Sequestration of arsenic to biogenic sulfide minerals is known from As-contaminated anoxic environments. Despite numerous successful laboratory experiments, the process remains difficult to predict in moderate arsenic conditions. We performed microcosm experiments using naturally contaminated groundwater (containing ca. 6 mg/L As) and natural organic matter (NOM) particles both collected from wetland soil. Macroscopic realgar precipitates, occasionally accompanied by bonazziite, a FeS phase, elementary S, calcite, and whewellite, appeared after 4 to 18 months. Realgar only precipitated in microcosms moderately poisoned by azide or antibiotics and those in which oxidation of hydrogen sulfide to sulfur took place. The biomineralization process was not affected by the presence of additional carbon sources or the diversity, community structure, and functional composition of the microbial community. Hydrogen sulfide concentration was greater in the realgar-free microcosms, suggesting that arsenic thiolation prevented precipitation of realgar. We compared our data to available microbial community data from soils with different rates of realgar precipitation, and found that the communities from realgar-encrusted NOM particles usually showed limited sulfate reduction and the presence of fermentative metabolisms, whereas communities from realgar-free NOM particles were strongly dominated by sulfate reducers. We argue that the limited sulfate supply and intensive fermentation amplify reducing conditions, which make arsenic sulfide precipitation plausible in high-sulfate, low-arsenic groundwaters.
- MeSH
- arsenikové přípravky analýza MeSH
- biomineralizace * MeSH
- chemické látky znečišťující vodu analýza MeSH
- huminové látky analýza MeSH
- mikrobiota * MeSH
- mokřady MeSH
- oxidace-redukce MeSH
- podzemní voda chemie mikrobiologie MeSH
- půda chemie MeSH
- sírany chemie MeSH
- sulfidy analýza MeSH
- teoretické modely MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
Microbes transported by glacial meltwater streams are thought to be a product of passive dispersal from both supra- and subglacial sources, though studies investigating the origins of these assemblages are scarce. Here, we conducted a survey within a large catchment containing multiple glaciers on Qeqertarsuaq (Disko Island), west Greenland, to investigate whether meltwater-exported microbial assemblages in suspended sediments differ between glacial meltwater streams, and if they reflect corresponding bulk subglacial and extraglacial sediment communities. Using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, we found proglacial stream assemblages substantially differ from one another, despite their close spatial proximity. Furthermore, proglacial stream assemblages were composed of greater proportions of Cyanobacteria compared to bulk subglacial sediment communities, dominated by Betaproteobacteria, demonstrating large contributions of meltwater and microbial cells from supraglacial habitats. Corresponding physico-chemical characteristics of meltwater suggest that streams draining smaller glaciers had more equal contributions of both supra- and subglacial inputs compared with the main catchment outlet, aligning with observed changes in assemblage structure, such as the decreased proportion of Cyanobacteria. These results suggest that glacier size and hydrological drainage systems may influence the structure of exported microbial assemblages, and collectively provide insights into their formation and fate in thiscurrent age of deglaciation.
- MeSH
- Betaproteobacteria klasifikace genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- biodiverzita MeSH
- DNA bakterií genetika MeSH
- ekosystém MeSH
- geologické sedimenty mikrobiologie MeSH
- hydrologie MeSH
- ledový příkrov mikrobiologie MeSH
- ostrovy MeSH
- řeky mikrobiologie MeSH
- RNA ribozomální 16S genetika MeSH
- sekvence nukleotidů MeSH
- sekvenční analýza DNA MeSH
- sinice klasifikace genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Grónsko MeSH
- ostrovy MeSH
Deep sequencing of prokaryotic 16S rDNA regularly reveals thousands of microbial species thriving in many common habitats. It is still unknown how this huge microbial diversity, including many potentially competing organisms, may persist at a single site. One of plausible hypotheses is that a large number of spatially separated microcommunities exist within each complex habitat. Smaller subset of the species may exist in each microcommunity and actually interact with each other. We sampled two groups of microbial stalactites growing at a single acidic mine drainage outlet as a model of multiplicated, low-complexity microhabitat. Samples from six other sites were added for comparison. Both tRFLP and 16S rDNA pyrosequencing showed that microbial communities containing 6 to 51 species-level operational taxonomic units (OTU) inhabited all stalactites. Interestingly, most OTUs including the highly abundant ones unpredictably alternated regardless of physical and environmental distance of the stalactites. As a result, the communities clustered independently on sample site and other variables when using both phylogenetic dissimilarity and OTU abundance metrics. Interestingly, artificial communities generated by pooling the biota of several adjacent stalactites together clustered by the locality more strongly than when the stalactites were analyzed separately. The most probable interpretation is that each stalactite contains likely random selection from the pool of plausible species. Such degree of stochasticity in assembly of extremophilic microbial communities is significantly greater than commonly proposed and requires caution when interpreting microbial diversity.
- MeSH
- Bacteria klasifikace izolace a purifikace metabolismus MeSH
- biodiverzita MeSH
- biofilmy MeSH
- DNA bakterií genetika MeSH
- druhová specificita MeSH
- fylogeneze * MeSH
- hornictví * MeSH
- kyseliny chemie MeSH
- mikrobiologie vody * MeSH
- RNA ribozomální 16S genetika MeSH
- sekvenční analýza DNA MeSH
- shluková analýza MeSH
- voda chemie MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
Critical factors leading to arsenic release and attenuation from the shallow subsurface were studied with multidisciplinary approach in the natural gold-arsenic geochemical anomaly at Mokrsko (Czech Republic). The results show that microbial reduction promotes arsenic release from Fe(III) (hydr)oxides and Fe(III) arsenates, thereby enhancing dissolved arsenic in the shallow groundwater at average concentration of 7.76 mg/L. In the organic-rich aggregates and wood particles, however, microbial sulfate reduction triggers the formation of realgar deposits, leading to accumulation of As in the distinct organic-rich patches of the shallow subsurface. We conclude that precipitation of realgar in the shallow subsurface of soil/sediment depends on specific and non-trivial combination of water and rock chemistry, microbial community composition and spatial organisation of the subsurface zone, where speciation in saturated environments varied on a centimeter scale from reduced (decomposed wood, H2S and realgar present) to oxidized (goethite and arsenate minerals are present).
- MeSH
- arsen analýza metabolismus MeSH
- chemické látky znečišťující vodu analýza metabolismus MeSH
- mikrobiologie vody * MeSH
- podzemní voda chemie mikrobiologie MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Česká republika MeSH
The archamoebae form a small clade of anaerobic/microaerophilic flagellates or amoebae, comprising the pelobionts (mastigamoebids and pelomyxids) and the entamoebae. It is a member of the eukaryotic supergroup Amoebozoa. We examined 22 strains of 13 species of Mastigamoeba, Pelomyxa and Rhizomastix by light-microscopy and determined their SSU rRNA gene sequences. The SSU rRNA gene sequences of Pelomyxa palustris and Mastigella commutans in GenBank are shown to belong to P. stagnalis and Mastigamoeba punctachora, respectively. Five new species of free-living archamoebae are described: Mastigamoeba abducta, M. errans, M. guttula, M. lenta, and Rhizomastix libera spp. nov. A species of Mastigamoeba possibly living endosymbiotically in Pelomyxa was identified. Rhizomastix libera, the first known free-living member of that genus, is shown to be an archamoeba. R. libera possesses an ultrastructure unique within archamoebae: a rhizostyle formed from a modified microtubular cone and a flagellum with vanes. While many nominal species of pelobionts are extremely hard to distinguish by light microscopy, transient pseudopodial characters are worthy of further investigation as taxonomic markers.
- MeSH
- Archamoebae klasifikace genetika ultrastruktura MeSH
- druhová specificita MeSH
- Endolimax klasifikace genetika ultrastruktura MeSH
- Entamoeba klasifikace genetika ultrastruktura MeSH
- fylogeneze MeSH
- geny rRNA MeSH
- mikroskopie MeSH
- molekulární evoluce * MeSH
- protozoální DNA analýza MeSH
- sekvenční analýza DNA MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
A wide variety of microhabitats within the extremely acidic abandoned underground copper mine Zlaté Hory (Czech Republic) was investigated. SSU rDNA libraries were analyzed from 15 samples representing gossan, sulfide-leaching environments in the oxidation zone, and acidic water springs in the mine galleries. Microbial analyses were extended by analyses of chemical composition of water and solid phases and identification of arising secondary minerals. The microbial communities of the three main classes of microenvironments differed in almost every aspect. Among others, ecological partitioning of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and the recently described A. ferrivorans was observed. Distinct types of communities inhabiting the water springs were detected. The more extreme springs (pH <3, conductivity >2 mS/cm) were inhabited by "Ferrovum" spp. and A. ferrivorans, whereas Gallionella sp. dominated the less extreme ones. A new role for gossan in the extremely acidic ecosystem is proposed. This zone was inhabited by a large diversity of neutrophilic heterotrophs that appeared to be continuously washed out to the acidic environments localized downstream. Five species originating in gossan were found in several acidic habitats. Here they can survive and probably serve as scavengers of dead biomass, particularly from chemoautotrophic growths. No such process has been described from acidic mine environments so far.
- MeSH
- Acidithiobacillus genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- Bacteria genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- bakteriální geny MeSH
- biodiverzita MeSH
- ekosystém * MeSH
- fylogeneze MeSH
- Gallionellaceae genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- geny rRNA MeSH
- geologické sedimenty chemie mikrobiologie MeSH
- hornictví MeSH
- koncentrace vodíkových iontů MeSH
- minerály MeSH
- sulfidy MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Česká republika MeSH
BACKGROUND: White-nose syndrome is a disease of hibernating insectivorous bats associated with the fungus Geomyces destructans. It first appeared in North America in 2006, where over a million bats died since then. In Europe, G. destructans was first identified in France in 2009. Its distribution, infection dynamics, and effects on hibernating bats in Europe are largely unknown. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We screened hibernacula in the Czech Republic and Slovakia for the presence of the fungus during the winter seasons of 2008/2009 and 2009/2010. In winter 2009/2010, we found infected bats in 76 out of 98 surveyed sites, in which the majority had been previously negative. A photographic record of over 6000 hibernating bats, taken since 1994, revealed bats with fungal growths since 1995; however, the incidence of such bats increased in Myotis myotis from 2% in 2007 to 14% by 2010. Microscopic, cultivation and molecular genetic evaluations confirmed the identity of the recently sampled fungus as G. destructans, and demonstrated its continuous distribution in the studied area. At the end of the hibernation season we recorded pathologic changes in the skin of the affected bats, from which the fungus was isolated. We registered no mass mortality caused by the fungus, and the recorded population decline in the last two years of the most affected species, M. myotis, is within the population trend prediction interval. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: G. destructans was found to be widespread in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, with an epizootic incidence in bats during the most recent years. Further development of the situation urgently requires a detailed pan-European monitoring scheme.
- MeSH
- Ascomycota klasifikace genetika fyziologie MeSH
- Chiroptera klasifikace mikrobiologie MeSH
- dermatomykózy epidemiologie mikrobiologie MeSH
- DNA fungální chemie genetika MeSH
- druhová specificita MeSH
- hibernace MeSH
- incidence MeSH
- interakce hostitele a patogenu MeSH
- molekulární sekvence - údaje MeSH
- ribozomální DNA chemie genetika MeSH
- roční období MeSH
- sekvenční analýza DNA MeSH
- zeměpis MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Česká republika MeSH
- Slovenská republika MeSH
112 s. : il. ; 21 cm
- MeSH
- biologické jevy MeSH
- biologie MeSH
- ekosystém MeSH
- fyziologie buňky MeSH
- Publikační typ
- příručky MeSH
- Konspekt
- Biologické vědy
- NLK Obory
- biologie
- biochemie
- fyziologie
