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Rassner SME, Cook JM, Mitchell AC, Stevens IT, Irvine-Fynn TDL, Hodson AJ, Edwards A. The distinctive weathering crust habitat of a High Arctic glacier comprises discrete microbial micro-habitats. Environ Microbiol 2024; 26:e16617. [PMID: 38558266 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Sunlight penetrates the ice surfaces of glaciers and ice sheets, forming a water-bearing porous ice matrix known as the weathering crust. This crust is home to a significant microbial community. Despite the potential implications of microbial processes in the weathering crust for glacial melting, biogeochemical cycles, and downstream ecosystems, there have been few explorations of its microbial communities. In our study, we used 16S rRNA gene sequencing and shotgun metagenomics of a Svalbard glacier surface catchment to characterise the microbial communities within the weathering crust, their origins and destinies, and the functional potential of the weathering crust metagenome. Our findings reveal that the bacterial community in the weathering crust is distinct from those in upstream and downstream habitats. However, it comprises two separate micro-habitats, each with different taxa and functional categories. The interstitial porewater is dominated by Polaromonas, influenced by the transfer of snowmelt, and exported via meltwater channels. In contrast, the ice matrix is dominated by Hymenobacter, and its metagenome exhibits a diverse range of functional adaptations. Given that the global weathering crust area and the subsequent release of microbes from it are strongly responsive to climate projections for the rest of the century, our results underscore the pressing need to integrate the microbiome of the weathering crust with other communities and processes in glacial ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joseph M Cook
- Department of Life Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Andrew C Mitchell
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
| | - Ian T Stevens
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
| | | | - Andrew J Hodson
- Department of Arctic Geology, University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), Longyearbyen, Norway
| | - Arwyn Edwards
- Department of Life Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Department of Arctic Biology, University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), Longyearbyen, Norway
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2
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Perez-Bou L, Muñoz-Palazon B, Gonzalez-Lopez J, Gonzalez-Martinez A, Correa-Galeote D. Deciphering the Role of WWTPs in Cold Environments as Hotspots for the Dissemination of Antibiotic Resistance Genes. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2023; 87:14. [PMID: 38091083 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-023-02325-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Cold environments are the most widespread extreme habitats in the world. However, the role of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the cryosphere as hotspots in antibiotic resistance dissemination has not been well established. Hence, a snapshot of the resistomes of WWTPs in cold environments, below 5 °C, was provided to elucidate their role in disseminating antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) to the receiving waterbodies. The resistomes of two natural environments from the cold biosphere were also determined. Quantitative PCR analysis of the aadA, aadB, ampC, blaSHV, blaTEM, dfrA1, ermB, fosA, mecA, qnrS, and tetA(A) genes indicated strong prevalences of these genetic determinants in the selected environments, except for the mecA gene, which was not found in any of the samples. Notably, high abundances of the aadA, ermB, and tetA(A) genes were found in the influents and activated sludge, highlighting that WWTPs of the cryosphere are critical hotspots for disseminating ARGs, potentially worsening the resistance of bacteria to some of the most commonly prescribed antibiotics. Besides, the samples from non-disturbed cold environments had large quantities of ARGs, although their ARG profiles were highly dissimilar. Hence, the high prevalences of ARGs lend support to the fact that antibiotic resistance is a common issue worldwide, including environmentally fragile cold ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lizandra Perez-Bou
- Department of Microbiology and Virology, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Havana, Cuba
- Microbiology and Environmental Technologies Section, Water Research Institute, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Barbara Muñoz-Palazon
- Microbiology and Environmental Technologies Section, Water Research Institute, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Jesus Gonzalez-Lopez
- Microbiology and Environmental Technologies Section, Water Research Institute, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Alejandro Gonzalez-Martinez
- Microbiology and Environmental Technologies Section, Water Research Institute, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - David Correa-Galeote
- Microbiology and Environmental Technologies Section, Water Research Institute, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
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3
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Gokul JK, Mur LAJ, Hodson AJ, Irvine-Fynn TDL, Debbonaire AR, Takeuchi N, Edwards A. Icescape-scale metabolomics reveals cyanobacterial and topographic control of the core metabolism of the cryoconite ecosystem of an Arctic ice cap. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:2549-2563. [PMID: 37621052 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Glaciers host ecosystems comprised of biodiverse and active microbiota. Among glacial ecosystems, less is known about the ecology of ice caps since most studies focus on valley glaciers or ice sheet margins. Previously we detailed the microbiota of one such high Arctic ice cap, focusing on cryoconite as a microbe-mineral aggregate formed by cyanobacteria. Here, we employ metabolomics at the scale of an entire ice cap to reveal the major metabolic pathways prevailing in the cryoconite of Foxfonna, central Svalbard. We reveal how geophysical and biotic processes influence the metabolomes of its resident cryoconite microbiota. We observed differences in amino acid, fatty acid, and nucleotide synthesis across the cap reflecting the influence of ice topography and the cyanobacteria within cryoconite. Ice topography influences central carbohydrate metabolism and nitrogen assimilation, whereas bacterial community structure governs lipid, nucleotide, and carotenoid biosynthesis processes. The prominence of polyamine metabolism and nitrogen assimilation highlights the importance of recycling nitrogenous nutrients. To our knowledge, this study represents the first application of metabolomics across an entire ice mass, demonstrating its utility as a tool for revealing the fundamental metabolic processes essential for sustaining life in supraglacial ecosystems experiencing profound change due to Arctic climate change-driven mass loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarishma K Gokul
- Department of Life Sciences, Cledwyn Building, Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Luis A J Mur
- Department of Life Sciences, Cledwyn Building, Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
| | - Andrew J Hodson
- Department of Arctic Geology, University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Western Norway University of Environmental Science, Sogndal, Norway
| | | | - Aliyah R Debbonaire
- Department of Life Sciences, Cledwyn Building, Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
| | - Nozomu Takeuchi
- Department of Earth Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Arwyn Edwards
- Department of Life Sciences, Cledwyn Building, Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Department of Arctic Biology, University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway
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4
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Hay MC, Mitchell AC, Soares AR, Debbonaire AR, Mogrovejo DC, Els N, Edwards A. Metagenome-assembled genomes from High Arctic glaciers highlight the vulnerability of glacier-associated microbiota and their activities to habitat loss. Microb Genom 2023; 9. [PMID: 37937832 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.001131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The rapid warming of the Arctic is threatening the demise of its glaciers and their associated ecosystems. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore and understand the diversity of genomes resident within glacial ecosystems endangered by human-induced climate change. In this study we use genome-resolved metagenomics to explore the taxonomic and functional diversity of different habitats within glacier-occupied catchments. Comparing different habitats within such catchments offers a natural experiment for understanding the effects of changing habitat extent or even loss upon Arctic microbiota. Through binning and annotation of metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) we describe the spatial differences in taxon distribution and their implications for glacier-associated biogeochemical cycling. Multiple taxa associated with carbon cycling included organisms with the potential for carbon monoxide oxidation. Meanwhile, nitrogen fixation was mediated by a single taxon, although diverse taxa contribute to other nitrogen conversions. Genes for sulphur oxidation were prevalent within MAGs implying the potential capacity for sulphur cycling. Finally, we focused on cyanobacterial MAGs, and those within cryoconite, a biodiverse microbe-mineral granular aggregate responsible for darkening glacier surfaces. Although the metagenome-assembled genome of Phormidesmis priestleyi, the cyanobacterium responsible for forming Arctic cryoconite was represented with high coverage, evidence for the biosynthesis of multiple vitamins and co-factors was absent from its MAG. Our results indicate the potential for cross-feeding to sustain P. priestleyi within granular cryoconite. Taken together, genome-resolved metagenomics reveals the vulnerability of glacier-associated microbiota to the deletion of glacial habitats through the rapid warming of the Arctic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie C Hay
- Department of Life Sciences (DLS), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology (iCEM), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences (DGES), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Present address: Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, North Mymms, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Andrew C Mitchell
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology (iCEM), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences (DGES), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
| | - Andre R Soares
- Department of Life Sciences (DLS), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology (iCEM), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences (DGES), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Present address: Environmental Metagenomics, Research Center One Health Ruhr of the University Alliance Ruhr, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Aliyah R Debbonaire
- Department of Life Sciences (DLS), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology (iCEM), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
| | - Diana C Mogrovejo
- Dr. Brill + Partner GmbH Institut für Hygiene und Mikrobiologie, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nora Els
- Department of Lake and Glacier Research, Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Arwyn Edwards
- Department of Life Sciences (DLS), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology (iCEM), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Department of Arctic Biology, University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen
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5
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Jaarsma AH, Sipes K, Zervas A, Jiménez FC, Ellegaard-Jensen L, Thøgersen MS, Stougaard P, Benning LG, Tranter M, Anesio AM. Exploring microbial diversity in Greenland Ice Sheet supraglacial habitats through culturing-dependent and -independent approaches. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2023; 99:fiad119. [PMID: 37791411 PMCID: PMC10580271 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiad119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The microbiome of Greenland Ice Sheet supraglacial habitats is still underinvestigated, and as a result there is a lack of representative genomes from these environments. In this study, we investigated the supraglacial microbiome through a combination of culturing-dependent and -independent approaches. We explored ice, cryoconite, biofilm, and snow biodiversity to answer: (1) how microbial diversity differs between supraglacial habitats, (2) if obtained bacterial genomes reflect dominant community members, and (3) how culturing versus high throughput sequencing changes our observations of microbial diversity in supraglacial habitats. Genomes acquired through metagenomic sequencing (133 high-quality MAGs) and whole genome sequencing (73 bacterial isolates) were compared to the metagenome assemblies to investigate abundance within the total environmental DNA. Isolates obtained in this study were not dominant taxa in the habitat they were sampled from, in contrast to the obtained MAGs. We demonstrate here the advantages of using metagenome SSU rRNA genes to reflect whole-community diversity. Additionally, we demonstrate a proof-of-concept of the application of in situ culturing in a supraglacial setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ate H Jaarsma
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Katie Sipes
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Athanasios Zervas
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | | | - Lea Ellegaard-Jensen
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Mariane S Thøgersen
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Peter Stougaard
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Liane G Benning
- German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
- Department of Earth Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Malteserstr. 74-100, 12249 Berlin, Germany
| | - Martyn Tranter
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Alexandre M Anesio
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
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6
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Pascoal F, Costa R, Assmy P, Duarte P, Magalhães C. Exploration of the Types of Rarity in the Arctic Ocean from the Perspective of Multiple Methodologies. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2022; 84:59-72. [PMID: 34405249 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-021-01821-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The Arctic Ocean is facing rapid environmental changes with cascading effects on the entire Arctic marine ecosystem. However, we have a limited understanding of the consequences such changes have on bacteria and archaea (prokaryotes) at the base of the marine food web. In this study, we show how the prokaryotic rare biosphere behaves over a range of highly heterogeneous environmental conditions using 16S rRNA gene reads from amplicon and metagenome sequencing data from seawater samples collected during the Norwegian young sea ICE expedition between late winter and early summer. The prokaryotic rare biosphere was analyzed using different approaches: amplicon sequence variants and operational taxonomic units from the 16S rRNA gene amplicons and operational taxonomic units from the 16S rRNA genes of the metagenomes. We found that prokaryotic rare biosphere communities are specific to certain water masses, and that the majority of the rare taxa identified were always rare and disappeared in at least one sample under changing conditions, suggesting their high sensitivity to environmental heterogeneity. In addition, our methodological comparison revealed a good performance of 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing in describing rare biosphere patterns, while the metagenome-derived data were better to capture a significant diversity of so-far uncultivated rare taxa. Our analysis on the dynamics of the rare prokaryotic biosphere, by combining different methodological approaches, improves the description of the types of rarity predicted from Community Assembly theory in the Arctic Ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Pascoal
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
- Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
| | - Rodrigo Costa
- Department of Bioengineering, Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences (iBB), Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
- Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Philipp Assmy
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, N-9296, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Pedro Duarte
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, N-9296, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Catarina Magalhães
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- School of Science & Engineering, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
- Ocean Frontier Institute, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
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7
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Perini L, Gostinčar C, Likar M, Frisvad JC, Kostanjšek R, Nicholes M, Williamson C, Anesio AM, Zalar P, Gunde-Cimerman N. Interactions of Fungi and Algae from the Greenland Ice Sheet. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2022:10.1007/s00248-022-02033-5. [PMID: 35608637 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-022-02033-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Heavily pigmented glacier ice algae Ancylonema nordenskiöldii and Ancylonema alaskanum (Zygnematophyceae, Streptophyta) reduce the bare ice albedo of the Greenland Ice Sheet, amplifying melt from the largest cryospheric contributor to eustatic sea-level rise. Little information is available about glacier ice algae interactions with other microbial communities within the surface ice environment, including fungi, which may be important for sustaining algal bloom development. To address this substantial knowledge gap and investigate the nature of algal-fungal interactions, an ex situ co-cultivation experiment with two species of fungi, recently isolated from the surface of the Greenland Ice Sheet (here proposed new species Penicillium anthracinoglaciei Perini, Frisvad and Zalar, Mycobank (MB 835602), and Articulospora sp.), and the mixed microbial community dominated by glacier ice algae was performed. The utilization of the dark pigment purpurogallin carboxylic acid-6-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (C18H18O12) by the two fungi was also evaluated in a separate experiment. P. anthracinoglaciei was capable of utilizing and converting the pigment to purpurogallin carboxylic acid, possibly using the sugar moiety as a nutrient source. Furthermore, after 3 weeks of incubation in the presence of P. anthracinoglaciei, a significantly slower decline in the maximum quantum efficiency (Fv/Fm, inverse proxy of algal stress) in glacier ice algae, compared to other treatments, was evident, suggesting a positive relationship between these species. Articulospora sp. did uptake the glycosylated purpurogallin, but did not seem to be involved in its conversion to aglycone derivative. At the end of the incubation experiments and, in conjunction with increased algal mortality, we detected a substantially increasing presence of the zoosporic fungi Chytridiomycota suggesting an important role for them as decomposers or parasites of glacier ice algae.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Perini
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - C Gostinčar
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Lars Bolund Institute of Regenerative Medicine, BGI-Qingdao, Qingdao, 266555, China
| | - M Likar
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - J C Frisvad
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Fungal Chemodiversity, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, Building 221, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - R Kostanjšek
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - M Nicholes
- Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1SS, UK
| | - C Williamson
- Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1SS, UK
| | - A M Anesio
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - P Zalar
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - N Gunde-Cimerman
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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8
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Millar JL, Bagshaw EA, Edwards A, Poniecka EA, Jungblut AD. Polar Cryoconite Associated Microbiota Is Dominated by Hemispheric Specialist Genera. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:738451. [PMID: 34899626 PMCID: PMC8660574 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.738451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryoconite holes, supraglacial depressions containing water and microbe-mineral aggregates, are known to be hotspots of microbial diversity on glacial surfaces. Cryoconite holes form in a variety of locations and conditions, which impacts both their structure and the community that inhabits them. Using high-throughput 16S and 18S rRNA gene sequencing, we have investigated the communities of a wide range of cryoconite holes from 15 locations across the Arctic and Antarctic. Around 24 bacterial and 11 eukaryotic first-rank phyla were observed in total. The various biotic niches (grazer, predator, photoautotroph, and chemotroph), are filled in every location. Significantly, there is a clear divide between the bacterial and microalgal communities of the Arctic and that of the Antarctic. We were able to determine the groups contributing to this difference and the family and genus level. Both polar regions contain a "core group" of bacteria that are present in the majority of cryoconite holes and each contribute >1% of total amplicon sequence variant (ASV) abundance. Whilst both groups contain Microbacteriaceae, the remaining members are specific to the core group of each polar region. Additionally, the microalgal communities of Arctic cryoconite holes are dominated by Chlamydomonas whereas the Antarctic cryoconite holes are dominated by Pleurastrum. Therefore cryoconite holes may be a global feature of glacier landscapes, but they are inhabited by regionally distinct microbial communities. Our results are consistent with the notion that cryoconite microbiomes are adapted to differing conditions within the cryosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmin L Millar
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom.,Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth A Bagshaw
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Arwyn Edwards
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Ceredigion, United Kingdom
| | - Ewa A Poniecka
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Anne D Jungblut
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
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9
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Park C, Takeuchi N. Unmasking photogranulation in decreasing glacial albedo and net autotrophic wastewater treatment. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:6391-6404. [PMID: 34545673 PMCID: PMC9292683 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In both natural and built environments, microbes on occasions manifest in spherical aggregates instead of substratum‐affixed biofilms. These microbial aggregates are conventionally referred to as granules. Cryoconites are mineral rich granules that appear on glacier surfaces and are linked with expanding surface darkening, thus decreasing albedo, and enhanced melt. The oxygenic photogranules (OPGs) are organic rich granules that grow in wastewater, which enables wastewater treatment with photosynthetically produced oxygen and which presents potential for net autotrophic wastewater treatment in a compact system. Despite obvious differences inherent in the two, cryoconite and OPG pose striking resemblance. In both, the order Oscillatoriales in Cyanobacteria envelope inner materials and develop dense spheroidal aggregates. We explore the mechanism of photogranulation on account of high similarity between cryoconites and OPGs. We contend that there is no universal external cause for photogranulation. However, cryoconites and OPGs, as well as their intravariations, which are all under different stress fields, are the outcome of universal physiological processes of the Oscillatoriales interfacing with goldilocks interactions of stresses. Finding the rules of photogranulation may enhance engineering of glacier and wastewater systems to manipulate their ecosystem impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chul Park
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, 01003, USA
| | - Nozomu Takeuchi
- Department of Earth Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Chiba University, Chiba, 263-8522, Japan
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10
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Cary C, Cowan DA, McMinn A, Häggblom MM. Editorial: Thematic issue on polar and alpine microbiology. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2020; 96:5875089. [PMID: 32697840 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiaa136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Craig Cary
- International Centre for Terrestrial Antarctic Research, University of Waikato - Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
| | - Don A Cowan
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Andrew McMinn
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, College of Science and Engineering, University of Tasmania, Battery Point, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Max M Häggblom
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
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11
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Cameron KA, Müller O, Stibal M, Edwards A, Jacobsen CS. Glacial microbiota are hydrologically connected and temporally variable. Environ Microbiol 2020; 22:3172-3187. [PMID: 32383292 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Glaciers are melting rapidly. The concurrent export of microbial assemblages alongside glacial meltwater is expected to impact the ecology of adjoining ecosystems. Currently, the source of exported assemblages is poorly understood, yet this information may be critical for understanding how current and future glacial melt seasons may influence downstream environments. We report on the connectivity and temporal variability of microbiota sampled from supraglacial, subglacial and periglacial habitats and water bodies within a glacial catchment. Sampled assemblages showed evidence of being biologically connected through hydrological flowpaths, leading to a meltwater system that accumulates prokaryotic biota as it travels downstream. Temporal changes in the connected assemblages were similarly observed. Snow assemblages changed markedly throughout the sample period, likely reflecting changes in the surrounding environment. Changes in supraglacial meltwater assemblages reflected the transition of the glacial surface from snow-covered to bare-ice. Marked snowmelt across the surrounding periglacial environment resulted in the flushing of soil assemblages into the riverine system. In contrast, surface ice within the ablation zone and subglacial meltwaters remained relatively stable throughout the sample period. Our results are indicative that changes in snow and ice melt across glacial environments will influence the abundance and diversity of microbial assemblages transported downstream.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen A Cameron
- Institute of Biological, Rural and Environmental Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, SY23 3DD, UK.,Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 1350, Denmark.,Department of Geochemistry, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Copenhagen, 1350, Denmark.,School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Oliver Müller
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, 5006, Norway
| | - Marek Stibal
- Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 1350, Denmark.,Department of Geochemistry, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Copenhagen, 1350, Denmark.,Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, 128 44, Czech Republic
| | - Arwyn Edwards
- Institute of Biological, Rural and Environmental Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, SY23 3DD, UK
| | - Carsten Suhr Jacobsen
- Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 1350, Denmark.,Department of Geochemistry, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Copenhagen, 1350, Denmark.,Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, 4000, Denmark
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12
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Edwards A, Cameron KA, Cook JM, Debbonaire AR, Furness E, Hay MC, Rassner SM. Microbial genomics amidst the Arctic crisis. Microb Genom 2020; 6:e000375. [PMID: 32392124 PMCID: PMC7371112 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The Arctic is warming - fast. Microbes in the Arctic play pivotal roles in feedbacks that magnify the impacts of Arctic change. Understanding the genome evolution, diversity and dynamics of Arctic microbes can provide insights relevant for both fundamental microbiology and interdisciplinary Arctic science. Within this synthesis, we highlight four key areas where genomic insights to the microbial dimensions of Arctic change are urgently required: the changing Arctic Ocean, greenhouse gas release from the thawing permafrost, 'biological darkening' of glacial surfaces, and human activities within the Arctic. Furthermore, we identify four principal challenges that provide opportunities for timely innovation in Arctic microbial genomics. These range from insufficient genomic data to develop unifying concepts or model organisms for Arctic microbiology to challenges in gaining authentic insights to the structure and function of low-biomass microbiota and integration of data on the causes and consequences of microbial feedbacks across scales. We contend that our insights to date on the genomics of Arctic microbes are limited in these key areas, and we identify priorities and new ways of working to help ensure microbial genomics is in the vanguard of the scientific response to the Arctic crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arwyn Edwards
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Cledwyn Building, Aberystwyth University, Cymru SY23 3DD, UK
| | - Karen A. Cameron
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Cledwyn Building, Aberystwyth University, Cymru SY23 3DD, UK
| | - Joseph M. Cook
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Cledwyn Building, Aberystwyth University, Cymru SY23 3DD, UK
| | - Aliyah R. Debbonaire
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Cledwyn Building, Aberystwyth University, Cymru SY23 3DD, UK
| | - Eleanor Furness
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Cledwyn Building, Aberystwyth University, Cymru SY23 3DD, UK
| | - Melanie C. Hay
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Cledwyn Building, Aberystwyth University, Cymru SY23 3DD, UK
| | - Sara M.E. Rassner
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Cledwyn Building, Aberystwyth University, Cymru SY23 3DD, UK
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13
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Kohler TJ, Vinšová P, Falteisek L, Žárský JD, Yde JC, Hatton JE, Hawkings JR, Lamarche-Gagnon G, Hood E, Cameron KA, Stibal M. Patterns in Microbial Assemblages Exported From the Meltwater of Arctic and Sub-Arctic Glaciers. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:669. [PMID: 32351489 PMCID: PMC7174618 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Meltwater streams connect the glacial cryosphere with downstream ecosystems. Dissolved and particulate matter exported from glacial ecosystems originates from contrasting supraglacial and subglacial environments, and exported microbial cells have the potential to serve as ecological and hydrological indicators for glacial ecosystem processes. Here, we compare exported microbial assemblages from the meltwater of 24 glaciers from six (sub)Arctic regions – the southwestern Greenland Ice Sheet, Qeqertarsuaq (Disko Island) in west Greenland, Iceland, Svalbard, western Norway, and southeast Alaska – differing in their lithology, catchment size, and climatic characteristics, to investigate spatial and environmental factors structuring exported meltwater assemblages. We found that 16S rRNA gene sequences of all samples were dominated by the phyla Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria, with Verrucomicrobia also common in Greenland localities. Clustered OTUs were largely composed of aerobic and anaerobic heterotrophs capable of degrading a wide variety of carbon substrates. A small number of OTUs dominated all assemblages, with the most abundant being from the genera Polaromonas, Methylophilus, and Nitrotoga. However, 16–32% of a region’s OTUs were unique to that region, and rare taxa revealed unique metabolic potentials and reflected differences between regions, such as the elevated relative abundances of sulfur oxidizers Sulfuricurvum sp. and Thiobacillus sp. at Svalbard sites. Meltwater alpha diversity showed a pronounced decrease with increasing latitude, and multivariate analyses of assemblages revealed significant regional clusters. Distance-based redundancy and correlation analyses further resolved associations between whole assemblages and individual OTUs with variables primarily corresponding with the sampled regions. Interestingly, some OTUs indicating specific metabolic processes were not strongly associated with corresponding meltwater characteristics (e.g., nitrification and inorganic nitrogen concentrations). Thus, while exported assemblage structure appears regionally specific, and probably reflects differences in dominant hydrological flowpaths, OTUs can also serve as indicators for more localized microbially mediated processes not captured by the traditional characterization of bulk meltwater hydrochemistry. These results collectively promote a better understanding of microbial distributions across the Arctic, as well as linkages between the terrestrial cryosphere habitats and downstream ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler J Kohler
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia.,Stream Biofilm and Ecosystem Research Laboratory, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Petra Vinšová
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Lukáš Falteisek
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Jakub D Žárský
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Jacob C Yde
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Sogndal, Norway
| | - Jade E Hatton
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Jon R Hawkings
- National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States.,GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany
| | | | - Eran Hood
- Department of Natural Sciences, University of Alaska Southeast, Juneau, AK, United States
| | - Karen A Cameron
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, United Kingdom
| | - Marek Stibal
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
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