马里亚纳海沟不同深度水样微生物分离与多样性分析

【背景】马里亚纳海沟挑战者深渊是地球表面最深点,认识其微生物群落结构和分离培养的微生物对挖掘新的微生物资源具有重要意义。【目的】对马里亚纳海沟不同深度水样进行细菌分离培养,并与这些样品的微生物群落结构进行比较,认识进一步要分离培养的微生物类型。【方法】采用不同培养基对马里亚纳海沟两个站位不同深度水样进行细菌分离培养,并通过Illumina MiSeq高通量测序分析各个水样的细菌和古菌的群落结构。【结果】从来自两个站位不同深度的6个水样样品中分离获得783株细菌,属于4个门6个纲28个属。其中,变形菌门占主导地位,67.8%的菌株属于γ-变形菌纲。分离获得的菌株主要属于亚硫杆菌属、假单胞菌属和交替假单胞菌属,它们在这些样品中广泛分布,且在高通量测序结果中也能检测到。高通量测序结果表明除浅层样品优势微生物为蓝细菌外,其他样品以变形菌门占主导;不同深度样品的微生物群落结构存在较大差异。【结论】马里亚纳海沟不同深度水样中不仅分离培养出了相对丰度较高的一些细菌属,也分离得到一些相对丰度较低的微生物类型。从马里亚纳海沟水样中分离培养获得的细菌菌株资源将用于功能微生物和功能酶挖掘等相关研究,这有利于深渊微生物资源挖掘。     

应用高通量技术分析F446饱水木漆器中微生物群落结构多样性

【背景】饱水保藏木漆器的环境中,微生物数量多、种类丰富,木漆器易受到微生物的腐蚀。【目的】研究木漆器上的微生物群落结构,分析饱水木漆器的微生物病害信息。【方法】采用Illumina MiSeq高通量测序技术对木漆器和保藏水样中的细菌进行群落结构分析。【结果】木质样品与水样品中的微生物群落多样性较丰富并在分布上存在一定差异。门水平上,木质样品共有7个优势菌门(相对丰度1%),分别为Proteobacteria(64.00%)、Acidobacteria(14.70%)和Actinobacteria(3.83%)等;水样共有6个优势菌门,分别为Proteobacteria(61.26%)、Acidobacteria(8.25%)和Planctomycetes(4.88%)等。属水平上木质样品共有8个优势菌属(相对丰度1%),分别为Phenylobacterium(16.24%)、Acidobacteria-Gp6(9.68%)和Rhodoplanes(6.45%)等;水样共有10个优势菌属,分别为Naxibacter(9.03%)、Acidobacteria-Gp6(3.84%)和Nevskia(3.27%)等。未分类菌在门和属上,木质样品分别占8.70%和50.68%;水样品分别占12.83%和59.35%。【结论】木漆器饱水保藏环境中木质样品与水样品的微生物群落结构均比较丰富,在门和属水平上水样品比木质样品复杂。另外,被测样品中可能含有大量潜在新菌。     

餐厨垃圾厌氧消化处理主要过程的微生物群落结构分析

【背景】厌氧消化是我国餐厨垃圾处理的主要方法,微生物在其处理过程中起到关键作用,但是目前对其不同工艺单元微生物群落结构的研究较少。【目的】通过分析各工艺单元的微生物多样性与群落结构,为改进餐厨垃圾资源化处理技术、提高资源利用效率提供科学依据。【方法】采集某餐厨垃圾处理厂油水分离、厌氧发酵、沼渣脱水等3个工艺单元产生的废液样品,采用16S rRNA基因高通量测序技术,研究其菌群组成、丰度、优势菌群及其与环境因子的相关性。【结果】初始油水分离样品中的微生物群落种类相对较少,而经厌氧发酵和沼渣脱水处理后样品中的微生物群落种类较丰富。在门水平上,厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)在各单元样品中所占平均比例最高,为81.1%,其次为拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)和绿弯菌门(Chloroflexi),分别占15.81%和4.59%;在属水平上,相对丰度较高的菌属为乳酸菌属(Lactobacillus)、互营单胞菌属(Syntrophomonas)等。餐厨垃圾处理过程中的部分菌属可能具有资源-环境双重属性,例如在沼渣脱水单元相对丰度高达32.67%的假单胞菌属(Pseudomonas),该菌属中既存在少部分致病菌或条件致病菌,也具有生产聚羟基脂肪酸酯的功能菌。影响各组样品微生物群落组成结构最显著的因子是p H值,其次是总糖的含量。【结论】研究明确了典型餐厨垃圾厌氧消化处理工艺单元的微生物群落结构和多样性,并提出了优化处理工艺、强化资源利用效率的建议。     

基于高通量测序的4种硝化细菌富集培养物微生物群落结构分析

【目的】比较分析4种硝化细菌富集培养物(以铵盐为氮源的淡水富集物A、以亚硝酸盐为氮源的淡水富集物B、以铵盐为氮源的低温淡水富集物C和以亚硝酸盐为氮源的海水富集物D)的微生物群落结构与组成。【方法】分别提取样品的总DNA,采用高通量测序技术,分析微生物群落的组成、丰度和多样性。【结果】在不同微生物的分类水平,4个样品共检测到24门47纲129属。4个样品的优势菌门均为变形菌门;样品A、B、C的优势菌纲为β-变形菌纲和γ-变形菌纲,样品D的优势菌纲为γ-变形菌纲、δ-变形菌纲和芽孢杆菌纲;而优势菌属各不相同,其中样品A为亚硝化单胞菌属(24.56%),样品B为链霉菌属(7.15%),样品C为噬菌弧菌属(19.36%)和类诺卡氏菌属(19.35%),样品D为嗜酸菌属(13.6%)和柄杆菌属(11.5%)。共检测出7种具有硝化功能的细菌,其中样品A、B和D中主要是亚硝化单胞菌属,占比分别为24.56%、4.94%和0.63%,样品C主要为Nitrospirillum(0.69%)和硝化螺旋菌属(0.69%)。此外在样品中还检测到红灯食烷菌、羽扇豆根瘤菌等有益菌,以及弧菌属、伯克霍尔德菌等致病菌。【结论】阐述了4个样品微生物群落结构的多样性,确定了不同培养物中起主要作用的硝化细菌类群以及其它与环境物质循环相关或具有特殊生理特性的菌群,研究结果为硝化细菌富集培养物的实际应用奠定了基础。     

南极中山站长城站土壤及海洋沉积物可培养细菌多样性

南极地区具有气候酷寒干燥、强紫外(UV)辐射和季节性光照与温度波动等恶劣的极端环境条件,孕育了大量微生物资源和潜在新物种。为了挖掘南极不同生境样品蕴含的微生物菌种资源,更好地认识和探索南极地区微生物资源多样性,利用低温寡营养富集结合梯度稀释涂布的方法,对南极长城站、中山站土壤和近海表层沉积物3个生境的样品进行细菌分离和16S rRNA基因序列相似性分析以确定南极细菌分类学地位。结果表明,共获得482株纯培养细菌,有54个属,142个种,分布于变形菌门(Proteobacteria,42%),放线菌门(Actinobacteria,40%),厚壁菌门(Firmicutes,12%),拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes,4%)和异常球菌-栖热菌门(Deinococcus-Thermus,1%)。优势属为嗜冷杆菌属(Psychrobacter,12%)、假单胞属(Pseudomonas,10%)和节杆菌属(Arthrobacter,9%)。不同生境样品中纯培养细菌多样性存在较大差异。中山站干燥土壤样品中放线菌门比例明显高于变形菌门,有13个特有属,嗜冷杆菌属(Psychrobacter)、红球菌属(Rhodococcus)为优势菌;长城站近岸砂土样品中变形菌门菌株最多,拟杆菌门比例高于中山站样品,有高比例的假单胞菌,分离到12个特有属;近海沉积物样品细菌群落结构最简单,分离到9个特有属。经16S rRNA基因序列对比发现,有7株菌为潜在新种。     

基于高通量测序的辐射污染区细菌群落特征分析

【目的】为了更加全面地揭示辐射污染区细菌种群多样性,了解辐射污染对辐射区土壤中细菌群落结构的影响。【方法】运用高通量测序方法,分别进行了土样细菌16S r RNA基因的V3可变区测序,进而对无辐射污染对照和不同辐射污染程度的土样中细菌群落组成和多样性进行分析。【结果】研究共获得110 348条有效序列,17 604个OTUs,共涉及细菌域的19个门和6个潜在菌门和其它未分类菌群的726个属。多样性分析表明,辐射污染会引起土壤样品中微生物群落的分布显著差异化,显著提高细菌群落种群多样性和微生物丰度。微生物群落组成分析发现,在辐射污染胁迫下,辐射污染区样品中变形杆菌门分布比例显著下降;随着辐射污染程度的提高,放线菌门所占比例逐步提高,未分类菌门、厚壁菌门和酸杆菌门也有明显的提高。同时,研究发现辐射污染区中存在着大量未分类菌属。【结论】研究揭示了辐射污染区极为丰富的细菌多样性,大量微生物新物种资源有待发掘。     

黄脊竹蝗种群肠道微生物的多样性分析

昆虫肠道微生物是昆虫与自然环境互作的直接反应者。为探究不同地区黄脊竹蝗Ceracris kiangsu Tsai肠道微生物多样性和性别及环境因子的关系,本研究利用Illumina NovaSeq测序平台对新入侵地区和国内常发地区的黄脊竹蝗肠道微生物进行16S rDNA基因测序和分析。结果表明,地理位置和性别对黄脊竹蝗肠道菌群均存在影响,其中地理位置影响最为显著,其次为性别因素。通过Beta多样性分析发现采自湖南省邵阳市新宁县和云南省普洱市江城县的黄脊竹蝗肠道微生物差异性最大,3个地区不同性别样品的肠道菌群只有属水平组成和丰富具有显著差异。其中,湖南省益阳市桃江县的雌、雄样品优势菌属分别为乳球菌属Lactococcus（9.0%）和肠杆菌属Enterobacter（5.9%）,云南省普洱市江城县的雌、雄样品优势菌属均为肠杆菌属（27.9%、27.0%）,湖南省邵阳市新宁县的雌、雄样品优势菌属分别为肠杆菌属（29.9%）和乳球菌（12.0%）。所选取的8个环境因素中蒸发量、相对湿度和平均气压可能会影响黄脊竹蝗的肠道菌群多样性。研究结果从共生微生物和环境因子角度解析了黄脊竹蝗的环境适应性,为研制地理溯源技术和开发微生物制剂提供了科学依据。     

城乡不同绿地中毛白杨土壤及根系真菌群落结构研究

土壤微生物在土壤养分循环和能量流动等生物过程中起着重要的作用,并且能敏感地响应环境条件的变化。本研究以天津市宝坻区毛白杨Populus tomentosa为研究对象,探究3种不同环境条件(社区绿地CG、公园绿地PG和高速公路旁绿地HG)对毛白杨土壤和根系真菌群落结构的影响。研究结果表明,3个绿地间土壤真菌Shannon多样性指数存在显著差异(HG>CG>PG);但根系真菌Shannon多样性指数无显著差异;此外,不同环境条件对真菌群落的组成起着重要作用。毛白杨土壤和根系真菌群落组成主要为丝盖伞属Inocybe、地孔块菌属Geopora、被孢霉属Mortierella、棉革菌属Tomentella、蓝状菌属Talaromyces、块菌属Tuber、层腹菌属Hymenogaster、链格孢属Alternaria、革菌属Thelephora、克努夫菌属Knufia和桩菇菌属Paxillus等,且差异分析表明丝盖伞属Inocybe、棉革菌属Tomentella和地孔块菌属Geopora的相对多度在3个样地中差异显著。比较分析土壤和根系样品发现土壤真菌群落α多样性显著高于根系真菌群落,两部位的真菌群落结构存在显著差异,块菌属Tuber的相对多度在根系样品中显著高于土壤样品。真菌群落功能预测表明腐生功能类群在不同环境条件下和不同部位间均存在显著差异。研究结果阐述了环境变化对土壤微生物群落中真菌组的影响,为森林生态系统的保护和林地可持续发展提供重要理论依据。     

三种不同形态太岁所含古菌的结构研究

[目的]分析不同形态太岁中所含古菌多样性和群落结构。[方法]提取3种太岁深层组织样品的古菌DNA,进行16S r DNA PCR扩增后,利用Miseq平台进行测序统计。[结果]共得到有效序列92 849条,归类为5 161个OTU,属于2个门、5个目、11个属。21、82、91号3个样品中,广古菌门(Euryarchaeota)都是最优势门,所占比例分别是99.67%、98.79%和99.71%。甲烷杆菌属(Methanobacterium)、甲烷短杆菌属(Methanobrevibacter)和甲烷球菌属(Methanosphaera)是丰度均排在前三位的属,所占比例之和依次是93.05%、84.16%和82.63%,其中甲烷杆菌属独自各占83.90%、47.14%、31.23%,其余两个属所占比例及其总量在不同形态太岁中不同。[结论]太岁中普遍含有古菌,优势类群为甲烷杆菌属、甲烷短杆菌属、甲烷球菌属,其在不同形态太岁所含古菌中占比范围在82.63%~93.05%之间。     

马缨杜鹃根系微生物群落结构及其变化

【目的】为了解野生马缨杜鹃根系微生物的群落结构特征,比较百里杜鹃内马缨杜鹃根际土壤、根表及根内3个生态位微生物群落组成差异,探究杜鹃根系生态位之间、变化菌属间的相互关系,以期为今后杜鹃根系微生物研究提供具有参考价值的数据。【方法】对百里杜鹃内野生马缨杜鹃根系微生物16S rRNA V4区和ITS1区进行高通量测序,比较分析根际土壤、根表及根内微生物群落多样性及组成差异;并基于共变化网络分析进一步探究差异菌属间的相互关系。【结果】马缨杜鹃根系不同的生态位之间,微生物群落结构存在差异,其中以根际土壤与根表、根内差异更为显著,且细菌群落差异小于真菌群落。且从根际-根表-根内,马缨杜鹃根系细菌α-多样性显著下降。马缨杜鹃根系微生物分布于41细菌门和6个真菌门。优势细菌门为变形菌门(Proteobacteria,39.64%±0.08,69.47%±0.12,77.34%±0.07)、酸杆菌门(Acidobacteria,34.10%±0.11,11.03%±0.04,9.18%±0.04)以及放线菌门(Actinobacteria,10.19%±0.03,8.70%±0.02,7.08%±0.01),它们占整体细菌群落总丰度的80%以上。同时8个细菌菌门的相对丰度在根际土壤、根表和根内间显著变化,且它们的相对丰度占细菌群落总丰度的75%以上。真菌主要分布于接合菌门(Zygomycota)、担子菌门(Basidiomycota)和子囊菌门(Ascomycota),它们占整体菌群的99%以上。马缨杜鹃根系存在589个属的细菌,390个属的真菌,从根际-根表-根内,其中25个细菌属和10个真菌属的相对丰度发生显著变化。马缨杜鹃根系微生物群落共变化网络分析表明:在马缨杜鹃根系不同生态位间,除Waitea外,包括枝孢菌属(Cladosporium)、拟盘多毛孢属(Pestalotiopsis)等在内的8个差异真菌菌属均与细菌菌属显著相关,它们相互作用调控微生物群落结构的变化。Bryobacter、Nocardia、Rhizomicrobium和Telmatobacter等核心菌属对马缨杜鹃根系微生物群落共变化网络的变化具有十分重要的调控作用。【结论】百里杜鹃地区马缨杜鹃根际土壤、根表以及根内3个生态位间,微生物群落组成存在差异;而造成微生物组成存在差异这一结果,可能与马缨杜鹃根系密切相关。同时,共变化网络分析揭示出马缨杜鹃根系生态位之间,细菌和真菌彼此间互作。     

Changes in bacterial and archaeal communities during the concentration of brine at the graduation towers in Ciechocinek spa (Poland)

This study evaluates the changes in bacterial and archaeal community structure during the gradual evaporation of water from the brine (extracted from subsurface Jurassic deposits) in the system of graduation towers located in Ciechocinek spa, Poland. The communities were assessed with 16S rRNA gene sequencing (MiSeq, Illumina) and microscopic methods. The microbial cell density determined by direct cell count was at the order of magnitude of 10⁷ cells/mL. It was found that increasing salt concentration was positively correlated with both the cell counts, and species-level diversity of bacterial and archaeal communities. The archaeal community was mostly constituted by members of the phylum Euryarchaeota, class Halobacteria and was dominated by Halorubrum-related sequences. The bacterial community was more diverse, with representatives of the phyla Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes as the most abundant. The proportion of Proteobacteria decreased with increasing salt concentration, while the proportion of Bacteroidetes increased significantly in the more concentrated samples. Representatives of the genera Idiomarina, Psychroflexus, Roseovarius, and Marinobacter appeared to be tolerant to changes of salinity. During the brine concentration, the relative abundances of Sphingobium and Sphingomonas were significantly decreased and the raised contributions of genera Fabibacter and Fodinibius were observed. The high proportion of novel (not identified at 97% similarity level) bacterial reads (up to 42%) in the 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that potentially new bacterial taxa inhabit this unique environment.

     

16S rDNA克隆文库方法分析太岁样品中细菌的多样性

通过构建16S rDNA克隆文库的方法,分析太岁样品中细菌的群落结构及多样性。太岁样品中的细菌归属于4个门9个目,优势类群依次是芽胞杆菌目(Bacillales,33.01%)、柄杆菌目(Caulobacterales,32.04%)和伯克霍尔德氏菌目(Burkholderiales,12.62%);优势属为短波单胞菌属(Brevundimonas,30.10%)、葡萄球菌属(Staphylococcus,29.13%)和食酸菌属(Acidovorax,7.77%)。并且其中的5个目中含有未培养的细菌,红杆菌目(Rhodobacterales)、伯克霍尔德氏菌目和红环菌目(Rhodocyclales)的11个克隆子的细菌16S rDNA序列同源性低于97%。研究表明太岁样品中细菌多样性较丰富,且蕴藏着许多未知的微生物资源。     

Analysis of bacterial communities in sponges and coral inhabiting Red Sea,using barcoded 454 pyrosequencing

Microbial communities are linked with marine sponge are diverse in their structure and function. Our understanding of the sponge-associated microbial diversity is limited especially from Red Sea in Saudi Arabia where few species of sponges have been studied. Here we used pyrosequencing to study two marine sponges and coral species sampled from Obhur region from Red sea in Jeddah. A total of 168 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified from Haliclona caerulea, Stylissa carteri and Rhytisma fulvum. Taxonomic identification of tag sequences of 16S ribosomal RNA revealed 6 different bacterial phyla and 9 different classes. A proportion of unclassified reads were was also observed in sponges and coral sample. We found diverse bacterial communities associated with two sponges and a coral sample. Diversity and richness estimates based on OUTs revealed that sponge H. caerulea had significantly high bacterial diversity. The identified OTUs showed unique clustering in three sponge samples as revealed by Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA). Proteobacteria (88–95%) was dominant phyla alonwith Bacteroidetes, Planctomycetes, Cyanobacteria, Firmicutes and Nitrospirae. Seventeen different genera were identified where genus Pseudoalteromonas was dominant in all three samples. This is first study to assess bacterial communities of sponge and coral sample that have never been studied before to unravel their microbial communities using 454-pyrosequencing method.     

干湿交替对生物滞留系统中氮素功能微生物群落的影响

【目的】为探究生物滞留系统干湿交替下环境因子对氮素功能微生物群落的影响。【方法】应用高通量测序技术(Illumina MiSeq PE300),并以amoA和nirS功能基因为分子标记,对无植物型和植物型生物滞留系统在干湿交替下不同土壤空间位置(种植层、淹没层)的硝化和反硝化细菌的多样性和群落结构进行研究,并对微生物群落与环境因子的相互关系进行相关性分析。【结果】微生物种群的功能基因存在显著的空间差异,相比淹没层,种植层的功能细菌更丰富。种植层的OTUs高于淹没层,而进水再湿润促使两种功能基因在种植层和淹没层的OTUs占比差异性增大。群落组成分析表明,amoA型硝化细菌和nirS型反硝化细菌的优势细菌门均为变形菌门(Proteobacteria)。虽然植物根系对氮素功能微生物的多样性指数影响不显著,但在属水平上,植物系统种植层的反硝化菌群种类高于淹没层,而无植物系统则刚好相反。CCA/RDA分析表明,土壤空间位置是影响硝化和反硝化菌群结构的最重要环境因子。【结论】本研究证实干湿交替运行下生物滞留系统中的氮素功能微生物群落受土壤空间位置、水分含量和植物根系的共同调控,其机制有待进一步研究。     

Molecular diversity of microbial community in acid mine drainages of Yunfu sulfide mine

Two acid mine drainage (AMD) samples were studied by a PCR-based cloning approach, which were from Yunfu sulfide mine in Guangdong province, China. A total of 15 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were obtained from the two AMD samples. The percentage of overlapped OTUs in two AMD samples was 42.1%. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the bacterium in the two samples fell into four putative divisions, which were Nitrospira, α-Proteobacteria, β-Proteobacteria, and γ-Proteobacteria four families. Organisms of genuses Acidithiobacillus and Gallionella, which were in γ-Proteobacteria family and β-Proteobacteria family, respectively, were dominant in two samples. The proportions of clones affiliated with Gallionella in each sample were 47.2% (G2) and 16.9% (G1). The result suggested that organisms of Gallionella were a very important composition in microbial communities of the two AMD samples we studied. In addition, the PCR amplification of archaeal 16S rDNA genes form these two AMD samples have been performed with two sets of archaea-specific primers, but no PCR product found. Zhiguo He, Shengmu Xiao, Xuehui Xie, and Hui Zhong equally contributed to this work.     

Growth of Pseudomonas fluorescens in modified atmosphere packaged tofu

Aims: The objective was to study the growth of Pseudomonas in a food product (tofu) where it typically occurs as a spoilage organism, and when this product is stored under modified atmosphere. Methods and Results: A Pseudomonas strain was isolated from the endogenous microflora of tofu. Tofu was inoculated with the strain, packaged in different gas conditions (air, 100% N₂, 30% CO₂/70% N₂ or 100% CO₂) and stored under refrigerated conditions. Microbial loads and the headspace gas composition were monitored during storage. Conclusions: The strain was capable of growing in atmospheres containing no or limited amounts of oxygen and increased amounts of carbon dioxide. Even when 100% CO₂ was used, growth could not be inhibited completely. Significance and Impact of Study: In contrast to the general characteristics of the genus Pseudomonas (strictly aerobic, highly sensitive to CO₂), it should not be expected in the food industry that removing oxygen from the food package and increasing the carbon dioxide content, combined with cold storage, will easily avoid spoilage by Pseudomonas species. Guarantee of hygienic standards and combination of strategies with other microbial growth inhibiting measures should be implemented.     

A glimpse under the rim – the composition of microbial biofilm communities in domestic toilets

Aim: To determine the microbial composition of biofilms in domestic toilets by molecular means. Methods and Results: Genomic DNA was extracted from six biofilm samples originating from households around Düsseldorf, Germany. While no archaeal 16S rRNA or fungal ITS genes were detected by PCR, fingerprinting of bacterial 16S rRNA genes revealed a diverse community in all samples. These communities also differed considerably between the six biofilms. Using the Ribosomal Database Project (RDP) classifier tool, 275 cloned 16S rRNA gene sequences were assigned to 11 bacterial phyla and 104 bacterial genera. Only 15 genera (representing 121 sequences affiliated with Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Planctomycetes and Proteobacteria) occurred in at least half of the samples or contributed at least 10% of the sequences in a single biofilm. These sequences were defined as ‘typical’ for toilet biofilms, and they were examined in more detail. On a 97% sequence similarity level, these sequences represented 56 species. Twelve of these were closely related to well‐described bacterial species, and only two of them were categorized as belonging to risk group 2. No 16S rRNA genes of typical faecal bacteria were detected in any sample. Virtually all ‘typical’ clones were found to be closely related to bacteria or to sequences obtained from environmental sources, implicating that the flushing water is the main source of recruitment. Conclusion: In view of the great diversity of mostly yet‐uncultured bacteria and the considerable differences between individual toilets, very general strategies appear to be most suited for the removal and prevention of toilet biofilms. Significance and Impact of the Study: For the first time, a molecular fingerprinting and cloning approach was used to monitor the species composition in biofilm samples taken from domestic toilets. Knowledge about the microbial composition of biofilms in domestic toilets is a prerequisite for developing and evaluating strategies for their removal and prevention.     

Heterotrophic bacterial diversity in aquatic microbial mat communities from Antarctica

Heterotrophic bacteria isolated from five aquatic microbial mat samples from different locations in continental Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula were compared to assess their biodiversity. A total of 2,225 isolates obtained on different media and at different temperatures were included. After an initial grouping by whole-genome fingerprinting, partial 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis was used for further identification. These results were compared with previously published data obtained with the same methodology from terrestrial and aquatic microbial mat samples from two additional Antarctic regions. The phylotypes recovered in all these samples belonged to five major phyla, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Deinococcus-Thermus, and included several potentially new taxa. Ordination analyses were performed in order to explore the variance in the diversity of the samples at genus level. Habitat type (terrestrial vs. aquatic) and specific conductivity in the lacustrine systems significantly explained the variation in bacterial community structure. Comparison of the phylotypes with sequences from public databases showed that a considerable proportion (36.9%) is currently known only from Antarctica. This suggests that in Antarctica, both cosmopolitan taxa and taxa with limited dispersal and a history of long-term isolated evolution occur.     

Microbial sequences retrieved from environmental samples from seasonal Arctic snow and meltwater from Svalbard, Norway

16S rRNA gene (rrs) clone libraries were constructed from two snow samples (May 11, 2007 and June 7, 2007) and two meltwater samples collected during the spring of 2007 in Svalbard, Norway (79°N). The libraries covered 19 different microbial classes, including Betaproteobacteria (21.3%), Sphingobacteria (16.4%), Flavobacteria (9.0%), Acidobacteria (7.7%) and Alphaproteobacteria (6.5%). Significant differences were detected between the two sets of sample libraries. First, the meltwater libraries had the highest community richness (Chao1: 103.2 and 152.2) and Shannon biodiversity indices (between 3.38 and 3.59), when compared with the snow libraries (Chao1: 14.8 and 59.7; Shannon index: 1.93 and 3.01). Second, ∫-LIBSHUFF analyses determined that the bacterial communities in the snow libraries were significantly different from those of the meltwater libraries. Despite these differences, our data also support the theory that a common core group of microbial populations exist within a variety of cryohabitats.     

Microbial Communities on Glacier Surfaces in Svalbard: Impact of Physical and Chemical Properties on Abundance and Structure of Cyanobacteria and Algae

Microbial communities occurring in three types of supraglacial habitats—cryoconite holes, medial moraines, and supraglacial kames—at several glaciers in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard were investigated. Abundance, biovolume, and community structure were evaluated by using epifluorescence microscopy and culturing methods. Particular emphasis was laid on distinctions in the chemical and physical properties of the supraglacial habitats and their relation to the microbial communities, and quantitative multivariate analyses were used to assess potential relationships. Varying pH (4.8 in cryoconite; 8.5 in a moraine) and texture (the proportion of coarse fraction 2% of dry weight in cryoconite; 99% dw in a kame) were found, and rather low concentrations of organic matter (0.3% of dry weight in a kame; 22% dw in cryoconite) and nutrients (nitrogen up to 0.4% dw, phosphorus up to 0.8% dw) were determined in the samples. In cryoconite sediment, the highest numbers of bacteria, cyanobacteria, and algae were found, whereas relatively low microbial abundances were recorded in moraines and kames. Cyanobacterial cells were significantly more abundant than microalgal ones in cryoconite and supraglacial kames. Different species of the cyanobacterial genus Leptolyngbya were by far the most represented in all samples, and cyanobacteria of the genera Phormidium and Nostoc prevailed in cultures isolated from cryoconite samples. These species are considered opportunistic organisms with wide ecological valency and strong colonizing potential rather than glacial specialists. Statistical analyses suggest that fine sediment with higher water content is the most suitable condition for bacteria, cyanobacteria, and algae. Also, a positive impact of lower pH on microbial growth was found. The fate of a microbial cell deposited on the glacier surface seems therefore predetermined by the physical and chemical factors such as texture of sediment and water content rather than spatial factors or the origin of sediment.