scholarly journals Metagenomic insights into the microbial communities of inert and oligotrophic outdoor pier surfaces of a coastal city

Microbiome ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinzhao Tong ◽  
Marcus H. Y. Leung ◽  
Zhiyong Shen ◽  
Justin Y. Y. Lee ◽  
Christopher E. Mason ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Gene Clusters ◽  
Taxonomic Composition ◽  
Metagenomic Sequencing ◽  
Metabolic Functions ◽  
Outdoor Spaces ◽  
Physical Attributes ◽  
Genomic Characterization ◽  
Indoor Spaces

Abstract Background Studies of the microbiomes on surfaces in built environment have largely focused on indoor spaces, while outdoor spaces have received far less attention. Piers are engineered infrastructures commonly found in coastal areas, and due to their unique locations at the interface between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, pier surfaces are likely to harbor interesting microbiology. In this study, the microbiomes on the metal and concrete surfaces at nine piers located along the coastline of Hong Kong were investigated by metagenomic sequencing. The roles played by different physical attributes and environmental factors in shaping the taxonomic composition and functional traits of the pier surface microbiomes were determined. Metagenome-assembled genomes were reconstructed and their putative biosynthetic gene clusters were characterized in detail. Results Surface material was found to be the strongest factor in structuring the taxonomic and functional compositions of the pier surface microbiomes. Corrosion-related bacteria were significantly enriched on metal surfaces, consistent with the pitting corrosion observed. The differential enrichment of taxa mediating biodegradation suggests differences between the metal and concrete surfaces in terms of specific xenobiotics being potentially degraded. Genome-centric analysis detected the presence of many novel species, with the majority of them belonging to the phylum Proteobacteria. Genomic characterization showed that the potential metabolic functions and secondary biosynthetic capacity were largely correlated with taxonomy, rather than surface attributes and geography. Conclusions Pier surfaces are a rich reservoir of abundant novel bacterial species. Members of the surface microbial communities use different mechanisms to counter the stresses under oligotrophic conditions. A better understanding of the outdoor surface microbiomes located in different environments should enhance the ability to maintain outdoor surfaces of infrastructures.

scholarly journals Metagenomic Insights Into the Microbial Communities of Inert and Oligotrophic Outdoor Pier Surfaces of a Coastal City

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinzhao Tong ◽  
Marcus H. Y. Leung ◽  
Zhiyong Shen ◽  
Justin Y. Y. Lee ◽  
Christopher E. Mason ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Gene Clusters ◽  
Taxonomic Composition ◽  
Metagenomic Sequencing ◽  
Biosynthetic Gene Clusters ◽  
Metabolic Functions ◽  
Outdoor Spaces ◽  
Genomic Characterization ◽  
Indoor Spaces

Abstract Background: Studies of the microbiomes on surfaces in built environment have largely focused on indoor spaces, while outdoor spaces have received far less attention. Piers are engineered infrastructures commonly found in coastal areas, and due to their unique locations at the interface between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, pier surfaces are likely to harbor interesting microbiology. In this study, the microbiomes on the metal and concrete surfaces at nine piers located along the coastline of Hong Kong were investigated by metagenomic sequencing. The roles played by different factors in shaping the taxonomic composition and functional traits of the pier surface microbiomes were determined. Metagenome-assembled genomes were reconstructed and their putative biosynthetic gene clusters were characterized in detail.Results: Surface material was found to be the strongest factor in structuring the taxonomic and functional compositions of the pier surface microbiomes. Corrosion-related bacteria were significantly enriched on metal surfaces, consistent with the pitting corrosion observed. The differential enrichment of taxa mediating biodegradation suggests differences between the metal and concrete surfaces in terms of specific xenobiotics being potentially degraded. Genome-centric analysis detected the presence of many novel species, with the majority of them belonging to the phylum Proteobacteria. Genomic characterization showed that the potential metabolic functions and secondary biosynthetic capacity were largely governed by taxonomy, rather than surface attributes and geography. Conclusions: Pier surfaces are a rich reservoir of abundant novel bacterial species. Members of the surface microbial communities use different mechanisms to counter the stresses under oligotrophic conditions. A better understanding of the outdoor surface microbiomes located in different environments should enhance the ability to maintain outdoor surfaces of infrastructures.

scholarly journals Metagenomic exploration of the marine sponge mycale hentscheli uncovers multiple polyketide-producing bacterial symbionts

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathew Storey ◽  
SK Andreassend ◽  
Joe Bracegirdle ◽  
Alistair Brown ◽  
Robert Keyzers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Marine Sponge ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Gene Clusters ◽  
Taxonomic Diversity ◽  
Marine Sponges ◽  
Metagenomic Sequencing ◽  
Defensive Symbiosis ◽  
Long Read ◽  
Comprehensive Picture ◽  
Mycale Hentscheli

© 2020 Storey et al. Marine sponges have been a prolific source of unique bioactive compounds that are presumed to act as a deterrent to predation. Many of these compounds have potential therapeutic applications; however, the lack of efficient and sustainable synthetic routes frequently limits clinical development. Here, we describe a metag-enomic investigation of Mycale hentscheli, a chemically gifted marine sponge that pos-sesses multiple distinct chemotypes. We applied shotgun metagenomic sequencing, hybrid assembly of short-and long-read data, and metagenomic binning to obtain a comprehensive picture of the microbiome of five specimens, spanning three chemo-types. Our data revealed multiple producing species, each having relatively modest secondary metabolomes, that contribute collectively to the chemical arsenal of the holo-biont. We assembled complete genomes for multiple new genera, including two species that produce the cytotoxic polyketides pateamine and mycalamide, as well as a third high-abundance symbiont harboring a proteusin-type biosynthetic pathway that appears to encode a new polytheonamide-like compound. We also identified an additional 188 biosynthetic gene clusters, including a pathway for biosynthesis of peloruside. These re-sults suggest that multiple species cooperatively contribute to defensive symbiosis in M. hentscheli and reveal that the taxonomic diversity of secondary-metabolite-producing sponge symbionts is larger and richer than previously recognized. IMPORTANCE Mycale hentscheli is a marine sponge that is rich in bioactive small mol-ecules. Here, we use direct metagenomic sequencing to elucidate highly complete and contiguous genomes for the major symbiotic bacteria of this sponge. We identify complete biosynthetic pathways for the three potent cytotoxic polyketides which have previously been isolated from M. hentscheli. Remarkably, and in contrast to previous studies of marine sponges, we attribute each of these metabolites to a different producing mi-crobe. We also find that the microbiome of M. hentscheli is stably maintained among in-dividuals, even over long periods of time. Collectively, our data suggest a cooperative mode of defensive symbiosis in which multiple symbiotic bacterial species cooperatively contribute to the defensive chemical arsenal of the holobiont.

scholarly journals Bacterial secondary metabolite biosynthetic potential in soil varies with phylum, depth, and vegetation type

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison M. Sharrar ◽  
Alexander Crits-Christoph ◽  
Raphaël Méheust ◽  
Spencer Diamond ◽  
Evan P. Starr ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Metabolite ◽  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Gene Clusters ◽  
Metagenomic Sequencing ◽  
Soil Bacterial Diversity ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Clinical Value ◽  
Specialized Metabolites ◽  
Shallow Soils

AbstractBacteria isolated from soils are major sources of specialized metabolites, including antibiotics and other compounds with clinical value that likely shape interactions among microbial community members and impact biogeochemical cycles. Yet, isolated lineages represent a small fraction of all soil bacterial diversity. It remains unclear how the production of specialized metabolites varies across the phylogenetic diversity of bacterial species in soils, and whether the genetic potential for production of these metabolites differs with soil type. We sampled soils and saprolite from three sites in a northern California Critical Zone Observatory with varying vegetation and bedrock characteristics and used metagenomic sequencing and assembly to reconstruct 1,334 microbial genomes containing diverse biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) for secondary metabolite production. We obtained genomes for prolific producers of secondary metabolites, including novel groups within the Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi and candidate phylum Dormibactereota. Surprisingly, one genome of a Candidate Phyla Radiation bacterium encoded for a ribosomally synthesized linear azole/azoline-containing peptide, a capacity we found in other publicly available CPR bacterial genomes. Overall, bacteria with higher biosynthetic potential were enriched in shallow soils and grassland soils, with patterns of abundance of BGC type varying by taxonomy.

scholarly journals Metagenomic Exploration of the Marine Sponge Mycale hentscheli Uncovers Multiple Polyketide-Producing Bacterial Symbionts

mBio ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathew A. Storey ◽  
Sarah K. Andreassend ◽  
Joe Bracegirdle ◽  
Alistair Brown ◽  
Robert A. Keyzers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Marine Sponge ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Gene Clusters ◽  
Taxonomic Diversity ◽  
Marine Sponges ◽  
Metagenomic Sequencing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Defensive Symbiosis ◽  
Long Read ◽  
Mycale Hentscheli

ABSTRACT Marine sponges have been a prolific source of unique bioactive compounds that are presumed to act as a deterrent to predation. Many of these compounds have potential therapeutic applications; however, the lack of efficient and sustainable synthetic routes frequently limits clinical development. Here, we describe a metagenomic investigation of Mycale hentscheli, a chemically gifted marine sponge that possesses multiple distinct chemotypes. We applied shotgun metagenomic sequencing, hybrid assembly of short- and long-read data, and metagenomic binning to obtain a comprehensive picture of the microbiome of five specimens, spanning three chemotypes. Our data revealed multiple producing species, each having relatively modest secondary metabolomes, that contribute collectively to the chemical arsenal of the holobiont. We assembled complete genomes for multiple new genera, including two species that produce the cytotoxic polyketides pateamine and mycalamide, as well as a third high-abundance symbiont harboring a proteusin-type biosynthetic pathway that appears to encode a new polytheonamide-like compound. We also identified an additional 188 biosynthetic gene clusters, including a pathway for biosynthesis of peloruside. These results suggest that multiple species cooperatively contribute to defensive symbiosis in M. hentscheli and reveal that the taxonomic diversity of secondary-metabolite-producing sponge symbionts is larger and richer than previously recognized. IMPORTANCE Mycale hentscheli is a marine sponge that is rich in bioactive small molecules. Here, we use direct metagenomic sequencing to elucidate highly complete and contiguous genomes for the major symbiotic bacteria of this sponge. We identify complete biosynthetic pathways for the three potent cytotoxic polyketides which have previously been isolated from M. hentscheli. Remarkably, and in contrast to previous studies of marine sponges, we attribute each of these metabolites to a different producing microbe. We also find that the microbiome of M. hentscheli is stably maintained among individuals, even over long periods of time. Collectively, our data suggest a cooperative mode of defensive symbiosis in which multiple symbiotic bacterial species cooperatively contribute to the defensive chemical arsenal of the holobiont.

scholarly journals Metagenomic exploration of the marine sponge mycale hentscheli uncovers multiple polyketide-producing bacterial symbionts

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathew Storey ◽  
SK Andreassend ◽  
Joe Bracegirdle ◽  
Alistair Brown ◽  
Robert Keyzers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Marine Sponge ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Gene Clusters ◽  
Taxonomic Diversity ◽  
Marine Sponges ◽  
Metagenomic Sequencing ◽  
Defensive Symbiosis ◽  
Long Read ◽  
Comprehensive Picture ◽  
Mycale Hentscheli

© 2020 Storey et al. Marine sponges have been a prolific source of unique bioactive compounds that are presumed to act as a deterrent to predation. Many of these compounds have potential therapeutic applications; however, the lack of efficient and sustainable synthetic routes frequently limits clinical development. Here, we describe a metag-enomic investigation of Mycale hentscheli, a chemically gifted marine sponge that pos-sesses multiple distinct chemotypes. We applied shotgun metagenomic sequencing, hybrid assembly of short-and long-read data, and metagenomic binning to obtain a comprehensive picture of the microbiome of five specimens, spanning three chemo-types. Our data revealed multiple producing species, each having relatively modest secondary metabolomes, that contribute collectively to the chemical arsenal of the holo-biont. We assembled complete genomes for multiple new genera, including two species that produce the cytotoxic polyketides pateamine and mycalamide, as well as a third high-abundance symbiont harboring a proteusin-type biosynthetic pathway that appears to encode a new polytheonamide-like compound. We also identified an additional 188 biosynthetic gene clusters, including a pathway for biosynthesis of peloruside. These re-sults suggest that multiple species cooperatively contribute to defensive symbiosis in M. hentscheli and reveal that the taxonomic diversity of secondary-metabolite-producing sponge symbionts is larger and richer than previously recognized. IMPORTANCE Mycale hentscheli is a marine sponge that is rich in bioactive small mol-ecules. Here, we use direct metagenomic sequencing to elucidate highly complete and contiguous genomes for the major symbiotic bacteria of this sponge. We identify complete biosynthetic pathways for the three potent cytotoxic polyketides which have previously been isolated from M. hentscheli. Remarkably, and in contrast to previous studies of marine sponges, we attribute each of these metabolites to a different producing mi-crobe. We also find that the microbiome of M. hentscheli is stably maintained among in-dividuals, even over long periods of time. Collectively, our data suggest a cooperative mode of defensive symbiosis in which multiple symbiotic bacterial species cooperatively contribute to the defensive chemical arsenal of the holobiont.

scholarly journals StrainGE: A toolkit to track and characterize low-abundance strains in complex microbial communities

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas R. van Dijk ◽  
Bruce J. Walker ◽  
Timothy J. Straub ◽  
Colin J. Worby ◽  
Alexandra Grote ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Strain Level ◽  
Complex Mixtures ◽  
Metagenomic Sequencing ◽  
Nucleotide Level ◽  
Short Read ◽  
Relative Abundances ◽  
Strain Genome ◽  
Higher Sensitivity

AbstractHuman-associated microbial communities comprise not only complex mixtures of bacterial species, but also mixtures of conspecific strains, the implications of which are mostly unknown since strain level dynamics are underexplored due to the difficulties of studying them. We introduce the Strain Genome Explorer (StrainGE) toolkit, which deconvolves strain mixtures and characterizes component strains at the nucleotide level from short-read metagenomic sequencing with higher sensitivity and resolution than other tools. StrainGE is able to identify nearest known references and find variants for multiple conspecific strains within a sample at relative abundances below 0.1% in typical metagenomic datasets.

scholarly journals Taxonomic composition and seasonal dynamics of the air microbiome in West Siberia

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena S. Gusareva ◽  
Nicolas P. E. Gaultier ◽  
Balakrishnan N. V. Premkrishnan ◽  
Carmon Kee ◽  
Serene Boon Yuean Lim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Plant Pathogens ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
West Siberia ◽  
Taxonomic Composition ◽  
Time Intervals ◽  
Dna Yield ◽  
Fungal Plant Pathogens ◽  
Diel Dynamics ◽  
Stress Environment

AbstractHere, we describe taxonomical composition, as well as seasonal and diel dynamics of airborne microbial communities in West Siberia. A total of 78 airborne biomass samples from 39 time intervals were analysed, within a temperature range of 48 °C (26 °C to − 22 °C). We observed a 5–170-fold decrease in DNA yield extracted from the airborne biomass in winter compared to summer, nevertheless, yielding sufficient material for metagenomic analysis. The airborne microbial communities included Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria, Ascomycota and Basidiomycota fungi as major components, as well as some Streptophyta plants. In summer, bacterial and fungal plant pathogens, and wood-rotting saprophytes were predominant. In winter, Ascomycota moulds and cold-related or stress environment bacterial species were enriched, while the fraction of wood-rotting and mushroom-forming Basidiomycota fungi was largely reduced. As recently reported for the tropical climate, the airborne microbial communities performed a diel cycle in summer, however, in winter diel dynamics were not observed.

scholarly journals Predominance of Anaerobic, Spore-Forming Bacteria in Metabolically Active Microbial Communities from Ancient Siberian Permafrost

2019 ◽  
Vol 85 (15) ◽  
Author(s):  
Renxing Liang ◽  
Maggie Lau ◽  
Tatiana Vishnivetskaya ◽  
Karen G. Lloyd ◽  
Wei Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Microbial Diversity ◽  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Aspartic Acid ◽  
Early Pleistocene ◽  
Metagenomic Sequencing ◽  
Metabolic Functions ◽  
Northeastern Siberia ◽  
Spore Forming Bacteria

ABSTRACTThe prevalence of microbial life in permafrost up to several million years (Ma) old has been well documented. However, the long-term survivability, evolution, and metabolic activity of the entombed microbes over this time span remain underexplored. We integrated aspartic acid (Asp) racemization assays with metagenomic sequencing to characterize the microbial activity, phylogenetic diversity, and metabolic functions of indigenous microbial communities across a ∼0.01- to 1.1-Ma chronosequence of continuously frozen permafrost from northeastern Siberia. Although Asp in the older bulk sediments (0.8 to 1.1 Ma) underwent severe racemization relative to that in the youngest sediment (∼0.01 Ma), the much lowerd-Asp/l-Asp ratio (0.05 to 0.14) in the separated cells from all samples suggested that indigenous microbial communities were viable and metabolically active in ancient permafrost up to 1.1 Ma. The microbial community in the youngest sediment was the most diverse and was dominated by the phylaActinobacteriaandProteobacteria. In contrast, microbial diversity decreased dramatically in the older sediments, and anaerobic, spore-forming bacteria withinFirmicutesbecame overwhelmingly dominant. In addition to the enrichment of sporulation-related genes, functional genes involved in anaerobic metabolic pathways such as fermentation, sulfate reduction, and methanogenesis were more abundant in the older sediments. Taken together, the predominance of spore-forming bacteria and associated anaerobic metabolism in the older sediments suggest that a subset of the original indigenous microbial community entrapped in the permafrost survived burial over geological time.IMPORTANCEUnderstanding the long-term survivability and associated metabolic traits of microorganisms in ancient permafrost frozen millions of years ago provides a unique window into the burial and preservation processes experienced in general by subsurface microorganisms in sedimentary deposits because of permafrost’s hydrological isolation and exceptional DNA preservation. We employed aspartic acid racemization modeling and metagenomics to determine which microbial communities were metabolically active in the 1.1-Ma permafrost from northeastern Siberia. The simultaneous sequencing of extracellular and intracellular genomic DNA provided insight into the metabolic potential distinguishing extinct from extant microorganisms under frozen conditions over this time interval. This in-depth metagenomic sequencing advances our understanding of the microbial diversity and metabolic functions of extant microbiomes from early Pleistocene permafrost. Therefore, these findings extend our knowledge of the survivability of microbes in permafrost from 33,000 years to 1.1 Ma.

scholarly journals Genome Reduction and Secondary Metabolism of the Marine Sponge-Associated Cyanobacterium Leptothoe

Marine Drugs ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 298
Author(s):  
Despoina Konstantinou ◽  
Rafael V. Popin ◽  
David P. Fewer ◽  
Kaarina Sivonen ◽  
Spyros Gkelis
Keyword(s):  
Natural Products ◽  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Genomic Analysis ◽  
Gene Clusters ◽  
Marine Sponges ◽  
Genome Reduction ◽  
Extracellular Polysaccharides ◽  
Comparative Genomic ◽  
Symbiotic Relationships ◽  
Genes Encoding

Sponges form symbiotic relationships with diverse and abundant microbial communities. Cyanobacteria are among the most important members of the microbial communities that are associated with sponges. Here, we performed a genus-wide comparative genomic analysis of the newly described marine benthic cyanobacterial genus Leptothoe (Synechococcales). We obtained draft genomes from Le. kymatousa TAU-MAC 1615 and Le. spongobia TAU-MAC 1115, isolated from marine sponges. We identified five additional Leptothoe genomes, host-associated or free-living, using a phylogenomic approach, and the comparison of all genomes showed that the sponge-associated strains display features of a symbiotic lifestyle. Le. kymatousa and Le. spongobia have undergone genome reduction; they harbored considerably fewer genes encoding for (i) cofactors, vitamins, prosthetic groups, pigments, proteins, and amino acid biosynthesis; (ii) DNA repair; (iii) antioxidant enzymes; and (iv) biosynthesis of capsular and extracellular polysaccharides. They have also lost several genes related to chemotaxis and motility. Eukaryotic-like proteins, such as ankyrin repeats, playing important roles in sponge-symbiont interactions, were identified in sponge-associated Leptothoe genomes. The sponge-associated Leptothoe stains harbored biosynthetic gene clusters encoding novel natural products despite genome reduction. Comparisons of the biosynthetic capacities of Leptothoe with chemically rich cyanobacteria revealed that Leptothoe is another promising marine cyanobacterium for the biosynthesis of novel natural products.

scholarly journals Aerial Transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 Virus through Environmental E-Cigarette Aerosols: Implications for Public Policies

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1437
Author(s):  
Roberto A. Sussman ◽  
Eliana Golberstein ◽  
Riccardo Polosa
Keyword(s):  
Emission Rate ◽  
Respiratory Activity ◽  
Separation Distance ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Relative Risks ◽  
Respiratory Flow ◽  
Outdoor Spaces ◽  
Direct Exposure ◽  
Social Separation ◽  
Indoor Spaces

We discuss the implications of possible contagion of COVID-19 through e-cigarette aerosol (ECA) for prevention and mitigation strategies during the current pandemic. This is a relevant issue when millions of vapers (and smokers) must remain under indoor confinement and/or share public outdoor spaces with non-users. The fact that the respiratory flow associated with vaping is visible (as opposed to other respiratory activities) clearly delineates a safety distance of 1–2 m along the exhaled jet to prevent direct exposure. Vaping is a relatively infrequent and intermittent respiratory activity for which we infer a mean emission rate of 79.82 droplets per puff (6–200, standard deviation 74.66) comparable to mouth breathing, it adds into shared indoor spaces (home and restaurant scenarios) a 1% extra risk of indirect COVID-19 contagion with respect to a “control case” of existing unavoidable risk from continuous breathing. As a comparative reference, this added relative risk increases to 44–176% for speaking 6–24 min per hour and 260% for coughing every 2 min. Mechanical ventilation decreases absolute emission levels but keeps the same relative risks. As long as direct exposure to the visible exhaled jet is avoided, wearing of face masks effectively protects bystanders and keeps risk estimates very low. As a consequence, protection from possible COVID-19 contagion through vaping emissions does not require extra interventions besides the standard recommendations to the general population: keeping a social separation distance of 2 m and wearing of face masks.

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