{"title":"Rumen protozoa are a hub for diverse hydrogenotrophic functions","authors":"Ido Toyber, Raghawendra Kumar, Elie Jami","doi":"10.1111/1758-2229.13298","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1758-2229.13298","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Ciliate protozoa are an integral part of the rumen microbial community involved in a variety of metabolic processes. These processes are thought to be in part the outcome of interactions with their associated prokaryotic community. For example, methane production is enhanced through interspecies hydrogen transfer between protozoa and archaea. We hypothesize that ciliate protozoa are host to a stable prokaryotic community dictated by specific functions they carry. Here, we modify the microbial community by varying the forage-to-concentrate ratios and show that, despite major changes in the prokaryotic community, several taxa remain stably associated with ciliate protozoa. By quantifying genes belonging to various known reduction pathways in the rumen, we find that the bacterial community associated with protozoa is enriched in genes belonging to hydrogen utilization pathways and that these genes correspond to the same taxonomic affiliations seen enriched in protozoa. Our results show that ciliate protozoa in the rumen may serve as a hub for various hydrogenotrophic functions and a better understanding of the processes driven by different protozoa may unveil the potential role of ciliates in shaping rumen metabolism.</p>","PeriodicalId":163,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Microbiology Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1758-2229.13298","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141496510","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Diversity of soil fungi and entomopathogenic fungi in subtropical mountain forest in southwest China","authors":"Jiyang Zheng, Jinduo Shi, Dun Wang","doi":"10.1111/1758-2229.13267","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1758-2229.13267","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Till now, the diversity of entomopathogenic fungi in subtropical mountain forest was less studied. Here, the vertical distribution of forest soil fungi, entomopathogenic fungi, and their environmental influencing factors in a subtropical mountain in western China were investigated. Soil samples were collected from four elevations in a subtropical forest in Shaanxi. The results indicated a greater richness of soil fungi at middle elevations and soil fungi were more even at low elevation. Soil pH, available iron, available potassium, total potassium, and available zinc were the most important influencing factors affecting this vertical distribution of fungi. Interestingly, the <i>Isaria</i> genus was predominant while <i>Metarhizium</i> and <i>Beauveria</i> showed decreasing abundance. The presence of <i>Isaria</i> showed a significant positive correlation with both total phosphorus and available iron, while, available zinc was negatively correlated. <i>Metarhizium</i> was influenced by elevation, pH, available phosphorus, and available copper and <i>Beauveria</i> was influenced by soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, total potassium, available potassium, and available zinc. Overall, as environmental factors affecting soil fungi, elevation, and plant species diversity were less important than soil physical and chemical properties. The virulence of isolated entomopathogenic fungi were tested against larvae of <i>Tenebrio molitor</i>, with mortality ranging from 31.11% to 100%. The above findings provide valuable data to deepen our understanding of the diversity of entomopathogenic fungi in subtropical mountain forests.</p>","PeriodicalId":163,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Microbiology Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11213981/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141464643","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rudolf Markt, Eva Maria Prem, Nina Lackner, Mira Mutschlechner, Paul Illmer, Andreas Otto Wagner
{"title":"Pre-treatment with Trichoderma viride: Towards a better understanding of its consequences for anaerobic digestion","authors":"Rudolf Markt, Eva Maria Prem, Nina Lackner, Mira Mutschlechner, Paul Illmer, Andreas Otto Wagner","doi":"10.1111/1758-2229.13281","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1758-2229.13281","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Understanding and optimising biological pre-treatment strategies for enhanced bio-methane production is a central aspect in second-generation biofuel research. In this regard, the application of fungi for pre-treatment seems highly promising; however, understanding the mode of action is crucial. Here, we show how aerobic pre-treatment of crystalline cellulose with the cellulolytic <i>Trichoderma viride</i> affects substrate degradability during mesophilic, anaerobic digestion. It could be demonstrated that fungal pre-treatment resulted in a slightly reduced substrate mass. Nevertheless, no significant impact on the overall methane yield was found during batch fermentation. Short chain organic acids accumulation, thus, overall degradation dynamics including methane production kinetics were affected by the pre-treatment as shown by Gompertz modelling. Finally, 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing followed by ANCOM-BC resulted in up to 53 operative taxonomic units including fermentative, syntrophic and methanogenic taxa, whereby their relative abundances were significantly affected by fungal pre-treatment depending on the duration of the pre-treatment. The results demonstrated the impact of soft rot fungal pre-treatment of cellulose on subsequent anaerobic cellulose hydrolysis as well as on methanogenic activity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the direct causal effects of pre-treatment with <i>T. viride</i> on basic but crucial anaerobic digestion parameters in a highly standardised approach.</p>","PeriodicalId":163,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Microbiology Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11212294/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141464645","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Noelia I. Burgardt, Noelia A. Melian, F. Luis González Flecha
{"title":"Copper resistance in the cold: Genome analysis and characterisation of a PIB-1 ATPase in Bizionia argentinensis","authors":"Noelia I. Burgardt, Noelia A. Melian, F. Luis González Flecha","doi":"10.1111/1758-2229.13278","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1758-2229.13278","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Copper homeostasis is a fundamental process in organisms, characterised by unique pathways that have evolved to meet specific needs while preserving core resistance mechanisms. While these systems are well-documented in model bacteria, information on copper resistance in species adapted to cold environments is scarce. This study investigates the potential genes related to copper homeostasis in the genome of <i>Bizionia argentinensis</i> (JUB59-T), a psychrotolerant bacterium isolated from Antarctic seawater. We identified several genes encoding proteins analogous to those crucial for copper homeostasis, including three sequences of copper-transport P1B-type ATPases. One of these, referred to as BaCopA1, was chosen for cloning and expression in <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>. BaCopA1 was successfully integrated into yeast membranes and subsequently extracted with detergent. The purified BaCopA1 demonstrated the ability to catalyse ATP hydrolysis at low temperatures. Structural models of various BaCopA1 conformations were generated and compared with mesophilic and thermophilic homologous structures. The significant conservation of critical residues and structural similarity among these proteins suggest a shared reaction mechanism for copper transport. This study is the first to report a psychrotolerant P1B-ATPase that has been expressed and purified in a functional form.</p>","PeriodicalId":163,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Microbiology Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11213822/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141464642","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sara Soria-Píriz, Alfonso Corzo, Juan Luís Jiménez-Arias, Juan M. González, Sokratis Papaspyrou
{"title":"Niche selection in bacterioplankton: A study of taxonomic composition and single-cell characteristics in an acidic reservoir","authors":"Sara Soria-Píriz, Alfonso Corzo, Juan Luís Jiménez-Arias, Juan M. González, Sokratis Papaspyrou","doi":"10.1111/1758-2229.13255","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1758-2229.13255","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Niche selection and microbial dispersal are key factors that shape microbial communities. However, their relative significance varies across different environments and spatiotemporal scales. While most studies focus on the impact of these forces on community composition, few consider other structural levels such as the physiological stage of the microbial community and single-cell characteristics. To understand the relative influence of microbial dispersal and niche selection on various community structural levels, we concurrently examined the taxonomic composition, abundance and single-cell characteristics of bacterioplankton in an acidic reservoir (El Sancho, Spain) during stratification and mixing periods. A cluster analysis based on environmental variables identified five niches during stratification and one during mixing. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) revealed that communities within each niche differed in both, taxonomic and single-cell characteristics. The environmental variables that explained the variation in class-based ordination differed from those explaining the ordination based on single-cell characteristics. However, a Procrustes analysis indicated a high correlation between the CCA ordinations based on both structural levels, suggesting simultaneous changes in the microbial community at multiple structural levels. Our findings underscore the dominant role of environmental selection in occupying different microbial niches, given that microbial dispersal was not restricted.</p>","PeriodicalId":163,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Microbiology Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11212339/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141464644","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Elisenda Ballesté, Hongxia Liang, Laura Migliorato, Laura Sala-Comorera, Javier Méndez, Cristina Garcia-Aljaro
{"title":"Exploring plastic biofilm formation and Escherichia coli colonisation in marine environments","authors":"Elisenda Ballesté, Hongxia Liang, Laura Migliorato, Laura Sala-Comorera, Javier Méndez, Cristina Garcia-Aljaro","doi":"10.1111/1758-2229.13308","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1758-2229.13308","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Microorganisms, including potential pathogens, can colonise plastic surfaces in aquatic environments. This study investigates the colonisation of plastic pellets by <i>Escherichia coli</i> (<i>E. coli</i>) as a proxy for faecal pathogens in aquatic environments. Plastic pellets from a polluted beach were placed in seawater aquaria spiked with <i>E. coli</i>. Diverse bacteria, primarily from the Proteobacteria phylum, rapidly colonised the pellets within 24 h, with notable species known for plastic or hydrocarbon degradation. Over 26 days, biofilms formed on the plastic surfaces, reaching bacterial populations of up to 6.8·10<sup>5</sup> gene copies (gc) of the 16S rRNA mm<sup>−2</sup>. <i>E. coli</i>, was detected in the pellets for up to 7 days using culture methods, exhibiting varying attachment densities regardless of source or environmental factors. The study highlights plastic biofilms as reservoirs for <i>E. coli</i>, contributing to the survival and persistence of faecal bacteria in aquatic systems. These findings deepen our understanding of the risks associated with plastic pollution in marine settings, offering insights into the behaviour of faecal indicators and their implications for water quality assessments, while providing valuable information on potential pathogen dissemination within plastic-associated microbial communities.</p>","PeriodicalId":163,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Microbiology Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11196126/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141454139","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Comparative analysis of enzymatic profiles and biofilm formation in clinical and environmental Candida kefyr isolates","authors":"Hasti Nouraei, Samira Zare, Maryam Nemati, Neda Amirzadeh, Marjan Motamedi, Shafigheh Shabanzadeh, Kamiar Zomorodian, Keyvan Pakshir","doi":"10.1111/1758-2229.13282","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1758-2229.13282","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The global landscape of <i>Candida</i> infections has seen a significant shift. Previously, <i>Candida albicans</i> was the predominant species. However, there has been an emergence of non-<i>albicans Candida</i> species, which are often less susceptible to antifungal treatment. <i>Candida kefyr</i>, in particular, has been increasingly associated with infections. This study aimed to investigate the profiles of enzymatic activity and biofilm formation in both clinical and non-clinical isolates of <i>C. kefyr</i>. A total of 66 <i>C. kefyr</i> isolates were analysed. The activities of proteinase and phospholipase were assessed using bovine serum albumin and egg yolk agar, respectively. Haemolysin, caseinolytic and esterase activities were evaluated using specific methods. Biofilm formation was investigated using crystal violet staining. The findings indicated that biofilm and proteinase activity were detected in 81.8% and 93.9% of all the isolates, respectively. Haemolysin activity was observed with the highest occurrence (95.5%) among normal microbiota isolates. Esterase activity was predominantly identified in dairy samples and was absent in hospital samples. Caseinase production was found with the highest occurrence (18.2%) in normal microbiota and hospital samples. Phospholipase activity was limited, found in only 3% of all the isolates. These findings reveal variations in enzyme activity between clinical and non-clinical <i>C. kefyr</i> isolates. This sheds light on their pathogenic potential and has implications for therapeutic strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":163,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Microbiology Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11194042/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141454135","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Seed or soil: Tracing back the plant mycobiota primary sources","authors":"Liam Laurent-Webb, Kenji Maurice, Benoît Perez-Lamarque, Amélia Bourceret, Marc Ducousso, Marc-André Selosse","doi":"10.1111/1758-2229.13301","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1758-2229.13301","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Plants host diverse communities of fungi (the mycobiota), playing crucial roles in their development. The assembly processes of the mycobiota, however, remain poorly understood, in particular, whether it is transmitted by parents through the seeds (vertical transmission) or recruited in the environment (horizontal transmission). Here we attempt to quantify the relative contributions of horizontal and vertical transmission in the mycobiota assembly of a desert shrub, <i>Haloxylon salicornicum</i>, by comparing the mycobiota of in situ bulk soil and seeds to that of (i) in situ adult individuals and (ii) in vitro-germinated seedlings in soil collected in situ. We show that the mycobiota are partially vertically transmitted through the seeds to seedlings, whereas bulk soil has a limited contribution to the seedling's mycobiota. In adults, root and bulk soil mycobiota tend to resemble each other, suggesting a compositional turnover in plant mycobiota during plant development due to horizontal transmission. Thus, the mycobiota are transmitted both horizontally and vertically depending on the plant tissue and developmental stage. Understanding the respective contribution of these transmission pathways to the plant mycobiota is fundamental to deciphering potential coevolutionary processes between plants and fungi. Our findings particularly emphasize the importance of vertical transmission in desert ecosystems.</p>","PeriodicalId":163,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Microbiology Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11194045/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141454144","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Anteneh Tamirat Bogale, Maria Braun, Jörg Bernhardt, Daniela Zühlke, Ulf Schiefelbein, Manuela Bog, Christoph Scheidegger, Veronika Zengerer, Dörte Becher, Martin Grube, Katharina Riedel, Mia M. Bengtsson
{"title":"The microbiome of the lichen Lobaria pulmonaria varies according to climate on a subcontinental scale","authors":"Anteneh Tamirat Bogale, Maria Braun, Jörg Bernhardt, Daniela Zühlke, Ulf Schiefelbein, Manuela Bog, Christoph Scheidegger, Veronika Zengerer, Dörte Becher, Martin Grube, Katharina Riedel, Mia M. Bengtsson","doi":"10.1111/1758-2229.13289","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1758-2229.13289","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The <i>Lobaria pulmonaria</i> holobiont comprises algal, fungal, cyanobacterial and bacterial components. We investigated <i>L. pulmonaria's</i> bacterial microbiome in the adaptation of this ecologically sensitive lichen species to diverse climatic conditions. Our central hypothesis posited that microbiome composition and functionality aligns with subcontinental-scale (a stretch of ~1100 km) climatic parameters related to temperature and precipitation. We also tested the impact of short-term weather dynamics, sampling season and algal/fungal genotypes on microbiome variation. Metaproteomics provided insights into compositional and functional changes within the microbiome. Climatic variables explained 41.64% of microbiome variation, surpassing the combined influence of local weather and sampling season at 31.63%. Notably, annual mean temperature and temperature seasonality emerged as significant climatic drivers. Microbiome composition correlated with algal, not fungal genotype, suggesting similar environmental recruitment for the algal partner and microbiome. Differential abundance analyses revealed distinct protein compositions in Sub-Atlantic Lowland and Alpine regions, indicating differential microbiome responses to contrasting environmental/climatic conditions. Proteins involved in oxidative and cellular stress were notably different. Our findings highlight microbiome plasticity in adapting to stable climates, with limited responsiveness to short-term fluctuations, offering new insights into climate adaptation in lichen symbiosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":163,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Microbiology Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11194104/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141454145","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Seasonal variation in metabolic profiles and microbial communities in a subarctic ore processing plant","authors":"Malin Bomberg, Hanna Miettinen, Päivi Kinnunen","doi":"10.1111/1758-2229.13284","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1758-2229.13284","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The mining industry strives to reduce its water footprint by recycling water in ore processing. This leads to build-up of ions, flotation chemicals and microbial biomass, which may affect the process. The Boliden Kevitsa mine in Northern Finland is exposed to seasonal change and recycles up to 90% of the process water. We studied the variation in size, composition and putative functions of microbial communities in summer and winter in the ore processing plant. The raw water, Cu and Ni thickener overflow waters had statistically significantly higher bacterial numbers in winter compared to summer, and specific summer and winter communities were identified. Metagenomic analysis indicated that Cu and Hg resistance genes, sulphate/thiosulphate, molybdate, iron(III) and zinc ABC transporters, nitrate reduction, denitrification, thiosulphate oxidation and methylotrophy were more common in winter than in summer. Raw water drawn from the nearby river did not affect the microbial communities in the process samples, indicating that the microbial communities and metabolic capacities develop within the process over time in response to the conditions in the processing plant, water chemistry, used chemicals, ore properties and seasonal variation. We propose that the microbial community structures are unique to the Boliden Kevitsa mine and processing plant.</p>","PeriodicalId":163,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Microbiology Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11194043/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141454143","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}