamics of planktonic microbial community composition in riverine ecosystems are still poorly understood. In this study, we used denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of PCR-amplified 16S and 18S rRNA gene fragments and multivariate statistical methods to explore the spatiotemporal patterns and driving factors of planktonic bacterial and microbial eukaryotic communities in the subtropical Jiulong River, southeast China. Both bacterial and microbial eukaryotic communities varied significantly in time and were spatially structured according to upper stream, middle-lower stream and estuary. Among all the environmental factors measured, water temperature, conductivity, PO₄-P and TN/TP were best related to the spatiotemporal distribution of bacterial community, while water temperature, conductivity, NO_x-N and transparency were closest related to the variation of eukaryotic community. Variation partitioning, based on partial RDA, revealed that environmental factors played the most important roles in structuring the microbial assemblages by explaining 11.3% of bacterial variation and 17.5% of eukaryotic variation. However, pure spatial factors (6.5% for bacteria and 9.6% for eukaryotes) and temporal factors (3.3% for bacteria and 5.5% for eukaryotes) also explained some variation in microbial distribution, thus inherent spatial and temporal variation of microbial assemblages should be considered when assessing the impact of environmental factors on microbial communities.     

The influence of macrophyte beds on plankton communities and their export from fluvial lakes in the St Lawrence River

1. To determine the influence of macrophyte beds on plankton abundance within fluvial lakes of the St Lawrence River, planktonic components (macrozooplankton, heterotrophic bacteria, and phytoplankton as chlorophyll- a [Chl- a ]) were sampled in Lake St Francis and Lake St Pierre during summer 1998. We tested the hypothesis that the abundance of planktonic components was higher within macrophyte beds in comparison to the more rapidly flushed open water areas of the fluvial lakes.
2. The large cross channel variation in zooplankton biomass was indeed correlated with the presence of dense beds of submerged macrophytes. Total macrozooplankton biomass was nine-fold greater within the beds (mean=180 μg L−1 dry mass) than in either the open water or areas with only sparse vegetation (mean=20 μg L−1 dry mass).
3. Chl- a and heterotrophic bacterial abundance were also higher in the beds, but only slightly so. There was no difference in total phosphorus or dissolved organic carbon concentrations between areas of dense vegetation, sparse vegetation or open water.
4. Macrophyte beds on the margins of the fluvial lakes allow the development of high planktonic abundance relative to the fast flowing central channel. Macrozooplankton biomass was much higher at the outflows of the lakes (∼50 μg L−1 dry mass) in comparison to the inflows (<20 μg L−1 dry mass). The increase is due to the transfer of organisms from submerged macrophyte beds into the central channel in the downstream quarter of the two lakes where the marginal littoral waters enter central channel waters.
5. Along rivers, shallow fluvial lakes appear to act as sources of plankton which is exported downstream during years of extensive littoral macrophyte development.     

Development of the bacterial compartment along the Danube River: a continuum despite local influences

Microbial food webs dominate heterotrophic food webs in large rivers with bacterial metabolism being a key component of carbon processing. Thus, analysis of bacterial population dynamics is critical to understanding patterns and mechanisms of material cycling and energy fluxes in large rivers. Within the frame of the Joint Danube Survey (JDS) 2007, the longitudinal development of the natural bacterial community in the Danube in terms of bacterial numbers, morphotype composition, and heterotrophic production of the suspended and particle-attached fractions was followed at a fine spatial resolution of approximately 30 km for the first time in such a large river along a 2,600-km stretch. Twenty-one major tributaries and branches were also included. This allowed us to investigate whether bacterial standing stock and production undergo continuous, linear changes or whether discontinuities and local processes like the merging of tributaries or the potential impact of sewage input drive the bacterial population in the Danube. The presented investigation revealed surprising continuous patterns of changes of bacterial parameters along the Danube River. Despite the presence of impoundments or hydropower plants, large municipalities, and the discharge of large tributaries, most bacterial parameters (standing stock, morphotype succession, and attached bacterial production) developed gradually, indicating that mainly broad-scale drivers and not local conditions shape and control the bacterial community in the midstream of this large river. As most important broad-scale drivers, nutrients (inorganic and organic) and changes in particle concentrations were identified. These data are also in remarkable accordance with the patterns of changes of the genetic bacterial community composition, observed during the first JDS (2001) 6 years before. In contrast, bacterial activity did not follow a continuous trend and was mainly controlled by the input of sewage from large cities in the middle section, leading to a bloom of phytoplankton. The observed patterns and the comparison between the Danube, its tributaries and other large rivers worldwide indicate that the bacterial community in rivers has a powerful indicator function for estimating the ecological status of large river ecosystems once enough information has been collected at various temporal and spatial scales.     

Linkages between bacterioplankton community composition, heterotrophic carbon cycling and environmental conditions in a highly dynamic coastal ecosystem

We used mesocosm experiments to study the bacterioplankton community in a highly dynamic coastal ecosystem during four contrasting periods of the seasonal cycle: winter mixing, spring phytoplankton bloom, summer stratification and autumn upwelling. A correlation approach was used in order to measure the degree of coupling between the dynamics of major bacterial groups, heterotrophic carbon cycling and environmental factors. We used catalysed reporter deposition-fluorescence in situ hybridization to follow changes in the relative abundance of the most abundant groups of bacteria (Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes). Bacterial carbon flux-related variables included bacterial standing stock, bacterial production and microbial respiration. The environmental factors included both, biotic variables such as chlorophyll-a concentration, primary production, phytoplankton extracellular release, and abiotic variables such as the concentration of dissolved inorganic and organic nutrients. Rapid shifts in the dominant bacterial groups occurred associated to environmental changes and bacterial bulk functions. An alternation between Alphaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes was observed associated to different phytoplankton growth phases. The dominance of the group Bacteroidetes was related to high bacterial biomass and production. We found a significant, non-spurious, linkage between the relative abundances of major bacterial groups and bacterial carbon cycling. Our results suggest that bacteria belonging to these major groups could actually share a function in planktonic ecosystems.     

Spatial and temporal variation of the ichthyoplankton in a subtropical river in Brazil

Studies that assess reproduction dynamics and ichthyoplankton distributions are scarce for the upper Uruguay River, especially in environments such as tributary mouths. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate: (i) ichthyoplankton composition; (ii) spatial and temporal variation in ichthyoplankton abundance; and (iii) relationships between environmental variables and the abundance of ichthyoplankton during one annual cycle in this region. Monthly samples were collected from September 2001 to August 2002 in 48 h cycles at 6 h intervals between each sampling. Samples of eggs and larvae were collected from three of the main tributaries of the region (Ligeiro, Palomas and Chapecó rivers) and from three stretches of the Uruguay River near the confluence of these tributaries. Surface samples were collected with a 0.5 mm mesh cylindro-conical net. In general, reproductive seasonality was well-defined between October and February. It was most intense from November to January, when the photoperiod reached its highest values, flow was decreased, and the water temperature was increased. Based on egg and larval distributions, we found that spawning occurred mainly in the Ligeiro and Chapecó tributaries and in the Uruguay/Chapecó section. In contrast, fish spawning in the sites downstream of dams was more restricted. Finally, a difference was observed between the egg and larval distributions of the main river and its tributaries: the greatest reproductive activity in the tributaries occurred during periods of high flow and increased water temperature, while in the main river, more eggs and larvae were observed when the flow decreased and the water temperature increased.     

Temporal Variations in Heterotrophic Mesophilic Bacteria from a Marine Shallow Hydrothermal Vent off the Island of Vulcano (Eolian Islands, Italy)

Abstract The fluctuations of the total microbial abundance, the culturable heterotrophic bacterial population, and the composition of heterotrophic bacteria were investigated in relation to environmental parameters in a shallow, marine hydrothermal vent off the Island of Vulcano (Eolian Islands, Italy). Standing stock dynamics were studied by measuring the total population of picoplankton by direct count and the population of viable heterotrophic bacteria in water and sediment samples collected monthly. The environmental factors most strongly linked to the total microbial abundance and heterotrophic bacterial populations were pH and H₂S content in water and C/N ratio in sediment samples. The pattern of variation of microbial populations associated with water was different from those associated with sediment. Assessment of the qualitative composition of aerobic heterotrophic bacterial communities was based on 30 morphological and biochemical characteristics for each strain. Numerical analysis was used for an initial survey of the similarity among the isolates. The data were successively used to determine the structure and the metabolic potential of water and sediment bacteria. Metabolic properties varied between water- and sediment-isolated bacteria. Bacteria from water were structurally more diverse, and active in the use of carbohydrates, than those from sediment. Moreover, most of the sediment bacteria were able to grow at a high temperature (60 and 70°C). The fluctuations of bacterial characteristics in relation to environmental parameters present an evident temporal variation in water, but not in the sediment habitat. Received: 13 January 1997; Accepted: 7 August 1997     

The relationship between pipe material and biofilm formation in a laboratory model system

The aim of this study was to compare biofilm accumulation and heterotrophic bacterial diversity on three pipe materials-cast iron, medium density polyethylene (MDPE), and unplasticised polyvinyl chloride (uPVC) - using a laboratory model system run over a short period (21 d) and a longer period (7 months). Newly Modified Robbins Devices (nMRD) were run in parallel, each containing 25 discs of one material with cold tap water flowing through the devices at 3 ml min(-1) (Reynolds Number 9.05) for 21 d. The numbers of bacteria on each material increased exponentially between 0 and 11 d when the biofilm viable count remained constant. The mean doubling times of the heterotrophic population on the materials during the exponential phase was 13.2 h for cast iron and 15.6 h for MDPE and uPVC. The same experiment was repeated under different environmental conditions with a lower temperature, higher free chlorine and lower number of organisms ml(-1) of incoming water. The exponential phase lengthened to 16 d but the steady state count remained the same. The mean viable count after 21 d and after 7 months was on average 97% higher on cast iron than on the other materials. Very few different colony types were isolated from each material with the largest number (nine) recovered from cast iron. The numbers of planktonic bacteria in the effluent water leaving each of the nMRDs directly correlated with the numbers in the biofilm phase on each of the materials. In addition the distribution and thickness of the biofilms on the MDPE and uPVC were observed using confocal scanning laser microscopy. In conclusion, MDPE and uPVC support the lowest numbers of bacteria in a steady state biofilm in the short term (21 d) and over a longer term (7 months). The diversity of heterotrophic bacteria was greatest on cast iron.     

The relative influences of exotic species and environmental factors

Spatial variation in the native fish community of the lower Guadiana basin (southern Iberia) was related to both biotic (abundance of exotic species) and environmental factors using canonical correspondence analysis, CCA. After choosing the best predictors among the environmental and biotic variables, we partitioned the total variation in native species abundances (18 species-size combinations by 44 sampling locations matrix) into that accounted for (1) solely by selected environmental variables, (2) solely by selected biotic variables, (3) by both environmental and biotic variables together, and (4) that unexplained. Of the 22 variables initially considered in the environmental CCA, only RIVER (dummy variable codifying sampling locations belonging to the main river), SALT (dummy variable codifying sampling locations belonging to tributaries that discharge to the brackish Guadiana), substrate heterogeneity, and macrobenthos abundance were selected as best predictors. In the biotic CCA, three species-size combinations were selected from the eight considered: Micropterus salmoides > 150 mm in total length (TL), Lepomis gibbosus > 100 mm in TL and Gambusia holbrooki. The total variation in the native fish community was partitioned into the following components: pure environmental (24.4%), pure biotic (12.4%), shared (9.2%) and unexplained (54.0%). There was a significant influence of exotic fish on native community variation after accounting for the effect of environmental factors. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Seasonal variation in the abundance and heterotrophic activity of suspended bacteria in two lowland rivers

SUMMARY. 1. Water samples were collected over two years from the Yorkshire Ouse and Yorkshire Derwent and the following were measured: (i) concentration of directly-counted bacteria (free-living and particle-bound), (ii) concentration of colony-forming units, (iii) bacterial heterotrophic activity (turnover rate for glucose assimilation), (iv) specific activity (turnover rate per bacterium), (v) a range of environmental variables.
2. The abundance and activity of suspended bacteria showed similar seasonal periodicities in both rivers.
3. Free-living bacteria were usually more numerous than particle-bound bacteria; low concentration of free-living bacteria and maxima of particle-bound bacteria usually occurred in winter.
4. Concentration of colony-forming units varied irregularly, but lowest levels were found in summer.
5. Turnover rate and turnover rate per bacterium showed distinct summer maxima.
6. Multiple-regression analysis was used to relate bacterial variables to subsets (chosen by factor analysis) of environmental variables; up to 89% of variation in bacterial variables was related to the combined effects of variation by variables in the chosen subsets.     

Spatio-temporal Investigations on the Planktonic Organisms of the Middle Loire (France), During the Low Water Period: Biodiversity and Community Dynamics

The objective of this work was to analyse the distribution of the planktonic communities involved in the functioning of a 255-km river stretch and to get a better understanding of the influence of the river morphology on the diversity and dynamics of the micro-organisms. The planktonic communities (phytoplankton, bacterioplankton, proto- and metazooplankton) scarcely considered together in fluvial systems, were analysed at four sites of the Middle Loire during the low water period, in parallel to physical and chemical analyses. Physical and chemical variables such as turbidity, pH, suspended matter and chlorophyll a concentration were high, illustrating the classical, productive summer period. The algae played a major role in the water oxygenation until end-summer, then the algal drop concomitant to the bacterial sustained abundance appeared responsible for oxygen depletion. The downstream site enriched by nutrients inputs of two tributaries, carried the highest algal and bacterial densities. Situated in a meanders zone, the Middle Loire is characterised by a high habitat heterogeneity, the up- and downstream sites were wide and spread of vast standing zones and vegetated islands, whereas the two intermediate ones were narrower and more uniform. This morphological variability strongly impacted the micro-organisms diversity and distribution. Indeed, the algae and zooplankton composition were clearly influenced by the physical habitats of the river, the Cyanophyta were favoured by the lentic conditions and the Bacillariophyta by the turbulent ones, while the young stage of copepod and the large rotifer predators were indicator of a lentic origin. Thereafter, the river heterogeneity interfered with the zooplankton dynamics, the standing conditions enhancing the rotifer predation. In that way, we hypothesise that two opposite patterns characterised the wide sites spread of lentic water and the more uniform channels. In the first case, the zooplankton could prey on the ciliates protozoan, which in return favoured the flagellate ones; conversely in the second situation the zooplankton limited by the physical constraints did not impact the ciliates which could depress the flagellates. Thus, the similar geomorphology of the distant upstream and downstream sites (255-km apart) induced relatively close organisms distribution. Hence, disagreeing with the river continuum concept, this assertion shows the strong influence played by the local morphological characteristics of the Middle Loire in potamoplankton composition and dynamics.     

利用细胞计数手段和DGGE技术分析松花江干流部分地区的细菌种群多样性

松花江是我国东北地区的重要河流之一,为加强对其水环境微生物状况的了解,对松花江干流部分地区的微生物数量和多样性进行了分析。应用传统平板培养法和流式细胞技术测定水样中的细菌数;直接提取样品中的总DNA,以巢式PCR(Polymerase Chain Reaction)扩增细菌16SrDNA片段,应用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳(Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis,DGGE)技术对扩增片段进行分离,研究水样和底泥样品细菌的种群多样性。实验结果显示,pH值为影响水环境中微生物总细胞数量的主要因素。水样中细菌群落多样性主要根据上下游分区,分区点在哈尔滨段附近,而底泥中细菌群落多样性的影响因素呈多样化,没有显示出较为明确的分区特征。