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Food or just a free ride? A meta-analysis reveals the global diversity of the Plastisphere.

ABSTRACT: It is now indisputable that plastics are ubiquitous and problematic in ecosystems globally. Many suggestions have been made about the role that biofilms colonizing plastics in the environment-termed the "Plastisphere"-may play in the transportation and ecological impact of these plastics. By collecting and re-analyzing all raw 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metadata from 2,229 samples within 35 studies, we have performed the first meta-analysis of the Plastisphere in marine, freshwater, other aquatic (e.g., brackish or aquaculture) and terrestrial environments. We show that random forest models can be trained to differentiate between groupings of environmental factors as well as aspects of study design, but-crucially-also between plastics when compared with control biofilms and between different plastic types and community successional stages. Our meta-analysis confirms that potentially biodegrading Plastisphere members, the hydrocarbonoclastic Oceanospirillales and Alteromonadales are consistently more abundant in plastic than control biofilm samples across multiple studies and environments. This indicates the predilection of these organisms for plastics and confirms the urgent need for their ability to biodegrade plastics to be comprehensively tested. We also identified key knowledge gaps that should be addressed by future studies.

SUBMITTER: Wright RJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8027867 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Ecological research suggests increased diversity may improve ecosystem services, as well as yield stability; however, such theories are sometimes disproven by agronomic research, particularly at higher diversity levels. We conducted a meta-analysis on 2,753 studies in 48 articles published over the last 53 years to test: if biological N2 fixation (BNF) supplies adequate nitrogen (N) for plant growth relative to synthetic fertilizers; how crop physiological traits affect legume-grass symbiosis; and, how cultural practices affect BNF over a range of soils and climates overtime (in polycultures versus sole grasslands). Globally, net primary productivity (NPP; total aboveground production response of grass and legume in higher-diversity treatments) increased 44% via legume associations relative to sole grass controls (including both with and without N fertilizer). Several moderating variables affected NPP including: (i) plant photosynthetic pathway (mixtures of C3 grasses resulted in a 57% increase in NPP, whereas mixtures of C4 grasses resulted in a 31% increase; similarly cool-season legumes increased NPP 52% compared to a 27% increase for warm-season legumes relative to grasslands without diversity); (ii) legume life cycle [NPP response for perennial legume mixtures was 50% greater than sole grass controls, followed by a 28% increase for biennial, and a 0% increase for annual legumes)]; and, (iii) species richness (one leguminous species in a grassland agroecosystem resulted in 52% increase in NPP, whereas >2 legumes resulted in only 6% increases). Temporal and spatial effect sizes also influenced facilitation, considering facilitation was greatest (114% change) in Mediterranean climates followed by oceanic (84%), and tropical savanna (65%) environments; conversely, semiarid and subarctic systems had lowest Rhizobium-induced changes (5 and 0% change, respectively). Facilitation of grass production by legumes was also affected by soil texture. For example, a 122% NPP increase was observed in silt clay soils compared to 14% for silt loam soils. Niche complementarity effects were greatest prior to 1971 (61% change), compared to recent studies (2011-2016; -7% change), likely owing to reduced global sulfur deposition and increased ambient temperatures overtime. These historical trends suggest potential for legume intercrops to displace inorganic-N fertilizer and sustainably intensify global NPP. Results herein provide a framework for ecologists and agronomists to improve crop diversification systems, refine research goals, and heighten BNF capacities in agro-grasslands.

Project description:Since first identified in December of 2019, COVID-19 has been quickly spreading to the world in few months and COVID-19 cases are still undergoing rapid surge in most countries worldwide. The causative agent, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), adapts and evolves rapidly in nature. With the availability of 16,092 SARS-CoV-2 full genomes in GISAID as of 13 May, we removed the poor-quality genomes and performed mutational profiling analysis for the remaining 11,183 viral genomes. Global analysis of all sequences identified all single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across the whole genome and critical SNPs with high mutation frequency that contributes to five-clade classification of global strains. A total of 119 SNPs were found with 74 non-synonymous mutations, 43 synonymous mutations and two mutations in intergenic regions. Analysis of geographic pattern of mutational profiling for the whole genome reveals differences between each continent. A transition mutation from C to T represents the most mutation types across the genome, suggesting rapid evolution and adaptation of the virus in host. Amino acid (AA) deletions and insertions found across the genome results in changes in viral protein length and potential function alteration. Mutational profiling for each gene was analysed, and results show that nucleocapsid gene demonstrates the highest mutational frequency, followed by Nsp2, Nsp3 and Spike gene. We further focused on non-synonymous mutational distributions on four key viral proteins, spike with 75 mutations, RNA-dependent-RNA-polymerase with 41 mutations, 3C-like protease with 22 mutations and Papain-like protease with 10 mutations. Results show that non-synonymous mutations on critical sites of these four proteins pose great challenge for development of anti-viral drugs and other countering measures. Overall, this study provides more understanding of genetic diversity/variability of SARS-CoV-2 and insights for development of anti-viral therapeutics.

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Food or just a free ride? A meta-analysis reveals the global diversity of the Plastisphere.

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