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Results for “Microbial community structure”

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PubMed2005

Structure and topology of microbial communities in the major gut compartments of Melolontha melolontha larvae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae).

Physicochemical gut conditions and the composition and topology of the intestinal microbiota in the major gut compartments of the root-feeding larva of the European cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha) were studied. Axial and radial profiles of pH, O2, H2, and redox potential were measured with microsensors. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of bacterial 16S rRNA genes in midgut samples of individual larvae revealed a simple but variable and probably nonspecific community structure. In contrast, the T-RFLP profiles of the hindgut samples were more diverse but highly similar, especially in the wall fraction, indicating the presence of a gut-specific community involved in digestion. While high acetate concentrations in the midgut and hindgut (34 and 15 mM) corroborated the presence of microbial fermentation in both compartments, methanogenesis was confined to the hindgut. Methanobrevibacter spp. were the only methanogens detected and were restricted to this compartment. Bacterial 16S rRNA gene clone libraries of the hindgut were dominated by clones related to the Clostridiales. Clones related to the Actinobacteria, Bacillales, Lactobacillales, and gamma-Proteobacteria were restricted to the lumen, whereas clones related to the beta- and delta-Proteobacteria were found only on the hindgut wall. Results of PCR-based analyses and fluorescence in situ hybridization of whole cells with group-specific oligonucleotide probes documented that Desulfovibrio-related bacteria comprise 10 to 15% of the bacterial community at the hindgut wall. The restriction of the sulfate-reducer-specific adenosine-5'-phosphosulfate reductase gene apsA to DNA extracts of the hindgut wall in larvae from four other populations in Europe suggested that sulfate reducers generally colonize this habitat.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Structure of a primed microbial community as an integral method of evaluating the microbiologic state of soil].

The paper describes a laboratory method of initiated microbial cenosis which makes it possible to evaluate the microbiological state of soil and to predict its change under the action of various anthropogenic factors. To this end, the structure and characteristics of a microbial cenosis initiated by a substrate are studied using a scanning electron microscope in combination with classical techniques of microbiology: the actual predominance and proportions of individual microbial groups (bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, algae, protozoa and microscopic invertebrates); the interaction and interrelation between individual microbial populations in the cenosis; the biological properties of predominating microorganisms; the ratio between active and resting forms; the rate and character of growth of individual microbial populations in the cenosis and their succession. All these indices taken together may serve as a criterion for integral evaluation of the effect produced by various physico-chemical factors on the microbiological state of soil.

Actinomycetales↗

PubMed1988

Microbial biomass, activity, and community structure of water and particulates retrieved by backflow from a waterflood injection well.

Oil field injection water was allowed to back flow from two wells at the Packard drill site in Los Angeles, Calif., and was sampled at various times to obtain information about the biomass, potential activity, and community structure of the microbiota in the reservoir formation and in the injection water. Biomass was greatest in water samples that came from the zone near the injection site and dropped off sharply in subsequent samples, which were assumed to come from zones farther away from the well. Samples obtained from near the well also had visible exopolysaccharide blankets, as seen in scanning electron microscopic preparations. In one of the wells that was sampled, rates of glucose or acetate incorporation into microbial lipids correlated with biomass; but in the other well, activities correlated with the sampling time (volume of water that back flowed). Transmission electron micrographs showed a diverse, gram-negative bacterial population in a variety of physiological states. The analysis of the phospholipid ester-linked fatty acid profiles of the samples revealed consistently large proportions of 18:1omega7c fatty acids, indicating the presence of many anaerobes, facultative organisms, or both. Proportions of cyclopropyl fatty acids and ratios of trans/cis monoenoic compounds increased with the volume of water that back flowed (analogous with the distance into the formation), while the ratio of unsaturated/saturated compounds decreased, possibly indicating higher levels of stress or starvation in the microbial communities farthest from the injection well. Greater than 90% of the total biomass was trapped on glass fiber filters, indicating that the microbiota were largely attached to particles or were clumped. These sampling techniques and analytical methods may prove useful in monitoring for problems with microbes (e.g., plugging) in waterflood operations and in the preparation of water injection wells for enhanced oil recovery by the use of microbes.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2026

Effects of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation on Intestinal Microbial Characteristics and Clinical Phenotypes in Patients with Parkinson's Disease.

Alterations in the gut microbiota have been associated with Parkinson's disease (PD), but longitudinal microbial changes after fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and their clinical associations remain poorly understood. This single-center retrospective observational study included 6 patients with PD, stratified into high- and low-severity subgroups based on disease duration (>6 years vs ≤6 years). Thirty-six fecal samples were collected before FMT and monthly for five months afterward. Microbial diversity, community structure, taxonomic composition, and predicted functional profiles were assessed using 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. Analyses included alpha and beta diversity, taxonomic abundance, linear discriminant analysis effect size, Tax4Fun2-based functional prediction, and Spearman rank correlations between microbial features and clinical indicators. Descriptive analyses indicated differences in microbial richness, diversity, community structure, and predicted functions between severity subgroups and across post-FMT time points. At baseline, the low-severity subgroup had greater microbial richness and diversity than the high-severity subgroup, with relatively higher abundances of taxa including Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. One month after FMT, richness and diversity increased from baseline in the high-severity subgroup, accompanied by changes in taxonomic composition. Both subgroups showed time-associated variation in microbial diversity and predicted Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment after FMT. Predicted functions included carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism, secondary metabolite biosynthesis, membrane transport, and signal transduction. Several operational taxonomic units correlated with indicators of motor impairment, constipation, sleep quality, functional status, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. FMT was therefore associated with longitudinal changes in gut microbial diversity, composition, and predicted functions, and specific microbial features were associated with motor and non-motor indicators. Given the small retrospective cohort, these findings are preliminary and warrant confirmation in larger controlled studies. Future studies should determine whether these microbial alterations are reproducible, persist beyond five months, reflect donor engraftment, and correspond to measurable clinical improvement after transplantation in PD.

Humans↗

PubMed2025

Short-term virus-host interactions and functional dynamics in recently deglaciated Antarctic tundra soils.

Long-term chronosequence studies have shown that, as glaciers retreat, newly exposed soils become colonized through primary succession. To determine the key drivers of this process and their vulnerability to climate change, the short-term responses of these pioneering microbial communities also need to be elucidated. Here, we investigated how the taxonomic and functional structure of microbial communities, including viruses, changed over a 7-year period in an Antarctic glacier forefield. Using metagenomics and metatranscriptomics we assessed the influence of both abiotic and biotic factors on these communities. Our results revealed a highly heterogeneous bacteria-dominated microbial community, with Pseudomonas as the most abundant genus, followed by Lysobacter, Devosia, Cellulomonas, and Brevundimonas. This community exhibited the capacity for aerobic anoxygenic phototrophy, carbon and nitrogen fixation, and sulfur cycling, processes vital for survival in nutrient-poor environments. 52 high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) were recovered, representing both transient and cosmopolitan taxa, some of which were able to rapidly respond to environmental changes. A diverse and highly dynamic collection of lytic and temperate viruses was identified across all samples, with high clonal viral genomes typically detected in only one of the eight samples analyzed. Metatranscriptomic analyses confirmed the activity of lytic viruses, while prophage genomes featured much lower expression levels. Prophages appeared to influence host fitness through the expression of genes encoding membrane transporters. Additionally, the abundance of genes linked to antimicrobial compound synthesis and resistance, along with antiphage defense systems, highlights the importance of biotic interactions in driving microbial community succession and shaping short-term responses to environmental fluctuations.

Antarctica↗

PubMed2000

Molecular ecology of hydrothermal vent microbial communities.

The study of the structure and diversity of hydrothermal vent microbial communities has long been restricted to the morphological description of microorganisms and the use of enrichment culture-based techniques. Until recently the identification of the culturable fraction required the isolation of pure cultures followed by testing for multiple physiological and biochemical traits. However, peculiar inhabitants of the hydrothermal ecosystem such as the invertebrate endosymbionts and the dense microbial mat filaments have eluded laboratory cultivation. Substantial progress has been achieved in recent years in techniques for the identification of microorganisms in natural environments. Application of molecular approaches has revealed the existence of unique and previously unrecognized microorganisms. These have provided fresh insight into the ecology, diversity and evolution of mesophilic and thermophilic microbial communities from the deep-sea hydrothermal ecosystem. This review reports the main discoveries made through the introduction of these powerful techniques in the study of deep-sea hydrothermal vent microbiology.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Influence of sulfide and temperature on species composition and community structure of hot spring microbial mats.

In solfataric fields in southwestern Iceland, neutral and sulfide-rich hot springs are characterized by thick bacterial mats at 60 to 80 degrees C that are white or yellow from precipitated sulfur (sulfur mats). In low-sulfide hot springs in the same area, grey or pink streamers are formed at 80 to 90 degrees C, and a Chloroflexus mat is formed at 65 to 70 degrees C. We have studied the microbial diversity of one sulfur mat (high-sulfide) hot spring and one Chloroflexus mat (low-sulfide) hot spring by cloning and sequencing of small-subunit rRNA genes obtained by PCR amplification from mat DNA. Using 98% sequence identity as a cutoff value, a total of 14 bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and 5 archaeal OTUs were detected in the sulfur mat; 18 bacterial OTUs were detected in the Chloroflexus mat. Although representatives of novel divisions were found, the majority of the sequences were >95% related to currently known sequences. The molecular diversity analysis showed that Chloroflexus was the dominant mat organism in the low-sulfide spring (1 mg liter(-1)) below 70 degrees C, whereas Aquificales were dominant in the high-sulfide spring (12 mg liter(-1)) at the same temperature. Comparison of the present data to published data indicated that there is a relationship between mat type and composition of Aquificales on the one hand and temperature and sulfide concentration on the other hand.

Archaea↗

PubMed2005

Characterization of microbial communities found in the human vagina by analysis of terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms of 16S rRNA genes.

To define and monitor the structure of microbial communities found in the human vagina, a cultivation-independent approach based on analyses of terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms (T-RFLP) of 16S rRNA genes was developed and validated. Sixteen bacterial strains commonly found in the human vagina were used to construct model communities that were subsequently used to develop efficient means for the isolation of genomic DNA and an optimal strategy for T-RFLP analyses. The various genera in the model community could best be resolved by digesting amplicons made using bacterial primers 8f and 926r with HaeIII; fewer strains could be resolved using other primer-enzyme combinations, and no combination successfully distinguished certain species of the same genus. To demonstrate the utility of the approach, samples from five women that had been collected over a 2-month period were analyzed. Differences and similarities among the vaginal microbial communities of the women were readily apparent. The T-RFLP data suggest that the communities of three women were dominated by a single phylotype, most likely species of Lactobacillus. In contrast, the communities of two other women included numerically abundant populations that differed from Lactobacillus strains whose 16S rRNA genes had been previously determined. The T-RFLP profiles of samples from all the women were largely invariant over time, indicating that the kinds and abundances of the numerically dominant populations were relatively stable throughout two menstrual cycles. These findings show that T-RFLP of 16S rRNA genes can be used to compare vaginal microbial communities and gain information about the numerically dominant populations that are present.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed2000

Characterization of Microbial Consortia in Paddy Rice Soil by Phospholipid Analysis.

Microbial biomass and community structure in paddy rice soil during the vegetation period of rice were estimated by analysis of their phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA), hydroxy fatty acids of lipopolysaccharides (LPS-HYFA), and phospholipid ether lipids (PLEL) directly extracted from the soil. A clear change in the composition of the community structure at different sampling periods was observed, indicated by the principal component analysis of the PLFA. A dramatic decline of ester-linked PLFA was observed in the soil samples taken at the second sampling time. In contrast to the ester-linked PLFA, the non-ester-linked PLFA composition did not change. The hydroxy fatty acids of lipopolysaccharides as well as ether lipids decreased consecutively during the observation period. Total microbial abundance was estimated to be (4.1-7.3) x 10(9) cells g(-1) soil (dry weight). About 44% account for aerobic and 32% for facultative anaerobic bacteria, and 24% for archaea, on average. According to the profile and patterns of PLFA in the soil sample, it may be suggested that the paddy soil at the August sampling period contained more abundant facultative anaerobic bacteria (ca. 36%) and archaea (ca. 37%), but the total microbial biomass was significantly lower than in the remaining sampling periods. As the plant approached maturity, the microbial community structure in the soil changed to contain more abundant Gram-negative bacteria and methanotrophs.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2004

Monitoring microbial community in a subsurface soil contaminated with hydrocarbons by quinone profile.

A natural attenuation experiment was carried out using a lysimeter for 308 days after contaminating the subsoil with hydrocarbons (HCs) and the changes in the structures of microbial community in the hydrocarbon (HC) contaminated subsoil were monitored by quinone profile analysis. The residues of HCs remained for 217 days in the subsoil after the contamination. The amount of total quinones (TQ), an indicator of microbial biomass, significantly increased in the HC contaminated subsoil for 217 days, comparing with that of the background subsoil or the subsoil before the addition of HCs. The major quinone species and the quinone composition, indicators of community structure, were significantly different between the HC contaminated soil and the background soil for 217 days. The major increased quinine species in the HC contaminated soil were menaquinone-8(H4), menaquinone-9(H2) and ubiquinone-9, indicating the propagation of Gram-positive bacteria with high guanine and cytosine content and gamma-subclass of Proteobacteria and fungi. There was no significant difference in the diversity of the quinone species (DQ), an indicator of taxonomic diversity of microbial community, except for the decrease in DQ in the shallow subsoil after 35 days when a high concentration of HCs was detected. After 308 days when the HCs in the subsoil disappeared, TQ returned to the level of the background soil, and no significant difference in quinone composition were observed between the HC contaminated soil and the background soil. The results suggested that respiratory quinones are effective biomarkers for characterizing the temporal changes of microbial community in the HC contaminated subsoil.

Bacteria↗

PubMed2000

Microbiology of flooded rice paddies.

Flooded rice paddies are one of the major biogenic sources of atmospheric methane. Apart from this contribution to the 'greenhouse' effect, rice paddy soil represents a suitable model system to study fundamental aspects of microbial ecology, such as diversity, structure, and dynamics of microbial communities as well as structure-function relationships between microbial groups. Flooded rice paddy soil can be considered as a system with three compartments (oxic surface soil, anoxic bulk soil, and rhizosphere) characterized by different physio-chemical conditions. After flooding, oxygen is rapidly depleted in the bulk soil. Anaerobic microorganisms, such as fermentative bacteria and methanogenic archaea, predominate within the microbial community, and thus methane is the final product of anaerobic degradation of organic matter. In the surface soil and the rhizosphere well-defined microscale chemical gradients can be measured. The oxygen profile seems to govern gradients of other electron acceptors (e.g., nitrate, iron(III), and sulfate) and reduced compounds (e.g., ammonium, iron(II), and sulfide). These gradients provide information about the activity and spatial distribution of functional groups of microorganisms. This review presents the current knowledge about the highly complex microbiology of flooded rice paddies. In Section 2 we describe the predominant microbial groups and their function with particular regard to bacterial populations utilizing polysaccharides and simple sugars, and to the methanogenic archaea. Section 3 describes the spatial and temporal development of microscale chemical gradients measured in experimentally defined model systems, including gradients of oxygen and dissolved and solid-phase iron(III) and iron(II). In Section 4, the results of measurements of microscale gradients of oxygen, pH, nitrate-nitrite, and methane in natural rice fields and natural rice soil cores taken to the laboratory will be presented. Finally, perspectives of future research are discussed (Section 5).

Archaea↗

PubMed2004

Structure and microbial composition of nitrifying microbial aggregates and their relation to internal mass transfer effects.

This paper presents an analysis of the structure and microbial composition of nitrifying aggregates, formed as either flocs or granules, in sequencing batch reactors (SBR) operated with a high ammonium load. The structure and microbial community of the aggregates was determined by fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH). The aggregate structure and size was related to mass transfer limitations observed by measurements of OURs measured by either a titrimetric and off-gas analysis sensor (TOGA) or by microsensors. The FISH analysis showed that the spatial arrangement of the microbial consortia correlated well with the oxygen gradients inside the aggregates. In the larger aggregates, the ammonium- and nitrite-oxidising bacteria were mainly concentrated to the outer 100-200 microm, whereas in the floc system, the bacteria were distributed throughout the entire aggregate. This indicates that the internal mass transfer resistance is considerably larger when the aggregate size increases which is directly supported by TOGA measurements.

Bacteria↗

PubMed2006

Whole-metagenome amplification of a microbial community associated with scleractinian coral by multiple displacement amplification using phi29 polymerase.

Limitations in obtaining sufficient specimens and difficulties in extracting high quality DNA from environmental samples have impeded understanding of the structure of microbial communities. In this study, multiple displacement amplification (MDA) using phi29 polymerase was applied to overcome these hindrances. Optimization of the reaction conditions for amplification of the bacterial genome and evaluation of the MDA product were performed using cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6803. An 8-h MDA reaction yielded a sufficient quantity of DNA from an initial amount of 0.4 ng, which is equivalent to approximately 10(5) cells. Uniform amplification of genes randomly selected from the cyanobacterial genome was confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The metagenome from bacteria associated with scleractinian corals was used for whole-genome amplification using phi29 polymerase to analyse the microbial diversity. Unidentified bacteria with less than 93% identity to the closest 16S rDNA sequences deposited in DNA Data Bank of Japan were predominantly detected from the coral-associated bacterial community before and after the MDA procedures. Sequencing analysis indicated that alpha-Proteobacteria was the dominant group in Pocillopora damicornis. This study demonstrates that MDA techniques are efficient for genome wide investigation to understand the actual microbial diversity in limited bacterial samples.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Whither or wither geomicrobiology in the era of 'community metagenomics'.

Molecular techniques are valuable tools that can improve our understanding of the structure of microbial communities. They provide the ability to probe for life in all niches of the biosphere, perhaps even supplanting the need to cultivate microorganisms or to conduct ecophysiological investigations. However, an overemphasis and strict dependence on such large information-driven endeavours as environmental metagenomics could overwhelm the field, to the detriment of microbial ecology. We now call for more balanced, hypothesis-driven research efforts that couple metagenomics with classic approaches.

Bacteria↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Bacterial communities of brown and red algae from Peter the Great Bay, the Sea of Japan].

The structure of microbial communities of brown algae, red algae, and of the red alga Gracilaria verrucosa, healthy and affected with rotten thallus, were comparatively investigated; 61 strains of heterotrophic bacteria were isolated and characterized. Most of them were identified to the genus level, some Vibrio spp., to the species level according to their phenotypic properties and the fatty acid composition of cellular lipids. The composition of the microflora of two species of brown algae was different. In Chordaria flagelliformis, Pseudomonas spp. prevailed, and in Desmarestia viridis, Bacillus spp. The composition of the microflora of two red algae, G. verrucosa and Camphylaephora hyphaeoides, differed mainly in the ratio of prevailing groups of bacteria. The most abundant were bacteria of the CFB cluster and pseudoalteromonads. In addition, the following bacteria were found on the surface of the algae: Sulfitobacter spp., Halomonas spp., Acinetobacter sp., Planococcus sp., Arthrobacter sp., and Agromyces sp. From tissues of the affected G. verrucosa, only vibrios were isolated, both agarolytic and nonagarolytic. The existence of specific bacterial communities characteristic of different species of algae is suggested and the relation of Vibrio sp. to the pathological process in the tissues of G. verrucosa is supposed.

Agar↗

PubMed2001

Evaluation and refinement of tmRNA structure using gene sequences from natural microbial communities.

DNA harvested directly from complex natural microbial communities by PCR has been successfully used to predict RNase P RNA structure, and can potentially provide an abundant source of information for structural predictions of other RNAs. In this study, we utilized genetic variation in natural communities to test and refine the secondary and tertiary structural model for the bacterial tmRNA. The variability of proposed tmRNA secondary structures in different organisms and the lack of any predicted tertiary structure suggested that further refinement of the tmRNA could be useful. To increase the phylogenetic representation of tmRNA sequences, and thereby provide additional data for statistical comparative analysis, we amplified, sequenced, and compared tmRNA sequences from natural microbial communities. Using primers designed from gamma proteobacterial sequences, we determined 44 new tmRNA sequences from a variety of environmental DNA samples. Covariation analyses of these sequences, along with sequences from cultured organisms, confirmed most of the proposed tmRNA model but also provided evidence for a new tertiary interaction. This approach of gathering sequence information from natural microbial communities seems generally applicable in RNA structural analysis.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed2004

Community structure and metabolism through reconstruction of microbial genomes from the environment.

Microbial communities are vital in the functioning of all ecosystems; however, most microorganisms are uncultivated, and their roles in natural systems are unclear. Here, using random shotgun sequencing of DNA from a natural acidophilic biofilm, we report reconstruction of near-complete genomes of Leptospirillum group II and Ferroplasma type II, and partial recovery of three other genomes. This was possible because the biofilm was dominated by a small number of species populations and the frequency of genomic rearrangements and gene insertions or deletions was relatively low. Because each sequence read came from a different individual, we could determine that single-nucleotide polymorphisms are the predominant form of heterogeneity at the strain level. The Leptospirillum group II genome had remarkably few nucleotide polymorphisms, despite the existence of low-abundance variants. The Ferroplasma type II genome seems to be a composite from three ancestral strains that have undergone homologous recombination to form a large population of mosaic genomes. Analysis of the gene complement for each organism revealed the pathways for carbon and nitrogen fixation and energy generation, and provided insights into survival strategies in an extreme environment.

Archaea↗

PubMed2004

Microbial communities in oil-contaminated seawater.

Although diverse bacteria capable of degrading petroleum hydrocarbons have been isolated and characterized, the vast majority of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria, including anaerobes, could remain undiscovered, as a large fraction of bacteria inhabiting marine environments are uncultivable. Using culture-independent rRNA approaches, changes in the structure of microbial communities have been analyzed in marine environments contaminated by a real oil spill and in micro- or mesocosms that mimic such environments. Alcanivorax and Cycloclasticus of the gamma-Proteobacteria were identified as two key organisms with major roles in the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons. Alcanivorax is responsible for alkane biodegradation, whereas Cycloclasticus degrades various aromatic hydrocarbons. This information will be useful to develop in situ bioremediation strategies for the clean-up of marine oil spills.

Bacteria↗