Extreme environments and the microbes within

Ramaydalis Keddis, PhD January 31,2015 What are extreme environments?

• Environments that have condions that are “extreme” to humans.

hp://www.mhhe.com/biosci/genbio/raven6b/graphics/raven06b/ enhancementchapters/images/30e-07.jpg Why are these important?

• Potenal for exploraon into other planets bearing life. • Can be used for biotechnology processes Acidic environments

• Oen occur because of exposure of metallic ores (mostly Iron rich) to air and moisture. – Examples: • Rio Tinto Spain • Calderas

Acidic environments

• Rio Tinto Spain

hp://fess.arc.nasa.gov/media/fess/images/RioTinto-2.f. 746x600_q85.jpg

hps://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/images/thumb/8/83/Rio-Tinto.jpg/300px-Rio-Tinto.jpg Rio Tinto

• It is a consequence of acid mine drainage from decades of mining. • Normal pH in the river is 2 • Has been widely studied as an analog for Maran environments. Acidic Environments

• Calderas Caldera In Yellowstone Naonal Park

Cyanobacterial mat hp://www.microbelibrary.org/library?task=goto&link=35832 Acidophiles

• Found in all domains: – Eukarya: • Dunaliella acidophila – Bacteria: • Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans • Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans – Archaea: • Ferroplasma acidarmanus

Dunaliella acidophila

• 60% of the biomass in the Rio Tinto (Zeler et al., 2002) • Produces glycerol and is the main component of their cytoplasm.

hps://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/images/e/e9/Dunaliella_acidophila.png

Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans & Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans

hp://bacmap.wishartlab.com/organisms/750

Khan, S., et al. (2012) Journal of Microbiology Research 2(4): 78-83. Transmission electron micrographs of “F. acidarmanus” Fer1T cells grown chemomixotrophically on ferrous iron and yeast extract (a) and chemoorganotrophically on yeast extract (b).

Dopson M et al. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 2004;70:2079-2088 Hypersaline Environments

• Characterized by having salt concentraons up to 40 percent. • Natural salterns : • Great Salt Lake Utah • Marine salterns (man made) Great Salt Lake

hp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/ Great_Salt_Lake_ISS_2003.jpg Marine Salterns

hp://www1.uprh.edu/salterns/sitedescripon.htm Soda Lakes

• Mono Lake California

hp://www.nasa.gov/images/content/503444main_M_LAKE.jpg Soda Lakes

• Lake Magadi, Kenya

hp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/ Lake_Magadi,_Kenya-5.jpg Halophiles/ Alkalophiles

• Found in all domains: – Eukarya: • Dunaliella salina – Bacteria: • Salinibacter spp. – Archaea: • Haloarcula spp. • Natronobacterium spp. • Halobacteria salinarum Dunaliella salina

• Green Algae • Creates high amounts of β- carotenes as protecon from light. • In industry, this is harvested for use In cosmecs and dietary supplements

hp://www.uniprot.org/taxonomy/3046 Salinibacter ruber

Isolated from a saltern pond in Spain. Minimum of 15% salt concentraon for growth Opmal salinity 20-30%

Antón, J. et al. Internaonal Journal of Systemac and Evoluonary Microbiology 52, 485-491 (2002).

Natronobacterium nitratireducens

Alkalophilic Archaea Discovered in a Soda lake in China pH range is 7.5-10.5 Opmal 8.5

Xin, H., Itoh, T., Zhou, P., Suzuki, K.-i. & Nakase, T. Internaonal Journal of Systemac and Evoluonary Microbiology 51, 1825-1829 (2001). Deep Sea hydrothermal vents

hp://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/6/6b/400px-Deep_sea_vent_chemistry_diagram.jpg Thermophiles

• Bacteria: – Thermus aquacus Grows between 70-75°C Isolated from Yellowstone Park thermal spring An enzyme Taq polymerase revoluonized molecular biology

hps://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/images/7/7a/T-aquacus.gif.jpeg Thermovibrio ammonificans HB1

Vetriani C et al. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2004;54:175-181

SGM Pyrolobus fumarii

Isolated from a black smoker in the Mid Atlanc Ridge Grows between 90°C-113°C but can survive in 121°C. Opmum temperature at 106°C Polar environments

• Lake Vostok, Antarca

hp://blogs.nature.com/news/files/2012/02/Drill_for_victory1.jpg Psychrophiles

• Psychrobacter spp. – Growth temperatures between −10 °C and 42 °C

hp://ijs.sgmjournals.org/content/suppl/2004/08/23/54.5.1741.DC1/ SuppFigB.jpg References

• Antón, J. et al. Salinibacter ruber gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel,extremely halophilic member of the Bacteria from saltern crystallizer ponds. Internaonal Journal of Systemac and Evoluonary Microbiology 52, 485-491 (2002). • BOROWITZKA, M. A. The mass culture of Dunaliella salina, hp://www.fao.org/docrep/field/003/AB728E/AB728E06.htm • Brock TD, Freeze H. Thermus aquacus gen. n. and sp. n., a Nonsporulang Extreme Thermophile. Journal of Bacteriology 1969;98(1):289-297. • Christner, B. C. et al. A microbial ecosystem beneath the West Antarcc ice sheet. Nature 512, 310-313 (2014). • D'Elia, T., Veerapanemi, R. & Rogers, S. Isolaon of Microbes from Lake Vostok Accreon Ice. Appl Environ Microb 74, 4962-4965 (2008). • Dopson, M., Baker-Ausn, C., Hind, A., Bowman, J. P. & Bond, P. L. Characterizaon of Ferroplasma isolates and Ferroplasma acidarmanus sp nov., extreme acidophiles from acid mine drainage and industrial bioleaching environments. Appl Environ Microb 70, 2079-2088, doi:Doi 10.1128/Aem. • Blöchl, E. et al. Pyrolobus fumarii, gen. and sp. nov., represents a novel group of archaea, extending the upper temperature limit for life to 113°C. Extremophiles 1, 14-21 (1997).70.4.2079-2088.2004 (2004). • Khan, S., Haq, F., Hasan, F., Saeed, K. & Ullah, R. Growth and Biochemical Acvies of Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans Collected from Black Shale. Journal of Microbiology Research 2, 78-83 (2012). • Vetriani, C., Speck, M. D., Ellor, S. V., Lutz, R. A. & Starovoytov, V. Thermovibrio ammonificans sp. nov., a thermophilic, chemolithotrophic, nitrate-ammonifying bacterium from deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Internaonal Journal of Systemac and Evoluonary Microbiology 54, 175-181, doi:10.1099/ijs.0.02781-0 (2004). • Xin, H., Itoh, T., Zhou, P., Suzuki, K.-i. & Nakase, T. Natronobacterium nitrareducens sp. nov., a haloalkaliphilic archaeon isolated from a soda lake in China. Internaonal Journal of Systemac and Evoluonary Microbiology 51, 1825-1829 (2001).