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Eva S Lindström

Publications and source records attributed to Eva S Lindström.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Influence of dissolved organic matter source on lake bacterioplankton structure and function--implications for seasonal dynamics of community composition.

It has been suggested that autochthonous (internally produced) organic carbon and allochthonous (externally produced) organic carbon are utilized by phylogenetically different bacterioplankton. We examined the relationship between the source of organic matter and the structure and function of lake bacterial communities. Differences and seasonal changes in bacterial community composition in two lakes differing in their source of organic matter were followed in relation to environmental variables. We also performed batch culture experiments with amendments of various organic substrates, namely fulvic acids, leachates from algae, and birch and maple leaves. Differences in bacterial community composition between the lakes, analysed by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism, correlated with variables related to the relative loading of autochthonous and allochthonous carbon (water colour, dissolved organic carbon, nutrients, and pH). Seasonal changes correlated with temperature, chlorophyll and dissolved organic carbon in both lakes. The substrate amendments led to differences in both structure and function, i.e. production, respiration and growth yield, of the bacterial community. In conclusion, our results suggest that the source of organic matter influences community composition both within and among lakes and that there may be a coupling between the structure and function of the bacterial community.

Bacteria↗

Structure and function of bacterial communities emerging from different sources under identical conditions.

The aim of this study was to compare two major hypotheses concerning the formation of bacterial community composition (BCC) at the local scale, i.e., whether BCC is determined by the prevailing local environmental conditions or by "metacommunity processes." A batch culture experiment where bacteria from eight distinctly different aquatic habitats were regrown under identical conditions was performed to test to what extent similar communities develop under similar selective pressure. Differently composed communities emerged from different inoculum communities, as determined by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the 16S rRNA gene. There was no indication that similarity increased between communities upon growth under identical conditions compared to that for growth at the ambient sampling sites. This suggests that the history and distribution of taxa within the source communities were stronger regulating factors of BCC than the environmental conditions. Moreover, differently composed communities were different with regard to specific functions, such as enzyme activities, but maintained similar broad-scale functions, such as biomass production and respiration.

Agriculture↗

Distribution of typical freshwater bacterial groups is associated with pH, temperature, and lake water retention time.

The distribution of 15 typical freshwater bacterial groups in 15 diverse lakes in northern Europe was investigated using reverse line blot hybridization. Statistical evaluation of the data in relation to the characteristics of the lakes showed that pH, temperature, and the theoretical hydrological retention time of the lakes were most strongly related to variations in the distribution of bacterial taxa. This suggests that pH and temperature are steering factors in the selection of taxa and supports the notion that communities in lakes with short water turnover times are influenced by the input of bacterial cells from the drainage areas. Within the beta subdivision of the Proteobacteria (Betaproteobacteria), as well as within the divisions Actinobacteria and Verrucomicrobia, different subgroups were associated differently with environmental variables.

Animals↗

Rapid screening for freshwater bacterial groups by using reverse line blot hybridization.

The identification of phylogenetic clusters of bacteria that are common in freshwater has provided a basis for probe design to target important freshwater groups. We present a set of 16S ribosomal RNA gene-based oligonucleotide probes specific for 15 of these freshwater clusters. The probes were applied in reverse line blot hybridization, a simple method that enables the rapid screening of PCR products from many samples against an array of probes. The optimized assay was made stringent to discriminate at approximately the single-mismatch level. This made 10 of the probes highly specific, with at least two mismatches to the closest noncluster member in the global database. Screening of PCR products from bacterioplankton of 81 diverse lakes from Belgium, The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway showed that the respective probes were reactive against 5 to 100% of the lake samples. Positive reactivity of six highly specific probes showed that bacteria from actinobacterial clusters ACK-M1 and Sta2-30 and from verrucomicrobial cluster CLO-14 occurred in at least 90% of the investigated lakes. Furthermore, bacteria from alpha-proteobacterial cluster LD12 (closely related to the marine SAR11 cluster), beta-proteobacterial cluster LD28 and cyanobacterial cluster Synechococcus 6b occurred in more than 70% of the lakes. Reverse line blot hybridization is a new tool in microbial ecology that will facilitate research on distribution and habitat specificity of target species at relatively low costs.

Animals↗

Enumeration of small ciliates in culture by flow cytometry and nucleic acid staining.

We developed a fast and simple protocol for accurate quantification of small freshwater ciliates by flow cytometry (FCM). The ciliates were stained with several nucleic acid stains such as TO-PRO-1, YO-YO-1 and PicoGreen, and analysed by a commercially available flow cytometer. The method was tested with cultures of the prostomatid species Urotricha farcta and Balanion planctonicum, including the small cryptophyte Cryptomonas sp. as food. Of the dyes tested, TO-PRO-1 gave the best results. Flow cytometric results agreed well with microscopic counts. Due to its greater speed and accuracy, FCM was superior to light microscopy. FCM was also superior to electronical particle counting and sizing (EPCS). Of particular importance, FCM in combination with TO-PRO-1 staining allowed unequivocal discrimination in cases of overlapping size distributions between the target population (i.e., the ciliate predators) and other particles (the cryptophyte prey, detritus).

Animals↗