Prokaryotic diversity of a Tunisian multipond solar saltern

16S rRNA gene clone libraries were separately constructed from three ponds with different salt concentrations, M2 (15%), TS38 (25%) and S5 (32%), located within a multipond solar saltern of Sfax. The 16S rRNA genes from 216 bacterial clones and 156 archaeal clones were sequenced and phylogenetically analyzed. 44 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were generated for Bacteria and 67 for Archaea. Phylogenetic groups within the bacterial domain were restricted to Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria, with the exception that one cyanobacterial OTU was found in the TS38 pond. 85.7, 26.6 and 25.0% of the bacterial OTUs from M2, TS38 and S5 ponds, respectively, are novel. All archaeal 16S rRNA gene sequences were exclusively affiliated with Euryarchaeota. 75.0, 60.0 and 66.7% of the OTUs from, respectively, M2, TS38 and S5 ponds are novel. The result showed that the Tunisian multipond solar saltern harbored novel prokaryotic diversity that has never been reported before for solar salterns. In addition, diversity measurement indicated a decrease of bacterial diversity and an increase of archaeal diversity with rising salinity gradient, which was in agreement with the previous observation for thalassohaline systems. Comparative analysis showed that prokaryotic diversity of Tunisian saltern was higher than that of other salterns previously studied. A. Sghir and E. Ammar have equally contributed to this work.     

Extremely halophilic bacteria in crystallizer ponds from solar salterns

It is generally assumed that hypersaline environments with sodium chloride concentrations close to saturation are dominated by halophilic members of the domain Archaea, while Bacteria are not considered to be relevant in this kind of environment. Here, we report the high abundance and growth of a new group of hitherto-uncultured Bacteria in crystallizer ponds (salinity, from 30 to 37%) from multipond solar salterns. In the present study, these Bacteria constituted from 5 to 25% of the total prokaryotic community and were affiliated with the Cytophaga-Flavobacterium-Bacteroides phylum. Growth was demonstrated in saturated NaCl. A provisional classification of this new bacterial group as "Candidatus Salinibacter gen. nov." is proposed. The perception that Archaea are the only ecologically relevant prokaryotes in hypersaline aquatic environments should be revised.     

Taxonomic study of extreme halophilic archaea isolated from the "Salar de Atacama", Chile

A large number of halophilic bacteria were isolated in 1984-1992 from the Atacama Saltern (North of Chile). For this study 82 strains of extreme halophilic archaea were selected. The characterization was performed by using the phenotypic characters including morphological, physiological, biochemical, nutritional and antimicrobial susceptibility test. The results, together with those from reference strains, were subjected to numerical analysis, using the Simple Matching (S(SM)) coefficient and clustered by the unweighted pair group method of association (UPGMA). Fifteen phena were obtained at an 70% similarity level. The results obtained reveal a high diversity among the halophilic archaea isolated. Representative strains from the phena were chosen to determine their DNA base composition and the percentage of DNA-DNA similarity compared to reference strains. The 16S rRNA studies showed that some of these strains constitutes a new taxa of extreme halophilic archaea.     

Stable low molecular weight RNA analyzed by staircase electrophoresis, a molecular signature for both prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms

Low-molecular weight RNA (LMW RNA) analysis using staircase electrophoresis was performed for several species of eukaryotic and prokaryotic microorganisms. According to our results, the LMW RNA profiles of archaea and bacteria contain three zones: 5S RNA, class 1 tRNA and class 2 tRNA. In fungi an additional band is included in the LMW RNA profiles, which correspond to the 5.8S RNA. In archaea and bacteria we found that the 5S rRNA zone is characteristic for each genus and the tRNA profile is characteristic for each species. In eukaryotes the combined 5.8S and 5S rRNA zones are characteristic for each genus and, as in prokaryotes, tRNA profiles are characteristic for each species. Therefore, stable low molecular weight RNA, separated by staircase electrophoresis, can be considered a molecular signature for both prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms. Analysis of the data obtained and construction of the corresponding dendrograms afforded relationships between genera and species; these were essentially the same as those obtained with 16S rRNA sequencing (in prokaryotes) and 18S rRNA sequencing (in eukaryotes).     

岱山盐场可培养嗜盐菌的多样性及其产酶活性筛选

从岱山盐场采集样品,利用选择性培养基分离培养嗜盐菌,对盐田环境中可培养嗜盐菌的多样性及产酶活性进行研究.共分离得到181株嗜盐菌菌株,通过真细菌和古生菌两对通用引物扩增其16S rRNA 基因,并采用限制性内切酶Hinf I进行ARDRA(amplified rDNA restriction analysis)多态性分析,共分为21个不同的操作分类单元(operation taxonomy units, OTUs),其中嗜盐细菌有12个OTUs,嗜盐古菌有9个OTUs.选取具有不同酶切图谱的代表菌株进行克隆测序,BLAST 比对及系统发育分析将嗜盐细菌归于7个属,其中嗜盐单胞菌属(Halomonas)的菌株数占优势,是嗜盐细菌总数的46.8%;嗜盐古菌归于4个属,盐盒菌属(Haloarcula)的菌株数占优势,是嗜盐古菌总数的49.1%.对分离菌株的产酶活性进行检测表明,岱山盐田环境蕴含丰富的产淀粉酶、蛋白酶和脂肪酶等生物活性酶的嗜盐菌, 其中盐盒菌属产酶菌株数最丰富.研究结果表明,岱山盐田环境中具有较为丰富的嗜盐菌多样性,是筛选产酶菌株的重要资源库.     

Biodegradation of Phenanthrene by a Halophilic Bacterial Consortium Under Aerobic Conditions

A halophilic bacterial consortium that degraded phenanthrene was developed from oil-contaminated saline soil containing 10% salinity. The biodegradation of phenanthrene occurred at 5%, 10%, and 15% salinity, whereas no biodegradation took place at 0.1% and 20% salinity. A 16S rRNA gene analysis showed that all sequences from the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profile were similar to those of halophilic bacteria. This is the first report of a halophilic bacterial consortium capable of degrading phenanthrene under hypersaline conditions.     

Prokaryotic genetic diversity throughout the salinity gradient of a coastal solar saltern

Bacterial and archaeal assemblages have been studied in a multipond solar saltern using a range of microbial ecology techniques by four laboratories simultaneously. These include 16S rDNA sequencing from both denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and clone libraries, and culturing methods. Water samples from eight ponds were analysed, covering a salinity range from near sea water (4% salt) to saturated sodium chloride (37% salt; ponds called crystallizers). Clone libraries focused on ponds with salinity of 8%, 22% and 32%. Although different cloning strategies were able to retrieve the same type of dominant sequences, there were differing degrees of success with less abundant sequences. Thus, the use of two sets of primers recovered a higher number of phylotypes. Bacterial and archaeal isolates were, however, different from any of the retrieved environmental sequences. For Bacteria, most sequences in the 8% salt pond were related to organisms of marine origin. Thus, representatives of the alpha-, beta-, gamma- and epsilon-subdivisions of Proteobacteria, the Cytophaga-Flavobacterium-Bacteroides group (CFB), high-G+C Gram-positive bacteria and cyanobacteria were found. In the 22% salt pond, alpha- and gamma-Proteobacteria, cyanobacteria and CFB were the only groups found, and most of them were related to specialized halophilic bacteria. From the 32% salt pond, only CFB were found, and most of the sequences retrieved clustered with Salinibacter ruber, an extremely halophilic bacterium. A decrease in the richness of bacterial genera was therefore apparent along the gradient. Archaea behaved quite similarly. In the lowest salinity ponds, sequences were related to environmental clones of Marine Archaea Group III (Thermoplasmales relatives) and to unclassified branches of Euryarchaeaota. In the 8%, 22% and 32% ponds, most of the clones were related to different cultured strains of Halobacteriaceae. Finally, most sequences from the crystallizers clustered with the uncultured square archaeon SPhT. Crenarchaeaota were not detected. Despite the fact that higher prokaryotic richness was apparent in the lower salinity ponds than in the crystallizers, the diversity index from clone libraries calculated according to Shannon and Weaver did not show this trend. This was because diversity in the crystallizers can be considered as 'microdiversity', the co-existence of several closely related clones of Bacteria (the S. ruber cluster) and Archaea (the SPhT cluster). Regardless of the changes in abundance, both Bacteria and Archaea showed the same pattern; as salinity increased, the number of different clusters decreased, and only one cluster became dominant. Both clusters, however, showed a considerable degree of microdiversity. The meaning of such microdiversity remains to be determined.     

乌勇布拉克盐湖嗜盐古菌絮凝效果筛选及活性检测

【目的】从嗜盐古菌中筛选可产生生物絮凝剂的菌株,对发酵液、上清液、菌悬液、胞外聚合物的絮凝作用进行检测,筛选能够适应高盐废水处理,且具有广谱盐度及pH作用范围的微生物絮凝剂。【方法】以新疆乌勇布拉克干盐湖沉积物为研究对象,利用纯培养方法对嗜盐古菌进行分离,对絮凝菌株进行初筛及16S rRNA基因测序,构建系统进化树,初步判断菌株分类地位;复筛检测不同生物材料的絮凝效果;选择絮凝效果较好的生物材料,检测其盐度、pH的絮凝效果稳定性。【结果】采用纯培养方法共分离到28株嗜盐古菌,絮凝初筛共筛选出16株嗜盐古菌,分布于碱线菌属(Natrinema)、盐缓长菌属(Halopiger)和盐土生菌属(Haloterrigena)。菌株发酵液、上清液、菌悬液、胞外聚合物具有不同程度的絮凝效果。菌株A279-1、A133、RP33、NGA0064、RM-152、A389的发酵液、上清液的絮凝效果较好,其中菌株A389的发酵液絮凝率为61.06%,上清液为67.92%。所有菌株菌悬液的絮凝率达到80%以上。菌株所产胞外聚合物表现出较好的絮凝效果,菌株RM-152所产胞外聚合物的絮凝率最高,达89.86%,其次是A389 (81.53%)。菌株A389所产胞外聚合物的产量最大,达12.53 g/L,具有广泛的盐度和pH适应性。【结论】乌勇布拉克干盐湖沉积物中蕴含丰富的可产生微生物絮凝剂的嗜盐古菌资源。嗜盐古菌菌株发酵液、上清液、菌悬液及胞外聚合物均具有良好的絮凝作用,尤其是胞外聚合物表现出较好的絮凝效果,具有广谱的盐度和pH耐受性。嗜盐古菌所产生物絮凝剂的发现对于后续高盐废水功能材料开发具有重要应用价值。     

Characterization of Microbial Diversity in Hypersaline Environments by Melting Profiles and Reassociation Kinetics in Combination with Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (T-RFLP)

The diversity of prokaryotes inhabiting solar saltern ponds was determined by thermal melting and reassociation of community DNA. These measurements were compared with fingerprinting techniques such as terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms (T-RFLP) analysis, denaturant gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), and cloning and sequencing approaches. Three ponds with salinities of 22, 32, and 37% (NaCl saturation) were studied. The combination of independent molecular techniques to estimate the total genetic diversity provided a realistic assessment to reveal the microbial diversity in these environments. The changes in the prokaryotic communities at different salinity (22, 32, and 37% salt) were significant and revealed that the total genetic diversity increased from 22% to 32% salinity. At 37% salinity the diversity was reduced again to nearly half that at 22% salinity. Our results revealed that the community genome had a DNA complexity that was 7 (in 22% salinity pond), 13 (in 32% salinity pond), and 4 (in 37% salinity pond) times the complexity of an Escherichia coli genome. The base composition profiles showed two abundant populations, which changed in relative amount between the three ponds. They indicated an uneven taxon distribution at 22% and 37% salinity and a more even distribution at 32% salinity. The results indicated a large predominating population at 37% salinity, which might correspond to the abundance of square archaea (SPhT) observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and also indicated by the same T-RFLP fragment as the SPhT. The SPhT phylotype has also been reported to be the most frequently retrieved phylotype from this environment by culture independent techniques. In addition, two different operational taxonomic units (OTU) were detected at 37% salinity based on PCR with bacterial specific primers and T-RFLP. One of these predominant phylotypes is the extreme halophilic bacterium belonging to the bacteroidetes group, Salinibacter ruber.     

新疆艾比湖嗜盐菌的细菌视紫红质和16S rRNA基因序列的研究

为了研究分析嗜盐古生菌物种与细菌视紫红质(BR)蛋白基因资源,从40份土壤、湖水及淤泥样品中分离出148株嗜盐菌,对其中6株菌采用聚合酶链式反应(PCR)方法对其编码螺旋C至螺旋G的蛋白基因片段和16SrRNA基因进行了扩增,并测定了基因的核苷酸序列。与已报道的相应片段进行对比,ABDH10,ABDH1I和ABDH40中的螺旋C至螺旋G的蛋白与其他菌株差异显著。基于16SrRNA序列的同源性比较以及系统发育学研究表明,ABDH10和ABDH40是Natronorubrum属下的新成员和Natrinema属下的新成员,ABDH40的16SrRNA序列已登录到GenBank,其序列号为AY989910。ABDH11中的螺旋C至螺旋G的蛋白与其他菌株差异显著。     

Spatial and seasonal prokaryotic community dynamics in ponds of increasing salinity of Sfax solar saltern in Tunisia

The spatial and seasonal dynamics of the halophilic prokaryotic community was investigated in five ponds from Sfax solar saltern (Tunisia), covering a salinity gradient ranging from 20 to 36%. Fluorescence in situ hybridization indicated that, above 24% salinity, the prokaryotic community shifted from bacterial to archaeal dominance with a remarkable increase in the proportion of detected cells. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) profiles were rather similar in all the samples analyzed, except in the lowest salinity pond (around 20% salt) where several specific archaeal and bacterial phylotypes were detected. In spite of previous studies on these salterns, DGGE analysis unveiled the presence of microorganisms not previously described in these ponds, such as Archaea related to Natronomonas or bacteria related to Alkalimnicola, as well as many new sequences of Bacteroidetes. Some phylotypes, such as those related to Haloquadratum or to some Bacteroidetes, displayed a strong dependence of salinity and/or magnesium concentrations, which in the case of Haloquadratum could be related to the presence of ecotypes. Seasonal variability in the prokaryotic community composition was focused on two ponds with the lowest (20%) and the highest salinity (36%). In contrast to the crystallized pond, where comparable profiles between autumn 2007 and summer 2008 were obtained, the non-crystallized pond showed pronounced seasonal changes and a sharp succession of “species” during the year. Canonical correspondence analysis of biological and physicochemical parameters indicated that temperature was a strong factor structuring the prokaryotic community in the non-crystallizer pond, that had salinities ranging from 20 to 23.8% during the year.     

Population dynamics within a microbial consortium during growth on diesel fuel in saline environments

The diversity and dynamics of a bacterial community extracted from an exploited oil field with high natural soil salinity near Comodoro Rivadavia in Patagonia (Argentina) were investigated. Community shifts during long-term incubation with diesel fuel at four salinities between 0 and 20% NaCl were monitored by single-strand conformation polymorphism community fingerprinting of the PCR-amplified V4-V5 region of the 16S rRNA genes. Information obtained by this qualitative approach was extended by flow cytometric analysis to follow quantitatively the dynamics of community structures at different salinities. Dominant and newly developing clusters of individuals visualized via their DNA patterns versus cell sizes were used to identify the subcommunities primarily involved in the degradation process. To determine the most active species, subcommunities were separated physically by high-resolution cell sorting and subsequent phylogenetic identification by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Reduced salinity favored the dominance of Sphingomonas spp., whereas at elevated salinities, Ralstonia spp. and a number of halophilic genera, including Halomonas, Dietzia, and Alcanivorax, were identified. The combination of cytometric sorting with molecular characterization allowed us to monitor community adaptation and to identify active and proliferating subcommunities.     

Comparative diversity analysis of halophiles at two polar saltern systems in Indramayu,West Java,Indonesia

Successive microbes in solar salt ponds are essential since it is well correlated with the quality of salt produced. This research aimed to analyse the microbial diversity of the solar salt ponds in Indonesia, which use high-density polyethylene in the ponds. There are two systems, that is, an integrated open system (In-system) and a closed system (Tt-system). The In-system uses seawater while the Tt-system uses seawater from the saline artesian well. Results showed that the In-system had richer microbes than the Tt-system. Both systems shared similar halophilic microbes profile. Ponds with low salinity (3–4 Be) had very low archaea, that is, 0·2 and 0·7% for the In-system and Tt-system respectively and were dominantly inhabited by phylum Proteobacteria. In the pond with high salinity, that is, 25 Be, both systems were dominated by the phylum Euryarchaeota, family Halobacteriaceae, and genera Halorubrum was dominantly found in In25 ponds and Tt25 ponds. Even though the two systems use the same parent seawater, that is, the Java Sea and share similar microbial composition at the phylum level, we found the dominance identified microbes in both systems were different.     

新疆罗布泊周边地区极端环境嗜盐菌的研究

为了研究分析新疆罗布泊周边地区pH值5-6的盐湖嗜盐古菌资源。从湖中分离筛选出一批嗜盐古菌,对其进行了生理生化特性研究,发现其中6株菌的生理特性和产酶特性比较特殊,并采用PCR方法扩增出其16SrRNA基因（16S rDNA）,并测定了基因的核苷酸序列。基于16S rDNA序列的同源性比较以及16S rDNA序列的系统发育学研究表明,菌株B20-RDX是盐盒菌属Haloarchaeon属中新种成员,GenBank登录号为FJ561285,该菌株为革兰氏阴性菌,最适盐浓度25%,最适pH 8.0,能产过氧化氢酶、淀粉酶,对四环素有抗性,能利用精氨酸和丁二酸盐。迄今为止,国内极少有关罗布泊周边地区极端环境微生物研究的报道,该研究可为今后研究同类极端环境中新的物种资源开发应用以及微生物多样性研究提供素材和参考。     

Changes in archaeal,bacterial and eukaryal assemblages along a salinity gradient by comparison of genetic fingerprinting methods in a multipond solar saltern

Microbial communities inhabiting a multipond solar saltern were analysed and compared using SSU rRNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based fingerprintings carried out in parallel by four laboratories. A salinity gradient from seawater (3.7%) to NaCl precipitation (37%) was studied for Bacteria, Archaea and Eukarya, and laboratories applied their own techniques and protocols on the same set of samples. Members of all three domains were retrieved from all salt concentrations. Three fingerprinting techniques were used: denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), ribosomal internal spacer analysis (RISA), and terminal-restriction fragments length polymorphism (T-RFLP). In addition, each laboratory used its own biomass collection method and DNA extraction protocols. Prokaryotes were addressed using DGGE and RISA with different 'domain-specific' primers sets. Eukaryotes were analysed by one laboratory using DGGE and T-RFLP, but targeting the same 18S rDNA site. Fingerprints were compared through cluster analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling plots. This exercise allowed fast comparison of microbial assemblages and determined to what extent the picture provided by each laboratory was similar to those of others. Formation of two main, salinity-based groups of samples in prokaryotes (4-15% and 22-37% salinity) was consistent for all the laboratories. When other clusters appeared, this was a result of the particular technique and the protocol used in each case, but more affected by the primers set used. Eukaryotic microorganisms changed more from pond to pond; 4-5% and 8-37% salinity were but the two main groups detected. Archaea showed the lowest number of bands whereas Eukarya showed the highest number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in the initial ponds. Artefacts appeared in the DGGE from ponds with extremely low microbial richness. On the other hand, different 16S rDNA fragments with the same restriction or internal transcribed spacer (ITS) length were the main limitations for T-RFLP and RISA analyses, respectively, in ponds with the highest OTUs richness. However, although the particular taxonomic composition could vary among protocols, the general structure of the microbial assemblages was maintained.     

Prokaryotic diversity in one of the largest hypersaline coastal lagoons in the world

Araruama Lagoon is an environment characterized by high salt concentrations. The low raining and high evaporation rates in this region favored the development of many salty ponds around the lagoon. In order to reveal the microbial composition of this system, we performed a 16S rRNA gene survey. Among archaea, most clones were related to uncultured environmental Euryarchaeota. In lagoon water, we found some clones related to Methanomicrobia and Methanothermococcus groups, while in the saline pond water members related to the genus Haloarcula were detected. Bacterial community was dominated by clones related to Gamma-proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Synechococcus in lagoon water, while Salinibacter ruber relatives dominated in saline pond. We also detected the presence of Alpha-proteobacteria, Pseudomonas-like bacteria and Verrucomicrobia. Only representatives of the genus Ralstonia were cosmopolitan, being observed in both systems. The detection of a substantial number of clones related to uncultured archaea and bacteria suggest that the hypersaline waters of Araruama harbor a pool of novel prokaryotic phylotypes, distinct from those observed in other similar systems. We also observed clones related to halophilic genera of cyanobacteria that are specific for each habitat studied. Additionally, two bacterioplankton molecular markers with ecological relevance were analyzed, one is linked to nitrogen fixation (nifH) and the other is linked to carbon fixation by bacterial photosynthesis, the protochlorophyllide genes, revealing a specific genetic distribution in this ecosystem. This is the first study of the biogeography and community structure of microbial assemblages in Brazilian tropical hypersaline environments. This work is directed towards a better understanding of the free-living prokaryotic diversity adapted to life in hypersaline waters.     

Archaeal and bacterial diversity in five different hydrothermal ponds in the Copahue region in Argentina

Copahue is an acidic geothermal volcanic region in the northwest corner of Neuquén Province, Argentina. In the area, there are various ponds, pools and hot springs with different temperatures, pH values and levels of anthropogenic influence. In this study, the prokaryotic biodiversity of five representative ponds was studied by using two complementary molecular ecology techniques: phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA bacterial and archaeal genes and FISH (or CARD-FISH) for quantitative estimation of biodiversity. The results, supported by multivariate statistical analysis, showed that the biodiversity in Copahue ponds seemed to be determined by temperature. High temperature ponds were dominated by archaea, mainly apparently novel representatives from the orders Sulfolobales and Thermoplasmatales that had no close cultivated relatives. By contrast, moderate temperature ponds were colonised by well-characterised sulphur-oxidising bacteria related to acidic environments, such as other geothermal sites or acid mine drainage, and archaea were absent. By combining the biodiversity results from this study and the reported physicochemical features of Copahue, a preliminary model of the possible biogeochemical interaction was outlined for moderate and high temperature ponds.     

Population Dynamics within a Microbial Consortium during Growth on Diesel Fuel in Saline Environments

The diversity and dynamics of a bacterial community extracted from an exploited oil field with high natural soil salinity near Comodoro Rivadavia in Patagonia (Argentina) were investigated. Community shifts during long-term incubation with diesel fuel at four salinities between 0 and 20% NaCl were monitored by single-strand conformation polymorphism community fingerprinting of the PCR-amplified V4-V5 region of the 16S rRNA genes. Information obtained by this qualitative approach was extended by flow cytometric analysis to follow quantitatively the dynamics of community structures at different salinities. Dominant and newly developing clusters of individuals visualized via their DNA patterns versus cell sizes were used to identify the subcommunities primarily involved in the degradation process. To determine the most active species, subcommunities were separated physically by high-resolution cell sorting and subsequent phylogenetic identification by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Reduced salinity favored the dominance of Sphingomonas spp., whereas at elevated salinities, Ralstonia spp. and a number of halophilic genera, including Halomonas, Dietzia, and Alcanivorax, were identified. The combination of cytometric sorting with molecular characterization allowed us to monitor community adaptation and to identify active and proliferating subcommunities.     

新疆阿牙克库木湖可培养嗜盐古菌的种群结构

从新疆南部的阿牙克库木湖采集了19个水样和15个土样,分离培养嗜盐微生物。采用PCR方法获取其中62株嗜盐古菌16S rRNA基因序列。序列分析结果表明,分离到的菌株分属6个属,占已报道嗜盐古菌属总数的27%,其中以Halorubrum和Natrinema属的菌株为优势菌株。通过Shannon多样性指数分析发现,阿牙克库木湖冬春两季嗜盐古菌多样性差异不明显。研究还发现4个嗜盐古菌新物种,表明阿牙克库木湖蕴藏着具有地域特点的嗜盐古菌资源。