Shifts In Archaeal Communities Research Articles

Insights on the particle-attached riverine archaeal community shifts linked to seasons and to multipollution during a Mediterranean extreme storm event.

Even if Archaea deliver important ecosystem services and are major players in global biogeochemical cycles, they remain poorly understood in freshwater ecosystems. To our knowledge, no studies specifically address the direct impact of xenobiotics on the riverine archaeome. Using environmental DNA metabarcoding of the 16S ribosomal gene, we previously demonstrated bacterial communities significant shifts linked to pollutant mixtures during an extreme flood in a typical Mediterranean coastal watercourse. Here, using the same methodology, we sought to determine whether archaeal community shifts coincided with the delivery of environmental stressors during the same flood. Further, we wanted to determine how archaea taxa compared at different seasons. In contrast to the bacteriome, the archaeome showed a specific community in summer compared to winter and autumn. We also identified a significant relationship between in situ archaeome shifts and changes in physicochemical parameters along the flood, but a less marked link to those parameters correlated to river hydrodynamics than bacteria. New urban-specific archaeal taxa significantly related to multiple stressors were identified. Through statistical modeling of both domains, our results demonstrate that Archaea, seldom considered as bioindicators of water quality, have the potential to improve monitoring methods of watersheds.

Cashew nut shell liquid potentially mitigates methane emission from the feces of Thai native ruminant livestock by modifying fecal microbiota.

The methane-mitigating potency of cashew nutshell liquid (CNSL) was evaluated by investigating gas production from batch cultures using feces from Thai native ruminants that had been incubated for different periods. Feces was obtained from four Thai native cattle and four swamp buffaloes reared under practical feeding conditions at the Kasetsart University farm, Thailand. Fecal slurry from the same farm was also included in the analysis. CNSL addition successfully suppressed the methane production potential of feces from both ruminants by shifting short chain fatty acid profiles towards propionate production. Methane mitigation continued for almost 150 days, although the degree of mitigation was more apparent from Day 0 to Day 30. Bacterial and archaeal community shifts with CNSL addition were observed in feces from both ruminants; specifically, Bacteroides increased, whereas Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae decreased in feces to which CNSL was added. Fecal slurry did not show marked changes in gas production with CNSL addition. The findings showed that the addition of CNSL to the feces of ruminants native to the Southeast Asian region can suppress methane emission. Because CNSL can be easily obtained as a byproduct of the local cashew industry in this region, its on-site application might be ideal.

Microbial community structure of the bovine rumen as affected by feeding cashew nut shell liquid, a methane-inhibiting and propionate-enhancing agent.

The effect of cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) feeding on bacterial and archaeal community of the bovine rumen was investigated by analyzing clone libraries targeting 16S rRNA genes, methyl-coenzyme reductase A-encoding genes (mcrA), and their respective transcripts. Rumen samples were collected from three non-lactating cows fed on a hay and concentrate diet with or without CNSL supplementation. DNA and complementary DNA (cDNA) libraries were generated for investigating rumen microbial communities. MiSeq analysis also was performed to understand more comprehensively the changes in the microbial community structures. Following CNSL supplementation, the number of operational taxonomical unit (OTU) and diversity indices of bacterial and archaeal community were decreased. Bacterial OTUs belonging to Proteobacteria, including Succinivibrio, occurred at a higher frequency with CNSL feeding, especially in cDNA libraries. The methanogenic archaeal community became dominated by Methanomicrobium. A bacterial community shift also was observed in the MiSeq data, indicating that CNSL increased the proportion of Succinivibrio and other genera known to be involved in propionate production. Methanogenic archaeal community shifts to increase Methanoplanus and to decrease Methanobrevibacter also were observed. Together, these results imply the occurrence of significant changes in rumen communities, not only for bacteria but also for methanogens, following CNSL feeding.

Shifts of methanogenic communities in response to permafrost thaw results in rising methane emissions and soil property changes.

Permafrost thaw can bring negative consequences in terms of ecosystems, resulting in permafrost collapse, waterlogging, thermokarst lake development, and species composition changes. Little is known about how permafrost thaw influences microbial community shifts and their activities. Here, we show that the dominant archaeal community shifts from Methanomicrobiales to Methanosarcinales in response to the permafrost thaw, and the increase in methane emission is found to be associated with the methanogenic archaea, which rapidly bloom with nearly tenfold increase in total number. The mcrA gene clone libraries analyses indicate that Methanocellales/Rice Cluster I was predominant both in the original permafrost and in the thawed permafrost. However, only species belonging to Methanosarcinales showed higher transcriptional activities in the thawed permafrost, indicating a shift of methanogens from hydrogenotrophic to partly acetoclastic methane-generating metabolic processes. In addition, data also show the soil texture and features change as a result of microbial reproduction and activity induced by this permafrost thaw. Those data indicate that microbial ecology under warming permafrost has potential impacts on ecosystem and methane emissions.

The performance and archaeal community shifts in a modified anaerobic baffled reactor treating sweet potato starch wastewater at ambient temperatures

A conventional anaerobic baffled reactors (ABRs) treating high strength sweet potato starch wastewater at ambient temperatures resulted in acidification and bad performances. After modification, the acidification was remitted and COD removal efficiencies reached 92.73% at high temperatures and were maintained at 71.19% at low temperatures. Moreover, as much as 1.014 ± 0.056 L CH4/L/d were collected at Stage III. The q-PCR results revealed that the largest methanogen populations emerged at Stage III as well, which was 5.29 × 108 mcrA copies per milliliter sludge. A comparable shift in the archaeal community structure at different stages and acetoclastic methanogens Methanosaeta predominated the archaeal community in every compartment in Stages I (63.73%) and II (48.63%). Finally, the net energy gains analysis at mesophilic, thermophilic, and ambient temperature revealed that modified ABR at ambient temperature was not only economical but also profitable and could generated 3.68 KJ energy per gram COD removed.

Characterization of start-up performance and archaeal community shifts during anaerobic self-degradation of waste-activated sludge

Successful start-up strategy for anaerobic digestion of waste-activated sludge using internal inoculum and relationship between the shift of methanogenic community and the digester performance during start-up was investigated. Combination of TS control of inoculum and batch operation during early days enabled the successful start-up operation without serious volatile fatty acid accumulation, followed by the stable continuous operation. However, the propionate degradation was rate-limiting step during the batch operation. The results of real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis suggested that there was a correlation between the population of the genus Methanosarcina and the methane production rate coupled with acetate consumption during batch operation, and the results of terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) revealed that the increasing intensity of T-RF peaks of hydrogenotrophic methanogens was associated with a decrease in the level of C3-acids.

Combined monitoring of changes in δ13CH4 and archaeal community structure during mesophilic methanization of municipal solid waste

Reconstituted municipal solid waste (MSW) with varying contents of putrescible and cellulosic waste was incubated anaerobically under mesophilic conditions. Standard physicochemical parameters were monitored, together with stable isotopic signatures of produced CH(4) and CO(2). delta(13)C values for CH(4) indicated a change of methanogenic metabolism with time. CH(4) was predominantly produced from H(2)/CO(2) at the beginning of the incubations. This period was associated with important shifts in archaeal communities monitored by automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA) and FISH of oligonucleotidic probes targeting specifically 16S rRNA gene of various methanogenic groups. The onset of the active methane generation phase was characterized by an increase of CH(4)delta(13)C, indicating a progressive shift toward an aceticlastic metabolism. When the methane production levelled off, a decrease in the isotopic signature was observed toward values characteristics of hydrogenotrophic metabolism. ARISA profiles were, however, found to be stable from the beginning of the active methane generation phase until the end of the experiment. FISH observation indicated that members of the family Methanosarcinaceae were predominant in the archaeal community during this period, suggesting that these methanogens might exhibit a high metabolic versatility during methanization of waste.

Monitoring bacterial and archaeal community shifts in a mesophilic anaerobic batch reactor treating a high-strength organic wastewater

Shifts in bacterial and archaeal communities, associated with changes in chemical profiles, were investigated in an anaerobic batch reactor treating dairy-processing wastewater prepared with whey permeate powder. The dynamics of bacterial and archaeal populations were monitored by quantitative real-time PCR and showed good agreement with the process data. A rapid increase in bacterial populations and a high rate of substrate fermentation were observed during the initial period. Growth and regrowth of archaeal populations occurred with biphasic production of methane, corresponding to the diauxic consumption of acetate and propionate. Bacterial community structure was examined by denaturing gel gradient electrophoresis (DGGE) targeting 16S rRNA genes. An Aeromonas-like organism was suggested to be mainly responsible for the rapid fermentation of carbohydrate during the initial period. Several band sequences closely related to the Clostridium species, capable of carbohydrate fermentation, lactate or ethanol fermentation, and/or homoacetogenesis, were also detected. Statistical analyses of the DGGE profiles showed that the bacterial community structure, as well as the process performance, varied with the incubation time. Our results demonstrated that the bacterial community shifted, reflecting the performance changes and, particularly, that a significant community shift corresponded to a considerable process event. This suggested that the diagnosis of an anaerobic digestion process could be possible by monitoring bacterial community shifts.

Shifts in archaeal communities associated with lithological and geochemical variations in subsurface Cretaceous rock.

Subsurface microbial community structure in relation to geochemical gradients and lithology was investigated using a combination of molecular phylogenetic and geochemical analyses. Discreet groundwater and substratum samples were obtained from depths ranging from 182 to 190 m beneath the surface at approximately 10-cm intervals using a multilevel sampler (MLS) that straddled Cretaceous shale and sandstone formations at a site in the southern San Juan Basin in New Mexico. DNA and RNA were extracted directly from quartzite sand substratum loaded into individual cells of the MLS and colonized in situ. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-mediated T-RFLP analysis of archaeal rRNA genes (rDNA) in conjunction with partial sequencing analysis of archaeal rDNA libraries and quantitative RNA hybridization with oligonucleotide probes were used to probe community structure and function. Although total microbial populations remained relatively constant over the entire depth interval sampled, significant shifts in archaeal populations, predominantly methanogens, were observed. These shifts coincided with the geochemical transition from relatively high methane (26 mM), low sulphate (< 3 mg l(-1)) conditions in the region adjacent to the organic matter-rich shale to relatively low-methane (< 0.5 mM), high-sulphate (48 mg l(-1)) conditions in the organic-poor sandstone beneath the shale. These results indicated that active, phylogenetically diverse archaeal communities were present in the subsurface Cretaceous rock environment at this site and that major archaeal clades shifted dramatically over scales of tens of centimetres, corresponding to changes in the lithology and geochemical gradients.