scholarly journals Recruitment of Members from the Rare Biosphere of Marine Bacterioplankton Communities after an Environmental Disturbance

2011 ◽  
Vol 78 (5) ◽  
pp. 1361-1369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Sjöstedt ◽  
Per Koch-Schmidt ◽  
Mikael Pontarp ◽  
Björn Canbäck ◽  
Anders Tunlid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
16S Rrna ◽  
Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Ecosystem Processes ◽  
16S Rrna Genes ◽  
Rrna Genes ◽  
Physiological Tolerance ◽  
Rare Biosphere ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Bacterioplankton Communities

ABSTRACTA bacterial community may be resistant to environmental disturbances if some of its species show metabolic flexibility and physiological tolerance to the changing conditions. Alternatively, disturbances can change the composition of the community and thereby potentially affect ecosystem processes. The impact of disturbance on the composition of bacterioplankton communities was examined in continuous seawater cultures. Bacterial assemblages from geographically closely connected areas, the Baltic Sea (salinity 7 and high dissolved organic carbon [DOC]) and Skagerrak (salinity 28 and low DOC), were exposed to gradual opposing changes in salinity and DOC over a 3-week period such that the Baltic community was exposed to Skagerrak salinity and DOC and vice versa. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and clone libraries of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA genes showed that the composition of the transplanted communities differed significantly from those held at constant salinity. Despite this, the growth yields (number of cells ml−1) were similar, which suggests similar levels of substrate utilization. Deep 454 pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes showed that the composition of the disturbed communities had changed due to the recruitment of phylotypes present in the rare biosphere of the original community. The study shows that members of the rare biosphere can become abundant in a bacterioplankton community after disturbance and that those bacteria can have important roles in maintaining ecosystem processes.

scholarly journals Unique Kinetic Properties of Phenol-Degrading Variovorax Strains Responsible for Efficient Trichloroethylene Degradation in a Chemostat Enrichment Culture

2005 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 904-911 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroyuki Futamata ◽  
Yayoi Nagano ◽  
Kazuya Watanabe ◽  
Akira Hiraishi
Keyword(s):  
16S Rrna ◽  
Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Competitive Inhibition ◽  
16S Rrna Genes ◽  
Rrna Genes ◽  
Kinetic Properties ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
High Affinity ◽  
Degrading Bacteria ◽  
Tce Degradation

ABSTRACT A chemostat enrichment of soil bacteria growing on phenol as the sole carbon source has been shown to exhibit quite high trichloroethylene (TCE)-degrading activities (H. Futamata, S. Harayama, and K. Watanabe, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67:4671-4677, 2001). To identify the bacterial populations responsible for the high TCE-degrading activity, a multidisciplinary survey of the chemostat enrichment was conducted by employing molecular-ecological and culture-dependent approaches. Three chemostat enrichment cultures were newly developed under different phenol-loading conditions (0.25, 0.75, and 1.25 g liter−1 day−1) in this study, and the TCE-degrading activities of the enrichments were measured. Among them, the enrichment at 0.75 g liter−1 day−1 (enrichment 0.75) expressed the highest activity. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene fragments detected a Variovorax ribotype as the strongest band in enrichment 0.75; however, it was not a major ribotype in the other samples. Bacteria were isolated from enrichment 0.75 by direct plating, and their 16S rRNA genes and genes encoding the largest subunit of phenol hydroxylase (LmPHs) were analyzed. Among the bacteria isolated, several strains were affiliated with the genus Variovorax and were shown to have high-affinity-type LmPHs. The LmPH of the Variovorax strains was also detected as the major genotype in enrichment 0.75. Kinetic analyses of phenol and TCE degradation revealed, however, that these strains exhibited quite low affinity for phenol compared to other phenol-degrading bacteria, while they showed quite high specific TCE-degrading activities and relatively high affinity for TCE. Owing to these unique kinetic traits, the Variovorax strains can obviate competitive inhibition of TCE degradation by the primary substrate of the catabolic enzyme (i.e., phenol), contributing to the high TCE-degrading activity of the chemostat enrichments. On the basis of physiological information, mechanisms accounting for the way the Variovorax population overgrew the chemostat enrichment are discussed.

Genetic Diversity of the Biofilm CoveringMontacuta ferruginosa (Mollusca, Bivalvia) as Evaluated by Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis Analysis and Cloning of PCR-Amplified Gene Fragments Coding for 16S rRNA†

1998 ◽  
Vol 64 (9) ◽  
pp. 3464-3472 ◽  
Author(s):  
David C. Gillan ◽  
Arjen G. C. L. Speksnijder ◽  
Gabriel Zwart ◽  
Chantal De Ridder
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
16S Rrna ◽  
Dna Extraction ◽  
Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
16S Rrna Genes ◽  
Rrna Genes ◽  
Gradient Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Biofilm Bacteria ◽  
Sequence Types

The shell of the bivalve Montacuta ferruginosa, a symbiont living in the burrow of an echinoid, is covered with a rust-colored biofilm. This biofilm includes different morphotypes of bacteria that are encrusted with a mineral rich in ferric ion and phosphate. The aim of this research was to determine the genetic diversity and phylogenetic affiliation of the biofilm bacteria. Also, the possible roles of the microorganisms in the processes of mineral deposition within the biofilm, as well as their impact on the biology of the bivalve, were assessed by phenotypic inference. The genetic diversity was determined by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis of short (193-bp) 16S ribosomal DNA PCR products obtained with primers specific for the domain Bacteria. This analysis revealed a diverse consortium; 11 to 25 sequence types were detected depending on the method of DNA extraction used. Individual biofilms analyzed by using the same DNA extraction protocol did not produce identical DGGE profiles. However, different biofilms shared common bands, suggesting that similar bacteria can be found in different biofilms. The phylogenetic affiliations of the sequence types were determined by cloning and sequencing the 16S rRNA genes. Close relatives of the genera Pseudoalteromonas,Colwellia, and Oceanospirillum (members of the γ-Proteobacteria lineage), as well as Flexibacter maritimus (a member of theCytophaga-Flavobacter-Bacteroides lineage), were found in the biofilms. We inferred from the results that some of the biofilm bacteria could play a role in the mineral formation processes.

scholarly journals Impact of Soil Drying-Rewetting Stress on Microbial Communities and Activities and on Degradation of Two Crop Protection Products

2004 ◽  
Vol 70 (5) ◽  
pp. 2577-2587 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel Pesaro ◽  
Gilles Nicollier ◽  
Josef Zeyer ◽  
Franco Widmer
Keyword(s):  
16S Rrna ◽  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Crop Protection ◽  
16S Rrna Genes ◽  
Cell Counting ◽  
Rrna Genes ◽  
Soil Dna ◽  
Degradation Rates ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT Prior to registration of crop protection products (CPPs) their persistence in soil has to be determined under defined conditions. For this purpose, soils are collected in the field and stored for up to 3 months prior to the tests. During storage, stresses like drying may induce changes in microbiological soil characteristics (MSCs) and thus may influence CPP degradation rates. We investigated the influence of soil storage-related stress on the resistance and resilience of different MSCs by assessing the impact of a single severe drying-rewetting cycle and by monitoring recovery from this event for 34 days. The degradation and mineralization of the fungicide metalaxyl-M and the insecticide lufenuron were delayed by factors of 1.5 to 5.4 in the dried and rewetted soil compared to the degradation and mineralization in an undisturbed reference. The microbial biomass, as estimated by direct cell counting and from the soil DNA content, decreased on average by 51 and 24%, respectively. The bulk microbial activities, as determined by measuring substrate-induced respiration and fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis, increased after rewetting and recovered completely within 6 days after reequilibration. The effects on Bacteria, Archaea, and Pseudomonas were investigated by performing PCR amplification of 16S rRNA genes and reverse-transcribed 16S rRNA, followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and terminal RFLP (T-RFLP) fingerprinting. Statistical analyses of RFLP and T-RFLP profiles indicated that specific groups in the microbial community were sensitive to the stress. In addition, evaluation of rRNA genes and rRNA as markers for monitoring the stress responses of microbial communities revealed overall similar sensitivities. We concluded that various structural and functional MSCs were not resistant to drying-rewetting stress and that resilience depended strongly on the parameter investigated.

scholarly journals Suicide Polymerase Endonuclease Restriction, a Novel Technique for Enhancing PCR Amplification of Minor DNA Templates

2005 ◽  
Vol 71 (8) ◽  
pp. 4721-4727 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan J. Green ◽  
Dror Minz
Keyword(s):  
16S Rrna ◽  
Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Pcr Amplification ◽  
Environmental Dna ◽  
16S Rrna Genes ◽  
Rrna Genes ◽  
Dna Templates ◽  
Target Dna ◽  
Gradient Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Pcr Method

ABSTRACT PCR-based molecular analyses can be hindered by the presence of unwanted or dominant DNA templates that reduce or eliminate detection of alternate templates. We describe here a reaction in which such templates can be exclusively digested by endonuclease restriction, leaving all other DNAs unmodified. After such a modification, the digested template is no longer available for PCR amplification, while nontarget DNAs remain intact and can be amplified. We demonstrate the application of this method and use denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis to ascertain the removal of target DNA templates and the subsequent enhanced amplification of nondigested DNAs. Specifically, plastid 16S rRNA genes were exclusively digested from environmental DNA extracted from plant roots. In addition, pure culture and environmental DNA extracts were spiked with various amounts of genomic DNA extracted from Streptomyces spp., and selective restriction of the Streptomyces 16S rRNA genes via the suicide polymerase endonuclease restriction PCR method was employed to remove the amended DNA.

scholarly journals Metagenomic De Novo Assembly of an Aquatic Representative of the Verrucomicrobial Class Spartobacteria

mBio ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel P. R. Herlemann ◽  
Daniel Lundin ◽  
Matthias Labrenz ◽  
Klaus Jürgens ◽  
Zongli Zheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
16S Rrna ◽  
Carbon Cycle ◽  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Glycoside Hydrolases ◽  
16S Rrna Genes ◽  
Rrna Genes ◽  
Sulfated Polysaccharides ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
The Baltic

ABSTRACTThe verrucomicrobial subdivision 2 classSpartobacteriais one of the most abundant bacterial lineages in soil and has recently also been found to be ubiquitous in aquatic environments. A 16S rRNA gene study from samples spanning the entire salinity range of the Baltic Sea indicated that, in the pelagic brackish water, a phylotype of theSpartobacteriais one of the dominating bacteria during summer. Phylogenetic analyses of related 16S rRNA genes indicate that a purely aquatic lineage within theSpartobacteriaexists. Since no aquatic representative from theSpartobacteriahas been cultured or sequenced, the metabolic capacity and ecological role of this lineage are yet unknown. In this study, we reconstructed the genome and metabolic potential of the abundant Baltic SeaSpartobacteriaphylotype by metagenomics. Binning of genome fragments by nucleotide composition and a self-organizing map recovered the near-complete genome of the organism, the gene content of which suggests an aerobic heterotrophic metabolism. Notably, we found 23 glycoside hydrolases that likely allow the use of a variety of carbohydrates, like cellulose, mannan, xylan, chitin, and starch, as carbon sources. In addition, a complete pathway for sulfate utilization was found, indicating catabolic processing of sulfated polysaccharides, commonly found in aquatic phytoplankton. The high frequency of glycoside hydrolase genes implies an important role of this organism in the aquatic carbon cycle. Spatiotemporal data of the phylotype’s distribution within the Baltic Sea indicate a connection toCyanobacteriathat may be the main source of the polysaccharide substrates.IMPORTANCEThe ecosystem roles of many phylogenetic lineages are not yet well understood. One such lineage is the classSpartobacteriawithin theVerrucomicrobiathat, despite being abundant in soil and aquatic systems, is relatively poorly studied. Here we circumvented the difficulties of growing aquaticVerrucomicrobiaby applying shotgun metagenomic sequencing on a water sample from the Baltic Sea. By using a method based on sequence signatures, we were able toin silicoisolate genome fragments belonging to a phylotype of theSpartobacteria. The genome, which represents the first aquatic representative of this clade, encodes a diversity of glycoside hydrolases that likely allow degradation of various complex carbohydrates. Since the phylotype cooccurs withCyanobacteria, these may be the primary producers of the carbohydrate substrates. The phylotype, which is highly abundant in the Baltic Sea during summer, may thus play an important role in the carbon cycle of this ecosystem.

scholarly journals Combined Approach for Characterization of Uncultivated Magnetotactic Bacteria from Various Aquatic Environments

2005 ◽  
Vol 71 (5) ◽  
pp. 2723-2731 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine B. Flies ◽  
Jörg Peplies ◽  
Dirk Schüler
Keyword(s):  
16S Rrna ◽  
Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Restriction Analysis ◽  
Sequence Similarity ◽  
Sequence Divergence ◽  
Magnetotactic Bacteria ◽  
16S Rrna Genes ◽  
Rrna Genes ◽  
16S Rrna Sequence ◽  
16S Rna

ABSTRACT Both magnetic collection and “race track” purification techniques were highly effective for selective enrichment of magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) from complex communities, as suggested by amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis combined with sequence analysis of 16S rRNA genes. Using these purification methods, the occurrence and diversity of MTB in microcosms from various marine and freshwater environments were assayed by using a combined microscopic, molecular, and cultivation approach. Most microcosms were dominated by magnetotactic cocci. Consistently, the majority of retrieved 16S RNA sequences were affiliated with a distinct cluster in the Alphaproteobacteria. Within this lineage the levels of sequence divergence were <1 to 11%, indicating genus-level diversity between magnetotactic cocci from various microcosms, as well as between MTB from different stages of succession of the same microcosms. The community composition in microscosms underwent drastic succession during incubation, and significant heterogeneities were observed between microcosms from the same environmental sources. A novel magnetotactic rod (MHB-1) was detected in a sediment sample from a lake in northern Germany by fluorescence in situ hybridization. MHB-1 falls into the Nitrospira phylum, displaying 91% 16S rRNA sequence similarity to “Magnetobacterium bavaricum.” In extensive cultivation attempts, we failed to isolate MHB-1, as well as most other MTB present in our samples. However, although magnetotactic spirilla were not frequently observed in the enrichments, 10 novel isolates of the genus Magnetospirillum which had not routinely been isolated in pure culture before were obtained.

scholarly journals Bacterial Populations Colonizing and Degrading Rice Straw in Anoxic Paddy Soil

2001 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 1318-1327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabine Weber ◽  
Stephan Stubner ◽  
Ralf Conrad
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Community ◽  
16S Rrna ◽  
Rice Straw ◽  
Paddy Soil ◽  
Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Blot Hybridization ◽  
16S Rrna Genes ◽  
Rrna Genes ◽  
Dot Blot ◽  
Cell Counts

ABSTRACT Rice straw is a major substrate for the production of methane, a greenhouse gas, in flooded rice fields. The bacterial community degrading rice straw under anoxic conditions was investigated with molecular methods. Rice straw was incubated in paddy soil anaerobically for 71 days. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of the amplified bacterial 16S rRNA genes showed that the composition of the bacterial community changed during the first 15 days but then was stable until the end of incubation. Fifteen DGGE bands with different signal intensities were excised, cloned, and sequenced. In addition, DNA was extracted from straw incubated for 1 and 29 days and the bacterial 16S rRNA genes were amplified and cloned. From these clone libraries 16 clones with different electrophoretic mobilities on a DGGE gel were sequenced. From a total of 31 clones, 20 belonged to different phylogenetic clusters of the clostridia, i.e., clostridial clusters I (14 clones), III (1 clone), IV (1 clone), and XIVa (4 clones). One clone fell also within the clostridia but could not be affiliated to one of the clostridial clusters. Ten clones grouped closely with the genera Bacillus (3 clones), Nitrosospira (1 clone), Fluoribacter (1 clones), andAcidobacterium (2 clones) and with clone sequences previously obtained from rice field soil (3 clones). The relative abundances of various phylogenetic groups in the rice straw-colonizing community were determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Bacteria were detached from the incubated rice straw with an efficiency of about 80 to 90%, as determined by dot blot hybridization of 16S rRNA in extract and residue. The number of active (i.e., a sufficient number of ribosomes) Bacteria detected with a general eubacterial probe (Eub338) after 8 days of incubation was 61% of the total cell counts. This percentage decreased to 17% after 29 days of incubation. Most (55%) of the active cells on day 8 belonged to the genus Clostridium, mainly to clostridial clusters I (24%), III (6%), and XIVa (24%). An additional 5% belonged to theCytophaga-Flavobacterium cluster of theCytophaga-Flavobacterium-Bacteroides phylum, 4% belonged to the α, β, and γ Proteobacteria, and 1.3% belonged to the Bacillus subbranch of the gram-positive bacteria with a low G+C content. The results show that the bacterial community colonizing and decomposing rice straw developed during the first 15 days of incubation and was dominated by members of different clostridial clusters, especially clusters I, III, and XIVa.

scholarly journals Spatial and Temporal Patterns in the Microbial Diversity of a Meromictic Soda Lake in Washington State

2008 ◽  
Vol 74 (15) ◽  
pp. 4877-4888 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro A. Dimitriu ◽  
Holly C. Pinkart ◽  
Brent M. Peyton ◽  
Melanie R. Mormile
Keyword(s):  
16S Rrna ◽  
Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Bacterial Community Composition ◽  
Soda Lake ◽  
Community Diversity ◽  
16S Rrna Genes ◽  
Rrna Genes ◽  
Most Probable Number ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Probable Number

ABSTRACT The microbial community diversity and composition of meromictic Soap Lake were studied using culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches. The water column and sediments were sampled monthly for a year. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA genes showed an increase in diversity with depth for both groups. Late-summer samples harbored the highest prokaryotic diversity, and the bacteria exhibited less seasonal variability than the archaea. Most-probable-number assays targeting anaerobic microbial guilds were performed to compare summer and fall samples. In both seasons, the anoxic samples appeared to be dominated by lactate-oxidizing sulfate-reducing prokaryotes. High numbers of lactate- and acetate-oxidizing iron-reducing bacteria, as well as fermentative microorganisms, were also found, whereas the numbers of methanogens were low or methanogens were undetectable. The bacterial community composition of summer and fall samples was also assessed by constructing 16S rRNA gene clone libraries. A total of 508 sequences represented an estimated >1,100 unique operational taxonomic units, most of which were from the monimolimnion, and the summer samples were more diverse than the fall samples (Chao1 = 530 and Chao1 = 295, respectively). For both seasons, the mixolimnion sequences were dominated by Gammaproteobacteria, and the chemocline and monimolimnion libraries were dominated by members of the low-G+C-content group, followed by the Cytophaga-Flexibacter-Bacteroides (CFB) group; the mixolimnion sediments contained sequences related to uncultured members of the Chloroflexi and the CFB group. Community overlap and phylogenetic analyses, however, not only demonstrated that there was a high degree of spatial turnover but also suggested that there was a degree of temporal variability due to differences in the members and structures of the communities.

scholarly journals Quantifying Microbial Diversity: Morphotypes, 16S rRNA Genes, and Carotenoids of Oxygenic Phototrophs in Microbial Mats

1999 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 422-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrich Nübel ◽  
Ferran Garcia-Pichel ◽  
Michael Kühl ◽  
Gerard Muyzer
Keyword(s):  
16S Rrna ◽  
Microbial Mats ◽  
Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Morphological Diversity ◽  
Numerical Approach ◽  
16S Rrna Genes ◽  
Rrna Genes ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Specific Pcr ◽  
Phototrophic Microorganisms

ABSTRACT We quantified the diversity of oxygenic phototrophic microorganisms present in eight hypersaline microbial mats on the basis of three cultivation-independent approaches. Morphological diversity was studied by microscopy. The diversity of carotenoids was examined by extraction from mat samples and high-pressure liquid chromatography analysis. The diversity of 16S rRNA genes from oxygenic phototrophic microorganisms was investigated by extraction of total DNA from mat samples, amplification of 16S rRNA gene segments from cyanobacteria and plastids of eukaryotic algae by phylum-specific PCR, and sequence-dependent separation of amplification products by denaturing-gradient gel electrophoresis. A numerical approach was introduced to correct for crowding the results of chromatographic and electrophoretic analyses. Diversity estimates typically varied up to twofold among mats. The congruence of richness estimates and Shannon-Weaver indices based on numbers and proportional abundances of unique morphotypes, 16S rRNA genes, and carotenoids unveiled the underlying diversity of oxygenic phototrophic microorganisms in the eight mat communities studied.

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