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29 Publications visible to you, out of a total of 29
Formaldehyde as a carbon and electron shuttle between autotroph and heterotroph populations in acidic hydrothermal vents of Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park
Energy and Material Processing, Microbial Community Dynamics, Adaptive Responses

Abstract (Expand)

The Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park contains a large number of hydrothermal systems, which host microbial populations supported by primary productivity associated with a suite of … chemolithotrophic metabolisms. We demonstrate that Metallosphaera yellowstonensis MK1, a facultative autotrophic archaeon isolated from a hyperthermal acidic hydrous ferric oxide (HFO) spring in Norris Geyser Basin, excretes formaldehyde during autotrophic growth. To determine the fate of formaldehyde in this low organic carbon environment, we incubated native microbial mat (containing M. yellowstonensis) from a HFO spring with 13C-formaldehyde. Isotopic analysis of incubation-derived CO2 and biomass showed that formaldehyde was both oxidized and assimilated by members of the community. Autotrophy, formaldehyde oxidation, and formaldehyde assimilation displayed different sensitivities to chemical inhibitors, suggesting that distinct sub-populations in the mat selectively perform these functions. Our results demonstrate that electrons originally resulting from iron oxidation can energetically fuel autotrophic carbon fixation and associated formaldehyde excretion, and that formaldehyde is both oxidized and assimilated by different organisms within the native microbial community. Thus, formaldehyde can effectively act as a carbon and electron shuttle connecting the autotrophic, iron oxidizing members with associated heterotrophic members in the HFO community.

Authors: J. J. Moran, L. M. Whitmore, N. G. Isern, M. F. Romine, K. M. Riha, W. P. Inskeep, H. W. Kreuzer

Date Published: 19th Mar 2016

Publication Type: Not specified

Live Cell Discovery of Microbial Vitamin Transport and Enzyme-Cofactor Interactions
Energy and Material Processing, Microbial Community Dynamics, Adaptive Responses

Abstract (Expand)

The rapid completion of microbial genomes is inducing a conundrum in functional gene discovery. Novel methods are needed to shorten the gap between characterizing a microbial genome and experimentally … validating bioinformatically predicted functions. Of particular importance are transport mechanisms, which shuttle nutrients such as B vitamins and metabolites across cell membranes and are required for the survival of microbes ranging from members of environmental microbial communities to pathogens. Methods to accurately assign function and specificity for a wide range of experimentally unidentified and/or predicted membrane-embedded transport proteins, along with characterization of intracellular enzyme-cofactor associations, are needed to enable a significantly improved understanding of microbial biochemistry and physiology, microbial interactions, and microbial responses to perturbations. Chemical probes derived from B vitamins B1, B2, and B7 have allowed us to experimentally address the aforementioned needs by identifying B vitamin transporters and intracellular enzyme-cofactor associations through live cell labeling of the filamentous anoxygenic photoheterotroph, Chloroflexus aurantiacus J-10-fl, known to employ mechanisms for both B vitamin biosynthesis and environmental salvage. Our probes provide a unique opportunity to directly link cellular activity and protein function back to ecosystem and/or host dynamics by identifying B vitamin transport and cofactor-dependent interactions required for survival.

Authors: L. N. Anderson, P. K. Koech, A. E. Plymale, E. V. Landorf, A. Konopka, F. R. Collart, M. S. Lipton, M. F. Romine, A. T. Wright

Date Published: 22nd Dec 2015

Publication Type: Not specified

Multi-Omic Dynamics Associate Oxygenic Photosynthesis with Nitrogenase-Mediated H2 Production in Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142
Energy and Material Processing, Microbial Community Dynamics, Adaptive Responses

Abstract (Expand)

To date, the proposed mechanisms of nitrogenase-driven photosynthetic H2 production by the diazotrophic unicellular cyanobacterium Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142 have assumed that reductant and ATP requirements … are derived solely from glycogen oxidation and cyclic-electron flow around photosystem I. Through genome-scale transcript and protein profiling, this study presents and tests a new hypothesis on the metabolic relationship between oxygenic photosynthesis and nitrogenase-mediated H2 production in Cyanothece 51142. Our results show that net-positive rates of oxygenic photosynthesis and increased expression of photosystem II reaction centers correspond and are synchronized with nitrogenase expression and H2 production. These findings provide a new and more complete view on the metabolic processes contributing to the energy budget of photosynthetic H2 production and highlight the role of concurrent photocatalytic H2O oxidation as a participating process.

Authors: Hans Bernstein, M. A. Charania, R. S. McClure, N. C. Sadler, M. R. Melnicki, E. A. Hill, L. M. Markillie, C. D. Nicora, A. T. Wright, M. F. Romine, A. S. Beliaev

Date Published: 4th Nov 2015

Publication Type: Not specified

Identification and Resolution of Microdiversity through Metagenomic Sequencing of Parallel Consortia
Energy and Material Processing, Microbial Community Dynamics, Adaptive Responses

Abstract (Expand)

To gain a predictive understanding of the interspecies interactions within microbial communities that govern community function, the genomic complement of every member population must be determined. … Although metagenomic sequencing has enabled the de novo reconstruction of some microbial genomes from environmental communities, microdiversity confounds current genome reconstruction techniques. To overcome this issue, we performed short-read metagenomic sequencing on parallel consortia, defined as consortia cultivated under the same conditions from the same natural community with overlapping species composition. The differences in species abundance between the two consortia allowed reconstruction of near-complete (at an estimated >85% of gene complement) genome sequences for 17 of the 20 detected member species. Two Halomonas spp. indistinguishable by amplicon analysis were found to be present within the community. In addition, comparison of metagenomic reads against the consensus scaffolds revealed within-species variation for one of the Halomonas populations, one of the Rhodobacteraceae populations, and the Rhizobiales population. Genomic comparison of these representative instances of inter- and intraspecies microdiversity suggests differences in functional potential that may result in the expression of distinct roles in the community. In addition, isolation and complete genome sequence determination of six member species allowed an investigation into the sensitivity and specificity of genome reconstruction processes, demonstrating robustness across a wide range of sequence coverage (9x to 2,700x) within the metagenomic data set.

Authors: W. C. Nelson, Y. Maezato, Y. W. Wu, M. F. Romine, S. R. Lindemann

Date Published: 23rd Oct 2015

Publication Type: Not specified

Ecophysiology of an uncultivated lineage of Aigarchaeota from an oxic, hot spring filamentous 'streamer' community
Energy and Material Processing, Microbial Community Dynamics, Adaptive Responses

Abstract (Expand)

The candidate archaeal phylum 'Aigarchaeota' contains microorganisms from terrestrial and subsurface geothermal ecosystems. The phylogeny and metabolic potential of Aigarchaeota has been deduced … from several recent single-cell amplified genomes; however, a detailed description of their metabolic potential and in situ transcriptional activity is absent. Here, we report a comprehensive metatranscriptome-based reconstruction of the in situ metabolism of Aigarchaeota in an oxic, hot spring filamentous 'streamer' community. Fluorescence in situ hybridization showed that these newly discovered Aigarchaeota are filamentous, which is consistent with the presence and transcription of an actin-encoding gene. Aigarchaeota filaments are intricately associated with other community members, which include both bacteria (for example, filamentous Thermocrinis spp.) and archaea. Metabolic reconstruction of genomic and metatranscriptomic data suggests that this aigarchaeon is an aerobic, chemoorganoheterotroph with autotrophic potential. A heme copper oxidase complex was identified in the environmental genome assembly and highly transcribed in situ. Potential electron donors include acetate, fatty acids, amino acids, sugars and aromatic compounds, which may originate from extracellular polymeric substances produced by other microorganisms shown to exist in close proximity and/or autochthonous dissolved organic carbon (OC). Transcripts related to genes specific to each of these potential electron donors were identified, indicating that this aigarchaeon likely utilizes several OC substrates. Characterized members of this lineage cannot synthesize heme, and other cofactors and vitamins de novo, which suggests auxotrophy. We propose the name Candidatus 'Calditenuis aerorheumensis' for this aigarchaeon, which describes its filamentous morphology and its primary electron acceptor, oxygen.

Authors: J. P. Beam, Z. J. Jay, M. C. Schmid, D. B. Rusch, M. F. Romine, M. Jennings Rde, M. A. Kozubal, S. G. Tringe, M. Wagner, W. P. Inskeep

Date Published: 3rd Jul 2015

Publication Type: Not specified

Pyrobaculum yellowstonensis Strain WP30 Respires on Elemental Sulfur and/or Arsenate in Circumneutral Sulfidic Geothermal Sediments of Yellowstone National Park
Energy and Material Processing, Microbial Community Dynamics, Adaptive Responses

Abstract (Expand)

Thermoproteales (phylum Crenarchaeota) populations are abundant in high-temperature (>70 degrees C) environments of Yellowstone National Park (YNP) and are important in mediating the biogeochemical … cycles of sulfur, arsenic, and carbon. The objectives of this study were to determine the specific physiological attributes of the isolate Pyrobaculum yellowstonensis strain WP30, which was obtained from an elemental sulfur sediment (Joseph's Coat Hot Spring [JCHS], 80 degrees C, pH 6.1, 135 muM As) and relate this organism to geochemical processes occurring in situ. Strain WP30 is a chemoorganoheterotroph and requires elemental sulfur and/or arsenate as an electron acceptor. Growth in the presence of elemental sulfur and arsenate resulted in the formation of thioarsenates and polysulfides. The complete genome of this organism was sequenced (1.99 Mb, 58% G+C content), revealing numerous metabolic pathways for the degradation of carbohydrates, amino acids, and lipids. Multiple dimethyl sulfoxide-molybdopterin (DMSO-MPT) oxidoreductase genes, which are implicated in the reduction of sulfur and arsenic, were identified. Pathways for the de novo synthesis of nearly all required cofactors and metabolites were identified. The comparative genomics of P. yellowstonensis and the assembled metagenome sequence from JCHS showed that this organism is highly related ( approximately 95% average nucleotide sequence identity) to in situ populations. The physiological attributes and metabolic capabilities of P. yellowstonensis provide an important foundation for developing an understanding of the distribution and function of these populations in YNP.

Authors: Z. J. Jay, J. P. Beam, A. Dohnalkova, R. Lohmayer, B. Bodle, B. Planer-Friedrich, M. Romine, W. P. Inskeep

Date Published: 19th Jun 2015

Publication Type: Not specified

Diel metabolomics analysis of a hot spring chlorophototrophic microbial mat leads to new hypotheses of community member metabolisms
Energy and Material Processing, Microbial Community Dynamics, Adaptive Responses

Abstract (Expand)

Dynamic environmental factors such as light, nutrients, salt, and temperature continuously affect chlorophototrophic microbial mats, requiring adaptive and acclimative responses to stabilize composition … and function. Quantitative metabolomics analysis can provide insights into metabolite dynamics for understanding community response to such changing environmental conditions. In this study, we quantified volatile organic acids, polar metabolites (amino acids, glycolytic and citric acid cycle intermediates, nucleobases, nucleosides, and sugars), wax esters, and polyhydroxyalkanoates, resulting in the identification of 104 metabolites and related molecules in thermal chlorophototrophic microbial mat cores collected over a diel cycle in Mushroom Spring, Yellowstone National Park. A limited number of predominant taxa inhabit this community and their functional potentials have been previously identified through metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses and in situ metabolisms, and metabolic interactions among these taxa have been hypothesized. Our metabolomics results confirmed the diel cycling of photorespiration (e.g., glycolate) and fermentation (e.g., acetate, propionate, and lactate) products, the carbon storage polymers polyhydroxyalkanoates, and dissolved gasses (e.g., H2 and CO2) in the waters overlying the mat, which were hypothesized to occur in major mat chlorophototrophic community members. In addition, we have formulated the following new hypotheses: (1) the morning hours are a time of biosynthesis of amino acids, DNA, and RNA; (2) photo-inhibited cells may also produce lactate via fermentation as an alternate metabolism; (3) glycolate and lactate are exchanged among Synechococcus and Roseiflexus spp.; and (4) fluctuations in many metabolite pools (e.g., wax esters) at different times of day result from species found at different depths within the mat responding to temporal differences in their niches.

Authors: Young-Mo Kim, Shane Nowack, Millie T. Olsen, Eric D. Becraft, Jason M. Wood, Vera Thiel, Isaac Klapper, Michael Kühl, James K. Fredrickson, Donald A. Bryant, David M. Ward, Thomas O. Metz

Date Published: 17th Apr 2015

Publication Type: Not specified

Integrated in silico Analyses of Regulatory and Metabolic Networks of Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 Reveal Relationships between Gene Centrality and Essentiality
Energy and Material Processing, Microbial Community Dynamics, Adaptive Responses

Abstract (Expand)

Cyanobacteria dynamically relay environmental inputs to intracellular adaptations through a coordinated adjustment of photosynthetic efficiency and carbon processing rates. The output of such adaptations … is reflected through changes in transcriptional patterns and metabolic flux distributions that ultimately define growth strategy. To address interrelationships between metabolism and regulation, we performed integrative analyses of metabolic and gene co-expression networks in a model cyanobacterium, Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002. Centrality analyses using the gene co-expression network identified a set of key genes, which were defined here as "topologically important." Parallel in silico gene knock-out simulations, using the genome-scale metabolic network, classified what we termed as "functionally important" genes, deletion of which affected growth or metabolism. A strong positive correlation was observed between topologically and functionally important genes. Functionally important genes exhibited variable levels of topological centrality; however, the majority of topologically central genes were found to be functionally essential for growth. Subsequent functional enrichment analysis revealed that both functionally and topologically important genes in Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 are predominantly associated with translation and energy metabolism, two cellular processes critical for growth. This research demonstrates how synergistic network-level analyses can be used for reconciliation of metabolic and gene expression data to uncover fundamental biological principles.

Authors: H. S. Song, R. S. McClure, Hans Bernstein, C. C. Overall, E. A. Hill, A. S. Beliaev

Date Published: 1st Apr 2015

Publication Type: Not specified

Mathematical Modeling of Microbial Community Dynamics: A Methodological Review
Energy and Material Processing, Microbial Community Dynamics, Adaptive Responses

Abstract

Not specified

Authors: Hyun-Seob Song, William Cannon, Alexander Beliaev, Allan Konopka

Date Published: 1st Dec 2014

Publication Type: Not specified

Comparative genomics of transcriptional regulation of methionine metabolism in Proteobacteria
Energy and Material Processing, Microbial Community Dynamics, Adaptive Responses

Abstract (Expand)

Methionine metabolism and uptake genes in Proteobacteria are controlled by a variety of RNA and DNA regulatory systems. We have applied comparative genomics to reconstruct regulons for three known … transcription factors, MetJ, MetR, and SahR, and three known riboswitch motifs, SAH, SAM-SAH, and SAM_alpha, in approximately 200 genomes from 22 taxonomic groups of Proteobacteria. We also identified two novel regulons: a SahR-like transcription factor SamR controlling various methionine biosynthesis genes in the Xanthomonadales group, and a potential RNA regulatory element with terminator-antiterminator mechanism controlling the metX or metZ genes in beta-proteobacteria. For each analyzed regulator we identified the core, taxon-specific and genome-specific regulon members. By analyzing the distribution of these regulators in bacterial genomes and by comparing their regulon contents we elucidated possible evolutionary scenarios for the regulation of the methionine metabolism genes in Proteobacteria.

Authors: S. A. Leyn, I. A. Suvorova, T. D. Kholina, S. S. Sherstneva, P. S. Novichkov, M. S. Gelfand, D. A. Rodionov

Date Published: 20th Nov 2014

Publication Type: Not specified

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