scholarly journals Sea foams are ephemeral hotspots for distinctive bacterial communities contrasting sea-surface microlayer and underlying surface water

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janina Rahlff ◽  
Christian Stolle ◽  
Helge-Ansgar Giebel ◽  
Nur Ili Hamizah Mustaffa ◽  
Oliver Wurl ◽  
...  

AbstractThe occurrence of foams at oceans’ surfaces is patchy and generally short-lived but a detailed understanding of bacterial communities inhabiting sea foams is lacking. Here we investigated how marine foams differ from the sea-surface microlayer (SML), a <1 mm thick layer at the air-sea interface and underlying water from 1 m depth. Samples of sea foams, SML and underlying water collected from the North Sea and Timor Sea indicated that foams were often characterized by a high abundance of small eukaryotic phototrophic and prokaryotic cells as well as a high concentration of surface-active substances (SAS). Amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA (gene) revealed a distinctive foam bacterial community compared to SML and underlying water, with high abundance of Gammaproteobacteria. Especially Pseudoalteromonas and Vibrio, typical SML dwellers, were highly abundant, active foam inhabitants and thus might enhance foam formation and stability by producing SAS. Despite a clear difference in the overall bacterial community composition between foam and SML, the presence of SML bacteria in foams supports previous assumptions that foam is strongly influenced by the SML. We conclude that active and abundant bacteria from interfacial habitats potentially contribute to foam formation and stability, carbon cycling and air-sea exchange processes in the ocean.One-sentence summaryFloating foams at the oceans’ surface have a unique bacterial community signature in contrast to sea-surface microlayer and underlying water but receive and select for bacterial inhabitants from surface habitats.

2021 ◽  
Vol 97 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Janina Rahlff ◽  
Christian Stolle ◽  
Helge-Ansgar Giebel ◽  
Nur Ili Hamizah Mustaffa ◽  
Oliver Wurl ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The occurrence of foams at oceans’ surfaces is patchy and generally short-lived, but a detailed understanding of bacterial communities inhabiting sea foams is lacking. Here, we investigated how marine foams differ from the sea-surface microlayer (SML), a &lt;1-mm-thick layer at the air–sea interface, and underlying water from 1 m depth. Samples of sea foams, SML and underlying water collected from the North Sea and Timor Sea indicated that foams were often characterized by a high abundance of small eukaryotic phototrophic and prokaryotic cells as well as a high concentration of surface-active substances (SAS). Amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA (gene) revealed distinctive foam bacterial communities compared with SML and underlying water, with high abundance of Gammaproteobacteria. Typical SML dwellers such as Pseudoalteromonas and Vibrio were highly abundant, active foam inhabitants and thus might enhance foam formation and stability by producing SAS. Despite a clear difference in the overall bacterial community composition between foam and SML, the presence of SML bacteria in foams supports the previous assumption that foam is strongly influenced by the SML. We conclude that active and abundant bacteria from interfacial habitats potentially contribute to foam formation and stability, carbon cycling and air–sea exchange processes in the ocean.


PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kayla M. Williamson ◽  
Brandie D. Wagner ◽  
Charles E. Robertson ◽  
Emily J. Johnson ◽  
Edith T. Zemanick ◽  
...  

BackgroundPrevious studies have demonstrated the importance of DNA extraction methods for molecular detection ofStaphylococcus,an important bacterial group in cystic fibrosis (CF). We sought to evaluate the effect of enzymatic digestion (EnzD) prior to DNA extraction on bacterial communities identified in sputum and oropharyngeal swab (OP) samples from patients with CF.MethodsDNA from 81 samples (39 sputum and 42 OP) collected from 63 patients with CF was extracted in duplicate with and without EnzD. Bacterial communities were determined by rRNA gene sequencing, and measures of alpha and beta diversity were calculated. Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) was used to assess differences at the community level and Wilcoxon Signed Rank tests were used to compare relative abundance (RA) of individual genera for paired samples with and without EnzD.ResultsShannon Diversity Index (alpha-diversity) decreased in sputum and OP samples with the use of EnzD. Larger shifts in community composition were observed for OP samples (beta-diversity, measured by Morisita-Horn), whereas less change in communities was observed for sputum samples. The use of EnzD with OP swabs resulted in significant increase in RA for the generaGemella(p < 0.01),Streptococcus(p < 0.01), andRothia(p < 0.01).Staphylococcus(p < 0.01) was the only genus with a significant increase in RA from sputum, whereas the following genera decreased in RA with EnzD:Veillonella(p < 0.01),Granulicatella(p < 0.01),Prevotella(p < 0.01), andGemella(p = 0.02). In OP samples, higher RA of Gram-positive taxa was associated with larger changes in microbial community composition.DiscussionWe show that the application of EnzD to CF airway samples, particularly OP swabs, results in differences in microbial communities detected by sequencing. Use of EnzD can result in large changes in bacterial community composition, and is particularly useful for detection ofStaphylococcusin CF OP samples. The enhanced identification ofStaphylococcus aureusis a strong indication to utilize EnzD in studies that use OP swabs to monitor CF airway communities.


2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (6) ◽  
pp. 3832-3838 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gwang Il Jang ◽  
Inae Lee ◽  
Tran Thu Ha ◽  
Soo Jung Yoon ◽  
Yeon Ju Hwang ◽  
...  

Gram-stain-negative, aerobic and rod-shaped bacterial strains, designated SSM26T and SSM44, were isolated from a sea surface microlayer sample from the Ross Sea, Antarctica. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences of strains SSM26T and SSM44 revealed a clear affiliation with the genus Pseudomonas . Based on the results of phylogenetic analysis, strains SSM26T and SSM44 showed the closest phylogenetic relationship with the species Pseudomonas sabulinigri KCTC 22137T with the 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity level of 98.5 %. Strains SSM26T and SSM44 grew optimally at 30 °C, pH 7.0–7.5 and 0.5–10.0 % NaCl (w/v). The major cellular fatty acids were C18 : 1  ω7c (31.3–34.9 %), C16 : 0 (15.5–20.2 %), summed feature 3 (C16 : 1  ω7c/C16 : 1  ω6c; 19.5–25.4 %) and C12 : 0 (6.0–9.3 %). The genomic DNA G+C content of each strain was 56.2 mol%. Genomic relatedness analyses based on the average nucleotide identity and the genome-to-genome distance showed that strains SSM26T and SSM44 constituted a single species that was clearly distinguishable from its phylogenetically close relatives. The combined phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, genomic and phylogenetic data also showed that strains SSM26T and SSM44 could be distinguished from validly published members of the genus Pseudomonas . Thus, these strains should be classified as representing a novel species in the genus Pseudomonas , for which the name Pseudomonas neustonica sp. nov. is proposed with the type strain SSM26T (=KCCM 43193T=JCM 31284T=PAMC 28426T) and a sister strain SSM44 (=KCCM 43194=JCM 31285=PAMC 28427).


Author(s):  
Xinyu Yi ◽  
Chen Ning ◽  
Shuailong Feng ◽  
Haiqiang Gao ◽  
Jianlun Zhao ◽  
...  

Abstract Soil microbial communities potentially serve as indicators for their responses to changes in various ecosystems at scales from a region to the globe. However, changes in wetland soil bacterial communities and how they are related to urbanization intensities remains poorly understood. Here, we collected sixty soil samples along urbanization intensity gradients from twenty wetlands. We measured a range of environmental factors and characterized bacterial communities structure using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing that targeted the V4-V5 region. Our results revealed the dominant soil microbial phyla included Proteobacteria (39.3%), Acidobacteria (21.4%) and Chloroflexi (12.3%) in the wetlands, and showed a significant divergence of composition in intensive urbanization area (UI_4) than other places. A critical "threshold" exists in the soil bacterial diversity, demonstrating different patterns: a gradual increase in the areas of low-to-intermediate disturbances but a significant decrease in highly urbanized areas where metabolic functions were significantly strong. Additionally, soil pH, total phosphorus (TP), available phosphorus (AP ) and ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) made a significant contribution to variations in bacterial communities, explaining 49.6%, 35.1%, 26.2% and 30.7% of the total variance, respectively. pH and NH4+-N were identified as the main environmental drivers to determine bacterial community structure and diversity in the urban wetlands. Our results highlight collective changes in multiple environmental variables induced by urbanization rather than by the proportion of impervious surface area (ISA), which were potentially attributed to the spatial heterogeneity along different urbanization gradients.


2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (8) ◽  
pp. 4698-4703 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inae Lee ◽  
Gwang Il Jang ◽  
Yirang Cho ◽  
Soo Jung Yoon ◽  
Ha My Pham ◽  
...  

A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, facultatively anaerobic and rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated PAMC 28131T, was isolated from a sea surface microlayer sample in the open water of the Pacific Ocean. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain PAMC 28131T revealed an affiliation to the genus Sandaracinobacter with the closest species Sandaracinobacter sibiricus RB16-17T (sequence similarity of 98.2 %). Strain PAMC 28131T was able to grow optimally with 0.5–1.0 % NaCl and at pH 6.5–7.0 and 30 °C. The polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, two unidentified phospholipids, an unidentified aminolipid, an unidentified glycolipid and an unidentified lipid. The major cellular fatty acids (>10 %) were C18 : 1  ω6c and/or C18 : 1  ω7c, (42.6 %), C17 : 1  ω6c (19.3 %) and C16 : 1  ω6c and/or C16 : 1  ω7c (15.8 %), and the respiratory quinone was Q-10. The genomic DNA G+C content was 65.3 mol%. The phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic data showed that strain PAMC 28131T could be clearly distinguished from S. sibiricus RB16-17T. Thus, strain PAMC 28131T should be classified as representing a novel species in the genus Sandaracinobacter , for which the name Sandaracinobacter neustonicus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is PAMC 28131T (=KCCM 43127T=JCM 30734T).


2018 ◽  
Vol 84 (12) ◽  
pp. e02797-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dandi Hou ◽  
Zhi Lin ◽  
Runze Wang ◽  
Jun Ge ◽  
Shuai Wei ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTRhizospheric bacteria play important roles in plant tolerance and activation of heavy metals. Understanding the bacterial rhizobiome of hyperaccumulators may contribute to the development of optimized phytoextraction for metal-polluted soils. We used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to investigate the rhizospheric bacterial communities of the cadmium (Cd) hyperaccumulating ecotype (HE)Sedum alfrediiin comparison to its nonhyperaccumulating ecotype (NHE). Both planting of two ecotypes ofS. alfrediiand elevated Cd levels significantly decreased bacterial alpha-diversity and altered bacterial community structure in soils. The HE rhizosphere harbored a unique bacterial community differing from those in its bulk soil and NHE counterparts. Several key taxa fromActinobacteria,Bacteroidetes, and TM7 were especially abundant in HE rhizospheres under high Cd stress. The actinobacterial genusStreptomyceswas responsible for the majority of the divergence of bacterial community composition between the HE rhizosphere and other soil samples. In the HE rhizosphere, the abundance ofStreptomyceswas 3.31- to 16.45-fold higher than that in other samples under high Cd stress. These results suggested that both the presence of the hyperaccumulatorS. alfrediiand Cd exposure select for a specialized rhizosphere bacterial community during phytoextraction of Cd-contaminated soils and that key taxa, such as the species affiliated with the genusStreptomyces, may play an important role in metal hyperaccumulation.IMPORTANCESedum alfrediiis a well-known Cd hyperaccumulator native to China. Its potential for extracting Cd relies not only on its powerful uptake, translocation, and tolerance for Cd but also on processes underground (especially rhizosphere microbes) that facilitate root uptake and tolerance of the metal. In this study, a high-throughput sequencing approach was applied to gain insight into the soil-plant-microbe interactions that may influence Cd accumulation in the hyperaccumulatorS. alfredii. Here, we report the investigation of rhizosphere bacterial communities ofS. alfrediiin phytoremediation of different levels of Cd contamination in soils. Moreover, some key taxa in its rhizosphere identified in the study, such as the species affiliated with genusStreptomyces, may shed new light on the involvement of bacteria in phytoextraction of contaminated soils and provide new materials for phytoremediation optimization.


2020 ◽  
Vol 96 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Ma ◽  
Timothy M LaPara ◽  
Ashley N. Evans ◽  
Raymond M Hozalski

ABSTRACT Spatial patterns of bacterial community composition often follow a distance–decay relationship in which community dissimilarity increases with geographic distance. Such a relationship has been commonly observed in natural environments, but less so in engineered environments. In this study, bacterial abundance and community composition in filter media samples (n = 57) from full-scale rapid biofilters at 14 water treatment facilities across North America were determined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Illumina HiSeq high-throughput sequencing targeting the 16S rRNA gene, respectively. Bacteria were abundant on the filter media (108.8±0.3 to 1010.7±0.2 16S rRNA gene copies/cm3 bed volume) and the bacterial communities were highly diverse (Shannon index: 5.3 ± 0.1 to 8.4 ± 0.0). Significant inter-filter variations in bacterial community composition were observed, with weighted UniFrac dissimilarity values following a weak but highly significant distance–decay relationship (z = 0.0057 ± 0.0006; P = 1.8 × 10−22). Approximately 50% of the variance in bacterial community composition was explained by the water quality parameters measured at the time of media sample collection (i.e. pH, temperature and dissolved organic carbon concentration). Overall, this study suggested that the microbiomes of biofilters are primarily shaped by geographic location and local water quality conditions but the influence of these factors on the microbiomes is tempered by filter design and operating conditions.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan Cermak ◽  
Manoshi Sen Datta ◽  
Arolyn Conwill

AbstractSimple synthetic bacterial communities are powerful tools for studying microbial ecology and evolution, as they enable rapid iteration between controlled laboratory experiments and theoretical modeling. However, their utility is hampered by the lack of fast, inexpensive, and accurate methods for quantifying bacterial community composition. For instance, while next-generation amplicon sequencing can be very accurate, high costs (>$30 per sample) and turnaround times (>1 month) limit the nature and pace of experiments. Here, we introduce a new approach for quantifying composition in synthetic bacterial communities based on Sanger sequencing. First, for a given community, we PCR-amplify a universal marker gene (here, the 16S rRNA gene), which yields a mixture of amplicons. Second, we sequence this amplicon mixture in a single Sanger sequencing reaction, which produces a “mixed” electropherogram with contributions from each community member. We also sequence each community member’s marker gene individually to generate “individual” electropherograms. Third, we fit the mixed electropherogram as a linear combination of time-warped individual electropherograms, thereby allowing us to estimate the fractional amplicon abundance of each strain within the community. Importantly, our approach accounts for retention-time variability in electrophoretic signals, which is crucial for accurate compositional estimates. Using synthetic communities of marine bacterial isolates, we show that this approach yields accurate and reproducible abundance estimates for two-, four-, and seven-strain bacterial communities. Furthermore, this approach can provide results within one day and costs ~$5 USD per sample. We envision this approach will enable new insights in microbial ecology by increasing the number of samples that can be analyzed and enabling faster iteration between experiments and theory. We have implemented our method in a free and open-source R package called CASEU (“Compositional Analysis by Sanger Electropherogram Unmixing”), available at https://bitbucket.org/DattaManoshi/caseu.


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