象山港网箱养殖区沉积物的古菌空间分布

对象山港网箱养殖区及其周边沉积物中古菌群落的空间分布进行研究,应用基于16S rRNA基因的T-RFLP(末端限制性片段多态性分析)技术分析象山港网箱养殖区及其周边不同深度沉积物中古菌的群落结构和多样性,并构建克隆文库进行系统发育学分析。测定沉积物各项理化因子,通过PCA和RDA分析了古菌群落分布及其与环境因子之间的关系。结果表明,泉古菌是港口沉积物中的优势古菌群,占古菌群落的50%以上。网箱养殖区沉积物的古菌群落结构较非养殖区简单,多样性降低。非养殖区古菌群落随深度呈现有规律的变化。营养盐类和pH是造成养殖区域古菌群落结构区别于非养殖区域的主要环境因素。     

施肥对设施菜地nirK型反硝化细菌群落结构和丰度的影响

采用末端限制性片段多态性分析(T-RFLP)和实时荧光定量PCR(real-time PCR)方法,研究了甘肃武威设施菜地不同施肥条件下0～20 cm、20～40 cm土层中土壤nirK型反硝化细菌群落结构和丰度的变化.结果表明： 施肥对土壤中nirK型反硝化细菌的群落结构具有明显影响,且对70、156、190 bp片段所代表设施菜地土壤优势种群影响最显著.施肥对0～20 cm土层nirK型反硝化细菌丰度有明显影响,其最大值出现在全有机肥(M)处理、为每克干土2.16×10⁷个拷贝数,分别是对照(CK)和全化肥(NPK)处理的2.04和2.02倍.设施菜地土壤0～20 cm与20～40 cm土层nirK型反硝化细菌的优势种群及其基因丰度均存在显著差异,且设施菜地土壤中nirK型反硝化细菌的群落结构和丰度与大田差异明显.土壤pH值、有机质及硝酸盐含量均影响nirK型反硝化细菌的群落结构和丰度.系统发育分析结果表明,土壤中除存在与厌氧反硝化细菌亲缘相近的nirK型反硝化微生物外,还存在与好氧反硝化菌亲缘关系相近的nirK型反硝化微生物,如根瘤菌属、苍白杆菌属、土壤杆菌属等.
     

旱直播条件下强弱化感潜力水稻根际微生物的群落结构

运用末端限制性片段长度多态性(T-RFLP)技术,以强化感水稻品种PI312777和弱化感水稻品种Lemont为材料,研究了旱直播模式下5叶期和7叶期化感水稻根际土壤微生物的组成和结构。结果显示:HaeⅢ和MspⅠ2种内切酶分别检测到9—87个TRFs、15—89个TRFs,各个样本的TRFs排序间存在极显著差异,表明各样本的微生物的相对丰富度存在极显著差异。用物种丰富度(S)、香隆指数(H)、Simpson多样性指数(D)、均匀度指数(E)评价了6个样本中TRFs的多样性,香隆指数最能体现2个酶切片断中TRFs的多样性,PI7中TRFs多样性最高。聚类分析和主成分分析表明旱作条件下强弱化感潜力水稻在生育前期(5叶期以前)根际微生物群落的组成与结构相似性较大,而7叶期强弱化感水稻及对照之间微生物群落差异较大,表明水稻根际微生物的组成既受生育期的影响又受水稻品种的影响。7叶期的化感水稻根际微生物呈现最大物种丰富度和香隆-威尔指数多样性,在其特有的34个菌中有7个属于粘细菌目,另外还有一些滑行菌和一些与氮循环相关的细菌等。粘细菌可能通过次生代谢产物抑制伴生杂草种子的萌发,降低杂草的密度从而提高化感水稻的化感作用潜力。     

太子参连作对根际土壤微生物的影响

采用微生物培养法和末端限制性片断长度多态性(T-RFLP)技术分析连作对太子参根际土壤微生物多样性的影响。结果表明:连作导致太子参根际土壤细菌和好气性自生固氮菌数量极显著下降,相反,真菌、放线菌、厌气性纤维素分解菌数量极显著增加,而硝化细菌数量变化不显著。T-RFLP分析显示:与太子参-水稻-太子参轮作的土壤相比,太子参连作的土壤细菌种(属)略有减少,其中致病菌和病原菌种(属)增多,并出现一些具拮抗功能的链霉菌属(种);真菌种(属)则表现出上升的趋势,但未检索到与植物致病相关的真菌种(属)。     

Determining a minimum detection threshold in terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis

Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis is a common technique used to characterize soil microbial diversity. The fidelity of this technique in accurately reporting diversity has not been thoroughly evaluated. Here we determine if rare fungal species can be reliably detected by T-RFLP analysis. Spores from three arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal species were each mixed at a range of concentrations (1%, 10%, 50%, and 100%) with Glomus irregulare to establish a minimum detection threshold. T-RFLP analysis was capable of detecting diagnostic peaks of rare taxa at concentrations as low as 1%. The relative proportion of the target taxa in the sample and DNA concentration influenced peak detection reliability. However, low concentrations produced small, inconsistent electropherogram peaks contributing to difficulty in differentiating true peaks from signal noise. The results of this experiment suggest T-RFLP is a reproducible and high fidelity procedure, which requires careful data interpretation in order to accurately characterize sample diversity.     

Nest specificity of the bacterial community in termite guts (Hodotermes mossambicus)

While recent results have provided strong evidence for the presence of a stable gut microbiota among several termite species, little is known about variations at the colony or individual level. Using a cultivation-independent approach, we investigated the structure of the bacterial community in the gut of termites from four different colonies of Hodotermes mossambicus. 16S rRNA-based terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of the bacterial gut microbiota revealed (1) a high consistency of the gut microbiota among nestmates and (2) subtle but distinct differences in community structure between individuals from different colonies. Since products of bacterial metabolism may contribute to a colony odor that can be used as discriminatory signal, the presence of a colony-specific bacterial community adds support to the hypothesis that the gut microbiota of termites is involved in nestmate recognition. Received 12 July 2005; revised 10 February and 15 March 2006; accepted 7 April 2006.     

Heterogeneous response to biostimulation for U(VI) reduction in replicated sediment microcosms

A field-scale experiment to assess biostimulation of uranium reduction is underway at the Natural and Accelerated Bioremediation Research Field Research Center (FRC) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. To simulate the field experiment, we established replicate batch microcosms containing well-mixed contaminated sediment from a well within the FRC treatment zone, and we added an inoculum from a pilot-scale fluidized bed reactor representing the inoculum in the field experiment. After reduction of nitrate, both sulfate and soluble U(VI) concentration decreased. X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy confirmed formation of U(IV) in sediment from biostimulated microcosms, but did not detect reduction of solid-phase Fe(III). Two to three fragments dominated terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) profiles of the 16S rDNA gene. Comparison to a clone library indicated these fragments represented denitrifying organisms related to Acidovorax, and Acidovorax isolates from the inoculum were subsequently shown to reduce U(VI). Investigation using the T-RFLP Analysis Program (TAP T-RFLP) and chemical analyses detected the presence and activity of fermenting and sulfate-reducing bacteria after 2 weeks. These organisms likely contributed to uranium reduction. In some microcosms, soluble U(VI) concentration leveled off or rebounded, indicating microbial and/or mineralogical heterogeneity among samples. Sulfate, acetate, and ethanol were depleted only in those microcosms exhibiting a rebound in soluble U(VI). This suggests that rates of U(VI) desorption can exceed rates of U(VI) reduction when sulfate-reducing bacteria become substrate-limited. These observations underscore the importance of effective chemical delivery and the role of serial and parallel processes in uranium reduction.     

Bacterial community changes in TCE biodegradation detected in microcosm experiments

Laboratory microcosm experiments were set up to model biodegradation of trichloroethylene (TCE). Groundwater samples from two contaminated sites were taken, one of them with low (70 mg L⁻¹), the other with high sulfate (685 mg L⁻¹) concentration. In order to assess the biodegradative potential of natural microbiota, supplementary substrates (whey or molasses) were added to the bottles. At day 54, 98, 155, and 318, chemical and bacteriological parameters (i.e., Dehalococcoides test) were investigated. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) based diversity assessments were carried out to observe the bacterial community changes. Whey and molasses enhanced degradation at different rates. In the case of samples with high sulfate content and amended with whey, no ethylene, ethane, or methane was generated. Both ethylene and methane production was detected in samples of low sulfate content with added whey. The results of Dehalococcoides tests were positive for all control and amended samples. Based on T-RFLP analysis, the bacterial communities of high sulfate concentration groundwater microcosms amended with molasses or whey were very similar, while the communities of groundwater samples with low sulfate concentration were different when supplemented with whey or molasses. The rRNA and rDNA based investigations suggest that the proportions of the active microbes and the microbes present in the microcosms differ.     

Sulfonate desulfurization in Rhodococcus from wheat rhizosphere communities

Organically bound sulfur makes up about 90% of the total sulfur in soils, with sulfonates often the dominant fraction. Actinobacteria affiliated to the genus Rhodococcus were able to desulfonate arylsulfonates in wheat rhizospheres from the Broadbalk long-term field wheat experiment, which includes plots treated with inorganic fertilizer with and without sulfate, with farmyard manure, and unfertilized plots. Direct isolation of desulfonating rhizobacteria yielded Rhodococcus strains which grew well with a range of sulfonates, and contained the asfAB genes, known to be involved in sulfonate desulfurization by bacteria. Expression of asfA in vitro increased >100-fold during growth of the Rhodococcus isolates with toluenesulfonate as sulfur source, compared with growth with sulfate. By contrast, the closely related Rhodococcus erythropolis and Rhodococcus opacus type strains had no desulfonating activity and did not contain asfA homologues. The overall actinobacterial community structure in wheat rhizospheres was influenced by the sulfur fertilization regime, as shown by specific denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of PCR amplified 16S rRNA gene fragments, and asfAB clone library analysis identified nine different asfAB genotypes closely affiliated to the Rhodococcus isolates. However, asfAB -based multiplex restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP)/terminal-RFLP analysis of wheat rhizosphere communities revealed only slight differences between the fertilization regimes, suggesting that the desulfonating Rhodococcus community does not specifically respond to changes in sulfate supply.