Nutrient-rich Environment Research Articles

Assessing the Impact of the Nutrient Microenvironment on the Metabolism of Effector CD8+ T Cells.

Immune cell function is tightly regulated by cellular metabolism, which in turn is strongly linked to the nutrient availability in the microenvironment surrounding the cells. This link is critical for effector CD8+ T cells which, after activation, must migrate from nutrient-rich environments into nutrient-scarce regions such as the tumor microenvironment. Assessing how nutrient availability modulates the metabolism of effector CD8+ T cells is thus key for understanding how harsh environments may impair their proliferation and effector function. Here, we describe an approach to systematically study the impact of the nutrient microenvironment on the metabolism of effector CD8+ T cells, based on performing stable 13C isotope labeling measurements on in vitro-differentiated murine effector CD8+ T cells.

Highlights from Recent Cancer Literature

Highlights from Recent Cancer Literature

Comparative Genomics Reveal a Flagellar System, a Type VI Secretion System and Plant Growth-Promoting Gene Clusters Unique to the Endophytic Bacterium Kosakonia radicincitans

The recent worldwide discovery of plant growth-promoting (PGP) Kosakonia radicincitans in a large variety of crop plants suggests that this species confers significant influence on plants, both in terms of yield increase and product quality improvement. We provide a comparative genome analysis which helps to unravel the genetic basis for K. radicincitans' motility, competitiveness and plant growth-promoting capacities. We discovered that K. radicincitans carries multiple copies of complex gene clusters, among them two flagellar systems and three type VI secretion systems (T6SSs). We speculate that host invasion may be facilitated by different flagella, and bacterial competitor suppression by effector proteins ejected via T6SSs. We found a large plasmid in K. radicincitans DSM 16656T, the species type strain, that confers the potential to exploit plant-derived carbon sources. We propose that multiple copies of complex gene clusters in K. radicincitans are metabolically expensive but provide competitive advantage over other bacterial strains in nutrient-rich environments. The comparison of the DSM 16656T genome to genomes of other genera of enteric plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) exhibits traits unique to DSM 16656T and K. radicincitans, respectively, and traits shared between genera. We used the output of the in silico analysis for predicting the purpose of genomic features unique to K. radicincitans and performed microarray, PhyloChip, and microscopical analyses to gain deeper insight into the interaction of DSM 16656T, plants and associated microbiota. The comparative genome analysis will facilitate the future search for promising candidates of PGPB for sustainable crop production.

Following the terrestrial tracks of Caulobacter - redefining the ecology of a reputed aquatic oligotroph

For the past 60 years Caulobacter spp. have been commonly attributed an aquatic and oligotrophic lifestyle yet are not uncommon in nutrient-rich or soil environments. This study evaluates the environmental and ecological associations of Caulobacter to reconcile past evidence, largely limited to culturing and microscopy, with currently available metagenomic and genomic data. The distribution of Caulobacter species and their characteristic adhesion-conferring genes, holdfast (hfaAB), were determined using collections of 10,641 16S rRNA gene libraries (196 studies) and 2625 shotgun metagenomes (190 studies) from a range of terrestrial and aquatic environments. Evidence for ecotypic variation was tested in 26 genomes sourced from soil, rhizosphere, plant, groundwater, and water. Caulobacter were, on average, fourfold more relatively abundant in soil than in aquatic environments, and abundant in decomposing wood, compost, and particulate matter (in air and water). Caulobacter holdfast genes were 35-fold more abundant in soils than aquatic environments. Ecotypic differences between soil and aquatic Caulobacter were evident in the environmental associations of several species and differences in genome size and content among isolates. However, most abundant species were common to both environments, suggesting populations exist in a continuum that was evident in the re-analysis of studies on the temporal dynamics of, and sources of bacterioplankton to, lakes and rivers. This study provides a new perspective on the ecological profile of Caulobacter, demonstrating that members of this genus are predominantly soil-borne, possess an overlooked role in plant matter decomposition and a dependency on water-mediated dispersal.

Three decades of variability in California's giant kelp forests from the Landsat satellites

Global, repeat satellite imagery serves as an essential tool to understand ecological patterns and processes over diverse temporal and spatial scales. Recently, the use of spaceborne imagery has become indispensable for monitoring giant kelp, a globally distributed foundation species that displays variable seasonal and interannual dynamics. In order to develop and maintain a continuous and spatially expansive time series, we describe a fully automated protocol to classify giant kelp canopy biomass across three Landsat sensors. This required correcting kelp canopy estimates to account for changes in the spectral response functions between the three sensors by simulating data using hyperspectral imagery. Combining multiple sensors also necessitated the use of an extended (15 year) time series of diver estimated kelp biomass to validate each sensor. We also describe a novel gap filling technique using known spatial scales of kelp biomass synchrony to correct for missing data due to the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus scan line corrector failure. These developments have led to a publicly available 34-year, seasonal time series of kelp canopy biomass across ~1500 km of California coastline.We then use this time series to examine the role of temporal and spatial scale on the detection of long-term biomass trends. We found that kelp canopy biomass trends are associated with trends in low frequency marine climate oscillations, like the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation. Long-term (~20 year) increases in the state of the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation have led to a cooler, nutrient-rich environment that benefits the growth of giant kelp across a large portion of the kelp biomass time series, however recent warming events have led to weak, or nonexistent trends over the length of the time series. The cyclical nature of these low frequency marine climate oscillations complicates the detection of trends that may be associated with anthropogenic climate change. A longer and continuous time series is needed to analyze long-term canopy biomass trends outside of natural low frequency climate variability for giant kelp ecosystems along the coast of California, if we are to make accurate assessments of the impacts of climate change.

Distribution and Diversity of Rhodopsin-Producing Microbes in the Chesapeake Bay.

Although sunlight is an abundant source of energy in surface environments, less than 0.5% of the available photons are captured by (bacterio)chlorophyll-dependent photosynthesis in plants and bacteria. Metagenomic data indicate that 30 to 60% of the bacterial genomes in some environments encode rhodopsins, retinal-based photosystems found in heterotrophs, suggesting that sunlight may provide energy for more life than previously suspected. However, quantitative data on the number of cells that produce rhodopsins in environmental systems are limited. Here, we use total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy to show that the number of free-living microbes that produce rhodopsins increases along the salinity gradient in the Chesapeake Bay. We correlate this functional data with environmental data to show that rhodopsin abundance is positively correlated with salinity and with indicators of active heterotrophy during the day. Metagenomic and metatranscriptomic data suggest that the microbial rhodopsins in the low-salinity samples are primarily found in Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes, while those in the high-salinity samples are associated with SAR-11 type AlphaproteobacteriaIMPORTANCE Microbial rhodopsins are common light-activated ion pumps in heterotrophs, and previous work has proposed that heterotrophic microbes use them to conserve energy when organic carbon is limiting. If this hypothesis is correct, rhodopsin-producing cells should be most abundant where nutrients are most limited. Our results indicate that in the Chesapeake Bay, rhodopsin gene abundance is correlated with salinity, and functional rhodopsin production is correlated with nitrate, bacterial production, and chlorophyll a We propose that in this environment, where carbon and nitrogen are likely not limiting, heterotrophs do not need to use rhodopsins to supplement ATP synthesis. Rather, the light-generated proton motive force in nutrient-rich environments could be used to power energy-dependent membrane-associated processes, such as active transport of organic carbon and cofactors, enabling these organisms to more efficiently utilize exudates from primary producers.

The contribution of non-essentialSchizosaccharomyces pombegenes to fitness in response to altered nutrient supply and target of rapamycin activity

Nutrient fluctuations in the cellular environment promote changes in cell metabolism and growth to adapt cell proliferation accordingly. The target of rapamycin (TOR) signalling network plays a key role in the coordination of growth and cell proliferation with the nutrient environment and, importantly, nutrient limitation reduces TOR complex 1 (TORC1) signalling. We have performed global quantitative fitness profiling of the collection of Schizosaccharomyces pombe strains from which non-essential genes have been deleted. We identified genes that regulate fitness when cells are grown in a nutrient-rich environment compared with minimal environments, with varying nitrogen sources including ammonium, glutamate and proline. In addition, we have performed the first global screen for genes that regulate fitness when both TORC1 and TORC2 signalling is reduced by Torin1. Analysis of genes whose deletions altered fitness when nutrients were limited, or when TOR signalling was compromised, identified a large number of genes that regulate transmembrane transport, transcription and chromatin organization/regulation and vesicle-mediated transport. The ability to tolerate reduced TOR signalling placed demands upon a large number of biological processes including autophagy, mRNA metabolic processing and nucleocytoplasmic transport. Importantly, novel biological processes and all processes known to be regulated by TOR were identified in our screens. In addition, deletion of 62 genes conserved in humans gave rise to strong sensitivity or resistance to Torin1, and 29 of these 62 genes have novel links to TOR signalling. The identification of chromatin and transcriptional regulation, nutritional uptake and transport pathways in this powerful genetic model now paves the way for a molecular understanding of how cells adapt to the chronic and acute fluctuations in nutrient supply that all eukaryotes experience at some stage, and which is a key feature of cancer cells within solid tumours.

Helicobacter hepaticus polysaccharide induces an anti-inflammatory response in intestinal macrophages.

A high density of microbes inhabits the intestine, helping with food digestion, vitamin synthesis, xenobiotic detoxification, pathogen resistance and immune system maturation. Crucial for human health, communities of commensal bacteria (collectively termed microbiota) benefit in return from a nutrient-rich environment. Host-microbiota mutualism results from a long-term co-adaptation. At barrier surfaces, immune cells distinguish harmful from commensal bacteria and tolerate non-self organisms at close proximity to the mucosa; gut inhabitants have developed strategies to ensure beneficial conditions in their preferred niche. So far, the complex dialogue of host-microbial mutualism is poorly understood. Helicobacter hepaticus is a member of the mouse microbiota that colonizes the lower intestine without inducing immune pathology. However, when there is a host maladaptation such as the absence of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 10 (IL-10) or its receptor IL-10R, H. hepaticus triggers aberrant IL-23-driven intestinal inflammation. This response results in major changes in the intestinal innate cell compartment, with the accumulation of inflammatory macrophages. Relying both on a bacterial trigger and on an immune defect, H. hepaticus-induced colitis in the context of IL-10/IL-10R axis deficiency shares many features of human inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). In our study [Danne et al, Cell Host Microbe 22(6):733-745], we questioned the interactions between H. hepaticus and intestinal macrophages that promote mutualism. Our results show that H. hepaticus produces a large polysaccharide that triggers IL-10 production without a corresponding inflammatory response in macrophages. Moreover, H. hepaticus polysaccharide specifically induces an anti-inflammatory gene signature in vitro and in vivo, including transcriptional factors known as repressors of immune activation. This anti-inflammatory program depends on the TLR2/MSK/CREB pathway, which might be crucial to maintain mutualistic relationships at the intestinal interface.

Competition between Zea mays genotypes with different root morphological and physiological traits is dependent on phosphorus forms and supply patterns

Each genotype within species has a particular combination of root morphological and/or physiological traits to adapt to phosphorus-limited environments, which can lead to its unique plant fitness and competitive ability. Yet, how the various phosphorus environments affect the competition between genotypes remains obscure. Two maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes (XY335 and HMY, bred in nutrient-rich and nutrient-poor environments, respectively) were grown in monoculture and mixture in phosphorus-limited soil with homogeneous or heterogeneous supply patterns and inorganic (Pinorg) or organic phosphorus (Porg) forms. In homogeneous Pinorg and Porg environments, XY335 had higher root length and surface area, but lower mycorrhizal colonization and the acid phosphatase and phytase activities in the rhizosphere, than HMY. In heterogeneous phosphorus environments, XY335 had higher root proliferation than HMY. The root trait divergence influenced the competition in mixture: XY335 had a competitive advantage compared to HMY under heterogeneous phosphorus conditions, whereas HMY exhibited a stronger competitive ability in homogeneous phosphorus treatments; these reverse trends were more significant in the Porg than Pinorg treatments. The results suggested the importance of root physiological traits in homogeneous phosphorus-limited soil environments, whereas P acquisition strategy based on root morphological traits favours heterogeneous phosphorus supply.

Inducible phenotypic plasticity in plants regulates aquatic ecosystem functioning.

Differences among individuals within species affect community and ecosystem processes in many systems, and may rival the importance of differences between species. Intraspecific variation consists of both plastic and genetic components that are regulated by different processes and operate on different time scales. Therefore, probing which mechanisms can affect traits sufficiently strongly to affect ecosystem processes is fundamental to understanding the consequences of individual variation. We find that a dominant deciduous tree of Pacific Northwest riparian ecosystems, red alder, exhibits strong and synergistic responses to nutrient resources and herbivory stress. These induced responses, which include shifting nutrient and plant secondary metabolite composition, have cascading effects on aquatic ecosystem function. Defense responses suppress leaf litter decomposition in small streams, thus altering the rate of energy capture for one of the most abundant terrestrial carbon sources entering aquatic systems. We find that alder responses to herbivory stress largely depend on availability of soil nutrients, with modification of the highly cytotoxic diarylheptanoid group of secondary metabolites being favored in nutrient-poor environments and modification of the typically dose-dependent ellagitannins being favored in nutrient-rich environments. Importantly, these findings identify traits for herbivore resistance in alder trees and demonstrate that plastic responses occurring within a species and over short time scales substantially alter a key function of an adjacent ecosystem. Furthermore, demonstrating plasticity among alder secondary metabolites lends insight into this system, in which decomposer communities are known to adjust to the secondary chemistry of local alder trees to facilitate rapid decomposition of locally derived leaf litter.

Combining biotechnology with circular bioeconomy: From poultry, swine, cattle, brewery, dairy and urban wastewaters to biohydrogen

The ability of microalgae to grow in nutrient-rich environments and to accumulate nutrients from wastewaters (WW) makes them attractive for the sustainable and low-cost treatment of WW. The valuable biomass produced can be further used for the generation of bioenergy, animal feed, fertilizers, and biopolymers, among others. In this study, Scenedesmus obliquus was able to remove nutrients from different wastewaters (poultry, swine and cattle breeding, brewery and dairy industries, and urban) with removal ranges of 95–100% for nitrogen, 63–99% for phosphorus and 48–70% for chemical oxygen demand. The biomass productivity using wastewaters was higher (except for poultry) than in synthetic medium (Bristol), the highest value being obtained in brewery wastewater (1025 mg/(L.day) of freeze-dried biomass). The produced biomass contained 31–53% of proteins, 12–36% of sugars and 8–23% of lipids, regardless of the type of wastewater.The potential of the produced Scenedesmus obliquus biomass for the generation of BioH2 through batch dark fermentation processes with Enterobacter aerogenes was evaluated. The obtained yields ranged, in mL H2/g Volatile Solids (VS), from 50.1 for biomass from anaerobically digested cattle WW to 390 for swine WW, whereas the yield with biomass cultivated in Bristol medium was 57.6 mL H2/gVS.

Sweet attraction: sugarcane pollen-associated volatiles attract gravid Anopheles arabiensis

BackgroundAnopheles arabiensis is a key vector for the transmission of human malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. Over the past 10,000 years, humans have successfully cultivated grasses and altered the landscape, creating An. arabiensis favourable environments that contain excellent habitats for both larvae and adults. Sugarcane is the most expanding agricultural system in sub-Saharan Africa, and is linked to the increased threat of malaria in rural communities. The prolific production and wind dispersal of sugarcane pollen, together with standing pools of water, often provide, as a result of irrigation, a nutrient-rich environment for the offspring of gravid malaria mosquitoes.ResultsIn the present study, sugarcane pollen-associated volatiles from two cultivars are shown to attract gravid An. arabiensis in a still air two-port olfactometer and stimulate egg laying in an oviposition bioassay. Through combined gas chromatography and electroantennographic detection, as well as combined gas chromatography and mass spectrometric analyses, we identified the bioactive volatiles and generated a synthetic blend that reproduced the full behavioural repertoire of gravid mosquitoes in the Y-tube assay. Two subtractive odour blends, when compared with the full blend, were significantly more attractive. These three and four-component subtractive blends share the compounds (1R)-(+)-α-pinene, nonanal and benzaldehyde, of which, (1R)-(+)-α-pinene and nonanal are found in the attractive odour blends from rice plants and maize pollen. In pairwise comparisons, the rice synthetic odour blend was more attractive to gravid mosquitoes than either of the pollen blends, whereas the pollen blends did not differ in attraction.ConclusionsThe attraction of gravid females to sugarcane pollen volatiles demonstrated in this study, together with the previously found grass-associated volatiles, raise the potential of developing a bioactive chimeric blend to attract gravid malaria mosquitoes. This is discussed in relation to the development of novel and cost-effective vector control measures.

Natural fruits, flowers, honey, and honeybees harbor Helicobacterpylori-positive yeasts.

For controlling Helicobacterpylori infection in humans, its environmental reservoir should be determined. In this study, yeast isolates from an isolated village in Iran were studied for the intracellular occurrence of H.pylori. In this study, yeasts were isolated from 29 samples, including oral swabs from villagers (n=7), flowers and fruits (n=6), honey and honeybees (n=12) and miscellaneous samples (4). Yeasts were classified into 12 RFLP groups and identified by amplification of 26S rDNA and sequencing. DNA extracted from the yeast cells was examined for the presence of H.pylori using PCR. Of the 29 yeasts, 27 were members of different genera of Ascomycete. H.pylori was detected in 5 of 9 Candida (55.5%), 4 of 5 Komagataella (80%), 3 of 4 Pichia (100%), 2 of 2 Cytobasidia (100%), 2 of 2 Hansenia (100%), 1 of 1 Meyerozyma (100%) and 2 of 3 not sequenced (66.6%) yeasts. Distribution of 19 of 29 (65.5%) H.pylori-positive yeasts within 4 groups was as follows: 1 of 7(14.3%) in oral swabs, 5 of 6 (83.3%) in flowers and fruits, 10 of 12 (83.3%) in honey and the bee group and 3 of 4 (75%) in miscellaneous. Different genera of osmotolerant yeasts from flowers, fruits, honey, and honeybees contained H.pylori in their vacuole. High frequency of H.pylori-positive yeasts in these samples might be related to their high sugar content. Insects such as honeybees that facilitate transfer and easy access of these yeasts to nectars serve as the main reservoirs of these yeasts, playing an important role in their protection and dispersal. Accordingly, H.pylori inside these yeasts can be carried by honeybees to different sugar- and nutrient-rich environments. Sugar-rich environments and honeybees play an important role in distribution of H.pylori-positive yeasts in nature.

Mating system and reproductive performance in the isopod Parabopyrella lata, a parasitic castrator of the ‘peppermint’ shrimp Lysmata boggessi

Knowledge of marine host–parasite relationships has been increasing, but little is known about the reproductive strategies of the parasites. Theoretically, parasitic crustaceans inhabiting relatively small and scarce hosts should be monogamous. Parasites are also expected to exhibit higher reproductive performance (RP) than their free-living relatives, a strategy thought to have evolved to increase host-to-host transmission, or to be the outcome of living in a ‘stable, nutrient-rich environment’. Here, the parasitic isopod Parabopyrella lata and its shrimp host Lysmata boggessi were used to test for monogamy and augmented RP, and to examine whether or not P. lata castrates its host. Prevalence, population distribution, and reproductive performance were examined in P. lata over 1 year (2012–2013) off Homosassa Springs, Florida USA (28.8037° N, 82.5761° W). Prevalence of P. lata on L. boggessi was greater during the warmer months of the year and infested shrimps were almost exclusively males. P. lata lives in male–female pairs within the gill chamber of infested shrimps more frequently than expected by chance alone. The sizes of paired males and females were tightly and positively correlated with each other and with host size. Average fecundity (3660 ± 1146 eggs female−1) and reproductive output (61 ± 19%) in P. lata, as with other bopyrid parasites, was much greater than those reported for free-living isopods. This evidence supports the hypotheses that parasites such as P. lata are adapted to be monogamous, display augmented RP, and reproductively castrate their host.

A Size-invariant Bud-length Timer Enables Robustness in Yeast Cell Size Control

Precise control of cell size is evident across nearly all forms of life. Many cellular components, including DNA and organelles, display a strong positive correlation with cell size, and maintenance of uniform size may underlie the efficient functioning of tissues and organs. Prior work has uncovered numerous size control strategies operating at different cell cycle stages, but it is less clear how each contributes to the overall size control program. It is also unknown how robust each control system is to large perturbations in cell volume. Since unperturbed cells proliferating in nutrient-rich environments typically grow less than twofold from birth to division, addressing the robustness of size control mechanisms requires a means of acutely perturbing growth to dramatically alter this size distribution. Here, we employed an optogenetic system to reversibly block cell polarization and division in budding yeast. While blocked, cells continued to grow isotropically, increasing in volume by up to 30-fold over unperturbed cells. Upon release, these ‘giant’ yeast began to proliferate and the population returned to its initial volume distribution. Size control in unperturbed yeast was consistent with an ‘adder’ mechanism, as previously described, where cells add a constant volume between division events. In contrast, this ‘adder’ failed to explain our observations in giant yeast and volume regulation was instead better described by an invariant bud growth ‘timer’. Our results indicate that yeast size control arises from distinct mechanisms that employ both size sensors and timers to ensure a uniform volume distribution.

The influence of soluble fragments of extracellular matrix (ECM) on tumor growth and morphology

A major challenge in matrix-metalloproteinase (MMP) target validation and MMP-inhibitor-drug development for anti-cancer clinical trials is to better understand their complex roles (often competing with each other) in tumor progression. While there is extensive research on the growth-promoting effects of MMPs, the growth-inhibiting effects of MMPs has not been investigated thoroughly. So we develop a continuum model of tumor growth and invasion including chemotaxis and haptotaxis in order to examine the complex interaction between the tumor and its host microenvironment and to explore the inhibiting influence of the gradients of soluble fragments of extracellular matrix (ECM) density on tumor growth and morphology. Previously, it was shown both computationally (in one spatial dimension) and experimentally that the chemotactic pull due to soluble ECM gradients is anti-invasive, contrary to the traditional view of the role of chemotaxis in malignant invasion [1]. With two-dimensional numerical simulation and using a level set based tumor-host interface capturing method, we examine the effects of chemotaxis on the progression and morphology of a tumor growing in nutrient-rich and nutrient-poor microenvironments which was not investigated before. In particular we examine how the geometry of the growing tumor is affected when placed in different environments. We also investigate the effects of varying ECM degradation rate, the production rate of matrix degrading enzymes (MDE), and the conversion of ECM into soluble ECM. We find that chemotaxis due to ECM-fragment gradients strongly influences tumor growth and morphology, and that the instabilities caused by tumor cell proliferation and haptotactic movements can be prevented if chemotaxis is sufficiently strong. The influence of chemotaxis and the above factors on tumor growth and morphology are found to be more prominent in nutrient-poor environments than in nutrient-rich environments. So we extend our investigations of these antinvasive chemotactic influences by examining the effects of cell-cell and cell-ECM adhesion and low proliferation rate for tumors growing in low-nutrient environments. We find that as the extent of chemotaxis increases, the effects of adhesion on tumor growth and shape become negligible. Under conditions of low cell mitosis, chemotaxis may cause the tumor to shrink, as the extent of chemotaxis increases. Both stable and unstable tumor shrinkage are predicted by our model. Unexpectedly, in some cases chemotaxis may contribute toward developing instability where haptotaxis alone induces stable growth.

Identification of sRNA mediated responses to nutrient depletion in Burkholderia pseudomallei

The Burkholderia genus includes many species that are known to survive in diverse environmental conditions including low nutrient environments. One species, Burkholderia pseudomallei is a versatile pathogen that can survive in a wide range of hosts and environmental conditions. In this study, we investigated how a nutrient depleted growth environment evokes sRNA mediated responses by B. pseudomallei. Computationally predicted B. pseudomallei D286 sRNAs were mapped to RNA-sequencing data for cultures grown under two conditions: (1) BHIB as a nutrient rich media reference environment and (2) M9 media as a nutrient depleted stress environment. The sRNAs were further selected to identify potentially cis-encoded systems by investigating their possible interactions with their flanking genes. The mappings of predicted sRNA genes and interactions analysis to their flanking genes identified 12 sRNA candidates that may possibly have cis-acting regulatory roles that are associated to a nutrient depleted growth environment. Our approach can be used for identifying novel sRNA genes and their possible role as cis-mediated regulatory systems.

Subtle Microbiome Manipulation Using Probiotics Reduces Antibiotic-Associated Mortality in Fish.

Prophylactic antibiotics in the aquaculture and ornamental fish industry are intended to prevent the negative impacts of disease outbreaks. Research in mice and humans suggests that antibiotics may disturb microbiome communities and decrease microbiome-mediated disease resistance, also known as "colonization resistance." If antibiotics impact fish as they do mice and humans, prophylactic administrations on aquaculture farms may increase downstream disease susceptibility in target hosts, despite short-term pathogen control benefits. We tested the effects of antibiotics on mortality after a pathogen challenge in the Poecilia sphenops black molly and subsequently tested if probiotic inoculations could reverse any antibiotic-induced losses of disease resistance. We found that antibiotic treatment significantly increased fish mortality. We further found that our two candidate probiotic bacterial species, Phaeobacter inhibens S4Sm and Bacillus pumilus RI06-95Sm, were able to colonize black molly microbiomes and reverse the negative impacts of antibiotics. Despite the positive impact on survival, probiotic treatment did not influence overall microbiome community structure or diversity. Our results suggest that subtle manipulations of microbiome composition can have dramatic impacts on host phenotype. The results of this study have implications for how antibiotic-treated microbiomes can be restored and suggest that small-scale additions may be as effective as wholesale transplants. IMPORTANCE Prophylactic antibiotics are widespread in the aquaculture industry and are used where vaccination is impossible or overly expensive. If antibiotics impact fish as they do mice and humans, prophylactic administrations in aquaculture and ornamental fish farms may increase downstream disease susceptibility in target hosts, despite short-term pathogen control benefits. Recent research has suggested that their use exacerbates bacterial outbreaks by creating sterile, nutrient-rich environments for invading pathogens to colonize and could help to explain rising economic costs of bacterial outbreaks in aquaculture. Our findings suggest a long-term cost of prophylactic antibiotic use and demonstrate a probiotic-based solution that does not rely on full microbiome community transplantation.

Impact of water level fluctuations on the development of phytoplankton in a large subtropical reservoir: implications for the management of cyanobacteria.

Lake water level fluctuations (WLF) are an important factor driving the selection and seasonal dynamics of phytoplankton and potentially toxigenic cyanobacteria. Nevertheless, the relative importance of environmental drivers connected to WLF may be completely different, depending on the typology and use of waterbodies, latitude and climatic regimes. In this study, we investigated the impact of WLF in a large subtropical reservoir in south-eastern China (Hongfeng Reservoir, Guizhou Province). The study was based on monthly samplings carried out in 2014 in six stations. The strong increase in the water level observed in early summer caused a radical shift in the phytoplankton community. While in the pre-flooding period phytoplankton was composed of large diatoms, chrysophytes and Oscillatoriales (mostly Limnothrix sp.), the post-flooding period showed an increase in smaller and more competitive chlorophytes, smaller diatoms and cryptophytes better adapted to a fast colonisation of new and nutrient-rich environments. The environmental drivers that drove the change were dilution, flushing and interference with the seasonal water stratification processes. We concluded that, because WLF represents a complex variable integrating different physical effects in one explanatory descriptor, its value as a predictor of phytoplankton and cyanobacteria dynamics in lake ecosystems is difficult to generalise and needs to be investigated on a case-by-case basis. For this reason, considering the year-to-year hydrological variability that potentially characterise reservoirs, definite indications for management should be outlined considering more than 1-year study.

Impact of global warming on water toxicity: cyanotoxins

Microalgal blooms are predicted to intensify in frequency and duration with global warming and increased eutrophication. Cyanobacteria typically thrive in warmer, nutrient-rich environments and can form harmful algal blooms (HABs) coupled with the presence of potent endotoxins and exotoxins. Thus far, 23 classes of cyanotoxins containing hundreds of diverse metabolites have been identified with a wide range of bioactivities; these compounds pose serious threats to wildlife and water supplies. Furthermore, irrigation water containing cyanotoxins presents risks to the growth and development of crop plants and to the health of downstream consumers. These concerns call for stricter regulations to mitigate further warming, as well as the development of rapid detection methods and strategies to protect water safety and food resources.