Microbial Consortiums of Putative Degraders of Low-Density Polyethylene-Associated Compounds in the Ocean.

Polyethylene (PE) is one of the most abundant plastics in the ocean. The development of a biofilm on PE in the ocean has been reported, yet whether some of the biofilm-forming organisms can biodegrade this plastic in the environment remains unknown. Via metagenomics analysis, we taxonomically and functionally analyzed three biofilm communities using low-density polyethylene (LDPE) as their sole carbon source for 2 years. Several of the taxa that increased in relative abundance over time were closely related to known degraders of alkane and other hydrocarbons. Alkane degradation has been proposed to be involved in PE degradation, and most of the organisms increasing in relative abundance over time harbored genes encoding proteins essential in alkane degradation, such as the genes alkB and CYP153, encoding an alkane monooxygenase and a cytochrome P450 alkane hydroxylase, respectively. Weight loss of PE sheets when incubated with these communities and chemical and electron microscopic analyses provided evidence for alteration of the PE surface over time. Taken together, these results provide evidence for the utilization of LDPE-associated compounds by the prokaryotic communities. This report identifies a group of genes potentially involved in the degradation of the LDPE polymeric structure and/or associated plastic additives in the ocean and describes a phylogenetically diverse community of plastic biofilm-dwelling microbes with the potential for utilizing LDPE-associated compounds as carbon and energy source. IMPORTANCE Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is one of the most used plastics worldwide, and a large portion of it ends up in the ocean. Very little is known about its fate in the ocean and whether it can be biodegraded by microorganisms. By combining 2-year incubations with metagenomics, respiration measurements, and LDPE surface analysis, we identified bacteria and associated genes and metabolic pathways potentially involved in LDPE biodegradation. After 2 years of incubation, two of the microbial communities exhibited very similar taxonomic compositions mediating changes to the LDPE pieces they were incubated with. We provide evidence that there are plastic-biofilm dwelling bacteria in the ocean that might have the potential to degrade LDPE-associated compounds and that alkane degradation pathways might be involved.

Polytypism in mcalpineite: a study of natural and synthetic Cu3TeO6.

Synthetic and naturally occurring forms of tricopper orthotellurate, CuII3TeVIO6 (the mineral mcalpineite) have been investigated by 3D electron diffraction (3D ED), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), Raman and infrared (IR) spectroscopic measurements. As a result of the diffraction analyses, CuII3TeVIO6 is shown to occur in two polytypes. The higher-symmetric CuII3TeVIO6-1C polytype is cubic, space group Ia3, with a = 9.537 (1) Šand V = 867.4 (3) Å3 as reported in previous studies. The 1C polytype is a well characterized structure consisting of alternating layers of CuIIO6 octahedra and both CuIIO6 and TeVIO6 octahedra in a patchwork arrangement. The structure of the lower-symmetric orthorhombic CuII3TeVIO6-2O polytype was determined for the first time in this study by 3D ED and verified by Rietveld refinement. The 2O polytype crystallizes in space group Pcca, with a = 9.745 (3) Å, b = 9.749 (2) Å, c = 9.771 (2) Šand V = 928.3 (4) Å3. High-precision XRPD data were also collected on CuII3TeVIO6-2O to verify the lower-symmetric structure by performing a Rietveld refinement. The resultant structure is identical to that determined by 3D ED, with unit-cell parameters a = 9.56157 (19) Å, b = 9.55853 (11) Å, c = 9.62891 (15) Šand V = 880.03 (2) Å3. The lower symmetry of the 2O polytype is a consequence of a different cation ordering arrangement, which involves the movement of every second CuIIO6 and TeVIO6 octahedral layer by (1/4, 1/4, 0), leading to an offset of TeVIO6 and CuIIO6 octahedra in every second layer giving an ABAB* stacking arrangement. Syntheses of CuII3TeVIO6 showed that low-temperature (473 K) hydrothermal conditions generally produce the 2O polytype. XRPD measurements in combination with Raman spectroscopic analysis showed that most natural mcalpineite is the orthorhombic 2O polytype. Both XRPD and Raman spectroscopy measurements may be used to differentiate between the two polytypes of CuII3TeVIO6. In Raman spectroscopy, CuII3TeVIO6-1C has a single strong band around 730 cm-1, whereas CuII3TeVIO6-2O shows a broad double maximum with bands centred around 692 and 742 cm-1.

Fossil microbial shark tooth decay documents in situ metabolism of enameloid proteins as nutrition source in deep water environments.

Alteration of organic remains during the transition from the bio- to lithosphere is affected strongly by biotic processes of microbes influencing the potential of dead matter to become fossilized or vanish ultimately. If fossilized, bones, cartilage, and tooth dentine often display traces of bioerosion caused by destructive microbes. The causal agents, however, usually remain ambiguous. Here we present a new type of tissue alteration in fossil deep-sea shark teeth with in situ preservation of the responsible organisms embedded in a delicate filmy substance identified as extrapolymeric matter. The invading microorganisms are arranged in nest- or chain-like patterns between fluorapatite bundles of the superficial enameloid. Chemical analysis of the bacteriomorph structures indicates replacement by a phyllosilicate, which enabled in situ preservation. Our results imply that bacteria invaded the hypermineralized tissue for harvesting intra-crystalline bound organic matter, which provided nutrient supply in a nutrient depleted deep-marine environment they inhabited. We document here for the first time in situ bacteria preservation in tooth enameloid, one of the hardest mineralized tissues developed by animals. This unambiguously verifies that microbes also colonize highly mineralized dental capping tissues with only minor organic content when nutrients are scarce as in deep-marine environments.

A Discrete Chloride Monohydrate: A Solid-State Structural and Spectroscopic Characterization.

The solid-state structure of a discrete chloride monohydrate species, [Cl(H2O)]-, is reported for the first time. It was isolated as a salt of the tris(dipropylamino)cyclopropenium cation and has been structurally characterized by X-ray and neutron diffraction. Infrared (IR), far-infrared, and Raman spectroscopic studies were also carried out. Additionally, the D2O and HDO isotopomers were investigated. Of the six fundamental vibrational modes, only the out-of-plane bend ν3 was not observed as it forms an IR- and Raman-inactive local mode phonon.

The crystal structure of the first synthetic copper(II) tellurite arsenate, CuII5(TeIVO3)2(AsVO4)2.

Crystals of the first synthetic copper tellurite arsenate, CuII5(TeIVO3)2(AsVO4)2 [systematic name pentacopper(II) bis-oxotellurate(IV) bis-oxoarsenate(V)], were grown by the chemical vapour transport method and structurally determined using single-crystal X-ray diffraction. CuII5(TeIVO3)2(AsVO4)2 possesses a novel structure type including a new topological arrangement of CuII and O atoms. CuII5(TeIVO3)2(AsVO4)2 is formed from a framework of two types of Jahn-Teller distorted [CuIIO6] octahedra (one of which is considerably elongated) and [CuIIO5] square pyramids, which are linked by edge-sharing to form chains and dimers and by corner-sharing to complete a three-dimensional framework. [AsVO4] tetrahedra and [TeIVO5] polyhedra bridge the edges of channels along the a-axis direction, with void space remaining for the TeIV stereoactive 5s2 lone pairs. A comparison is made between the crystal structure of CuII5(TeIVO3)2(AsVO4)2 and those of known compounds and minerals, in particular fumarolitic Cu minerals.

First crystal structures of metal complexes with a 4-nitropyrazole-3-carboxylic acid ligand and the third crystal form of the ligand.

Pyrazole (pz)-derived ligands can, besides exhibiting a strong coordination ability toward different metal ions, exhibit a great diversity in their coordination geometry and nuclearity, which can be achieved by varying the type and position of the pz substituents. The present study reports the synthesis and crystal structure of two binuclear complexes, namely bis(µ-4-nitro-1H-imidazol-1-ide-5-carboxylato)-κ3N1,O:N2;κ3N2:N1,O-bis[aqua(dimethylformamide-κO)copper(II)], [Cu2(C4HN3O4)2(C3H7NO)2(H2O)2], (II), and bis(µ-4-nitro-1H-imidazol-1-ide-5-carboxylato)-κ2N1,O:N2;κ2N2:N1,O-bis[triaquacobalt(II)] dihydrate, [Co2(C4HN3O4)2(H2O)6]·2H2O, (III). These compounds represent rare examples of metal complexes comprising 3,4-substituted pz derivatives as a bridging ligand and also the first crystal structures of transition-metal complexes with ligands derived from 4-nitropyrazole-3-carboxylic acid. Recently, the crystal structures of the same ligand in the neutral and mixed neutral/anionic forms have been reported. We present here the third form of this ligand, where it is present in a fully deprotonated anionic form within a salt, i.e. ammonium 4-nitropyrazole-3-carboxylate, NH4+·C4H2N3O4-, (I). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction revealed that in the present complexes, the CuII and CoII centres adopt distorted square-pyramidal and octahedral geometries, respectively. In both cases, the N,N',O-coordinated pz ligand shows simultaneously chelating and bridging coordination modes, leading to the formation of a nearly planar six-membered M2N4 metallocycle. In all three crystal structures, the supramolecular arrangement is controlled by strong hydrogen bonds which primarily engage the carboxylate O atoms as acceptors, while the nitro group adopts the role of an acceptor only in structures with an increased number of donors, as is the case with CoII complex (III). The electrostatic potential, as a descriptor of reactivity, was also calculated in order to examine the changes in ligand electrostatic preferences upon coordination to metal ions.

Morphology and evolutionary significance of phosphatic otoliths within the inner ears of cartilaginous fishes (Chondrichthyes).

BACKGROUND: Chondrichthyans represent a monophyletic group of crown group gnathostomes and are central to our understanding of vertebrate evolution. Like all vertebrates, cartilaginous fishes evolved concretions of material within their inner ears to aid with equilibrium and balance detection. Up to now, these materials have been identified as calcium carbonate-bearing otoconia, which are small bio-crystals consisting of an inorganic mineral and a protein, or otoconial masses (aggregations of otoconia bound by an organic matrix), being significantly different in morphology compared to the singular, polycrystalline otolith structures of bony fishes, which are solidified bio-crystals forming stony masses. Reinvestigation of the morphological and chemical properties of these chondrichthyan otoconia revises our understanding of otolith composition and has implications on the evolution of these characters in both the gnathostome crown group, and cartilaginous fishes in particular. RESULTS: Dissections of Amblyraja radiata, Potamotrygon leopoldi, and Scyliorhinus canicula revealed three pairs of singular polycrystalline otolith structures with a well-defined morphology within their inner ears, as observed in bony fishes. IR spectroscopy identified the material to be composed of carbonate/collagen-bearing apatite in all taxa. These findings contradict previous hypotheses suggesting these otoconial structures were composed of calcium carbonate in chondrichthyans. A phylogenetic mapping using 37 chondrichthyan taxa further showed that the acquisition of phosphatic otolith structures might be widespread within cartilaginous fishes. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in the size and shape of otoliths between taxa indicate a taxonomic signal within elasmobranchs. Otoliths made of carbonate/collagen-bearing apatite are reported for the first time in chondrichthyans. The intrinsic pathways to form singular, polycrystalline otoliths may represent the plesiomorphic condition for vertebrates but needs further testing. Likewise, the phosphatic composition of otoliths in early vertebrates such as cyclostomes and elasmobranchs is probably closely related to the lack of bony tissue in these groups, supporting a close relationship between skeletal tissue mineralization patterns and chemical otolith composition, underlined by physiological constraints.

Structural, theoretical and spectroscopic studies of the dichloride hexahydrate cube [Cl2(H2O)6]2-.

The structure of the dichloride hexahydrate cube, [Cl(2)(H(2)O)(6)](2-), as a salt with the tris(diisopropylamino)cyclopropenium cation, [C(3)(N(i)Pr(2))(3)](+), has been determined by low-temperature X-ray and neutron-diffraction studies. H atoms not involved in O-H···Cl bonding are disordered over two 0.5 occupancy sites around the O(6) ring. Calculations of the dianionic cube in the gas phase show remarkably good agreement with the solid-state structures with the exception of short O-H bond distances around the O(6) ring that suggests the involvement of a dynamic process. The cluster was also characterised by single-crystal infrared spectroscopy, and vibrational wavenumbers were found to be in good agreement with hydrogen bonding distances. Dibromide and difluoride hexahydrates were also studied theoretically, and O···O distances were found to decrease in the order difluoride > dichloride > dibromide > (H(2)O)(6) and as O···O···O angles increased towards an almost planar ring in (H(2)O)(6). NMR spectra of a chloroform solution of the hydrated salt at -25 °C is consistent with cluster formation.