Non-human microbiome, July 22

Symbionts of tortoises, bees, diatoms, amoebae, and seaweed.

Reptile microbiome

Thesis: Population genetics and microbial communities of the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) – Gaillard, Daniel Lyle – University of Sourthern Missisippi]

“Microbial communities did not show a correlation between community dissimilarity and geographic distance nor did they change in response to changes in plant communities at each site.”

Insect microbiome

Genomics and host specialization of honey bee and bumble bee gut symbionts – Waldan K. Kwong – PNAS

“We show that the simple microbiota of eusocial bees exhibits host specificity and that coresident species in the bee gut possess complementary capabilities for energy metabolism, implying their occupancy in distinct ecological niches.”

Diatom microbiome

Complete genome of a nonphotosynthetic cyanobacterium in a diatom reveals recent adaptations to an intracellular lifestyle – Takuro Nakayama – PNAS

“Here we present what is, to our knowledge, the first completely sequenced spheroid body genome from a rhopalodiacean diatom. Comparative analyses revealed that the endosymbiont is metabolically reduced, confirming its status as an obligate endosymbiont. “

Amoeba microbiome

Life in an unusual intracellular niche: a bacterial symbiont infecting the nucleus of amoebae – Frederik Schulz – ISME Journal

“This symbiont, tentatively named ‘Candidatus Nucleicultrix amoebiphila’, is only moderately related to known bacteria (~90% 16S and 23S rRNA sequence similarity) and member of a novel clade of protist symbionts affiliated with the Rickettsiales and Rhodospirillales. “

Seaweed microbiota

Identification and Characterization of a Halotolerant, Cold-Active Marine Endo-β-1,4-Glucanase by Using Functional Metagenomics of Seaweed-Associated Microbiota
Marjolaine Martin – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

“A metagenomic library was constructed from microorganisms associated with the brown alga Ascophyllum nodosum. Functional screening of this library revealed 13 novel putative esterase loci and two glycoside hydrolase loci.”

Aquatic microbiology

Metaproteomics reveals differential modes of metabolic coupling among ubiquitous oxygen minimum zone microbes – Alyse K. Hawley – PNAS

“Here we use metagenomic and metaproteomic methods to chart in situ metabolic networks linking key microbial players driving carbon and nutrient cycling in a seasonally stratified fjord, Saanich Inlet, a model ecosystem for studying microbial responses to changing levels of water column oxygen deficiency.”

EVENT: An Evening with the World’s Leading Marine Microbiologists – A Creative Collisions Initiative – Wednesday July 30, 2014 – Tech Museum San Jose, CA

“Mingle with the 16 Investigators of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation’s Marine Microbiology Initiative”

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Non-human microbiomes, June 9

Phages in cow dung, genome of a bumble-bee symbiont, and the microbiome of beach sand.

Mammal microbiomes

Screen shot 2014-06-09 at 02.43PM, Jun 09Differing Populations of Endemic Bacteriophages in Cattle Shedding High and Low Numbers of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Bacteria in Feces – J. Hallewell – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

“Based on genome size estimated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and morphology determined by transmission electron microscopy, T4- and O1-like phages of Myoviridae and T1-like phage of Siphoviridae were isolated. “

Insect microbiomes

Screen shot 2014-06-09 at 02.59PM, Jun 09Genomic Features of a Bumble Bee Symbiont Reflect Its Host Environment – Vincent G. Martinson – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

“Here, we report the genome of one gammaproteobacterial member of the gut microbiota, for which we propose the name “Candidatus Schmidhempelia bombi,” that was inadvertently sequenced alongside the genome of its host, the bumble bee, Bombus impatiens.”

Plant microbiomes

Screen shot 2014-06-09 at 02.52PM, Jun 09In Situ Evaluation of Paenibacillus alvei in Reducing Carriage of Salmonella enterica Serovar Newport on Whole Tomato Plants – Sarah Allard – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

“Long-term intervention measures to reduce Salmonella prevalence on tomatoes remain elusive for growing and postharvest environments. A naturally occurring bacterium identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing as Paenibacillus alvei was isolated epiphytically from plants native to the Virginia Eastern Shore tomato-growing region. “

Screen shot 2014-06-09 at 03.20PM, Jun 09Streptomyces sp. strain PGPA39 alleviates salt stress and promotes growth of ‘Micro Tom’ tomato plants – Sasikumar Arunachalam Palaniyandi – Journal of Applied Microbiology

“A significant increase in plant biomass and chlorophyll content, and a reduction in leaf proline content were observed in PGPA39-inoculated tomato plants under salt stress compared to control and salt stressed non-inoculated plants.”

Screen shot 2014-06-09 at 02.54PM, Jun 09Microscopy, Culture, and Quantitative Real-Time PCR Examination Confirm Internalization of Mycobacteria in Plants – M. Kaevska – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

” The substrate into which plants were seeded was previously contaminated with different strains of Mycobacterium avium (108to 1010 cells/g of soil) and feces from animals with paratuberculosis. We detected M.avium subsp. aviumhominissuis, and paratuberculosis in the stems and leaves of the plants by both culture and real-time quantitative PCR. “

Environmental microbiomes

Screen shot 2014-06-09 at 02.40PM, Jun 09

Soil and groundwater microbiomes

Use of Silicate Minerals for pH Control during Reductive Dechlorination of Chloroethenes in Batch Cultures of Different Microbial Consortia  – Elsa Lacroix – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

“The consortia showed significant differences in sensitivities toward acidic pH for the different dechlorination steps. Molecular analysis indicated that Dehalococcoides spp. that were present in all consortia were the most pH-sensitive organohalide-respiring guild members compared to Sulfurospirillum spp. and Dehalobacter spp.”

Screen shot 2014-06-09 at 03.01PM, Jun 09Variables Influencing Extraction of Nucleic Acids from Microbial Plankton (Viruses, Bacteria, and Protists) Collected on Nanoporous Aluminum Oxide Filters – Jaclyn A. Mueller – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

“Anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) filters have high porosity and can be manufactured with a pore size that is small enough to quantitatively capture viruses. These properties make the filters potentially useful for harvesting total microbial communities from water samples for molecular analyses, but their performance for nucleic acid extraction has not been systematically or quantitatively evaluated. “

Screen shot 2014-06-09 at 03.08PM, Jun 09MS2 Bacteriophage Reduction and Microbial Communities in Biosand Filters – Hanting Wang – Environmental Science & Technology

” In the upper layers, “CandidatusNitrosopumilus maritimus” and “Ca. Nitrospira defluvii” were found as dominant populations, while significant amounts of Thiobacillus-related OTUs were detected in the lower layers. “

Ponds, lakes, and ocean microbiomes

Screen shot 2014-06-09 at 02.48PM, Jun 09Diversity and Transport of Microorganisms in Intertidal Sands of the California Coast – Alexandria B. Boehm – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

“The present study uses next-generation massively parallel sequencing to characterize the microbial community present at 49 beaches along the coast of California. In addition, we characterize the transport of microorganisms within intertidal sands using laboratory column experiments. We identified extensive diversity in the beach sands.”

Screen shot 2014-06-09 at 02.46PM, Jun 09From Metagenomics to Pure Culture: Isolation and Characterization of the Moderately Halophilic Bacterium Spiribacter salinus gen. nov., sp. nov. – María José León – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

“We report the isolation and taxonomic characterization of this new, never before cultured microorganism, designated M19-40T, isolated from a saltern located in Isla Cristina, Spain, using a medium with a mixture of 15% salts, yeast extract, and pyruvic acid as the carbon source. “

Screen shot 2014-06-09 at 03.05PM, Jun 09The Pattern of Change in the Abundances of Specific Bacterioplankton Groups Is Consistent across Different Nutrient-Enriched Habitats in Crete – Stilianos Fodelianakis – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

“Here, we investigated the bacterial community changes at three different nutrient-enriched and adjacent undisturbed habitats along the north coast of Crete, Greece: a fish farm, a closed bay within a town with low water renewal rates, and a city port where the level of nutrient enrichment and the trophic status of the habitat were different. “

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