scholarly journals Marked changes in diversity and relative activity of picoeukaryotes with depth in the global ocean

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caterina R. Giner ◽  
Vanessa Balagué ◽  
Massimo C. Pernice ◽  
Carlos M. Duarte ◽  
Josep M. Gasol ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTMicrobial eukaryotes are key components of the ocean plankton. Yet, our understanding of their community composition and activity in different water layers of the ocean is limited, particularly for picoeukaryotes (0.2-3µm cell size). Here we examined the picoeukaryotic communities inhabiting different vertical zones of the tropical and subtropical global ocean: surface, deep chlorophyll maximum, mesopelagic (including the deep scattering layer and minimum oxygen zone) and bathypelagic. Communities were analysed by high-throughput sequencing of the 18S rRNA gene, as represented by DNA (community structure) and RNA (metabolic expression), followed by delineation of Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs). We found a clear stratification of the picoeukaryotic communities along the water column, with two differentiated assemblages corresponding to the sunlit and dark ocean. Specific taxonomic groups either increased or decreased their abundances with depth. We used the rRNA:rDNA ratio of each individual OTU as a proxy of its metabolic activity. The highest relative activity was found in the mesopelagic layer for most taxonomic groups, and the lowest in the bathypelagic. Overall, our results characterize the change in community structure and activity of picoeukaryotes in the global-ocean water column, suggesting that the mesopeagic layer is a hot-spot of picoeukaryotic activity.

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 437-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caterina R. Giner ◽  
Massimo C. Pernice ◽  
Vanessa Balagué ◽  
Carlos M. Duarte ◽  
Josep M. Gasol ◽  
...  

Abstract Microbial eukaryotes are key components of the ocean plankton. Yet, our understanding of their community composition and activity in different water layers of the ocean is limited, particularly for picoeukaryotes (0.2–3 µm cell size). Here, we examined the picoeukaryotic communities inhabiting different vertical zones of the tropical and subtropical global ocean: surface, deep chlorophyll maximum, mesopelagic (including the deep scattering layer and oxygen minimum zones), and bathypelagic. Communities were analysed by high-tthroughput sequencing of the 18S rRNA gene (V4 region) as represented by DNA (community structure) and RNA (metabolism), followed by delineation of Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) at 99% similarity. We found a stratification of the picoeukaryotic communities along the water column, with assemblages corresponding to the sunlit and dark ocean. Specific taxonomic groups either increased (e.g., Chrysophyceae or Bicosoecida) or decreased (e.g., Dinoflagellata or MAST-3) in abundance with depth. We used the rRNA:rDNA ratio of each OTU as a proxy of metabolic activity. The highest relative activity was found in the mesopelagic layer for most taxonomic groups, and the lowest in the bathypelagic. Altogether, we characterize the change in community structure and metabolic activity of picoeukaryotes with depth in the global ocean, suggesting a hotspot of activity in the mesopelagic.


Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 114
Author(s):  
Savvas Genitsaris ◽  
Natassa Stefanidou ◽  
Maria Moustaka-Gouni ◽  
Ulrich Sommer ◽  
George Tsipas

The Thessaloniki Bay is a eutrophic coastal area which has been characterized in recent years by frequent and intense phytoplankton blooms and red tides. The aim of the study was to investigate the underexplored diversity of marine unicellular eukaryotes in four different sampling sites in Thessaloniki Bay during a year of plankton blooms, red tides, and mucilage aggregates. High-Throughput Sequencing (HTS) was applied in extracted DNA from weekly water samples targeting the 18S rRNA gene. In almost all samples, phytoplankton blooms and/or red tides and mucilage aggregates were observed. The metabarcoding analysis has detected the known unicellular eukaryotic groups frequently observed in the Bay, dominated by Bacillariophyta and Dinoflagellata, and revealed taxonomic groups previously undetected in the study area (MALVs, MAST, and Cercozoa). The dominant OTUs were closely related to species known to participate in red tides, harmful blooms, and mucilage aggregates. Other OTUs, present also during the blooms in low abundance (number of reads), were closely related to known harmful species, suggesting the occurrence of rare taxa with potential negative impacts on human health not detectable with classical microscopy. Overall, the unicellular eukaryote assemblages showed temporal patterns rather than small-scale spatial separation responding to the variability of physical and chemical factors.


Polar Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleanor E. Jackson ◽  
Ian Hawes ◽  
Anne D. Jungblut

AbstractThe undulating ice of the McMurdo Ice Shelf, Southern Victoria Land, supports one of the largest networks of ice-based, multiyear meltwater pond habitats in Antarctica, where microbial mats are abundant and contribute most of the biomass and biodiversity. We used 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing to compare variance of the community structure in microbial mats within and between ponds with different salinities and pH. Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria were the most abundant phyla, and composition at OTU level was highly specific for the meltwater ponds with strong community sorting along the salinity gradient. Our study provides the first detailed evaluation of eukaryote communities for the McMurdo Ice Shelf using the 18S rRNA gene. They were dominated by Ochrophyta, Chlorophyta and Ciliophora, consistent with previous microscopic analyses, but many OTUs belonging to less well-described heterotrophic protists from Antarctic ice shelves were also identified including Amoebozoa, Rhizaria and Labyrinthulea. Comparison of 16S and 18S rRNA gene communities showed that the Eukaryotes had lower richness and greater similarity between ponds in comparison with Bacteria and Archaea communities on the McMurdo Ice shelf. While there was a weak correlation between community dissimilarity and geographic distance, the congruity of microbial assemblages within ponds, especially for Bacteria and Archaea, implies strong habitat filtering in ice shelf meltwater pond ecosystems, especially due to salinity. These findings help to understand processes that are important in sustaining biodiversity and the impact of climate change on ice-based aquatic habitats in Antarctica.


2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (19) ◽  
pp. 5951-5968 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergio Balzano ◽  
Julie Lattaud ◽  
Laura Villanueva ◽  
Sebastiaan W. Rampen ◽  
Corina P. D. Brussaard ◽  
...  

Abstract. Long chain alkyl diols (LCDs) are widespread in the marine water column and sediments, but their biological sources are mostly unknown. Here we combine lipid analyses with 18S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing on suspended particulate matter (SPM) collected in the photic zone of the western tropical North Atlantic Ocean at 24 stations to infer relationships between LCDs and potential LCD producers. The C30 1,15-diol was detected in all SPM samples and accounted for >95 % of the total LCDs, while minor proportions of C28 and C30 1,13-diols, C28 and C30 1,14-diols, as well as C32 1,15-diol were found. The concentration of the C30 and C32 diols was higher in the mixed layer of the water column compared to the deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM), whereas concentrations of C28 diols were comparable. Sequencing analyses revealed extremely low contributions (≈0.1 % of the 18S rRNA gene reads) of known LCD producers, but the contributions from two taxonomic classes with which known producers are affiliated, i.e. Dictyochophyceae and Chrysophyceae, followed a trend similar to that of the concentrations of C30 and C32 diols. Statistical analyses indicated that the abundance of 4 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of the Chrysophyceae and Dictyochophyceae, along with 23 OTUs falling into other phylogenetic groups, were weakly (r≤0.6) but significantly (p value <0.01) correlated with C30 diol concentrations. It is not clear whether some of these OTUs might indeed correspond to C28−32 diol producers or whether these correlations are just indirect and the occurrence of C30 diols and specific OTUs in the same samples might be driven by other environmental conditions. Moreover, primer mismatches were unlikely, but cannot be excluded, and the variable number of rRNA gene copies within eukaryotes might have affected the analyses leading to LCD producers being undetected or undersampled. Furthermore, based on the average LCD content measured in cultivated LCD-producing algae, the detected concentrations of LCDs in SPM are too high to be explained by the abundances of the suspected LCD-producing OTUs. This is likely explained by the slower degradation of LCDs compared to DNA in the oxic water column and suggests that some of the LCDs found here were likely to be associated with suspended debris, while the DNA from the related LCD producers had been already fully degraded. This suggests that care should be taken in constraining biological sources of relatively stable biomarker lipids by quantitative comparisons of DNA and lipid abundances.


2015 ◽  
Vol 81 (7) ◽  
pp. 2433-2444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Kittelmann ◽  
Savannah R. Devente ◽  
Michelle R. Kirk ◽  
Henning Seedorf ◽  
Burk A. Dehority ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe development of high-throughput methods, such as the construction of 18S rRNA gene clone or pyrosequencing libraries, has allowed evaluation of ciliate community composition in hundreds of samples from the rumen and other intestinal habitats. However, several genera of mammalian intestinal ciliates have been described based only on morphological features and, to date, have not been identified using molecular methods. Here, we isolated single cells of one of the smallest but widely distributed intestinal ciliates,Charonina ventriculi, and sequenced its 18S rRNA gene. We verified the sequence in a full-cycle rRNA approach using fluorescencein situhybridization and thereby assigned an 18S rRNA gene sequence to this species previously known only by its morphology. Based on its full-length 18S rRNA gene sequence,Charonina ventriculiwas positioned within the phylogeny of intestinal ciliates in the subclass Trichostomatia. The taxonomic framework derived from this phylogeny was used for taxonomic assignment of trichostome ciliate 18S rRNA gene sequence data stemming from high-throughput amplicon pyrosequencing of rumen-derived DNA samples. The 18S rRNA gene-based ciliate community structure was compared to that obtained from microscopic counts using the same samples. Both methods allowed identification of dominant members of the ciliate communities and classification of the rumen ciliate community into one of the types first described by Eadie in 1962. Notably, each method is associated with advantages and disadvantages. Microscopy is a highly accurate method for evaluation of total numbers or relative abundances of different ciliate genera in a sample, while 18S rRNA gene pyrosequencing represents a valuable alternative for comparison of ciliate community structure in a large number of samples from different animals or treatment groups.


Author(s):  
Tatiana A Belevich ◽  
Irina A Milyutina ◽  
Galina A Abyzova ◽  
Aleksey V Troitsky

Abstract Global climate changes and anthropogenic activity greatly impact Arctic marine biodiversity including phytoplankton which contribute greatly to atmospheric oxygen production. Thus the study of microalgae has rising topicality. Class Mamiellophyceae is an important component of phototrophic picoplankton. To get more knowledge about Mamiellophyceae distribution and diversity special study were performed in such remote areas as the Russian Arctic seas. A metabarcoding of pico-sized Mamiellophyceae was undertaken by high-throughput sequencing of the 18S rRNA gene sequence V4 region from samples collected in July-September 2017 in the Barents, Kara, and Laptev seas, and in the adjacent waters of the Norwegian Sea. Our study is the first to show that Mamiellophyceae among the summer picoplankton of Russian Arctic seas are diverse and represented by 16 algae species/phylotypes. We discovered a new candidate species of Bathycoccus assigned to a new Bathycoccus clade A—uncultured Bathycoccus Kara 2017. It was found that several Micromonas species can co-exist, with M. polaris dominating north of 72°N. The presence of Ostreococcus tauri, O. lucimarinus and O. mediterraneus at high latitudes beyond 65°N was documented for the first time, similar to findings for some other taxa. Our results will be important for obtaining a global view of Mamiellophyceae community dynamics.


2006 ◽  
Vol 72 (10) ◽  
pp. 6578-6583 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.-O. Jeon ◽  
J. Bunge ◽  
T. Stoeck ◽  
K. J.-A. Barger ◽  
S.-H. Hong ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Molecular surveys suggest that communities of microbial eukaryotes are remarkably rich, because even large clone libraries seem to capture only a minority of species. This provides a qualitative picture of protistan richness but does not measure its real extent either locally or globally. Statistical analysis can estimate a community's richness, but the specific methods used to date are not always well grounded in statistical theory. Here we study a large protistan molecular survey from an anoxic water column in the Cariaco Basin (Caribbean Sea). We group individual 18S rRNA gene sequences into operational taxonomic units (OTUs) using different cutoff values for sequence similarity (99 to 50%) and systematically apply parametric models and nonparametric estimators to the OTU frequency data to estimate the total protistan diversity. The parametric models provided statistically sound estimates of protistan richness, with biologically meaningful standard errors, maximal data usage, and extensive model diagnostics and were preferable to the available nonparametric tools. Our clone library exceeded 700 clones but still covered only a minority of species and less than half of the larger protistan clades. Our estimates of total protistan richness portray the target community as very rich at all OTU levels, with hundreds of different populations apparently co-occurring in the small (3-liter) volume of our sample, as well as dozens of clades of the highest taxonomic order. These estimates are among the first for microbial eukaryotes that are obtained using state-of-the-art statistical methods and can serve as benchmark numbers for the local diversity of protists.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Ma ◽  
Geng Wu ◽  
Jian Yang ◽  
Liuqin Huang ◽  
Dorji Phurbu ◽  
...  

Investigating the distribution of hydrogen-producing bacteria (HPB) is of great significance to understanding the source of biological hydrogen production in geothermal environments. Here, we explored the compositions of HPB populations in the sediments of hot springs from the Daggyai, Quzhuomu, Quseyongba, and Moluojiang geothermal zones on the Tibetan Plateau, with the use of Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes and hydA genes. In the present study, the hydA genes were successfully amplified from the hot springs with a temperature of 46–87°C. The hydA gene phylogenetic analysis showed that the top three phyla of the HPB populations were Bacteroidetes (14.48%), Spirochaetes (14.12%), and Thermotogae (10.45%), while Proteobacteria were absent in the top 10 of the HPB populations, although Proteobacteria were dominant in the 16S rRNA gene sequences. Canonical correspondence analysis results indicate that the HPB community structure in the studied Tibetan hot springs was correlated with various environmental factors, such as temperature, pH, and elevation. The HPB community structure also showed a spatial distribution pattern; samples from the same area showed similar community structures. Furthermore, one HPB isolate affiliated with Firmicutes was obtained and demonstrated the capacity of hydrogen production. These results are important for us to understand the distribution and function of HPB in hot springs.


2016 ◽  
Vol 82 (12) ◽  
pp. 3525-3536 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikea Ulrich ◽  
Abigail Rosenberger ◽  
Colin Brislawn ◽  
Justin Wright ◽  
Collin Kessler ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTBacterial community composition and longitudinal fluctuations were monitored in a riverine system during and after Superstorm Sandy to better characterize inter- and intracommunity responses associated with the disturbance associated with a 100-year storm event. High-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene was used to assess microbial community structure within water samples from Muddy Creek Run, a second-order stream in Huntingdon, PA, at 12 different time points during the storm event (29 October to 3 November 2012) and under seasonally matched baseline conditions. High-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene was used to track changes in bacterial community structure and divergence during and after Superstorm Sandy. Bacterial community dynamics were correlated to measured physicochemical parameters and fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) concentrations. Bioinformatics analyses of 2.1 million 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed a significant increase in bacterial diversity in samples taken during peak discharge of the storm. Beta-diversity analyses revealed longitudinal shifts in the bacterial community structure. Successional changes were observed, in whichBetaproteobacteriaandGammaproteobacteriadecreased in 16S rRNA gene relative abundance, while the relative abundance of members of theFirmicutesincreased. Furthermore, 16S rRNA gene sequences matching pathogenic bacteria, including strains ofLegionella,Campylobacter,Arcobacter, andHelicobacter, as well as bacteria of fecal origin (e.g.,Bacteroides), exhibited an increase in abundance after peak discharge of the storm. This study revealed a significant restructuring of in-stream bacterial community structure associated with hydric dynamics of a storm event.IMPORTANCEIn order to better understand the microbial risks associated with freshwater environments during a storm event, a more comprehensive understanding of the variations in aquatic bacterial diversity is warranted. This study investigated the bacterial communities during and after Superstorm Sandy to provide fine time point resolution of dynamic changes in bacterial composition. This study adds to the current literature by revealing the variation in bacterial community structure during the course of a storm. This study employed high-throughput DNA sequencing, which generated a deep analysis of inter- and intracommunity responses during a significant storm event. This study has highlighted the utility of applying high-throughput sequencing for water quality monitoring purposes, as this approach enabled a more comprehensive investigation of the bacterial community structure. Altogether, these data suggest a drastic restructuring of the stream bacterial community during a storm event and highlight the potential of high-throughput sequencing approaches for assessing the microbiological quality of our environment.


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