scholarly journals Effects of Nanoplastics on Freshwater Biofilm Microbial Metabolic Functions as Determined by BIOLOG ECO Microplates

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (23) ◽  
pp. 4639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miao ◽  
Guo ◽  
Liu ◽  
Liu ◽  
You ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Source ◽  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
Carbon Sources ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Carbon Source Utilization ◽  
Metabolic Functions ◽  
Wiener Diversity Index ◽  
Freshwater Biofilms

Nanoplastic (NP) contamination is becoming a pervasive issue as NPs, originating from microplastic particles, pose potentially harmful environmental impacts on aquatic ecosystems. The environmental hazards of NPs on microorganisms have been well documented in recent studies; however, little is known about their ecotoxicity effects on freshwater biofilms, which serve as important primary producers and decomposers and are highly connected with other ecosystem components. We investigated the effects of NPs on the microbial metabolic functions of freshwater biofilms in terms of carbon source utilization ability. Biofilm samples were collected, cultivated in a hydrodynamic flume for six weeks, and then exposed in polystyrene (PS) beads (100 nm in size) with different NP concentrations (1, 5, and 10 mg/L). BIOLOG ECO microplates were used to quantify carbon source utilization characteristics. The data were analyzed using average well-color development (AWCD), functional diversity indices, and principle component analysis (PCA). Results showed that the total carbon metabolic functions (represented by AWCD) remained constant (p > 0.05) with elevated NP concentrations, but some specific carbon sources (e.g., esters) changed in their utilization ability (p < 0.05). The microbial functional diversity (Shannon–Wiener diversity index, Simpson diversity index, and Shannon evenness index) was significantly reduced under 10 mg/L NPs (p < 0.05), indicating an inhibiting effect of NPs on biofilm metabolic diversity. This study examined NP ecotoxicity effects on microbial metabolic activities at the community level, but further studies are required to fully understand the mechanisms driving this change.

scholarly journals Distance Effects on Diversity and Abundance of the Flower Visitors of Ocimum kilimandscharicum in the Kakamega Forest Ecosystem

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hellen K. Mandela ◽  
Mugatsia H. Tsingalia ◽  
Mary Gikungu ◽  
Wilbur M. Lwande
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Forest Edge ◽  
Flower Visitors ◽  
Kakamega Forest ◽  
Species Invasions ◽  
Wiener Diversity Index

Pollination is an important ecosystem service in the maintenance of biodiversity and most importantly in food production. Pollination is on the decline due to habitat loss, exotic species invasions, pollution, overharvesting, and land use changes. This study analyzed the abundance and diversity of flower visitors’ of Ocimum kilimandscharicum in Kakamega forest with increasing distance from the forest edge. Data were collected through direct observation and sweep netting. Six study sites were identified along two transects each 2.5 km long and labeled A to F. Distance in metres from the forest edge to each site was A=221, B=72, C=83, D=198, E=113, and F=50. Sampling was done from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm, three days in a week for five months consecutively. Diversity indices of different flower visitors were calculated using the Shannon-Wiener diversity index. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare differences between sites and a two-sample t-test was used to identify mean significant differences in species diversity between the closest and the furthest sites. A total of 645 individuals belonging to 35 species were captured from 4 families. The highest diversity was at site F (H’= 2.38) which was closest to the forest edge and the lowest diversity was from site A (H’=1.44) which was furthest from the forest edge. Distance from the forest edge significantly influenced species diversity (F(3, 20)=14.67, p=0.024). Distance from the forest edge also significantly influenced species abundance between the furthest sites A, D, and E and the nearest sites F, B, and C to the forest edge (t=4.177; p=0.0312) and species richness (t=3.2893; p=0.0187). This study clearly demonstrates that Ocimum kilimandscharicum flower visitors play essential roles in pollination and their higher number of visits translates into higher numbers of seeds set. Many of these pollinators are associated with the forest and hence the need to conserve the Kakamega forest as a source pool for pollinators.

scholarly journals Carbon source utilization and hydrogen production by isolated anaerobic bacteria

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Jame ◽  
V. Zelená ◽  
B. Lakatoš ◽  
Ľ. Varečka
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Source ◽  
Anaerobic Fermentation ◽  
Carbon Sources ◽  
Anaerobic Bacteria ◽  
Growth Yield ◽  
Bacterial Isolates ◽  
Carbon Source Utilization ◽  
Bacterial Strains ◽  
Monocarboxylic Acids ◽  
Sheep Rumen

Abstract Five bacterial isolates were tested for their ability to generate hydrogen during anaerobic fermentation with various carbon sources. One isolate from sheep rumen was identified as Escherichia coli and four isolates belonged to Clostridium spp. Glucose, arabinose, ribose, xylose, lactose and cellobiose were used as carbon sources. Results showed that all bacterial strains could utilize these compounds, although the utilization of pentoses diminished growth yield. The excretion of monocarboxylic acids (acetate, propionate, formiate, butyrate) into medium was changed after replacing glucose by other carbon sources. Di- and tricarboxylic acids were excreted in negligible amounts only. Spectra of excreted carboxylic acids were unique for each strain and all carbon sources. All isolates produced H2 between 4—9 mmol·L−1 during the stationary phase of growth with glucose as energy source. This value was dramatically reduced when pentoses were used as carbon source. Lactose and cellobiose, starch and cellulose were suitable substrates for the H2 production in some but not all isolates. No H2 was produced by proteinaceous substrate, such as blood. Results show that both substrate utilization and physiological responses (growth, excretion of carboxylates, H2 production) are unique functions of each isolate.

Carbon utilization profiles of Fusarium virguliforme isolates

2010 ◽  
Vol 56 (12) ◽  
pp. 979-986 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Tang ◽  
C.B. Hill ◽  
G.L. Hartman
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Source ◽  
Mycelial Growth ◽  
Carbon Sources ◽  
Geographic Origin ◽  
Acid Methyl Ester ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Carbon Source Utilization ◽  
Carbon Utilization ◽  
Fusarium Virguliforme ◽  
Carbon Utilization Profiles

Fusarium virguliforme is the cause of sudden death syndrome in soybean. Physiological variability among isolates of the fungus is unknown. One way to measure physiologic variability is to analyze growth on different carbon sources. The carbon source utilization profiles of 18 F. virguliforme isolates were examined using the Biolog FF 96-well microplate, which contains 95 different carbon sources. The utilization of dextrin, d-mannitol, maltotriose, d-lactic acid methyl ester, N-acetyl-d-galactosamine, salicin, d-trehalose, and l-alanine differed significantly among isolates (P = 0.05). Carbon sources were grouped into 3 clusters based on their ability to promote growth of F. virguliforme, after calculating Euclidean distances among them. About 12% of the carbon sources promoted a high amount of mycelial growth, 39% promoted a medium amount of growth, and 49% promoted a low amount of mycelial growth; the latter was not significantly different from the water blank control. A hierarchical tree diagram was produced for the 18 isolates based on their carbon source utilization profiles using Ward’s hierarchical analysis method. Two main clusters of isolates were formed. One cluster represented greater average mycelial growth on all of the carbon sources than the other cluster. In this study, variability in carbon source utilization among F. virguliforme isolates was evident, but the results were not associated with geographic origin of the isolates, year collected, or published data on aggressiveness. Additional research is needed to determine if these carbon utilization profiles are associated with other biological characteristics, like spore germination, propagule formation, and saprophytic competitiveness.

scholarly journals Functional Diversity of the Soil Culturable Microbial Community in Eucalyptus Plantations of Different Ages in Guangxi, South China

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1083
Author(s):  
Xiu Lan ◽  
Hu Du ◽  
Wanxia Peng ◽  
Yongxian Liu ◽  
Zhilian Fang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Carbon Source ◽  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Soil Microbes ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Soil Microbial Community Structure ◽  
Microbial Functional Diversity ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Eucalyptus Plantations ◽  
Different Ages

We selected five different ages of eucalyptus plantation sites to understand the culturable microbial functional diversity and the ecological functions of the soil from the eucalyptus plantations in Guangxi. We investigated the carbon source metabolic activity and diversity features of surface soil microbes using the Biolog EcoPlate method (Biolog Inc., Hayward, CA, USA), along with the microbial functional diversity and physicochemical properties of the soil. The results suggest that the carbon source utilization capacity of the soil microbes at various forest ages manifested as 3-year-old > 5-year-old > 2-year-old > 1-year-old > 8-year-old. The abundance, Shannon–Weiner, Pielou, Simpson, and McIntosh diversity indices of the soil microbes initially increased and then decreased with further increase in forest age, with the highest levels in 3- and 5-year-old forests. As per the heatmap analysis, the 3-year-old forest could metabolize the most carbon source species, while the 1- and 8-year-old forests could metabolize the least. Carbohydrates were the most frequently metabolized carbon source. The principal component analysis (PCA) shows that PC1 and PC2 extracted from the 31 factors have 52.42% and 13.39% of the variable variance, respectively. Carbohydrates contributed most to PCA, followed by amino acids and carboxylic acids, and phenolic acids and amines, the least. Canonical correspondence analysis shows that total carbon, alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen, total nitrogen, total potassium, and pH negatively correlate with soil microbial functional diversity, whereas total and available phosphorus positively correlate with it. To sum up, the soil microbial community structure of eucalyptus plantations at various ages reflects the soil environmental conditions and nutrient availability, which is of great significance in the efficient management and high-quality operation of their plantations in Guangxi.

scholarly journals Assessment of the Importance of Similarity in Carbon Source Utilization Profiles between the Biological Control Agent and the Pathogen in Biological Control of Bacterial Speck of Tomato

2002 ◽  
Vol 68 (9) ◽  
pp. 4383-4389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pingsheng Ji ◽  
Mark Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Carbon Source ◽  
Disease Severity ◽  
Pseudomonas Syringae ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Carbon Sources ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Carbon Source Utilization ◽  
Bacterial Speck

ABSTRACT Bacterial speck of tomato, caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato, was used to determine whether similarity in carbon source utilization between a preemptive biological control agent and the pathogen was significant in determining the ability of the bacterium to suppress disease. Similarity in carbon source utilization was quantified as the ratio of the number of tomato carbon sources utilized in vitro by the biological control agent to the number of tomato carbon sources utilized in vitro by the target pathogen (the niche overlap index [NOI]). Suppression of the disease was quantified as the percent reduction in disease severity compared to the pathogen-only control when nonpathogenic bacteria were applied to foliage 48 h prior to the pathogen. In the collection of 36 nonpathogenic bacterial strains, there was a significant (P < 0.01), but weak (r2 = 0.25), correlation between reduction in disease severity and similarity in carbon source utilization, suggesting that similarity in carbon source use was significant in determining ability to suppress disease. The relationship was investigated further using catabolic mutants of P. syringae strain TLP2, an effective biological control agent of speck. Catabolic mutants exhibited lower levels of similarity (NOI = 0.07 to 0.90) than did wild-type TLP2 (NOI = 0.93). With these catabolic mutants there was a significant (P < 0.01), and stronger (r2 = 0.42), correlation between reduction in disease severity and similarity in carbon source utilization. This suggests that similarity in carbon source utilization was a more important component of biological control ability for the catabolic mutants than for the nonpathogenic bacteria. Together, these studies indicate that suppression of bacterial speck of tomato was correlated with nutritional similarity between the pathogenic and nonpathogenic bacteria and suggest that preemptive utilization of carbon sources was probably involved in the biological control of the disease by both the naturally occurring nonpathogenic bacteria and the catabolic mutants.

scholarly journals Toxicity of ciprofloxacin and sulfamethoxazole to marine periphytic algae and bacteria

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrik Johansson ◽  
Lisa Janmar ◽  
Thomas Backhaus
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Source ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Control Level ◽  
Algal Species ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Static System ◽  
Utilization Pattern ◽  
Carbon Source Utilization ◽  
Swedish West Coast ◽  
Significant Difference

Ciprofloxacin and sulfamethoxazole are two antibiotics commonly detected in the aquatic environment, but information on their toxicity towards natural microbial communities is largely absent. In particular no data are available for marine microorganisms. Aim of the current study was therefore to evaluate the chronic toxicity of ciprofloxacin and sulfamethoxazole on natural marine biofilms (periphyton), a complex ecological community comprising a variety of bacterial and algal species. The biofilms were sampled along the Swedish west coast and subsequently exposed over 4 days in a semi-static system to a concentration series of each antibiotic. Effects on the bacterial part of the periphyton community were assessed using Biolog Ecoplates, reflecting total respiration and functional diversity of the bacterial community. Exposure to either antibiotic resulted in a clear concentration-response relationship with EC10 and EC50 values for the inhibition of total carbon source utilization of 46.1 nmol/L and 490.7 nmol/L for ciprofloxacin, respectively 56 and 1073 nmol/L for sulfamethoxazole. The NOEC for ciprofloxacin was 26 nmol/L, with a minimum significant difference of 19.24%, for sulfamethoxazole it was 140 nmol/L with a minimum significant difference of 14%. Multivariate data exploration of the whole carbon source utilization pattern confirmed these results. The data indicate that sulfamethoxazole leads to a general decrease in carbon source utilization, while ciprofloxacin exposure leads to a re-arrangement of the carbon-utilization pattern in the region of 20-50% effect. This corresponds with the higher specificity of ciprofloxacin for certain bacterial species. Effects on the algal part of the communities were evaluated by analyzing the amount and composition of photosynthetic pigments, and neither ciprofloxacin nor sulfamethoxazole caused any inhibitory effects up to the maximum tested concentration of 9 000 nmol/L. However, sulfamethoxazole exposure did lead to a significant stimulation (75% above control level) of the total pigment content of the biofilm already at the lowest tested concentration of 5 nmol/L. The stimulation then decreased with increasing concentrations to finally return to control level at 3 000 nmol/L. No shifts in the relative pigment composition were observed, indicating a generally increased algal biomass without major shifts in community composition.

scholarly journals Tree Species Diversity and Abundance of Akure Forest Reserve, Ondo State, Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (8) ◽  
pp. 1415-1419
Author(s):  
O.M. Ogundele ◽  
P.O. Ige ◽  
Y.T. Owoeye ◽  
D.E. Abanikanda ◽  
O.O. Komolafe
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Population Distribution ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Tree Species Diversity ◽  
Forest Reserve ◽  
Wiener Diversity Index ◽  
Permanent Sample Plot ◽  
Ondo State

This study was carried out to examine the tree species diversity and abundance in a natural forest ecosystem in the Southwestern region of Nigeria. Data were collected from a four equal size sampling plot of 50×50m in a permanent sample plot section of Akure Forest Reserve. All living trees with DBH ≥ 10cm were measured and identified. A total of 956 trees were encountered. These trees were from 42 genera and 20 families. Celtis zenkeri belonging to the family of Ulmaceae was the species with the highest population distribution while Sterculiaceae was the dominant family in the study area. The Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index (Hˈ) of 3.196 and species evenness of 0.84 were obtained from the study area. The high values of diversity indices obtained indicated that the forest is rich in biodiversity and hence should be protected from any forms of disturbance to enhance sustainability as well as protect the rare species in it from going into extinction.

scholarly journals Problems using ordinal traits with continuous measures of functional diversity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matt Davis
Keyword(s):  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
Random Noise ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Functional Trait ◽  
Arbitrary Parameter ◽  
Methodological Choices ◽  
Ordinal Traits ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Continuous Measures

Continuous indices of functional diversity are popular in studies examining community structure and ecosystem function across a wide range of subfields from paleontology to range management. These indices were designed to replace the use of more arbitrary, discrete functional groups or guilds; however, the effect of typical methodological decisions on these new continuous measures has not been fully investigated. To test the effect of using ordinal traits in functional diversity analysis, I first calculated relative functional diversity index values in real plant communities with real continuous trait data and Euclidean distances. I then compared these original values to "treatment" functional diversity index values obtained by discretizing the trait data and using Gower's distance. Agreement between original and treatment values was highly unpredictable and often abysmal. Small methodological choices, such as whether to treat a functional trait as continuous (mm) or ordinal ("small", "medium", "large"), could completely change a perceived functional diversity relationship along an environmental gradient. Some parameter combinations returned results that were no better than random noise. Because simple methodological choices can have such a large impact on continuous functional diversity indices, it is ambiguous whether analyses using ordinal traits are actually measuring an underlying functional diversity relationship between communities or just reflecting the arbitrary parameter choices of researchers.

scholarly journals Aca1 and Aca2, ATF/CREB Activators in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Are Important for Carbon Source Utilization but Not the Response to Stress

2000 ◽  
Vol 20 (12) ◽  
pp. 4340-4349 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Adelaida Garcia-Gimeno ◽  
Kevin Struhl
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Carbon Source ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Carbon Sources ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Carbon Source Utilization ◽  
The Family ◽  
Response To Stress

ABSTRACT In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the family of ATF/CREB transcriptional regulators consists of a repressor, Acr1 (Sko1), and two activators, Aca1 and Aca2. The AP-1 factor Gen4 does not activate transcription through ATF/CREB sites in vivo even though it binds these sites in vitro. Unlike ATF/CREB activators in other species, Aca1- and Aca2-dependent transcription is not affected by protein kinase A or by stress, and Aca1 and Aca2 are not required for Hog1-dependent salt induction of transcription through an optimal ATF/CREB site. Aca2 is important for a variety of biological functions including growth on nonoptimal carbon sources, and Aca2-dependent activation is modestly regulated by carbon source. Strains lacking Aca1 are phenotypically normal, but overexpression of Aca1 suppresses some defects associated with the loss of Aca2, indicating a functional overlap between Aca1 and Aca2. Acr1 represses transcription both by recruiting the Cyc8-Tup1 corepressor and by directly competing with Aca1 and Aca2 for target sites. Acr1 does not fully account for osmotic regulation through ATF/CREB sites, and a novel Hog1-dependent activator(s) that is not a bZIP protein is required for ATF/CREB site activation in response to high salt. In addition, Acr1 does not affect a number of phenotypes that arise from loss of Aca2. Thus, members of the S. cerevisiae ATF/CREB family have overlapping, but distinct, biological functions and target genes.

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