scholarly journals Effects of Antibiotics on Impacted Aquatic Environment Microorganisms

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lívia Caroline Alexandre de Araújo ◽  
Sivoneide Maria da Silva ◽  
Rafael Artur de Queiroz Cavalcanti de Sá ◽  
Ana Vitoria Araujo Lima ◽  
Amanda Virginia Barbosa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Community ◽  
Mass Production ◽  
Aquatic Environment ◽  
Human Medicine ◽  
Aquatic Environments ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Composition And Structure ◽  
Hospital Effluents

Due to their mass production and intense consumption in human medicine, veterinary, and aquaculture, antibiotics have been widely detected in different ecosystems, leading to a growing worldwide concern. These and their byproducts are being continuously discarded in natural ecosystems via excretion of human and animal urine and feces, also domestic and hospital effluents. Residues of these drugs can persist in natural environments through bioaccumulation due to their difficult biodegradation. Also, they have a gradual deposition in sediments, aquatic surfaces, and groundwater. Studies have shown the presence of these drugs in aquatic environments, which can trigger severe changes in the composition and structure of the bacterial community, such as the ability to develop and propagate genes resistant to these pollutants. In this context, this review aims to address the effects of the antibiotics on microorganisms present in impacted aquatic environments.

scholarly journals A Brief Review of the Structure, Cytotoxicity, Synthesis, and Biodegradation of Microcystins

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 2147
Author(s):  
Anjali Krishnan ◽  
Xiaozhen Mou
Keyword(s):  
Health Hazard ◽  
Aquatic Organisms ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Cyanobacterial Blooms ◽  
Aquatic Environments ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Exposure Pathway ◽  
Environmental Transformation ◽  
Cyclic Heptapeptide ◽  
Harmful Cyanobacterial Blooms

Harmful cyanobacterial blooms pose an environmental health hazard due to the release of water-soluble cyanotoxins. One of the most prevalent cyanotoxins in nature is microcystins (MCs), a class of cyclic heptapeptide hepatotoxins, and they are produced by several common cyanobacteria in aquatic environments. Once released from cyanobacterial cells, MCs are subjected to physical chemical and biological transformations in natural environments. MCs can also be taken up and accumulated in aquatic organisms and their grazers/predators and induce toxic effects in several organisms, including humans. This brief review aimed to summarize our current understanding on the chemical structure, exposure pathway, cytotoxicity, biosynthesis, and environmental transformation of microcystins.

scholarly journals Using virtual reality to estimate aesthetic values of coral reefs

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 172226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Vercelloni ◽  
Sam Clifford ◽  
M. Julian Caley ◽  
Alan R. Pearse ◽  
Ross Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Aesthetic Value ◽  
Natural Systems ◽  
Holistic Conservation ◽  
Past Experiences ◽  
Aesthetic Values

Aesthetic value, or beauty, is important to the relationship between humans and natural environments and is, therefore, a fundamental socio-economic attribute of conservation alongside other ecosystem services. However, beauty is difficult to quantify and is not estimated well using traditional approaches to monitoring coral-reef aesthetics. To improve the estimation of ecosystem aesthetic values, we developed and implemented a novel framework used to quantify features of coral-reef aesthetics based on people's perceptions of beauty. Three observer groups with different experience to reef environments (Marine Scientist, Experienced Diver and Citizen) were virtually immersed in Australian's Great Barrier Reef (GBR) using 360° images. Perceptions of beauty and observations were used to assess the importance of eight potential attributes of reef-aesthetic value. Among these, heterogeneity, defined by structural complexity and colour diversity, was positively associated with coral-reef-aesthetic values. There were no group-level differences in the way the observer groups perceived reef aesthetics suggesting that past experiences with coral reefs do not necessarily influence the perception of beauty by the observer. The framework developed here provides a generic tool to help identify indicators of aesthetic value applicable to a wide variety of natural systems. The ability to estimate aesthetic values robustly adds an important dimension to the holistic conservation of the GBR, coral reefs worldwide and other natural ecosystems.

Selective Bacterial Community Enrichment Between the Pitcher Plants Sarracenia Minor and Sarracenia Flava

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikolas M. Stasulli ◽  
Scott M. Yourstone ◽  
Ilon Weinstein ◽  
Elizabeth Ademski ◽  
Elizabeth A. Shank
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Bacterial Community ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Microbial Community Composition ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Pitcher Plants ◽  
Naturally Occurring

Abstract BackgroundThe interconnected and overlapping habitats present in natural ecosystems remain a challenge in determining the forces driving microbial community composition. The cup-like leaf structures of some carnivorous plants, including the family Sarraceniaceae, are self-contained ecological habitats that represent systems for exploring such microbial ecology questions. We investigated whether Sarracenia minor and Sarracenia flava, when sampled at the same geographic location and time, cultivate unique microbiota; an indication of biotic selection of microbes due to eliminating many of the environmental variable present in other studies comparing samples harvested over several time points. ResultsDNA was extracted from the decomposing detritus trapped in the base of each Sarracenia leaf pitcher. We profiled a portion of the 16S rRNA gene across the bacterial community members present in this detritus using Illumina MiSeq technology. We identified a surprising amount of diversity within each pitcher, but also discovered that the two Sarracenia species each contained distinct, enriched microbial community members. This suggests a non-random establishment of microbial communities within these two Sarracenia species.ConclusionsOverall, our results indicate that microbial selection is occurring within the pitchers of these two closely related plant species, which is not due to factors such as geographic location, weather, or prey availability. This suggests that specific features of S. minor and S. flava may play a role in fostering specific insect-decomposing microbiomes. These naturally occurring microbial ecosystems can be developed to answer important questions about microbial community succession, disruption, and member contributions to the community. This study will help further establish carnivorous pitcher plants as a model system for studying confined, naturally occurring bacterial communities.

scholarly journals On the Coronaviruses and Their Associations with the Aquatic Environment and Wastewater

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1598 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian Wartecki ◽  
Piotr Rzymski
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Biology ◽  
Interdisciplinary Research ◽  
Aquatic Environment ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Digestive System ◽  
Rna Viruses ◽  
Aquatic Environments ◽  
Aquatic Biota ◽  
Viral Particles ◽  
Positive Sense

The outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), a severe respiratory disease caused by betacoronavirus SARS-CoV-2, in 2019 that further developed into a pandemic has received an unprecedented response from the scientific community and sparked a general research interest into the biology and ecology of Coronaviridae, a family of positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses. Aquatic environments, lakes, rivers and ponds, are important habitats for bats and birds, which are hosts for various coronavirus species and strains and which shed viral particles in their feces. It is therefore of high interest to fully explore the role that aquatic environments may play in coronavirus spread, including cross-species transmissions. Besides the respiratory tract, coronaviruses pathogenic to humans can also infect the digestive system and be subsequently defecated. Considering this, it is pivotal to understand whether wastewater can play a role in their dissemination, particularly in areas with poor sanitation. This review provides an overview of the taxonomy, molecular biology, natural reservoirs and pathogenicity of coronaviruses; outlines their potential to survive in aquatic environments and wastewater; and demonstrates their association with aquatic biota, mainly waterfowl. It also calls for further, interdisciplinary research in the field of aquatic virology to explore the potential hotspots of coronaviruses in the aquatic environment and the routes through which they may enter it.

scholarly journals A Case of Mortality Caused by Aeromonas hydrophila in Wild-Caught Red-Eyed Crocodile Skinks (Tribolonotus gracilis)

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Kwon ◽  
Sang Guen Kim ◽  
Sang Wha Kim ◽  
Saekil Yun ◽  
Hyoun Joong Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aeromonas Hydrophila ◽  
Opportunistic Infections ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Human Medicine ◽  
Aquatic Environments ◽  
Negative Bacterium ◽  
Severe Stress ◽  
Antimicrobial Susceptibility Test ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
In The Wild

Aeromonas hydrophila, a Gram-negative bacterium commonly found in aquatic environments, is pathogenic to amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. In human medicine, the clinical symptoms of aeromonad infection include not only gastroenteritis but also extraintestinal infections, such as wounds, cellulitis, and septicemia, in immunocompromised and immunocompetent individuals. In this study, ten red-eyed crocodile skinks (Tribolonotus gracilis) that shared the same space were found dead 7 days after being shipped from Indonesia. The necropsy revealed A. hydrophila to be the causative agent, and the isolates were susceptible to most antibiotics, based on an antimicrobial susceptibility test. Seven virulence factors (act, ast, alt, aerA, fla, gcaT, and ahyB) considered to be associated with virulence were detected by PCR. Microscopic examination revealed several necrotic lesions and melano-macrophage centers in the tissue slides. Reptiles caught in the wild for trade experience captivity stress. Furthermore, in the winter, reptiles are easily exposed to the cold atmosphere. These stresses can negatively impact the immunity of these ectotherms, making them vulnerable to A. hydrophila infections. Therefore, to avoid such opportunistic infections and mortality following exposure to severe stress, medical care is recommended. The studies of alternatives, such as bacteriophage and bacteriocin, are needed for a preventive application.

Bacterial communities of the rhizosphere and endorhiza associated with field-grown cucumber plants inoculated with a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium or its genetically modified derivative

1997 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 344-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. F. Mahaffee ◽  
J. W. Kloepper
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Bacterial Community ◽  
Bacterial Communities ◽  
Genetically Modified ◽  
Acid Methyl Ester ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Genus Level ◽  
Plant Growth Promoting ◽  
The Impact

The future use of genetically modified microorganisms in the environment will be dependent on the ability to assess potential or theoretical risks associated with their introduction into natural ecosystems. To assess potential risks, several ecological parameters must be examined, including the impact of the introduced genetically modified organism on the microbial communities associated with the environment into which the introduction will occur. A 2-year field study was established to examine whether the indigenous bacterial communities of the rhizosphere and endorhiza (internal root tissues) were affected differently by the introduction of an unaltered wild type and its genetically modified derivative. Treatments consisted of the wild-type strain Pseudomonas fluorescens 89B-27 and a bioluminescent derivative GEM-8 (89B-27::Tn4431). Cucumber root or seed samples were taken 0, 7, 14, 21, 35, and 70 days after planting (DAP) in 1994 and 0, 7, 14, 28, 42, and 70 DAP in 1995. Samples were processed to examine the bacterial communities of both the rhizosphere and endorhiza. Over 7200 bacterial colonies were isolated from the rhizosphere and endorhiza and identified using the Sherlock System (Microbial ID, Inc.) for fatty acid methyl ester analysis. Community structure at the genus level was assessed using genera richness and Hill's diversity numbers, N1 and N2. The aerobic–heterotrophic bacterial community structure at the genus level did not significantly vary between treatments but did differ temporally. The data indicate that the introduction of the genetically modified derivative of 89B-27 did not pose a greater environmental risk than its unaltered wild type with respect to aerobic–heterotrophic bacterial community structure.Key words: diversity, ecology, PGPR, Pseudomonas, root colonizaton, GEM.

scholarly journals Biodegradability standards for carrier bags and plastic films in aquatic environments: a critical review

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 171792 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse P. Harrison ◽  
Carl Boardman ◽  
Kenneth O'Callaghan ◽  
Anne-Marie Delort ◽  
Jim Song
Keyword(s):  
Degradation Products ◽  
Toxicity Testing ◽  
Test Methods ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Aquatic Environments ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Marine Habitats ◽  
Industry Standards ◽  
Plastic Bag ◽  
Chemical Conditions

Plastic litter is encountered in aquatic ecosystems across the globe, including polar environments and the deep sea. To mitigate the adverse societal and ecological impacts of this waste, there has been debate on whether ‘biodegradable' materials should be granted exemptions from plastic bag bans and levies. However, great care must be exercised when attempting to define this term, due to the broad and complex range of physical and chemical conditions encountered within natural ecosystems. Here, we review existing international industry standards and regional test methods for evaluating the biodegradability of plastics within aquatic environments (wastewater, unmanaged freshwater and marine habitats). We argue that current standards and test methods are insufficient in their ability to realistically predict the biodegradability of carrier bags in these environments, due to several shortcomings in experimental procedures and a paucity of information in the scientific literature. Moreover, existing biodegradability standards and test methods for aquatic environments do not involve toxicity testing or account for the potentially adverse ecological impacts of carrier bags, plastic additives, polymer degradation products or small (microscopic) plastic particles that can arise via fragmentation. Successfully addressing these knowledge gaps is a key requirement for developing new biodegradability standard(s) for lightweight carrier bags.

scholarly journals Advancing Genome-Resolved Metagenomics beyond the Shotgun

mSystems ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rex R. Malmstrom ◽  
Emiley A. Eloe-Fadrosh
Keyword(s):  
Single Molecule ◽  
Cell Sorting ◽  
Stable Isotope Probing ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Shotgun Metagenomics ◽  
Short Read ◽  
Future Developments ◽  
Long Read ◽  
Shed Light

ABSTRACT Exploration of environmental microbiomes has shed light on the ecological and evolutionary principles at play in natural ecosystems and has been further accelerated through the reconstruction of population genomes to provide genome-centric context. Yet technical challenges with traditional shotgun metagenomics remain for computationally intense short-read assembly, strain heterogeneity within communities, and depth of coverage required for low-abundance microbes. In this Perspective, we highlight three main avenues for promising future developments, including coupling stable isotope probing and genome-resolved metagenomics, applying fluorescence-activated cell sorting approaches to target mini-metagenomes within a larger community, and utilizing single-molecule long-read and synthetic long-read technology to link mobile elements to host microbial cells. These developments on the horizon will undoubtedly advance genome-resolved metagenomic approaches and enable a better understanding of uncultivated microbes in their natural environments.

scholarly journals Novel Biologically Active Molecules, Biomaterials, and Nanoparticles for Microbial Biofilm Control in Human Medicine

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (9) ◽  
pp. 2749
Author(s):  
Rossella Grande ◽  
Simone Carradori
Keyword(s):  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Food Industry ◽  
Clinical Microbiology ◽  
Medicinal Chemistry ◽  
Human Medicine ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Synthetic Compounds ◽  
Biofilm Removal

The aim of the present special issue, proposed by two Co-Guest Editors with expertise in Clinical Microbiology and Medicinal Chemistry, is to collect and disseminate some of the most significant and innovative contributions focused on biofilm removal strategies, based on the use of natural or synthetic compounds/molecules/peptides or nanoparticles as well as biofilm formation inhibition aimed at both the control and monitoring of biofilm infections in medicine, food, industry, and natural environments [...]

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