Project description:Here, we applied a microarray-based metagenomics technology termed GeoChip 5.0 to investigate spring microbial functional genes in mesocosm-simulated shallow lake ecosystems having been undergoing nutrient enrichment and warming for nine years.
Project description:Salinity strongly influences the physiology and distribution of nitrifying microorganisms, yet the effects of low salinity on these key players in nitrogen cycling remain understudied. This study investigates the impact of hypoosmolarity on different groups of ammonia oxidizers in soil and lake environments, as well as in pure culture isolates. In soil microcosms amended with ammonium, at low salinity levels (~120 µS/cm), which are comparable to values commonly found in pristine terrestrial and aquatic environments, the abundance of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), dominated by Nitrosomonas oligotropha, significantly increased. In contrast, the growth of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), dominated by “Ca. Nitrosotenuis” of the Nitrosopumilaceae family, was stimulated by high salinity (~760 µS/cm). In ammonium-fed lake microcosms, the abundance of AOB, dominated by N. oligotropha, significantly increased under both low (~170 µS/cm) and high salinity (~850 µS/cm) conditions. In the presence of allylthiourea, a bacterial nitrification inhibitor, AOA were found to be sensitive to low salinity in both soil and lake microcosms. Consistently, pure culture studies revealed marked growth inhibition of AOA, especially of members of the Nitrosopumilaceae, under hypoosmolarity, unlike AOB and complete ammonia oxidizers (comammox) strains. Comparative genomic analyses with AOB and comammox, along with transcriptomic studies, suggested that the sensitivity of AOA to hypoosmolarity stress is attributed to a lack of sophisticated osmoregulatory transport systems and their S-layer cell wall structure. Overall, this study highlights the importance of hypoosmolarity as a key factor shaping the ecological niches and distribution of ammonia oxidizers as well as nitrification activities in terrestrial and aquatic environments increasingly affected in their salinities by intensified water cycles due to climate change.
Project description:Lake Apopka (Fl, USA) experienced heavy uses of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the 1950s-1970 during an intense agricultural period. As a result, the region remains heavily contaminated and was declared a Superfund site by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Aquatic organisms inhabit the freshwater systems in and around Lake Apopka, however the impacts of sub chronic exposure to OCPs in this natural environment are not known. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of the contamination on the reproductive axis of largemouth bass (LMB) (Micropterus salmoides). In October (2007), healthy LMB were stocked into natural mesocosms and remained in mesocosms before being sampled in January 2008 (at early oogenesis). Additional LMB were placed into mesocosms for 2 months in February (2008) and sampled in April (2008) (oocyte maturation). LMB placed in these mesocosms for four months had a 2-20X higher contaminant load for OCPs (e.g. DDE, dieldrin, methoxychlor) than LMB collected from reference sites. Gonadosomatic index for LMB collected in April from the mesocosms were not different that LMB from reference sites. Vitellogenin levels in LMB collected from the mesocosms in January and April were not significantly different than fish collected from Welaka in late vitellogenin or early maturation respectively. Steroids were depressed in mesocosm fish. Microarray analysis revealed that the expression profiles of genes in the LMB ovary were unique compared to LMB collected form reference sites. Transcripts that showed altered abundance in LMB from the mesocosms were insulin-like growth factor I and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein. Interestingly, differentially expressed transcripts showed a significant and positive correlation for LMB sampled in January and April despite the 3 month period in between samplings. Sub-network enrichment analysis for cellular processes showed that retinoic acid metabolism and germ-cell development were decreased in mesocosm-exposed fish but processes such as vitellogenesis, amino acid catabolism, granulosa cell function, vitamin D metabolism, and hormone biosynthesis were increased in mesocosm-exposed fish. These data suggest that (1) LMB from the mesocosms are exhibiting unique gene profiles that may impair normal reproduction and that (2) microarray analysis in the field can provide site specific information by discriminating LMB from reference and polluted sites.
Project description:Lake Apopka (Fl, USA) experienced heavy uses of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the 1950s-1970 during an intense agricultural period. As a result, the region remains heavily contaminated and was declared a Superfund site by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Aquatic organisms inhabit the freshwater systems in and around Lake Apopka, however the impacts of sub chronic exposure to OCPs in this natural environment are not known. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of the contamination on the reproductive axis of largemouth bass (LMB) (Micropterus salmoides). In October (2007), healthy LMB were stocked into natural mesocosms and remained in mesocosms before being sampled in January 2008 (at early oogenesis). Additional LMB were placed into mesocosms for 2 months in February (2008) and sampled in April (2008) (oocyte maturation). LMB placed in these mesocosms for four months had a 2-20X higher contaminant load for OCPs (e.g. DDE, dieldrin, methoxychlor) than LMB collected from reference sites. Gonadosomatic index for LMB collected in April from the mesocosms were not different that LMB from reference sites. Vitellogenin levels in LMB collected from the mesocosms in January and April were not significantly different than fish collected from Welaka in late vitellogenin or early maturation respectively. Steroids were depressed in mesocosm fish. Microarray analysis revealed that the expression profiles of genes in the LMB ovary were unique compared to LMB collected form reference sites. Transcripts that showed altered abundance in LMB from the mesocosms were insulin-like growth factor I and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein. Interestingly, differentially expressed transcripts showed a significant and positive correlation for LMB sampled in January and April despite the 3 month period in between samplings. Sub-network enrichment analysis for cellular processes showed that retinoic acid metabolism and germ-cell development were decreased in mesocosm-exposed fish but processes such as vitellogenesis, amino acid catabolism, granulosa cell function, vitamin D metabolism, and hormone biosynthesis were increased in mesocosm-exposed fish. These data suggest that (1) LMB from the mesocosms are exhibiting unique gene profiles that may impair normal reproduction and that (2) microarray analysis in the field can provide site specific information by discriminating LMB from reference and polluted sites.
Project description:Lake Apopka (Fl, USA) experienced heavy uses of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the 1950s-1970 during an intense agricultural period. As a result, the region remains heavily contaminated and was declared a Superfund site by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Aquatic organisms inhabit the freshwater systems in and around Lake Apopka, however the impacts of sub chronic exposure to OCPs in this natural environment are not known. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of the contamination on the reproductive axis of largemouth bass (LMB) (Micropterus salmoides). In October (2007), healthy LMB were stocked into natural mesocosms and remained in mesocosms before being sampled in January 2008 (at early oogenesis). Additional LMB were placed into mesocosms for 2 months in February (2008) and sampled in April (2008) (oocyte maturation). LMB placed in these mesocosms for four months had a 2-20X higher contaminant load for OCPs (e.g. DDE, dieldrin, methoxychlor) than LMB collected from reference sites. Gonadosomatic index for LMB collected in April from the mesocosms were not different that LMB from reference sites. Vitellogenin levels in LMB collected from the mesocosms in January and April were not significantly different than fish collected from Welaka in late vitellogenin or early maturation respectively. Steroids were depressed in mesocosm fish. Microarray analysis revealed that the expression profiles of genes in the LMB ovary were unique compared to LMB collected form reference sites. Transcripts that showed altered abundance in LMB from the mesocosms were insulin-like growth factor I and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein. Interestingly, differentially expressed transcripts showed a significant and positive correlation for LMB sampled in January and April despite the 3 month period in between samplings. Sub-network enrichment analysis for cellular processes showed that retinoic acid metabolism and germ-cell development were decreased in mesocosm-exposed fish but processes such as vitellogenesis, amino acid catabolism, granulosa cell function, vitamin D metabolism, and hormone biosynthesis were increased in mesocosm-exposed fish. These data suggest that (1) LMB from the mesocosms are exhibiting unique gene profiles that may impair normal reproduction and that (2) microarray analysis in the field can provide site specific information by discriminating LMB from reference and polluted sites. 12 microarrays on LMB collected from the wild in January. These include St John River (n=4), DeLeon Springs (n = 4), and animals placed in Apopka mesocosms (n=4).
Project description:Lake Apopka (Fl, USA) experienced heavy uses of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the 1950s-1970 during an intense agricultural period. As a result, the region remains heavily contaminated and was declared a Superfund site by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Aquatic organisms inhabit the freshwater systems in and around Lake Apopka, however the impacts of sub chronic exposure to OCPs in this natural environment are not known. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of the contamination on the reproductive axis of largemouth bass (LMB) (Micropterus salmoides). In October (2007), healthy LMB were stocked into natural mesocosms and remained in mesocosms before being sampled in January 2008 (at early oogenesis). Additional LMB were placed into mesocosms for 2 months in February (2008) and sampled in April (2008) (oocyte maturation). LMB placed in these mesocosms for four months had a 2-20X higher contaminant load for OCPs (e.g. DDE, dieldrin, methoxychlor) than LMB collected from reference sites. Gonadosomatic index for LMB collected in April from the mesocosms were not different that LMB from reference sites. Vitellogenin levels in LMB collected from the mesocosms in January and April were not significantly different than fish collected from Welaka in late vitellogenin or early maturation respectively. Steroids were depressed in mesocosm fish. Microarray analysis revealed that the expression profiles of genes in the LMB ovary were unique compared to LMB collected form reference sites. Transcripts that showed altered abundance in LMB from the mesocosms were insulin-like growth factor I and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein. Interestingly, differentially expressed transcripts showed a significant and positive correlation for LMB sampled in January and April despite the 3 month period in between samplings. Sub-network enrichment analysis for cellular processes showed that retinoic acid metabolism and germ-cell development were decreased in mesocosm-exposed fish but processes such as vitellogenesis, amino acid catabolism, granulosa cell function, vitamin D metabolism, and hormone biosynthesis were increased in mesocosm-exposed fish. These data suggest that (1) LMB from the mesocosms are exhibiting unique gene profiles that may impair normal reproduction and that (2) microarray analysis in the field can provide site specific information by discriminating LMB from reference and polluted sites. 8 microarrays on LMB collected from the wild in April. These include St John River (n=4) and animals placed in Apopka mesocosms (n=4).
Project description:The ecological significance of light perception in non-phototrophic bacteria remains largely elusive. In terrestrial environments, diurnal oscillations in light are often temporally coupled to other environmental changes, including increased temperature and evaporation. Here we report that light functions as an anticipatory cue that triggers protective adaptations to tolerate a future rapid loss of environmental water in leaf-associated Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae (Pss) and other terrestrial pseudomonads. Global transcriptome analyses in Pss showed that light control occurs almost entirely through a bacteriophytochrome photoreceptor that senses red, far-red and blue wavelengths and influences 30% of the Pss genome. Bacteriophytochrome-mediated light control disproportionally upregulates water-stress adaptation functions and confers enhanced fitness when cells encounter light prior to water limitation. These data demonstrate that non-phototrophic bacteria can use light as a cue to mount an adaptive anticipatory response against a physiologically unrelated but ecologically coupled stress.
Project description:Illumina high-throughput sequencing was used to analyse the intestinal bacteria of these two species during different wintering periods at Shengjin Lake. We tested whether contact time enhances the trans-species spread of gut bacteria. Our results indicate that although intestinal microflora of hooded crane and the bean goose were different, direct or indirect contact in the mixed-species flock caused the spread of gut bacteria trans-species, and a very high proportion of common pathogens among these two hosts.
Project description:Our main objectives wereto investigate the molecular mechanisms involved in metal toxicity and detoxification in the field using juvenile yellow perch subjected to differents levels of this metal exposure. Recent local adaptation to pollution has been evidenced in several organisms inhabiting environments heavily contaminated by metals. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms underlying adaptation to high metal concentrations are poorly understood, especially in fishes. Yellow perch (Perca flavescens) populations from lakes in the mining area of Rouyn-Noranda (QC, Canada) have been faced with metal contamination for about 90 years. Here, we examine gene transcription patterns of fish reciprocally transplanted between a reference and a metal-contaminated lake and also fish caged in their native lake. After four weeks, 111 genes were differentially transcribed in metal-naïve fish transferred to the metal-contaminated lake, revealing a plastic response to metal exposure. Genes involved in the citric cycle and beta-oxidation pathways were under-transcribed, suggesting a potential strategy to mitigate the effects of metal stress by reducing energy turnover. However, metal-contaminated fish transplanted to the reference lake did not show any transcriptomic response, indicating a reduced plastic response capability to sudden reduction in metal concentrations. Moreover, the transcription of other genes, especially ones involved in energy metabolism, was affected by caging. Overall, our results highlight environmental stress response mechanisms in yellow perch at the transcriptomic level and support a rapid adaptive response to metal exposure through genetic assimilation. Comparison between fish Op and OpâOp using a pairwise design corresponding to the cage experiment in the reference lake Opasatica (Op), comparison between fish Du and DuâDu using a pairwise design corresponding to the cage experiment in the metal contaminated lake Dufault (Du), comparison between fish from reference lake transplanted to the metal contaminated lake (OpâDu) and fish from reference lake caged in their own lake (OpâOp) using pairwise design corresponding to the experiment of metal contamination, comparison between fish from metal contaminated lake transplanted to the reference lake (DuâOp) and fish from the metal contaminated lake caged in their own lake (DuâDu) using pairwise design corresponding to the depuration experiment.