| 1. |
- Allen, Lisa Zeigler, et al.
(författare)
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The Baltic Sea Virome : Diversity and Transcriptional Activity of DNA and RNA Viruses
- 2017
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Ingår i: mSystems. - 2379-5077. ; 2:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Metagenomic and metatranscriptomic data were generated from size-fractionated samples from 11 sites within the Baltic Sea and adjacent marine waters of Kattegat and freshwater Lake Tornetrask in order to investigate the diversity, distribution, and transcriptional activity of virioplankton. Such a transect, spanning a salinity gradient from freshwater to the open sea, facilitated a broad genome-enabled investigation of natural as well as impacted aspects of Baltic Sea viral communities. Taxonomic signatures representative of phages within the widely distributed order Caudovirales were identified with enrichments in lesser-known families such as Podoviridae and Siphoviridae. The distribution of phage reported to infect diverse and ubiquitous heterotrophic bacteria (SAR11 clades) and cyanobacteria (Synechococcus sp.) displayed population-level shifts in diversity. Samples from higher-salinity conditions (>14 practical salinity units [PSU]) had increased abundances of viruses for picoeukaryotes, i.e., Ostreococcus. These data, combined with host diversity estimates, suggest viral modulation of diversity on the whole-community scale, as well as in specific prokaryotic and eukaryotic lineages. RNA libraries revealed single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and RNA viral populations throughout the Baltic Sea, with ssDNA phage highly represented in Lake Tornetrask. Further, our data suggest relatively high transcriptional activity of fish viruses within diverse families known to have broad host ranges, such as Nodoviridae (RNA), Iridoviridae (DNA), and predicted zoonotic viruses that can cause ecological and economic damage as well as impact human health. IMPORTANCE Inferred virus-host relationships, community structures of ubiquitous ecologically relevant groups, and identification of transcriptionally active populations have been achieved with our Baltic Sea study. Further, these data, highlighting the transcriptional activity of viruses, represent one of the more powerful uses of omics concerning ecosystem health. The use of omics-related data to assess ecosystem health holds great promise for rapid and relatively inexpensive determination of perturbations and risk, explicitly with regard to viral assemblages, as no single marker gene is suitable for widespread taxonomic coverage.
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| 2. |
- 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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| 3. |
- Alneberg, Johannes, et al.
(författare)
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Recovering 2,032 Baltic Sea microbial genomes by optimized metagenomic binning
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Aquatic microorganism are key drivers of global biogeochemical cycles and form the basis of aquatic food webs. However, there is still much left to be learned about these organisms and their interaction within specific environments, such as the Baltic Sea. Crucial information for such an understanding can be found within the genome sequences of organisms within the microbial community.In this study, the previous set of Baltic Sea clusters, constructed by Hugert et al., is greatly expanded using a large set of metagenomic samples, spanning the environmental gradients of the Baltic Sea. In total, 124 samples were individually assembled and binned to obtain 2,032 Metagenome Assembled Genomes (MAGs), clustered into 353 prokaryotic and 14 eukaryotic species- level clusters. The prokaryotic genomes were widely distributed over the prokaryotic tree of life, representing 20 different phyla, while the eukaryotic genomes were mostly limited to the division of Chlorophyta. The large number of reconstructed genomes allowed us to identify key factors determining the quality of the genome reconstructions.The Baltic Sea is heavily influenced of human activities of which we might not see the full implications. The genomes reported within this study will greatly aid further studies in our strive for an understanding of the Baltic Sea microbial ecosystem.
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| 4. |
- Asplund Samuelsson, Johannes, et al.
(författare)
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Diversity and expression of bacterial metacaspases in an aquatic ecosystem
- 2016
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Microbiology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-302X. ; 7, s. 1-18
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Metacaspases are distant homologs of metazoan caspase proteases, implicated in stress response, and programmed cell death (PCD) in bacteria and phytoplankton. While the few previous studies on metacaspases have relied on cultured organisms and sequenced genomes, no studies have focused on metacaspases in a natural setting. We here present data from the first microbial community-wide metacaspase survey; performed by querying metagenomic and metatranscriptomic datasets from the brackish Baltic Sea, a water body characterized by pronounced environmental gradients and periods of massive cyanobacterial blooms. Metacaspase genes were restricted to ~4% of the bacteria, taxonomically affiliated mainly to Bacteroidetes, Alpha- and Betaproteobacteria and Cyanobacteria. The gene abundance was significantly higher in larger or particle-associated bacteria (<0.8 μm), and filamentous Cyanobacteria dominated metacaspase gene expression throughout the bloom season. Distinct seasonal expression patterns were detected for the three metacaspase genes in Nodularia spumigena, one of the main bloom-formers. Clustering of normalized gene expression in combination with analyses of genomic and assembly data suggest functional diversification of these genes, and possible roles of the metacaspase genes related to stress responses, i.e., sulfur metabolism in connection to oxidative stress, and nutrient stress induced cellular differentiation. Co-expression of genes encoding metacaspases and nodularin toxin synthesis enzymes was also observed in Nodularia spumigena. The study shows that metacaspases represent an adaptation of potentially high importance for several key organisms in the Baltic Sea, most prominently Cyanobacteria, and open up for further exploration of their physiological roles in microbes and assessment of their ecological impact in aquatic habitats.
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| 5. |
- Berg, Carlo, et al.
(författare)
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Dissection of Microbial Community Functions during a Cyanobacterial Bloom in the Baltic Sea via Metatranscriptomics
- 2018
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Marine Science. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 2296-7745.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Marine and brackish surface waters are highly dynamic habitats that undergo repeated seasonal variations in microbial community composition and function throughout time. While succession of the various microbial groups has been well investigated, little is known about the underlying gene-expression of the microbial community. We investigated microbial interactions via metatranscriptomics over a spring to fall seasonal cycle in the brackish Baltic Sea surface waters, a temperate brackish water ecosystem periodically promoting massive cyanobacterial blooms, which have implications for primary production, nutrient cycling, and expansion of hypoxic zones. Network analysis of the gene expression of all microbes from 0.22 to 200 mu m in size and of the major taxonomic groups dissected the seasonal cycle into four components that comprised genes peaking during different periods of the bloom. Photoautotrophic nitrogen-fixing Cyanobacteria displayed the highest connectivity among the microbes, in contrast to chemoautotrophic ammonia-oxidizing Thaumarchaeota, while heterotrophs dominated connectivity among pre- and post-bloom peaking genes. The network was also composed of distinct functional connectivities, with an early season balance between carbon metabolism and ATP synthesis shifting to a dominance of ATP synthesis during the bloom, while carbon degradation, specifically through the glyoxylate shunt, characterized the post-bloom period, driven by Alphaproteobacteria as well as by Gammaproteobacteria of the SAR86 and SAR92 clusters. Our study stresses the exceptionally strong biotic driving force executed by cyanobacterial blooms on associated microbial communities in the Baltic Sea and highlights the impact cyanobacterial blooms have on functional microbial community composition.
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| 6. |
- Brindefalk, Björn, et al.
(författare)
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Distribution and expression of microbial rhodopsins in the Baltic Sea and adjacent waters
- 2016
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Ingår i: Environmental Microbiology. - : Wiley. - 1462-2912 .- 1462-2920. ; 18:12, s. 4442-4455
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rhodopsins are light-driven ion-pumping membrane proteins found in many organisms and are proposed to be of global importance for oceanic microbial energy generation. Several studies have focused on marine environments, with less exploration of rhodopsins in brackish waters. We investigated microbial rhodopsins in the Baltic Sea using size-fractionated metagenomic and metatranscriptomic datasets collected along a salinity gradient spanning from similar to 0 to 35 PSU. The normalised genomic abundance of rhodopsins in Bacteria, as well as rhodopsin gene expression, was highest in the smallest size fraction (0.1-0.8 mu m), relative to the medium (0.8-3.0 mu m) and large (> 3.0 mu m) size fractions. The abundance of rhodopsins in the two smaller size fractions displayed a positive correlation with salinity. Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes rhodopsins were the most abundant while Actinobacteria rhodopsins, or actinorhodopsins, were common at lower salinities. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that rhodopsins have adapted independently to the marine-brackish transition on multiple occasions, giving rise to green light-adapted variants from ancestral blue light-adapted ones. A notable diversity of viral-like rhodopsins was also detected in the dataset and potentially linked with eukaryotic phytoplankton blooms. Finally, a new clade of likely proton-pumping rhodopsin with non-canonical amino acids in the spectral tuning and proton accepting site was identified.
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| 7. |
- Celepli, Narin, et al.
(författare)
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Meta-omic analyses of Baltic Sea cyanobacteria : diversity, community structure and salt acclimation
- 2017
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Ingår i: Environmental Microbiology. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 1462-2912 .- 1462-2920. ; 19:2, s. 673-686
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cyanobacteria are important phytoplankton in the Baltic Sea, an estuarine-like environment with pronounced north to south gradients in salinity and nutrient concentrations. Here, we present a metagenomic and -transcriptomic survey, with subsequent analyses targeting the genetic identity, phylogenetic diversity, and spatial distribution of Baltic Sea cyanobacteria. The cyanobacterial community constituted close to 12% of the microbial population sampled during a pre-bloom period (June-July 2009). The community was dominated by unicellular picocyanobacteria, specifically a few highly abundant taxa (Synechococcus and Cyanobium) with a long tail of low abundance representatives, and local peaks of bloom-forming heterocystous taxa. Cyanobacteria in the Baltic Sea differed genetically from those in adjacent limnic and marine waters as well as from cultivated and sequenced picocyanobacterial strains. Diversity peaked at brackish salinities 3.5-16psu, with low N:P ratios. A shift in community composition from brackish to marine strains was accompanied by a change in the repertoire and expression of genes involved in salt acclimation. Overall, the pre-bloom cyanobacterial population was more genetically diverse, widespread and abundant than previously documented, with unicellular picocyanobacteria being the most abundant clade along the entire Baltic Sea salinity gradient.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Díez, Beatriz, et al.
(författare)
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Metagenomic Analysis of the Indian Ocean Picocyanobacterial Community : Structure, Potential Function and Evolution.
- 2016
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 11:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Unicellular cyanobacteria are ubiquitous photoautotrophic microbes that contribute substantially to global primary production. Picocyanobacteria such as Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus depend on chlorophyll a-binding protein complexes to capture light energy. In addition, Synechococcus has accessory pigments organized into phycobilisomes, and Prochlorococcus contains chlorophyll b. Across a surface water transect spanning the sparsely studied tropical Indian Ocean, we examined Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus occurrence, taxonomy and habitat preference in an evolutionary context. Shotgun sequencing of size fractionated microbial communities from 0.1 μm to 20 μm and subsequent phylogenetic analysis indicated that cyanobacteria account for up to 15% of annotated reads, with the genera Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus comprising 90% of the cyanobacterial reads, even in the largest size fraction (3.0-20 mm). Phylogenetic analyses of cyanobacterial light-harvesting genes (chl-binding pcb/isiA, allophycocyanin (apcAB), phycocyanin (cpcAB) and phycoerythin (cpeAB)) mostly identified picocyanobacteria clades comprised of overlapping sequences obtained from Indian Ocean, Atlantic and/or Pacific Oceans samples. Habitat reconstructions coupled with phylogenetic analysis of the Indian Ocean samples suggested that large Synechococcus-like ancestors in coastal waters expanded their ecological niche towards open oligotrophic waters in the Indian Ocean through lineage diversification and associated streamlining of genomes (e.g. loss of phycobilisomes and acquisition of Chl b); resulting in contemporary small celled Prochlorococcus. Comparative metagenomic analysis with picocyanobacteria populations in other oceans suggests that this evolutionary scenario may be globally important.
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| 10. |
- Dominguez-Escobar, Julia, et al.
(författare)
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Phylogenetic and molecular clock inferences of cyanobacterial strains within Rivulariaceae from distant environments
- 2011
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Ingår i: FEMS Microbiology Letters. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0378-1097 .- 1574-6968. ; 316:2, s. 90-99
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria are important players at both evolutionary and ecological scales, but to date it has been difficult to establish their phylogenetic affiliations. We present data from a phylogenetic and molecular clock analysis of heterocystous cyanobacteria within the family Rivulariaceae, including the genera Calothrix, Rivularia, Gloeotrichia and Tolypothrix. The strains were isolated from distant geographic regions including fresh and brackish water bodies, microbial mats from beach rock, microbialites, pebble beaches, plus PCC strains 7103 and 7504. Phylogenetic inferences (distance, likelihood and Bayesian) suggested the monophyly of genera Calothrix and Rivularia. Molecular clock estimates indicate that Calothrix and Rivularia originated similar to 1500 million years ago (MYA) ago and species date back to 400-300 MYA while Tolypothrix and Gloeotrichia are younger genera (600-400 MYA).
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| 11. |
- Dupont, Chris L., et al.
(författare)
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Functional Tradeoffs Underpin Salinity-Driven Divergence in Microbial Community Composition
- 2014
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 9:2, s. e89549-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Bacterial community composition and functional potential change subtly across gradients in the surface ocean. In contrast, while there are significant phylogenetic divergences between communities from freshwater and marine habitats, the underlying mechanisms to this phylogenetic structuring yet remain unknown. We hypothesized that the functional potential of natural bacterial communities is linked to this striking divide between microbiomes. To test this hypothesis, metagenomic sequencing of microbial communities along a 1,800 km transect in the Baltic Sea area, encompassing a continuous natural salinity gradient from limnic to fully marine conditions, was explored. Multivariate statistical analyses showed that salinity is the main determinant of dramatic changes in microbial community composition, but also of large scale changes in core metabolic functions of bacteria. Strikingly, genetically and metabolically different pathways for key metabolic processes, such as respiration, biosynthesis of quinones and isoprenoids, glycolysis and osmolyte transport, were differentially abundant at high and low salinities. These shifts in functional capacities were observed at multiple taxonomic levels and within dominant bacterial phyla, while bacteria, such as SAR11, were able to adapt to the entire salinity gradient. We propose that the large differences in central metabolism required at high and low salinities dictate the striking divide between freshwater and marine microbiomes, and that the ability to inhabit different salinity regimes evolved early during bacterial phylogenetic differentiation. These findings significantly advance our understanding of microbial distributions and stress the need to incorporate salinity in future climate change models that predict increased levels of precipitation and a reduction in salinity.
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| 12. |
- Ghai, Rohit, et al.
(författare)
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Metagenomes of Mediterranean Coastal Lagoons
- 2012
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Coastal lagoons, both hypersaline and freshwater, are common, but still understudied ecosystems. We describe, for the first time, using high throughput sequencing, the extant microbiota of two large and representative Mediterranean coastal lagoons, the hypersaline Mar Menor, and the freshwater Albufera de Valencia, both located on the south eastern coast of Spain. We show there are considerable differences in the microbiota of both lagoons, in comparison to other marine and freshwater habitats. Importantly, a novel uncultured sulfur oxidizing Alphaproteobacteria was found to dominate bacterioplankton in the hypersaline Mar Menor. Also, in the latter prokaryotic cyanobacteria were almost exclusively comprised by Synechococcus and no Prochlorococcus was found. Remarkably, the microbial community in the freshwaters of the hypertrophic Albufera was completely in contrast to known freshwater systems, in that there was a near absence of well known and cosmopolitan groups of ultramicrobacteria namely Low GC Actinobacteria and the LD12 lineage of Alphaproteobacteria.
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| 13. |
- Hamisi, Mariam, 1976-, et al.
(författare)
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Cyanobacteria associated with the phyllosphere of the seagrass Cymodocea rotundata: Diversity, diel nifH expression and nitrogenase activity : Diversity, nifH expression and activity in seagrass
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Tropical seagrass ecosystems are highly productive and extremely important for sustaining marine life. As seagrasses are associated with complex assemblages of poorly examined epiphytic microbes, we proposed that nitrogen-fixing microorganisms may contribute to the productivity. The morphological and genetic diversity (based on the 16S rRNA and nifH genes) of cyanobacteria and diel variations in nifH gene expression, NifH protein levels and nitrogenase (nitrogen-fixing) activity were examined in the phyllosphere of Cymodocea rotundata of coastal areas of the western Indian Ocean (Tanzania). The 16S rRNA and nifH gene analyses during two consecutive years (October-November, 2007 and 2008) revealed the dominance of a mixed cyanobacterial community. Most sequences represented free-living uncultured cyanobacteria previously reported as benthic in the region, clearly separated from marine planktonic phylotypes, while a few sequences clustered with cyanobacterial symbionts of diatoms. Appreciable, but varying nitrogenase activities were found on a diel as well as monthly basis, with the highest activity encountered, 358 ± 232 and 258 ± 139 nmol C2H4 g-1 h-1, in November. On a diel basis, nifH gene expression coincided with the NifH protein level (Oct 2008) and nitrogenase activity. At day time, nifH gene expression primarily originated from heterocystous phylotypes, while from non-heterocystous filamentous phylotypes (mainly Oscillatoriales) at night. The data suggest that a variety of diazotrophic cyanobacteria are common among the epiphytes on Cymodocea and we propose that these may represent a valuable source of ‘new’ nitrogen in the often oligotrophic, but ecologically important seagrass ecosystems.
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| 14. |
- Hamisi, Mariam, et al.
(författare)
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Epiphytic cyanobacteria of the seagrass Cymodocea rotundata : diversity, diel nifH expression and nitrogenase activity
- 2013
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Ingår i: Environmental Microbiology Reports. - : Wiley. - 1758-2229. ; 5:3, s. 367-376
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Seagrasses are photoautotrophic, ecologically important components of many globally widespread coastal ecosystems, in which combined nitrogen may limit their production. We examined the biodiversity and diazotrophic capacity of microbial epiphytes associated with the phyllosphere of the seagrass Cymodocea rotundata of the Western Indian Ocean. Light microscopy, 16S rRNA and nifH gene analysis revealed the dominance of cyanobacteria in the epiphytic microbial community. Most phylotypes were related to free-living uncultured benthic cyanobacteria, while some to cyanobacterial endosymbionts of marine diatoms. Novel and potentially diazotrophic species, some of known pantropical distribution, were also discovered. Significant diel nitrogenase activities (acetylene reduction assay) were recorded (up to 358 +/- 232nmolC2H4g1 of seagrass FWh1). The nifH gene expression patterns showed that heterocystous phylotypes may be the dominant diazotrophs during the day and non-heterocystous at night. These data show that C.rotundata is colonized by diverse diazotrophic cyanobacteria species and suggest that these may be beneficial partners of seagrasses in nitrogen-depleted waters.
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| 15. |
- Ininbergs, Karolina, et al.
(författare)
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Composition and diversity of nifH genes of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria associated with boreal forest feather mosses
- 2011
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Ingår i: New Phytologist. - : Wiley. - 0028-646X .- 1469-8137. ; 192:2, s. 507-517
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Recent studies have revealed that nitrogen fixation by cyanobacteria living in association with feather mosses is a major input of nitrogen to boreal forests. We characterized the community composition and diversity of cyanobacterial nifH phylotypes associated with each of two feather moss species (Pleurozium schreberi and Hylocomium splendens) on each of 30 lake islands varying in ecosystem properties in northern Sweden. Nitrogen fixation was measured using acetylene reduction, and nifH sequences were amplified using general and cyanobacterial selective primers, separated and analyzed using density gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) or cloning, and further sequenced for phylogenetic analyses. Analyses of DGGE fingerprinting patterns revealed two host-specific clusters (one for each moss species), and sequence analysis showed five clusters of nifH phylotypes originating from heterocystous cyanobacteria. For H. splendens only, N(2) fixation was related to both nifH composition and diversity among islands. We demonstrated that the cyanobacterial communities associated with feather mosses show a high degree of host specificity. However, phylotype composition and diversity, and nitrogen fixation, did not differ among groups of islands that varied greatly in their availability of resources. These results suggest that moss species identity, but not extrinsic environmental conditions, serves as the primary determinant of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterial communities that inhabit mosses.
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| 16. |
- Ininbergs, Karolina, et al.
(författare)
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Microbial metagenomics in the Baltic Sea : Recent advancements and prospects for environmental monitoring
- 2015
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Ingår i: Ambio. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0044-7447 .- 1654-7209. ; 44, s. S439-S450
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Metagenomics refers to the analysis of DNA from a whole community. Metagenomic sequencing of environmental DNA has greatly improved our knowledge of the identity and function of microorganisms in aquatic, terrestrial, and human biomes. Although open oceans have been the primary focus of studies on aquatic microbes, coastal and brackish ecosystems are now being surveyed. Here, we review so far published studies on microbes in the Baltic Sea, one of the world's largest brackish water bodies, using high throughput sequencing of environmental DNA and RNA. Collectively the data illustrate that Baltic Sea microbes are unique and highly diverse, and well adapted to this brackish-water ecosystem, findings that represent a novel base-line knowledge necessary for monitoring purposes and a sustainable management. More specifically, the data relate to environmental drivers for microbial community composition and function, assessments of the microbial biodiversity, adaptations and role of microbes in the nitrogen cycle, and microbial genome assembly from metagenomic sequences. With these discoveries as background, prospects of using metagenomics for Baltic Sea environmental monitoring are discussed.
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| 17. |
- Larsson, John, et al.
(författare)
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Picocyanobacteria containing a novel pigment gene cluster dominate the brackish water Baltic Sea
- 2014
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Ingår i: The ISME Journal. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1751-7362 .- 1751-7370. ; 8:9, s. 1892-1903
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Photoautotrophic picocyanobacteria harvest light via phycobilisomes (PBS) consisting of the pigments phycocyanin (PC) and phycoerythrin (PE), encoded by genes in conserved gene clusters. The presence and arrangement of these gene clusters give picocyanobacteria characteristic light absorption properties and allow the colonization of specific ecological niches. To date, a full understanding of the evolution and distribution of the PBS gene cluster in picocyanobacteria has been hampered by the scarcity of genome sequences from fresh-and brackish water-adapted strains. To remediate this, we analysed genomes assembled from metagenomic samples collected along a natural salinity gradient, and over the course of a growth season, in the Baltic Sea. We found that while PBS gene clusters in picocyanobacteria sampled in marine habitats were highly similar to known references, brackish-adapted genotypes harboured a novel type not seen in previously sequenced genomes. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the novel gene cluster belonged to a clade of uncultivated picocyanobacteria that dominate the brackish Baltic Sea throughout the summer season, but are uncommon in other examined aquatic ecosystems. Further, our data suggest that the PE genes were lost in the ancestor of PC-containing coastal picocyanobacteria and that multiple horizontal gene transfer events have re-introduced PE genes into brackish-adapted strains, including the novel clade discovered here.
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| 18. |
- Motwani, Nisha
(författare)
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Molecular evidence for metazooplankton feeding on filamentous cyanobacteria and picocyanobacteria in the Baltic Sea
- 2012
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Interactions between zooplankton and cyanobacteria are complex and system-specific. They play an important role in mediating responses of phytoplankton to changes in nutrient regime and top-down manipulations. Negative consequences associated with these interactions include massive blooms of diazotrophic blue-green algae and declines in zooplankton and fish stocks. With regard to filamentous cyanobacteria, toxicity, morphology, and poor nutritional quality have commonly been implicated as mechanisms hampering efficient grazing, whereas picocyanobacteria are generally considered as inaccessible for mesozooplankton grazers due to their small size. The evidence for these assumptions are, however, contradictory, and there are studies showing that both picocyanobacteria and filamentous cyanobacteria can contribute substantially to zooplankton diets. Moreover, by supplying nitrogen to non-diazotrophic phytoplankton, these cyanobacterial blooms fuel production of edible phytoplankton and picoplankton, including picocyanobacteria. Thus, cyanobacteria could have a neutral or even positive effect on growth of mesozooplankton. As zooplankton is the main trophic link between primary producers and higher trophic levels, it is important to understand whether mesozooplankton can efficiently utilize cyanobacterial production by direct grazing. Here, I used molecular approach in the field and laboratory studies to determine (1) whether pico- and filamentous cyanobacteria are ingested by mesozooplankton grazers, (2) what species/groups are particularly efficient in grazing on picocyanobacteria, and (3) consequences of feeding on toxic filamentous cyanobacterium for copepod physiological status.In Paper I, we experimentally studied effects of direct ingestion of toxic filamentous cyanobacteria on oxidative status, reproduction, and juvenile development in the copepod Acartia bifilosa. Moreover, using short- and long-term field observations on the egg production in Acartia tonsa and growth of nauplii in the common Baltic copepods Acartia spp. and Eurytemora affinis in relation to cyanobacteria abundance, we showed overall positive effects of diazotrophic filamentous cyanobacteria on oxidative balance, viable egg production and nauplial growth. These findings suggest that cyanobacterial blooms in the Baltic Sea might contribute, both directly and indirectly, to zooplankton nutrition. The indirect effects are most likely mediated through the stimulation of picoplankton communities by filamentous cyanobacteria blooms thus enhancing nutrition of zooplankton capable of utilizing picoplankton component of the microbial food webs.In Paper II, we evaluated the extent of the direct grazing by mesozooplankton on picocyanobacteria in the field as hypothesized in Paper I. The picocyanobacteria in ambient plankton communities and zooplankton guts were quantified by molecular diet analysis. The method is based on quantitative PCR (qPCR) targeting ITS-1 sequence of the picocyanobacteria Synechococcus that allowed us to measure picocyanobacterial DNA in the guts of major Baltic mesozooplankton groups (cladocerans, rotifers and various developmental stages of copepods). Also, a feeding experiment with laboratory reared copepod Acartia tonsa fed a mixture of the picocyanobacterium Synechococcus bacillaris and the cryptophyte alga Rhodomonas salina was conducted to measure picocyanobacteria consumption in the presence of the alternative food. All field-collected and experimental animals were found to consume Synechococcus spp. In terms of Synechococcus quantity, the individual gut content was highest in the cladocerans, whereas biomass-specific gut content was highest in the rotifers and the copepod nauplii. The amount of Synechococcus DNA in the guts of the field-collected copepods was positively related to the picocyanobacteria abundance and negatively to the total phytoplankton (> 2 µm) stocks at the time of sampling. This indicates that increased availability of picocyanobacteria resulted in the increased intake of this prey and that copepods may rely more on this prey when preferred food declines. These findings suggest that if abundant, picoplankton is an important component of mesozooplankton diet, which needs to be accounted for in food web models and productivity assessments.
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| 19. |
- Ogonowski, Martin, et al.
(författare)
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Evidence for selective bacterial community structuring on microplastics
- 2018
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Ingår i: Environmental Microbiology. - : Wiley. - 1462-2912 .- 1462-2920. ; 20:8, s. 2796-2808
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In aquatic ecosystems, microplastics are a relatively new anthropogenic substrate that can readily be colonized by biofilm-forming organisms. To examine the effects of substrate type on microbial community assembly, we exposed ambient Baltic bacterioplankton to plastic substrates commonly found in marine environments (polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene) as well as native (cellulose) and inert (glass beads) particles for 2 weeks under controlled conditions. The source microbial communities and those of the biofilms were analyzed by Illumina sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene libraries. All biofilm communities displayed lower diversity and evenness compared with the source community, suggesting substrate-driven selection. Moreover, the plastics-associated communities were distinctly different from those on the non-plastic substrates. Whereas plastics hosted greater than twofold higher abundance of Burkholderiales, the non-plastic substrates had a significantly higher proportion of Actinobacteria and Cytophagia. Variation in the community structure, but not the cell abundance, across the treatments was strongly linked to the substrate hydrophobicity. Thus, microplastics host distinct bacterial communities, at least during early successional stages.
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| 20. |
- Ran, Liang, et al.
(författare)
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Genome Erosion in a Nitrogen-Fixing Vertically Transmitted Endosymbiotic Multicellular Cyanobacterium
- 2010
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 5:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: An ancient cyanobacterial incorporation into a eukaryotic organism led to the evolution of plastids (chloroplasts) and subsequently to the origin of the plant kingdom. The underlying mechanism and the identities of the partners in this monophyletic event remain elusive.Methodology/Principal Findings: To shed light on this evolutionary process, we sequenced the genome of a cyanobacterium residing extracellularly in an endosymbiosis with a plant, the water-fern Azolla filiculoides Lam. This symbiosis was selected as it has characters which make it unique among extant cyanobacterial plant symbioses: the cyanobacterium lacks autonomous growth and is vertically transmitted between plant generations. Our results reveal features of evolutionary significance. The genome is in an eroding state, evidenced by a large proportion of pseudogenes (31.2%) and a high frequency of transposable elements (,600) scattered throughout the genome. Pseudogenization is found in genes such as the replication initiator dnaA and DNA repair genes, considered essential to free-living cyanobacteria. For some functional categories of genes pseudogenes are more prevalent than functional genes. Loss of function is apparent even within the ‘core’ gene categories of bacteria, such as genes involved in glycolysis and nutrient uptake. In contrast, serving as a critical source of nitrogen for the host, genes related to metabolic processes such as cell differentiation and nitrogen-fixation are well preserved.Conclusions/Significance: This is the first finding of genome degradation in a plant symbiont and phenotypically complex cyanobacterium and one of only a few extracellular endosymbionts described showing signs of reductive genome evolution. Our findings suggest an ongoing selective streamlining of this cyanobacterial genome which has resulted in an organism devoted to nitrogen fixation and devoid of autonomous growth. The cyanobacterial symbiont of Azolla can thus be considered at the initial phase of a transition from free-living organism to a nitrogen-fixing plant entity, a transition process which may mimic what drove the evolution of chloroplasts from a cyanobacterial ancestor.
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| 21. |
- Vigil-Stenman, Theoden, et al.
(författare)
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High abundance and expression of transposases in bacteria from the Baltic Sea
- 2017
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Ingår i: The ISME Journal. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1751-7362 .- 1751-7370. ; 11:11, s. 2611-2623
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Transposases are mobile genetic elements suggested to have an important role in bacterial genome plasticity and host adaptation but their transcriptional activity in natural bacterial communities is largely unexplored. Here we analyzed metagenomes and -transcriptomes of size fractionated (0.1-0.8, 0.8-3.0 and 3.0-200 mu m) bacterial communities from the brackish Baltic Sea, and adjacent marine waters. The Baltic Sea transposase levels, up to 1.7% of bacterial genes and 2% of bacterial transcripts, were considerably higher than in marine waters and similar to levels reported for extreme environments. Large variations in expression were found between transposase families and groups of bacteria, with a two-fold higher transcription in Cyanobacteria than in any other phylum. The community-level results were corroborated at the genus level by Synechococcus transposases reaching up to 5.2% of genes and 6.9% of transcripts, which is in contrast to marine Synechococcus that largely lack these genes. Levels peaked in Synechococcus from the largest size fraction, suggesting high frequencies of lateral gene transfer and high genome plasticity in colony-forming picocyanobacteria. Together, the results support an elevated rate of transposition-based genome change and adaptation in bacterial populations of the Baltic Sea, and possibly also of other highly dynamic estuarine waters.
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| 22. |
- Wong, Alicia Yoke Wei, et al.
(författare)
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Comparison of Four Streptococcus pneumoniae Urinary Antigen Tests Using Automated Readers
- 2021
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Ingår i: Microorganisms. - : MDPI. - 2076-2607. ; 9:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Streptococcus pneumoniae urinary antigen tests (UATs) may be interpreted using automatic readers to potentially automate sample incubation and provide standardized results reading. Here, we evaluated four UATs the BinaxNOW S. pneumoniae Antigen Card (Abbott, Chicago, IL, USA), ImmuView S. pneumoniae and Legionella (SSI Diagnostica, Hillerød, Denmark), STANDARD F S. pneumoniae Ag FIA (SD Biosensor, Gyeonggi, South Korea), and Sofia S. pneumoniae FIA (Quidel Corporation, San Diego, CA, USA) with their respective benchtop readers for their ability to detect S. pneumoniae urinary antigen. We found that these assays had a sensitivity of 76.9–86.5%, and specificity of 84.2–89.7%, with no significant difference found among the four UATs. The assays had a high level of agreement with each other, with 84.5% of samples testing consistently across all four assays. The automatically and visually read test results from the two immunochromatographic assays, BinaxNOW and ImmuView, were compared and showed excellent agreement between the two types of reading. Immunofluorescent-based assays, Sofia and STANDARD F, had significantly less time to detect compared to the two immunochromatographic assays due to having less assay setup procedures and shorter sample incubation times. In conclusion, the four UATs performed similarly in the detection of S. pneumoniae urinary antigen, and readers can bring increased flexibility to running UATs in the clinical routine.
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