scholarly journals Correlation of Dehalococcoides 16S rRNA and Chloroethene-Reductive Dehalogenase Genes with Geochemical Conditions in Chloroethene-Contaminated Groundwater

2009 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 843-850 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bas van der Zaan ◽  
Fredericke Hannes ◽  
Nanne Hoekstra ◽  
Huub Rijnaarts ◽  
Willem M. de Vos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
16S Rrna ◽  
Gene Copy ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Chlorinated Ethene ◽  
Monitoring Wells ◽  
Geochemical Conditions ◽  
Copy Numbers ◽  
Gene Copies ◽  
Reductase Gene ◽  
Gene Copy Numbers

ABSTRACT Quantitative analysis of genes that code for Dehalococcoides 16S rRNA and chloroethene-reductive dehalogenases TceA, VcrA, and BvcA was done on groundwater sampled from 150 monitoring wells spread over 11 chlorinated ethene polluted European locations. Redundancy analysis was used to relate molecular data to geochemical conditions. Dehalococcoides 16S rRNA- and vinyl chloride (VC)-reductase genes were present at all tested locations in concentrations up to 106 gene copies per ml of groundwater. However, differences between and also within locations were observed. Variation in Dehalococcoides 16S rRNA gene copy numbers were most strongly correlated to dissolved organic carbon concentration in groundwater and to conditions appropriate for biodegradation of chlorinated ethenes (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency score). In contrast, vcrA gene copy numbers correlated most significantly to VC and chlorinated ethene concentrations. Interestingly, bvcA and especially tceA were more correlated with oxidizing conditions. In groundwater microcosms, dechlorination of 1 mM VC was correlated to an increase of vcrA and/or bvcA gene copies by 2 to 4 orders of magnitude. Interestingly, in 34% of the monitoring wells and in 40% of the active microcosms, the amount of individual VC-reductase gene copies exceeded that of Dehalococcoides 16S rRNA gene copies. It is concluded that the geographical distribution of the genes was not homogeneous, depending on the geochemical conditions, whereby tceA and bvcA correlated to more oxidized conditions than Dehalococcoides 16S rRNA and vcrA. Because the variation in VC-reductase gene numbers was not directly correlated to variation in Dehalococcoides spp., VC-reductase genes are better monitoring parameters for VC dechlorination capacity than Dehalococcoides spp.

scholarly journals High-resolution microbiome analysis enabled by linking of 16S rRNA gene sequences with adjacent genomic contexts

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Žana Kapustina ◽  
Justina Medžiūnė ◽  
Gediminas Alzbutas ◽  
Irmantas Rokaitis ◽  
Karolis Matjošaitis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
16S Rrna ◽  
16S Rrna Gene ◽  
16S Rrna Sequencing ◽  
Gene Copy ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Gene Sequences ◽  
Copy Numbers ◽  
Rrna Sequencing ◽  
Metagenome Sequencing ◽  
Gene Copy Numbers

Sequence-based characterization of bacterial communities has long been a hostage of limitations of both 16S rRNA gene and whole metagenome sequencing. Neither approach is universally applicable, and the main efforts to resolve constraints have been devoted to improvement of computational prediction tools. Here, we present semi-targeted 16S rRNA sequencing (st16S-seq), a method designed for sequencing V1–V2 regions of the 16S rRNA gene along with the genomic locus upstream of the gene. By in silico analysis of 13 570 bacterial genome assemblies, we show that genome-linked 16S rRNA sequencing is superior to individual hypervariable regions or full-length gene sequences in terms of classification accuracy and identification of gene copy numbers. Using mock communities and soil samples we experimentally validate st16S-seq and benchmark it against the established microbial classification techniques. We show that st16S-seq delivers accurate estimation of 16S rRNA gene copy numbers, enables taxonomic resolution at the species level and closely approximates community structures obtainable by whole metagenome sequencing.

scholarly journals Discrimination of Multiple Dehalococcoides Strains in a Trichloroethene Enrichment by Quantification of Their Reductive Dehalogenase Genes

2006 ◽  
Vol 72 (9) ◽  
pp. 5877-5883 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor F. Holmes ◽  
Jianzhong He ◽  
Patrick K. H. Lee ◽  
Lisa Alvarez-Cohen
Keyword(s):  
16S Rrna ◽  
16S Rrna Gene ◽  
Gene Copy ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Sequence Matching ◽  
Relative Copy Number ◽  
Reductive Dehalogenase ◽  
Copy Numbers ◽  
Reductase Gene ◽  
Reductive Dehalogenase Genes

ABSTRACT While many anaerobic microbial communities are capable of reductively dechlorinating tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) to dichloroethene (DCE), vinyl chloride (VC), and finally ethene, the accumulation of the highly toxic intermediates, cis-DCE (cDCE) and VC, presents a challenge for bioremediation processes. Members of the genus Dehalococcoides are apparently solely responsible for dechlorination beyond DCE, but isolates of Dehalococcoides each metabolize only a subset of PCE dechlorination intermediates and the interactions among distinct Dehalococcoides strains that result in complete dechlorination are not well understood. Here we apply quantitative PCR to 16S rRNA and reductase gene sequences to discriminate and track Dehalococcoides strains in a TCE enrichment derived from soil taken from the Alameda Naval Air Station (ANAS) using a four-gene plasmid standard. This standard increased experimental accuracy such that 16S rRNA and summed reductase gene copy numbers matched to within 10%. The ANAS culture was found to contain only a single Dehalococcoides 16S rRNA gene sequence, matching that of D. ethenogenes 195, but both the vcrA and tceA reductive dehalogenase genes. Quantities of these two genes in the enrichment summed to the quantity of the Dehalococcoides 16S rRNA gene. Further, between ANAS subcultures enriched on TCE, cDCE, or VC, the relative copy number of the two dehalogenases shifted 14-fold, indicating that the genes are present in two different Dehalococcoides strains. Comparison of cell yields in VC-, cDCE-, and TCE-enriched subcultures suggests that the tceA-containing strain is responsible for nearly all of the TCE and cDCE metabolism in ANAS, whereas the vcrA-containing strain is responsible for all of the VC metabolism.

scholarly journals Correcting for 16S rRNA gene copy numbers in microbiome surveys remains an unsolved problem

Microbiome ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stilianos Louca ◽  
Michael Doebeli ◽  
Laura Wegener Parfrey
Keyword(s):  
16S Rrna ◽  
16S Rrna Gene ◽  
Unsolved Problem ◽  
Gene Copy ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Copy Numbers ◽  
Gene Copy Numbers

scholarly journals Quantification of Burkholderia coxL Genes in Hawaiian Volcanic Deposits

2010 ◽  
Vol 76 (7) ◽  
pp. 2212-2217 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. F. Weber ◽  
G. M. King
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Monoxide ◽  
16S Rrna ◽  
16S Rrna Gene ◽  
Large Subunit ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Gene Copy ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Copy Numbers ◽  
Volcanic Deposits ◽  
Gene Copy Numbers

ABSTRACT Isolation of multiple carbon monoxide (CO)-oxidizing Burkholderia strains and detection by culture-independent approaches suggest that Burkholderia may be an important component of CO-oxidizing communities in Hawaiian volcanic deposits. The absolute and relative abundance of the bacteria in these communities remains unknown, however. In this study, a quantitative PCR (Q-PCR) approach has been developed to enumerate Burkholderia coxL genes (large subunit of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase). This represents the first attempt to enumerate coxL genes from CO oxidizers in environmental samples. coxL copy numbers have been determined for samples from three sites representing a vegetation gradient on a 1959 volcanic deposit that included unvegetated cinders (bare), edges of vegetated sites (edge), and sites within tree stands (canopy). Q-PCR has also been used to estimate copy numbers of Betaproteobacteria 16S rRNA gene copy numbers and total Bacteria 16S rRNA. coxL genes could not be detected in the bare site (detection limit, ≥4.7 � 103 copies per reaction) but average 1.0 � 108 � 2.4 � 107 and 8.6 � 108 � 7.6 �107 copies g−1 (dry weight) in edge and canopy sites, respectively, which differ statistically (P = 0.0007). Average Burkholderia coxL gene copy numbers, expressed as a percentage of total Bacteria 16S rRNA gene copy numbers, are 6.2 and 0.7% for the edge and canopy sites, respectively. Although the percentage of Burkholderia coxL is lower in the canopy site, significantly greater gene copy numbers demonstrate that absolute abundance of coxL increases in vegetated sites and contributes to the expansion of CO oxidizer communities during biological succession on volcanic deposits.

scholarly journals Quantifying Genes and Transcripts To Assess the In Situ Physiology of “Dehalococcoides” spp. in a Trichloroethene-Contaminated Groundwater Site

2008 ◽  
Vol 74 (9) ◽  
pp. 2728-2739 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick K. H. Lee ◽  
Tamzen W. Macbeth ◽  
Kent S. Sorenson ◽  
Rula A. Deeb ◽  
Lisa Alvarez-Cohen
Keyword(s):  
16S Rrna ◽  
16S Rrna Gene ◽  
Gene Copy ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Copy Numbers ◽  
Field Samples ◽  
Rdase Genes ◽  
Gene Copy Numbers ◽  
The 16S Rrna Gene

ABSTRACT Quantitative PCR (qPCR) was coupled with reverse transcription (RT) to analyze both gene copy numbers and transcripts of the 16S rRNA gene and three reductive dehalogenase (RDase) genes (tceA, vcrA, and bvcA) as biomarkers of “Dehalococcoides” spp. in the groundwater of a trichloroethene-dense nonaqueous-phase liquid site at Fort Lewis, WA, that was sequentially subjected to biostimulation and bioaugmentation. Dehalococcoides cells carrying the tceA, vcrA, and bvcA genes were indigenous to the site. The sum of the three identified RDase gene copy numbers closely correlated to 16S rRNA gene copy numbers throughout the biostimulation and bioaugmentation activity, suggesting that these RDase genes represented the major Dehalococcoides metabolic functions at this site. Biomarker quantification revealed an overall increase of more than 3 orders of magnitude in the total Dehalococcoides population through the 1-year monitoring period (spanning biostimulation and bioaugmentation), and measurement of the respective RDase gene concentrations indicated different growth dynamics among Dehalococcoides cells. The Dehalococcoides cells containing the tceA gene consistently lagged behind other Dehalococcoides cells in population numbers and made up less than 5% of the total Dehalococcoides population, whereas the vcrA- and bvcA-containing cells represented the dominant fractions. Quantification of transcripts in groundwater samples verified that the 16S rRNA gene and the bvcA and vcrA genes were consistently highly expressed in all samples examined, while the tceA transcripts were detected inconsistently, suggesting a less active physiological state of the cells with this gene. The production of vinyl chloride and ethene toward the end of treatment supported the physiological activity of the bvcA- and vcrA-carrying cells. A clone library of the expressed RDase genes in field samples produced with degenerate primers revealed the expression of two putative RDase genes that were not previously monitored with RT-qPCR. The level of abundance of one of the putative RDase genes (FtL-RDase-1638) identified in the cDNA clone library tracked closely in field samples with abundance of the bvcA gene, suggesting that the FtL-RDase-1638 gene was likely colocated in genomes containing the bvcA gene. Overall, results from this study demonstrate that quantification of biomarker dynamics at field sites can provide useful information about the in situ physiology of Dehalococcoides strains and their associated activity.

scholarly journals Archaeal Abundance across a pH Gradient in an Arable Soil and Its Relationship to Bacterial and Fungal Growth Rates

2012 ◽  
Vol 78 (16) ◽  
pp. 5906-5911 ◽  
Author(s):  
Per Bengtson ◽  
Anna E. Sterngren ◽  
Johannes Rousk
Keyword(s):  
16S Rrna ◽  
16S Rrna Gene ◽  
Soil Ph ◽  
Fungal Growth ◽  
Ph Gradient ◽  
Gene Copy ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Copy Numbers ◽  
Ph Range ◽  
Gene Copy Numbers

ABSTRACTSoil pH is one of the most influential factors for the composition of bacterial and fungal communities, but the influence of soil pH on the distribution and composition of soil archaeal communities has yet to be systematically addressed. The primary aim of this study was to determine how total archaeal abundance (quantitative PCR [qPCR]-based estimates of 16S rRNA gene copy numbers) is related to soil pH across a pH gradient (pH 4.0 to 8.3). Secondarily, we wanted to assess how archaeal abundance related to bacterial and fungal growth rates across the same pH gradient. We identified two distinct and opposite effects of pH on the archaeal abundance. In the lowest pH range (pH 4.0 to 4.7), the abundance of archaea did not seem to correspond to pH. Above this pH range, there was a sharp, almost 4-fold decrease in archaeal abundance, reaching a minimum at pH 5.1 to 5.2. The low abundance of archaeal 16S rRNA gene copy numbers at this pH range then sharply increased almost 150-fold with pH, resulting in an increase in the ratio between archaeal and bacterial copy numbers from a minimum of 0.002 to more than 0.07 at pH 8. The nonuniform archaeal response to pH could reflect variation in the archaeal community composition along the gradient, with some archaea adapted to acidic conditions and others to neutral to slightly alkaline conditions. This suggestion is reinforced by observations of contrasting outcomes of the (competitive) interactions between archaea, bacteria, and fungi toward the lower and higher ends of the examined pH gradient.

scholarly journals Nonstarch Polysaccharides Modulate Bacterial Microbiota, Pathways for Butyrate Production, and Abundance of Pathogenic Escherichia coli in the Pig Gastrointestinal Tract

2010 ◽  
Vol 76 (11) ◽  
pp. 3692-3701 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara U. Metzler-Zebeli ◽  
Seema Hooda ◽  
Robert Pieper ◽  
Ruurd T. Zijlstra ◽  
Andrew G. van Kessel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Bacterial Community ◽  
High Viscosity ◽  
Gene Copy ◽  
Low Viscosity ◽  
Copy Numbers ◽  
Gene Copies ◽  
Nonstarch Polysaccharides ◽  
Gene Copy Numbers ◽  
Butyrate Production

ABSTRACT The impact of nonstarch polysaccharides (NSP) differing in their functional properties on intestinal bacterial community composition, prevalence of butyrate production pathway genes, and occurrence of Escherichia coli virulence factors was studied for eight ileum-cannulated growing pigs by use of terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP) and quantitative PCR. A cornstarch- and casein-based diet was supplemented with low-viscosity, low-fermentability cellulose (CEL), with high-viscosity, low-fermentability carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), with low-viscosity, high-fermentability oat β-glucan (LG), and with high-viscosity, high-fermentability oat β-glucan (HG). Only minor effects of NSP fractions on the ileal bacterial community were observed, but NSP clearly changed the digestion in the small intestine. Compared to what was observed for CMC, more fermentable substrate was transferred into the large intestine with CEL, LG, and HG, resulting in higher levels of postileal dry-matter disappearance. Linear discriminant analysis of NSP and TRFLP profiles and 16S rRNA gene copy numbers for major bacterial groups revealed that CMC resulted in a distinctive bacterial community in comparison to the other NSP, which was characterized by higher gene copy numbers for total bacteria, Bacteroides-Prevotella-Porphyromonas, Clostridium cluster XIVa, and Enterobacteriaceae and increased prevalences of E. coli virulence factors in feces. The numbers of butyryl-coenzyme A (CoA) CoA transferase gene copies were higher than those of butyrate kinase gene copies in feces, and these quantities were affected by NSP. The present results suggest that the NSP fractions clearly and distinctly affected the taxonomic composition and metabolic features of the fecal microbiota. However, the effects were more linked to the individual NSP and to their effect on nutrient flow into the large intestine than to their shared functional properties.

scholarly journals Quantitative Detection of the nosZ Gene, Encoding Nitrous Oxide Reductase, and Comparison of the Abundances of 16S rRNA, narG, nirK, and nosZ Genes in Soils

2006 ◽  
Vol 72 (8) ◽  
pp. 5181-5189 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Henry ◽  
D. Bru ◽  
B. Stres ◽  
S. Hallet ◽  
L. Philippot
Keyword(s):  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
16S Rrna ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Real Time Pcr ◽  
Gene Copy ◽  
Nitrous Oxide Reductase ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
Copy Numbers ◽  
Dry Soil ◽  
Gene Copy Numbers

ABSTRACT Nitrous oxide (N2O) is an important greenhouse gas in the troposphere controlling ozone concentration in the stratosphere through nitric oxide production. In order to quantify bacteria capable of N2O reduction, we developed a SYBR green quantitative real-time PCR assay targeting the nosZ gene encoding the catalytic subunit of the nitrous oxide reductase. Two independent sets of nosZ primers flanking the nosZ fragment previously used in diversity studies were designed and tested (K. Kloos, A. Mergel, C. Rösch, and H. Bothe, Aust. J. Plant Physiol. 28:991-998, 2001). The utility of these real-time PCR assays was demonstrated by quantifying the nosZ gene present in six different soils. Detection limits were between 101 and 102 target molecules per reaction for all assays. Sequence analysis of 128 cloned quantitative PCR products confirmed the specificity of the designed primers. The abundance of nosZ genes ranged from 105 to 107 target copies g−1 of dry soil, whereas genes for 16S rRNA were found at 108 to 109 target copies g−1 of dry soil. The abundance of narG and nirK genes was within the upper and lower limits of the 16S rRNA and nosZ gene copy numbers. The two sets of nosZ primers gave similar gene copy numbers for all tested soils. The maximum abundance of nosZ and nirK relative to 16S rRNA was 5 to 6%, confirming the low proportion of denitrifiers to total bacteria in soils.

scholarly journals Detection and Quantification of Geobacter lovleyi Strain SZ: Implications for Bioremediation at Tetrachloroethene- and Uranium-Impacted Sites

2007 ◽  
Vol 73 (21) ◽  
pp. 6898-6904 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin K. Amos ◽  
Youlboong Sung ◽  
Kelly E. Fletcher ◽  
Terry J. Gentry ◽  
Wei-Min Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
16S Rrna ◽  
16S Rrna Gene ◽  
Nested Pcr ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Chlorinated Ethene ◽  
Oak Ridge ◽  
Chlorinated Solvent ◽  
Gene Copies ◽  
Groundwater Samples ◽  
Template Dna

ABSTRACTGeobacter lovleyistrain SZ reduces hexavalent uranium, U(VI), to U(IV) and is the first member of the metal-reducingGeobactergroup capable of using tetrachloroethene (PCE) as a growth-supporting electron acceptor. Direct and nested PCR with specific 16S rRNA gene-targeted primer pairs distinguished strain SZ from other known chlorinated ethene-dechlorinating bacteria and closely relatedGeobacterisolates, including its closest cultured relative,G. thiogenes. Detection limits for direct and nested PCR were approximately 1 � 106and 1 � 10416S rRNA gene copies per μl of template DNA, respectively. A quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) approach increased the sensitivity to as few as 30 16S rRNA gene copies per μl of template DNA but was less specific. Melting curve analysis and comparison of the shapes of amplification plots identified false-positive signals and distinguished strain SZ fromG. thiogeneswhen analyzed separately. These indicators were less reliable when target (strain SZ) DNA and nontarget (G. thiogenes) DNA with high sequence similarity were mixed, indicating that the development of qPCR protocols should not only evaluate specificity but also explore the effects of nontarget DNA on the accuracy of quantification. Application of specific tools detected strain SZ-like amplicons in PCE-dechlorinating consortia, including the bioaugmentation consortium KB-1, and two chlorinated ethene-impacted groundwater samples. Strain SZ-like amplicons were also detected in 13 of 22 groundwater samples following biostimulation at the uranium- and chlorinated solvent-contaminated Integrated Field-Scale Subsurface Research Challenge (IFC) site in Oak Ridge, TN. The numbers of strain SZ-like cells increased from below detection to 2.3 � 107� 0.1 � 107per liter groundwater, suggesting that strain SZ-like organisms contribute to contaminant transformation. TheG. lovleyistrain SZ-specific tools will be useful for monitoring bioremediation efforts at uranium- and/or chlorinated solvent-impacted sites such as the Oak Ridge IFC site.

scholarly journals Comparison of Different Approaches To QuantifyStaphylococcus aureus Cells by Real-Time Quantitative PCR and Application of This Technique for Examination of Cheese

2001 ◽  
Vol 67 (7) ◽  
pp. 3122-3126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingeborg Hein ◽  
Angelika Lehner ◽  
Petra Rieck ◽  
Kurt Klein ◽  
Ernst Brandl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Quantitative Pcr ◽  
Taqman Probe ◽  
Gene Copy ◽  
Real Time Quantitative Pcr ◽  
Copy Numbers ◽  
Gene Copies ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Pure Cultures ◽  
Gene Copy Numbers

ABSTRACT Two different real-time quantitative PCR (RTQ-PCR) approaches were applied for PCR-based quantification of Staphylococcus aureus cells by targeting the thermonuclease (nuc) gene. Purified DNA extracts from pure cultures ofS. aureus were quantified in a LightCycler system using SYBR Green I. Quantification proved to be less sensitive (60nuc gene copies/μl) than using a fluorigenic TaqMan probe (6 nuc gene copies/μl). Comparison of the LightCycler system and the well-established ABI Prism 7700 SDS with TaqMan probes revealed no statistically significant differences with respect to sensitivity and reproducibility. Application of the RTQ-PCR assay to quantify S. aureus cells in artificially contaminated cheeses of different types achieved sensitivities from 1.5 � 102 to 6.4 � 102 copies of the nuc gene/2 g, depending on the cheese matrix. The coefficients of correlation between log CFU and nuc gene copy numbers ranged from 0.979 to 0.998, thus enabling calculation of the number of CFU of S. aureus in cheese by performing RTQ-PCR.

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