ABSTRACT: Metagenomic analysis of a hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial consortium reveals the capacity of BTEX biodegradationMetagenomic analysis of a hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial consortium reveals the capacity of BTEX biodegradation
Project description:Metagenomic analysis of a hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial consortium reveals the capacity of BTEX biodegradationMetagenomic analysis of a hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial consortium reveals the capacity of BTEX biodegradation
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.
Project description:The application of chemical dispersants during marine oil spills can affect the community composition and activity of native marine microorganisms. Several studies have indicated that certain marine hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria, such as Marinobacter spp., can be inhibited by chemical dispersants, resulting in lower abundances and/or reduced hydrocarbon-biodegradation rates. In this respect, a major knowledge gap exists in understanding the mechanisms underlying these observed physiological effects. Here, we performed comparative proteomics of the Deepwater Horizon isolate Marinobacter sp. TT1 grown under different conditions that varied regarding the supplied carbon sources (pyruvate vs. n-hexadecane) and whether or not dispersant (Corexit EC9500A) was added, or that contained crude oil in the form of a water-accommodated fraction (WAF) or chemically-enhanced WAF (CEWAF). We characterized the proteins associated with alkane metabolism and alginate biosynthesis in strain TT1, report on its potential for aromatic hydrocarbon biodegradation and present a proposed metabolism of Corexit components as carbon substrates for the strain. Our findings implicate Corexit in affecting hydrocarbon metabolism, chemotactic motility, biofilm formation, and inducing solvent tolerance mechanisms like efflux pumps in strain TT1. This study provides novel insights into dispersant impacts on microbial hydrocarbon degraders that should be taken into consideration for future oil spill response actions.
Project description:Polylactic acid (PLA) is a promising biodegradable material used in various fields, such as mulching films and disposable packaging materials. Biological approaches for completely degrading biodegradable polymers can provide environmentally friendly solutions. However, to our knowledge, no studies have performed transcriptome profiling to analyze PLA-degrading genes of PLA-degrading bacteria. Therefore, this study reports for the first time an RNA sequence approach for tracing genes involved in PLA biodegradation in the PLA-degrading bacterium Brevibacillus brevis. In the interpretation results of the differentially expressed genes, the hydrolase genes mhqD and nap and the serine protease gene besA were up-regulated by a fold change of 7.97, 4.89, and 4.09, respectively. This result suggests that hydrolases play a key role in PLA biodegradation by B. brevis. In addition, Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses showed that genes implicated in biofilm formation were upregulated. The biodegradation of PLA starts with bacteria attaching to the surface of PLA and forming a biofilm. Therefore, it could be confirmed that the above genes were up-regulated for access to PLA and biodegradation. Our results provide transcriptome-based insights into PLA biodegradation, which pitch a better understanding of microbial biodegradation of plastics.
Project description:Sulfoquinovose (SQ) is a major organosulfonate in nature, and thus plays an important role in the biogeochemical sulfur and carbon cycles. We identified a bacterial anaerobic consortium, enriched from lake Konstanz, which degraded SQ to isethionate as intermediate and further into acetate and sulfide. By a metagenomic analysis we identified Faecalicatena sp. DSM22707 as major SQ-degrader in the consortium. Strain DSM22707 degraded SQ in pure culture into isethionate and small amounts of sulfolactate.
Project description:Widespread organic pollutants such as BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) are traditionally considered to enhance soil carbon loss through mineralization and ecotoxicity. Challenging this paradigm, we reveal that BTEX can stimulate microbial carbon chain elongation (CE)—a previously overlooked carbon fixation pathway—thereby reshaping soil carbon dynamics. Through phased amplicon sequencing, metagenomics, and metaproteomics, we demonstrate that BTEX exerts bidirectional regulation on CE at both taxonomic and molecular levels. Specifically, BTEX selectively enriches Clostridium_sensu_stricto_12 and Rummelibacillus, while suppressing Acinetobacter, a key CE contributor in natural soils. BTEX also inhibits Petrimonas, a syntrophic degrader of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), promoting MCFAs accumulation. Moreover, BTEX-degrading bacteria establish cooperative interactions with CE bacteria, facilitating the sequestration of carbon as MCFAs rather than complete mineralization to CO₂, with Bacillus bridging both metabolic roles. At the molecular level, BTEX enhances CE by accelerating substrate uptake and acetyl-CoA flux into the reverse β-oxidation (RBO) pathway. Multi-omics analysis revealed that BTEX downregulates fatty acid biosynthesis (FAB), another pathway of CE, through fabR, acrR, and fadR while maintaining NADH availability to relieve Rex-mediated inhibition of the key RBO enzyme gene bcd. However, excessive BTEX disrupts metabolic homeostasis and suppresses CE activity. Collectively, our findings redefine the ecological implications of aromatic hydrocarbon contamination by uncovering its capacity to modulate anaerobic carbon fixation and retention in soil microbial communities. This work highlights a previously unrecognized link between pollutant degradation and biogenic carbon sequestration, with broader implications for understanding soil biogeochemical resilience under anthropogenic pressure.