COULD LIFE SURVIVE in ALIEN ENVIRONMENTS? Defining Environments Suitable for Life
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Biotic Interactions Are an Unexpected Yet Critical Control on the Complexity of an Abiotically Driven Polar Ecosystem
ARTICLE https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-018-0274-5 OPEN Biotic interactions are an unexpected yet critical control on the complexity of an abiotically driven polar ecosystem Charles K. Lee et al. # 123456789 0():,; Abiotic and biotic factors control ecosystem biodiversity, but their relative contributions remain unclear. The ultraoligotrophic ecosystem of the Antarctic Dry Valleys, a simple yet highly heterogeneous ecosystem, is a natural laboratory well-suited for resolving the abiotic and biotic controls of community structure. We undertook a multidisciplinary investigation to capture ecologically relevant biotic and abiotic attributes of more than 500 sites in the Dry Valleys, encompassing observed landscape heterogeneities across more than 200 km 2. Using richness of autotrophic and heterotrophic taxa as a proxy for functional complexity, we linked measured variables in a parsimonious yet comprehensive structural equation model that explained signi ficant variations in biological complexity and identi fied landscape-scale and fine-scale abiotic factors as the primary drivers of diversity. However, the inclusion of lin- kages among functional groups was essential for constructing the best- fitting model. Our findings support the notion that biotic interactions make crucial contributions even in an extremely simple ecosystem. Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to S.C.C. (email: [email protected] ). #A full list of authors and their af filiations appears at the end of the paper. COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY | (2019) 2:62 | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-018-0274-5 | www.nature.com/commsbio 1 ARTICLE COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-018-0274-5 nderstanding how ecosystems self-organize at landscape soils 20 ,21 ,24 –27 . -
Biotic Interactions Are an Unexpected Yet Critical Control on the Complexity of an Abiotically Driven Polar Ecosystem
Biotic interactions are an unexpected yet critical control on the complexity of an abiotically driven polar ecosystem Lee, C. K., Laughlin, D. C., Bottos, E. M., Caruso, T., Joy, K., Barrett, J. E., ... Cary, S. C. (2019). Biotic interactions are an unexpected yet critical control on the complexity of an abiotically driven polar ecosystem. Communications Biology, (2), [62]. Published in: Communications Biology Document Version: Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Queen's University Belfast - Research Portal: Link to publication record in Queen's University Belfast Research Portal Publisher rights © 2019 The Authors. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/. General rights Copyright for the publications made accessible via the Queen's University Belfast Research Portal is retained by the author(s) and / or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing these publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. -
Dynamic Consolidated Bioprocessing for Innovative Lab-Scale Production of Bacterial Alkaline Phosphatase from Bacillus Paraliche
www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN Dynamic consolidated bioprocessing for innovative lab‑scale production of bacterial alkaline phosphatase from Bacillus paralicheniformis strain APSO Soad A. Abdelgalil1,2*, Nadia A. Soliman1, Gaber A. Abo‑Zaid1 & Yasser R. Abdel‑Fattah1 To meet the present and forecasted market demand, bacterial alkaline phosphatase (ALP) production must be increased through innovative and efcient production strategies. Using sugarcane molasses and biogenic apatite as low‑cost and easily available raw materials, this work demonstrates the scalability of ALP production from a newfound Bacillus paralicheniformis strain APSO isolated from a black liquor sample. Mathematical experimental designs including sequential Plackett– Burman followed by rotatable central composite designs were employed to select and optimize the concentrations of the statistically signifcant media components, which were determined to be molasses, (NH4)2NO3, and KCl. Batch cultivation in a 7‑L stirred‑tank bioreactor under uncontrolled pH conditions using the optimized medium resulted in a signifcant increase in both the volumetric and specifc productivities of ALP; the alkaline phosphatase throughput 6650.9 U L−1, and µ = 0.0943 h−1; respectively, were obtained after 8 h that, ameliorated more than 20.96, 70.12 and 94 folds compared to basal media, PBD, and RCCD; respectively. However, neither the increased cell growth nor enhanced productivity of ALP was present under the pH‑controlled batch cultivation. Overall, this work presents novel strategies for the statistical optimization and scaling up of bacterial ALP production using biogenic apatite. Te bioeconomy represents the value chain of sustainable manufacturing using renewable, low-cost biological resources to sustainably produce food, energy, and industrial products1. -
Life at Low Water Activity
Published online 12 July 2004 Life at low water activity W. D. Grant Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Leicester, Maurice Shock Building, University Road, Leicester LE1 9HN, UK ([email protected]) Two major types of environment provide habitats for the most xerophilic organisms known: foods pre- served by some form of dehydration or enhanced sugar levels, and hypersaline sites where water availability is limited by a high concentration of salts (usually NaCl). These environments are essentially microbial habitats, with high-sugar foods being dominated by xerophilic (sometimes called osmophilic) filamentous fungi and yeasts, some of which are capable of growth at a water activity (aw) of 0.61, the lowest aw value for growth recorded to date. By contrast, high-salt environments are almost exclusively populated by prokaryotes, notably the haloarchaea, capable of growing in saturated NaCl (aw 0.75). Different strategies are employed for combating the osmotic stress imposed by high levels of solutes in the environment. Eukaryotes and most prokaryotes synthesize or accumulate organic so-called ‘compatible solutes’ (osmolytes) that have counterbalancing osmotic potential. A restricted range of bacteria and the haloar- chaea counterbalance osmotic stress imposed by NaCl by accumulating equivalent amounts of KCl. Haloarchaea become entrapped and survive for long periods inside halite (NaCl) crystals. They are also found in ancient subterranean halite (NaCl) deposits, leading to speculation about survival over geological time periods. Keywords: xerophiles; halophiles; haloarchaea; hypersaline lakes; osmoadaptation; microbial longevity 1. INTRODUCTION aw = P/P0 = n1/n1 ϩ n2, There are two major types of environment in which water where n is moles of solvent (water); n is moles of solute; availability can become limiting for an organism. -
Marine Extremophiles: a Source of Hydrolases for Biotechnological Applications
Mar. Drugs 2015, 13, 1925-1965; doi:10.3390/md13041925 OPEN ACCESS marine drugs ISSN 1660-3397 www.mdpi.com/journal/marinedrugs Article Marine Extremophiles: A Source of Hydrolases for Biotechnological Applications Gabriel Zamith Leal Dalmaso 1,2, Davis Ferreira 3 and Alane Beatriz Vermelho 1,* 1 BIOINOVAR—Biotechnology laboratories: Biocatalysis, Bioproducts and Bioenergy, Institute of Microbiology Paulo de Góes, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, 21941-902 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; E-Mail: [email protected] 2 Graduate Program in Plant Biotechnology, Health and Science Centre, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, 21941-902 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 3 BIOINOVAR—Biotechnology Laboratories: Virus-Cell Interaction, Institute of Microbiology Paulo de Góes, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, 21941-902 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; E-Mail: [email protected] * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: [email protected]; Tel.: +55-(21)-3936-6743; Fax: +55-(21)-2560-8344. Academic Editor: Kirk Gustafson Received: 1 December 2014 / Accepted: 25 March 2015 / Published: 3 April 2015 Abstract: The marine environment covers almost three quarters of the planet and is where evolution took its first steps. Extremophile microorganisms are found in several extreme marine environments, such as hydrothermal vents, hot springs, salty lakes and deep-sea floors. The ability of these microorganisms to support extremes of temperature, salinity and pressure demonstrates their great potential for biotechnological processes. Hydrolases including amylases, cellulases, peptidases and lipases from hyperthermophiles, psychrophiles, halophiles and piezophiles have been investigated for these reasons. -
18Th EANA Conference European Astrobiology Network Association
18th EANA Conference European Astrobiology Network Association Abstract book 24-28 September 2018 Freie Universität Berlin, Germany Sponsors: Detectability of biosignatures in martian sedimentary systems A. H. Stevens1, A. McDonald2, and C. S. Cockell1 (1) UK Centre for Astrobiology, University of Edinburgh, UK ([email protected]) (2) Bioimaging Facility, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, UK Presentation: Tuesday 12:45-13:00 Session: Traces of life, biosignatures, life detection Abstract: Some of the most promising potential sampling sites for astrobiology are the numerous sedimentary areas on Mars such as those explored by MSL. As sedimentary systems have a high relative likelihood to have been habitable in the past and are known on Earth to preserve biosignatures well, the remains of martian sedimentary systems are an attractive target for exploration, for example by sample return caching rovers [1]. To learn how best to look for evidence of life in these environments, we must carefully understand their context. While recent measurements have raised the upper limit for organic carbon measured in martian sediments [2], our exploration to date shows no evidence for a terrestrial-like biosphere on Mars. We used an analogue of a martian mudstone (Y-Mars[3]) to investigate how best to look for biosignatures in martian sedimentary environments. The mudstone was inoculated with a relevant microbial community and cultured over several months under martian conditions to select for the most Mars-relevant microbes. We sequenced the microbial community over a number of transfers to try and understand what types microbes might be expected to exist in these environments and assess whether they might leave behind any specific biosignatures. -
ELBA BIOFLUX Extreme Life, Biospeology & Astrobiology International Journal of the Bioflux Society
ELBA BIOFLUX Extreme Life, Biospeology & Astrobiology International Journal of the Bioflux Society A short review on tardigrades – some lesser known taxa of polyextremophilic invertebrates 1Andrea Gagyi-Palffy, and 2Laurenţiu C. Stoian 1Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj- Napoca, Romania; 2Faculty of Geography, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Corresponding author: A. Gagyi-Palffy, [email protected] Abstract. Tardigrades are polyextremophilic small organisms capable to survive in a variety of extreme conditions. By reversibly suspending their metabolism (cryptobiosis – tun state) tardigrades can dry or freeze and, thus, survive the extreme conditions like very high or low pressure and temperatures, changes in salinity, lack of oxygen, lack of water, some noxious chemicals, boiling alcohol, even the vacuum of the outer space. Despite their peculiar morphology and amazing diversity of habitats, relatively little is known about these organisms. Tardigrades are considered some lesser known taxa. Studying tardigrades can teach us about the evolution of life on our planet, can help us understand what extremophilic evolution and adaptation means and they can show us what forms of life may develop on other planets. Key Words: tardigrades, extremophiles, extreme environments, adaptation. Rezumat. Tardigradele sunt mici organisme poliextremofile capabile să supraviețuiască într-o varietate de condiţii extreme. Suspendandu-şi reversibil metabolismul (criptobioză) tardigradele pot să se usuce sau să îngheţe şi, astfel, să supravieţuiască unor condiţii extreme precum presiuni şi temperaturi foarte scăzute sau crescute, variaţii de salinitate, lipsă de oxygen, lipsă de apă, unele chimicale toxice, alcool în fierbere, chiar şi vidul spaţiului extraterestru. În ciuda morfologiei lor deosebite şi a diversittii habitatelor lor, se cunosc relativ puţine aspecte se despre aceste organisme. -
A DNA Ligase from the Psychrophile Pseudoalteromonas Haloplanktis Gives Insights Into the Adaptation of Proteins to Low Temperatures
Eur. J. Biochem. 267, 3502±3512 (2000) q FEBS 2000 A DNA ligase from the psychrophile Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis gives insights into the adaptation of proteins to low temperatures D. Georlette1,Z.O.JoÂnsson2,3, F. Van Petegem4, J.-P. Chessa1, J. Van Beeumen4,U.HuÈ bscher2 and C. Gerday1 1Laboratory of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, B6a Universite de LieÁge, Sart-Tilman, Belgium; 2Institute of Veterinary Biochemistry, UniversitaÈtZuÈrich-Irchel, ZuÈrich, Switzerland; 3Department of Pathology, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; 4Laboratory for Protein Biochemistry and Protein Engineering, Department of Biochemistry Physiology and Microbiology, Gent, Belgium The cloning, overexpression and characterization of a cold-adapted DNA ligase from the Antarctic sea water bacterium Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis are described. Protein sequence analysis revealed that the cold- adapted Ph DNA ligase shows a significant level of sequence similarity to other NAD1-dependent DNA ligases and contains several previously described sequence motifs. Also, a decreased level of arginine and proline residues in Ph DNA ligase could be involved in the cold-adaptation strategy. Moreover, 3D modelling of the N-terminal domain of Ph DNA ligase clearly indicates that this domain is destabilized compared with its thermophilic homologue. The recombinant Ph DNA ligase was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. Mass spectroscopy experiments indicated that the purified enzyme is mainly in an adenylated form with a molecular mass of 74 593 Da. Ph DNA ligase shows similar overall catalytic properties to other NAD1-dependent DNA ligases but is a cold-adapted enzyme as its catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) at low and moderate temperatures is higher than that of its mesophilic counterpart E. -
Access to Electronic Thesis
Access to Electronic Thesis Author: Khalid Salim Al-Abri Thesis title: USE OF MOLECULAR APPROACHES TO STUDY THE OCCURRENCE OF EXTREMOPHILES AND EXTREMODURES IN NON-EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS Qualification: PhD This electronic thesis is protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. No reproduction is permitted without consent of the author. It is also protected by the Creative Commons Licence allowing Attributions-Non-commercial-No derivatives. If this electronic thesis has been edited by the author it will be indicated as such on the title page and in the text. USE OF MOLECULAR APPROACHES TO STUDY THE OCCURRENCE OF EXTREMOPHILES AND EXTREMODURES IN NON-EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS By Khalid Salim Al-Abri Msc., University of Sultan Qaboos, Muscat, Oman Mphil, University of Sheffield, England Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment for the requirements of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, England 2011 Introductory Pages I DEDICATION To the memory of my father, loving mother, wife “Muneera” and son “Anas”, brothers and sisters. Introductory Pages II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Above all, I thank Allah for helping me in completing this project. I wish to express my thanks to my supervisor Professor Milton Wainwright, for his guidance, supervision, support, understanding and help in this project. In addition, he also stood beside me in all difficulties that faced me during study. My thanks are due to Dr. D. J. Gilmour for his co-supervision, technical assistance, his time and understanding that made some of my laboratory work easier. In the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources, I am particularly grateful to Engineer Said Al Alawi, Director General of Health Control, for allowing me to carry out my PhD study at the University of Sheffield. -
Sulphate-Reducing Bacteria's Response to Extreme Ph Environments and the Effect of Their Activities on Microbial Corrosion
applied sciences Review Sulphate-Reducing Bacteria’s Response to Extreme pH Environments and the Effect of Their Activities on Microbial Corrosion Thi Thuy Tien Tran 1 , Krishnan Kannoorpatti 1,* , Anna Padovan 2 and Suresh Thennadil 1 1 Energy and Resources Institute, College of Engineering, Information Technology and Environment, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0909, Australia; [email protected] (T.T.T.T.); [email protected] (S.T.) 2 Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, College of Engineering, Information Technology and Environment, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0909, Australia; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: Sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) are dominant species causing corrosion of various types of materials. However, they also play a beneficial role in bioremediation due to their tolerance of extreme pH conditions. The application of sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in bioremediation and control methods for microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) in extreme pH environments requires an understanding of the microbial activities in these conditions. Recent studies have found that in order to survive and grow in high alkaline/acidic condition, SRB have developed several strategies to combat the environmental challenges. The strategies mainly include maintaining pH homeostasis in the cytoplasm and adjusting metabolic activities leading to changes in environmental pH. The change in pH of the environment and microbial activities in such conditions can have a Citation: Tran, T.T.T.; Kannoorpatti, significant impact on the microbial corrosion of materials. These bacteria strategies to combat extreme K.; Padovan, A.; Thennadil, S. pH environments and their effect on microbial corrosion are presented and discussed. -
Shree Nath Singh Editor Microbial Degradation of Synthetic Dyes in Wastewaters Environmental Science and Engineering
Environmental Science Shree Nath Singh Editor Microbial Degradation of Synthetic Dyes in Wastewaters Environmental Science and Engineering Environmental Science Series editors Rod Allan, Burlington, ON, Canada Ulrich Förstner, Hamburg, Germany Wim Salomons, Haren, The Netherlands More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/3234 Shree Nath Singh Editor Microbial Degradation of Synthetic Dyes in Wastewaters 123 Editor Shree Nath Singh Plant Ecology and Environmental Science Division CSIR—National Botanical Research Institute Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh India ISSN 1431-6250 ISBN 978-3-319-10941-1 ISBN 978-3-319-10942-8 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-10942-8 Library of Congress Control Number: 2014951157 Springer Cham Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. Exempted from this legal reservation are brief excerpts in connection with reviews or scholarly analysis or material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the Copyright Law of the Publisher’s location, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer. -
Ana Maria Da Silva Esteves Dissertation Presented to Obtain The
Insights into the biochemical strategies of adaptation to heat stress in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus Ana Maria da Silva Esteves Dissertation presented to obtain the Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier | Universidade Nova de Lisboa Oeiras, February, 2015 Insights into the biochemical strategies of adaptation to heat stress in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus Ana Maria da Silva Esteves Supervisor: Professora Helena Santos Co-supervisor: Dr. Nuno Borges Dissertation presented to obtain the Ph.D degree in Biochemistry Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier | Universidade Nova de Lisboa Oeiras, February, 2015 From left to right: Prof. Volker Müller, Dr. Emmanouil Matzapetakis, Dr. Nuno Borges (Co-supervisor), Ana M. Esteves, Prof. Helena Santos (Supervisor), Prof. Pedro Moradas Ferreira, Prof. Beate Averhoff, Prof. Hermínia de Lencastre. Oeiras, 9th of February 2015. Apoio financeiro da Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia e do FSE no âmbito do Quadro Comunitário de apoio, Bolsa de Doutoramento com a referência SFRH/BD/61742/2009. In loving memory of my grandmother Elisa iv Acknowledgements First, I would like to thank Prof. Helena Santos, my supervisor, for accepting me as a Ph.D. student in her laboratory. Also, I want to express my appreciation to Prof. Helena Santos for being an excellent team leader, and for her constant effort to put together the resources and expertise her students need to carry out their projects with success. Her guidance, rigor, patience and enthusiasm for science definitely contributed to my development as a young scientist. I want to thank Dr.