Characterization and Identification of Numerically Abundant Culturable Bacteria from the Anoxic Bulk Soil of Rice Paddy Microcosms

1999 ◽  
Vol 65 (11) ◽  
pp. 5042-5049 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kuk-Jeong Chin ◽  
Dittmar Hahn ◽  
Ulf Hengstmann ◽  
Werner Liesack ◽  
Peter H. Janssen

ABSTRACT Most-probable-number (liquid serial dilution culture) counts were obtained for polysaccharolytic and saccharolytic fermenting bacteria in the anoxic bulk soil of flooded microcosms containing rice plants. The highest viable counts (up to 2.5 × 108 cells per g [dry weight] of soil) were obtained by using xylan, pectin, or a mixture of seven mono- and disaccharides as the growth substrate. The total cell count for the soil, as determined by using 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining, was 4.8 × 108cells per g (dry weight) of soil. The nine strains isolated from the terminal positive tubes in counting experiments which yielded culturable populations that were equivalent to about 5% or more of the total microscopic count population belonged to the divisionVerrucomicrobia, theCytophaga-Flavobacterium-Bacteroides division, clostridial cluster XIVa, clostridial cluster IX, Bacillus spp., and the class Actinobacteria. Isolates originating from the terminal positive tubes of liquid dilution series can be expected to be representatives of species whose populations in the soil are large. None of the isolates had 16S rRNA gene sequences identical to 16S rRNA gene sequences of previously described species for which data are available. Eight of the nine strains isolated fermented sugars to acetate and propionate (and some also fermented sugars to succinate). The closest relatives of these strains (except for the two strains of actinobacteria) were as-yet-uncultivated bacteria detected in the same soil sample by cloning PCR-amplified 16S rRNA genes (U. Hengstmann, K.-J. Chin, P. H. Janssen, and W. Liesack, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65:5050–5058, 1999). Twelve other isolates, which originated from most-probable-number counting series indicating that the culturable populations were smaller, were less closely related to cloned 16S rRNA genes.

1999 ◽  
Vol 65 (8) ◽  
pp. 3319-3324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olaf Kniemeyer ◽  
Christina Probian ◽  
Ramon Rosselló-Mora ◽  
Jens Harder

ABSTRACT The microbial capacity to degrade simple organic compounds with quaternary carbon atoms was demonstrated by enrichment and isolation of five denitrifying strains on dimethylmalonate as the sole electron donor and carbon source. Quantitative growth experiments showed a complete mineralization of dimethylmalonate. According to phylogenetic analysis of the complete 16S rRNA genes, two strains isolated from activated sewage sludge were related to the genusParacoccus within the α-Proteobacteria (98.0 and 98.2% 16S rRNA gene similarity to Paracoccus denitrificans T), and three strains isolated from freshwater ditches were affiliated with the β-Proteobacteria (97.4 and 98.3% 16S rRNA gene similarity to Herbaspirillum seropedicae T andAcidovorax facilis T, respectively). Most-probable-number determinations for denitrifying populations in sewage sludge yielded 4.6 × 104dimethylmalonate-utilizing cells ml−1, representing up to 0.4% of the total culturable nitrate-reducing population.


2005 ◽  
Vol 71 (10) ◽  
pp. 6308-6318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen A. Vrionis ◽  
Robert T. Anderson ◽  
Irene Ortiz-Bernad ◽  
Kathleen R. O'Neill ◽  
Charles T. Resch ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The geochemistry and microbiology of a uranium-contaminated subsurface environment that had undergone two seasons of acetate addition to stimulate microbial U(VI) reduction was examined. There were distinct horizontal and vertical geochemical gradients that could be attributed in large part to the manner in which acetate was distributed in the aquifer, with more reduction of Fe(III) and sulfate occurring at greater depths and closer to the point of acetate injection. Clone libraries of 16S rRNA genes derived from sediments and groundwater indicated an enrichment of sulfate-reducing bacteria in the order Desulfobacterales in sediment and groundwater samples. These samples were collected nearest the injection gallery where microbially reducible Fe(III) oxides were highly depleted, groundwater sulfate concentrations were low, and increases in acid volatile sulfide were observed in the sediment. Further down-gradient, metal-reducing conditions were present as indicated by intermediate Fe(II)/Fe(total) ratios, lower acid volatile sulfide values, and increased abundance of 16S rRNA gene sequences belonging to the dissimilatory Fe(III)- and U(VI)-reducing family Geobacteraceae. Maximal Fe(III) and U(VI) reduction correlated with maximal recovery of Geobacteraceae 16S rRNA gene sequences in both groundwater and sediment; however, the sites at which these maxima occurred were spatially separated within the aquifer. The substantial microbial and geochemical heterogeneity at this site demonstrates that attempts should be made to deliver acetate in a more uniform manner and that closely spaced sampling intervals, horizontally and vertically, in both sediment and groundwater are necessary in order to obtain a more in-depth understanding of microbial processes and the relative contribution of attached and planktonic populations to in situ uranium bioremediation.


2005 ◽  
Vol 71 (10) ◽  
pp. 5908-5919 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederic Gich ◽  
Karin Schubert ◽  
Alke Bruns ◽  
Herbert Hoffelner ◽  
Jörg Overmann

ABSTRACT High-throughput cultivation was combined with rapid and group-specific phylogenetic fingerprinting in order to recover representatives of three freshwater bacterioplankton communities. A total of 570 bacterial cultures were obtained by employing the most probable number and MicroDrop techniques. The majority of the cultured bacteria were closely related to previously uncultured bacteria and grouped with the α-Proteobacteria, β-Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, or Flavobacteria-Cytophaga lineage. Correspondingly, the natural bacterioplankton community was analyzed by high-resolution phylogenetic fingerprinting of these five bacterial lineages. 16S rRNA gene fragments were generated for each lineage and subsequently separated by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. By the combination of five group-specific PCR protocols, the total number of 16S rRNA gene fingerprints generated from the natural communities was increased sixfold compared to conventional (eubacterial) fingerprinting. Four of the environmental α-Proteobacteria 16S rRNA gene sequences obtained from the natural community were found to be identical to those of bacterial isolates. One of these phylotypes was detected in 14 different cultures and hence represented the most frequently cultured bacterium. Three of these 14 strains were characterized in detail. Their complete 16S rRNA gene sequences showed only 93% similarity to that of Sandaracinobacter sibiricus, the closest relative described so far. The novel phylotype of bacterium is a strict aerobe capable of using numerous organic carbon substrates and contains bacteriochlorophyll a bound to two different photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes. Dot blot hybridization revealed that the strains occur in lakes of different trophic status and constitute up to 2% of the microbial community.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antti Juhani Rissanen ◽  
Moritz Buck ◽  
Sari Peura

A putative novel methanotrophic genus, Candidatus Methylumidiphilus (Methylococcales), was recently shown to be ubiquitous and one of the most abundant methanotrophic genera in water columns of oxygen-stratified lakes and ponds of boreal and subarctic area. However, it has probably escaped detection in many previous studies using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing due to insufficient database coverage, which is because Ca. Methylumidiphilus lacks cultured representatives and previously analysed metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs) affiliated with it do not contain 16S rRNA genes. Therefore, we screened MAGs affiliated with the genus for their 16S rRNA gene sequences in a recently published lake and pond MAG dataset. Among 66 MAGs classified as Ca. Methylumidiphilus (with completeness over 40% and contamination less than 5%) originating from lakes in Finland, Sweden and Switzerland as well as from ponds in Canada, we could find 5 MAGs each containing one 1532 bp long sequence spanning the V1-V9 regions of the 16S rRNA gene. After removal of sequence redundancy, this resulted in two unique 16S rRNA gene sequences. These sequences represented two different putative species, i.e. Ca. Methylumidiphilus alinenensis (Genbank accession: OK236221) as well as another so far unnamed species of Ca. Methylumidiphilus (Genbank accession: OK236220). We suggest that including these two sequences in reference databases will enhance 16S rRNA gene - based detection of members of this genus from environmental samples.


2008 ◽  
Vol 74 (15) ◽  
pp. 4877-4888 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro A. Dimitriu ◽  
Holly C. Pinkart ◽  
Brent M. Peyton ◽  
Melanie R. Mormile

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.


1999 ◽  
Vol 65 (9) ◽  
pp. 4280-4284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrina A. O’Farrell ◽  
Peter H. Janssen

ABSTRACT Oligonucleotide primers were designed and used to amplify, by PCR, partial 16S rRNA genes of members of the bacterial divisionVerrucomicrobia in DNA extracted from a pasture soil. By applying most-probable-number theory to the assay, verrucomicrobia appeared to contribute some 0.2% of the soil DNA. Amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis of 53 cloned PCR-amplified partial 16S rRNA gene fragments and comparative sequence analysis of 21 nonchimeric partial 16S rRNA genes showed that these primers amplified only 16S rRNA genes of members of the Verrucomicrobia in DNA extracted from the soil.


2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (11) ◽  
pp. 2749-2756 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janetta R. Hakovirta ◽  
Samantha Prezioso ◽  
David Hodge ◽  
Segaran P. Pillai ◽  
Linda M. Weigel

Analysis of 16S rRNA genes is important for phylogenetic classification of known and novel bacterial genera and species and for detection of uncultivable bacteria. PCR amplification of 16S rRNA genes with universal primers produces a mixture of amplicons from all rRNA operons in the genome, and the sequence data generally yield a consensus sequence. Here we describe valuable data that are missing from consensus sequences, variable effects on sequence data generated from nonidentical 16S rRNA amplicons, and the appearance of data displayed by different software programs. These effects are illustrated by analysis of 16S rRNA genes from 50 strains of theBacillus cereusgroup, i.e.,Bacillus anthracis,Bacillus cereus,Bacillus mycoides, andBacillus thuringiensis. These species have 11 to 14 rRNA operons, and sequence variability occurs among the multiple 16S rRNA genes. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) previously reported to be specific toB. anthraciswas detected in someB. cereusstrains. However, a different SNP, at position 1139, was identified as being specific toB. anthracis, which is a biothreat agent with high mortality rates. Compared with visual analysis of the electropherograms, basecaller software frequently missed gene sequence variations or could not identify variant bases due to overlapping basecalls. Accurate detection of 16S rRNA gene sequences that include intragenomic variations can improve discrimination among closely related species, improve the utility of 16S rRNA databases, and facilitate rapid bacterial identification by targeted DNA sequence analysis or by whole-genome sequencing performed by clinical or reference laboratories.


2004 ◽  
Vol 70 (8) ◽  
pp. 4831-4839 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elke Jaspers ◽  
Jörg Overmann

ABSTRACT A combination of cultivation-based methods with a molecular biological approach was used to investigate whether planktonic bacteria with identical 16S rRNA gene sequences can represent distinct eco- and genotypes. A set of 11 strains of Brevundimonas alba were isolated from a bacterial freshwater community by conventional plating or by using a liquid most-probable-number (MPN) dilution series. These strains had identical 16S rRNA gene sequences and represented the dominant phylotype in the plateable fraction, as well as in the highest positive dilutions of the MPN series. However, internally transcribed spacer and enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus PCR fingerprinting analyses, as well as DNA-DNA hybridization analyses, revealed great genetic diversity among the 11 strains. Each strain utilized a specific combination of 59 carbon substrates, and the niche overlap indices were low, suggesting that each strain occupied a different ecological niche. In dialysis cultures incubated in situ, each strain had a different growth rate and cell yield. We thus demonstrated that the B. alba strains represent distinct populations with genetically determined adaptations and probably occupy different ecological niches. Our results have implications for assessment of the diversity and biogeography of bacteria and increase the perception of natural diversity beyond the level of 16S rRNA gene sequences.


2005 ◽  
Vol 71 (12) ◽  
pp. 8301-8304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Beumer ◽  
Jayne B. Robinson

ABSTRACT Genomic analysis has revealed heterogeneity among bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences within a single species; yet the cause(s) remains uncertain. Generalized transducing bacteriophages have recently gained recognition for their abundance as well as their ability to affect lateral gene transfer and to harbor bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences. Here, we demonstrate the ability of broad-host-range, generalized transducing phages to acquire 16S rRNA genes and gene sequences. Using PCR and primers specific to conserved regions of the 16S rRNA gene, we have found that generalized transducing phages (D3112, UT1, and SN-T), but not specialized transducing phages (D3), acquired entire bacterial 16S rRNA genes. Furthermore, we show that the broad-host-range, generalized transducing phage SN-T is capable of acquiring the 16S rRNA gene from two different genera: Sphaerotilus natans, the host from which SN-T was originally isolated, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In sequential infections, SN-T harbored only 16S rRNA gene sequences of the final host as determined by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. The frequency of 16S rRNA gene sequences in SN-T populations was determined to be 1 × 10−9 transductants/PFU. Our findings further implicate transduction in the horizontal transfer of 16S rRNA genes between different species or genera of bacteria.


2006 ◽  
Vol 72 (9) ◽  
pp. 6257-6270 ◽  
Author(s):  
William J. Brazelton ◽  
Matthew O. Schrenk ◽  
Deborah S. Kelley ◽  
John A. Baross

ABSTRACT Hydrothermal venting and the formation of carbonate chimneys in the Lost City hydrothermal field (LCHF) are driven predominantly by serpentinization reactions and cooling of mantle rocks, resulting in a highly reducing, high-pH environment with abundant dissolved hydrogen and methane. Phylogenetic and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses of 16S rRNA genes in fluids and carbonate material from this site indicate the presence of organisms similar to sulfur-oxidizing, sulfate-reducing, and methane-oxidizing Bacteria as well as methanogenic and anaerobic methane-oxidizing Archaea. The presence of these metabolic groups indicates that microbial cycling of sulfur and methane may be the dominant biogeochemical processes active within this ultramafic rock-hosted environment. 16S rRNA gene sequences grouping within the Methylobacter and Thiomicrospira clades were recovered from a chemically diverse suite of carbonate chimney and fluid samples. In contrast, 16S rRNA genes corresponding to the Lost City Methanosarcinales phylotype were found exclusively in high-temperature chimneys, while a phylotype of anaerobic methanotrophic Archaea (ANME-1) was restricted to lower-temperature, less vigorously venting sites. A hyperthermophilic habitat beneath the LCHF may be reflected by 16S rRNA gene sequences belonging to Thermococcales and uncultured Crenarchaeota identified in vent fluids. The finding of a diverse microbial ecosystem supported by the interaction of high-temperature, high-pH fluids resulting from serpentinization reactions in the subsurface provides insight into the biogeochemistry of what may be a pervasive process in ultramafic subseafloor environments.


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