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Sanyal A, Antony R, Samui G, Thamban M. Autotrophy to Heterotrophy: Shift in Bacterial Functions During the Melt Season in Antarctic Cryoconite Holes. J Microbiol 2024:10.1007/s12275-024-00140-1. [PMID: 38814540 DOI: 10.1007/s12275-024-00140-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Microbes residing in cryoconite holes (debris, water, and nutrient-rich ecosystems) on the glacier surface actively participate in carbon and nutrient cycling. Not much is known about how these communities and their functions change during the summer melt-season when intense ablation and runoff alter the influx and outflux of nutrients and microbes. Here, we use high-throughput-amplicon sequencing, predictive metabolic tools and Phenotype MicroArray techniques to track changes in bacterial communities and functions in cryoconite holes in a coastal Antarctic site and the surrounding fjord, during the summer season. The bacterial diversity in cryoconite hole meltwater was predominantly composed of heterotrophs (Proteobacteria) throughout the season. The associated functional potentials were related to heterotrophic-assimilatory and -dissimilatory pathways. Autotrophic Cyanobacterial lineages dominated the debris community at the beginning and end of summer, while heterotrophic Bacteroidota- and Proteobacteria-related phyla increased during the peak melt period. Predictive functional analyses based on taxonomy show a shift from predominantly phototrophy-related functions to heterotrophic assimilatory pathways as the melt-season progressed. This shift from autotrophic to heterotrophic communities within cryoconite holes can affect carbon drawdown and nutrient liberation from the glacier surface during the summer. In addition, the flushing out and export of cryoconite hole communities to the fjord could influence the biogeochemical dynamics of the fjord ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aritri Sanyal
- National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Goa, 403804, India.
- School of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Goa University, Goa, 403206, India.
| | - Runa Antony
- National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Goa, 403804, India
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, 14473, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Gautami Samui
- National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Goa, 403804, India
- Department of Environmental Science, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Ganeshkhind, Pune, 411007, India
| | - Meloth Thamban
- National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Goa, 403804, India
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2
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Doting EL, Jensen MB, Peter EK, Ellegaard-Jensen L, Tranter M, Benning LG, Hansen M, Anesio AM. The exometabolome of microbial communities inhabiting bare ice surfaces on the southern Greenland Ice Sheet. Environ Microbiol 2024; 26:e16574. [PMID: 38263628 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Microbial blooms colonize the Greenland Ice Sheet bare ice surface during the ablation season and significantly reduce its albedo. On the ice surface, microbes are exposed to high levels of irradiance, freeze-thaw cycles, and low nutrient concentrations. It is well known that microorganisms secrete metabolites to maintain homeostasis, communicate with other microorganisms, and defend themselves. Yet, the exometabolome of supraglacial microbial blooms, dominated by the pigmented glacier ice algae Ancylonema alaskanum and Ancylonema nordenskiöldii, remains thus far unstudied. Here, we use a high-resolution mass spectrometry-based untargeted metabolomics workflow to identify metabolites in the exometabolome of microbial blooms on the surface of the southern tip of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Samples were collected every 6 h across two diurnal cycles at 5 replicate sampling sites with high similarity in community composition, in terms of orders and phyla present. Time of sampling explained 46% (permutational multivariate analysis of variance [PERMANOVA], pseudo-F = 3.7771, p = 0.001) and 27% (PERMANOVA, pseudo-F = 1.8705, p = 0.001) of variance in the exometabolome across the two diurnal cycles. Annotated metabolites included riboflavin, lumichrome, tryptophan, and azelaic acid, all of which have demonstrated roles in microbe-microbe interactions in other ecosystems and should be tested for potential roles in the development of microbial blooms on bare ice surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva L Doting
- Department of Environmental Science, iClimate, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Marie B Jensen
- Department of Environmental Science, iClimate, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Elisa K Peter
- Interface Geochemistry Section, German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany
- Department of Earth Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lea Ellegaard-Jensen
- Department of Environmental Science, iClimate, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Martyn Tranter
- Department of Environmental Science, iClimate, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Liane G Benning
- Interface Geochemistry Section, German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany
- Department of Earth Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Hansen
- Department of Environmental Science, iClimate, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Alexandre M Anesio
- Department of Environmental Science, iClimate, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
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3
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Xing T, Liu K, Ji M, Chen Y, Liu Y. Bacterial diversity in a continuum from supraglacial habitats to a proglacial lake on the Tibetan Plateau. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2024; 371:fnae021. [PMID: 38521984 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnae021] [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: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Mountain glaciers are frequently assessed for their hydrological connectivity from glaciers to proglacial lakes. Ecological process on glacier surfaces and downstream ecosystems have often been investigated separately, but few studies have focused on the connectivity between the different glacial habitats. Therefore, it remains a limited understanding of bacterial community assembly across different habitats along the glacier hydrological continuum. In this study, we sampled along a glacial catchment from supraglacial snow, cryoconite holes, supraglacial runoff, ice-marginal moraine and proglacial lake on the Tibetan Plateau. The bacterial communities in these habitats were analyzed using high-throughput DNA sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene to determine the bacterial composition and assembly. Our results showed that each habitat hosted unique bacterial communities, with higher bacterial α-diversity in transitional habitats (e.g. runoff and ice-marginal moraine). Null model analysis indicated that deterministic processes predominantly shaped bacterial assembly in snow, cryoconite holes and lake, while stochastic process dominantly governed bacterial community in transitional habitats. Collectively, our findings suggest that local environment play a critical role in filtering bacterial community composition within glacier habitats. This study enhances our understanding of microbial assembly process in glacier environments and provides valuable insights into the factors governing bacterial community compositions across different habitats along the glacial hydrological continuum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Keshao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Mukan Ji
- Center for the Pan-Third Pole Environment, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yuying Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yongqin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Center for the Pan-Third Pole Environment, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
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4
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Sajjad W, Ali B, Niu H, Ilahi N, Rafiq M, Bahadur A, Banerjee A, Kang S. High prevalence of antibiotic-resistant and metal-tolerant cultivable bacteria in remote glacier environment. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 239:117444. [PMID: 37858689 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Studies of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) have mainly originated from anthropic-influenced environments, with limited information from pristine environments. Remote cold environments are major reservoirs of ARB and have been determined in polar regions; however, their abundance in non-polar cold habitats is underexplored. This study evaluated antibiotics and metals resistance profiles, prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and metals tolerance genes (MTGs) in 38 ARB isolated from the glacier debris and meltwater from Baishui Glacier No 1, China. Molecular identification displayed Proteobacteria (39.3%) predominant in debris, while meltwater was dominated by Actinobacteria (30%) and Proteobacteria (30%). Bacterial isolates exhibited multiple antibiotic resistance index values > 0.2. Gram-negative bacteria displayed higher resistance to antibiotics and metals than Gram-positive. PCR amplification exhibited distinct ARGs in bacteria dominated by β-lactam genes blaCTX-M (21.1-71.1%), blaACC (21.1-60.5%), tetracycline-resistant gene tetA (21.1-60.5%), and sulfonamide-resistant gene sulI (18.4-52.6%). Moreover, different MTGs were reported in bacterial isolates, including mercury-resistant merA (21.1-63.2%), copper-resistant copB (18.4-57.9%), chromium-resistant chrA (15.8-44.7%) and arsenic-resistant arsB (10.5-44.7%). This highlights the co-selection and co-occurrence of MTGs and ARGs in remote glacier environments. Different bacteria shared same ARGs, signifying horizontal gene transfer between species. Strong positive correlation among ARGs and MTGs was reported. Metals tolerance range exhibited that Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria clustered distinctly. Gram-negative bacteria were significantly tolerant to metals. Amino acid sequences of blaACC,blaCTX-M,blaSHV,blaampC,qnrA, sulI, tetA and blaTEM revealed variations. This study presents promising ARB, harboring ARGs with variations in amino acid sequences, highlighting the need to assess the transcriptome study of glacier bacteria conferring ARGs and MTGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wasim Sajjad
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Barkat Ali
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Hewen Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China; National Field Science Observation and Research Station of Yulong Snow Mountain Cryosphere and Sustainable Development, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Nikhat Ilahi
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Muhammad Rafiq
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Informatics, Engineering and Management Sciences, Balochistan University of Information Technology, Quetta, Pakistan
| | - Ali Bahadur
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Abhishek Banerjee
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Shichang Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
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5
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Jaarsma AH, Sipes K, Zervas A, Jiménez FC, Ellegaard-Jensen L, Thøgersen MS, Stougaard P, Benning LG, Tranter M, Anesio AM. Exploring microbial diversity in Greenland Ice Sheet supraglacial habitats through culturing-dependent and -independent approaches. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2023; 99:fiad119. [PMID: 37791411 PMCID: PMC10580271 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiad119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The microbiome of Greenland Ice Sheet supraglacial habitats is still underinvestigated, and as a result there is a lack of representative genomes from these environments. In this study, we investigated the supraglacial microbiome through a combination of culturing-dependent and -independent approaches. We explored ice, cryoconite, biofilm, and snow biodiversity to answer: (1) how microbial diversity differs between supraglacial habitats, (2) if obtained bacterial genomes reflect dominant community members, and (3) how culturing versus high throughput sequencing changes our observations of microbial diversity in supraglacial habitats. Genomes acquired through metagenomic sequencing (133 high-quality MAGs) and whole genome sequencing (73 bacterial isolates) were compared to the metagenome assemblies to investigate abundance within the total environmental DNA. Isolates obtained in this study were not dominant taxa in the habitat they were sampled from, in contrast to the obtained MAGs. We demonstrate here the advantages of using metagenome SSU rRNA genes to reflect whole-community diversity. Additionally, we demonstrate a proof-of-concept of the application of in situ culturing in a supraglacial setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ate H Jaarsma
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Katie Sipes
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Athanasios Zervas
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | | | - Lea Ellegaard-Jensen
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Mariane S Thøgersen
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Peter Stougaard
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Liane G Benning
- German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
- Department of Earth Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Malteserstr. 74-100, 12249 Berlin, Germany
| | - Martyn Tranter
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Alexandre M Anesio
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
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Varliero G, Lebre PH, Frey B, Fountain AG, Anesio AM, Cowan DA. Glacial Water: A Dynamic Microbial Medium. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1153. [PMID: 37317127 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11051153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial communities and nutrient dynamics in glaciers and ice sheets continuously change as the hydrological conditions within and on the ice change. Glaciers and ice sheets can be considered bioreactors as microbiomes transform nutrients that enter these icy systems and alter the meltwater chemistry. Global warming is increasing meltwater discharge, affecting nutrient and cell export, and altering proglacial systems. In this review, we integrate the current understanding of glacial hydrology, microbial activity, and nutrient and carbon dynamics to highlight their interdependence and variability on daily and seasonal time scales, as well as their impact on proglacial environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilda Varliero
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
- Rhizosphere Processes Group, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Pedro H Lebre
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
| | - Beat Frey
- Rhizosphere Processes Group, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Andrew G Fountain
- Departments of Geology and Geography, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97212, USA
| | - Alexandre M Anesio
- Department of Environmental Science, iClimate, Aarhus University, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Don A Cowan
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
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Pittino F, Ambrosini R, Seeger M, Azzoni RS, Diolaiuti G, Alviz Gazitua P, Franzetti A. Geographical variability of bacterial communities of cryoconite holes of Andean glaciers. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2633. [PMID: 36788266 PMCID: PMC9929092 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24373-5] [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: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryoconite holes, ponds full of melting water with sediment on the bottom, are hotspots of biodiversity on glacier surfaces and host dynamic micro-ecosystems. They have been extensively investigated in different areas of the world (e.g., the Arctic, Antarctic, Alps, and Himalaya), but so far no study has described the bacterial communities of the glaciers in the Andes, the world's longest mountain range. In this study, we describe the bacterial communities of three small (< 2 km2) high-elevation (< 4200 m a.s.l.) glaciers of the Central Andes (Iver, East Iver and Morado glaciers) and two large (> 85 km2) glaciers of the Patagonian Andes (Exploradores and Perito Moreno glaciers) whose ablation tongues reach low altitude (< 300 m a.s.l.). Results show that the bacterial communities were generally similar to those observed in the cryoconite holes of other continents, but with few cyanobacteria (0.5% of sequences). The most abundant orders were Betaproteobacteriales, Cytophagales, Chitinophagales, Acetobacterales, Frankiales, Armatimonadales, Sphingobacteriales, Rhizobiales, Bacteroidales, Sphingomonadales, and Micrococcales. The bacterial communities differed between glaciers and both water pH and O2 concentration appeared to influence the bacterial community composition. This work thus provides the first description of the bacterial communities in cryoconite holes of South American glaciers.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. Pittino
- grid.7563.70000 0001 2174 1754Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy ,grid.419754.a0000 0001 2259 5533WSL Swiss Federal Research Institute, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - R. Ambrosini
- grid.4708.b0000 0004 1757 2822Laboratory of Glacier Ecology, Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - M. Seeger
- grid.12148.3e0000 0001 1958 645XMolecular Microbiology and Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaiso, Chile
| | - R. S. Azzoni
- grid.4708.b0000 0004 1757 2822Laboratory of Glacier Ecology, Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy ,grid.4708.b0000 0004 1757 2822Department of Earth Science “Ardito Desio”, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - G. Diolaiuti
- grid.4708.b0000 0004 1757 2822Laboratory of Glacier Ecology, Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - P. Alviz Gazitua
- grid.442234.70000 0001 2295 9069Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de los Lagos, Osorno, Chile
| | - A. Franzetti
- grid.7563.70000 0001 2174 1754Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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Nawaz S, Rafiq M, Pepper IL, Betancourt WQ, Shah AA, Hasan F. Prevalence and abundance of antibiotic-resistant genes in culturable bacteria inhabiting a non-polar passu glacier, karakorum mountains range, Pakistan. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 39:94. [PMID: 36754876 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-023-03532-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Natural pristine environments including cold habitats are thought to be the potent reservoirs of antibiotic-resistant genes and have been recurrently reported in polar glaciers' native bacteria, nevertheless, their abundance among the non-polar glaciers' inhabitant bacteria is mostly uncharted. Herein we evaluated antibiotic resistance profile, abundance of antibiotic-resistant genes plus class 1, 2, and 3 integron integrases in 65 culturable bacterial isolates retrieved from a non-polar glacier. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis identified predominantly Gram-negative 43 (66.15%) and Gram-positive 22 (33.84%) isolates. Among the Gram-negative bacteria, Gammaproteobacteria were dominant (62.79%), followed by Betaproteobacteria (18.60%) and Alphaproteobacteria (9.30%), whereas Phyla Actinobacteria (50%) and Firmicutes (40.90%) were predominant among Gram-positive. The Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method evaluated significant antibiotic resistance among the isolates. PCR amplification revealed phylum Proteobacteria predominantly carrying 21 disparate antibiotic-resistant genes like; blaAmpC 6 (100%), blaVIM-1, blaSHV and blaDHA 5 (100%) each, blaOXA-1 1 (100%), blaCMY-4 4 (100%), followed by Actinobacteria 14, Firmicutes 13 and Bacteroidetes 11. Tested isolates were negative for blaKPC, qnrA, vanA, ermA, ermB, intl2, and intl3. Predominant Gram-negative isolates had higher MAR index values, compared to Gram-positive. Alignment of protein homology sequences of antibiotic-resistant genes with references revealed amino acid variations in blaNDM-1, blaOXA-1, blaSHV, mecA, aac(6)-Ib3, tetA, tetB, sul2, qnrB, gyrA, and intI1. Promising antibiotic-resistant bacteria, harbored with numerous antibiotic-resistant genes and class 1 integron integrase with some amino acid variations detected, accentuating the mandatory focus to evaluate the intricate transcriptome analysis of glaciated bacteria conferring antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabir Nawaz
- Department of Microbiology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Rafiq
- Department of Microbiology, Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences, Quetta, Pakistan.
| | - Ian L Pepper
- Water & Energy Sustainable Technology (WEST) Center, University of Arizona, 2959 W. Calle Agua Nueva, 85745, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Walter Q Betancourt
- Water & Energy Sustainable Technology (WEST) Center, University of Arizona, 2959 W. Calle Agua Nueva, 85745, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Aamer Ali Shah
- Department of Microbiology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Fariha Hasan
- Department of Microbiology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
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9
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Gonzalez-Nayeck AC, Mohr W, Tang T, Sattin S, Parenteau MN, Jahnke LL, Pearson A. Absence of canonical trophic levels in a microbial mat. GEOBIOLOGY 2022; 20:726-740. [PMID: 35831948 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In modern ecosystems, the carbon stable isotope (δ13 C) ratios of consumers generally conform to the principle "you are what you eat, +1‰." However, this metric may not apply to microbial mat systems where diverse communities, using a variety of carbon substrates via multiple assimilation pathways, live in close physical association and phagocytosis is minimal or absent. To interpret the δ13 C record of the Proterozoic and early Paleozoic, when mat-based productivity likely was widespread, it is necessary to understand how a microbially driven producer-consumer structure affects the δ13 C compositions of biomass and preservable lipids. Protein Stable Isotope Fingerprinting (P-SIF) is a recently developed method that allows measurement of the δ13 C values of whole proteins, separated from environmental samples and identified taxonomically via proteomics. Here, we use P-SIF to determine the trophic relationships in a microbial mat sample from Chocolate Pots Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park (YNP), USA. In this mat, proteins from heterotrophic bacteria are indistinguishable from cyanobacterial proteins, indicating that "you are what you eat, +1‰" is not applicable. To explain this finding, we hypothesize that sugar production and consumption dominate the net ecosystem metabolism, yielding a community in which producers and consumers share primary photosynthate as a common resource. This idea was validated by confirming that glucose moieties in exopolysaccharide were equal in δ13 C composition to both cyanobacterial and heterotrophic proteins, and by confirming that highly 13 C-depleted fatty acids (FAs) of Cyanobacteria dominate the lipid pool, consistent with flux-balance expectations for systems that overproduce primary photosynthate. Overall, the results confirm that the δ13 C composition of microbial biomass and lipids is tied to specific metabolites, rather than to autotrophy versus heterotrophy or to individual trophic levels. Therefore, we suggest that aerobic microbial heterotrophy is simply a case of "you are what you eat."
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C Gonzalez-Nayeck
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Wiebke Mohr
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Max-Planck-Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Tiantian Tang
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science (Xiamen University), Xiamen, Fujian, China
- College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Sarah Sattin
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Linda L Jahnke
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
| | - Ann Pearson
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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10
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Ren Z, Gao H, Luo W, Elser JJ. Bacterial communities in surface and basal ice of a glacier terminus in the headwaters of Yangtze River on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOME 2022; 17:12. [PMID: 35346386 PMCID: PMC8962558 DOI: 10.1186/s40793-022-00408-2] [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: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND On the front lines of climate change, glacier termini play crucial roles in linking glaciers and downstream ecosystems during glacier retreat. However, we lack a clear understanding of biological processes that occur in surface and basal ice at glacier termini. METHODS Here, we studied the bacterial communities in surface ice and basal ice (the bottom layer) of a glacier terminus in the Yangtze River Source, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. RESULTS Surface and basal ice harbored distinct bacterial communities but shared some core taxa. Surface ice communities had a higher α-diversity than those in basal ice and were dominated by Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Cyanobacteria while basal ice was dominated by Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. The bacterial communities were also substantially different in functional potential. Genes associated with functional categories of cellular processes and metabolism were significantly enriched in surface ice, while genes connected to environmental information processing were enriched in basal ice. In terms of biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur, bacterial communities in surface ice were enriched for genes connected to aerobic carbon fixation, aerobic respiration, denitrification, nitrogen assimilation, nitrogen mineralization, sulfur mineralization, alkaline phosphatase, and polyphosphate kinase. In contrast, bacterial communities in basal ice were enriched for genes involved in anaerobic carbon fixation, fermentation, nitrate reduction, 2-aminoethylphosphonic acid pathway, G3P transporter, glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase, and exopolyphosphatase. Structural equation modeling showed that total nitrogen and environmental carbon:phosphorus were positively while environmental nitrogen:phosphorus was negatively associated with taxonomic β-diversity which itself was strongly associated with functional β-diversity of bacterial communities. CONCLUSIONS This study furthers our understanding of biogeochemical cycling of the mountain cryosphere by revealing the genetic potential of the bacterial communities in surface and basal ice at the glacier terminus, providing new insights into glacial ecology as well as the influences of glacier retreat on downstream systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ze Ren
- Advanced Institute of Natural Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, 519087, China.
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
| | - Hongkai Gao
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
- School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
| | - Wei Luo
- Polar Research Institute of China, Ministry of Natural Resources, Shanghai, 200136, China
- School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - James J Elser
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, 59860, USA
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11
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Park C, Takeuchi N. Unmasking photogranulation in decreasing glacial albedo and net autotrophic wastewater treatment. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:6391-6404. [PMID: 34545673 PMCID: PMC9292683 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In both natural and built environments, microbes on occasions manifest in spherical aggregates instead of substratum‐affixed biofilms. These microbial aggregates are conventionally referred to as granules. Cryoconites are mineral rich granules that appear on glacier surfaces and are linked with expanding surface darkening, thus decreasing albedo, and enhanced melt. The oxygenic photogranules (OPGs) are organic rich granules that grow in wastewater, which enables wastewater treatment with photosynthetically produced oxygen and which presents potential for net autotrophic wastewater treatment in a compact system. Despite obvious differences inherent in the two, cryoconite and OPG pose striking resemblance. In both, the order Oscillatoriales in Cyanobacteria envelope inner materials and develop dense spheroidal aggregates. We explore the mechanism of photogranulation on account of high similarity between cryoconites and OPGs. We contend that there is no universal external cause for photogranulation. However, cryoconites and OPGs, as well as their intravariations, which are all under different stress fields, are the outcome of universal physiological processes of the Oscillatoriales interfacing with goldilocks interactions of stresses. Finding the rules of photogranulation may enhance engineering of glacier and wastewater systems to manipulate their ecosystem impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chul Park
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, 01003, USA
| | - Nozomu Takeuchi
- Department of Earth Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Chiba University, Chiba, 263-8522, Japan
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12
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Contrasting Patterns of Microbial Communities in Glacier Cryoconite of Nepali Himalaya and Greenland, Arctic. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12166477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
To understand the microbial composition and diversity patterns, cryoconite granules were collected from two geographical areas, i.e., Nepali Himalaya and Greenland, Arctic. 16S rRNA, ITS and the D1/D2 domain sequencing techniques were used for characterization of microbial communities of the four glaciers. The total 13 species of bacteria such as Bacillus aryabhattai, Bacillus simplex, Brevundimonas vesicularis, Cryobacterium luteum, Cryobacterium psychrotolerans, Dermacoccus nishinomiyaensis, Glaciihabitans tibetensis, Leifsonia kafniensis, Paracoccus limosus, Polaromonas glacialis, Sporosarcina globispora, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Variovorax ginsengisoli, and 4 species of fungi such as Goffeauzyma gilvescens, Mrakia robertii, Dothideomycetes sp., Helotiales sp. were recorded from Nepali Himalaya. Among these, 12 species of bacteria and 4 species of fungi are new contributions to Himalaya. In contrast to this, six species of bacteria such as Bacillus cereus, Cryobacterium psychrotolerans, Dermacoccus nishinomiyaensis, Enhydrobacter aerosaccus, Glaciihabitans tibetensis, Subtercola frigoramans, and nine species of fungi such as Goffeauzyma gilvescens, Mrakia robertii, Naganishia vaughanmartiniae, Piskurozyma fildesensis, Rhodotorula svalbardensis, Alatospora acuminata, Articulospora sp., Phialophora sp., Thelebolus microspores, and Dothideomycetes sp.), were recorded from Qaanaaq, Isunnguata Sermia and Thule glaciers, Greenland. Among these, five species of bacteria and seven species of fungi are new contributions to Greenland cryoconite. Microbial analyses indicate that the Nepali Himalayan cryoconite colonize higher numbers of microbial species compared to the Greenland cryoconite.
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13
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Poniecka EA, Bagshaw EA, Sass H, Segar A, Webster G, Williamson C, Anesio AM, Tranter M. Physiological Capabilities of Cryoconite Hole Microorganisms. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1783. [PMID: 32849402 PMCID: PMC7412143 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryoconite holes are miniature freshwater aquatic ecosystems that harbor a relatively diverse microbial community. This microbial community can withstand the extreme conditions of the supraglacial environment, including fluctuating temperatures, extreme and varying geochemical conditions and limited nutrients. We analyzed the physiological capabilities of microbial isolates from cryoconite holes from Antarctica, Greenland, and Svalbard in selected environmental conditions: extreme pH, salinity, freeze-thaw and limited carbon sources, to identify their physiological limits. The results suggest that heterotrophic microorganisms in cryoconite holes are well adapted to fast-changing environmental conditions, by surviving multiple freeze-thaw cycles, a wide range of salinity and pH conditions and scavenging a variety of organic substrates. Under oxic and anoxic conditions, the communities grew well in temperatures up to 30°C, although in anoxic conditions the community was more successful at colder temperatures (0.2°C). The most abundant cultivable microorganisms were facultative anaerobic bacteria and yeasts. They grew in salinities up to 10% and in pH ranging from 4 to 10.5 (Antarctica), 2.5 to 10 (Svalbard), and 3 to 10 (Greenland). Their growth was sustained on at least 58 single carbon sources and there was no decrease in viability for some isolates after up to 100 consecutive freeze-thaw cycles. The elevated viability of the anaerobic community in the lowest temperatures indicates they might be key players in winter conditions or in early melt seasons, when the oxygen is potentially depleted due to limited flow of meltwater. Consequently, facultative anaerobic heterotrophs are likely important players in the reactivation of the community after the polar night. This detailed physiological investigation shows that despite inhabiting a freshwater environment, cryoconite microorganisms are able to withstand conditions not typically encountered in freshwater environments (namely high salinities or extreme pH), making them physiologically more similar to arid soil communities. The results also point to a possible resilience of the most abundant microorganisms of cryoconite holes in the face of rapid change regardless of the location.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa A. Poniecka
- School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | | | - Henrik Sass
- School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Amelia Segar
- School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Gordon Webster
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher Williamson
- Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | | | - Martyn Tranter
- Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
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14
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Nizam S, Sen IS, Vinoj V, Galy V, Selby D, Azam MF, Pandey SK, Creaser RA, Agarwal AK, Singh AP, Bizimis M. Biomass-Derived Provenance Dominates Glacial Surface Organic Carbon in the Western Himalaya. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:8612-8621. [PMID: 32584029 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c02710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The origin, transport pathway, and spatial variability of total organic carbon (OC) in the western Himalayan glaciers are poorly understood compared to those of black carbon (BC) and dust, but it is critically important to evaluate the climatic role of OC in the region. By applying the distribution of OC activation energy; 14C activity; and radiogenic isotopes of 208Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb, and 206Pb/204Pb in glacial debris and atmospheric particulate matter (PM10 size fraction), we demonstrate that 98.3 ± 1.6 and 1.7 ± 1.6% of OC in western Himalayan glaciers are derived from biomass and petrogenic sources, respectively. The δ13C and N/C composition indicates that the biomass is a complex mixture of C3 vegetation and autochthonous photoautotrophic input modified by heterotrophic microbial activity. The data set reveals that the studied western Himalayan glacier has negligible contributions from fossil-fuel-derived particles, which contrasts to the central and eastern Himalayan glaciers that have significant contributions from fossil fuel sources. We show that this spatial variability of OC sources relates to regional differences in air mass transport pathways and precipitation regimes over the Himalaya. Moreover, our observation suggests that biomass-derived carbon could be the only primary driver of carbon-induced glacier melting in the western Himalaya.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarwar Nizam
- Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208016, India
| | - Indra S Sen
- Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208016, India
| | - Velu Vinoj
- School of Earth, Ocean and Climate Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 752050, India
| | - Valier Galy
- Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), 266 Woods Hole Road, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, United States
| | - David Selby
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Durham, Durham DH1 3LE, U.K
- State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, School of Earth Resources, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Mohammad F Azam
- Discipline of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Indore 453552, India
| | - Satyendra K Pandey
- School of Earth, Ocean and Climate Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 752050, India
| | - Robert A Creaser
- Department of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences University of Alberta, 126 ESB, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G2R3
| | - Avinash K Agarwal
- Engine Research Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208016, India
| | - Akhilendra P Singh
- Engine Research Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208016, India
| | - Michael Bizimis
- School of Earth, Ocean and Environment, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
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15
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Holland AT, Bergk Pinto B, Layton R, Williamson CJ, Anesio AM, Vogel TM, Larose C, Tranter M. Over Winter Microbial Processes in a Svalbard Snow Pack: An Experimental Approach. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1029. [PMID: 32547512 PMCID: PMC7273115 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01029] [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: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Snow packs cover large expanses of Earth’s land surface, making them integral components of the cryosphere in terms of past climate and atmospheric proxies, surface albedo regulators, insulators for other Arctic environments and habitats for diverse microbial communities such as algae, bacteria and fungi. Yet, most of our current understanding of snow pack environments, specifically microbial activity and community interaction, is limited to the main microbial growing season during spring ablation. At present, little is known about microbial activity and its influence on nutrient cycling during the subfreezing temperatures and 24-h darkness of the polar winter. Here, we examined microbial dynamics in a simulated cold (−5°C), dark snow pack to determine polar winter season microbial activity and its dependence on critical nutrients. Snow collected from Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard was incubated in the dark over a 5-week period with four different nutrient additions, including glacial mineral particles, dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) and a combined treatment of DIN plus DIP. Data indicate a consumption of dissolved inorganic nutrients, particularly DIN, by heterotrophic communities, suggesting a potential nitrogen limitation, contradictory to phosphorus limitations found in most aquatic environments. 16S amplicon sequencing also reveal a clear difference in microbial community composition in the particulate mineral treatment compared to dissolved nutrient treatments and controls, suggesting that certain species of heterotrophs living within the snow pack are more likely to associate with particulates. Particulate phosphorus analyses indicate a potential ability of heterotrophic communities to access particulate sources of phosphorous, possibly explaining the lack of phosphorus limitation. These findings have importance for understanding microbial activity during the polar winter season and its potential influences on the abundance and bioavailability of nutrients released to surface ice and downstream environments during the ablation season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra T Holland
- Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Benoît Bergk Pinto
- Environmental Microbial Genomics, CNRS, École Centrale de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Rose Layton
- Environmental Microbial Genomics, CNRS, École Centrale de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France.,ENOVEO, Lyon, France
| | - Christopher J Williamson
- Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Alexandre M Anesio
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Timothy M Vogel
- Environmental Microbial Genomics, CNRS, École Centrale de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Catherine Larose
- Environmental Microbial Genomics, CNRS, École Centrale de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Martyn Tranter
- Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
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16
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Trout-Haney JV, Heindel RC, Virginia RA. Picocyanobacterial cells in near-surface air above terrestrial and freshwater substrates in Greenland and Antarctica. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2020; 12:296-305. [PMID: 32134187 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2019] [Revised: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Bioaerosols are an important component of the total atmospheric aerosol load, with implications for human health, climate feedbacks and the distribution and dispersal of microbial taxa. Bioaerosols are sourced from marine, freshwater and terrestrial surfaces, with different mechanisms potentially responsible for releasing biological particles from these substrates. Little is known about the production of freshwater and terrestrial bioaerosols in polar regions. We used portable collection devices to test for the presence of picocyanobacterial aerosols above freshwater and soil substrates in the southwestern Greenland tundra and the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica. We show that picocyanobacterial cells are present in the near-surface air at concentrations ranging from 2,431 to 28,355 cells m-3 of air, with no significant differences among substrates or between polar regions. Our concentrations are lower than those measured using the same methods in temperate ecosystems. We suggest that aerosolization is an important process linking terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in these polar environments, and that future work is needed to explore aerosolization mechanisms and taxon-specific aerosolization rates. Our study is a first step toward understanding the production of bioaerosols in extreme environments dominated by microbial life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica V Trout-Haney
- Department of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences Center, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755
| | - Ruth C Heindel
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Ross A Virginia
- Environmental Studies Program and Institute of Arctic Studies, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755
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17
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Cameron KA, Müller O, Stibal M, Edwards A, Jacobsen CS. Glacial microbiota are hydrologically connected and temporally variable. Environ Microbiol 2020; 22:3172-3187. [PMID: 32383292 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Glaciers are melting rapidly. The concurrent export of microbial assemblages alongside glacial meltwater is expected to impact the ecology of adjoining ecosystems. Currently, the source of exported assemblages is poorly understood, yet this information may be critical for understanding how current and future glacial melt seasons may influence downstream environments. We report on the connectivity and temporal variability of microbiota sampled from supraglacial, subglacial and periglacial habitats and water bodies within a glacial catchment. Sampled assemblages showed evidence of being biologically connected through hydrological flowpaths, leading to a meltwater system that accumulates prokaryotic biota as it travels downstream. Temporal changes in the connected assemblages were similarly observed. Snow assemblages changed markedly throughout the sample period, likely reflecting changes in the surrounding environment. Changes in supraglacial meltwater assemblages reflected the transition of the glacial surface from snow-covered to bare-ice. Marked snowmelt across the surrounding periglacial environment resulted in the flushing of soil assemblages into the riverine system. In contrast, surface ice within the ablation zone and subglacial meltwaters remained relatively stable throughout the sample period. Our results are indicative that changes in snow and ice melt across glacial environments will influence the abundance and diversity of microbial assemblages transported downstream.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen A Cameron
- Institute of Biological, Rural and Environmental Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, SY23 3DD, UK.,Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 1350, Denmark.,Department of Geochemistry, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Copenhagen, 1350, Denmark.,School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Oliver Müller
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, 5006, Norway
| | - Marek Stibal
- Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 1350, Denmark.,Department of Geochemistry, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Copenhagen, 1350, Denmark.,Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, 128 44, Czech Republic
| | - Arwyn Edwards
- Institute of Biological, Rural and Environmental Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, SY23 3DD, UK
| | - Carsten Suhr Jacobsen
- Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 1350, Denmark.,Department of Geochemistry, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Copenhagen, 1350, Denmark.,Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, 4000, Denmark
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18
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Uetake J, Nagatsuka N, Onuma Y, Takeuchi N, Motoyama H, Aoki T. Bacterial community changes with granule size in cryoconite and their susceptibility to exogenous nutrients on NW Greenland glaciers. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2020; 95:5499017. [PMID: 31132102 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiz075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryoconite granules are dark-colored biological aggregates on glaciers. Bacterial community varies with granule size, however, community change in space and their susceptibility to environmental factors has not been described yet. Therefore, we focused on bacterial community from four different granule sizes (30-249 μm, 250-750 μm, 750-1599 μm, more than 1600 μm diameter) in 10 glaciers in northwestern Greenland and their susceptibility to exogenous nutrients in cryoconite hole. A filamentous cyanobacterium Phormidesmis priestleyi, which has been frequently reported from glaciers in Arctic was abundant (10%-26%) across any size of granules on most of glaciers. Bacterial community across glaciers became similar with size increase, and whence smallest size fractions contain more unique genera in each glacier. Multivariate analysis revealed that effect of nutrients to beta diversity is larger in smaller granules (30-249 μm and 250-750 μm diameter), suggesting that bacterial susceptibility to nutrients changes with growth of granule (i.e. P. priestleyi was affected by nitrate in early growth stage).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Uetake
- National Institute of Polar Research, 10-3 Midoricho, Tachikawa, Tokyo, 190-8518 Japan
| | - Naoko Nagatsuka
- National Institute of Polar Research, 10-3 Midoricho, Tachikawa, Tokyo, 190-8518 Japan
| | - Yukihiko Onuma
- The University of Tokyo, Institute of Industrial Science, Institute of Industrial Science, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo, 153-8505 Japan
| | - Nozomu Takeuchi
- Chiba University, Department of Earth Science, 1-33, Yayoi-cho, Inage-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba, 263-8522 Japan
| | - Hideaki Motoyama
- National Institute of Polar Research, 10-3 Midoricho, Tachikawa, Tokyo, 190-8518 Japan
| | - Teruo Aoki
- National Institute of Polar Research, 10-3 Midoricho, Tachikawa, Tokyo, 190-8518 Japan.,Okayama University, Department of Earth Science, Department of Earth Science, 3-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8530 Japan
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19
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Sommers P, Porazinska DL, Darcy JL, Zamora F, Fountain AG, Schmidt SK. Experimental cryoconite holes as mesocosms for studying community ecology. Polar Biol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-019-02572-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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20
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Nicholes MJ, Williamson CJ, Tranter M, Holland A, Poniecka E, Yallop ML, Anesio A. Bacterial Dynamics in Supraglacial Habitats of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1366. [PMID: 31333595 PMCID: PMC6616251 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Current research into bacterial dynamics on the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) is biased toward cryoconite holes, despite this habitat covering less than 8% of the ablation (melt) zone surface. In contrast, the expansive surface ice, which supports wide-spread Streptophyte micro-algal blooms thought to enhance surface melt, has been relatively neglected. This study aims to understand variability in bacterial abundance and production across an ablation season on the GrIS, in relation to micro-algal bloom dynamics. Bacterial abundance reached 3.3 ± 0.3 × 105 cells ml−1 in surface ice and was significantly linearly related to algal abundances during the middle and late ablation periods (R2 = 0.62, p < 0.05; R2 = 0.78, p < 0.001). Bacterial production (BP) of 0.03–0.6 μg C L−1 h−1 was observed in surface ice and increased in concert with glacier algal abundances, indicating that heterotrophic bacteria consume algal-derived dissolved organic carbon. However, BP remained at least 28 times lower than net primary production, indicating inefficient carbon cycling by heterotrophic bacteria and net accumulation of carbon in surface ice throughout the ablation season. Across the supraglacial environment, cryoconite sediment BP was at least four times greater than surface ice, confirming that cryoconite holes are the true “hot spots” of heterotrophic bacterial activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranda Jane Nicholes
- Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher James Williamson
- Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Martyn Tranter
- Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Alexandra Holland
- Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Ewa Poniecka
- School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Marian Louise Yallop
- Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | | | - Alexandre Anesio
- Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.,Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
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21
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Lutz S, Ziolkowski LA, Benning LG. The Biodiversity and Geochemistry of Cryoconite Holes in Queen Maud Land, East Antarctica. Microorganisms 2019; 7:microorganisms7060160. [PMID: 31159414 PMCID: PMC6616603 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms7060160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Revised: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryoconite holes are oases of microbial diversity on ice surfaces. In contrast to the Arctic, where during the summer most cryoconite holes are ‘open’, in Continental Antarctica they are most often ‘lidded’ or completely frozen year-round. Thus, they represent ideal systems for the study of microbial community assemblies as well as carbon accumulation, since individual cryoconite holes can be isolated from external inputs for years. Here, we use high-throughput sequencing of the 16S and 18S rRNA genes to describe the bacterial and eukaryotic community compositions in cryoconite holes and surrounding lake, snow, soil and rock samples in Queen Maud Land. We cross correlate our findings with a broad range of geochemical data including for the first time 13C and 14C analyses of Antarctic cryoconites. We show that the geographic location has a larger effect on the distribution of the bacterial community compared to the eukaryotic community. Cryoconite holes are distinct from the local soils in both 13C and 14C and their isotopic composition is different from similar samples from the Arctic. Carbon contents were generally low (≤0.2%) and older (6–10 ky) than the surrounding soils, suggesting that the cryoconite holes are much more isolated from the atmosphere than the soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Lutz
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Lori A Ziolkowski
- University of South Carolina, School of the Earth, Ocean and Environment, 701 Sumter St., EWS 617, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
| | - Liane G Benning
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany.
- Department of Earth Sciences, Free University of Berlin, 12249 Berlin, Germany.
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22
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Zawierucha K, Buda J, Nawrot A. Extreme weather event results in the removal of invertebrates from cryoconite holes on an Arctic valley glacier (Longyearbreen, Svalbard). Ecol Res 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.1276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof Zawierucha
- Department of Animal Taxonomy and EcologyFaculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań Poland
| | - Jakub Buda
- Department of Animal Taxonomy and EcologyFaculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań Poland
| | - Adam Nawrot
- Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences Warszawa Poland
- forScience Foundation Przeźmierowo Poland
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23
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Perini L, Gostinčar C, Anesio AM, Williamson C, Tranter M, Gunde-Cimerman N. Darkening of the Greenland Ice Sheet: Fungal Abundance and Diversity Are Associated With Algal Bloom. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:557. [PMID: 30949152 PMCID: PMC6437116 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have highlighted the importance of ice-algal blooms in driving darkening and therefore surface melt of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS). However, the contribution of fungal and bacterial communities to this microbially driven albedo reduction remains unconstrained. To address this significant knowledge gap, fungi were isolated from key GrIS surface habitats (surface ice containing varying abundance of ice algae, supraglacial water, cryoconite holes, and snow), and a combination of cultivation and sequencing methods utilized to characterize the algal-associated fungal and bacterial diversity and abundance. Six hundred and ninety-seven taxa of fungi were obtained by amplicon sequencing and more than 200 fungal cultures belonging to 46 different species were isolated through cultivation approaches. Basidiomycota dominated in surface ice and water samples, and Ascomycota in snow samples. Amplicon sequencing revealed that bacteria were characterized by a higher diversity (883 taxa detected). Results from cultivation as well as ergosterol analyses suggested that surface ice dominated by ice algae and cryoconite holes supported the highest fungal biomass (104-105 CFU/100 ml) and that many fungal taxa recognized as endophytes and plant pathogens were associated with dark ice characterized by a high abundance of ice algae. This paper significantly advances this field of research by investigating for the first time the fungal abundance and diversity associated with algal blooms causing the darkening of the GrIS. There is a strong association between the abundance and diversity of fungal species and the blooming of algae on the surface ice of the Greenland Ice Sheet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Perini
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Cene Gostinčar
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Alexandre Magno Anesio
- Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Christopher Williamson
- Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Martyn Tranter
- Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Nina Gunde-Cimerman
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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24
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Šantl-Temkiv T, Gosewinkel U, Starnawski P, Lever M, Finster K. Aeolian dispersal of bacteria in southwest Greenland: their sources, abundance, diversity and physiological states. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2019; 94:4898009. [PMID: 29481623 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiy031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The Arctic is undergoing dramatic climatic changes that cause profound transformations in its terrestrial ecosystems and consequently in the microbial communities that inhabit them. The assembly of these communities is affected by aeolian deposition. However, the abundance, diversity, sources and activity of airborne microorganisms in the Arctic are poorly understood. We studied bacteria in the atmosphere over southwest Greenland and found that the diversity of bacterial communities correlated positively with air temperature and negatively with relative humidity. The communities consisted of 1.3×103 ± 1.0×103 cells m-3, which were aerosolized from local terrestrial environments or transported from marine, glaciated and terrestrial surfaces over long distances. On average, airborne bacterial cells displayed a high activity potential, reflected in the high 16S rRNA copy number (590 ± 300 rRNA cell-1), that correlated positively with water vapor pressure. We observed that bacterial clades differed in their activity potential. For instance, a high activity potential was seen for Rubrobacteridae and Clostridiales, while a low activity potential was observed for Proteobacteria. Of those bacterial families that harbor ice-nucleation active species, which are known to facilitate freezing and may thus be involved in cloud and rain formation, cells with a high activity potential were rare in air, but were enriched in rain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Šantl-Temkiv
- Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Bioscience, Microbiology Section, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 116, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ulrich Gosewinkel
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Piotr Starnawski
- Centre for Geomicrobiology, Aarhus University, 116 Ny Munkegade, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mark Lever
- Centre for Geomicrobiology, Aarhus University, 116 Ny Munkegade, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark.,ETH Zürich, Department of Environmental Systems Science, Universitätsstrasse 16, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kai Finster
- Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Bioscience, Microbiology Section, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 116, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
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25
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Smith HJ, Dieser M, McKnight DM, SanClements MD, Foreman CM. Relationship between dissolved organic matter quality and microbial community composition across polar glacial environments. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2018; 94:4995909. [DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiy090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- HJ Smith
- Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - M Dieser
- Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - DM McKnight
- INSTAAR, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - MD SanClements
- INSTAAR, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
- National Ecological Observatory Network, Boulder, CO 80301, USA
| | - CM Foreman
- Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
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26
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Rafiq M, Hayat M, Anesio AM, Jamil SUU, Hassan N, Shah AA, Hasan F. Recovery of metallo-tolerant and antibiotic resistant psychrophilic bacteria from Siachen glacier, Pakistan. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0178180. [PMID: 28746396 PMCID: PMC5528264 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0178180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2017] [Accepted: 05/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cultureable bacterial diversity of previously unexplored Siachen glacier, Pakistan, was studied. Out of 50 isolates 33 (66%) were Gram negative and 17 (34%) Gram positive. About half of the isolates were pigment producers and were able to grow at 4-37°C. 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed Gram negative bacteria dominated by Proteobacteria (especially γ-proteobacteria and β-proteobacteria) and Flavobacteria. The genus Pseudomonas (51.51%, 17) was dominant among γ- proteobacteria. β-proteobacteria constituted 4 (12.12%) Alcaligenes and 4 (12.12%) Janthinobacterium strains. Among Gram positive bacteria, phylum Actinobacteria, Rhodococcus (23.52%, 4) and Arthrobacter (23.52%, 4) were the dominating genra. Other bacteria belonged to Phylum Firmicutes with representative genus Carnobacterium (11.76%, 2) and 4 isolates represented 4 genera Bacillus, Lysinibacillus, Staphylococcus and Planomicrobium. Most of the Gram negative bacteria were moderate halophiles, while most of the Gram positives were extreme halophiles and were able to grow up to 6.12 M of NaCl. More than 2/3 of the isolates showed antimicrobial activity against multidrug resistant S. aureus, E. coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Enterococcus faecium, Candida albicans, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus fumigatus and ATCC strains. Gram positive bacteria (94.11%) were more resistant to heavy metals as compared to Gram negative (78.79%) and showed maximum tolerance against iron and least tolerance against mercury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Rafiq
- Department of Microbiology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
- Department of Microbiology, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, Pakistan
- Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Muhammad Hayat
- Department of Microbiology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Alexandre M. Anesio
- Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Syed Umair Ullah Jamil
- Department of Microbiology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Bahria University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Noor Hassan
- Department of Microbiology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Aamer Ali Shah
- Department of Microbiology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Fariha Hasan
- Department of Microbiology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
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27
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Hotaling S, Hood E, Hamilton TL. Microbial ecology of mountain glacier ecosystems: biodiversity, ecological connections and implications of a warming climate. Environ Microbiol 2017; 19:2935-2948. [PMID: 28419666 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Revised: 04/08/2017] [Accepted: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Glacier ecosystems are teeming with life on, beneath, and to a lesser degree, within their icy masses. This conclusion largely stems from polar research, with less attention paid to mountain glaciers that overlap environmentally and ecologically with their polar counterparts in some ways, but diverge in others. One difference lies in the susceptibility of mountain glaciers to the near-term threat of climate change, as they tend to be much smaller in both area and volume. Moreover, mountain glaciers are typically steeper, more dependent upon basal sliding for movement, and experience higher seasonal precipitation. Here, we provide a modern synthesis of the microbial ecology of mountain glacier ecosystems, and particularly those at low- to mid-latitudes. We focus on five ecological zones: the supraglacial surface, englacial interior, subglacial bedrock-ice interface, proglacial streams and glacier forefields. For each, we discuss the role of microbiota in biogeochemical cycling and outline ecological and hydrological connections among zones, underscoring the interconnected nature of these ecosystems. Collectively, we highlight the need to: better document the biodiversity and functional roles of mountain glacier microbiota; describe the ecological implications of rapid glacial retreat under climate change and resolve the relative contributions of ecological zones to broader ecosystem function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Hotaling
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40506, USA
| | - Eran Hood
- Department of Natural Science, University of Alaska Southeast, Juneau, AK, 99801, USA
| | - Trinity L Hamilton
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
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28
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Ambrosini R, Musitelli F, Navarra F, Tagliaferri I, Gandolfi I, Bestetti G, Mayer C, Minora U, Azzoni RS, Diolaiuti G, Smiraglia C, Franzetti A. Diversity and Assembling Processes of Bacterial Communities in Cryoconite Holes of a Karakoram Glacier. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2017; 73:827-837. [PMID: 27999874 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-016-0914-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 12/09/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Cryoconite holes are small ponds that form on the surface of glaciers that contain a dark debris, the cryoconite, at the bottom and host active ecological communities. Differences in the structure of bacterial communities have been documented among Arctic and mountain glaciers, and among glaciers in different areas of the world. In this study, we investigated the structure of bacterial communities of cryoconite holes of Baltoro Glacier, a large (62 km in length and 524 km2 of surface) glacier of the Karakoram, by high-throughput sequencing of the V5-V6 hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA gene. We found that Betaproteobacteria dominated bacterial communities, with large abundance of genera Polaromonas, probably thanks to its highly versatile metabolism, and Limnohabitans, which may have been favoured by the presence of supraglacial lakes in the area where cryoconite holes were sampled. Variation in bacterial communities among different sampling areas of the glacier could be explained by divergent selective processes driven by variation in environmental conditions, particularly pH, which was the only environmental variable that significantly affected the structure of bacterial communities. This variability may be due to both temporal and spatial patterns of variation in environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Ambrosini
- Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Musitelli
- Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Federico Navarra
- Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Ilario Tagliaferri
- Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Isabella Gandolfi
- Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Bestetti
- Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Christoph Mayer
- Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Munich, Germany
| | - Umberto Minora
- "A. Desio" Dept. of Earth Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Claudio Smiraglia
- "A. Desio" Dept. of Earth Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Franzetti
- Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126, Milan, Italy.
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29
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Franzetti A, Navarra F, Tagliaferri I, Gandolfi I, Bestetti G, Minora U, Azzoni RS, Diolaiuti G, Smiraglia C, Ambrosini R. Temporal variability of bacterial communities in cryoconite on an alpine glacier. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2017; 9:71-78. [PMID: 27897429 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2016] [Revised: 11/12/2016] [Accepted: 11/16/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Cryoconite holes, that is, small ponds that form on glacier surface, are considered the most biologically active environments on glaciers. Bacterial communities in these environments have been extensively studied, but often through snapshot studies based on the assumption of a general stability of community structure. In this study, the temporal variation of bacterial communities in cryoconite holes on the Forni Glacier (Italian Alps) was investigated by high throughput DNA sequencing. A temporal change of bacterial communities was observed with autotrophic Cyanobacteria populations dominating communities after snowmelt, and heterotrophic Sphingobacteriales populations increasing in abundance later in the season. Bacterial communities also varied according to hole depth and area, amount of organic matter in the cryoconite and oxygen concentration. However, variation in environmental features explained a lower fraction of the variation in bacterial communities than temporal variation. Temporal change along ablation season seems therefore more important than local environmental conditions in shaping bacterial communities of cryoconite of the Forni Glacier. These findings challenge the assumption that bacterial communities of cryoconite holes are stable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Franzetti
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT) - University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Federico Navarra
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT) - University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Ilario Tagliaferri
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT) - University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Isabella Gandolfi
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT) - University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Bestetti
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT) - University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Umberto Minora
- "A. Desio" Department of Earth Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Roberto Sergio Azzoni
- "A. Desio" Department of Earth Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Guglielmina Diolaiuti
- "A. Desio" Department of Earth Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Claudio Smiraglia
- "A. Desio" Department of Earth Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Roberto Ambrosini
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT) - University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
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30
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Cameron KA, Stibal M, Chrismas N, Box J, Jacobsen CS. Nitrate addition has minimal short-term impacts on greenland ice sheet supraglacial prokaryotes. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2017; 9:144-150. [PMID: 27943630 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Tropospheric nitrate levels are predicted to increase throughout the 21st century, with potential effects on terrestrial ecosystems, including the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS). This study considers the impacts of elevated nitrate concentrations on the abundance and composition of dominant bulk and active prokaryotic communities sampled from in situ nitrate fertilization plots on the GrIS surface. Nitrate concentrations were successfully elevated within sediment-filled meltwater pools, known as cryoconite holes; however, nitrate additions applied to surface ice did not persist. Estimated bulk and active cryoconite community cell abundance was unaltered by nitrate additions when compared to control holes using a quantitative PCR approach, and nitrate was found to have a minimal affect on the dominant 16S rRNA gene-based community composition. Together, these results indicate that sampled cryoconite communities were not nitrate limited at the time of sampling. Instead, temporal changes in biomass and community composition were more pronounced. As these in situ incubations were short (6 weeks), and the community composition across GrIS surface ice is highly variable, we suggest that further efforts should be considered to investigate the potential long-term impacts of increased nitrate across the GrIS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen A Cameron
- Department of Geochemistry, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Institute of Biological, Environmental & Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Penglais, Aberystwyth, SY23 3FL, UK
| | - Marek Stibal
- Department of Geochemistry, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Ecology Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague, 128 43, Czech Republic
| | - Nathan Chrismas
- Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, University Road, Bristol, BS8 1SS, UK
| | - Jason Box
- Department of Glaciology and Climate, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Øster Voldgade 10, Copenhagen, DK-1350, Denmark
| | - Carsten S Jacobsen
- Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, Roskilde, DK-4000, Denmark
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31
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Franzetti A, Navarra F, Tagliaferri I, Gandolfi I, Bestetti G, Minora U, Azzoni RS, Diolaiuti G, Smiraglia C, Ambrosini R. Potential sources of bacteria colonizing the cryoconite of an Alpine glacier. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0174786. [PMID: 28358872 PMCID: PMC5373619 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated the potential contribution of ice-marginal environments to the microbial communities of cryoconite holes, small depressions filled with meltwater that form on the surface of Forni Glacier (Italian Alps). Cryoconite holes are considered the most biologically active environments on glaciers. Bacteria can colonize these environments by short-range transport from ice-marginal environments or by long-range transport from distant areas. We used high throughput DNA sequencing to identify Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) present in cryoconite holes and three ice-marginal environments, the moraines, the glacier forefield, and a large (> 3 m high) ice-cored dirt cone occurring on the glacier surface. Bacterial communities of cryoconite holes were different from those of ice-marginal environments and hosted fewer OTUs. However, a network analysis revealed that the cryoconite holes shared more OTUs with the moraines and the dirt cone than with the glacier forefield. Ice-marginal environments may therefore act as sources of bacteria for cryoconite holes, but differences in environmental conditions limit the number of bacterial strains that may survive in them. At the same time, cryoconite holes host a few OTUs that were not found in any ice-marginal environment we sampled, thus suggesting that some bacterial populations are positively selected by the specific environmental conditions of the cryoconite holes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Franzetti
- Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT) - University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Federico Navarra
- Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT) - University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Ilario Tagliaferri
- Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT) - University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Isabella Gandolfi
- Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT) - University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Bestetti
- Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT) - University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Umberto Minora
- “A. Desio” Dept. of Earth Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | | | | | - Claudio Smiraglia
- “A. Desio” Dept. of Earth Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Roberto Ambrosini
- Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT) - University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
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32
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Lutz S, Anesio AM, Edwards A, Benning LG. Linking microbial diversity and functionality of arctic glacial surface habitats. Environ Microbiol 2016; 19:551-565. [PMID: 27511455 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Distinct microbial habitats on glacial surfaces are dominated by snow and ice algae, which are the critical players and the dominant primary colonisers and net producers during the melt season. Here for the first time we have evaluated the role of these algae in association with the full microbial community composition (i.e., algae, bacteria, archaea) in distinct surface habitats and on 12 glaciers and permanent snow fields in Svalbard and Arctic Sweden. We cross-correlated these data with the analyses of specific metabolites such as fatty acids and pigments, and a full suite of potential critical physico-chemical parameters including major and minor nutrients, and trace metals. It has been shown that correlations between single algal species, metabolites, and specific geochemical parameters can be used to unravel mixed metabolic signals in complex communities, further assign them to single species and infer their functionality. The data also clearly show that the production of metabolites in snow and ice algae is driven mainly by nitrogen and less so by phosphorus limitation. This is especially important for the synthesis of secondary carotenoids, which cause a darkening of glacial surfaces leading to a decrease in surface albedo and eventually higher melting rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Lutz
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Telegrafenberg, Potsdam, 14473, Germany.,Cohen Laboratories, School of Earth & Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Alexandre M Anesio
- Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1SS, UK
| | - Arwyn Edwards
- Institute of Biological, Environmental & Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, SY23 3FL, UK.,Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology, Aberystwyth University, SY23 3FL, UK
| | - Liane G Benning
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Telegrafenberg, Potsdam, 14473, Germany.,Cohen Laboratories, School of Earth & Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
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33
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Gokul JK, Hodson AJ, Saetnan ER, Irvine-Fynn TDL, Westall PJ, Detheridge AP, Takeuchi N, Bussell J, Mur LAJ, Edwards A. Taxon interactions control the distributions of cryoconite bacteria colonizing a High Arctic ice cap. Mol Ecol 2016; 25:3752-67. [PMID: 27261672 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2015] [Revised: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Microbial colonization of glacial ice surfaces incurs feedbacks which affect the melting rate of the ice surface. Ecosystems formed as microbe-mineral aggregates termed cryoconite locally reduce ice surface albedo and represent foci of biodiversity and biogeochemical cycling. Consequently, greater understanding the ecological processes in the formation of functional cryoconite ecosystems upon glacier surfaces is sought. Here, we present the first bacterial biogeography of an ice cap, evaluating the respective roles of dispersal, environmental and biotic filtration occurring at local scales in the assembly of cryoconite microbiota. 16S rRNA gene amplicon semiconductor sequencing of cryoconite colonizing a Svalbard ice cap coupled with digital elevation modelling of physical parameters reveals the bacterial community is dominated by a ubiquitous core of generalist taxa, with evidence for a moderate pairwise distance-decay relationship. While geographic position and melt season duration are prominent among environmental predictors of community structure, the core population of taxa appears highly influential in structuring the bacterial community. Taxon co-occurrence network analysis reveals a highly modular community structured by positive interactions with bottleneck taxa, predominantly Actinobacteria affiliated to isolates from soil humus. In contrast, the filamentous cyanobacterial taxon (assigned to Leptolyngbya/Phormidesmis pristleyi) which dominates the community and binds together granular cryoconite are poorly connected to other taxa. While our study targeted one ice cap, the prominent role of generalist core taxa with close environmental relatives across the global cryosphere indicate discrete roles for cosmopolitan Actinobacteria and Cyanobacteria as respective keystone taxa and ecosystem engineers of cryoconite ecosystems colonizing ice caps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarishma K Gokul
- Institute of Biological, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Cledwyn Building, Aberystwyth, SY23 3DD, UK
| | - Andrew J Hodson
- Department of Geography, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK.,Department of Arctic Geology, University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), Longyearbyen, N-9171, Svalbard, UK
| | - Eli R Saetnan
- Institute of Biological, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Cledwyn Building, Aberystwyth, SY23 3DD, UK
| | - Tristram D L Irvine-Fynn
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Llandinam Building, Aberystwyth, SY23 3DB, UK
| | - Philippa J Westall
- Institute of Biological, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Cledwyn Building, Aberystwyth, SY23 3DD, UK
| | - Andrew P Detheridge
- Institute of Biological, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Cledwyn Building, Aberystwyth, SY23 3DD, UK
| | - Nozomu Takeuchi
- Department of Earth Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Chiba University, 1-33, Yayoicho, Inage-ku, Chiba, 263-8522, Japan
| | - Jennifer Bussell
- Institute of Biological, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Cledwyn Building, Aberystwyth, SY23 3DD, UK.,University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Luis A J Mur
- Institute of Biological, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Cledwyn Building, Aberystwyth, SY23 3DD, UK
| | - Arwyn Edwards
- Institute of Biological, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Cledwyn Building, Aberystwyth, SY23 3DD, UK
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34
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Rime T, Hartmann M, Frey B. Potential sources of microbial colonizers in an initial soil ecosystem after retreat of an alpine glacier. THE ISME JOURNAL 2016; 10:1625-41. [PMID: 26771926 PMCID: PMC4918445 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2015.238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2015] [Revised: 10/09/2015] [Accepted: 11/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Rapid disintegration of alpine glaciers has led to the formation of new terrain consisting of mineral debris colonized by microorganisms. Despite the importance of microbial pioneers in triggering the formation of terrestrial ecosystems, their sources (endogenous versus exogenous) and identities remain elusive. We used 454-pyrosequencing to characterize the bacterial and fungal communities in endogenous glacier habitats (ice, sub-, supraglacial sediments and glacier stream leaving the glacier forefront) and in atmospheric deposition (snow, rain and aeolian dust). We compared these microbial communities with those occurring in recently deglaciated barren soils before and after snow melt (snow-covered soil and barren soil). Atmospheric bacteria and fungi were dominated by plant-epiphytic organisms and differed from endogenous glacier habitats and soils indicating that atmospheric input of microorganisms is not a major source of microbial pioneers in newly formed soils. We found, however, that bacterial communities in newly exposed soils resembled those of endogenous habitats, which suggests that bacterial pioneers originating from sub- and supraglacial sediments contributed to the colonization of newly exposed soils. Conversely, fungal communities differed between habitats suggesting a lower dispersal capability than bacteria. Yeasts putatively adapted to cold habitats characteristic of snow and supraglacial sediments were similar, despite the fact that these habitats were not spatially connected. These findings suggest that environmental filtering selects particular fungi in cold habitats. Atmospheric deposition provided important sources of dissolved organic C, nitrate and ammonium. Overall, microbial colonizers triggering soil development in alpine environments mainly originate from endogenous glacier habitats, whereas atmospheric deposition contributes to the establishment of microbial communities by providing sources of C and N.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Rime
- Rhizosphere Processes Group, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Martin Hartmann
- Rhizosphere Processes Group, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Beat Frey
- Rhizosphere Processes Group, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
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35
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Cook JM, Edwards A, Bulling M, Mur LAJ, Cook S, Gokul JK, Cameron KA, Sweet M, Irvine-Fynn TDL. Metabolome-mediated biocryomorphic evolution promotes carbon fixation in Greenlandic cryoconite holes. Environ Microbiol 2016; 18:4674-4686. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M. Cook
- Department of Geography; University of Sheffield; Sheffield S10 2TN UK
- Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, College of Life and Natural Sciences; University of Derby; Derby DE22 1GB UK
| | - Arwyn Edwards
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University; Aberystwyth SY23 3DA UK
| | - Mark Bulling
- Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, College of Life and Natural Sciences; University of Derby; Derby DE22 1GB UK
| | - Luis A. J. Mur
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University; Aberystwyth SY23 3DA UK
| | - Sophie Cook
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University; Aberystwyth SY23 3DA UK
| | - Jarishma K. Gokul
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University; Aberystwyth SY23 3DA UK
| | - Karen A. Cameron
- Department of Geochemistry; Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS); Copenhagen 1350 Denmark
- Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen; Copenhagen 1350 Denmark
| | - Michael Sweet
- Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, College of Life and Natural Sciences; University of Derby; Derby DE22 1GB UK
| | - Tristram D. L. Irvine-Fynn
- Centre for Glaciology, Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University; Aberystwyth SY 23 3DB UK
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36
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The biogeography of red snow microbiomes and their role in melting arctic glaciers. Nat Commun 2016; 7:11968. [PMID: 27329445 PMCID: PMC4917964 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2015] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The Arctic is melting at an unprecedented rate and key drivers are changes in snow
and ice albedo. Here we show that red snow, a common algal habitat blooming after
the onset of melting, plays a crucial role in decreasing albedo. Our data reveal
that red pigmented snow algae are cosmopolitan as well as independent of
location-specific geochemical and mineralogical factors. The patterns for snow algal
diversity, pigmentation and, consequently albedo, are ubiquitous across the Arctic
and the reduction in albedo accelerates snow melt and increases the time and area of
exposed bare ice. We estimated that the overall decrease in snow albedo by red
pigmented snow algal blooms over the course of one melt season can be
13%. This will invariably result in higher melt rates. We argue that such
a ‘bio-albedo' effect has to be considered in climate
models. The Arctic is melting at an unprecedented rate and key drivers are
changes in snow and ice albedo. Here, the authors show that red pigmented snow algae
play a crucial role in decreasing surface albedo and their patterns for diversity,
pigmentation, and consequently albedo, are ubiquitous across the Arctic.
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37
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Cameron KA, Stibal M, Zarsky JD, Gözdereliler E, Schostag M, Jacobsen CS. Supraglacial bacterial community structures vary across the Greenland ice sheet. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2015; 92:fiv164. [PMID: 26691594 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiv164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The composition and spatial variability of microbial communities that reside within the extensive (>200 000 km(2)) biologically active area encompassing the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) is hypothesized to be variable. We examined bacterial communities from cryoconite debris and surface ice across the GrIS, using sequence analysis and quantitative PCR of 16S rRNA genes from co-extracted DNA and RNA. Communities were found to differ across the ice sheet, with 82.8% of the total calculated variation attributed to spatial distribution on a scale of tens of kilometers separation. Amplicons related to Sphingobacteriaceae, Pseudanabaenaceae and WPS-2 accounted for the greatest portion of calculated dissimilarities. The bacterial communities of ice and cryoconite were moderately similar (global R = 0.360, P = 0.002) and the sampled surface type (ice versus cryoconite) did not contribute heavily towards community dissimilarities (2.3% of total variability calculated). The majority of dissimilarities found between cryoconite 16S rRNA gene amplicons from DNA and RNA was calculated to be the result of changes in three taxa, Pseudanabaenaceae, Sphingobacteriaceae and WPS-2, which together contributed towards 80.8 ± 12.6% of dissimilarities between samples. Bacterial communities across the GrIS are spatially variable active communities that are likely influenced by localized biological inputs and physicochemical conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen A Cameron
- Department of Geochemistry, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marek Stibal
- Department of Geochemistry, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark Department of Ecology, Charles University in Prague, 128 43 Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub D Zarsky
- Department of Ecology, Charles University in Prague, 128 43 Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | - Erkin Gözdereliler
- Department of Geochemistry, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Morten Schostag
- Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Carsten S Jacobsen
- Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
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38
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Boetius A, Anesio AM, Deming JW, Mikucki JA, Rapp JZ. Microbial ecology of the cryosphere: sea ice and glacial habitats. Nat Rev Microbiol 2015; 13:677-90. [PMID: 26344407 DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro3522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 206] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The Earth's cryosphere comprises those regions that are cold enough for water to turn into ice. Recent findings show that the icy realms of polar oceans, glaciers and ice sheets are inhabited by microorganisms of all three domains of life, and that temperatures below 0 °C are an integral force in the diversification of microbial life. Cold-adapted microorganisms maintain key ecological functions in icy habitats: where sunlight penetrates the ice, photoautotrophy is the basis for complex food webs, whereas in dark subglacial habitats, chemoautotrophy reigns. This Review summarizes current knowledge of the microbial ecology of frozen waters, including the diversity of niches, the composition of microbial communities at these sites and their biogeochemical activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antje Boetius
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstraße 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Alexandre M Anesio
- Bristol Glaciology Center, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, BS8 1SS, UK
| | - Jody W Deming
- School of Oceanography, Box 357940, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Jill A Mikucki
- Department of Biology, 276 Bicentennial Way, Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont 05753, USA
| | - Josephine Z Rapp
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstraße 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany
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