| 1. |
- Alneberg, Johannes, et al.
(författare)
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BARM and BalticMicrobeDB, a reference metagenome and interface to meta-omic data for the Baltic Sea
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The Baltic Sea is one of the world’s largest brackish water bodies and is characterised by pronounced physicochemical gradients where microbes are the main biogeochemical catalysts. Meta-omic methods provide rich information on the composition of, and activities within microbial ecosystems, but are computationally heavy to perform. We here present the BAltic Sea Reference Metagenome (BARM), complete with annotated genes to facilitate further studies with much less computational effort. The assembly is constructed using 2.6 billion metagenomic reads from 81 water samples, spanning both spatial and temporal dimensions, and contains 6.8 million genes that have been annotated for function and taxonomy. The assembly is useful as a reference, facilitating taxonomic and functional annotation of additional samples by simply mapping their reads against the assembly. This capability is demonstrated by the successful mapping and annotation of 24 external samples. In addition, we present a public web interface, BalticMicrobeDB, for interactive exploratory analysis of the dataset.
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| 2. |
- Alneberg, Johannes, et al.
(författare)
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BARM and BalticMicrobeDB, a reference metagenome and interface to meta-omic data for the Baltic Sea
- 2018
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Ingår i: Scientific Data. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 2052-4463. ; 5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Baltic Sea is one of the world's largest brackish water bodies and is characterised by pronounced physicochemical gradients where microbes are the main biogeochemical catalysts. Meta-omic methods provide rich information on the composition of, and activities within, microbial ecosystems, but are computationally heavy to perform. We here present the Baltic Sea Reference Metagenome (BARM), complete with annotated genes to facilitate further studies with much less computational effort. The assembly is constructed using 2.6 billion metagenomic reads from 81 water samples, spanning both spatial and temporal dimensions, and contains 6.8 million genes that have been annotated for function and taxonomy. The assembly is useful as a reference, facilitating taxonomic and functional annotation of additional samples by simply mapping their reads against the assembly. This capability is demonstrated by the successful mapping and annotation of 24 external samples. In addition, we present a public web interface, BalticMicrobeDB, for interactive exploratory analysis of the dataset. [GRAPHICS] .
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| 3. |
- Alneberg, Johannes, et al.
(författare)
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Ecosystem-wide metagenomic binning enables prediction of ecological niches from genomes
- 2020
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Ingår i: Communications Biology. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 2399-3642. ; 3:1, s. 1-10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Alneberg et al. conduct metagenomics binning of water samples collected over major environmental gradients in the Baltic Sea. They use machine-learning to predict the placement of genome clusters along niche gradients based on the content of functional genes. The genome encodes the metabolic and functional capabilities of an organism and should be a major determinant of its ecological niche. Yet, it is unknown if the niche can be predicted directly from the genome. Here, we conduct metagenomic binning on 123 water samples spanning major environmental gradients of the Baltic Sea. The resulting 1961 metagenome-assembled genomes represent 352 species-level clusters that correspond to 1/3 of the metagenome sequences of the prokaryotic size-fraction. By using machine-learning, the placement of a genome cluster along various niche gradients (salinity level, depth, size-fraction) could be predicted based solely on its functional genes. The same approach predicted the genomes' placement in a virtual niche-space that captures the highest variation in distribution patterns. The predictions generally outperformed those inferred from phylogenetic information. Our study demonstrates a strong link between genome and ecological niche and provides a conceptual framework for predictive ecology based on genomic data.
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| 4. |
- Alonso-Sáez, Laura, et al.
(författare)
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Role for urea in nitrification by polar marine Archaea
- 2012
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 109:44, s. 17989-17994
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Despite the high abundance of Archaea in the global ocean, their metabolism and biogeochemical roles remain largely unresolved. We investigated the population dynamics and metabolic activity of Thaumarchaeota in polar environments, where these microorganisms are particularly abundant and exhibit seasonal growth. Thaumarchaeota were more abundant in deep Arctic and Antarctic waters and grew throughout the winter at surface and deeper Arctic halocline waters. However, in situ single-cell activity measurements revealed a low activity of this group in the uptake of both leucine and bicarbonate (<5% Thaumarchaeota cells active), which is inconsistent with known heterotrophic and autotrophic thaumarchaeal lifestyles. These results suggested the existence of alternative sources of carbon and energy. Our analysis of an environmental metagenome from the Arctic winter revealed that Thaumarchaeota had pathways for ammonia oxidation and, unexpectedly, an abundance of genes involved in urea transport and degradation. Quantitative PCR analysis confirmed that most polar Thaumarchaeota had the potential to oxidize ammonia, and a large fraction of them had urease genes, enabling the use of urea to fuel nitrification. Thaumarchaeota from Arctic deep waters had a higher abundance of urease genes than those near the surface suggesting genetic differences between closely related archaeal populations. In situ measurements of urea uptake and concentration in Arctic waters showed that small-sized prokaryotes incorporated the carbon from urea, and the availability of urea was often higher than that of ammonium. Therefore, the degradation of urea may be a relevant pathway for Thaumarchaeota and other microorganisms exposed to the low-energy conditions of dark polar waters.
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| 5. |
- Andersson, Anders, et al.
(författare)
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Pyrosequencing reveals contrasting seasonal dynamics of taxa within Baltic Sea bacterioplankton communities
- 2010
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Ingår i: ISME JOURNAL. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1751-7362 .- 1751-7370. ; 4:2, s. 171-181
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Variation in traits causes bacterial populations to respond in contrasting ways to environmental drivers. Learning about this will help us understand the ecology of individual populations in complex ecosystems. We used 454 pyrosequencing of the hypervariable region V6 of the 16S rRNA gene to study seasonal dynamics in Baltic Sea bacterioplankton communities, and link community and population changes to biological and chemical factors. Surface samples were collected from May to October 2003 and in May 2004 at the Landsort Deep in the central Baltic Sea Proper. The analysis rendered, on average, 20 200 sequence reads for each of the eight samples analyzed, providing the first detailed description of Baltic Sea bacterial communities. Community composition varied dramatically over time, supporting the idea of strong temporal shifts in bacterioplankton assemblages, and clustered according to season (including two May samples from consecutive years), suggesting repeatable seasonal succession. Overall, community change was most highly correlated with change in phosphorus concentration and temperature. Individual bacterial populations were also identified that tightly co-varied with different Cyanobacteria populations. Comparing the abundance profiles of operational taxonomic units at different phylogenetic distances revealed a weak but significant negative correlation between abundance profile similarity and genetic distance, potentially reflecting habitat filtering of evolutionarily conserved functional traits in the studied bacterioplankton.
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| 6. |
- Bentzon-Tilia, Mikkel, et al.
(författare)
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Cultivation and isolation of N2-fixing bacteria from suboxic waters in the Baltic Sea
- 2014
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Ingår i: FEMS Microbiology Ecology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0168-6496 .- 1574-6941. ; 88:2, s. 358-371
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Nitrogenase genes (nifH) from heterotrophic dinitrogen (N-2)-fixing bacteria appear ubiquitous in marine bacterioplankton, but the significance of these bacteria for N cycling is unknown. Quantitative data on the N-2-fixation potential of marine and estuarine heterotrophs are scarce, and the shortage of cultivated specimens currently precludes ecophysiological characterization of these bacteria. Through the cultivation of diazotrophs from suboxic (1.79molO(2)L(-1)) Baltic Sea water in an artificial seawater medium devoid of combined N, we report the cultivability of a considerable fraction of the diazotrophic community in the Gotland Deep. Two nifH clades were present both in situ and in enrichment cultures showing gene abundances of up to 4.6x10(5) and 5.8x10(5)nifH gene copies L-1 within two vertical profiles in the Baltic Sea. The distributions of the two clades suggested a relationship with the O-2 concentrations in the water column as abundances increased in the suboxic and anoxic waters. It was possible to cultivate and isolate representatives from one of these prevalent clades, and preliminary analysis of their ecophysiology demonstrated growth optima at 0.5-15molO(2)L(-1) and 186-194molO(2)L(-1) in the absence of combined N.
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| 7. |
- Boström, Kjärstin H., 1966-
(författare)
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Nitrogen fixation among marine bacterioplankton
- 2006
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- While bacterioplankton indisputably control vital biogeochemical paths in the cycling of carbon and nutrients in the world’s oceans, our knowledge about the functional and genetic diversity of bacterioplankton communities is negligible. In this thesis, molecular and more traditional microbiological methods were used to study the specific function of N2-fixation and in a general sense diversity of marine bacterioplankton species.Most oceans are nitrogen limited and, therefore, adaptive to bacterioplankton capable of N2-fixation. Recent studies have found nifH genes (coding for the nitrogenase enzyme) related to diverse heterotrophic bacteria in oceanic seawater samples indicating that, along with cyanobacteria, also heterotrophic bacteria benefit from N2-fixation. Here, molecular and cultivation methods were used to examine diazotrophic bacterioplankton in the Baltic Sea. We successfully isolated heterotrophic N2-fixing bacteria belonging to the γ-proteobacterial class by means of low-nitrogen plates and semi-solid diazotrophic medium tubes. The isolates required low-O2 conditions for N2-fixation. Using Real-time PCR it was found that heterotrophic bacterioplankton carrying the nifH gene was abundant (3 x 104 nifH gene copies L seawater-1) at locations in the Southwest Baltic proper.With the aim to identify the main N2-fixing organisms in Baltic Proper surface waters, a clone library of nifH gene transcripts (RNA) was generated. Clone inserts were exclusively related to Aphanizomenon sp. and Nodularia sp. Using quantitative real-time PCR it was found that the nifH gene expression from Nodularia sp. was highly variable between stations in the Baltic Proper but was 10-fold higher during mid summer relative to early summer and fall. A diel study showed a 4-fold increase in Nodularia transcript concentrations at early to mid day relative to rest of the day. Real-time PCR was found to be a powerful and highly sensitive method for measuring gene expression.Since nucleic acids are a prerequisite for molecular analyses of bacterioplankton dynamics a protocol to extract DNA from seawater samples was developed with the aim to maximize the yield of high-quality DNA. Each step in the protocol was important for the efficiency of extraction. The obtained extraction efficiencies were up to 92% for seawater samples and up to 96% for isolates. The protocol provides a guideline for DNA extraction from seawater samples for other studies.In a global sampling campaign (9 locations from polar, tropical and temperate regions) we sampled DNA from surface water and constructed 16S rRNA gene libraries to investigate diversity and biogeography of bacterioplankton. Approx. 80% of the sequences found were similar to sequences already deposited in GenBank, indicating that a large fraction of the marine bacterioplankton already has been sampled, which in turn suggests a limited global bacterioplankton diversity.This thesis have improved our knowledge about the composition and nifH gene expression of the diazotrophic bacterioplankton community in the Baltic Sea and contribute significantly to the discussion on global marine bacterioplankton diversity and biogeography.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Charvet, Sophie, et al.
(författare)
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AFISsys - An autonomous instrument for the preservation of brackish water samples for microbial metatranscriptome analysis
- 2019
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Ingår i: Water Research. - : PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD. - 0043-1354 .- 1879-2448. ; 149, s. 351-361
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Microbial communities are the main drivers of biogeochemical cycling of multiple elements sustaining life in the ocean. The rapidity of their response to stressors and abrupt environmental changes implies that even fast and infrequent events can affect local transformations of organic matter and nutrients. Modern molecular techniques now allow for monitoring of microbial activities and functions in the environment through the analysis of genes and expressed genes contained in natural microbial assemblages. However, messenger RNA turnover in cells can be as short as 30 seconds and stability varies greatly between transcripts. Sampling of in situ communities involves an inevitable delay between the collection of seawater and the extraction of its RNA, leaving the bacterial communities plenty of time to alter their gene expression. The characteristics of microbial RNA turnover make time-series very difficult because samples need to be processed immediately to limit alterations to the metatranscriptomes. To address these challenges we designed an autonomous in situ fixation multi-sampler (AFISsys) for the reliable sampling of microbial metatranscriptomes at frequent intervals, for refined temporal resolution. To advance the development of this instrument, we examined the minimal seawater volume necessary for adequate coverage of community gene expression, and the suitability of phenol/ethanol fixation for immediate and long-term preservation of transcripts from a microbial community. We then evaluated the field eligibility of the instrument itself, with two case studies in a brackish system. AFISsys is able to collect, fix, and store water samples independently at a predefined temporal resolution. Phenol/ethanol fixation can conserve metatranscriptomes directly in the environment for up to a week, for later analysis in the laboratory. Thus, the AFISsys constitutes an invaluable tool for the integration of molecular functional analyses in environmental monitoring in brackish waters and in aquatic environments in general.
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| 11. |
- Degerman, Rickard, et al.
(författare)
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Effect of resource availability on bacterial community responses to increased temperature
- 2013
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Ingår i: Aquatic Microbial Ecology. - : Inter-Research Science Center. - 0948-3055 .- 1616-1564. ; 68:2, s. 131-142
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Climate change is predicted to cause higher temperatures and increased precipitation, resulting in increased inflow of nutrients to coastal waters in northern Europe. This has been assumed to increase the overall heterotrophy, including enhanced bacterial growth. However, the relative importance of temperature, resource availability and bacterial community composition for the bacterial growth response is poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated effects of increased temperature on bacterial growth in waters supplemented with different nutrient concentrations and inoculated with microbial communities from distinct seasonal periods. Seven experiments were performed in the northern Baltic Sea spanning an entire annual cycle. In each experiment, bacterioplankton were exposed to 2 temperature regimes (in situ and in situ + 4 degrees C) and 5 nutrient concentrations. Generally, elevated temperature and higher nutrient levels caused an increase in the bacterial growth rate and a shortening of the response time (lag phase). However, at the lowest nutrient concentration, bacterial growth was low at all tested temperatures, implying a stronger dependence on resource availability than on temperature for bacterial growth. Furthermore, data indicated that different bacterial assemblages had varying temperature responses and that community composition was strongly affected by the combination of high nutrient addition and high temperature. These results support the concern that climate change will promote heterotrophy in aquatic systems, where nutrient levels will increase considerably. In such environments, the bacterial community composition will change, their growth rates will increase, and their response time will be shortened compared to the present situation.
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| 12. |
- Delgado, Luis F., et al.
(författare)
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BAGS-Shiny: a web-based interactive tool for exploring the Baltic Sea microbial gene set
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Biome-specific gene catalogues have been recovered for many environments using shotgun metagenomics, followed by assembly and gene calling on the assembled contigs. We recently proposed a novel mix-assembly strategy, combining individual and co-assembly approaches, and used this approach to assemble an extensive non-redundant gene set from 124 Baltic Sea metagenome samples. The Baltic Sea Gene Set (BAGS v1.1) comprises 66.53 million functionally and taxonomically annotated genes. To enable interactive exploration of this gene catalogue we have developed an RShiny application, BAGS-Shiny, that allows users to perform searches by sequence similarity (BLAST) and/or taxonomic and functional annotation. The gene catalogue and web application will serve as valuable tools for exploring microbial gene functions in brackish ecosystems. In addition, we here make available a pipeline to create gene catalogues based on the mix-assembly approach.
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| 13. |
- Delgado, Luis Fernando, et al.
(författare)
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Phylogeny-based comparative genomics of Vibrio vulnificus links genetic traits to pathogenicity
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Vibrio vulnificus is a natural part of the microbiome of brackish waters worldwide. It is also an opportunistic pathogen that can cause severe infections and septicemia via consumption of seafood or through wound infections. The species possess diverse virulence factors, yet its precise disease mechanism remains undefined. Comparative genomics between clinical and environmental isolates offers a means to identify key virulence genes, but the scarcity of environmental isolates for V. vulnificus has constituted a significant limitation. Here we sequenced genomes of 82 V. vulnificus isolates from water, sediment and seagrass surface from stations along the Baltic Sea coast and complemented these with 208 and 117 previously sequenced clinical and environmental genomes, respectively, in a comparative analysis. Phylogenetic reconstruction corroborated earlier analysis with four main lineages forming within the species. Strains from the Baltic Sea region were confined to certain phylogenetic lineages (L4 and sublineages L2c and L2e) whereas clinical and environmental strains were found in all lineages, indicting that the phylogenetic structure of V. vulnificus reflects adaptations to specific environmental conditions rather than pathogenicity. Employing orthologue enrichment analysis in a phylogenetic framework using the PhyloBOTL pipeline developed in this work revealed 58 significantly enriched orthologs in clinical compared to environmental isolates. These orthologs were grouped into 18 co-localisation clusters based on the corresponding genes’ proximity in the genomes. The co-localisation clusters entailed clusters with 1 genes previously linked with pathogenicity in V. vulnificus, such as genes for capsular polysaccharide (CPS) synthesis and biofilm formation, but also clusters with genes not previously associated with virulence in the species. Examples of the latter were genes for pilus biosynthesis of the usher-chaperone (CU) pathway, for spermidine synthesis, and for effector proteins of the Type VI secretion system. Finally we leveraged on the clinically enriched genes to design PCR primers for detection and surveillance of pathogenic V. vulnificus strains.
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| 14. |
- Dinasquet, Julie, et al.
(författare)
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Functional and compositional succession of bacterioplankton in response to a gradient in bioavailable dissolved organic carbon
- 2013
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Ingår i: Environmental Microbiology. - : Wiley. - 1462-2912 .- 1462-2920. ; 15:9, s. 2616-2628
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Studies indicate that bacterial taxa utilize different fractions of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) pool, while others suggest functional redundancy among constituents of bacterioplankton, implying only a weak coupling between community structure and function. We examined bacterial compositional and functional [ectoenzymatic activities and growth efficiency; bacterial growth efficiency (BGE)] responses to a gradient in bioavailable DOC (bDOC). This was achieved over 10 days in DOC utilization assays containing Baltic Sea water with variable amounts of natural bDOC. Measurements of bacterial growth, O-2 and DOC consumption in the assays using non-invasive sampling showed that BGE changed over time and that the bDOC utilized accounted for 4-13% of the DOC pool. Pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes demonstrated minor differences at the phylum level between samples, whereas larger successional differences were discernible at lower phylogenetic levels. Our study suggests that changes in concentrations of bDOC affect bacterioplankton BGE and community structure by selecting for some taxa while the relative abundance of most taxa remained unaffected. Ectoenzymes activities suggested preferential degradation of protein-rich compounds by bacteria, switching to carbohydrate-rich DOC when proteins were depleted. Hence, there was a fairly weak linkage between bacterial community composition and DOC utilization suggesting that overall bacterioplankton community structure only to some extent has predictive power for processing of the DOC pool.
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| 15. |
- Dinasquet, Julie, et al.
(författare)
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Mixing of water masses caused by a drifting iceberg affects bacterial activity, community composition and substrate utilization capability in the Southern Ocean
- 2017
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Ingår i: Environmental Microbiology. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 1462-2912 .- 1462-2920. ; 19:6, s. 2453-2467
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The number of icebergs produced from ice-shelf disintegration has increased over the past decade in Antarctica. These drifting icebergs mix the water column, influence stratification and nutrient condition, and can affect local productivity and food web composition. Data on whether icebergs affect bacterioplankton function and composition are scarce, however. We assessed the influence of iceberg drift on bacterial community composition and on their ability to exploit carbon substrates during summer in the coastal Southern Ocean. An elevated bacterial production and a different community composition were observed in iceberg-influenced waters relative to the undisturbed water column nearby. These major differences were confirmed in short-term incubations with bromodeoxyuridine followed by CARD-FISH. Furthermore, one-week bottle incubations amended with inorganic nutrients and carbon substrates (a mix of substrates, glutamine, Nacetylglucosamine, or pyruvate) revealed contrasting capacity of bacterioplankton to utilize specific carbon substrates in the iceberg-influenced waters compared with the undisturbed site. Our study demonstrates that the hydrographical perturbations introduced by a drifting iceberg can affect activity, composition, and substrate utilization capability of marine bacterioplankton. Consequently, in a context of global warming, increased frequency of drifting icebergs in polar regions holds the potential to affect carbon and nutrient biogeochemistry at local and possibly regional scales.
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| 16. |
- Dinasquet, Julie, et al.
(författare)
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Stimulated bacterioplankton growth and selection for certain bacterial taxa in the vicinity of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi
- 2012
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Microbiology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-302X. ; 3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Episodic blooms of voracious gelatinous zooplankton, such as the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi, affect pools of inorganic nutrients and dissolved organic carbon by intensive grazing activities and mucus release. This will potentially influence bacterioplankton activity and community composition, at least at local scales; however, available studies on this are scarce. In the present study we examined effects of M. leidyi on bacterioplankton growth and composition in incubation experiments. Moreover, we examined community composition of bacteria associated with the surface and gut of M. leidyi. High release of ammonium and high bacterial growth was observed in the treatments with M. leidyi relative to controls. Deep 454 pyrosequencing of 16 S rRNA genes showed specific bacterial communities in treatments with M. leidyi as well as specific communities associated with M. leidyi tissue and gut. In particular, members of Flavobacteriaceae were associated with M. leidyi. Our study shows that M. leidyi influences bacterioplankton activity and community composition in the vicinity of the jellyfish. In particular during temporary aggregations of jellyfish, these local zones of high bacterial growth may contribute significantly to the spatial heterogeneity of bacterioplankton activity and community composition in the sea.
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| 17. |
- Dinasquet, Julie
(författare)
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Substrate control of community composition and functional adaptation in marine bacterioplankton
- 2013
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- A drop of sea-water is teeming with a million of bacteria, on which pelagic food-webs and biogeochemical cycles depend. These bacteria thrive on a wide range of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) compounds produced through biotic and abiotic processes. Molecular analyses have over the past decades shown that specific bacterial taxa differ in their capacity to exploit DOC, suggesting a tight link between bacterial community composition (BCC) and ocean biogeo-chemistry. Therefore, an understanding of how resource availability and mortality agents drive BCC and bacterial functional adaptation is a prerequisit for predictions of how marine ecosystems will respond to future global change.In this thesis, I have studied BCC and bacterial functionality in response to various controlling factors relevant in an environmental changes perspective. For instance, the extensive regional warming in Antarctica induces the proliferation of icebergs. By investigating the bacterioplankton in the surrounding of a drifting iceberg, hydrographical perturbations driven by the iceberg were found to affect BCC, functionality and the capacity of indigenous taxa to utilize specific DOC compounds. Furthermore, a study of community succession during DOC utilization assays demonstrated that bacterial assemblages adapt to the gradual exhaustion of available DOC through community compositional succession. In addition, the variation in substrate availability and temperature may also affect BCC in eutrophic systems.While substrate availability can have an important impact on BCC and bacterial functionality, it is also important to study the cascading effects of higher trophic levels on bacteria. During a mesocosm experiment, the presence of an invasive gelatinous top-predator was shown to have only limited effects on the structure and function of the bacterial community in the Baltic Sea due to nutrient limiting conditions and to the overall complexity of the food-web. However, this top-predator may have direct bottom-up impact on bacteria in its close surrounding.The results presented in this thesis show that the bacterioplankton is sensitive to the availability of substrates and that bacterial community composition responds to contemporary environmental conditions. These results contribute to our understanding of how ecosystem disturbances affect marine bacterioplankton; insights of relevance to biogeochemistry and food-webs in the oceans.
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| 18. |
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| 19. |
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| 20. |
- Farnelid, Hanna, et al.
(författare)
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Active nitrogen-fixing heterotrophic bacteria at and below the chemocline of the central Baltic Sea
- 2013
-
Ingår i: The ISME Journal. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1751-7362 .- 1751-7370. ; 7:7, s. 1413-1423
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Baltic Sea receives large nitrogen inputs by diazotrophic (N-2-fixing) heterocystous cyanobacteria but the significance of heterotrophic N-2 fixation has not been studied. Here, the diversity, abundance and transcription of the nifH fragment of the nitrogenase enzyme in two basins of the Baltic Sea proper was examined. N-2 fixation was measured at the surface (5 m) and in anoxic water (200 m). Vertical sampling profiles of >10 and <10 mu m size fractions were collected in 2007, 2008 and 2011 at the Gotland Deep and in 2011 in the Bornholm Basin. Both of these stations are characterized by permanently anoxic bottom water. The 454-pyrosequencing nifH analysis revealed a diverse assemblage of nifH genes related to alpha-, beta- and gammaproteobacteria (nifH cluster I) and anaerobic bacteria (nifH cluster III) at and below the chemocline. Abundances of genes and transcripts of seven diazotrophic phylotypes were investigated using quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealing abundances of heterotrophic nifH phylotypes of up to 2.1 x 10(7) nifH copies l(-1). Abundant nifH transcripts (up to 3.2 x 10(4) transcripts l(-1)) within nifH cluster III and co-occurring N-2 fixation (0.44 +/- 0.26 nmol l(-1) day(-1)) in deep water suggests that heterotrophic diazotrophs are fixing N2 in anoxic ammonium-rich waters. Our results reveal that N-2 fixation in the Baltic Sea is not limited to illuminated N-deplete surface waters and suggest that N-2 fixation could also be of importance in other suboxic regions of the world's oceans.
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| 21. |
- Farnelid, Hanna, 1983-
(författare)
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Distribution and activity of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in marine and estuarine waters
- 2013
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In aquatic environments the availability of nitrogen (N) generally limits primary production. N2-fixing prokaryotes (diazotrophs) can convert N2 gas into ammonium and provide significant input of N into the oceans. Cyanobacteria are thought to be the main N2-fixers but diazotrophs also include a wide range of heterotrophic bacteria. However, their activity and regulation in the water column is largely unknown.In this thesis the distribution, diversity, abundance, and activity of marine and estuarine heterotrophic diazotrophs was investigated. With molecular methods targeting the nifH gene, encoding the nitrogenase enzyme for N2 fixation, it was shown that diverse nifH genes affiliating with heterotrophic bacteria were ubiquitous in surface waters from ten marine locations world-wide and the estuarine Baltic Sea. Through enrichment cultures of Baltic Sea surface water in anaerobic N-free medium, heterotrophic N2 fixation was induced showing that there was a functional N2-fixing community present and isolates of heterotrophic diazotrophs were obtained. In Sargasso Sea surface waters, transcripts of nifH related to heterotrophic bacteria were detected indicating heterotrophic N2-fixing activity.Nitrogenase expression is thought to be highly regulated by the availability of inorganic N and the presence of oxygen. Low oxygen zones within the water column can be found in association with plankton. The presence of diazotrophs as symbionts of heterotrophic dinoflagellates was investigated and nifH genes related to heterotrophic diazotrophs rather than the cyanobacterial symbionts were found, suggesting that a symbiotic co-existence prevailed. Oxic-anoxic interfaces could also be potential sites for heterotrophic N2 fixation. The Baltic Sea contains large areas of anoxic bottom water. At the chemocline and in anoxic deep water heterotrophic diazotrophs were diverse, abundant and active. These findings extend the currently known regime of N2 fixation to also include ammonium-rich anaerobic waters.The results of this thesis suggest that heterotrophic diazotrophs are diverse and widely distributed in marine and estuarine waters and that they can also be active. However, limits in the knowledge on their physiology and factors which regulate their N2 fixation activity currently prevent an evaluation of their importance in the global marine N budget.
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| 22. |
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| 23. |
- Farnelid, Hanna, et al.
(författare)
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Identity and dynamics of putative N-2-fixing picoplankton in the Baltic Sea proper suggest complex patterns of regulation
- 2009
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Ingår i: Environmental Microbiology Reports. - : Wiley. - 1758-2229. ; 1, s. 145-154
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Heterocystous filamentous cyanobacteria are regarded as the main N-2-fixing organisms (diazotrophs) in the Baltic Sea. However, some studies indicate that picoplankton may also be important. The aim of this study was to examine the composition of putative diazotrophs in the picoplankton (< 3 mu m) and to identify links to environmental factors. Nitrogenase (nifH) genes were amplified from community DNA by nested PCR, followed by cloning and sequencing. Clone libraries from nine environmental samples collected from the central Baltic Sea (April-October 2003, 3 m depth) and a negative control yielded a total of 433 sequences with an average clone library coverage of 92%. The sequences fell within nifH Clusters I, II and III and formed 15 distinct groups (> 96% amino acid similarity). Most of the sequences (77%) fell into nifH Cluster I (cyanobacteria and alpha-, beta- and gamma-Proteobacteria). However, only 26 sequences were related to cyanobacteria (e. g. Pseudanabaena) and among these no unicellular phylotypes were found. Sequences clustering with alternative nitrogenases (anfH) and Archaea were found in one sample while sequences related to anaerobic phylotypes were found in six samples distributed throughout the season. The identified phylogenetic groups showed covariance with several environmental factors but no strong links could be established. This suggests a variable and complex regulation of diazotrophic groups within Baltic Sea picoplankton.
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| 24. |
- Farnelid, Hanna, et al.
(författare)
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Isolation of heterotrophic diazotrophic bacteria from estuarine surface waters
- 2014
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Ingår i: Environmental Microbiology. - : Wiley. - 1462-2912 .- 1462-2920. ; 16:10, s. 3072-3082
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The wide distribution of diverse nitrogenase (nifH) genes affiliated with those of heterotrophic bacteria in marine and estuarine waters indicates ubiquity and an ecologically relevant role for heterotrophic N-2-fixers (diazotrophs) in aquatic nitrogen (N) cycling. However, the lack of cultivated representatives currently precludes an evaluation of their N-2-fixing capacity. In this study, microoxic or anoxic N-free media were inoculated with estuarine Baltic Sea surface water to select for N-2-fixers. After visible growth and isolation of single colonies on oxic plates or in anoxic agar tubes, nifH gene amplicons were obtained from 64 strains and nitrogenase activity, applying the acetylene reduction assay, was confirmed for 40 strains. Two strains, one Gammaproteobacterium affiliated with Pseudomonas and one Alphaproteobacterium affiliated with Rhodopseudomonas were shown to represent established members of the indigenous diazotrophic community in the Baltic Sea, with abundances of up to 7.9x10(4) and 4.7x10(4)nifH copies l(-1) respectively. This study reports media for successful isolation of heterotrophic diazotrophs. The applied methodology and the obtained strains will facilitate future identification of factors controlling heterotrophic diazotrophic activity in aquatic environments, which is a prerequisite for understanding and evaluating their ecology and contribution to N cycling at local and regional scales.
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| 25. |
- Farnelid, Hanna, et al.
(författare)
-
Nitrogenase Gene Amplicons from Global Marine Surface Waters Are Dominated by Genes of Non-Cyanobacteria
- 2011
-
Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 6:4, s. e19223-
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cyanobacteria are thought to be the main N-2-fixing organisms (diazotrophs) in marine pelagic waters, but recent molecular analyses indicate that non-cyanobacterial diazotrophs are also present and active. Existing data are, however, restricted geographically and by limited sequencing depths. Our analysis of 79,090 nitrogenase (nifH) PCR amplicons encoding 7,468 unique proteins from surface samples (ten DNA samples and two RNA samples) collected at ten marine locations worldwide provides the first in-depth survey of a functional bacterial gene and yield insights into the composition and diversity of the nifH gene pool in marine waters. Great divergence in nifH composition was observed between sites. Cyanobacteria-like genes were most frequent among amplicons from the warmest waters, but overall the data set was dominated by nifH sequences most closely related to non-cyanobacteria. Clusters related to Alpha-, Beta-, Gamma-, and Delta-Proteobacteria were most common and showed distinct geographic distributions. Sequences related to anaerobic bacteria (nifH Cluster III) were generally rare, but preponderant in cold waters, especially in the Arctic. Although the two transcript samples were dominated by unicellular cyanobacteria, 42% of the identified non-cyanobacterial nifH clusters from the corresponding DNA samples were also detected in cDNA. The study indicates that non-cyanobacteria account for a substantial part of the nifH gene pool in marine surface waters and that these genes are at least occasionally expressed. The contribution of non-cyanobacterial diazotrophs to the global N-2 fixation budget cannot be inferred from sequence data alone, but the prevalence of non-cyanobacterial nifH genes and transcripts suggest that these bacteria are ecologically significant.
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| 26. |
- Farnelid, Hanna, et al.
(författare)
-
Putative N-2-fixing heterotrophic bacteria associated with dinoflagellate-Cyanobacteria consortia in the low-nitrogen Indian Ocean
- 2010
-
Ingår i: Aquatic Microbial Ecology. - : Inter-Research Science Center. - 0948-3055 .- 1616-1564. ; 61:2, s. 105-117
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Heterotrophic dinoflagellates bearing unicellular cyanobacterial symbionts are common within the order Dinophysiales. However, the ecological role of these symbionts is unclear. Due to the occurrence of such consortia in oceanic waters characterized by low nitrogen concentrations, we hypothesized that the symbionts fix gaseous nitrogen (N-2). Individual heterotrophic dinoflagellates containing cyanobacterial symbionts were isolated from the open Indian Ocean and off Western Australia, and characterized using light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and nitrogenase (nifH) gene amplification, cloning, and sequencing. Cyanobacteria, heterotrophic bacteria and eukaryotic algae were recognized as symbionts of the heterotrophic dinoflagellates. nifH gene sequences were obtained from 23 of 37 (62%) specimens of dinoflagellates (Ornithocercus spp. and Amphisolenia spp.). Interestingly, only 2 specimens contained cyanobacterial nifH sequences, while 21 specimens contained nifH genes related to heterotrophic bacteria. Of the 137 nifH sequences obtained 68% were most similar to Alpha-, Beta-, and Gammaproteobacteria, 8% clustered with anaerobic bacteria, and 5% were related to second alternative nitrogenases (anfH). Twelve sequences from 5 host cells formed a discrete cluster which may represent a not yet classified nifH cluster. Eight dinoflagellates contained only 1 type of nifH sequence (>99% sequence identity) but overall the putative N-2-fixing symbionts did not appear host specific and mixed assemblages were often found in single host cells. This study provides the first insights into the nifH diversity of dinoflagellate symbionts and suggests a symbiotic co-existence of non-diazotrophic cyanobacteria and N-2-fixing heterotrophic bacteria in heterotrophic dinoflagellates.
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| 27. |
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| 28. |
- Grubisic, Lorena M., et al.
(författare)
-
Lake bacterioplankton dynamics over diurnal timescales
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Freshwater Biology. - : Blackwell Publishing. - 0046-5070 .- 1365-2427. ; 62:1, s. 191-204
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- 1. Planktonic bacterial community dynamics over short timescales can be of great importance for food webs and ecosystem functioning but are rarely described when microbial community and composition are assessed. To study the significance of such dynamics we sampled the surface water at the deepest point of a mesotrophic lake (Lake Erken, Sweden) every third hour over two days. 2. By combining 454 pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes with bromodeoxyuridine immunocapturing of DNA, replicating populations were identified and compared to the community retrieved from total DNA samples. This comparison revealed a significant difference between the actively replicating and total community. 3. The high-frequency diurnal sampling was compared to a year-long survey conducted in the same lake in order to compare the diurnal and seasonal variation in bacterioplankton community composition. At the diurnal-scale, the variation was significantly higher in the replicating than in the total community. However, variation in both active and total diurnal community was significantly lower than the variation in the seasonal total community. 4. Our analysis revealed pronounced short-term dynamics of individual bacterial populations uncoupled from the diurnal light cycle. For example, the proliferating fraction of the most abundant bacterial tribe (LD12) followed a cyclic pattern that covaried with viral abundance. This implies that environmental factors other than light may act as important drivers of microbial community composition, at least in mesotrophic Lake Erken.
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| 29. |
- Holmfeldt, Karin, et al.
(författare)
-
Cultivated single-stranded DNA phages that infect marine Bacteroidetes prove difficult to detect with DNA-binding stains.
- 2012
-
Ingår i: Applied and Environmental Microbiology. - 0099-2240 .- 1098-5336. ; 78:3, s. 892-894
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This is the first description of cultivated icosahedral single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) phages isolated on heterotrophic marine bacterioplankton and with Bacteroidetes hosts. None of the 8 phages stained well with DNA-binding stains, suggesting that in situ abundances of ssDNA phages are drastically underestimated using conventional methods for enumeration.
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| 30. |
- Holmfeldt, Karin, et al.
(författare)
-
Diversity and abundance of freshwater Actinobacteria along environmental gradients in the brackish northern Baltic Sea
- 2009
-
Ingår i: Environmental Microbiology. - : Wiley. - 1462-2912 .- 1462-2920. ; 11:8, s. 2042-2054
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Actinobacteria are highly abundant in pelagic freshwater habitats and also occur in estuarine environments such as the Baltic Sea. Because of gradients in salinity and other environmental variables estuaries offer natural systems for examining factors that determine Actinobacteria distribution. We studied abundance and community structure of Bacteria and Actinobacteria along two transects in the northern Baltic Sea. Quantitative (CARD-FISH) and qualitative (DGGE and clone libraries) analyses of community composition were compared with environmental parameters. Actinobacteria accounted for 22-27% of all bacteria and the abundance changed with temperature. Analysis of 549 actinobacterial 16S rRNA sequences from four clone libraries revealed a dominance of the freshwater clusters acI and acIV, and two new subclusters (acI-B scB-5 and acIV-E) were assigned. Whereas acI was present at all stations, occurrence of acII and acIV differed between stations and was related to dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and chlorophyll a (Chl a) respectively. The prevalence of the acI-A and acI-B subclusters changed in relation to total phosphorus (Tot-P) and Chl a respectively. Community structure of Bacteria and Actinobacteria differed between the river station and all other stations, responding to differences in DOC, Chl a and bacterial production. In contrast, the composition of active Actinobacteria (analysis based on reversely transcribed RNA) changed in relation to salinity and Tot-P. Our study suggests an important ecological role of Actinobacteria in the brackish northern Baltic Sea. It highlights the need to address dynamics at the cluster or subcluster phylogenetic levels to gain insights into the factors regulating distribution and composition of Actinobacteria in aquatic environments.
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| 31. |
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| 32. |
- Holmfeldt, Karin, et al.
(författare)
-
Twelve previously unknown phage genera are ubiquitous in global oceans
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 110:31, s. 12798-12803
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Viruses are fundamental to ecosystems ranging from oceans to humans, yet our ability to study them is bottlenecked by the lack of ecologically relevant isolates, resulting in "unknowns" dominating culture-independent surveys. Here we present genomes from 31 phages infecting multiple strains of the aquatic bacterium Cellulophaga baltica (Bacteroidetes) to provide data for an under-represented and environmentally abundant bacterial lineage. Comparative genomics delineated 12 phage groups that (i) each represent a new genus, and (ii) represent one novel and four well-known viral families. This diversity contrasts the few well-studied marine phage systems, but parallels the diversity of phages infecting human-associated bacteria. Although all 12 Cellulophaga phages represent new genera, the podoviruses and icosahedral, nontailed ssDNA phages were exceptional, with genomes up to twice as large as those previously observed for each phage type. Structural novelty was also substantial, requiring experimental phage proteomics to identify 83% of the structural proteins. The presence of uncommon nucleotide metabolism genes in four genera likely underscores the importance of scavenging nutrient-rich molecules as previously seen for phages in marine environments. Metagenomic recruitment analyses suggest that these particular Cellulophaga phages are rare and may represent a first glimpse into the phage side of the rare biosphere. However, these analyses also revealed that these phage genera are widespread, occurring in 94% of 137 investigated metagenomes. Together, this diverse and novel collection of phages identifies a small but ubiquitous fraction of unknown marine viral diversity and provides numerous environmentally relevant phage-host systems for experimental hypothesis testing.
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| 33. |
- Holmfeldt, Karin, 1980-, et al.
(författare)
-
Virus Production and Lysate Recycling in Different Sub-basins of the Northern Baltic Sea
- 2010
-
Ingår i: Microbial Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0095-3628 .- 1432-184X. ; 60:3, s. 572-580
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the Gulf of Bothnia, northern Baltic Sea, a large freshwater inflow creates north-southerly gradients in physico-chemical and biological factors across the two sub-basins, the Bothnian Bay (BB) and the Bothnian Sea. In particular, the sub-basins differ in nutrient limitation (nitrogen vs. phosphorus; P). Since viruses are rich in P, and virus production is commonly connected with bacterial abundance and growth, we hypothesized that the role of viral lysis differs between the sub-basins. Thus, we examined virus production and the potential importance of lysate recycling in surface waters along a transect in the Gulf of Bothnia. Surprisingly, virus production and total P were negatively correlated. In the BB, virus production rates were double those elsewhere in the system, although bacterial abundance and production were the lowest. In the BB, virus-mediated cell lysates could account for 70-180% and 100-250% of the bacterial carbon and P demand, respectively, while only 4-15% and 8-21% at the other stations. Low concentrations of dissolved DNA (D-DNA) with a high proportion of encapsulated DNA (viruses) in the BB suggested rapid turnover and high uptake of free DNA. The correlation of D-DNA and total P indicates that D-DNA is a particularly important nutrient source in the P-limited BB. Our study demonstrates large and counterintuitive differences in virus-mediated recycling of carbon and nutrients in two basins of the Gulf of Bothnia, which differ in microbial community composition and nutrient limitation.
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| 34. |
- Hosia, Aino, et al.
(författare)
-
Autumnal bottom-up and top-down impacts of Cyanea capillata: a mesocosm study
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Journal of Plankton Research. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0142-7873 .- 1464-3774. ; 37:5, s. 1042-1055
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Jellyfish are effective predators on mesozooplankton and release large amounts of dissolved organic matter. Nevertheless, jellyfish initiated trophic cascades and bottom-up influences impacting lower trophic levels have received limited attention. We conducted a mesocosm experiment to quantify simultaneous top-down and bottom-up effects of a common jellyfish, Cyanea capillata, in a natural plankton community during autumn. Treatments were 0, 2 or 5 jellyfish per 2.5 m3 mesocosm, four replicates each, with initial additions of inorganic nutrients. Primary and bacterial production, species abundance and composition of several trophic levels and nutrient and carbon dynamics were followed during the 8-day experiment. Multivariate statistics and generalized additive mixed modelling were applied to test whether jellyfish carbon concentration (0–1.26 mg jellyC L−1) in the mesocosms affected the variables monitored. Unexpected negligible predatory impact of jellyfish on mesozooplankton was observed, potentially related to jellyfish senescence. Community compositions of bacteria, phytoplankton and mesozooplankton changed with time, but did not differ between treatments. However, nutrient regeneration by jellyfish was evident, and jellyfish had a positive impact on total and specific bacterial production, total primary production and the >10 µm chlorophyll a fraction. Bottom-up influences from abundant jellyfish could thus stimulate productivity in nutrient depleted autumnal surface waters.
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| 35. |
- Karlsson, Christofer M. G., et al.
(författare)
-
Metatranscriptomic analysis uncovers divergent responses of Baltic Sea bacteria to forest and agriculture river loadings
-
Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Climate change is predicted to induce substantial changes in precipitation patterns across the globe. In Northern Europe, precipitation is expected to increase more than the global average (particularly in northern Scandinavia), causing increased river runoff. The Baltic Sea is one of the largest brackish environments on earth with a catchment area that spans 14 countries, encompassing primarily forested areas and agricultural landscapes. Despite the acknowledged role of marine bacteria in nutrient cycling, there is a lack of knowledge in their metabolic responses to inorganic and organic nutrient loading from riverine runoff. We investigated the bacterial growth and gene expression responses in a mesocosm experiment in which river water from boreal forest- (enriched in humic substances) or agriculture- influenced catchment areas were added to Baltic Sea Proper water. The riverine nutrient input triggered extensive phytoplankton blooms and bacterial growth, most notably in the agriculture river treatment. Interestingly, bacterial gene expression analysis (metatranscriptomics) showed similar responses to agriculture and humic river inputs at the start of the experiment (before the phytoplankton bloom), but expression patterns diverged significantly upon bloom senescence.Notably, transcripts associated with phosphate metabolism were significantly enriched , whereas transcripts related to nitrogen metabolism were significantly lower in the agriculture river treatment compared to the boreal forest river treatment. The opposite pattern was observed in the boreal forest river water treatment. Overall, our results showed that interactions between river nutrient loading and phytoplankton organic matter are important in regulating bacterial activities and responses at the molecular level. This suggests that bacterial transformations of organic matter and nutrient cycling in coastal waters and estuarine environments are sensitive to changes in precipitation patterns in a catchment area-dependent manner.
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| 36. |
- Klawonn, Isabell, 1983-
(författare)
-
Marine nitrogen fixation : Cyanobacterial nitrogen fixation and the fate of new nitrogen in the Baltic Sea
- 2015
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Biogeochemical processes in the marine biosphere are important in global element cycling and greatly influence the gas composition of the Earth’s atmosphere. The nitrogen cycle is a key component of marine biogeochemical cycles. Nitrogen is an essential constituent of living organisms, but bioavailable nitrogen is often short in supply thus limiting primary production. The largest input of nitrogen to the marine environment is by N2-fixation, the transformation of inert N2 gas into bioavailable ammonium by a distinct group of microbes. Hence, N2-fixation bypasses nitrogen limitation and stimulates productivity in oligotrophic regions of the marine biosphere.Extensive blooms of N2-fixing cyanobacteria occur regularly during summer in the Baltic Sea. N2-fixation during these blooms adds several hundred kilotons of new nitrogen into the Baltic Proper, which is similar in magnitude to the annual nitrogen load by riverine discharge and more than twice the atmospheric nitrogen deposition in this area. N2-fixing cyanobacteria are therefore a critical constituent of nitrogen cycling in the Baltic Sea. In this thesis N2 fixation of common cyanobacteria in the Baltic Sea and the direct fate of newly fixed nitrogen in otherwise nitrogen-impoverished waters were investigated. Initially, the commonly used 15N-stable isotope assay for N2-fixation measurements was evaluated and optimized in terms of reliability and practicality (Paper I), and later applied for N2-fixation assessments (Paper II–IV). N2 fixation in surface waters of the Baltic Sea was restricted to large filamentous heterocystous cyanobacteria (Aphanizomenon sp., Nodularia spumigena, Dolichospermum spp.) and absent in smaller filamentous cyanobacteria such as Pseudanabaena sp., and unicellular and colonial picocyanobacteria (Paper II-III). Most of the N2-fixation in the Northern Baltic Proper was contributed by Aphanizomenon sp. due to its high abundance throughout the summer and similar rates of specific N2-fixation as Dolichospermum spp. and N. spumigena. Specific N2 fixation was substantially higher near the coast than in an offshore region (Paper II). Half of the fixed nitrogen was released as ammonium at the site near the coast and taken up by non-N2-fixing organisms including phototrophic and heterotrophic, prokaryotic and eukaryotic planktonic organisms. Newly fixed nitrogen was thereby rapidly turned-over in the nitrogen-depleted waters (Paper III). In colonies of N. spumigena even the potential for a complete nitrogen cycle condensed to a microcosm of a few millimeters could be demonstrated (Paper IV). Cyanobacterial colonies can therefore be hot-spots of nitrogen transformation processes potentially including nitrogen gain, recycling and loss processes. In conclusion, blooms of cyanobacteria are instrumental for productivity and CO2 sequestration in the Baltic Sea. These findings advance our understanding of biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem functioning in relation to cyanobacterial blooms in the Baltic Sea with relevance for both ecosystem-based management in the Baltic Sea, and N2-fixation and nitrogen cycling in the global ocean.
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| 37. |
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| 38. |
- Lindh, Markus V., et al.
(författare)
-
Consequences of increased temperature and acidification on bacterioplankton community composition during a mesocosm spring bloom in the Baltic Sea
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Environmental Microbiology Reports. - : Wiley. - 1758-2229. ; 5:2, s. 252-262
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Despite the paramount importance of bacteria for biogeochemical cycling of carbon and nutrients, little is known about the potential effects of climate change on these key organisms. The consequences of the projected climate change on bacterioplankton community dynamics were investigated in a Baltic Sea spring phytoplankton bloom mesocosm experiment by increasing temperature with 3°C and decreasing pH by approximately 0.4 units via CO2 addition in a factorial design. Temperature was the major driver of differences in community composition during the experiment, as shown by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of amplified 16S rRNA gene fragments. Several bacterial phylotypes belonging to Betaproteobacteria were predominant at 3°C but were replaced by members of the Bacteriodetes in the 6°C mesocosms. Acidification alone had a limited impact on phylogenetic composition, but when combined with increased temperature, resulted in the proliferation of specific microbial phylotypes. Our results suggest that although temperature is an important driver in structuring bacterioplankton composition, evaluation of the combined effects of temperature and acidification is necessary to fully understand consequences of climate change for marine bacterioplankton, their implications for future spring bloom dynamics, and their role in ecosystem functioning.
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| 39. |
- Markussen, Trine, et al.
(författare)
-
Coupling biogeochemical process rates and metagenomic blueprints of coastal bacterial assemblages in the context of environmental change
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Environmental Microbiology. - : Wiley-VCH Verlagsgesellschaft. - 1462-2912 .- 1462-2920. ; 20:8, s. 3083-3099
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Bacteria are major drivers of biogeochemical nutrient cycles and energy fluxes in marine environments, yet how bacterial communities respond to environmental change is not well known. Metagenomes allow examination of genetic responses of the entire microbial community to environmental change. However, it is challenging to link metagenomes directly to biogeochemical process rates. Here, we investigate metagenomic responses in natural bacterioplankton communities to simulated environmental stressors in the Baltic Sea, including increased river water input, increased nutrient concentration, and reduced oxygen level. This allowed us to identify informative prokaryotic gene markers, responding to environmental perturbation. Our results demonstrate that metagenomic and metabolic changes in bacterial communities in response to environmental stressors are influenced both by the initial community composition and by the biogeochemical factors shaping the functional response. Furthermore, the different sources of dissolved organic matter (DOM) had the largest impact on metagenomic blueprint. Most prominently, changes in DOM loads influenced specific transporter types reflecting the substrate availability and DOC assimilation and consumption pathways. The results provide new knowledge for developing models of ecosystem structure and biogeochemical cycling in future climate change scenarios and advance our exploration of the potential use of marine microorganisms as markers for environmental conditions.
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| 40. |
- Middelboe, Mathias, et al.
(författare)
-
Bacteriophages drive strain diversification in a marine Flavobacterium: implications for phage resistance and physiological properties
- 2009
-
Ingår i: Environmental Microbiology. - : Wiley. - 1462-2912 .- 1462-2920. ; 11:8, s. 1971-1982
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Genetic, structural and physiological differences between strains of the marine bacterium Cellulophaga baltica MM#3 (Flavobacteriaceae) developing in response to the activity of two virulent bacteriophages, Theta S(M) and Theta S(T), was investigated during 3 weeks incubation in chemostat cultures. A distinct strain succession towards increased phage resistance and a diversification of the metabolic properties was observed. During the incubation the bacterial population diversified from a single strain, which was sensitive to 24 tested Cellulophaga phages, into a multistrain and multiresistant population, where the dominant strains had lost susceptibility to up to 22 of the tested phages. By the end of the experiment the cultures reached a quasi steady state dominated by Theta S(T)-resistant and Theta S(M) + Theta S(T)-resistant strains coexisting with small populations of phage-sensitive strains sustaining both phages at densities of > 10(6) plaque forming units (pfu) ml(-1). Loss of susceptibility to phage infection was associated with a reduction in the strains' ability to metabolize various carbon sources as demonstrated by BIOLOG assays. This suggested a cost of resistance in terms of reduced physiological capacity. However, there was no direct correlation between the degree of resistance and the loss of metabolic properties, suggesting either the occurrence of compensatory mutations in successful strains or that the cost of resistance in some strains was associated with properties not resolved by the BIOLOG assay. The study represents the first direct demonstration of phage-driven generation of functional diversity within a marine bacterial host population with significant implications for both phage susceptibility and physiological properties. We propose, therefore, that phage-mediated selection for resistant strains contributes significantly to the extensive microdiversity observed within specific bacterial species in marine environments.
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| 41. |
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| 42. |
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| 43. |
- Olofsson, Malin, et al.
(författare)
-
Limited response of a spring bloom community inoculated with filamentous cyanobacteria to elevated temperature and pCO2
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Botanica Marina. - : Walter de Gruyter GmbH. - 0006-8055 .- 1437-4323. ; 62:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Temperature and CO2 levels are projected to increase in the future, with consequences for carbon and nutrient cycling in brackish environments, such as the Baltic Sea. Moreover, filamentous cyanobacteria are predicted to be favored over other phytoplankton groups under these conditions. Under a 12-day outdoor experiment, we examined the effect on a natural phytoplankton spring bloom community of elevated temperature (from 1°C to 4°C) and elevated pCO2 (from 390 to 970 μatm). No effects of elevated pCO2 or temperature were observed on phytoplankton biovolumes, but a significantly higher photosystem II activity was observed at elevated temperature after 9 days. In addition, three species of diazotrophic filamentous cyanobacteria were inoculated to test their competitive capacity under spring bloom conditions. The toxic cyanobacterium Nodularia spumigena exhibited an average specific growth rate of 0.10 d−1 by the end of the experiment, indicating potential prevalence even during wintertime in the Baltic Sea. Generally, none of the inoculated cyanobacteria species were able to outcompete the natural phytoplankton species at temperatures ≤4°C. No direct effects were found on heterotrophic bacteria. This study demonstrates the highly efficient resistance towards short-term (12 days) changes in abiotic factors by the natural Baltic Sea spring bloom community.
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| 44. |
- Osbeck, Christofer M. G., et al.
(författare)
-
Divergent transcriptional responses of Baltic Sea bacteria to forest and agriculture river loadings
-
Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Climate change is projected to induce substantial changes in precipitation patterns across the globe. In Northern Europe, precipitation is expected to increase more than the global average (particularly in northern Scandinavia), causing increased river runoff. The Baltic Sea is one of the largest brackish environments on earth with a catchment area that spans 14 countries, encompassing primarily forested areas and agricultural landscapes. Despite the acknowledged role of marine bacteria in nutrient cycling, there is a lack of knowledge in their metabolic responses to inorganic and organic nutrient loading from riverine runoff. We investigated the bacterial growth and gene expression responses in a mesocosm experiment in which river water from boreal forest- (enriched in humic substances) or agriculture-influenced catchment areas (enriched in nitrogen) were added to Baltic Proper water. The riverine nutrient input triggered extensive phytoplankton blooms and bacterial growth, most notably in the agriculture river treatment. Interestingly, bacterial gene expression analysis (metatranscriptomics) showed similar responses to agriculture and humic river inputs at the start of the experiment during phytoplankton development, but expression patterns diverged upon bloom senescence. This indicated that interactions between river nutrient loading and phytoplankton organic matter are important in regulating bacterial activities and responses at the molecular level. Notably, transcripts associated with phosphate metabolism were significantly enriched in the agriculture river treatment compared to the boreal forest river treatment, whereas transcripts related to nitrogen metabolism were significantly lower. The opposite pattern was observed in the boreal forest river water treatment. This suggests that bacterial transformations of organic matter and nutrient processing in coastal environments are sensitive to alterations in the precipitation-induced riverine runoff in a catchment area-dependent manner, which has implications for interpreting the ecosystem effects of globally changing precipitation patterns.
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| 45. |
- Paerl, Ryan W., et al.
(författare)
-
Prevalent reliance of bacterioplankton on exogenous vitamin B1 and precursor availability
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 115:44, s. E10447-E10456
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Vitamin B1 (B1 herein) is a vital enzyme cofactor required by virtually all cells, including bacterioplankton, which strongly influence aquatic biogeochemistry and productivity and modulate climate on Earth. Intriguingly, bacterioplankton can be de novo B1 synthesizers or B1 auxotrophs, which cannot synthesize B1 de novo and require exogenous B1 or B1 precursors to survive. Recent isolate-based work suggests select abundant bacterioplankton are B1 auxotrophs, but direct evidence of B1 auxotrophy among natural communities is scant. In addition, it is entirely unknown if bulk bacterioplankton growth is ever B1-limited. We show by surveying for B1-related genes in estuarine, marine, and freshwater metagenomes and metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) that most naturally occurring bacterioplankton are B1 auxotrophs. Pyrimidine B1-auxotrophic bacterioplankton numerically dominated metagenomes, but multiple other B1-auxotrophic types and distinct uptake and B1-salvaging strategies were also identified, including dual (pyrimidine and thiazole) and intact B1 auxotrophs that have received little prior consideration. Time-series metagenomes from the Baltic Sea revealed pronounced shifts in the prevalence of multiple B1-auxotrophic types and in the B1-uptake and B1-salvaging strategies over time. Complementarily, we documented B1/precursor limitation of bacterioplankton production in three of five nutrient-amendment experiments at the same time-series station, specifically when intact B1 concentrations were ≤3.7 pM, based on bioassays with a genetically engineered Vibrio anguillarum B1-auxotrophic strain. Collectively, the data presented highlight the prevalent reliance of bacterioplankton on exogenous B1/precursors and on the bioavailability of the micronutrients as an overlooked factor that could influence bacterioplankton growth and succession and thereby the cycling of nutrients and energy in aquatic systems.
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| 46. |
- Persson, Olof, et al.
(författare)
-
High abundance of virulence gene homologues in marine bacteria
- 2009
-
Ingår i: Environmental Microbiology. - : Wiley. - 1462-2912 .- 1462-2920. ; 11:6, s. 1348-1357
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Marine bacteria can cause harm to single-celled and multicellular eukaryotes. However, relatively little is known about the underlying genetic basis for marine bacterial interactions with higher organisms. We examined whole-genome sequences from a large number of marine bacteria for the prevalence of homologues to virulence genes and pathogenicity islands known from bacteria that are pathogenic to terrestrial animals and plants. As many as 60 out of 119 genomes of marine bacteria, with no known association to infectious disease, harboured genes of virulence-associated types III, IV, V and VI protein secretion systems. Type III secretion was relatively uncommon, while type IV was widespread among alphaproteobacteria (particularly among roseobacters) and type VI was primarily found among gammaproteobacteria. Other examples included homologues of the Yersinia murine toxin and a phage-related 'antifeeding' island. Analysis of the Global Ocean Sampling metagenomic data indicated that virulence genes were present in up to 8% of the planktonic bacteria, with highest values in productive waters. From a marine ecology perspective, expression of these widely distributed genes would indicate that some bacteria infect or even consume live cells, that is, generate a previously unrecognized flow of organic matter and nutrients directly from eukaryotes to bacteria.
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| 47. |
- Pinhassi, Jarone, et al.
(författare)
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Functional responses of key marine bacteria to environmental change - toward genetic counselling for coastal waters
- 2022
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Microbiology. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 1664-302X. ; 13
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Coastal ecosystems deteriorate globally due to human-induced stress factors, like nutrient loading and pollution. Bacteria are critical to marine ecosystems, e.g., by regulating nutrient cycles, synthesizing vitamins, or degrading pollutants, thereby providing essential ecosystem services ultimately affecting economic activities. Yet, until now bacteria are overlooked both as mediators and indicators of ecosystem health, mainly due to methodological limitations in assessing bacterial ecosystem functions. However, these limitations are largely overcome by the advances in molecular biology and bioinformatics methods for characterizing the genetics that underlie functional traits of key bacterial populations - "key" in providing important ecosystem services, being abundant, or by possessing high metabolic rates. It is therefore timely to analyze and define the functional responses of bacteria to human-induced effects on coastal ecosystem health. We posit that categorizing the responses of key marine bacterial populations to changes in environmental conditions through modern microbial oceanography methods will allow establishing the nascent field of genetic counselling for our coastal waters. This requires systematic field studies of linkages between functional traits of key bacterial populations and their ecosystem functions in coastal seas, complemented with systematic experimental analyses of the responses to different stressors. Research and training in environmental management along with dissemination of results and dialogue with societal actors are equally important to ensure the role of bacteria is understood as fundamentally important for coastal ecosystems. Using the responses of microorganisms as a tool to develop genetic counselling for coastal ecosystems can ultimately allow for integrating bacteria as indicators of environmental change.
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| 48. |
- Pommier, Thomas, et al.
(författare)
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Global patterns of diversity and community structure in marine bacterioplankton
- 2007
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Ingår i: Molecular Ecology. - : Blackwell Publishing Ltd. - 0962-1083 .- 1365-294X. ; 16:4, s. 867-880
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Because of their small size, great abundance and easy dispersal, it is often assumed that marine planktonic microorganisms have a ubiquitous distribution that prevents any structured assembly into local communities. To challenge this view, marine bacterioplankton communities from coastal waters at nine locations distributed world-wide were examined through the use of comprehensive clone libraries of 16S ribosomal RNA genes, used as operational taxonomic units (OTU). Our survey and analyses show that there were marked differences in the composition and richness of OTUs between locations. Remarkably, the global marine bacterioplankton community showed a high degree of endemism, and conversely included few cosmopolitan OTUs. Our data were consistent with a latitudinal gradient of OTU richness. We observed a positive relationship between the relative OTU abundances and their range of occupation, i.e. cosmopolitans had the largest population sizes. Although OTU richness differed among locations, the distributions of the major taxonomic groups represented in the communities were analogous, and all local communities were similarly structured and dominated by a few OTUs showing variable taxonomic affiliations. The observed patterns of OTU richness indicate that similar evolutionary and ecological processes structured the communities. We conclude that marine bacterioplankton share many of the biogeographical and macroecological features of macroscopic organisms. The general processes behind those patterns are likely to be comparable across taxa and major global biomes.
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| 49. |
- Richert, Inga, et al.
(författare)
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Spatial patterns of marine bacterioplankton along gradients of primary production in the Amundsen Sea Polynya, Southern Ocean
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- During austral summers, the Southern Ocean's biota experience a sharp increase in primary production and a steepening of biotic and abiotic gradients, resulting from increased solar radiation and retreating ice. In one of the largest ice-free patches - the Amundsen Sea Polynya - we aimed to identify connections between spatial diversity patterns of heterotrophic bacterioplankton and gradients of phytoplankton biomass. We gathered samples from throughout the depth profile at 15 sites during the austral summer of 2010/2011, collecting bacterioplankton and measuring several biotic and abiotic factors in the surrounding seawater. We assessed bacterial community structure by targeting the 16S rRNA gene for pyrosequencing. Our overall goal was to identify patterns of spatial diversity in heterotrophic bacterioplankton and to generate and test mechanistic hypotheses for bacterioplankton community structure related to phytoplankton biomass, biotic and abiotic nutrients, and hydrological relationships due to depth and water mass.We found that processes acting within the photic surface related to the level of phytoplankton biomass induce a strong filtering effect by decreasing bacterioplankton community richness while increasing bacterioplankton abundance as phytoplankton biomass increases. We also found that the bacterioplankton community in the photic surface represents a subset of that found in the underlying dark water masses, likely reformed annually as the polynya appears; bacterial communities in surface waters reflect the communities found beneath, though as phytoplankton biomass increases, the similarity of these communities between different sites within the polynya increases, likely due to the filtering effect. The high phytoplankton biomass in the photic surface represents an important pool of organic matter and inorganic nutrients, fueling the underlying dark water with nutrients in a cascading effect; we found that in contrast to the community response in shallower water, the bacterioplankton community at the bottom of the phytoplankton biomass increased in diversity as phytoplankton biomass in overlying waters increased, while deeper waters remained largely unaffected. We propose that this lack of, response in deeper water masses gives rise to the observed high group dispersal in bacterial community composition in all water masses and the relatively homogenous community in the bottom water mass.
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| 50. |
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