1
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Coale TH, Loconte V, Turk-Kubo KA, Vanslembrouck B, Mak WKE, Cheung S, Ekman A, Chen JH, Hagino K, Takano Y, Nishimura T, Adachi M, Le Gros M, Larabell C, Zehr JP. Nitrogen-fixing organelle in a marine alga. Science 2024; 384:217-222. [PMID: 38603509 DOI: 10.1126/science.adk1075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Symbiotic interactions were key to the evolution of chloroplast and mitochondria organelles, which mediate carbon and energy metabolism in eukaryotes. Biological nitrogen fixation, the reduction of abundant atmospheric nitrogen gas (N2) to biologically available ammonia, is a key metabolic process performed exclusively by prokaryotes. Candidatus Atelocyanobacterium thalassa, or UCYN-A, is a metabolically streamlined N2-fixing cyanobacterium previously reported to be an endosymbiont of a marine unicellular alga. Here we show that UCYN-A has been tightly integrated into algal cell architecture and organellar division and that it imports proteins encoded by the algal genome. These are characteristics of organelles and show that UCYN-A has evolved beyond endosymbiosis and functions as an early evolutionary stage N2-fixing organelle, or "nitroplast."
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler H Coale
- Ocean Sciences Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Valentina Loconte
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Kendra A Turk-Kubo
- Ocean Sciences Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Bieke Vanslembrouck
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Shunyan Cheung
- Institute of Marine Biology and Center of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Axel Ekman
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jian-Hua Chen
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Kyoko Hagino
- Marine Core Research Institute, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, Japan
| | - Yoshihito Takano
- Marine Core Research Institute, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Nishimura
- Fisheries Technology Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima, Japan
- Laboratory of Aquatic Environmental Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Marine Science, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, Japan
| | - Masao Adachi
- Laboratory of Aquatic Environmental Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Marine Science, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, Japan
| | - Mark Le Gros
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Carolyn Larabell
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan P Zehr
- Ocean Sciences Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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2
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Thompson AW, Nyerges G, Brevick K, Sutherland KR. Ubiquitous filter feeders shape open ocean microbial community structure and function. PNAS NEXUS 2024; 3:pgae091. [PMID: 38505693 PMCID: PMC10949910 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
The mechanism of mortality plays a large role in how microorganisms in the open ocean contribute to global energy and nutrient cycling. Salps are ubiquitous pelagic tunicates that are a well-known mortality source for large phototrophic microorganisms in coastal and high-latitude systems, but their impact on the immense populations of smaller prokaryotes in the tropical and subtropical open ocean gyres is not well quantified. We used robustly quantitative techniques to measure salp clearance and enrichment of specific microbial functional groups in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, one of the largest ecosystems on Earth. We discovered that salps are a previously unknown predator of the globally abundant nitrogen fixer Crocosphaera; thus, salps restrain new nitrogen delivery to the marine ecosystem. We show that the ocean's two numerically dominant cells, Prochlorococcus and SAR11, are not consumed by salps, which offers a new explanation for the dominance of small cells in open ocean systems. We also identified a double bonus for Prochlorococcus, wherein it not only escapes salp predation but the salps also remove one of its major mixotrophic predators, the prymnesiophyte Chrysochromulina. When we modeled the interaction between salp mesh and particles, we found that cell size alone could not account for these prey selection patterns. Instead, the results suggest that alternative mechanisms, such as surface property, shape, nutritional quality, or even prey behavior, determine which microbial cells are consumed by salps. Together, these results identify salps as a major factor in shaping the structure, function, and ecology of open ocean microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne W Thompson
- Department of Biology, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97201, USA
| | - Györgyi Nyerges
- Department of Biology, Pacific University, Forest Grove, OR 97116, USA
| | - Kylee Brevick
- Department of Chemistry, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97201, USA
| | - Kelly R Sutherland
- Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
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3
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Deutsch C, Inomura K, Luo YW, Wang YP. Projecting global biological N 2 fixation under climate warming across land and ocean. Trends Microbiol 2024:S0966-842X(23)00356-6. [PMID: 38262802 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Biological N2 fixation sustains the global inventory of nitrogenous nutrients essential for the productivity of terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Like most metabolic processes, rates of biological N2 fixation vary strongly with temperature, making it sensitive to climate change, but a global projection across land and ocean is lacking. Here we use compilations of field and laboratory measurements to reveal a relationship between N2 fixation rates and temperature that is similar in both domains despite large taxonomic and environmental differences. Rates of N2 fixation increase gradually to a thermal optimum around ~25°C, and decline more rapidly toward a thermal maximum, which is lower in the ocean than on land. In both realms, the observed temperature sensitivities imply that climate warming this century could decrease N2 fixation rates by ~50% in the tropics while increasing rates by ~50% in higher latitudes. We propose a conceptual framework for understanding the physiological and ecological mechanisms that underpin and modulate the observed temperature dependence of global N2 fixation rates, facilitating cross-fertilization of marine and terrestrial research to assess its response to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Curtis Deutsch
- Department of Geosciences and High Meadows Environmental Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | - Keisuke Inomura
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, South Kingstown, RI, USA
| | - Ya-Wei Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, China
| | - Ying-Ping Wang
- CSIRO Environment, Private Bag 10, Clayton South, VIC 3169, Australia
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4
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Jabir T, Jain A, Vipindas PV, Krishnan KP. Stochastic Processes Dominate in the Water Mass-Based Segregation of Diazotrophs in a High Arctic Fjord (Svalbard). MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2023; 86:2733-2746. [PMID: 37532947 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-023-02276-w] [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: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen-fixing or diazotrophic microbes fix atmospheric nitrogen (N2) to ammonia (NH3+) using nitrogenase enzyme and play a crucial role in regulating marine primary productivity and carbon dioxide sequestration. However, there is a lack of information about the diversity, structure, and environmental regulations of the diazotrophic communities in the high Arctic fjords, such as Kongsfjorden. Here, we employed nifH gene sequencing to clarify variations in composition, community structure, and assembly mechanism among the diazotrophs of the salinity-driven stratified waters of Kongsfjorden. The principal environmental and ecological drivers of the observed variations were identified. The majority of the nifH gene sequences obtained in the present study belonged to cluster I and cluster III nifH phylotypes, accounting for 65% and 25% of the total nifH gene sequences. The nifH gene diversity and composition, irrespective of the size fractions (free-living and particle attached), showed a clear separation among water mass types, i.e., Atlantic-influenced versus glacier-influenced water mass. Higher nifH gene diversity and relative abundances of non-cyanobacterial nifH OTUs, affiliated with uncultured Rhizobiales, Burkholderiales, Alteromonadaceae, Gallionellaceae (cluster I) and uncultured Deltaproteobacteria including Desulfuromonadaceae (cluster III), were prevalent in GIW while uncultured Gammaproteobacteria and Desulfobulbaceae were abundant in AIW. The diazotrophic community assembly was dominated by stochastic processes, principally ecological drift, and to lesser degrees dispersal limitation and homogeneous dispersal. Differences in the salinity and dissolved oxygen content lead to the vertical segregation of diazotrophs among water mass types. These findings suggest that water column stratification affects the composition and assembly mechanism of diazotrophic communities and thus could affect nitrogen fixation in the Arctic fjord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thajudeen Jabir
- Arctic Ecology and Biogeochemistry, National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Vasco da Gama, Goa, 403 804, India.
| | - Anand Jain
- Arctic Ecology and Biogeochemistry, National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Vasco da Gama, Goa, 403 804, India
| | - Puthiya Veettil Vipindas
- Arctic Ecology and Biogeochemistry, National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Vasco da Gama, Goa, 403 804, India
| | - Kottekkatu Padinchati Krishnan
- Arctic Ecology and Biogeochemistry, National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Vasco da Gama, Goa, 403 804, India
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Robicheau BM, Tolman J, Desai D, LaRoche J. Microevolutionary patterns in ecotypes of the symbiotic cyanobacterium UCYN-A revealed from a Northwest Atlantic coastal time series. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadh9768. [PMID: 37774025 PMCID: PMC10541017 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh9768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
UCYN-A is a globally important nitrogen-fixing symbiotic microbe often found in colder regions and coastal areas where nitrogen fixation has been overlooked. We present a 3-year coastal Northwest Atlantic time series of UCYN-A by integrating oceanographic data with weekly nifH and16S rRNA gene sequencing and quantitative PCR assays for UCYN-A ecotypes. High UCYN-A relative abundances dominated by A1 to A4 ecotypes reoccurred annually in the coastal Northwest Atlantic. Although UCYN-A was detected every summer/fall, the ability to observe separate ecotypes may be highly dependent on sampling time given intense interannual and weekly variability of ecotype-specific occurrences. Additionally, much of UCYN-A's rarer diversity was populated by short-lived neutral mutational variants, therefore providing insight into UCYN-A's microevolutionary patterns. For instance, rare ASVs exhibited community composition restructuring annually, while also sharing a common connection to a dominant ASV within each ecotype. Our study provides additional perspectives for interpreting UCYN-A intraspecific diversity and underscores the need for high-resolution datasets when deciphering spatiotemporal ecologies within UCYN-A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brent M. Robicheau
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Jennifer Tolman
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Dhwani Desai
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Integrated Microbiome Resource, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Julie LaRoche
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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6
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Masuda T, Inomura K, Mareš J, Kodama T, Shiozaki T, Matsui T, Suzuki K, Takeda S, Deutsch C, Prášil O, Furuya K. Coexistence of Dominant Marine Phytoplankton Sustained by Nutrient Specialization. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0400022. [PMID: 37458590 PMCID: PMC10441275 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04000-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus are the two dominant picocyanobacteria in the low-nutrient surface waters of the subtropical ocean, but the basis for their coexistence has not been quantitatively demonstrated. Here, we combine in situ microcosm experiments and an ecological model to show that this coexistence can be sustained by specialization in the uptake of distinct nitrogen (N) substrates at low-level concentrations that prevail in subtropical environments. In field incubations, the response of both Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus to nanomolar N amendments demonstrates N limitation of growth in both populations. However, Prochlorococcus showed a higher affinity to ammonium, whereas Synechococcus was more adapted to nitrate uptake. A simple ecological model demonstrates that the differential nutrient preference inferred from field experiments with these genera may sustain their coexistence. It also predicts that as the supply of NO3- decreases, as expected under climate warming, the dominant genera should undergo a nonlinear shift from Synechococcus to Prochlorococcus, a pattern that is supported by subtropical field observations. Our study suggests that the evolution of differential nutrient affinities is an important mechanism for sustaining the coexistence of genera and that climate change is likely to shift the relative abundance of the dominant plankton genera in the largest biomes in the ocean. IMPORTANCE Our manuscript addresses the following fundamental question in microbial ecology: how do different plankton using the same essential nutrients coexist? Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus are the two dominant picocyanobacteria in the low-nutrient surface waters of the subtropical ocean, which support a significant amount of marine primary production. The geographical distributions of these two organisms are largely overlapping, but the basis for their coexistence in these biomes remains unclear. In this study, we combined in situ microcosm experiments and an ecosystem model to show that the coexistence of these two organisms can arise from specialization in the uptake of distinct nitrogen substrates; Prochlorococcus prefers ammonium, whereas Synechococcus prefers nitrate when these nutrients exist at low concentrations. Our framework can be used for simulating and predicting the coexistence in the future ocean and may provide hints toward understanding other similar types of coexistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takako Masuda
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czechia
| | - Keisuke Inomura
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Jan Mareš
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czechia
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budejovice, Czechia
- Department of Botany, University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, České Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Taketoshi Kodama
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takuhei Shiozaki
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takato Matsui
- Graduate School of Environmental Science/Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Koji Suzuki
- Graduate School of Environmental Science/Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Shigenobu Takeda
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Curtis Deutsch
- Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Ondřej Prášil
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czechia
| | - Ken Furuya
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
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7
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Takuhei S, Nishimura Y, Yoshizawa S, Takami H, Hamasaki K, Fujiwara A, Nishino S, Harada N. Distribution and survival strategies of endemic and cosmopolitan diazotrophs in the Arctic Ocean. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023:10.1038/s41396-023-01424-x. [PMID: 37217593 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01424-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Dinitrogen (N2) fixation is the major source of reactive nitrogen in the ocean and has been considered to occur specifically in low-latitude oligotrophic oceans. Recent studies have shown that N2 fixation also occurs in the polar regions and thus is a global process, although the physiological and ecological characteristics of polar diazotrophs are not yet known. Here, we successfully reconstructed diazotroph genomes, including that of cyanobacterium UCYN-A (Candidatus 'Atelocyanobacterium thalassa'), from metagenome data corresponding to 111 samples isolated from the Arctic Ocean. These diazotrophs were highly abundant in the Arctic Ocean (max., 1.28% of the total microbial community), suggesting that they have important roles in the Arctic ecosystem and biogeochemical cycles. Further, we show that diazotrophs within genera Arcobacter, Psychromonas, and Oceanobacter are prevalent in the <0.2 µm fraction in the Arctic Ocean, indicating that current methods cannot capture their N2 fixation. Diazotrophs in the Arctic Ocean were either Arctic-endemic or cosmopolitan species from their global distribution patterns. Arctic-endemic diazotrophs, including Arctic UCYN-A, were similar to low-latitude-endemic and cosmopolitan diazotrophs in genome-wide function, however, they had unique gene sets (e.g., diverse aromatics degradation genes), suggesting adaptations to Arctic-specific conditions. Cosmopolitan diazotrophs were generally non-cyanobacteria and commonly had the gene that encodes the cold-inducible RNA chaperone, which presumably makes their survival possible even in deep, cold waters of global ocean and polar surface waters. This study shows global distribution pattern of diazotrophs with their genomes and provides clues to answering the question of how diazotrophs can inhabit polar waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiozaki Takuhei
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, 277-8564, Japan.
| | - Yosuke Nishimura
- Research Centre for Bioscience and Nanoscience, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, 237-0061, Japan
| | - Susumu Yoshizawa
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, 277-8564, Japan
| | - Hideto Takami
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, 277-8564, Japan
- Center for Mathematical Science and Advanced Technology, JAMSTEC, Yokohama, 236-0001, Japan
| | - Koji Hamasaki
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, 277-8564, Japan
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 277-8564, Kashiwa, Japan
- Collaborative Research Institute for Innovative Microbiology, The University of Tokyo, 113-8657, Bunkyo-ku, Japan
| | - Amane Fujiwara
- Research Institute for Global Change, JAMSTEC, Yokosuka, 237-0061, Japan
| | - Shigeto Nishino
- Research Institute for Global Change, JAMSTEC, Yokosuka, 237-0061, Japan
| | - Naomi Harada
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, 277-8564, Japan
- Research Institute for Global Change, JAMSTEC, Yokosuka, 237-0061, Japan
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Jiang Z, Zhu Y, Sun Z, Zhai H, Zhou F, Yan X, Chen Q, Chen J, Zeng J. Size-fractionated N 2 fixation off the Changjiang Estuary during summer. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1189410. [PMID: 37228373 PMCID: PMC10203160 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1189410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent evidence has shown active N2 fixation in coastal eutrophic waters, yet the rate and controlling factors remain poorly understood, particularly in large estuaries. The Changjiang Estuary (CE) and adjacent shelf are characterized by fresh, nitrogen-replete Changjiang Diluted Water (CDW) and saline, nitrogen-depletion intruded Kuroshio water (Taiwan Warm Current and nearshore Kuroshio Branch Current), where N2 fixation may be contributed by different groups (i.e., Trichodesmium and heterotrophic diazotrophs). Here, for the first time, we provide direct measurement of size-fractionated N2 fixation rates (NFRs) off the CE during summer 2014 using the 15N2 bubble tracer method. The results demonstrated considerable spatial variations (southern > northern; offshore > inshore) in surface and depth-integrated NFRs, averaging 0.83 nmol N L-1 d-1 and 24.3 μmol N m-2 d-1, respectively. The highest bulk NFR (99.9 μmol N m-2 d-1; mostly contributed by >10 μm fraction) occurred in the southeastern East China Sea, where suffered from strong intrusion of the Kuroshio water characterized by low N/P ratio (<10) and abundant Trichodesmium (up to 10.23 × 106 trichomes m-2). However, low NFR (mostly contributed by <10 μm fraction) was detected in the CE controlled by the CDW, where NOx concentration (up to 80 μmol L-1) and N/P ratio (>100) were high and Trichodesmium abundance was low. The >10 μm fraction accounted for 60% of depth-integrated bulk NFR over the CE and adjacent shelf. We speculated that the present NFR of >10 μm fraction was mostly supported by Trichodesmium. Spearman rank correlation indicated that the NFR was significantly positively correlated with Trichodesmium abundance, salinity, temperature and Secchi depth, but was negatively with turbidity, N/P ratio, NOx, and chlorophyll a concentration. Our study suggests that distribution and size structure of N2 fixation off the CE are largely regulated by water mass (intruded Kuroshio water and CDW) movement and associated diazotrophs (particularly Trichodesmium) and nutrient conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhibing Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Ecosystem Dynamics, Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Ocean Space Resource Management Technology, Ministry of Natural Resource, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Nearshore Engineering Environment and Ecological Security of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Satellite Ocean Environment Dynamics, Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Hangzhou, China
- Observation and Research Station of Marine Ecosystem in the Yangtze River Delta, Ministry of Natural Resources, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuanli Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Ecosystem Dynamics, Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Ocean Space Resource Management Technology, Ministry of Natural Resource, Hangzhou, China
- Observation and Research Station of Marine Ecosystem in the Yangtze River Delta, Ministry of Natural Resources, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhenhao Sun
- Key Laboratory of Marine Ecosystem Dynamics, Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hongchang Zhai
- Key Laboratory of Marine Ecosystem Dynamics, Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Hangzhou, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Satellite Ocean Environment Dynamics, Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Hangzhou, China
- Observation and Research Station of Marine Ecosystem in the Yangtze River Delta, Ministry of Natural Resources, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaojun Yan
- Marine Science and Technology College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
| | - Quanzhen Chen
- Key Laboratory of Marine Ecosystem Dynamics, Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianfang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Marine Ecosystem Dynamics, Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Hangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Satellite Ocean Environment Dynamics, Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiangning Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Marine Ecosystem Dynamics, Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Ocean Space Resource Management Technology, Ministry of Natural Resource, Hangzhou, China
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9
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Yang N, Lin YA, Merkel CA, DeMers MA, Qu PP, Webb EA, Fu FX, Hutchins DA. Molecular mechanisms underlying iron and phosphorus co-limitation responses in the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Crocosphaera. THE ISME JOURNAL 2022; 16:2702-2711. [PMID: 36008474 PMCID: PMC9666452 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-022-01307-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
In the nitrogen-limited subtropical gyres, diazotrophic cyanobacteria, including Crocosphaera, provide an essential ecosystem service by converting dinitrogen (N2) gas into ammonia to support primary production in these oligotrophic regimes. Natural gradients of phosphorus (P) and iron (Fe) availability in the low-latitude oceans constrain the biogeography and activity of diazotrophs with important implications for marine biogeochemical cycling. Much remains unknown regarding Crocosphaera's physiological and molecular responses to multiple nutrient limitations. We cultured C. watsonii under Fe, P, and Fe/P (co)-limiting scenarios to link cellular physiology with diel gene expression and observed unique physiological and transcriptional profiles for each treatment. Counterintuitively, reduced growth and N2 fixation resource use efficiencies (RUEs) for Fe or P under P limitation were alleviated under Fe/P co-limitation. Differential gene expression analyses show that Fe/P co-limited cells employ the same responses as single-nutrient limited cells that reduce cellular nutrient requirements and increase responsiveness to environmental change including smaller cell size, protein turnover (Fe-limited), and upregulation of environmental sense-and-respond systems (P-limited). Combined, these mechanisms enhance growth and RUEs in Fe/P co-limited cells. These findings are important to our understanding of nutrient controls on N2 fixation and the implications for primary productivity and microbial dynamics in a changing ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Yang
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yu-An Lin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carlin A Merkel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michelle A DeMers
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ping-Ping Qu
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Eric A Webb
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Fei-Xue Fu
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - David A Hutchins
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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10
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Masuda T, Inomura K, Gao M, Armin G, Kotabová E, Bernát G, Lawrenz-Kendrick E, Lukeš M, Bečková M, Steinbach G, Komenda J, Prášil O. The balance between photosynthesis and respiration explains the niche differentiation between Crocosphaera and Cyanothece. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 21:58-65. [PMID: 36514336 PMCID: PMC9732122 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.11.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Crocosphaera and Cyanothece are both unicellular, nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria that prefer different environments. Whereas Crocosphaera mainly lives in nutrient-deplete, open oceans, Cyanothece is more common in coastal, nutrient-rich regions. Despite their physiological similarities, the factors separating their niches remain elusive. Here we performed physiological experiments on clone cultures and expand upon a simple ecological model to show that their different niches can be sufficiently explained by the observed differences in their photosynthetic capacities and rates of carbon (C) consumption. Our experiments revealed that Cyanothece has overall higher photosynthesis and respiration rates than Crocosphaera. A simple growth model of these microorganisms suggests that C storage and consumption are previously under-appreciated factors when evaluating the occupation of niches by different marine nitrogen fixers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takako Masuda
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Opatovický mlýn, 37901 Třeboň, Czech Republic,Corresponding authors.
| | - Keisuke Inomura
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
| | - Meng Gao
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
| | - Gabrielle Armin
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
| | - Eva Kotabová
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Opatovický mlýn, 37901 Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Gábor Bernát
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Opatovický mlýn, 37901 Třeboň, Czech Republic,Balaton Limnological Research Institute, Eötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH), Tihany, Hungary
| | - Evelyn Lawrenz-Kendrick
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Opatovický mlýn, 37901 Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Lukeš
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Opatovický mlýn, 37901 Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Bečková
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Opatovický mlýn, 37901 Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Gábor Steinbach
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Opatovický mlýn, 37901 Třeboň, Czech Republic,Cellular Imaging Laboratory, Biological Research Center, Eötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH), Szeged, Hungary
| | - Josef Komenda
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Opatovický mlýn, 37901 Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Prášil
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Opatovický mlýn, 37901 Třeboň, Czech Republic,Corresponding authors.
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11
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Masuda T, Inomura K, Kodama T, Shiozaki T, Kitajima S, Armin G, Matsui T, Suzuki K, Takeda S, Sato M, Prášil O, Furuya K. Crocosphaera as a Major Consumer of Fixed Nitrogen. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0217721. [PMID: 35770981 PMCID: PMC9431459 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02177-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Crocosphaera watsonii (hereafter referred to as Crocosphaera) is a key nitrogen (N) fixer in the ocean, but its ability to consume combined-N sources is still unclear. Using in situ microcosm incubations with an ecological model, we show that Crocosphaera has high competitive capability both under low and moderately high combined-N concentrations. In field incubations, Crocosphaera accounted for the highest consumption of ammonium and nitrate, followed by picoeukaryotes. The model analysis shows that cells have a high ammonium uptake rate (~7 mol N [mol N]-1 d-1 at the maximum), which allows them to compete against picoeukaryotes and nondiazotrophic cyanobacteria when combined N is sufficiently available. Even when combined N is depleted, their capability of nitrogen fixation allows higher growth rates compared to potential competitors. These results suggest the high fitness of Crocosphaera in combined-N limiting, oligotrophic oceans heightening its potential significance in its ecosystem and in biogeochemical cycling. IMPORTANCE Crocosphaera watsonii is as a key nitrogen (N) supplier in marine ecosystems, and it has been estimated to contribute up to half of oceanic N2 fixation. Conversely, a recent study reported that Crocosphaera can assimilate combined N and proposed that unicellular diazotrophs can be competitors with non-N2 fixing phytoplankton for combined N. Despite its importance in nitrogen cycling, the methods by which Crocosphaera compete are not currently fully understood. Here, we present a new role of Crocosphaera as a combined-N consumer: a competitor against nondiazotrophic phytoplankton for combined N. In this study, we combined in situ microcosm experiments and an ecosystem model to quantitatively evaluate the combined-N consumption by Crocosphaera and other non-N2 fixing phytoplankton. Our results suggest the high fitness of Crocosphaera in combined-N limiting, oligotrophic oceans and, thus, heightens its potential significance in its ecosystem and in biogeochemical cycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takako Masuda
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Keisuke Inomura
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Taketoshi Kodama
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takuhei Shiozaki
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoshi Kitajima
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Gabrielle Armin
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Takato Matsui
- Graduate School of Environmental Science/Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Koji Suzuki
- Graduate School of Environmental Science/Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Shigenobu Takeda
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mitsuhide Sato
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ondřej Prášil
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Ken Furuya
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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12
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Barbosa RV, Point D, Médieu A, Allain V, Gillikin DP, Couturier LIE, Munaron JM, Roupsard F, Lorrain A. Mercury concentrations in tuna blood and muscle mirror seawater methylmercury in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 180:113801. [PMID: 35671615 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the relationship between mercury in seafood and the distribution of oceanic methylmercury is key to understand human mercury exposure. Here, we determined mercury concentrations in muscle and blood of bigeye and yellowfin tunas from the Western and Central Pacific. Results showed similar latitudinal patterns in tuna blood and muscle, indicating that both tissues are good candidates for mercury monitoring. Complementary tuna species analyses indicated species- and tissue- specific mercury patterns, highlighting differences in physiologic processes of mercury uptake and accumulation associated with tuna vertical habitat. Tuna mercury content was correlated to ambient seawater methylmercury concentrations, with blood being enriched at a higher rate than muscle with increasing habitat depth. The consideration of a significant uptake of dissolved methylmercury from seawater in tuna, in addition to assimilation from food, might be interesting to test in models to represent the spatiotemporal evolutions of mercury in tuna under different mercury emission scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romina V Barbosa
- Univ Brest, IRD, CNRS, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzané, France.
| | - David Point
- Geosciences Environnement Toulouse (GET) - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, France.
| | - Anaïs Médieu
- Univ Brest, IRD, CNRS, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Valérie Allain
- Pacific Community, Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Nouméa, New Caledonia
| | - David P Gillikin
- Department of Geosciences, Union College, 807 Union St., Schenectady, NY 12308, USA
| | | | | | - François Roupsard
- Pacific Community, Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Nouméa, New Caledonia
| | - Anne Lorrain
- Univ Brest, IRD, CNRS, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzané, France
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13
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Alcamán-Arias ME, Cifuentes-Anticevic J, Castillo-Inaipil W, Farías L, Sanhueza C, Fernández-Gómez B, Verdugo J, Abarzua L, Ridley C, Tamayo-Leiva J, Díez B. Dark Diazotrophy during the Late Summer in Surface Waters of Chile Bay, West Antarctic Peninsula. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10061140. [PMID: 35744658 PMCID: PMC9227844 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10061140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Although crucial for the addition of new nitrogen in marine ecosystems, dinitrogen (N2) fixation remains an understudied process, especially under dark conditions and in polar coastal areas, such as the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP). New measurements of light and dark N2 fixation rates in parallel with carbon (C) fixation rates, as well as analysis of the genetic marker nifH for diazotrophic organisms, were conducted during the late summer in the coastal waters of Chile Bay, South Shetland Islands, WAP. During six late summers (February 2013 to 2019), Chile Bay was characterized by high NO3− concentrations (~20 µM) and an NH4+ content that remained stable near 0.5 µM. The N:P ratio was approximately 14.1, thus close to that of the Redfield ratio (16:1). The presence of Cluster I and Cluster III nifH gene sequences closely related to Alpha-, Delta- and, to a lesser extent, Gammaproteobacteria, suggests that chemosynthetic and heterotrophic bacteria are primarily responsible for N2 fixation in the bay. Photosynthetic carbon assimilation ranged from 51.18 to 1471 nmol C L−1 d−1, while dark chemosynthesis ranged from 9.24 to 805 nmol C L−1 d−1. N2 fixation rates were higher under dark conditions (up to 45.40 nmol N L−1 d−1) than under light conditions (up to 7.70 nmol N L−1 d−1), possibly contributing more than 37% to new nitrogen-based production (≥2.5 g N m−2 y−1). Of all the environmental factors measured, only PO43- exhibited a significant correlation with C and N2 rates, being negatively correlated (p < 0.05) with dark chemosynthesis and N2 fixation under the light condition, revealing the importance of the N:P ratio for these processes in Chile Bay. This significant contribution of N2 fixation expands the ubiquity and biological potential of these marine chemosynthetic diazotrophs. As such, this process should be considered along with the entire N cycle when further reviewing highly productive Antarctic coastal waters and the diazotrophic potential of the global marine ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- María E. Alcamán-Arias
- Departamento de Oceanografía, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción 4030000, Chile; (M.E.A.-A.); (L.F.); (L.A.)
- Center for Climate and Resilience Research (CR)2, Universidad de Chile, Blanco Encalada 2002, Santiago 8320000, Chile; (C.R.); (J.T.-L.)
- Escuela de Medicina, Universidad Espíritu Santo, Guayaquil 0901952, Ecuador
| | - Jerónimo Cifuentes-Anticevic
- Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile; (J.C.-A.); (W.C.-I.); (C.S.); (B.F.-G.)
| | - Wilson Castillo-Inaipil
- Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile; (J.C.-A.); (W.C.-I.); (C.S.); (B.F.-G.)
| | - Laura Farías
- Departamento de Oceanografía, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción 4030000, Chile; (M.E.A.-A.); (L.F.); (L.A.)
- Center for Climate and Resilience Research (CR)2, Universidad de Chile, Blanco Encalada 2002, Santiago 8320000, Chile; (C.R.); (J.T.-L.)
| | - Cynthia Sanhueza
- Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile; (J.C.-A.); (W.C.-I.); (C.S.); (B.F.-G.)
| | - Beatriz Fernández-Gómez
- Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile; (J.C.-A.); (W.C.-I.); (C.S.); (B.F.-G.)
- Instituto de Oceanografía y Cambio Global (IOCAG), Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), 35001 Las Palmas, Spain
| | - Josefa Verdugo
- Alfred-Wegener-Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany;
| | - Leslie Abarzua
- Departamento de Oceanografía, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción 4030000, Chile; (M.E.A.-A.); (L.F.); (L.A.)
| | - Christina Ridley
- Center for Climate and Resilience Research (CR)2, Universidad de Chile, Blanco Encalada 2002, Santiago 8320000, Chile; (C.R.); (J.T.-L.)
- Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile; (J.C.-A.); (W.C.-I.); (C.S.); (B.F.-G.)
| | - Javier Tamayo-Leiva
- Center for Climate and Resilience Research (CR)2, Universidad de Chile, Blanco Encalada 2002, Santiago 8320000, Chile; (C.R.); (J.T.-L.)
- Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile; (J.C.-A.); (W.C.-I.); (C.S.); (B.F.-G.)
- Center for Genome Regulation (CRG), Universidad de Chile, Blanco Encalada 2085, Santiago 8320000, Chile
| | - Beatriz Díez
- Center for Climate and Resilience Research (CR)2, Universidad de Chile, Blanco Encalada 2002, Santiago 8320000, Chile; (C.R.); (J.T.-L.)
- Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile; (J.C.-A.); (W.C.-I.); (C.S.); (B.F.-G.)
- Center for Genome Regulation (CRG), Universidad de Chile, Blanco Encalada 2085, Santiago 8320000, Chile
- Correspondence:
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14
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Zam Is a Redox-Regulated Member of the RNB-Family Required for Optimal Photosynthesis in Cyanobacteria. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10051055. [PMID: 35630497 PMCID: PMC9145284 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10051055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The zam gene mediating resistance to acetazolamide in cyanobacteria was discovered thirty years ago during a drug tolerance screen. We use phylogenetics to show that Zam proteins are distributed across cyanobacteria and that they form their own unique clade of the ribonuclease II/R (RNB) family. Despite being RNB family members, multiple sequence alignments reveal that Zam proteins lack conservation and exhibit extreme degeneracy in the canonical active site—raising questions about their cellular function(s). Several known phenotypes arise from the deletion of zam, including drug resistance, slower growth, and altered pigmentation. Using room-temperature and low-temperature fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy, we show that deletion of zam results in decreased phycocyanin synthesis rates, altered PSI:PSII ratios, and an increase in coupling between the phycobilisome and PSII. Conserved cysteines within Zam are identified and assayed for function using in vitro and in vivo methods. We show that these cysteines are essential for Zam function, with mutation of either residue to serine causing phenotypes identical to the deletion of Zam. Redox regulation of Zam activity based on the reversible oxidation-reduction of a disulfide bond involving these cysteine residues could provide a mechanism to integrate the ‘central dogma’ with photosynthesis in cyanobacteria.
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15
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Lory C, Van Wambeke F, Fourquez M, Barani A, Guieu C, Tilliette C, Marie D, Nunige S, Berman-Frank I, Bonnet S. Assessing the contribution of diazotrophs to microbial Fe uptake using a group specific approach in the Western Tropical South Pacific Ocean. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 2:41. [PMID: 37938297 PMCID: PMC9723570 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-022-00122-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 04/27/2023]
Abstract
Diazotrophs are often limited by iron (Fe) availability in the oligotrophic ocean. The Western Tropical South Pacific (WTSP) ocean has been suggested as an intense N2 fixation area due to Fe fertilizations through shallow hydrothermal activity. Yet, the Fe demand of diazotrophs in their natural habitat, where they cohabit with other microbial organisms also requiring Fe, remains unknown. Here we develop and apply a method consisting of coupling 55Fe uptake experiments with cell-sorting by flow cytometry, and provide group-specific rates of in situ Fe uptake by the microbial community in the WTSP, in addition to bulk and size fractionation rates. We reveal that the diazotrophs Crocosphaera watsonii and Trichodesmium contribute substantially to the bulk in situ Fe uptake (~33% on average over the studied area), despite being numerically less abundant compared to the rest of the planktonic community. Trichodesmium had the highest cell-specific Fe uptake rates, followed by C. watsonii, picoeukaryotes, Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus and finally heterotrophic bacteria. Calculated Fe:C quotas were higher (by 2 to 52-fold) for both studied diazotrophs compared to those of the non-diazotrophic plankton, reflecting their high intrinsic Fe demand. This translates into a diazotroph biogeographical distribution that appears to be influenced by ambient dissolved Fe concentrations in the WTSP. Despite having low cell-specific uptake rates, Prochlorococcus and heterotrophic bacteria were largely the main contributors to the bulk Fe uptake (~23% and ~12%, respectively). Overall, this group-specific approach increases our ability to examine the ecophysiological role of functional groups, including those of less abundant and/or less active microbes.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Lory
- Aix Marseille Université, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO, Marseille, France.
| | - F Van Wambeke
- Aix Marseille Université, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO, Marseille, France
| | - M Fourquez
- Aix Marseille Université, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO, Marseille, France
| | - A Barani
- Aix Marseille Université, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO, Marseille, France
| | - C Guieu
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, LOV, F-06230, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
| | - C Tilliette
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, LOV, F-06230, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
| | - D Marie
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Roscoff, France
| | - S Nunige
- Aix Marseille Université, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO, Marseille, France
| | - I Berman-Frank
- Department of Marine Biology, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - S Bonnet
- Aix Marseille Université, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO, Marseille, France.
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16
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Benavides M, Caffin M, Duhamel S, Foster RA, Grosso O, Guieu C, Van Wambeke F, Bonnet S. Anomalously high abundance of Crocosphaera in the South Pacific Gyre. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2022; 369:6565802. [PMID: 35396843 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnac039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The unicellular diazotrophic cyanobacterium Crocosphaera contributes significantly to fixed nitrogen inputs in the oligotrophic ocean. In the western tropical South Pacific Ocean (WTSP), these diazotrophs abound thanks to the phosphorus-rich waters provided by the South Equatorial Current, and iron provided aeolian and subsurface volcanic activity. East of the WTSP, the South Pacific Gyre (SPG) harbors the most oligotrophic and transparent waters of the world's oceans, where only heterotrophic diazotrophs have been reported before. Here in the SPG we detected unexpected accumulation of Crocosphaera at 50 m with peak abundances of 5.26×105nifH gene copies L-1. The abundance of Crocosphaera at 50 m was in the same order of magnitude as those detected westwards in the WTSP and represented 100% of volumetric N2 fixation rates. This accumulation at 50 m was likely due to a deeper penetration of UV light in the clear waters of the SPG being detrimental for Crocosphaera growth and N2 fixation activity. Nutrient and trace metal addition experiments did not induce any significant changes in N2 fixation or Crocosphaera abundance, indicating that this population was not limited by the resources tested and could develop in high numbers despite the oligotrophic conditions. Our findings indicate that the distribution of Crocosphaera can extend into subtropical gyres and further understanding of their controlling factors is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mar Benavides
- Aix Marseille Univ, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO UM 110, 13288, Marseille, France
| | - Mathieu Caffin
- Aix Marseille Univ, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO UM 110, 13288, Marseille, France
| | - Solange Duhamel
- Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, NY 10964, USA
| | - Rachel Ann Foster
- Stockholm University, Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Olivier Grosso
- Aix Marseille Univ, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO UM 110, 13288, Marseille, France
| | - Cécile Guieu
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSU-CNRS, Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, 181 Chemin du Lazaret, 06230 Villefranche-sur-mer, France.,Center for Prototype Climate Modeling, New York University Abu Dhabi, P.O. Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - France Van Wambeke
- Aix Marseille Univ, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO UM 110, 13288, Marseille, France
| | - Sophie Bonnet
- Aix Marseille Univ, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO UM 110, 13288, Marseille, France
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17
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Qu PP, Fu FX, Wang XW, Kling JD, Elghazzawy M, Huh M, Zhou QQ, Wang C, Mak EWK, Lee MD, Yang N, Hutchins DA. Two co-dominant nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria demonstrate distinct acclimation and adaptation responses to cope with ocean warming. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2022; 14:203-217. [PMID: 35023627 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.13041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The globally dominant N2 -fixing cyanobacteria Trichodesmium and Crocosphaera provide vital nitrogen supplies to subtropical and tropical oceans, but little is known about how they will be affected by long-term ocean warming. We tested their thermal responses using experimental evolution methods during 2 years of selection at optimal (28°C), supra-optimal (32°C) and suboptimal (22°C) temperatures. After several hundred generations under thermal selection, changes in growth parameters, as well as N and C fixation rates, suggested that Trichodesmium did not adapt to the three selection temperature regimes during the 2-year evolution experiment, but could instead rapidly and reversibly acclimate to temperature shifts from 20°C to 34°C. In contrast, over the same timeframe apparent thermal adaptation was observed in Crocosphaera, as evidenced by irreversible phenotypic changes as well as whole-genome sequencing and variant analysis. Especially under stressful warming conditions (34°C), 32°C-selected Crocosphaera cells had an advantage in survival and nitrogen fixation over cell lines selected at 22°C and 28°C. The distinct strategies of phenotypic plasticity versus irreversible adaptation in these two sympatric diazotrophs are both viable ways to maintain fitness despite long-term temperature changes, and so could help to stabilize key ocean nitrogen cycle functions under future warming scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping-Ping Qu
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Fei-Xue Fu
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Xin-Wei Wang
- School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315211, China
| | - Joshua D Kling
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Mariam Elghazzawy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Megan Huh
- Department of Preventative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Qian-Qian Zhou
- Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, Fujian, 361005, China
| | - Chunguang Wang
- Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, Fujian, 361005, China
| | - Esther Wing Kwan Mak
- Department of Ocean Sciences and Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Michael D Lee
- Exobiology Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA, 94035, USA
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA, 98154, USA
| | - Nina Yang
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - David A Hutchins
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
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18
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Masuda T, Inomura K, Mareš J, Prášil O. Crocosphaera watsonii. Trends Microbiol 2022; 30:805-806. [PMID: 35331632 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2022.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Takako Masuda
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Opatovický mlýn, 379 01 Třeboň, Czech Republic.
| | - Keisuke Inomura
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI, USA
| | - Jan Mareš
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Opatovický mlýn, 379 01 Třeboň, Czech Republic; Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Na Sádkách 702/7, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Prášil
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Opatovický mlýn, 379 01 Třeboň, Czech Republic
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19
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Wen Z, Browning TJ, Cai Y, Dai R, Zhang R, Du C, Jiang R, Lin W, Liu X, Cao Z, Hong H, Dai M, Shi D. Nutrient regulation of biological nitrogen fixation across the tropical western North Pacific. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabl7564. [PMID: 35119922 PMCID: PMC8816331 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abl7564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen fixation is critical for the biological productivity of the ocean, but clear mechanistic controls on this process remain elusive. Here, we investigate the abundance, activity, and drivers of nitrogen-fixing diazotrophs across the tropical western North Pacific. We find a basin-scale coherence of diazotroph abundances and N2 fixation rates with the supply ratio of iron:nitrogen to the upper ocean. Across a threshold of increasing supply ratios, the abundance of nifH genes and N2 fixation rates increased, phosphate concentrations decreased, and bioassay experiments demonstrated evidence for N2 fixation switching from iron to phosphate limitation. In the northern South China Sea, supply ratios were hypothesized to fall around this critical threshold and bioassay experiments suggested colimitation by both iron and phosphate. Our results provide evidence for iron:nitrogen supply ratios being the most important factor in regulating the distribution of N2 fixation across the tropical ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuozhu Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, P. R. China
| | - Thomas J. Browning
- Marine Biogeochemistry Division, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Yihua Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, P. R. China
| | - Rongbo Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, P. R. China
| | - Ruifeng Zhang
- School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Chuanjun Du
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, P. R. China
| | - Ruotong Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, P. R. China
| | - Wenfang Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, P. R. China
| | - Xin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, P. R. China
| | - Zhimian Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, P. R. China
| | - Haizheng Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, P. R. China
| | - Minhan Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, P. R. China
| | - Dalin Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, P. R. China
- Corresponding author.
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20
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Marcarelli AM, Fulweiler RW, Scott JT. Nitrogen fixation: a poorly understood process along the freshwater-marine continuum. LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY LETTERS 2022; 7:1-10. [PMID: 35531372 PMCID: PMC9075158 DOI: 10.1002/lol2.10220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Although N2 fixation is a major component of the global N cycle and has been extensively studied in open-ocean and terrestrial ecosystems, rates and ecological dynamics remain virtually unknown for the inland and coastal aquatic ecosystems (lakes, wetlands, rivers, streams, estuaries) that connect terrestrial and marine biomes. This is due to the diversity of these habitats, as well as the traditional paradigm that N2 fixation rates were low to nonexistent, and therefore not important, in these ecosystems. We identify three major research themes to advance understanding of aquatic N2 fixation: 1) the biological diversity of diazotrophs and variability of N2 fixation rates, 2) the ecological stoichiometry of N2 fixation, and 3) the upscaling of N2 fixation rates from genes to ecosystems. Coordinating research across these areas will advance limnology and oceanography by fully integrating N2 fixation into ecological dynamics of aquatic ecosystems from local to global scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M. Marcarelli
- Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University
| | - Robinson W. Fulweiler
- Department of Earth and Environment, Boston University
- Department of Biology, Boston University
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21
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Abstract
A small subset of marine microbial enzymes and surface transporters have a disproportionately important influence on the cycling of carbon and nutrients in the global ocean. As a result, they largely determine marine biological productivity and have been the focus of considerable research attention from microbial oceanographers. Like all biological catalysts, the activity of these keystone biomolecules is subject to control by temperature and pH, leaving the crucial ecosystem functions they support potentially vulnerable to anthropogenic environmental change. We summarize and discuss both consensus and conflicting evidence on the effects of sea surface warming and ocean acidification for five of these critical enzymes [carbonic anhydrase, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO), nitrogenase, nitrate reductase, and ammonia monooxygenase] and one important transporter (proteorhodopsin). Finally, we forecast how the responses of these few but essential biocatalysts to ongoing global change processes may ultimately help to shape the microbial communities and biogeochemical cycles of the future greenhouse ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Hutchins
- Marine and Environmental Biology Section, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA;
| | - Sergio A Sañudo-Wilhelmy
- Marine and Environmental Biology Section, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA;
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA;
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22
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Moynihan MA, Goodkin NF, Morgan KM, Kho PYY, Lopes Dos Santos A, Lauro FM, Baker DM, Martin P. Coral-associated nitrogen fixation rates and diazotrophic diversity on a nutrient-replete equatorial reef. THE ISME JOURNAL 2022; 16:233-246. [PMID: 34294880 PMCID: PMC8692400 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-021-01054-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The role of diazotrophs in coral physiology and reef biogeochemistry remains poorly understood, in part because N2 fixation rates and diazotrophic community composition have only been jointly analyzed in the tissue of one tropical coral species. We performed field-based 15N2 tracer incubations during nutrient-replete conditions to measure diazotroph-derived nitrogen (DDN) assimilation into three species of scleractinian coral (Pocillopora acuta, Goniopora columna, Platygyra sinensis). Using multi-marker metabarcoding (16S rRNA, nifH, 18S rRNA), we analyzed DNA- and RNA-based communities in coral tissue and skeleton. Despite low N2 fixation rates, DDN assimilation supplied up to 6% of the holobiont's N demand. Active coral-associated diazotrophs were chiefly Cluster I (aerobes or facultative anaerobes), suggesting that oxygen may control coral-associated diazotrophy. Highest N2 fixation rates were observed in the endolithic community (0.20 µg N cm-2 per day). While the diazotrophic community was similar between the tissue and skeleton, RNA:DNA ratios indicate potential differences in relative diazotrophic activity between these compartments. In Pocillopora, DDN was found in endolithic, host, and symbiont compartments, while diazotrophic nifH sequences were only observed in the endolithic layer, suggesting a possible DDN exchange between the endolithic community and the overlying coral tissue. Our findings demonstrate that coral-associated diazotrophy is significant, even in nutrient-rich waters, and suggest that endolithic microbes are major contributors to coral nitrogen cycling on reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly A Moynihan
- Earth Observatory of Singapore, Interdisciplinary Graduate School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
- Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Nathalie F Goodkin
- Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Earth Observatory of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kyle M Morgan
- Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Phyllis Y Y Kho
- Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Federico M Lauro
- Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - David M Baker
- Division for Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China
| | - Patrick Martin
- Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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23
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Inomura K, Masuda T, Eichner M, Rabouille S, Zavřel T, Červený J, Vancová M, Bernát G, Armin G, Claquin P, Kotabová E, Stephan S, Suggett DJ, Deutsch C, Prášil O. Quantifying Cyanothece growth under DIC limitation. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:6456-6464. [PMID: 34938417 PMCID: PMC8665340 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.11.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The photoautotrophic, unicellular N2-fixer, Cyanothece, is a model organism that has been widely used to study photosynthesis regulation, the structure of photosystems, and the temporal segregation of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) fixation in light and dark phases of the diel cycle. Here, we present a simple quantitative model and experimental data that together, suggest external dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentration as a major limiting factor for Cyanothece growth, due to its high C-storage requirement. Using experimental data from a parallel laboratory study as a basis, we show that after the onset of the light period, DIC was rapidly consumed by photosynthesis, leading to a sharp drop in the rate of photosynthesis and C accumulation. In N2-fixing cultures, high rates of photosynthesis in the morning enabled rapid conversion of DIC to intracellular C storage, hastening DIC consumption to levels that limited further uptake. The N2-fixing condition allows only a small fraction of fixed C for cellular growth since a large fraction was reserved in storage to fuel night-time N2 fixation. Our model provides a framework for resolving DIC limitation in aquatic ecosystem simulations, where DIC as a growth-limiting factor has rarely been considered, and importantly emphasizes the effect of intracellular C allocation on growth rate that varies depending on the growth environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Inomura
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Takako Masuda
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Meri Eichner
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Sophie Rabouille
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Océanographie Microbienne, LOMIC, F-66650 Banyuls-sur-mer, France
| | - Tomáš Zavřel
- Department of Adaptive Biotechnologies, Global Change Research Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Červený
- Department of Adaptive Biotechnologies, Global Change Research Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Marie Vancová
- Laboratory of Electron Microscopy, Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Gábor Bernát
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czech Republic.,Balaton Limnological Research Institute, Eötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH), Tihany, Hungary
| | - Gabrielle Armin
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Pascal Claquin
- Laboratoire de Biologie des ORganismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques (BOREA), UMR 8067, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, IRD Sorbonne Université, Université de Caen Normandie, Normandie Université, Esplanade de la Paix, F-14032 Caen, France
| | - Eva Kotabová
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Susanne Stephan
- Department Experimental Limnology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Stechlin, Germany
| | - David J Suggett
- University of Technology Sydney, Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Curtis Deutsch
- School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ondřej Prášil
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czech Republic
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24
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Li L, Wu C, Huang D, Ding C, Wei Y, Sun J. Integrating Stochastic and Deterministic Process in the Biogeography of N 2-Fixing Cyanobacterium Candidatus Atelocyanobacterium Thalassa. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:654646. [PMID: 34745020 PMCID: PMC8566894 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.654646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
UCYN-A is one of the most widespread and important marine diazotrophs. Its unusual distribution in both cold/warm and coastal/oceanic waters challenges current understanding about what drives the biogeography of diazotrophs. This study assessed the community assembly processes of the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium UCYN-A, developing a framework of assembly processes underpinning the microbial biogeography and diversity. High-throughput sequencing and a qPCR approach targeting the nifH gene were used to investigate three tropical seas: the Bay of Bengal, the Western Pacific Ocean, and the South China Sea. Based on the neutral community model and two types of null models calculating the β-nearest taxon index and the normalized stochasticity ratio, we found that stochastic assembly processes could explain 66-92% of the community assembly; thus, they exert overwhelming influence on UCYN-A biogeography and diversity. Among the deterministic processes, temperature and coastal/oceanic position appeared to be the principal environmental factors driving UCYN-A diversity. In addition, a close linkage between assembly processes and UCYN-A abundance/diversity/drivers can provide clues for the unusual global distribution of UCYN-A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liuyang Li
- College of Marine Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China.,State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chao Wu
- Research Centre for Indian Ocean Ecosystem, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Danyue Huang
- College of Marine Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China.,School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Changling Ding
- Research Centre for Indian Ocean Ecosystem, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China.,College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuqiu Wei
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Development of Marine Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Jun Sun
- College of Marine Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
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25
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Delmont TO, Pierella Karlusich JJ, Veseli I, Fuessel J, Eren AM, Foster RA, Bowler C, Wincker P, Pelletier E. Heterotrophic bacterial diazotrophs are more abundant than their cyanobacterial counterparts in metagenomes covering most of the sunlit ocean. ISME JOURNAL 2021; 16:927-936. [PMID: 34697433 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-021-01135-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Biological nitrogen fixation contributes significantly to marine primary productivity. The current view depicts few cyanobacterial diazotrophs as the main marine nitrogen fixers. Here, we used 891 Tara Oceans metagenomes derived from surface waters of five oceans and two seas to generate a manually curated genomic database corresponding to free-living, filamentous, colony-forming, particle-attached, and symbiotic bacterial and archaeal populations. The database provides the genomic content of eight cyanobacterial diazotrophs including a newly discovered population related to known heterocystous symbionts of diatoms, as well as 40 heterotrophic bacterial diazotrophs that considerably expand the known diversity of abundant marine nitrogen fixers. These 48 populations encapsulate 92% of metagenomic signal for known nifH genes in the sunlit ocean, suggesting that the genomic characterization of the most abundant marine diazotrophs may be nearing completion. Newly identified heterotrophic bacterial diazotrophs are widespread, express their nifH genes in situ, and also occur in large planktonic size fractions where they might form aggregates that provide the low-oxygen microenvironments required for nitrogen fixation. Critically, we found heterotrophic bacterial diazotrophs to be more abundant than cyanobacterial diazotrophs in most metagenomes from the open oceans and seas, emphasizing the importance of a wide range of heterotrophic populations in the marine nitrogen balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom O Delmont
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, CNRS, Univ Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, 91057, Evry, France. .,Research Federation for the study of Global Ocean systems ecology and evolution, FR2022/Tara GOsee, Paris, France.
| | - Juan José Pierella Karlusich
- Research Federation for the study of Global Ocean systems ecology and evolution, FR2022/Tara GOsee, Paris, France.,Institut de Biologie de l'ENS (IBENS), Département de biologie, École normale supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Iva Veseli
- Graduate Program in Biophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Jessika Fuessel
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - A Murat Eren
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.,Bay Paul Center, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, 02543, USA
| | - Rachel A Foster
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University Stockholm, Stockholm, 106 91, Sweden
| | - Chris Bowler
- Research Federation for the study of Global Ocean systems ecology and evolution, FR2022/Tara GOsee, Paris, France.,Institut de Biologie de l'ENS (IBENS), Département de biologie, École normale supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Patrick Wincker
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, CNRS, Univ Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, 91057, Evry, France.,Research Federation for the study of Global Ocean systems ecology and evolution, FR2022/Tara GOsee, Paris, France
| | - Eric Pelletier
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, CNRS, Univ Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, 91057, Evry, France.,Research Federation for the study of Global Ocean systems ecology and evolution, FR2022/Tara GOsee, Paris, France
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26
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Rabouille S, Randall B, Talec A, Raimbault P, Blasco T, Latifi A, Oschlies A. Independence of a Marine Unicellular Diazotroph to the Presence of NO 3. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9102073. [PMID: 34683393 PMCID: PMC8540418 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9102073] [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: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine nitrogen (N2) fixation was historically considered to be absent or reduced in nitrate (NO3−) rich environments. This is commonly attributed to the lower energetic cost of NO3− uptake compared to diazotrophy in oxic environments. This paradigm often contributes to making inferences about diazotroph distribution and activity in the ocean, and is also often used in biogeochemical ocean models. To assess the general validity of this paradigm beyond the traditionally used model organism Trichodesmium spp., we grew cultures of the unicellular cyanobacterium Crocosphaera watsonii WH8501 long term in medium containing replete concentrations of NO3−. NO3− uptake was measured in comparison to N2 fixation to assess the cultures’ nitrogen source preferences. We further measured culture growth rate, cell stoichiometry, and carbon fixation rate to determine if the presence of NO3− had any effect on cell metabolism. We found that uptake of NO3− by this strain of Crocosphaera was minimal in comparison to other N sources (~2–4% of total uptake). Furthermore, availability of NO3− did not statistically alter N2 fixation rate nor any aspect of cell physiology or metabolism measured (cellular growth rate, cell stoichiometry, cell size, nitrogen fixation rate, nitrogenase activity) in comparison to a NO3− free control culture. These results demonstrate the capability of a marine diazotroph to fix nitrogen and grow independently of NO3−. This lack of sensitivity of diazotrophy to NO3− suggests that assumptions often made about, and model formulations of, N2 fixation should be reconsidered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Rabouille
- Laboratoire d’Océanographie Microbienne (LOMIC), CNRS, Sorbonne Université, F-66650 Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
- Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche (LOV), CNRS, Sorbonne Université, F-06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer, France; (B.R.); (A.T.); (T.B.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Benjamin Randall
- Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche (LOV), CNRS, Sorbonne Université, F-06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer, France; (B.R.); (A.T.); (T.B.)
| | - Amélie Talec
- Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche (LOV), CNRS, Sorbonne Université, F-06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer, France; (B.R.); (A.T.); (T.B.)
| | - Patrick Raimbault
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS/INSU, Université de Toulon, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO) UM 110, 13288 Marseille, France;
| | - Thierry Blasco
- Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche (LOV), CNRS, Sorbonne Université, F-06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer, France; (B.R.); (A.T.); (T.B.)
| | - Amel Latifi
- Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne (LCB), Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, 13284 Marseille, France;
| | - Andreas Oschlies
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, 24105 Kiel, Germany;
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27
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Landolfi A, Prowe AEF, Pahlow M, Somes CJ, Chien CT, Schartau M, Koeve W, Oschlies A. Can Top-Down Controls Expand the Ecological Niche of Marine N 2 Fixers? Front Microbiol 2021; 12:690200. [PMID: 34489886 PMCID: PMC8416505 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.690200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability of marine diazotrophs to fix dinitrogen gas (N2) is one of the most influential yet enigmatic processes in the ocean. With their activity diazotrophs support biological production by fixing about 100–200 Tg N/year and turning otherwise unavailable dinitrogen into bioavailable nitrogen (N), an essential limiting nutrient. Despite their important role, the factors that control the distribution of diazotrophs and their ability to fix N2 are not fully elucidated. We discuss insights that can be gained from the emerging picture of a wide geographical distribution of marine diazotrophs and provide a critical assessment of environmental (bottom-up) versus trophic (top-down) controls. We expand a simplified theoretical framework to understand how top-down control affects competition for resources that determine ecological niches. Selective mortality, mediated by grazing or viral-lysis, on non-fixing phytoplankton is identified as a critical process that can broaden the ability of diazotrophs to compete for resources in top-down controlled systems and explain an expanded ecological niche for diazotrophs. Our simplified analysis predicts a larger importance of top-down control on competition patterns as resource levels increase. As grazing controls the faster growing phytoplankton, coexistence of the slower growing diazotrophs can be established. However, these predictions require corroboration by experimental and field data, together with the identification of specific traits of organisms and associated trade-offs related to selective top-down control. Elucidation of these factors could greatly improve our predictive capability for patterns and rates of marine N2 fixation. The susceptibility of this key biogeochemical process to future changes may not only be determined by changes in environmental conditions but also via changes in the ecological interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Landolfi
- Institute of Marine Sciences, National Research Council, Rome, Italy.,Marine Biogeochemistry, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany
| | - A E Friederike Prowe
- Marine Biogeochemistry, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany
| | - Markus Pahlow
- Marine Biogeochemistry, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany
| | - Christopher J Somes
- Marine Biogeochemistry, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany
| | - Chia-Te Chien
- Marine Biogeochemistry, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany
| | - Markus Schartau
- Marine Biogeochemistry, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Koeve
- Marine Biogeochemistry, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany
| | - Andreas Oschlies
- Marine Biogeochemistry, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany
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28
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Turk-Kubo KA, Mills MM, Arrigo KR, van Dijken G, Henke BA, Stewart B, Wilson ST, Zehr JP. UCYN-A/haptophyte symbioses dominate N 2 fixation in the Southern California Current System. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2021; 1:42. [PMID: 36740625 PMCID: PMC9723760 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-021-00039-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The availability of fixed nitrogen (N) is an important factor limiting biological productivity in the oceans. In coastal waters, high dissolved inorganic N concentrations were historically thought to inhibit dinitrogen (N2) fixation, however, recent N2 fixation measurements and the presence of the N2-fixing UCYN-A/haptophyte symbiosis in nearshore waters challenge this paradigm. We characterized the contribution of UCYN-A symbioses to nearshore N2 fixation in the Southern California Current System (SCCS) by measuring bulk community and single-cell N2 fixation rates, as well as diazotroph community composition and abundance. UCYN-A1 and UCYN-A2 symbioses dominated diazotroph communities throughout the region during upwelling and oceanic seasons. Bulk N2 fixation was detected in most surface samples, with rates up to 23.0 ± 3.8 nmol N l-1 d-1, and was often detected at the deep chlorophyll maximum in the presence of nitrate (>1 µM). UCYN-A2 symbiosis N2 fixation rates were higher (151.1 ± 112.7 fmol N cell-1 d-1) than the UCYN-A1 symbiosis (6.6 ± 8.8 fmol N cell-1 d-1). N2 fixation by the UCYN-A1 symbiosis accounted for a majority of the measured bulk rates at two offshore stations, while the UCYN-A2 symbiosis was an important contributor in three nearshore stations. This report of active UCYN-A symbioses and broad mesoscale distribution patterns establishes UCYN-A symbioses as the dominant diazotrophs in the SCCS, where heterocyst-forming and unicellular cyanobacteria are less prevalent, and provides evidence that the two dominant UCYN-A sublineages are separate ecotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendra A Turk-Kubo
- Ocean Sciences Department, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
| | - Matthew M Mills
- Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Kevin R Arrigo
- Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Gert van Dijken
- Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Britt A Henke
- Ocean Sciences Department, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Brittany Stewart
- Ocean Sciences Department, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Samuel T Wilson
- Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Jonathan P Zehr
- Ocean Sciences Department, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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29
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Gradoville MR, Cabello AM, Wilson ST, Turk-Kubo KA, Karl DM, Zehr JP. Light and depth dependency of nitrogen fixation by the non-photosynthetic, symbiotic cyanobacterium UCYN-A. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:4518-4531. [PMID: 34227720 PMCID: PMC9291983 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The symbiotic cyanobacterium UCYN‐A is one of the most globally abundant marine dinitrogen (N2)‐fixers, but cultures have not been available and its biology and ecology are poorly understood. We used cultivation‐independent approaches to investigate how UCYN‐A single‐cell N2 fixation rates (NFRs) and nifH gene expression vary as a function of depth and photoperiod. Twelve‐hour day/night incubations showed that UCYN‐A only fixed N2 during the day. Experiments conducted using in situ arrays showed a light‐dependence of NFRs by the UCYN‐A symbiosis, with the highest rates in surface waters (5–45 m) and lower rates at depth (≥ 75 m). Analysis of NFRs versus in situ light intensity yielded a light saturation parameter (Ik) for UCYN‐A of 44 μmol quanta m−2 s−1. This is low compared with other marine diazotrophs, suggesting an ecological advantage for the UCYN‐A symbiosis under low‐light conditions. In contrast to cell‐specific NFRs, nifH gene‐specific expression levels did not vary with depth, indicating that light regulates N2 fixation by UCYN‐A through processes other than transcription, likely including host–symbiont interactions. These results offer new insights into the physiology of the UCYN‐A symbiosis in the subtropical North Pacific Ocean and provide clues to the environmental drivers of its global distributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary R Gradoville
- Ocean Sciences Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Ana M Cabello
- Ocean Sciences Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.,Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Fuengirola, Málaga, Spain
| | - Samuel T Wilson
- Department of Oceanography, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Kendra A Turk-Kubo
- Ocean Sciences Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - David M Karl
- Department of Oceanography, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Jonathan P Zehr
- Ocean Sciences Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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30
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Global distribution patterns of marine nitrogen-fixers by imaging and molecular methods. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4160. [PMID: 34230473 PMCID: PMC8260585 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24299-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Nitrogen fixation has a critical role in marine primary production, yet our understanding of marine nitrogen-fixers (diazotrophs) is hindered by limited observations. Here, we report a quantitative image analysis pipeline combined with mapping of molecular markers for mining >2,000,000 images and >1300 metagenomes from surface, deep chlorophyll maximum and mesopelagic seawater samples across 6 size fractions (<0.2–2000 μm). We use this approach to characterise the diversity, abundance, biovolume and distribution of symbiotic, colony-forming and particle-associated diazotrophs at a global scale. We show that imaging and PCR-free molecular data are congruent. Sequence reads indicate diazotrophs are detected from the ultrasmall bacterioplankton (<0.2 μm) to mesoplankton (180–2000 μm) communities, while images predict numerous symbiotic and colony-forming diazotrophs (>20 µm). Using imaging and molecular data, we estimate that polyploidy can substantially affect gene abundances of symbiotic versus colony-forming diazotrophs. Our results support the canonical view that larger diazotrophs (>10 μm) dominate the tropical belts, while unicellular cyanobacterial and non-cyanobacterial diazotrophs are globally distributed in surface and mesopelagic layers. We describe co-occurring diazotrophic lineages of different lifestyles and identify high-density regions of diazotrophs in the global ocean. Overall, we provide an update of marine diazotroph biogeographical diversity and present a new bioimaging-bioinformatic workflow. Nitrogen fixation by diazotrophs is critical for marine primary production. Using Tara Oceans datasets, this study combines a quantitative image analysis pipeline with metagenomic mining to provide an improved global overview of diazotroph abundance, diversity and distribution.
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31
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Ding C, Wu C, Li L, Pujari L, Zhang G, Sun J. Comparison of Diazotrophic Composition and Distribution in the South China Sea and the Western Pacific Ocean. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:555. [PMID: 34202962 PMCID: PMC8235572 DOI: 10.3390/biology10060555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Revised: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The variation of diazotrophs has been elusive in multiple SCS and WPO regions due to insufficient data. Therefore, the dynamics of diazotrophic composition and distribution were investigated in this study, based on high-throughput sequencing and quantitative PCR of the nifH gene. We found that Proteobacteria dominated the diazotrophic community in the river-impacted SCS and cyanobacteria and Proteobacteria were more abundant in the ocean-dominated SCS and WPO. The qPCR analysis showed that cyanobacterial Trichodesmium was abundant in the Pearl River plume and in the SCS basin influenced by the Kuroshio intrusion, and it also thrived in the subequatorial region of the WPO. Unicellular cyanobacteria UCYN-A were mainly detected in the river-impacted area, UCYN-B was abundant in the WPO, UCYN-C had a relatively high abundance in the ocean-dominated area, and a preponderance of γ-Proteobacteria γ-24774A11 was observed in the ocean-dominated SCS and pelagic WPO. Diazotrophic communities had significant distance-decay relationships, reflecting clear biogeographic patterns in the study area. The variations of diazotrophic community structure were well explained by dissolved inorganic nitrogen, dissolved inorganic phosphate by an eigenvector spatial variable PCNM1. These results provide further information to help determine the ecological mechanism of elusive diazotrophic communities in different ocean ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changling Ding
- Research Centre for Indian Ocean Ecosystem, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China; (C.D.); (C.W.); (L.L.); (L.P.); (G.Z.)
| | - Chao Wu
- Research Centre for Indian Ocean Ecosystem, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China; (C.D.); (C.W.); (L.L.); (L.P.); (G.Z.)
| | - Liuyang Li
- Research Centre for Indian Ocean Ecosystem, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China; (C.D.); (C.W.); (L.L.); (L.P.); (G.Z.)
| | - Laxman Pujari
- Research Centre for Indian Ocean Ecosystem, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China; (C.D.); (C.W.); (L.L.); (L.P.); (G.Z.)
| | - Guicheng Zhang
- Research Centre for Indian Ocean Ecosystem, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China; (C.D.); (C.W.); (L.L.); (L.P.); (G.Z.)
| | - Jun Sun
- Research Centre for Indian Ocean Ecosystem, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China; (C.D.); (C.W.); (L.L.); (L.P.); (G.Z.)
- College of Marine Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan 430074, China
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32
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Cheung S, Zehr JP, Xia X, Tsurumoto C, Endo H, Nakaoka SI, Mak W, Suzuki K, Liu H. Gamma4: a genetically versatile Gammaproteobacterial nifH phylotype that is widely distributed in the North Pacific Ocean. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:4246-4259. [PMID: 34046993 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Despite the increasing reports of non-cyanobacterial diazotrophs (NCDs) in pelagic waters, only one NCD (GammaA) has been relatively well described, whose genome and physiology are still unclear. Here we present a comprehensive analysis of the biogeography and ecophysiology of a widely distributed NCD, Gamma4. Gamma4 was the most abundant Gammaproteobacterial NCD along transects across the subtropical North Pacific. Using quantitative PCR, Gamma4 was detectable throughout the surface waters of North Pacific (7°N-55°N, 138°E-80°W), whereas GammaA was detected at <2/3 of the stations. Gamma4 was abundant during autumn-winter and positively correlated with chlorophyll a, while GammaA thrived during spring-summer and was positively correlated with temperature. Environmental clones affiliated with Gamma4 were widely detected in pelagic waters, oxygen minimum zones and even dinoflagellate microbiomes. By analysing the metabolic potential of a genome of Gamma4 reconstructed from the Tara Oceans dataset, we suggest that Gamma4 is a versatile heterotrophic NCD equipped with multiple strategies in scavenging phosphate (and iron) and for respiratory protection of nitrogenase. The transcription of nitrogenase genes is putatively regulated by Fnr-NifL-NifA and GlnD-GlnK systems that respond to intracellular oxygen and glutamate concentration. These results provide important implications for the potential life strategies of pelagic NCDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunyan Cheung
- Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.,Hong Kong Branch of Southern Marine Science & Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jonathan P Zehr
- Ocean Sciences Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Xiaomin Xia
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chihiro Tsurumoto
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan
| | - Hisashi Endo
- Bioinformatics Center, Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 611-0011, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichiro Nakaoka
- Center for Global Environmental Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Wingkwan Mak
- Ocean Sciences Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Koji Suzuki
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan.,Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan
| | - Hongbin Liu
- Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.,Hong Kong Branch of Southern Marine Science & Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
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33
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Mutalipassi M, Riccio G, Mazzella V, Galasso C, Somma E, Chiarore A, de Pascale D, Zupo V. Symbioses of Cyanobacteria in Marine Environments: Ecological Insights and Biotechnological Perspectives. Mar Drugs 2021; 19:227. [PMID: 33923826 PMCID: PMC8074062 DOI: 10.3390/md19040227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are a diversified phylum of nitrogen-fixing, photo-oxygenic bacteria able to colonize a wide array of environments. In addition to their fundamental role as diazotrophs, they produce a plethora of bioactive molecules, often as secondary metabolites, exhibiting various biological and ecological functions to be further investigated. Among all the identified species, cyanobacteria are capable to embrace symbiotic relationships in marine environments with organisms such as protozoans, macroalgae, seagrasses, and sponges, up to ascidians and other invertebrates. These symbioses have been demonstrated to dramatically change the cyanobacteria physiology, inducing the production of usually unexpressed bioactive molecules. Indeed, metabolic changes in cyanobacteria engaged in a symbiotic relationship are triggered by an exchange of infochemicals and activate silenced pathways. Drug discovery studies demonstrated that those molecules have interesting biotechnological perspectives. In this review, we explore the cyanobacterial symbioses in marine environments, considering them not only as diazotrophs but taking into consideration exchanges of infochemicals as well and emphasizing both the chemical ecology of relationship and the candidate biotechnological value for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirko Mutalipassi
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; (G.R.); (C.G.); (D.d.P.)
| | - Gennaro Riccio
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; (G.R.); (C.G.); (D.d.P.)
| | - Valerio Mazzella
- Department of Integrated Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy;
| | - Christian Galasso
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; (G.R.); (C.G.); (D.d.P.)
| | - Emanuele Somma
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri, 34127 Trieste, Italy;
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Ischia Marine Centre, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Punta San Pietro, 80077 Naples, Italy;
| | - Antonia Chiarore
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy;
| | - Donatella de Pascale
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; (G.R.); (C.G.); (D.d.P.)
| | - Valerio Zupo
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Ischia Marine Centre, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Punta San Pietro, 80077 Naples, Italy;
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34
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Messer LF, Brown MV, Van Ruth PD, Doubell M, Seymour JR. Temperate southern Australian coastal waters are characterised by surprisingly high rates of nitrogen fixation and diversity of diazotrophs. PeerJ 2021; 9:e10809. [PMID: 33717676 PMCID: PMC7931716 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological dinitrogen (N2) fixation is one mechanism by which specific microorganisms (diazotrophs) can ameliorate nitrogen (N) limitation. Historically, rates of N2 fixation were believed to be limited outside of the low nutrient tropical and subtropical open ocean; however, emerging evidence suggests that N2 fixation is also a significant process within temperate coastal waters. Using a combination of amplicon sequencing, targeting the nitrogenase reductase gene (nifH), quantitative nifH PCR, and 15N2 stable isotope tracer experiments, we investigated spatial patterns of diazotroph assemblage structure and N2 fixation rates within the temperate coastal waters of southern Australia during Austral autumn and summer. Relative to previous studies in open ocean environments, including tropical northern Australia, and tropical and temperate estuaries, our results indicate that high rates of N2 fixation (10-64 nmol L-1 d-1) can occur within the large inverse estuary Spencer Gulf, while comparatively low rates of N2 fixation (2 nmol L-1 d-1) were observed in the adjacent continental shelf waters. Across the dataset, low concentrations of NO3/NO2 were significantly correlated with the highest N2 fixation rates, suggesting that N2 fixation could be an important source of new N in the region as dissolved inorganic N concentrations are typically limiting. Overall, the underlying diazotrophic community was dominated by nifH sequences from Cluster 1 unicellular cyanobacteria of the UCYN-A clade, as well as non-cyanobacterial diazotrophs related to Pseudomonas stutzeri, and Cluster 3 sulfate-reducing deltaproteobacteria. Diazotroph community composition was significantly influenced by salinity and SiO4 concentrations, reflecting the transition from UCYN-A-dominated assemblages in the continental shelf waters, to Cluster 3-dominated assemblages in the hypersaline waters of the inverse estuary. Diverse, transitional diazotrophic communities, comprised of a mixture of UCYN-A and putative heterotrophic bacteria, were observed at the mouth and southern edge of Spencer Gulf, where the highest N2 fixation rates were observed. In contrast to observations in other environments, no seasonal patterns in N2 fixation rates and diazotroph community structure were apparent. Collectively, our findings are consistent with the emerging view that N2 fixation within temperate coastal waters is a previously overlooked dynamic and potentially important component of the marine N cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren F Messer
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Centre for Microbiome Research, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Mark V Brown
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Paul D Van Ruth
- Aquatic Sciences, South Australian Research and Development Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Mark Doubell
- Aquatic Sciences, South Australian Research and Development Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Justin R Seymour
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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35
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Jabir T, Vipindas PV, Krishnan KP, Mohamed Hatha AA. Abundance and diversity of diazotrophs in the surface sediments of Kongsfjorden, an Arctic fjord. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 37:41. [PMID: 33544264 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-020-02993-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/27/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Diazotrophy in the Arctic environment is poorly understood compared to tropical and subtropical regions. Hence in this study, we report the abundance and diversity of diazotrophs in Arctic fjord sediments and elucidate the role of environmental factors on the distribution of diazotrophs. The study was conducted during the boreal summer in the Kongsfjorden, an Arctic fjord situated in the western coast of Spitsbergen. The abundance of nifH gene was measured through quantitative real-time PCR and the diversity of diazotrophs was assessed by nifH targeted clone library and next generation sequence analysis. Results revealed that the abundance of nifH gene in the surface sediments ranged from 2.3 × 106 to 3.7 × 107 copies g- 1. The δ-proteobacterial diazotrophs (71% of total sequence) were the dominant class observed in this study. Major genera retrieved from the sequence analysis were Desulfovibrionaceae (25% of total sequence), Desulfuromonadaceae (18% of total sequence) and Desulfobacteriaceae (10% of total sequence); these are important diazotrophic iron and sulfur-reducing bacterial clade in the Kongsfjorden sediments. The abundance of nifH gene showed a significant positive correlation TOC/TN ratio (r2 = 0.96, p ≤ 0.05) and total organic carbon (p ≤ 0.05) content in the fjord sediments. The higher TOC/TN ratio (4.24-14.5) indicated low nitrogen content organic matter in the fjord sediments through glacier runoff, which enhances the abundance and diversity of nitrogen fixing microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Jabir
- National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences (Government of India), Headland Sada, Vasco-da-Gama, Goa, 403 804, India
| | - P V Vipindas
- National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences (Government of India), Headland Sada, Vasco-da-Gama, Goa, 403 804, India
| | - K P Krishnan
- National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences (Government of India), Headland Sada, Vasco-da-Gama, Goa, 403 804, India. .,CUSAT-NCPOR Centre for Polar Sciences, Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), Kochi, 682 016, India.
| | - A A Mohamed Hatha
- Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, School of Marine Sciences, Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), Kochi, 682 016, India.,CUSAT-NCPOR Centre for Polar Sciences, Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), Kochi, 682 016, India
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36
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Farnelid H, Turk-Kubo K, Zehr JP. Cell sorting reveals few novel prokaryote and photosynthetic picoeukaryote associations in the oligotrophic ocean. Environ Microbiol 2020; 23:1469-1480. [PMID: 33295132 PMCID: PMC8048811 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Close associations between single‐celled marine organisms can have a central role in biogeochemical processes and are of great interest for understanding the evolution of organisms. The global significance of such associations raises the question of whether unidentified associations are yet to be discovered. In this study, fluorescence‐activated cell sorted photosynthetic picoeukayote (PPE) populations and single cells were analysed by sequencing of 16S rRNA genes in the oligotrophic North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. Samples were collected during two cruises, spanning depths near the deep chlorophyll maximum, where the abundance of PPEs was highest. The association between the widespread and significant nitrogen (N2)‐fixing cyanobacterium, UCYN‐A and its prymnesiophyte host was prevalent in both population and single‐cell sorts. Several bacterial sequences, affiliating with previously described symbiotic taxa were detected but their detection was rare and not well replicated, precluding identification of novel tightly linked species‐specific associations. Similarly, no enrichment of dominant seawater taxa such as Prochlorococcus, SAR11 or Synechococcus was observed suggesting that these were not systematically ingested by the PPE in this study. The results indicate that apart from the UCYN‐A symbiosis, similar tight species‐specific associations with PPEs are unusual in the oligotrophic ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Farnelid
- Ocean Sciences Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.,Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMiS), Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Kendra Turk-Kubo
- Ocean Sciences Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan P Zehr
- Ocean Sciences Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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37
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Cabello AM, Turk‐Kubo KA, Hayashi K, Jacobs L, Kudela RM, Zehr JP. Unexpected presence of the nitrogen-fixing symbiotic cyanobacterium UCYN-A in Monterey Bay, California. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2020; 56:1521-1533. [PMID: 32609873 PMCID: PMC7754506 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
In the last decade, the known biogeography of nitrogen fixation in the ocean has been expanded to colder and nitrogen-rich coastal environments. The symbiotic nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria group A (UCYN-A) has been revealed as one of the most abundant and widespread nitrogen-fixers, and includes several sublineages that live associated with genetically distinct but closely related prymnesiophyte hosts. The UCYN-A1 sublineage is associated with an open ocean picoplanktonic prymnesiophyte, whereas UCYN-A2 is associated with the coastal nanoplanktonic coccolithophore Braarudosphaera bigelowii, suggesting that different sublineages may be adapted to different environments. Here, we study the diversity of nifH genes present at the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf in the Monterey Bay (MB), California, and report for the first time the presence of multiple UCYN-A sublineages, unexpectedly dominated by the UCYN-A2 sublineage. Sequence and quantitative PCR data over an 8-year time-series (2011-2018) showed a shift toward increasing UCYN-A2 abundances after 2013, and a marked seasonality for this sublineage which was present during summer-fall months, coinciding with the upwelling-relaxation period in the MB. Increased abundances corresponded to positive temperature anomalies in MB, and we discuss the possibility of a benthic life stage of the associated coccolithophore host to explain the seasonal pattern. The dominance of UCYN-A2 in coastal waters of the MB underscores the need to further explore the habitat preference of the different sublineages in order to provide additional support for the hypothesis that UCYN-A1 and UCYN-A2 sublineages are different ecotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M. Cabello
- Ocean Sciences DepartmentUniversity of California, Santa CruzSanta CruzCalifornia95064USA
- Centro Oceanográfico de MálagaInstituto Español de OceanografíaFuengirolaMálaga29001Spain
| | - Kendra A. Turk‐Kubo
- Ocean Sciences DepartmentUniversity of California, Santa CruzSanta CruzCalifornia95064USA
| | - Kendra Hayashi
- Ocean Sciences DepartmentUniversity of California, Santa CruzSanta CruzCalifornia95064USA
| | - Lucien Jacobs
- Ocean Sciences DepartmentUniversity of California, Santa CruzSanta CruzCalifornia95064USA
| | - Raphael M. Kudela
- Ocean Sciences DepartmentUniversity of California, Santa CruzSanta CruzCalifornia95064USA
| | - Jonathan P. Zehr
- Ocean Sciences DepartmentUniversity of California, Santa CruzSanta CruzCalifornia95064USA
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38
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Qiu GW, Jiang HB, Lis H, Li ZK, Deng B, Shang JL, Sun CY, Keren N, Qiu BS. A unique porin meditates iron-selective transport through cyanobacterial outer membranes. Environ Microbiol 2020; 23:376-390. [PMID: 33196124 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are globally important primary producers and nitrogen fixers with high iron demands. Low ambient dissolved iron concentrations in many aquatic environments mean that these organisms must maintain sufficient and selective transport of iron into the cell. However, the nature of iron transport pathways through the cyanobacterial outer membrane remains obscure. Here we present multiple lines of experimental evidence that collectively support the existence of a novel class of substrate-selective iron porin, Slr1908, in the outer membrane of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Elemental composition analysis and short-term iron uptake assays with mutants in Slr1908 reveal that this protein is primarily involved in inorganic iron uptake and contributes less to the accumulation of other metals. Homologues of Slr1908 are widely distributed in both freshwater and marine cyanobacteria, most notably in unicellular marine diazotrophs. Complementary experiments with a homologue of Slr1908 in Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 restored the phenotype of Synechocystis knockdown mutants, showing that this siderophore producing species also possesses a porin with a similar function in Fe transport. The involvement of a substrate-selective porins in iron uptake may allow cyanobacteria to tightly control iron flux into the cell, particularly in environments where iron concentrations fluctuate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo-Wei Qiu
- School of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hai-Bo Jiang
- School of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hagar Lis
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Zheng-Ke Li
- School of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Bin Deng
- School of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jin-Long Shang
- School of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Chuan-Yu Sun
- School of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Nir Keren
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Bao-Sheng Qiu
- School of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
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Inomura K, Deutsch C, Masuda T, Prášil O, Follows MJ. Quantitative models of nitrogen-fixing organisms. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 18:3905-3924. [PMID: 33335688 PMCID: PMC7733014 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Nitrogen-fixing organisms are of importance to the environment, providing bioavailable nitrogen to the biosphere. Quantitative models have been used to complement the laboratory experiments and in situ measurements, where such evaluations are difficult or costly. Here, we review the current state of the quantitative modeling of nitrogen-fixing organisms and ways to enhance the bridge between theoretical and empirical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Inomura
- School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Curtis Deutsch
- School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Takako Masuda
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Opatovický mlýn, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Prášil
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Opatovický mlýn, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Michael J. Follows
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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40
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Meyer NR, Fortney JL, Dekas AE. NanoSIMS sample preparation decreases isotope enrichment: magnitude, variability and implications for single-cell rates of microbial activity. Environ Microbiol 2020; 23:81-98. [PMID: 33000528 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The activity of individual microorganisms can be measured within environmental samples by detecting uptake of isotope-labelled substrates using nano-scale secondary ion mass spectrometry (nanoSIMS). Recent studies have demonstrated that sample preparation can decrease 13 C and 15 N enrichment in bacterial cells, resulting in underestimates of activity. Here, we explore this effect with a variety of preparation types, microbial lineages and isotope labels to determine its consistency and therefore potential for correction. Specifically, we investigated the impact of different protocols for fixation, nucleic acid staining and catalysed reporter deposition fluorescence in situ hybridization (CARD-FISH) on >14 500 archaeal and bacterial cells (Methanosarcina acetivorans, Sulfolobus acidocaldarius and Pseudomonas putida) enriched in 13 C, 15 N, 18 O, 2 H and/or 34 S. We found these methods decrease isotope enrichments by up to 80% - much more than previously reported - and that the effect varies by taxa, growth phase, isotope label and applied protocol. We make recommendations for how to account for this effect experimentally and analytically. We also re-evaluate published nanoSIMS datasets and revise estimated microbial turnover times in the marine subsurface and nitrogen fixation rates in pelagic unicellular cyanobacteria. When sample preparation is accounted for, cell-specific rates increase and are more consistent with modelled and bulk rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolette R Meyer
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Julian L Fortney
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Anne E Dekas
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
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Fuchsman CA, Stüeken EE. Using modern low-oxygen marine ecosystems to understand the nitrogen cycle of the Paleo- and Mesoproterozoic oceans. Environ Microbiol 2020; 23:2801-2822. [PMID: 32869502 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
During the productive Paleoproterozoic (2.4-1.8 Ga) and less productive Mesoproterozoic (1.8-1.0 Ga), the ocean was suboxic to anoxic and multicellular organisms had not yet evolved. Here, we link geologic information about the Proterozoic ocean to microbial processes in modern low-oxygen systems. High iron concentrations and rates of Fe cycling in the Proterozoic are the largest differences from modern oxygen-deficient zones. In anoxic waters, which composed most of the Paleoproterozoic and ~40% of the Mesoproterozoic ocean, nitrogen cycling dominated. Rates of N2 production by denitrification and anammox were likely linked to sinking organic matter fluxes and in situ primary productivity under anoxic conditions. Additionally autotrophic denitrifiers could have used reduced iron or methane. 50% of the Mesoproterozoic ocean may have been suboxic, promoting nitrification and metal oxidation in the suboxic water and N2 O and N2 production by partial and complete denitrification in anoxic zones in organic aggregates. Sulfidic conditions may have composed ~10% of the Mesoproterozoic ocean focused along continental margins. Due to low nitrate concentrations in offshore regions, anammox bacteria likely dominated N2 production immediately above sulfidic zones, but in coastal regions, higher nitrate concentrations probably promoted complete S-oxidizing autotrophic denitrification at the sulfide interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara A Fuchsman
- Horn Point Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Cambridge, MD, 21613, USA
| | - Eva E Stüeken
- School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9AL, Scotland, UK
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Paramasivan S, Bassiouni A, Shiffer A, Dillon MR, Cope EK, Cooksley C, Ramezanpour M, Moraitis S, Ali MJ, Bleier B, Callejas C, Cornet ME, Douglas RG, Dutra D, Georgalas C, Harvey RJ, Hwang PH, Luong AU, Schlosser RJ, Tantilipikorn P, Tewfik MA, Vreugde S, Wormald P, Caporaso JG, Psaltis AJ. The international sinonasal microbiome study: A multicentre, multinational characterization of sinonasal bacterial ecology. Allergy 2020; 75:2037-2049. [PMID: 32167574 DOI: 10.1111/all.14276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Revised: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The sinonasal microbiome remains poorly defined, with our current knowledge based on a few cohort studies whose findings are inconsistent. Furthermore, the variability of the sinus microbiome across geographical divides remains unexplored. We characterize the sinonasal microbiome and its geographical variations in both health and disease using 16S rRNA gene sequencing of 410 individuals from across the world. Although the sinus microbial ecology is highly variable between individuals, we identify a core microbiome comprised of Corynebacterium, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Haemophilus and Moraxella species in both healthy and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) cohorts. Corynebacterium (mean relative abundance = 44.02%) and Staphylococcus (mean relative abundance = 27.34%) appear particularly dominant in the majority of patients sampled. Amongst patients suffering from CRS with nasal polyps, a statistically significant reduction in relative abundance of Corynebacterium (40.29% vs 50.43%; P = .02) was identified. Despite some measured differences in microbiome composition and diversity between some of the participating centres in our cohort, these differences would not alter the general pattern of core organisms described. Nevertheless, atypical or unusual organisms reported in short-read amplicon sequencing studies and that are not part of the core microbiome should be interpreted with caution. The delineation of the sinonasal microbiome and standardized methodology described within our study will enable further characterization and translational application of the sinus microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sathish Paramasivan
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery University of Adelaide Adelaide SA Australia
| | - Ahmed Bassiouni
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery University of Adelaide Adelaide SA Australia
| | - Arron Shiffer
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute Northern Arizona University Flagstaff AZ USA
| | - Matthew R. Dillon
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute Northern Arizona University Flagstaff AZ USA
| | - Emily K. Cope
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute Northern Arizona University Flagstaff AZ USA
| | - Clare Cooksley
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery University of Adelaide Adelaide SA Australia
| | - Mahnaz Ramezanpour
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery University of Adelaide Adelaide SA Australia
| | - Sophia Moraitis
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery University of Adelaide Adelaide SA Australia
| | | | - Benjamin Bleier
- Department of Otolaryngology Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Harvard Medical School Boston MA USA
| | - Claudio Callejas
- Department of Otolaryngology Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile Santiago Chile
| | | | | | - Daniel Dutra
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology University of Sao Paulo Sao Paulo Brazil
| | - Christos Georgalas
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Amsterdam UMC Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Richard J. Harvey
- Department of Otolaryngology, Rhinology and Skull base University of New South Wales Sydney NSW Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health sciences Macquarie University Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Peter H. Hwang
- Department of Otolaryngology ‐Head and Neck Surgery Stanford University Stanford CA USA
| | - Amber U. Luong
- Department of Otolaryngology ‐Head and Neck Surgery University of Texas Austin TX USA
| | - Rodney J. Schlosser
- Department of Otolaryngology Medical University of South Carolina Charleston SC USA
| | - Pongsakorn Tantilipikorn
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital Mahidol University Bangkok Thailand
| | - Marc A. Tewfik
- Department of Otolaryngology ‐ Head and Neck Surgery McGill University Montreal QC Canada
| | - Sarah Vreugde
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery University of Adelaide Adelaide SA Australia
| | - Peter‐John Wormald
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery University of Adelaide Adelaide SA Australia
| | - J. Gregory Caporaso
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute Northern Arizona University Flagstaff AZ USA
| | - Alkis J. Psaltis
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery University of Adelaide Adelaide SA Australia
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Jiang T, Guo C, Wang M, Wang M, Zhang X, Liu Y, Liang Y, Jiang Y, He H, Shao H, McMinn A. Genome Analysis of Two Novel Synechococcus Phages That Lack Common Auxiliary Metabolic Genes: Possible Reasons and Ecological Insights by Comparative Analysis of Cyanomyoviruses. Viruses 2020; 12:v12080800. [PMID: 32722486 PMCID: PMC7472177 DOI: 10.3390/v12080800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The abundant and widespread unicellular cyanobacteria Synechococcus plays an important role in contributing to global phytoplankton primary production. In the present study, two novel cyanomyoviruses, S-N03 and S-H34 that infected Synechococcus MW02, were isolated from the coastal waters of the Yellow Sea. S-N03 contained a 167,069-bp genome comprising double-stranded DNA with a G + C content of 50.1%, 247 potential open reading frames and 1 tRNA; S-H34 contained a 167,040-bp genome with a G + C content of 50.1%, 246 potential open reading frames and 5 tRNAs. These two cyanophages contain fewer auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) than other previously isolated cyanophages. S-H34 in particular, is currently the only known cyanomyovirus that does not contain any AMGs related to photosynthesis. The absence of such common AMGs in S-N03 and S-H34, their distinct evolutionary history and ecological features imply that the energy for phage production might be obtained from other sources rather than being strictly dependent on the maintenance of photochemical ATP under high light. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the two isolated cyanophages clustered together and had a close relationship with two other cyanophages of low AMG content. Comparative genomic analysis, habitats and hosts across 81 representative cyanomyovirus showed that cyanomyovirus with less AMGs content all belonged to Synechococcus phages isolated from eutrophic waters. The relatively small genome size and high G + C content may also relate to the lower AMG content, as suggested by the significant correlation between the number of AMGs and G + C%. Therefore, the lower content of AMG in S-N03 and S-H34 might be a result of viral evolution that was likely shaped by habitat, host, and their genomic context. The genomic content of AMGs in cyanophages may have adaptive significance and provide clues to their evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Jiang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (T.J.); (M.W.); (M.W.); (X.Z.); (Y.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.J.); (H.H.); (H.S.); (A.M.)
| | - Cui Guo
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (T.J.); (M.W.); (M.W.); (X.Z.); (Y.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.J.); (H.H.); (H.S.); (A.M.)
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Key Lab of Polar Oceanography and Global Ocean Change, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Correspondence:
| | - Min Wang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (T.J.); (M.W.); (M.W.); (X.Z.); (Y.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.J.); (H.H.); (H.S.); (A.M.)
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Key Lab of Polar Oceanography and Global Ocean Change, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Meiwen Wang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (T.J.); (M.W.); (M.W.); (X.Z.); (Y.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.J.); (H.H.); (H.S.); (A.M.)
| | - Xinran Zhang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (T.J.); (M.W.); (M.W.); (X.Z.); (Y.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.J.); (H.H.); (H.S.); (A.M.)
| | - Yundan Liu
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (T.J.); (M.W.); (M.W.); (X.Z.); (Y.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.J.); (H.H.); (H.S.); (A.M.)
| | - Yantao Liang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (T.J.); (M.W.); (M.W.); (X.Z.); (Y.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.J.); (H.H.); (H.S.); (A.M.)
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Key Lab of Polar Oceanography and Global Ocean Change, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Yong Jiang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (T.J.); (M.W.); (M.W.); (X.Z.); (Y.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.J.); (H.H.); (H.S.); (A.M.)
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Key Lab of Polar Oceanography and Global Ocean Change, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Hui He
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (T.J.); (M.W.); (M.W.); (X.Z.); (Y.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.J.); (H.H.); (H.S.); (A.M.)
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Key Lab of Polar Oceanography and Global Ocean Change, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Hongbing Shao
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (T.J.); (M.W.); (M.W.); (X.Z.); (Y.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.J.); (H.H.); (H.S.); (A.M.)
| | - Andrew McMinn
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (T.J.); (M.W.); (M.W.); (X.Z.); (Y.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.J.); (H.H.); (H.S.); (A.M.)
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
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Tang W, Cerdán-García E, Berthelot H, Polyviou D, Wang S, Baylay A, Whitby H, Planquette H, Mowlem M, Robidart J, Cassar N. New insights into the distributions of nitrogen fixation and diazotrophs revealed by high-resolution sensing and sampling methods. ISME JOURNAL 2020; 14:2514-2526. [PMID: 32581316 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-0703-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2019] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen availability limits marine productivity across large ocean regions. Diazotrophs can supply new nitrogen to the marine environment via nitrogen (N2) fixation, relieving nitrogen limitation. The distributions of diazotrophs and N2 fixation have been hypothesized to be generally controlled by temperature, phosphorus, and iron availability in the global ocean. However, even in the North Atlantic where most research on diazotrophs and N2 fixation has taken place, environmental controls remain contentious. Here we measure diazotroph composition, abundance, and activity at high resolution using newly developed underway sampling and sensing techniques. We capture a diazotrophic community shift from Trichodesmium to UCYN-A between the oligotrophic, warm (25-29 °C) Sargasso Sea and relatively nutrient-enriched, cold (13-24 °C) subpolar and eastern American coastal waters. Meanwhile, N2 fixation rates measured in this study are among the highest ever recorded globally and show significant increase with phosphorus availability across the transition from the Gulf Stream into subpolar and coastal waters despite colder temperatures and higher nitrate concentrations. Transcriptional patterns in both Trichodesmium and UCYN-A indicate phosphorus stress in the subtropical gyre. Over this iron-replete transect spanning the western North Atlantic, our results suggest that temperature is the major factor controlling the diazotrophic community structure while phosphorous drives N2 fixation rates. Overall, the occurrence of record-high UCYN-A abundance and peak N2 fixation rates in the cold coastal region where nitrate concentrations are highest (~200 nM) challenges current paradigms on what drives the distribution of diazotrophs and N2 fixation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiyi Tang
- Division of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.,Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - Elena Cerdán-García
- Department of Ocean and Earth Sciences, National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, European Way, SO14 3ZH, Southampton, UK
| | - Hugo Berthelot
- CNRS, Univ Brest, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Despo Polyviou
- Department of Ocean and Earth Sciences, National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, European Way, SO14 3ZH, Southampton, UK
| | - Seaver Wang
- Division of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Alison Baylay
- Department of Ocean and Earth Sciences, National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, European Way, SO14 3ZH, Southampton, UK
| | - Hannah Whitby
- CNRS, Univ Brest, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzané, France.,Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3GP, UK
| | | | - Matthew Mowlem
- Ocean Technology and Engineering Group, National Oceanography Centre, European Way, SO14 3ZH, Southampton, UK
| | - Julie Robidart
- Ocean Technology and Engineering Group, National Oceanography Centre, European Way, SO14 3ZH, Southampton, UK.
| | - Nicolas Cassar
- Division of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA. .,CNRS, Univ Brest, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzané, France.
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45
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Abstract
Nitrogen fixation, the reduction of atmospheric dinitrogen gas (N2) to ammonia, is critical for biological productivity but is difficult to study in the vast expanse of the global ocean. Decades of field studies and the infusion of molecular biological, genomic, isotopic, and geochemical modeling approaches have led to new paradigms and questions. The discovery of previously unknown N2-fixing (diazotrophic) microorganisms and unusual physiological adaptations, combined with diagnostic distributions of nutrients and their isotopes as well as measured and modeled biogeographic patterns, have revolutionized our understanding of marine N2 fixation and its role in the global nitrogen cycle. Anthropogenic upper-ocean warming, increased dissolved carbon dioxide, and acidification will affect the distribution and relative importance of specific subgroups of N2 fixers in the sea; these changes have implications for foodwebs and biogeochemical cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan P. Zehr
- Department of Ocean Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95003, USA
| | - Douglas G. Capone
- Marine and Environmental Biology Section, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
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46
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Foster RA, Zehr JP. Diversity, Genomics, and Distribution of Phytoplankton-Cyanobacterium Single-Cell Symbiotic Associations. Annu Rev Microbiol 2020; 73:435-456. [PMID: 31500535 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-090817-062650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are common in symbiotic relationships with diverse multicellular organisms (animals, plants, fungi) in terrestrial environments and with single-celled heterotrophic, mixotrophic, and autotrophic protists in aquatic environments. In the sunlit zones of aquatic environments, diverse cyanobacterial symbioses exist with autotrophic taxa in phytoplankton, including dinoflagellates, diatoms, and haptophytes (prymnesiophytes). Phototrophic unicellular cyanobacteria related to Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus are associated with a number of groups. N2-fixing cyanobacteria are symbiotic with diatoms and haptophytes. Extensive genome reduction is involved in the N2-fixing endosymbionts, most dramatically in the unicellular cyanobacteria associated with haptophytes, which have lost most of the photosynthetic apparatus, the ability to fix C, and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. The mechanisms involved in N2-fixing symbioses may involve more interactions beyond simple exchange of fixed C for N. N2-fixing cyanobacterial symbioses are widespread in the oceans, even more widely distributed than the best-known free-living N2-fixing cyanobacteria, suggesting they may be equally or more important in the global ocean biogeochemical cycle of N.Despite their ubiquitous nature and significance in biogeochemical cycles, cyanobacterium-phytoplankton symbioses remain understudied and poorly understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A Foster
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden;
| | - Jonathan P Zehr
- Department of Ocean Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95064, USA;
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47
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Liu J, Zhou L, Ke Z, Li G, Tan Y. Phosphorus deficiency induced by aluminum in a marine nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Crocosphaera watsonii WH0003. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 246:125641. [PMID: 31901529 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Revised: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Large amounts of aluminum (Al) enter the ocean through atmospheric dust deposition and river runoffs. However, few studies have reported the effects of Al on marine phytoplankton, especially nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria. By using the isotope tracer method and quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR), we examined the physiological effect of Al (0.2, 2 and 20 μM) on the unicellular marine nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Crocosphaera watsonii in Aquil* medium. We show that Al has an inhibitory physiological effect on C. watsonii, including changes in growth rate, nitrogen fixation rate, carbon fixation rate, cell size, fast rise chlorophyll fluorescence kinetics, cellular photosynthetic pigment and C/N/P content, the same as that of the phosphorus deficient treatment. The ratio of cellular elements C:N:P showed that phosphorus was deficient in the cell of C. watsonii after Al treatment (2 and 20 μM). In addition, Al stimulated the expression of phosphorus-related genes pstS, phoH, phoU, ppK and ppX in C. watsonii. All these results suggest that Al-treated C. watsonii is phosphorus-limited, and that the phosphorus deficiency induced by Al may be one mechanism behind aluminum's toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxing Liu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458, China; Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China
| | - Linbin Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458, China; Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China
| | - Zhixin Ke
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458, China; Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China
| | - Gang Li
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458, China; Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China
| | - Yehui Tan
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458, China; Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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48
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Wang L, Xing P, Li H, Zhou L, Wu QL. Distinct Intra-lake Heterogeneity of Diazotrophs in a Deep Oligotrophic Mountain Lake. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2020; 79:840-852. [PMID: 31811330 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-019-01461-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
To date, little is known about the diazotrophs in freshwater ecosystems. In this study, we examined the diversity, abundance, and distribution of the diazotrophic community in the deep oligotrophic Lake Fuxian using high-throughput sequencing and quantitative polymerase chain reaction of nifH genes. Our results showed that the diazotrophs in Lake Fuxian were diverse and were distributed among Proteobacteria, Planctomycetes, Cyanobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, and other unclassified environmental sequences. For the first time, it is found that Bacteroidetes and Planctomycetes harbor diazotrophs in freshwater ecosystems. The diazotrophic community compositions were significantly different between the littoral and pelagic zones in the surface layer, and they also changed dramatically along the vertical profile. High diazotrophic abundance and diversity were mostly observed in the surface littoral zone, and overall, a significant relationship between nifH gene richness and abundance was observed. The water turbidity, nitrite, and phosphorus were the most important factors explaining the spatial changes in diversity and abundances of this important functional group. The two most dominant operational taxonomic units belonging to Betaroproteobacteria and Planctomycetes demonstrated opposite distribution patterns in abundance that were driven by non-overlapping environmental factors. This study is by far the first to uncover the high diversity and intra-lake heterogeneity of diazotrophs in a freshwater lake and illuminate the controlling factors. It provides the probability of the co-occurrence of N2 fixation and N-loss in particles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 73 East Beijing Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 73 East Beijing Road, Nanjing, 210008, China.
| | - Huabing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 73 East Beijing Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Lijun Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 73 East Beijing Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Qinglong L Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 73 East Beijing Road, Nanjing, 210008, China.
- Sino-Danish Center for Science and Education, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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49
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Heterogeneous nitrogen fixation rates confer energetic advantage and expanded ecological niche of unicellular diazotroph populations. Commun Biol 2020; 3:172. [PMID: 32286494 PMCID: PMC7156374 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-0894-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Nitrogen fixing plankton provide nitrogen to fuel marine ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles but the factors that constrain their growth and habitat remain poorly understood. Here we investigate the importance of metabolic specialization in unicellular diazotroph populations, using laboratory experiments and model simulations. In clonal cultures of Crocosphaera watsonii and Cyanothece sp. spiked with 15N2, cellular 15N enrichment developed a bimodal distribution within colonies, indicating that N2 fixation was confined to a subpopulation. In a model of population metabolism, heterogeneous nitrogen (N2) fixation rates substantially reduce the respiration rate required to protect nitrogenase from O2. The energy savings from metabolic specialization is highest at slow growth rates, allowing populations to survive in deeper waters where light is low but nutrients are high. Our results suggest that heterogeneous N2 fixation in colonies of unicellular diazotrophs confers an energetic advantage that expands the ecological niche and may have facilitated the evolution of multicellular diazotrophs. Takako Masuda et al. show that individual cells in clonal populations of Crocosphaera watsonii and Cyanothece sp exhibit varied nitrogen fixation rates. This heterogeneity within the population decreases the energetic cost of respiration and expands the viable habitats for these unicellular diazotrophs.
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50
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Alonso-Sáez L, Morán XAG, González JM. Transcriptional Patterns of Biogeochemically Relevant Marker Genes by Temperate Marine Bacteria. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:465. [PMID: 32265888 PMCID: PMC7098952 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental microbial gene expression patterns remain largely unexplored, particularly at interannual time scales. We analyzed the variability in the expression of marker genes involved in ecologically relevant biogeochemical processes at a temperate Atlantic site over two consecutive years. Most of nifH transcripts, involved in nitrogen (N) fixation, were affiliated with the symbiotic cyanobacterium Candidatus Atelocyanobacterium thalassa, suggesting a key role as N providers in this system. The expression of nifH and amoA (i.e., marker for ammonia oxidation) showed consistent maxima in summer and autumn, respectively, suggesting a temporal succession of these important N cycling processes. The patterns of expression of genes related to the oxidation of carbon monoxide (coxL) and reduced sulfur (soxB) were different from that of amoA, indicating alternate timings for these energy conservation strategies. We detected expression of alkaline phosphatases, induced under phosphorus limitation, in agreement with the reported co-limitation by this nutrient at the study site. In contrast, low-affinity phosphate membrane transporters (pit) typically expressed under phosphorus luxury conditions, were mainly detected in post-bloom conditions. Rhodobacteraceae dominated the expression of soxB, coxL and ureases, while Pelagibacteraceae dominated the expression of proteorhodopsins. Bacteroidetes and Gammaproteobacteria were major contributors to the uptake of inorganic nutrients (pit and amt transporters). Yet, in autumn, Thauma- and Euryarchaeota unexpectedly contributed importantly to the uptake of ammonia and phosphate, respectively. We provide new hints on the active players and potential dynamics of ecologically relevant functions in situ, highlighting the potential of metatranscriptomics to provide significant input to future omics-driven marine ecosystem assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Alonso-Sáez
- Marine Research Division, AZTI, Sukarrieta, Spain.,Centro Oceanográfico de Gijón/Xixón, Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Gijón/Xixón, Spain
| | - Xosé Anxelu G Morán
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - José M González
- Department of Microbiology, University of La Laguna, La Laguna, Spain
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