| 1. |
- Abreu, A., et al.
(författare)
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Priorities for ocean microbiome research
- 2022
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Ingår i: Nature Microbiology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2058-5276. ; 7:7, s. 937-947
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Studying the ocean microbiome can inform international policies related to ocean governance, tackling climate change, ocean acidification and pollution, and can help promote achievement of multiple Sustainable Development Goals. Microbial communities have essential roles in ocean ecology and planetary health. Microbes participate in nutrient cycles, remove huge quantities of carbon dioxide from the air and support ocean food webs. The taxonomic and functional diversity of the global ocean microbiome has been revealed by technological advances in sampling, DNA sequencing and bioinformatics. A better understanding of the ocean microbiome could underpin strategies to address environmental and societal challenges, including achievement of multiple Sustainable Development Goals way beyond SDG 14 'life below water'. We propose a set of priorities for understanding and protecting the ocean microbiome, which include delineating interactions between microbiota, sustainably applying resources from oceanic microorganisms and creating policy- and funder-friendly ocean education resources, and discuss how to achieve these ambitious goals.
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| 2. |
- Bahram, Mohammad
(författare)
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Life history strategies of soil bacterial communities across global terrestrial biomes
- 2023
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Ingår i: Nature microbiology. - 2058-5276. ; 8, s. 2093-2102
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The life history strategies of soil microbes determine their metabolic potential and their response to environmental changes. Yet these strategies remain poorly understood. Here we use shotgun metagenomes from terrestrial biomes to characterize overarching covariations of the genomic traits that capture dominant life history strategies in bacterial communities. The emerging patterns show a triangle of life history strategies shaped by two trait dimensions, supporting previous theoretical and isolate-based studies. The first dimension ranges from streamlined genomes with simple metabolisms to larger genomes and expanded metabolic capacities. As metabolic capacities expand, bacterial communities increasingly differentiate along a second dimension that reflects a trade-off between increasing capacities for environmental responsiveness or for nutrient recycling. Random forest analyses show that soil pH, C:N ratio and precipitation patterns together drive the dominant life history strategy of soil bacterial communities and their biogeographic distribution. Our findings provide a trait-based framework to compare life history strategies of soil bacteria.Analysis of metagenomes from across the globe reveals the spectrum of soil microbial functional diversity based on community aggregated traits.
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| 3. |
- Baker, Brett J., et al.
(författare)
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Genomic inference of the metabolism of cosmopolitan subsurface Archaea, Hadesarchaea
- 2016
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Ingår i: Nature Microbiology. - 2058-5276. ; 1:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The subsurface biosphere is largely unexplored and contains a broad diversity of uncultured microbes(1). Despite being one of the few prokaryotic lineages that is cosmopolitan in both the terrestrial and marine subsurface(2-4), the physiological and ecological roles of SAGMEG (South-African Gold Mine Miscellaneous Euryarchaeal Group) Archaea are unknown. Here, we report the metabolic capabilities of this enigmatic group as inferred from genomic reconstructions. Four high-quality (63-90% complete) genomes were obtained from White Oak River estuary and Yellowstone National Park hot spring sediment metagenomes. Phylogenomic analyses place SAGMEG Archaea as a deeply rooting sister clade of the Thermococci, leading us to propose the name Hadesarchaea for this new Archaeal class. With an estimated genome size of around 1.5 Mbp, the genomes of Hadesarchaea are distinctly streamlined, yet metabolically versatile. They share several physiological mechanisms with strict anaerobic Euryarchaeota. Several metabolic characteristics make them successful in the subsurface, including genes involved in CO and H-2 oxidation (or H-2 production), with potential coupling to nitrite reduction to ammonia (DNRA). This first glimpse into the metabolic capabilities of these cosmopolitan Archaea suggests they are mediating key geochemical processes and are specialized for survival in the subsurface biosphere.
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| 4. |
- Barandun, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
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Evolutionary compaction and adaptation visualized by the structure of the dormant microsporidian ribosome
- 2019
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Ingår i: Nature Microbiology. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 2058-5276. ; 4:11, s. 1798-1804
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Microsporidia are eukaryotic parasites that infect essentially all animal species, including many of agricultural importance(1-3), and are significant opportunistic parasites of humane. They are characterized by having a specialized infection apparatus, an obligate intracellular lifestyles(5), rudimentary mitochondria and the smallest known eukaryotic genomess(5-7). Extreme genome compaction led to minimal gene sizes affecting even conserved ancient complexes such as the ribosomes(8-10). In the present study, the cryo-electron microscopy structure of the ribosome from the microsporidium Vairimorpha necatrix is presented, which illustrates how genome compaction has resulted in the smallest known eukaryotic cytoplasmic ribosome. Selection pressure led to the loss of two ribosomal proteins and removal of essentially all eukaryote-specific ribosomal RNA (rRNA) expansion segments, reducing the rRNA to a functionally conserved core. The structure highlights how one microsporidia-specific and several repurposed existing ribosomal proteins compensate for the extensive rRNA reduction. The microsporidian ribosome is kept in an inactive state by two previously uncharacterized dormancy factors that specifically target the functionally important E-site, P-site and polypeptide exit tunnel. The present study illustrates the distinct effects of evolutionary pressure on RNA and proteincoding genes, provides a mechanism for ribosome inhibition and can serve as a structural basis for the development of inhibitors against microsporidian parasites.
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| 5. |
- Beale, M. A., et al.
(författare)
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Global phylogeny of Treponema pallidum lineages reveals recent expansion and spread of contemporary syphilis
- 2021
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Ingår i: Nature Microbiology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2058-5276. ; 6:12, s. 1549-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Syphilis, which is caused by the sexually transmitted bacterium Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum, has an estimated 6.3 million cases worldwide per annum. In the past ten years, the incidence of syphilis has increased by more than 150% in some high-income countries, but the evolution and epidemiology of the epidemic are poorly understood. To characterize the global population structure of T. pallidum, we assembled a geographically and temporally diverse collection of 726 genomes from 626 clinical and 100 laboratory samples collected in 23 countries. We applied phylogenetic analyses and clustering, and found that the global syphilis population comprises just two deeply branching lineages, Nichols and SS14. Both lineages are currently circulating in 12 of the 23 countries sampled. We subdivided T. p.pallidum into 17 distinct sublineages to provide further phylodynamic resolution. Importantly, two Nichols sublineages have expanded clonally across 9 countries contemporaneously with SS14. Moreover, pairwise genome analyses revealed examples of isolates collected within the last 20 years from 14 different countries that had genetically identical core genomes, which might indicate frequent exchange through international transmission. It is striking that most samples collected before 1983 are phylogenetically distinct from more recently isolated sublineages. Using Bayesian temporal analysis, we detected a population bottleneck occurring during the late 1990s, followed by rapid population expansion in the 2000s that was driven by the dominant T. pallidum sublineages circulating today. This expansion may be linked to changing epidemiology, immune evasion or fitness under antimicrobial selection pressure, since many of the contemporary syphilis lineages we have characterized are resistant to macrolides. Global syphilis prevalence has been increasing. Sequencing and analysis of a global collection of 726 Treponema pallidum samples reveal globally circulating lineages linked to a rapid expansion occurring since the end of the twentieth century.
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| 6. |
- Becher, Paul G., et al.
(författare)
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Developmentally regulated volatiles geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol attract a soil arthropod to Streptomyces bacteria promoting spore dispersal
- 2020
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Ingår i: Nature Microbiology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2058-5276.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Volatile compounds emitted by bacteria are often sensed by other organisms as odours, but their ecological roles are poorly understood1,2. Well-known examples are the soil-smelling terpenoids geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB)3,4, which humans and various animals sense at extremely low concentrations5,6. The conservation of geosmin biosynthesis genes among virtually all species of Streptomyces bacteria (and genes for the biosynthesis of 2-MIB in about 50%)7,8, suggests that the volatiles provide a selective advantage for these soil microbes. We show, in the present study, that these volatiles mediate interactions of apparent mutual benefit between streptomycetes and springtails (Collembola). In field experiments, springtails were attracted to odours emitted by Streptomyces colonies. Geosmin and 2-MIB in these odours induce electrophysiological responses in the antennae of the model springtail Folsomia candida, which is also attracted to both compounds. Moreover, the genes for geosmin and 2-MIB synthases are under the direct control of sporulation-specific transcription factors, constraining emission of the odorants to sporulating colonies. F. candida feeds on the Streptomyces colonies and disseminates spores both via faecal pellets and through adherence to its hydrophobic cuticle. The results indicate that geosmin and 2-MIB production is an integral part of the sporulation process, completing the Streptomyces life cycle by facilitating dispersal of spores by soil arthropods.
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| 7. |
- Blasche, Sonja, et al.
(författare)
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Metabolic cooperation and spatiotemporal niche partitioning in a kefir microbial community
- 2021
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Ingår i: Nature Microbiology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2058-5276. ; 6:2, s. 196-208
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Microbial communities often undergo intricate compositional changes yet also maintain stable coexistence of diverse species. The mechanisms underlying long-term coexistence remain unclear as system-wide studies have been largely limited to engineered communities, ex situ adapted cultures or synthetic assemblies. Here, we show how kefir, a natural milk-fermenting community of prokaryotes (predominantly lactic and acetic acid bacteria) and yeasts (family Saccharomycetaceae), realizes stable coexistence through spatiotemporal orchestration of species and metabolite dynamics. During milk fermentation, kefir grains (a polysaccharide matrix synthesized by kefir microorganisms) grow in mass but remain unchanged in composition. In contrast, the milk is colonized in a sequential manner in which early members open the niche for the followers by making available metabolites such as amino acids and lactate. Through metabolomics, transcriptomics and large-scale mapping of inter-species interactions, we show how microorganisms poorly suited for milk survive in—and even dominate—the community, through metabolic cooperation and uneven partitioning between grain and milk. Overall, our findings reveal how inter-species interactions partitioned in space and time lead to stable coexistence.
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| 8. |
- Boldock, Emma, et al.
(författare)
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Human skin commensals augment Staphylococcus aureus pathogenesis.
- 2018
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Ingår i: Nature microbiology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2058-5276. ; 3:8, s. 881-90
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- All bacterial infections occur within a polymicrobial environment, from which a pathogen population emerges to establish disease within a host. Emphasis has been placed on prevention of pathogen dominance by competing microflora acting as probiotics1. Here we show that the virulence of the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus is augmented by native, polymicrobial, commensal skin flora and individual species acting as 'proinfectious agents'. The outcome is pathogen proliferation, but not commensal. Pathogenesis augmentation can be mediated by particulate cell wall peptidoglycan, reducing the S. aureus infectious dose by over 1,000-fold. This phenomenon occurs using a range of S. aureus strains and infection models and is not mediated by established receptor-mediated pathways including Nod1, Nod2, Myd88 and the NLPR3 inflammasome. During mouse sepsis, augmentation depends on liver-resident macrophages (Kupffer cells) that capture and internalize both the pathogen and the proinfectious agent, leading to reduced production of reactive oxygen species, pathogen survival and subsequent multiple liver abscess formation. The augmented infection model more closely resembles the natural situation and establishes the role of resident environmental microflora in the initiation of disease by an invading pathogen. As the human microflora is ubiquitous2, its role in increasing susceptibility to infection by S. aureus highlights potential strategies for disease prevention.
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| 9. |
- Boscaro, Vittorio, et al.
(författare)
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Microbiomes of microscopic marine invertebrates do not reveal signatures of phylosymbiosis
- 2022
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Ingår i: Nature Microbiology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2058-5276. ; 7:6, s. 810-819
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Animals and microorganisms often establish close ecological relationships. However, much of our knowledge about animal microbiomes comes from two deeply studied groups: vertebrates and arthropods. To understand interactions on a broader scale of diversity, we characterized the bacterial microbiomes of close to 1,000 microscopic marine invertebrates from 21 phyla, spanning most of the remaining tree of metazoans. Samples were collected from five temperate and tropical locations covering three marine habitats (sediment, water column and intertidal macroalgae) and bacterial microbiomes were characterized using 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. Our data show that, despite their size, these animals harbour bacterial communities that differ from those in the surrounding environment. Distantly related but coexisting invertebrates tend to share many of the same bacteria, suggesting that guilds of microorganisms preferentially associated with animals, but not tied to any specific host lineage, are the main drivers of the ecological relationship. Host identity is a minor factor shaping these microbiomes, which do not show the same correlation with host phylogeny, or ‘phylosymbiosis’, observed in many large animals. Hence, the current debate on the varying strength of phylosymbiosis within selected lineages should be reframed to account for the possibility that such a pattern might be the exception rather than the rule.
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| 10. |
- Brugat, Thibaut, et al.
(författare)
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Antibody-independent mechanisms regulate the establishment of chronic Plasmodium infection
- 2017
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Ingår i: Nature Microbiology. - : Macmillan Publishers Ltd.. - 2058-5276. ; 2:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Malaria is caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium. All human-infecting Plasmodium species can establish long-lasting chronic infections(1-5), creating an infectious reservoir to sustain transmission(1,6). It is widely accepted that the maintenance of chronic infection involves evasion of adaptive immunity by antigenic variation(7). However, genes involved in this process have been identified in only two of five human-infecting species: Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium knowlesi. Furthermore, little is understood about the early events in the establishment of chronic infection in these species. Using a rodent model we demonstrate that from the infecting population, only a minority of parasites, expressing one of several clusters of virulence-associated pir genes, establishes a chronic infection. This process occurs in different species of parasites and in different hosts. Establishment of chronicity is independent of adaptive immunity and therefore different from the mechanism proposed for maintenance of chronic P. falciparum infections(7-9). Furthermore, we show that the proportions of parasites expressing different types of pir genes regulate the time taken to establish a chronic infection. Because pir genes are common to most, if not all, species of Plasmodium(10), this process may be a common way of regulating the establishment of chronic infections.
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