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Davis SN, Klumker SM, Mitchell AA, Coppage MA, Labonté JM, Quigg A. Life in the PFAS lane: The impact of perfluoroalkyl substances on photosynthesis, cellular exudates, nutrient cycling, and composition of a marine microbial community. Sci Total Environ 2024; 927:171977. [PMID: 38547969 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are of great ecological concern, however, exploration of their impact on bacteria-phytoplankton consortia is limited. This study employed a bioassay approach to investigate the effect of unary exposures of increasing concentrations of PFAS (perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate (6:2 FTS)) on microbial communities from the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Each community was examined for changes in growth and photophysiology, exudate production and shifts in community structure (16S and 18S rRNA genes). 6:2 FTS did not alter the growth or health of phytoplankton communities, as there were no changes relative to the controls (no PFOS added). On the other hand, PFOS elicited significant phototoxicity (p < 0.05), altering PSII antennae size, lowering PSII connectivity, and decreasing photosynthetic efficiency over the incubation (four days). PFOS induced a cellular protective response, indicated by significant increases (p < 0.001) in the release of transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) compared to the control. Eukaryotic communities (18S rRNA gene) changed substantially (p < 0.05) and to a greater extent than prokaryotic communities (16S rRNA gene) in PFOS treatments. Community shifts were concentration-dependent for eukaryotes, with the low treatment (5 mg/L PFOS) dominated by Coscinodiscophyceae (40 %), and the high treatment (30 mg/L PFOS) marked by a Trebouxiophyceae (50 %) dominance. Prokaryotic community shifts were not concentration dependent, as both treatment levels became depleted in Cyanobacteriia and were dominated by members of the Bacteroidia, Gammaproteobacteria, and Alphaproteobacteria classes. Further, PFOS significantly decreased (p < 0.05) the Shannon diversity and Pielou's evenness across treatments for eukaryotes, and in the low treatment (5 mg/L PFOS) for prokaryotes. These findings show that photophysiology was not impacted by 6:2 FTS but PFOS elicited toxicity that impacted photosynthesis, exudate release, and community composition. This research is crucial in understanding how PFOS impacts microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah N Davis
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, 200 Seawolf Parkway, Galveston, TX 77553, USA.
| | - Shaley M Klumker
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, 200 Seawolf Parkway, Galveston, TX 77553, USA
| | - Alexis A Mitchell
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, 200 Seawolf Parkway, Galveston, TX 77553, USA
| | - Marshall A Coppage
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, 715 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Jessica M Labonté
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, 200 Seawolf Parkway, Galveston, TX 77553, USA
| | - Antonietta Quigg
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, 200 Seawolf Parkway, Galveston, TX 77553, USA; Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, 3146 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843, USA; Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, 534 John Kimbrough Boulevard, College Station, TX 77843, USA
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Pattarach K, Surachat K, Liu SL, Mayakun J. Water depth outweighs reef condition in shaping non-geniculate coralline algae-associated microbial communities in coral reefs: A case study from Thailand. Heliyon 2024; 10:e25486. [PMID: 38356583 PMCID: PMC10864967 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Red calcified non-geniculate coralline algae (NGCA) provide habitat structures, stabilize reef structures, and foster coral larval settlement and metamorphosis. Moreover, the microbes associated with NGCA are dependent on the NGCA host species and are affected by environmental factors; however, little is known about the influence of reef conditions and depth gradients on the associated microbial communities and NGCA. In this study, we collected NGCA under different reef conditions and depth gradients and characterized the microbial communities using the V3-V4 hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA gene. Metagenomic analysis revealed 2 domains, 51 phyla, 123 classes, and 210 genera. The NGCA-associated bacterial communities were dominated by Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Actinobacteria, and Acidobacteriota. Gammaproteobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria were the most abundant bacterial classes. Differences in microbial diversity and richness were not apparent between reef conditions and depth gradients. However, there was a significant difference in bacterial evenness among the depth gradients. The bacterial abundance associated with NGCA was greater in deep zones than in shallow zones. The shallow zone exhibited a greater relative abundance of all gene functions than the deep zone, indicating differences in the distribution of gene functions. This study showed that the microbial communities associated with red calcified NGCA are diverse, and that the depth gradient affects their abundance and evenness, highlighting the need for further research to understand the functional roles of these microbial communities in coral reef conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kattika Pattarach
- Division of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand
| | - Komwit Surachat
- Department of Biomedical Science & Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand
| | - Shao-Lun Liu
- Department of Life Science & Center for Ecology and Environment, Tunghai University, Taichung, 40704, Taiwan
| | - Jaruwan Mayakun
- Division of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand
- Molecular Evolution and Computational Biology Research Unit, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand
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Liu X, Zhang Y, Sun H, Tan S, Zhang XH. Highly active bacterial DMSP metabolism in the surface microlayer of the eastern China marginal seas. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1135083. [PMID: 37032870 PMCID: PMC10076866 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1135083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The microbial cycling of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) and the resulting gaseous catabolites dimethylsulfide (DMS) or methylmercaptan (MeSH) play key roles in the global sulfur cycle and potentially climate regulation. As the ocean-atmosphere boundary, the sea surface microlayer (SML) is important for the generation and emission of DMS and MeSH. However, understanding of the microbial DMSP metabolism remains limited in the SML. Here, we studied the spatiotemporal differences for DMS/DMSP, bacterial community structure and the key bacterial DMSP metabolic genes between SML and subsurface seawater (SSW) samples in the eastern China marginal seas (the East China Sea and Yellow Sea). In general, DMSPd and DMSPt concentrations, and the abundance of total, free-living and particle-associated bacteria were higher in SML than that in SSW. DMSP synthesis (~7.81-fold for dsyB, ~2.93-fold for mmtN) and degradation genes (~5.38-fold for dmdA, ~6.27-fold for dddP) detected in SML were more abundant compared with SSW samples. Free-living bacteria were the main DMSP producers and consumers in eastern Chinese marginal sea. Regionally, the bacterial community structure was distinct between the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea. The abundance of DMSP metabolic genes (dsyB, dmdA, and dddP) and genera in the East China Sea were higher than those of the Yellow Sea. Seasonally, DMSP/DMS level and DMSP metabolic genes and bacteria were more abundant in SML of the East China Sea in summer than in spring. Different from those in spring, Ruegeria was the dominant DMSP metabolic bacteria. In conclusion, the DMSP synthesis and degradation showed significant spatiotemporal differences in the SML of the eastern China marginal seas, and were consistently more active in the SML than in the SSW.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiujie Liu
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Yunhui Zhang
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Laoshan Laboratory, Qingdao, China
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Hao Sun
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Siyin Tan
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiao-Hua Zhang
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Laoshan Laboratory, Qingdao, China
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- *Correspondence: Xiao-Hua Zhang,
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Čanković M, Dutour-Sikirić M, Radić ID, Ciglenečki I. Bacterioneuston and Bacterioplankton Structure and Abundance in Two Trophically Distinct Marine Environments - a Marine Lake and the Adjacent Coastal Site on the Adriatic Sea. Microb Ecol 2022; 84:996-1010. [PMID: 34817641 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-021-01934-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Marine surface microlayer (SML) is a large and extreme marine environment with an important role in biogeochemical cycling and climate regulation. We explored the seasonal structure and abundance of bacterial assemblages in SML (bacterioneuston) and underlying water layer (ULW) (bacterioplankton) in eutrophic marine Rogoznica Lake and more oligotrophic coastal area of the adjacent Adriatic Sea. SML and ULW in each site were similar in pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen, oxygen saturation, and temperature. Rogoznica Lake was colder in winter and warmer in summer compared to the Adriatic Sea. Regarding nutrients, SML and ULW were notably different environments. SML was consistently enriched in nitrate, nitrite, orthophosphate, and total organic carbon than ULW in both investigated environments. Except in spring in Rogoznica Lake, bacterial abundance in SML was also significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in ULW. Both layers and sites show prominent seasonal variability. High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing of DNA and cDNA revealed a considerable difference in bacterial assemblage structure, although study sites were < 200 m apart. Heterotrophs were predominant in both layers with pronounced spatial and temporal structural differences, except in autumn in Rogoznica Lake when, autotrophs became the dominant fraction under oxygen-deprived conditions. All these variations were driven by in situ conditions, the most important ones being total organic carbon and temperature (and additionally dissolved oxygen in Rogoznica Lake). This is especially important in terms of ongoing eutrophication, warming and deoxygenation, noticed not only in the Adriatic Sea and Rogoznica Lake but globally as well. Therefore, further structural and physiological changes in bacterioneuston and bacterioplankton assemblages can be expected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milan Čanković
- Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, 10 000, Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Mathieu Dutour-Sikirić
- Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, 10 000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Iris Dupčić Radić
- Institute for Marine and Coastal Research, Ul. kneza Damjana Jude 12, 20 000, Dubrovnik, Croatia
| | - Irena Ciglenečki
- Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, 10 000, Zagreb, Croatia
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Sun P, Wang Y, Huang X, Huang B, Wang L. Water masses and their associated temperature and cross-domain biotic factors co-shape upwelling microbial communities. Water Res 2022; 215:118274. [PMID: 35298994 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Disentangling the drivers and mechanisms that shape microbial communities in a river-influenced coastal upwelling system requires considering a hydrologic dimension that can drive both deterministic and stochastic community assembly by generating hydrological heterogeneity and dispersal events. Additionally, ubiquitous and complex microbial interactions can play a significant role in community structuring. However, how the hydrology, biotic, and abiotic factors collectively shape microbial distribution in the hydrologically complicated river plume-upwelling coupling system remains unknown. Through underway sampling and daily observations, we employed 16S and 18S ribosomal RNA sequencing to disentangle drivers and mechanisms shaping the protist-bacteria microbiota in a river-influenced coastal upwelling system. Our findings indicate that the composition of microbial communities was water mass specific. Collectively, water mass, local water chemistry (mostly temperature) and biotic interaction (mostly cross-domain biotic interaction) shaped the protistan-bacterial communities. In comparison to protists, bacteria were more influenced by abiotic factors such as temperature than by cross-domain biotic factors, implying a stronger coupling of geochemical cycles. Both deterministic and stochastic processes had an effect on the distribution of microbial communities, but deterministic processes were more important for bacteria and were especially pronounced for upwelling communities. The co-occurrence network revealed strong associations between the protistan assemblages Orchrophyta and Ciliophora and the bacterial assemblages Alphaproteobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes, which may reflect predation and mutualism interactions. Overall, this study emphasizes the importance of taking water masses, temperature and domains of life into account when seeking to understand the drivers and assemblies of protist-bacteria microbiome dynamics in coastal upwelling systems, which is especially true given the complex and dynamic nature of the coastal ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Sun
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystem, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China; Fujian Province Key Laboratory for Coastal Ecology and Environmental Studies, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China.
| | - Ying Wang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystem, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Xin Huang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystem, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Bangqin Huang
- Fujian Province Key Laboratory for Coastal Ecology and Environmental Studies, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
| | - Lei Wang
- Fujian Province Key Laboratory for Coastal Ecology and Environmental Studies, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
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Stabnikova O, Stabnikov V, Marinin A, Klavins M, Klavins L, Vaseashta A. Microbial Life on the Surface of Microplastics in Natural Waters. Applied Sciences 2021; 11:11692. [DOI: 10.3390/app112411692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Major water-polluting microplastics (for example, polyethylene, polypropylene and others) have lower density than water. Therefore, they are concentrated in the neustonic layer near the water-air interface altogether with dissolved or colloidal natural organic matter, hydrophobic cells and spores of bacteria. This can cause environmental and public health problems because the floating micro- and nanoparticles of plastics could be coated with biofilm of hydrophobic and often putative pathogenic bacteria. Biofilm-coated microplastics are more attractive for consumption by aquatic animals than pure microplastics, and that increases the negative impacts of microplastics. So, impacts of even small quantities of microplastics in aquatic environments must be accounted for considering their accumulation in the micro-layer of water-air interphase and its interaction with bacterioneuston. Microorganisms attached to the surface of microplastic particles could interact with them, use them as substrates for growth, to change properties and biodegrade. The study of microbial life on the surface of microplastic particles is one of the key topics to understanding their role in the environment.
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Martinez-Varela A, Casas G, Piña B, Dachs J, Vila-Costa M. Large Enrichment of Anthropogenic Organic Matter Degrading Bacteria in the Sea-Surface Microlayer at Coastal Livingston Island (Antarctica). Front Microbiol 2020; 11:571983. [PMID: 33013806 PMCID: PMC7516020 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.571983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The composition of bacteria inhabiting the sea-surface microlayer (SML) is poorly characterized globally and yet undescribed for the Southern Ocean, despite their relevance for the biogeochemistry of the surface ocean. We report the abundances and diversity of bacteria inhabiting the SML and the subsurface waters (SSL) determined from a unique sample set from a polar coastal ecosystem (Livingston Island, Antarctica). From early to late austral summer (January–March 2018), we consistently found a higher abundance of bacteria in the SML than in the SSL. The SML was enriched in some Gammaproteobacteria genus such as Pseudoalteromonas, Pseudomonas, and Colwellia, known to degrade a wide range of semivolatile, hydrophobic, and surfactant-like organic pollutants. Hydrocarbons and other synthetic chemicals including surfactants, such as perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), reach remote marine environments by atmospheric transport and deposition and by oceanic currents, and are known to accumulate in the SML. Relative abundances of specific SML-enriched bacterial groups were significantly correlated to concentrations of PFASs, taken as a proxy of hydrophobic anthropogenic pollutants present in the SML and its stability. Our observations provide evidence for an important pollutant-bacteria interaction in the marine SML. Given that pollutant emissions have increased during the Anthropocene, our results point to the need to assess chemical pollution as a factor modulating marine microbiomes in the contemporaneous and future oceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alícia Martinez-Varela
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institut de Diagnóstic Ambiental i Estudis de l'aigua, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IDAEA-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gemma Casas
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institut de Diagnóstic Ambiental i Estudis de l'aigua, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IDAEA-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Benjamin Piña
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institut de Diagnóstic Ambiental i Estudis de l'aigua, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IDAEA-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Dachs
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institut de Diagnóstic Ambiental i Estudis de l'aigua, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IDAEA-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Vila-Costa
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institut de Diagnóstic Ambiental i Estudis de l'aigua, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IDAEA-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
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Sun H, Zhang Y, Tan S, Zheng Y, Zhou S, Ma QY, Yang GP, Todd JD, Zhang XH. DMSP-Producing Bacteria Are More Abundant in the Surface Microlayer than Subsurface Seawater of the East China Sea. Microb Ecol 2020; 80:350-365. [PMID: 32335713 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-020-01507-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Microbial production and catabolism of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), generating the climatically active gases dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and methanethiol (MeSH), have key roles in global carbon and sulfur cycling, chemotaxis, and atmospheric chemistry. Microorganisms in the sea surface microlayer (SML), the interface between seawater and atmosphere, likely play an important role in the generation of DMS and MeSH and their exchange to the atmosphere, but little is known about these SML microorganisms. Here, we investigated the differences between bacterial community structure and the distribution and transcription profiles of the key bacterial DMSP synthesis (dsyB and mmtN) and catabolic (dmdA and dddP) genes in East China Sea SML and subsurface seawater (SSW) samples. Per equivalent volume, bacteria were far more abundant (~ 7.5-fold) in SML than SSW, as were those genera predicted to produce DMSP. Indeed, dsyB (~ 7-fold) and mmtN (~ 4-fold), robust reporters for bacterial DMSP production, were also far more abundant in SML than SSW. In addition, the SML had higher dsyB transcripts (~ 3-fold) than SSW samples, which may contribute to the significantly higher DMSP level observed in SML compared with SSW. Furthermore, the abundance of bacteria with dmdA and their transcription were higher in SML than SSW samples. Bacteria with dddP and transcripts were also prominent, but less than dmdA and presented at similar levels in both layers. These data indicate that the SML might be an important hotspot for bacterial DMSP production as well as generating the climatically active gases DMS and MeSH, a portion of which are likely transferred to the atmosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Sun
- College of Marine Life Sciences, and Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
- Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Yunhui Zhang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, and Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Siyin Tan
- College of Marine Life Sciences, and Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Yanfen Zheng
- College of Marine Life Sciences, and Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Shun Zhou
- College of Marine Life Sciences, and Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Qian-Yao Ma
- Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education/Institute for Advanced Ocean Study, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China
| | - Gui-Peng Yang
- Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237, China
- Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education/Institute for Advanced Ocean Study, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China
- Institute of Marine Chemistry, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China
| | - Jonathan D Todd
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK.
| | - Xiao-Hua Zhang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, and Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.
- Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237, China.
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China.
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Abstract
The family Cryomorphaceae for many years has been a poorly defined taxonomic group within the order Flavobacteriales, phylum Bacteroidetes. Members of the Cryomorphaceae, apparently consisting of multiple-family level clades, have been mostly but not exclusively detected in saline ecosystems. The problems with the taxonomy of this group have stemmed from inadequate resolution of taxonomic groups using 16S rRNA gene sequences, sparse numbers of cultivated taxa, and limited phenotypic distinctiveness. The Genome Tiaxonomc Database (GTDB), which is based on normalized taxonomic ranks includes Cryomorphaceae as containing the genera Owenweeksia and Schleiferia. This is at odds with the official taxonomy that places these genera in the family Schleiferiaceae. The other Cryomorphaceae affiliated species have even more uncertain taxonomic positions including Cryomorpha ignava. To clarify the taxonomy of Cryomorphaceae, genomes were generated for all type strains of the family Cryomorphaceae lacking such data. The GTDB-toolkit (GTDB-tk) was used to place taxa in the GTDB, which revealed novelty at the family level for some of these type strains. 16S rRNA gene sequences and concatenated protein sequences were used to further evaluate the taxonomy of the order Flavobacteriales. From the data, the GTDB enabled successful clarification of the taxonomy of the family Cryomorphaceae. A number of placeholder families were given Latinized names. It is proposed that the family Cryomorphaceae is emended to include only the species Cryomorpha ignava. The family Schleiferiaceae is emended to account for the expansion of its membership. Luteibaculum oceani represents a new family designated Luteibaculaceae fam. nov. Vicingus serpentipes is the representative of Vicingaceae fam. nov. while Salibacter halophilus represents Salibacteraceae fam. nov.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P Bowman
- Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
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Abstract
Biofilms are a form of collective life with emergent properties that confer many advantages on their inhabitants, and they represent a much higher level of organization than single cells do. However, to date, no global analysis on biofilm abundance exists. We offer a critical discussion of the definition of biofilms and compile current estimates of global cell numbers in major microbial habitats, mindful of the associated uncertainty. Most bacteria and archaea on Earth (1.2 × 1030 cells) exist in the 'big five' habitats: deep oceanic subsurface (4 × 1029), upper oceanic sediment (5 × 1028), deep continental subsurface (3 × 1029), soil (3 × 1029) and oceans (1 × 1029). The remaining habitats, including groundwater, the atmosphere, the ocean surface microlayer, humans, animals and the phyllosphere, account for fewer cells by orders of magnitude. Biofilms dominate in all habitats on the surface of the Earth, except in the oceans, accounting for ~80% of bacterial and archaeal cells. In the deep subsurface, however, they cannot always be distinguished from single sessile cells; we estimate that 20-80% of cells in the subsurface exist as biofilms. Hence, overall, 40-80% of cells on Earth reside in biofilms. We conclude that biofilms drive all biogeochemical processes and represent the main way of active bacterial and archaeal life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans-Curt Flemming
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE), Singapore, Singapore. .,Biofilm Centre, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
| | - Stefan Wuertz
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE), Singapore, Singapore. .,School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
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