Enrichment and Physiological Characterization of a Novel Nitrospira-Like Bacterium Obtained from a Marine Sponge

Members of the nitrite-oxidizing genus Nitrospira are most likely responsible for the second step of nitrification, the conversion of nitrite (NO₂⁻) to nitrate (NO₃⁻), within various sponges. We succeeded in obtaining an enrichment culture of Nitrospira derived from the mesohyl of the marine sponge Aplysina aerophoba using a traditional cultivation approach. Electron microscopy gave first evidence of the shape and ultrastructure of this novel marine Nitrospira-like bacterium (culture Aa01). We characterized these bacteria physiologically with regard to optimal incubation conditions, especially the temperature and substrate range in comparison to other Nitrospira cultures. Best growth was obtained at temperatures between 28°C and 30°C in mineral medium with 70% North Sea water and a substrate concentration of 0.5 mM nitrite under microaerophilic conditions. The Nitrospira culture Aa01 is very sensitive against nitrite, because concentrations higher than 1.5 mM resulted in a complete inhibition of growth. Sequence analyses of the 16S rRNA gene revealed that the novel Nitrospira-like bacterium is separated from the sponge-specific subcluster and falls together with an environmental clone from Mediterranean sediments (98.6% similarity). The next taxonomically described species Nitrospira marina is only distantly related, with 94.6% sequence similarity, and therefore the culture Aa01 represents a novel species of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria.Numerous sponges have the capacity to accommodate large amounts of diverse microbes and represent significant sources for bioactive natural compounds (13). Many marine invertebrates excrete ammonium as a metabolic waste product (9), and the excretion of nitrite and nitrate has been taken as primary evidence that nitrifiers are active in these animals (10). By modulation of their pumping, sponges are a suitable habitat not only for aerobic microbes but also for anaerobic microbes. Accordingly, Hoffmann et al. (19) were able to detect major microbial pathways of the nitrogen cycle in the sponge Geodia barretti, including nitrification, the anammox process, and denitrification.Nitrification involves the biological oxidation of ammonia (NH₃) to nitrite (NO₂⁻) and further to nitrate (NO₃⁻) for energy purposes. It is of fundamental importance for the global nitrogen cycle in aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Nitrification is catalyzed by two phylogenetically distinct groups of microorganisms: in the first step, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and archaea (AOB and AOA) take part in the oxidation of ammonia to nitrite, and in the second step nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) convert nitrite to nitrate (38).Nitrite has a central position in the nitrogen cycle, connecting aerobic and anaerobic pathways. Nitrite-oxidizing bacteria play a major role in removing nitrite from the environment because it is toxic for living organisms (31). Based on morphological characteristics, NOB have been divided into five genera. This classification also reflects the phylogenetic diversity of NOB, which includes Nitrobacter and Nitrococcus (Alpha- and Gammaproteobacteria), Nitrospina (putative Deltaproteobacteria), and the candidate genus “Candidatus Nitrotoga” (Betaproteobacteria) (2). The genus Nitrospira is more distantly related to the other known NOB because it is part of its own deep-branching bacterial phylum Nitrospirae. Marine species are present in all genera of NOB except in the newly identified genus “Candidatus Nitrotoga.”As all known nitrifying prokaryotes are slow growing and hard to maintain, their enrichment and isolation from environmental samples is difficult. Most physiological studies have been performed with pure cultures of a few “model” nitrifiers, in particular AOB related to the genus Nitrosomonas and NOB of the genus Nitrobacter. For the genus Nitrospira there are only four pure cultures available: the marine species Nitrospira marina (37), Nitrospira moscoviensis (12), “Candidatus Nitrospira bockiana” (25), and Nitrospira calida (E. Lebedeva, personal communication).Sponges of the family Aplysinidae contain large amounts of bacteria embedded within the sponge tissue matrix (15). For example, the biomass of Aplysina aerophoba consists of up to 40% bacteria (36). These sponges are able to differentiate between food bacteria and their own bacterial symbionts (41). Investigations of the diversity of sponge-associated bacteria, including different genetic and also cultivation approaches, have been made with several specimens (15, 16, 39). In terms of nitrification, Hentschel et al. (17) gave first evidence for the presence of nitrite oxidizers, and it has been verified that sponges harbor AOB and AOA (8). Most of the recognized NOB in sponges are Nitrospira-like bacteria (17, 32, 35), although in the beginning, there were further hints to 16S rRNA sequences, which are most closely related to Nitrospina gracilis (17). However, as these sequences were found only once, it could be assumed that Nitrospira is the main nitrite oxidizer in this environment. Nitrospira-like bacteria are deemed to be recalcitrant and fastidious, and they are easily overgrown by other bacteria under suboptimal conditions. Despite these limitations in the laboratory, Nitrospira was determined to be the most important nitrite oxidizer during wastewater treatment (21, 33), in aquaculture biofilters (14) and in freshwater systems (20, 29).Identification of sponge-associated microorganisms has been performed largely with culture-independent methods, which are 16S rRNA gene based (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis [DGGE], terminal restriction fragment-length polymorphism [TRFLP]) or visual (fluorescence in situ hybridization [FISH], electron microscopy) (8, 11). Nevertheless, the cultivation of microorganisms is still essential for the investigation of their physiological potential and function in the environment. Information about physiological characteristics helps us to understand the metabolism and possible nutritional interactions of nitrifiers with the host sponge (8).This is the first report about cultivation of nitrifying bacteria originating from a marine sponge. We obtained a nitrite-oxidizing enrichment culture of a Nitrospira-like bacterium derived from Aplysina aerophoba, characterized it phylogenetically, and analyzed the most important physiological features.     

Size factor as one of the problems in the sex estimation of skulls: upper palaeolithic sample from Predmostí (Czech Republic) as an example

In this study we estimate sex and population affinity of Gravettian Predmostí (P) skulls using linear and geometric discriminant analysis (DA), and compare them with results of 2D geometric morphometrics (GM). We used the measurements of P3 and P9 males, P4 and P10 females, as originally estimated by Matiegka (1934), as well as two databases--the recent skull database of Howells and the fossil data of Henke. DA classifies the P skulls as robust and belonging to the "male" region, loosing the sensitivity of inter-population differences influenced by size factor. That is why this approach could not be applied. The geographic inter-population differences according to DA do not define P skull shapes as extreme. The influence of geographic variability could be stronger than the inter-sexual differences. Despite the chronological differences between databases and Gravettian skulls, these differences are a component of regional inter-population variability. According to our results, GM is more successful methodological approach than DA. Our previous sex estimation of P skulls with help of GM is completely in accordance with the classical morphoscopic estimation. However, an appropriate reference database is necessary in both the GM and DA approaches. For the sexing of skull with unknown population affinity, and with absence of appropriate reference database, we suggest to use the application of more subjective visual scoring methods.     

Yeast glucoamylases: molecular-genetic and structural characterization

Glucoamylase is an extracellular enzyme produced mainly by microorganisms. It belongs to the commercially frequently exploited biocatalysts. The major application of glucoamylase is in the starch bioprocessing to produce glucose and in alcoholic fermentations of starchy materials. Filamentous fungi have been the source of glucoamylases for industrial purposes as well as an object of numerous research studies. Some yeasts also secrete a large amount of glucoamylase with biochemical characteristics slightly different from those of filamentous fungi. Modern biotechnological applications require glucoamylases of certain properties optimal for a given process. Novel biocatalysts can be prepared from already existing enzymes using techniques of protein engineering or directed evolution. Tailoring of a commercial glucoamylase requires knowledge, on a molecular level, of structure/function relationships of enzymes originating from various sources and having different catalytic properties. Sequences of the cloned genes, their recombinant expression and the tertiary structure determination of glucoamylase are prerequisite to obtain such information. The presented review focuses on molecular-genetic and structural aspects of yeast glucoamylases, supplemented with the basic biochemical characterization of the given enzymes.     

Deletion 17q12 is a recurrent copy number variant that confers high risk of autism and schizophrenia

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and schizophrenia are neurodevelopmental disorders for which recent evidence indicates an important etiologic role for rare copy number variants (CNVs) and suggests common genetic mechanisms. We performed cytogenomic array analysis in a discovery sample of patients with neurodevelopmental disorders referred for clinical testing. We detected a recurrent 1.4 Mb deletion at 17q12, which harbors HNF1B, the gene responsible for renal cysts and diabetes syndrome (RCAD), in 18/15,749 patients, including several with ASD, but 0/4,519 controls. We identified additional shared phenotypic features among nine patients available for clinical assessment, including macrocephaly, characteristic facial features, renal anomalies, and neurocognitive impairments. In a large follow-up sample, the same deletion was identified in 2/1,182 ASD/neurocognitive impairment and in 4/6,340 schizophrenia patients, but in 0/47,929 controls (corrected p = 7.37 × 10⁻⁵). These data demonstrate that deletion 17q12 is a recurrent, pathogenic CNV that confers a very high risk for ASD and schizophrenia and show that one or more of the 15 genes in the deleted interval is dosage sensitive and essential for normal brain development and function. In addition, the phenotypic features of patients with this CNV are consistent with a contiguous gene syndrome that extends beyond RCAD, which is caused by HNF1B mutations only.     

Ploidy-specific interactions of three host plants with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: Does genome copy number matter?

? Premise of the study: Polyploidy has been shown to affect different plant traits and modulate interactions between plants and other organisms, such as pollinators and herbivores. However, no information is available on whether it can also shape the functioning of mycorrhizal symbiosis. ? Methods: The mycorrhizal growth response was assessed for three angiosperms with intraspecific ploidy variation. Different cytotypes of Aster amellus, Campanula gentilis, and Pimpinella saxifraga were either left uninoculated or were inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in a pot experiment. After 3 mo of cultivation in a greenhouse, plant growth, phosphorus concentration in the shoot biomass, and development of the AM symbiosis were evaluated. ? Key results: No significant ploidy-specific differences in AM development were recorded. The inoculation led to consistently greater phosphorus uptake; however, the effect on plant growth differed considerably among plant species, populations, ploidy levels, and AM species. A salient ploidy-specific response was observed in A. amellus. Whereas diploid plants benefited from AM inoculation, the hexaploids consistently showed negative or no-growth responses (depending on the AM species). In contrast to A. amellus, no interactions between inoculation and ploidy were observed in C. gentilis and P. saxifraga. ? Conclusions: The first evidence is provided of a ploidy-specific response of a mycotrophic plant to AM fungi. Our results demonstrate the complexity of interaction between plants and associated AM fungi, with the ploidy level of the host plant being one component that may modulate the functioning of the symbiosis.     

In vitro fermentation of various carbohydrate-rich feed ingredients combined with chyme from pigs

Increased carbohydrate fermentation, compared with protein fermentation, could benefit gut health. In two in vitro experiments, the effect of carbohydrate-rich feed ingredients on fermentation characteristics of ileal chyme from pigs was assessed, using the cumulative gas production technique. Ingredients of the first experiment included gums, inulins, pectins, transgalacto-oligosaccharides, lactose and xylan. In the second experiment, a gum, pectin and transgalacto-oligosaccharides were added at different starting weights, to determine their effects on fermentation characteristics of chyme, in relation to differences in the carbohydrate concentrations. In comparison to fermentation of chyme alone, added carbohydrates led to higher total gas production (p < 0.05), faster maximum rate of gas production (except for xylan) (p < 0.05), and a decreased branched-chain fatty acids to straight chain fatty acids ratio (BCR) (p < 0.05). In the second experiment, for all carbohydrate ingredients, the BCR decreased with increasing starting weights (p < 0.05). If these supplemented dietary carbohydrates were to reach the terminal ileum of the living animal, carbohydrate fermentation in the large intestine could be stimulated, which is known to have beneficial effects on host health.     

Genotypic and environmental variation in specific leaf area in a widespread Alpine plant after transplantation to different altitudes

Specific leaf area (SLA) is an important plant functional trait as it is an indicator of ecophysiological characteristics like relative growth rate, stress tolerance and leaf longevity. Substantial intraspecific variation in SLA is common and usually correlates with environmental conditions. For instance, SLA decreases with increasing altitude, which is understood as adjustment to temperature. It is generally assumed that intraspecific variation is mostly the result of environmentally induced phenotypic plasticity, but genetic effects may also be present, due to local adaptation or genetic drift. In this study, genotypic and environmental effects on SLA were experimentally separated for the widespread Alpine bell flower Campanula thyrsoides by transplanting plants to three common gardens at contrasting altitudes (600, 1,235 and 1,850 m a.s.l.). Seeds were sampled from 18 populations in four phylogeographic regions within the European Alps. A strong plastic response was observed: SLA decreased with increasing altitude of the common gardens (22.0% of variation). The phylogeographic regions were differentiated in SLA in the common gardens (10.1% of variation), indicating that SLA is at least partly genetically determined. Plants from the six easternmost populations experienced a submediterranean climate and showed decreased SLA values in the three common gardens compared to populations to the west, which may be explained as adaptation to drought. Within these submediterranean populations, SLA decreased with altitude of origin in two out of three common gardens. Concluding, SLA shows strong phenotypic plasticity as well as substantial genetic effects, the latter probably being the result of adaptation to local conditions rather than genetic drift.