Project description:Cable bacteria of the family Desulfobulbaceae form centimeter-long filaments comprising thousands of cells. They occur worldwide in the surface of aquatic sediments, where they connect sulfide oxidation with oxygen or nitrate reduction via long-distance electron transport. In the absence of pure cultures, we used single-filament genome amplification and metagenomics to retrieve draft genomes of three marine Candidatus Electrothrix and one freshwater Ca. Electronema species. These genomes contain >50% of unknown genes but still largely share their core genomic makeup with sulfate-reducing and sulfur-disproportionating Desulfobulbaceae, with few genes lost and 212 unique genes conserved among cable bacteria. Last common ancestor analysis indicated gene divergence and lateral gene transfer as equally important origins of these unique genes. With support from metaproteomic data of Ca. Electronema, the genomes suggest that cable bacteria oxidize sulfide by inversing the canonical sulfate reduction pathway and fix CO2 using the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway. Cable bacteria show limited organotrophic potential, may assimilate smaller organic acids and alcohols, fix N2, and synthesize polyphosphates and polyglucose as storage compounds; several of these traits were confirmed by cell-level experimental analyses. We propose a model for electron flow from sulfide to oxygen that involves periplasmic cytochromes, type IV pili as integral components of conductive periplasmic fibers, and periplasmic oxygen reduction. This model proposes that an active cable bacterium gains energy in the anodic, sulfide-oxidizing cells, while cells in the oxic zone flare off electrons through intense cathodic oxygen respiration without energy conservation; this peculiar form of multicellularity seems unparalleled in the microbial world.
Project description:Desulfurella amilsii is an acidotolerant sulfur-reducing bacterium isolated from sediments of an acidic river. It can grow in a broad range of pH and can obtain energy via respiring elemental sulfur or thiosulfate, as well as by disproportionating elemental sulfur. Its genome encodes the enzyme sulfur reductase, and several rhodanese-like proteins, possibly playing a role in sulfur respiration and disproportionation. Thiosulfate reductase and dissimilatory sulfite reductase are encoded and might play a role during the respiration of thiosulfate. The involvement of these enzymes in the reductive routes of sulfur metabolism is not yet clearly understood. Desulfurella amilsii was used in this study to combine strategies for sulfur metabolism research on the protein level to shed some light on the pathways involved in the metabolism of this microorganism.
Project description:Several reports have described the involvement of miRNAs in abiotic stresses. However, their role in biotic stress or to beneficial microbes has not been fully explored. In order to understand on the epigenetic regulation in plant in response to nitrogen-fixing bacteria association, we analyzed the sRNA regulation in maize hybrids (Zea mays – UENF 506-8) inoculated with the beneficial diazotrophic bacteria (Herbaspirillum seropedicae). Deep sequencing analysis was carried out to identify the sRNAs regulated in maize during association with diazotrophic bacteria. For this analysis, maize plants were germinated in wet paper and put in hydroponic system with Hoagland’s solution and then inoculated with H. seropedicae for seven days. Mock and inoculated plants were collected and total RNA from a pool of samples was extracted with Trizol reagent. The two sRNA libraries were sequenced by Illumina. The sequences were filtered to remove adaptors and contaminants rRNA and tRNAs, and sequences with 18-28 nt in length were selected. To identify the miRNAs present in these libraries, we used two strategies using the same website (http://srna-tools.cmp.uea.ac.uk): one to identify novel miRNAs using the maize genome (verson 2) and miRCat pipeline; and other to identify conserved miRNAs using the miRBase database (release 13.0, http://microrna.sanger.ac.uk) and miRProf pipeline. We identified 17 novel putative miRNAs candidates and mapped the precursor of these miRNAs in the maize genome. Furthermore, we identified 25 conserved miRNAs families and the differential expressions were analyzed with miRProf pipeline. The bioinformatics analysis of four up-regulated miRNAs (miR397, miR398, miR408 and miR528) in inoculated plant was validated using stem–loop RT-PCR assay. Our findings contribute to increase the knowledge of the molecular relation between plants and endophytic bacteria.
2013-08-01 | GSE47886 | GEO
Project description:Genomics of sulfur disproportionating microorganisms and relatives
Project description:Several reports have described the involvement of miRNAs in abiotic stresses. However, their role in biotic stress or to beneficial microbes has not been fully explored. In order to understand on the epigenetic regulation in plant in response to nitrogen-fixing bacteria association, we analyzed the sRNA regulation in maize hybrids (Zea mays M-bM-^@M-^S UENF 506-8) inoculated with the beneficial diazotrophic bacteria (Herbaspirillum seropedicae). Deep sequencing analysis was carried out to identify the sRNAs regulated in maize during association with diazotrophic bacteria. For this analysis, maize plants were germinated in wet paper and put in hydroponic system with HoaglandM-bM-^@M-^Ys solution and then inoculated with H. seropedicae for seven days. Mock and inoculated plants were collected and total RNA from a pool of samples was extracted with Trizol reagent. The two sRNA libraries were sequenced by Illumina. The sequences were filtered to remove adaptors and contaminants rRNA and tRNAs, and sequences with 18-28 nt in length were selected. To identify the miRNAs present in these libraries, we used two strategies using the same website (http://srna-tools.cmp.uea.ac.uk): one to identify novel miRNAs using the maize genome (verson 2) and miRCat pipeline; and other to identify conserved miRNAs using the miRBase database (release 13.0, http://microrna.sanger.ac.uk) and miRProf pipeline. We identified 17 novel putative miRNAs candidates and mapped the precursor of these miRNAs in the maize genome. Furthermore, we identified 25 conserved miRNAs families and the differential expressions were analyzed with miRProf pipeline. The bioinformatics analysis of four up-regulated miRNAs (miR397, miR398, miR408 and miR528) in inoculated plant was validated using stemM-bM-^@M-^Sloop RT-PCR assay. Our findings contribute to increase the knowledge of the molecular relation between plants and endophytic bacteria. Screenning of sRNA transcriptome of maize plants inoculated with Herbaspirillum seropedicae after seven days