Project description:Chemical analysis of the compounds present in sediment, although informative, often is not indicative of the downstream biological effects that these contaminants exert on resident aquatic organisms. More direct molecular methods are needed to determine if marine life is affected by exposure to sediments. In this study, we used an aquatic multispecies microarray and q-PCR to investigate the effects on gene expression in juvenile sea bream (Sparus aurata) of two contaminated sediments defined as sediment 1 and 2 respectively, from marine areas in Northern Italy.
Project description:Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lmk, 1819) is economically relevant bivalve specie. In Adriatic Sea, periodical temperatures increases define optimal growth conditions for Dinoflagellate spp which can reach high concentrations also in filter-feeding mussels, thus causing potential human health problems. The most commonly used methods for the detection of Diarrhoeic Shellfish Poisoning biotoxins have either a low sensitivity or are too expensive to be used for routine tests. Genomic tools, such as microarray platforms, provide a reliable and alternative solution to overcome these problems. In this study we used a mussel cDNA microarray for studying gene expression changes in mussels exposed to Okadaic acid. Mussels collected in the Gulf of Trieste, located in Northern Adriatic Sea, were fed with Okadaic acid-spiked invertebrates for five weeks. In a time course experiment we were able to describe an early acute response just from the first 4th day time point. Among the differentially expressed genes we found a general up-regulation of stress proteins and proteins involved in cellular synthesis. Overall, we identified 34 transcripts candidate as useful markers to monitor OA-induced stress in mussels. This study contributes to the characterization of many potential genetic markers that could be used in future environmental monitoring, and could lead to explore new mechanisms of stress tolerance in marine mollusc species. Keywords: Time course, stress response
Project description:Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lmk, 1819) is economically relevant bivalve specie. In Adriatic Sea, periodical temperatures increases define optimal growth conditions for Dinoflagellate spp which can reach high concentrations also in filter-feeding mussels, thus causing potential human health problems. The most commonly used methods for the detection of Diarrhoeic Shellfish Poisoning biotoxins have either a low sensitivity or are too expensive to be used for routine tests. Genomic tools, such as microarray platforms, provide a reliable and alternative solution to overcome these problems. In this study we used a mussel cDNA microarray for studying gene expression changes in mussels exposed to Okadaic acid. Mussels collected in the Gulf of Trieste, located in Northern Adriatic Sea, were fed with Okadaic acid-spiked invertebrates for five weeks. In a time course experiment we were able to describe an early acute response just from the first 4th day time point. Among the differentially expressed genes we found a general up-regulation of stress proteins and proteins involved in cellular synthesis. Overall, we identified 34 transcripts candidate as useful markers to monitor OA-induced stress in mussels. This study contributes to the characterization of many potential genetic markers that could be used in future environmental monitoring, and could lead to explore new mechanisms of stress tolerance in marine mollusc species. Keywords: Time course, stress response Loop Design experiment including 5 time points (T0 = control samples, T1 = 3 days post treatment, T2 = 1 week post treatment, T4 = 3 weeks post treatment, T6 = 5 weeks post treatment). 3 biological replicates were done for a total number of 15 samples
Project description:Members of the bacterial phylum Spirochaetes are primarily studied for their commensal and pathogenic roles in animal hosts. However, Spirochaetes are also frequently detected in anoxic hydrocarbon-contaminated environments but their ecological role in such ecosystems has so far remained unclear. Here we provide a functional trait to these frequently detected organisms with an example of a sulfate-reducing, naphthalene-degrading enrichment culture consisting of a sulfate-reducing deltaproteobacterium Desulfobacterium naphthalenivorans and a novel spirochete Rectinema cohabitans. Using a combination of genomic, proteomic, and physiological studies we show that R. cohabitans grows by fermentation of organic compounds derived from biomass from dead cells (necromass). It recycles the derived electrons in the form of H2 to the sulfate-reducing D. naphthalenivorans, thereby supporting naphthalene degradation and forming a simple microbial loop. We provide metagenomic evidence that equivalent associations between Spirochaetes and hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms are of general importance in hydrocarbon- and organohalide-contaminated ecosystems. We propose that environmental Spirochaetes form a critical component of a microbial loop central to nutrient cycling in subsurface environments. This emphasizes the importance of necromass and H2-cycling in highly toxic contaminated subsurface habitats such as hydrocarbon-polluted aquifers.
2018-05-17 | PXD005624 | Pride
Project description:DNA metabarcoding (16S rRNA) of the northern Adriatic Sea
| PRJNA767222 | ENA
Project description:Metagenomic sequencing of marine hydrocarbon degrading microcosms
| PRJNA938176 | ENA
Project description:Surface 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing of the northern Adriatic Sea