North-Seeking Magnetotactic Gammaproteobacteria in the Southern Hemisphere.

UNLABELLED: Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) comprise a phylogenetically diverse group of prokaryotes capable of orienting and navigating along magnetic field lines. Under oxic conditions, MTB in natural environments in the Northern Hemisphere generally display north-seeking (NS) polarity, swimming parallel to the Earth's magnetic field lines, while those in the Southern Hemisphere generally swim antiparallel to magnetic field lines (south-seeking [SS] polarity). Here, we report a population of an uncultured, monotrichously flagellated, and vibrioid MTB collected from a brackish lagoon in Brazil in the Southern Hemisphere that consistently exhibits NS polarity. Cells of this organism were mainly located below the oxic-anoxic interface (OAI), suggesting it is capable of some type of anaerobic metabolism. Magnetosome crystalline habit and composition were consistent with elongated prismatic magnetite (Fe3O4) particles. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated that this organism belongs to a distinct clade of the Gammaproteobacteria class. The presence of NS MTB in the Southern Hemisphere and the previously reported finding of SS MTB in the Northern Hemisphere reinforce the idea that magnetotaxis is more complex than we currently understand and may be modulated by factors other than O2 concentration and redox gradients in sediments and water columns. IMPORTANCE: Magnetotaxis is a navigational mechanism used by magnetotactic bacteria to move along geomagnetic field lines and find an optimal position in chemically stratified sediments. For that, magnetotactic bacteria swim parallel to the geomagnetic field lines under oxic conditions in the Northern Hemisphere, whereas those in the Southern Hemisphere swim antiparallel to magnetic field lines. A population of uncultured vibrioid magnetotactic bacteria was discovered in a brackish lagoon in the Southern Hemisphere that consistently swim northward, i.e., the opposite of the overwhelming majority of other Southern Hemisphere magnetotactic bacteria. This finding supports the idea that magnetotaxis is more complex than previously thought.

Plant and bird presence strongly influences the microbial communities in soils of Admiralty Bay, Maritime Antarctica.

Understanding the environmental factors that shape microbial communities is crucial, especially in extreme environments, like Antarctica. Two main forces were reported to influence Antarctic soil microbes: birds and plants. Both birds and plants are currently undergoing relatively large changes in their distribution and abundance due to global warming. However, we need to clearly understand the relationship between plants, birds and soil microorganisms. We therefore collected rhizosphere and bulk soils from six different sampling sites subjected to different levels of bird influence and colonized by Colobanthus quitensis and Deschampsia antarctica in Admiralty Bay, King George Island, Maritime Antarctic. Microarray and qPCR assays targeting 16S rRNA genes of specific taxa were used to assess microbial community structure, composition and abundance and analyzed with a range of soil physico-chemical parameters. The results indicated significant rhizosphere effects in four out of the six sites, including areas with different levels of bird influence. Acidobacteria were significantly more abundant in soils with little bird influence (low nitrogen) and in bulk soil. In contrast, Actinobacteria were significantly more abundant in the rhizosphere of both plant species. At two of the sampling sites under strong bird influence (penguin colonies), Firmicutes were significantly more abundant in D. antarctica rhizosphere but not in C. quitensis rhizosphere. The Firmicutes were also positively and significantly correlated to the nitrogen concentrations in the soil. We conclude that the microbial communities in Antarctic soils are driven both by bird and plants, and that the effect is taxa-specific.

The diversity, extracellular enzymatic activities and photoprotective compounds of yeasts isolated in Antarctica

The diversity of yeasts collected from different sites in Antarctica (Admiralty Bay, King George Island and Port Foster Bay and Deception Island) and their ability to produce extracellular enzymes and mycosporines were studied. Samples were collected during the austral summer season, between November 2006 and January 2007, from the rhizosphere of Deschampsia antarctica, ornithogenic (penguin guano) soil, soil, marine and lake sediments, marine water and freshwater from lakes. A total of 89 isolates belonging to the following genera were recovered: Bensingtonia, Candida, Cryptococcus, Debaryomyces, Dioszegia, Exophiala, Filobasidium, Issatchenkia (Pichia), Kodamaea, Leucosporidium, Leucosporidiella, Metschnikowia, Nadsonia, Pichia, Rhodotorula, and Sporidiobolus, and the yeast-like fungi Aureobasidium, Leuconeurospora and Microglossum. Cryptococcus victoriae was the most frequently identified species. Several species isolated in our study have been previously reported to be Antarctic psychophilic yeasts, including Cr. antarcticus, Cr. victoriae, Dioszegia hungarica and Leucosporidium scottii. The cosmopolitan yeast species A. pullulans, C. zeylanoides, D. hansenii, I. orientalis, K. ohmeri, P. guilliermondii, Rh. mucilaginosa, and S. salmonicolor were also isolated. Five possible new species were identified. Sixty percent of the yeasts had at least one detectable extracellular enzymatic activity. Cryptococcus antarcticus, D. aurantiaca, D. crocea, D. hungarica, Dioszegia sp., E. xenobiotica, Rh. glaciales, Rh. laryngis, Microglossum sp. 1 and Microglossum sp. 2 produced mycosporines. Of the yeast isolates, 41.7 percent produced pigments and/or mycosporines and could be considered adapted to survive in Antarctica. Most of the yeasts had extracellular enzymatic activities at 4ºC and 20ºC, indicating that they could be metabolically active in the sampled substrates.

The diversity, extracellular enzymatic activities and photoprotective compounds of yeasts isolated in Antarctica.

The diversity of yeasts collected from different sites in Antarctica (Admiralty Bay, King George Island and Port Foster Bay and Deception Island) and their ability to produce extracellular enzymes and mycosporines were studied. Samples were collected during the austral summer season, between November 2006 and January 2007, from the rhizosphere of Deschampsia antarctica, ornithogenic (penguin guano) soil, soil, marine and lake sediments, marine water and freshwater from lakes. A total of 89 isolates belonging to the following genera were recovered: Bensingtonia, Candida, Cryptococcus, Debaryomyces, Dioszegia, Exophiala, Filobasidium, Issatchenkia (Pichia), Kodamaea, Leucosporidium, Leucosporidiella, Metschnikowia, Nadsonia, Pichia, Rhodotorula, and Sporidiobolus, and the yeast-like fungi Aureobasidium, Leuconeurospora and Microglossum. Cryptococcus victoriae was the most frequently identified species. Several species isolated in our study have been previously reported to be Antarctic psychophilic yeasts, including Cr. antarcticus, Cr. victoriae, Dioszegia hungarica and Leucosporidium scottii. The cosmopolitan yeast species A. pullulans, C. zeylanoides, D. hansenii, I. orientalis, K. ohmeri, P. guilliermondii, Rh. mucilaginosa, and S. salmonicolor were also isolated. Five possible new species were identified. Sixty percent of the yeasts had at least one detectable extracellular enzymatic activity. Cryptococcus antarcticus, D. aurantiaca, D. crocea, D. hungarica, Dioszegia sp., E. xenobiotica, Rh. glaciales, Rh. laryngis, Microglossum sp. 1 and Microglossum sp. 2 produced mycosporines. Of the yeast isolates, 41.7% produced pigments and/or mycosporines and could be considered adapted to survive in Antarctica. Most of the yeasts had extracellular enzymatic activities at 4°C and 20°C, indicating that they could be metabolically active in the sampled substrates.

Bacterial diversity in rhizosphere soil from Antarctic vascular plants of Admiralty Bay, maritime Antarctica.

The Antarctic is a pristine environment that contributes to the maintenance of the global climate equilibrium. The harsh conditions of this habitat are fundamental to selecting those organisms able to survive in such an extreme habitat and able to support the relatively simple ecosystems. The DNA of the microbial community associated with the rhizospheres of Deschampsia antarctica Desv (Poaceae) and Colobanthus quitensis (Kunth) BartI (Caryophyllaceae), the only two native vascular plants that are found in Antarctic ecosystems, was evaluated using a 16S rRNA multiplex 454 pyrosequencing approach. This analysis revealed similar patterns of bacterial diversity between the two plant species from different locations, arguing against the hypothesis that there would be differences between the rhizosphere communities of different plants. Furthermore, the phylum distribution presented a peculiar pattern, with a bacterial community structure different from those reported of many other soils. Firmicutes was the most abundant phylum in almost all the analyzed samples, and there were high levels of anaerobic representatives. Also, some phyla that are dominant in most temperate and tropical soils, such as Acidobacteria, were rarely found in the analyzed samples. Analyzing all the sample libraries together, the predominant genera found were Bifidobacterium (phylum Actinobacteria), Arcobacter (phylum Proteobacteria) and Faecalibacterium (phylum Firmicutes). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first major bacterial sequencing effort of this kind of soil, and it revealed more than expected diversity within these rhizospheres of both maritime Antarctica vascular plants in Admiralty Bay, King George Island, which is part of the South Shetlands archipelago.

Metschnikowia cerradonensis sp. nov., a yeast species isolated from ephemeral flowers and their nitidulid beetles in Brazil.

A novel yeast species, Metschnikowia cerradonensis sp. nov., is described from 12 strains isolated from flowers of Ipomoea carnea and from beetles of the genus Conotelus in the Cerrado ecosystem in the region of Jalapão, Tocantins State, Brazil. Analysis of the sequences of the rRNA gene cluster suggested that M. cerradonensis is closely related to Metschnikowia santaceciliae, Metschnikowia continentalis and an undescribed species represented by strain UWOPS 00-154.1. These species mate together but ascospores are very rarely formed, showing that they represent distinct biological species. M. cerradonensis is apparently endemic to the Cerrado ecosystem of the Jalapão area. The type strain of M. cerradonensis is UFMG 03-T67.1(T) (h(+)) (=CBS 10409(T)=NRRL Y-48067(T)) and the designated allotype is UFMG 03-T68.1 (h(-)) (=CBS 10410=NRRL Y-48068).

Ogataea falcaomoraisii sp. nov., a sporogenous methylotrophic yeast from tree exudates.

Thirteen strains of a new ascospore-forming, methanol-assimilating yeast species were isolated from sap exudates of Sclerolobium sp. (carvoeiro) in two forest fragments in the state of Toncantins, Brazil, and from Hymenaea courbaril (guapinol, jatobá) in Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica. Analysis of the sequences of the D1/D2 large-subunit ribosomal DNA showed that the species belongs to the genus Ogataea (syn. Pichia), and it was described as Ogataea falcaomoraisii. The closest relatives are Candida ortonii and C. nemodendra. The type culture is UFMG-T264-1T (= CBS 9814T = NRRL Y-27756).