Marine microorganisms as an untapped source of bioactive compounds

The search for novel biologically active molecules has extended to the screening of organisms associated with less explored environments. In this sense, Oceans, which cover nearly the 67% of the globe, are interesting ecosystems characterized by a high biodiversity that is worth being explored. As such, marine microorganisms are highly interesting as promising sources of new bioactive compounds of potential value to humans. Some of these microorganisms are able to survive in extreme marine environments and, as a result, they produce complex molecules with unique biological interesting properties for a wide variety of industrial and biotechnological applications. Thus, different marine microorganisms (fungi, myxomycetes, bacteria, and microalgae) producing compounds with antioxidant, antibacterial, apoptotic, antitumoral and antiviral activities have been already isolated. This review compiles and discusses the discovery of bioactive molecules from marine microorganisms reported from 2018 onwards. Moreover, it highlights the huge potential of marine microorganisms for obtaining highly valuable bioactive compounds.     

Further reading in geomicrobiology

In the wetland rhizosphere, high densities of lithotrophic Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria (FeOB) and a favorable environment (i.e., high Fe(II) availability and microaerobic conditions) suggest that these organisms are actively contributing to the formation of Fe plaque on plant roots. We manipulated the presence/absence of an Fe(II)-oxidizing bacterium (Sideroxydans paludicola, strain BrT) in axenic hydroponic microcosms containing the roots of intact Juncus effusus (soft rush) plants to determine if FeOB affected total rates of rhizosphere Fe(II) oxidation and Fe plaque accumulation. Our experimental data highlight the importance of both FeOB and plants in influencing short-term rates of rhizosphere Fe oxidation. Over time scales ca. 1 wk, the FeOB increased Fe(II) oxidation rates by 1.3 to 1.7 times relative to FeOB-free microcosms. Across multiple experimental trials, Fe(II) oxidation rates were significantly correlated with root biomass, reflecting the importance of radial O ₂ loss in supporting rhizosphere Fe(II) oxidation. Rates of root Fe(III) plaque accumulation (time scales: 3 to 6 wk) were ～ 70 to 83% lower than expected based on the short-term Fe(II) oxidation rates and were unaffected by the presence/absence of FeOB. Decreasing rates of Fe(II) oxidation and Fe(III) plaque accumulation with increasing time scales indicate changes in rates of Fe(II) diffusion and radial O ₂ loss, shifts in the location of Fe oxide accumulation, or temporal changes in the microbial community within the microcosms. The microcosms used herein replicated many of the environmental characteristics of wetland systems and allowed us to demonstrate that FeOB can stimulate rates of Fe(II) oxidation in the wetland rhizosphere, a finding that has implications for the biogeochemical cycling of carbon, metals, and nutrients in wetland ecosystems.     

厌氧铁氧化菌研究进展

厌氧铁氧化菌(AFOM)是微生物学、地质学和环境学领域的重大发现.研究AFOM对于认识铁地质层形成,促进铁、氮、碳等元素的地球生物化学循环,丰富微生物学内容,开发厌氧铁氧化工艺,以及探索原始地球环境和外星生命现象,均有重要意义.本文综述了AFOM的研究进展,介绍了AFOM的存在生境,探讨了AFOM的物种多样性及其营养特性和代谢特性,阐述了AFOM在地质学、微生物学和环境学领域的潜在作用,并展望了AFOM在新物种发掘、代谢机理揭示以及开发应用等方面的研究方向.     

白蚁-共生微生物系统降解木质纤维素研究进展

开发利用木质纤维素材料能显著增加地球上可再生资源的储备量。白蚁分布广泛,常见于热带和亚热带地区,它们借助细菌、古细菌、真菌等肠道微生物和原生动物协同降解食物中的木质纤维素,在生态系统的碳、氮循环中发挥着十分重要的作用。本文概括了近年来白蚁肠道微生物研究的进展,特别是近年来已被证明的肠道微生物在木质纤维素降解方面的作用,以期为后续研究木质纤维素的降解提供参考信息。     

海洋浮游古菌MGII的研究进展

海洋浮游古菌MGⅡ是海洋表层水体中最丰富的古菌类群。自1992年被发现以来,如今依然没有被成功分离纯化。前人基于16S rRNA基因的研究认为MGⅡ可以被分为MGⅡa、MGⅡb和MGⅡc三个亚类。近年来,对大量的宏基因组测序数据的分析表明,MGⅡ在分类学上属于广古菌门热源体纲下的一个目,包含MGⅡa和MGⅡb两个科。以前通过16S rRNA基因高通量测序结果得出的少量MGⅡc,在宏基因组测序的数据中并没有找到,因此最近两年的研究认为MGⅡ主要由MGⅡa和MGⅡb组成。本文综述了海洋浮游古菌MGⅡ的丰度和多样性分布特征、潜在的生态功能、生态关系以及培养等方面的研究进展,比较了MGⅡa和MGⅡb的异同点,并对当前的研究热点和趋势进行了讨论和展望。     

Real‐time mid‐infrared imaging of living microorganisms

The speed and efficiency of quantum cascade laser‐based mid‐infrared microspectroscopy are demonstrated using two different model organisms as examples. For the slowly moving Amoeba proteus, a quantum cascade laser is tuned over the wavelength range of 7.6 µm to 8.6 µm (wavenumbers 1320 cm^–1 and 1160 cm^–1, respectively). The recording of a hyperspectral image takes 11.3 s whereby an average signal‐to‐noise ratio of 29 is achieved. The limits of time resolution are tested by imaging the fast moving Caenorhabditis elegans at a discrete wavenumber of 1265 cm^–1. Mid‐infrared imaging is performed with the 640 × 480 pixel video graphics array (VGA) standard and at a full‐frame time resolution of 0.02 s (i.e. well above the most common frame rate standards). An average signal‐to‐noise ratio of 16 is obtained. To the best of our knowledge, these findings constitute the first mid‐infrared imaging of living organisms at VGA standard and video frame rate.

     

Prototheca paracutis sp. nov., a novel oleaginous achlorophyllous microalga isolated from a mangrove forest

Two strains of yeast-like achlorophyllous alga belonging to the genus Prototheca were isolated from the water and soil, respectively, from a mangrove forest in Thailand. Cultures of both strains were achlorophyllous when grown under light and dark conditions, and they reproduced by release of sporangiospores. Phylogenetic analyses, based on the D1/D2 region of the large subunit ribosomal RNA gene and the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene nucleotide sequences, revealed these two strains were closely related to Prototheca cutis. The strains grew well at 25 °C, weakly or slowly at 30 °C, but not at 35 °C and higher, and were found to be susceptible to 50 μg/disk clotrimazole, as determined by the disk diffusion test. They assimilated a limited number of carbon/nitrogen compounds; glucose, galactose, trehalose, ethanol, glycerol, propylene glycol, lactic acid, fructose and mannose as sole sources of carbon, and ammonium, lysine and cadaverine as sole sources of nitrogen. The two strains are clearly distinguished from P. cutis by the abilities to assimilate polypropylene glycol and the inability to grow at 35 °C and higher. In this study, the ninth member of the genus Prototheca, Prototheca paracutis sp. nov. (ex-type strain YMTW3-1^T = JCM 32112^T = TBRC8745^T), is proposed. The MycoBank number is MB 821626. In addition, P. paracutis sp. nov. was observed to accumulate lipid at up to 21% of the cell dry weight, characterizing it as an oleaginous microorganism.     

微生物菌种保藏方法及关键技术

菌种是国家的重要生物资源,也是生产、教学和科学研究的基本材料。为确保菌种的质量和活力,需要正确的菌种保藏方法。阐述了菌种保藏的重要性、菌种保藏常见方法及其存在的问题,探讨了常用菌种的保藏技术及关键点,好的保藏方法可延长菌种的保存时间,又可防止菌种退化。     

不同种植年限猕猴桃园土壤微生物功能多样性研究

陕西秦岭北麓是世界上最大的猕猴桃生产基地,长期相对单一的果树种植方式导致不同种植年限果园土壤微生态环境差异。研究猕猴桃园土壤微生物功能多样性随种植年限的变化特征,为果园土壤科学管理提供参考。采集不同种植年限猕猴桃根际土壤,应用平板菌落计数法和Biolog-Eco法研究土壤微生物的数量、种群以及功能多样性,并对土壤微生物功能多样性与土壤养分的相关性进行分析。结果显示,猕猴桃园土壤可培养微生物以细菌为主,其次是放线菌,真菌数量最少。随着种植年限的增加,细菌和放线菌数量显著降低,而真菌数量显著升高。微生物平均颜色变化率(average well-color development,AWCD)、微生物群落Shannon-Wiener指数(H′)、Simpson指数(D)及McIntosh指数(U)均随种植年限的增加而显著降低。主成分分析显示,不同种植年限猕猴桃园土壤微生物碳源利用特征明显不同,0～5 a、5～10 a和10～20 a的猕猴桃园土壤微生物群落分别被划分在载荷图的第一、第四和第三象限。猕猴桃园土壤微生物对糖类、氨基酸类和酯类的利用率相对较高,而对醇类、胺类和酸类的利用率相对较低。对第1主成分贡献大的碳源(|r|≥0.5)有11种,其中糖类占36%,氨基酸类和酯类均占18%。土壤微生物功能多样性与土壤养分相关性分析表明,土壤微生物功能多样性与土壤有机质正相关,与有效磷和速效钾负相关。结果表明,随种植年限的增加,猕猴桃园土壤微生物的数量和结构发生变化,微生物功能多样性降低,对碳源利用能力降低。鉴于土壤微生物功能多样性与土壤养分的相关性,应合理加大有机肥施用量,适量减少有效磷和速效钾的施用量。