Genomic analysis of the class Phycisphaerae reveals a versatile group of complex carbon-degrading bacteria.

Bacteria of the phylum Planctomycetota have received much attention over the years due to their unique cell biology and potential for biotechnological application. Within the phylum, bacteria of the class Phycisphaerae have been found in a multitude of environmental datasets. However, only a few species have been brought into culture so far and even enrichments are scarce.

Gene-centered metagenome analysis of Vulcano Island soil (Aeolian archipelago, Italy) reveals diverse microbial key players in methane, hydrogen and sulfur cycles.

The Aeolian archipelago is known worldwide for its volcanic activity and hydrothermal emissions, of mainly carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide are minor components of these emissions which together can feed large quantities of bacteria and archaea that do contribute to the removal of these notorious greenhouse gases. Here we analyzed the metagenome of samples taken from the Levante bay on Vulcano Island, Italy.

Microbiota of pest insect Nezara viridula mediate detoxification and plant defense repression.

The Southern green shield bug, Nezara viridula, is an invasive piercing and sucking pest insect that feeds on crop plants and poses a threat to global food production. Given that insects are known to live in a close relationship with microorganisms, our study provides insights into the community composition and function of the N. viridula-associated microbiota and its effect on host-plant interactions.

Active coexistence of the novel gammaproteobacterial methanotroph 'Ca. Methylocalor cossyra' CH1 and verrucomicrobial methanotrophs in acidic, hot geothermal soil.

Terrestrial geothermal ecosystems are hostile habitats, characterized by large emissions of environmentally relevant gases such as CO , CH , H S and H . These conditions provide a niche for chemolithoautotrophic microorganisms. Methanotrophs of the phylum Verrucomicrobia, which inhabit these ecosystems, can utilize these gases and grow at pH levels below 1 and temperatures up to 65°C.

Simultaneous sulfide and methane oxidation by an extremophile.

Hydrogen sulfide (HS) and methane (CH) are produced in anoxic environments through sulfate reduction and organic matter decomposition. Both gases diffuse upwards into oxic zones where aerobic methanotrophs mitigate CH emissions by oxidizing this potent greenhouse gas. Although methanotrophs in myriad environments encounter toxic HS, it is virtually unknown how they are affected.

" Hydrogenisulfobacillus filiaventi" strain R50 gen. nov. sp. nov., a highly efficient producer of extracellular organic compounds from H and CO.

Production of organic molecules is largely depending on fossil fuels. A sustainable alternative would be the synthesis of these compounds from CO and a cheap energy source, such as H, CH, NH, CO, sulfur compounds or iron(II). Volcanic and geothermal areas are rich in CO and reduced inorganic gasses and therefore habitats where novel chemolithoautotrophic microorganisms for the synthesis of organic compounds could be discovered.

Complete Genome Sequence of 347, Isolated from the Black Sea.

Here, we present the complete genome sequence of Nitrospina watsonii 347, a nitrite-oxidizing bacterium isolated from the Black Sea at a depth of 100 m. The genome has a length of 3,011,914 bp with 2,895 predicted coding sequences. Its predicted metabolism is similar to that of Nitrospina gracilis with differences in defense against reactive oxygen species.

Meta-omics profiling of full-scale groundwater rapid sand filters explains stratification of iron, ammonium and manganese removals.

Rapid sand filters (RSF) are an established and widely applied technology for groundwater treatment. Yet, the underlying interwoven biological and physical-chemical reactions controlling the sequential removal of iron, ammonia and manganese remain poorly understood. To resolve the contribution and interactions between the individual reactions, we studied two full-scale drinking water treatment plant configurations, namely (i) one dual-media (anthracite and quartz sand) filter and (ii) two single-media (quartz sand) filters in series.

Ammonia oxidation by novel " Nitrosacidococcus urinae" is sensitive to process disturbances at low pH and to iron limitation at neutral pH.

Acid-tolerant ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) can open the door to new applications, such as partial nitritation at low pH. However, they can also be problematic because chemical nitrite oxidation occurs at low pH, leading to the release of harmful nitrogen oxide gases. In this publication, the role of acid-tolerant AOB in urine treatment was explored.

Insect Gut Isolate Pseudomonas sp. Strain Nvir Degrades the Toxic Plant Metabolite Nitropropionic Acid.

Nitropropionic acid (NPA) is a widely distributed naturally occurring nitroaliphatic toxin produced by leguminous plants and fungi. The Southern green shield bug feeds on leguminous plants and shows no symptoms of intoxication. Likewise, its gut-associated microorganisms are subjected to high levels of this toxic compound.

Microbial paracetamol degradation involves a high diversity of novel amidase enzyme candidates.

Pharmaceuticals are relatively new to nature and often not completely removed in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Consequently, these micropollutants end up in water bodies all around the world posing a great environmental risk. One exception to this recalcitrant conversion is paracetamol, whose full degradation has been linked to several microorganisms.

Metagenome Assembled Genome of a Novel Verrucomicrobial Methanotroph From Pantelleria Island.

Verrucomicrobial methanotrophs are a group of aerobic bacteria isolated from volcanic environments. They are acidophiles, characterized by the presence of a particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO) and a XoxF-type methanol dehydrogenase (MDH). Metagenomic analysis of DNA extracted from the soil of Favara Grande, a geothermal area on Pantelleria Island, Italy, revealed the presence of two verrucomicrobial Metagenome Assembled Genomes (MAGs).

Draft genome of a novel methanotrophic Methylobacter sp. from the volcanic soils of Pantelleria Island.

The genus Methylobacter is considered an important and often dominant group of aerobic methane-oxidizing bacteria in many oxic ecosystems, where members of this genus contribute to the reduction of CH emissions. Metagenomic studies of the upper oxic layers of geothermal soils of the Favara Grande, Pantelleria, Italy, revealed the presence of various methane-oxidizing bacteria, and resulted in a near complete metagenome assembled genome (MAG) of an aerobic methanotroph, which was classified as a Methylobacter species. In this study, the Methylobacter sp.

More Than a Methanotroph: A Broader Substrate Spectrum for SolV.

Volcanic areas emit a number of gases including methane and other short chain alkanes, that may serve as energy source for the prevailing microorganisms. The verrucomicrobial methanotroph SolV was isolated from a volcanic mud pot, and is able to grow under thermoacidophilic conditions on different gaseous substrates. Its genome contains three operons encoding a particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO), the enzyme that converts methane to methanol.

Ammonia oxidation at pH 2.5 by a new gammaproteobacterial ammonia-oxidizing bacterium.

Ammonia oxidation was considered impossible under highly acidic conditions, as the protonation of ammonia leads to decreased substrate availability and formation of toxic nitrogenous compounds. Recently, some studies described archaeal and bacterial ammonia oxidizers growing at pH as low as 4, while environmental studies observed nitrification at even lower pH values. In this work, we report on the discovery, cultivation, and physiological, genomic, and transcriptomic characterization of a novel gammaproteobacterial ammonia-oxidizing bacterium enriched via continuous bioreactor cultivation from an acidic air biofilter that was able to grow and oxidize ammonia at pH 2.

Draft Genome Sequence of a Novel Methylobacterium brachiatum Strain Isolated from Human Skin.

MBRA is an aerobic alphaproteobacterium isolated from the human skin on methanol-containing minimal medium. The genome was sequenced using Illumina and Nanopore technology, and the genome was assembled using Unicycler. MBRA possesses two genes, one gene pair, and , and a complete serine pathway.

Geothermal Gases Shape the Microbial Community of the Volcanic Soil of Pantelleria, Italy.

Volcanic and geothermal environments are characterized by low pH, high temperatures, and gas emissions consisting of mainly CO and varied CH, HS, and H contents which allow the formation of chemolithoautotrophic microbial communities. To determine the link between the emitted gases and the microbial community composition, geochemical and metagenomic analysis were performed. Soil samples of the geothermic region Favara Grande (Pantelleria, Italy) were taken at various depths (1 to 50 cm).

Nutrient Limitation Causes Differential Expression of Transport- and Metabolism Genes in the Compartmentalized Anammox Bacterium .

Anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing (anammox) bacteria, members of the " Brocadiaceae" family, play an important role in the nitrogen cycle and are estimated to be responsible for about half of the oceanic nitrogen loss to the atmosphere. Anammox bacteria combine ammonium with nitrite and produce dinitrogen gas via the intermediates nitric oxide and hydrazine (anammox reaction) while nitrate is formed as a by-product. These reactions take place in a specialized, membrane-enclosed compartment called the anammoxosome.

Metagenomic profiling of ammonia- and methane-oxidizing microorganisms in two sequential rapid sand filters.

Elevated concentrations of ammonium and methane in groundwater are often associated with microbiological, chemical and sanitary problems during drinking water production and distribution. To avoid their accumulation, raw water in the Netherlands and many other countries is purified by sand filtration. These drinking water filtration systems select for microbial communities that mediate the biodegradation of organic and inorganic compounds.

Diversity, enrichment, and genomic potential of anaerobic methane- and ammonium-oxidizing microorganisms from a brewery wastewater treatment plant.

Anaerobic wastewater treatment offers several advantages; however, the effluent of anaerobic digesters still contains high levels of ammonium and dissolved methane that need to be removed before these effluents can be discharged to surface waters. The simultaneous anaerobic removal of methane and ammonium by denitrifying (N-damo) methanotrophs in combination with anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing (anammox) bacteria could be a potential solution to this challenge. After a molecular survey of a wastewater plant treating brewery effluent, indicating the presence of both N-damo and anammox bacteria, we started an anaerobic bioreactor with a continuous supply of methane, ammonium, and nitrite to enrich these anaerobic microorganisms.

Diversity of isoprene-degrading bacteria in phyllosphere and soil communities from a high isoprene-emitting environment: a Malaysian oil palm plantation.

Background: Isoprene is the most abundantly produced biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) on Earth, with annual global emissions almost equal to those of methane. Despite its importance in atmospheric chemistry and climate, little is known about the biological degradation of isoprene in the environment. The largest source of isoprene is terrestrial plants, and oil palms, the cultivation of which is expanding rapidly, are among the highest isoprene-producing trees.