Genomics-based identification of a cold adapted clade in Deinococcus.

BACKGROUND: Microbes in the cold polar and alpine environments play a critical role in feedbacks that amplify the effects of climate change. Defining the cold adapted ecotype is one of the prerequisites for understanding the response of polar and alpine microbes to climate change. RESULTS: Here, we analysed 85 high-quality, de-duplicated genomes of Deinococcus, which can survive in a variety of harsh environments. By leveraging genomic and phenotypic traits with reverse ecology, we defined a cold adapted clade from eight Deinococcus strains isolated from Arctic, Antarctic and high alpine environments. Genome-wide optimization in amino acid composition and regulation and signalling enable the cold adapted clade to produce CO2 from organic matter and boost the bioavailability of mineral nitrogen. CONCLUSIONS: Based primarily on in silico genomic analysis, we defined a potential cold adapted clade in Deinococcus and provided an updated view of the genomic traits and metabolic potential of Deinococcus. Our study would facilitate the understanding of microbial processes in the cold polar and alpine environments.

First report on the bacterial community composition, diversity, and functions in Ramsar site of Central Himalayas, Nepal.

Wetland bacterial communities are highly sensitive to altered hydrology and the associated change in water physicochemical and biological properties leading to shifts in community composition and diversity, hence affecting the ecological roles. However, relevant studies are lacking in the wetlands of central Himalayas Nepal. Thus, we aimed to explore the variation of bacterial communities, diversity, and ecologic functions in the wet and dry periods of a wetland (designed as Ramsar site, Ramsar no 2257) by using 16S rRNA gene-based Illumina MiSeq sequencing. We reported a pronounced variation in water physicochemical and biological properties (temperature, pH, Chla, DOC, and TN), bacterial diversity, and community composition. Bacterial communities in the dry season harbored significantly higher alpha diversity, while significantly higher richness and abundance were reflected in the wet season. Our results uncovered the effect of nutrients on bacterial abundance, richness, and community composition. Fourteen percent of the total OTUs were shared in two hydrological periods, and the largest portion of unique OTUs (58%) was observed in the dry season. Planctomycetes and Bacteroidetes dominated the wet season exclusive OTUs; meanwhile, Actinobacteria dominated the dry season exclusive OTUs. Bacteria in these wetlands exhibited divergent ecological functions during the dry and wet seasons. By disclosing the variation of water bacterial communities in different hydrologic periods and their relationship with environmental factors, this first-hand work in the Ramsar site of Nepal will develop a baseline dataset for the scientific community that will assist in understanding the wetland's microbial ecology and biogeography.

Screening and Optimization of Newly Isolated Thermotolerant Lysinibacillus fusiformis Strain SK for Protease and Antifungal Activity.

The current study was designed to isolate, identify and characterize a Bacillus sp. capable of producing protease and exhibiting antifungal activity. A highly potent bacterium capable of producing protease abundantly was isolated from the soil collected from the waste pit near Microbiology Laboratory of Birendra Multiple Campus, Bharatpur and later on identified as Lysinibacillus fusiformis strain SK on the basis of morphological, physiological, biochemical and 16S rDNA gene sequencing techniques. The strain SK showed 98.36% similarity with L. fusiformis strain NBRC 15717. Using R-programming statistical analysis tool, the optimum incubation time for the highest average protease production (APP) (47.2 U/mL) was found to be 22 h at 50 °C and both incubation time and temperature showed a significant impact on the production of protease (P < 0.01). The maximum average relative protease activity (ARPA) was observed at pH 7.8 and 48 °C, whereas the least ARPA was observed in the presence of 80 g/L NaCl and 10 g/L HgCl2 (P < 0.01). The newly isolated bacterial strain also exhibited strong antifungal activity against aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus suggesting that it can be a potential candidate for protease production and activity over a wider range of temperature and pH as well as for synthesizing effective antifungal compounds.

Genomic Insights of Dyadobacter tibetensis Y620-1 Isolated from Ice Core Reveal Genomic Features for Succession in Glacier Environment.

Glaciers have been recognized as biomes, dominated by microbial life. Many novel species have been isolated from glacier ecosystems, and their physiological features are well characterized. However, genomic features of bacteria isolated from the deep ice core are poorly understood. In this study, we performed a comparative genomic analysis to uncover the genomic features of strain Dyadobacter tibetensis Y620-1 isolated from a 59 m depth of the ice core drilled from a Tibetan Plateau glacier. Strain D. tibetensis Y620-1 had the smallest genome among the 12 cultured Dyadobacter strains, relatively low GC content, and was placed at the root position of the phylogenomic tree. The gene family based on a nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) plot revealed a clear separation of strain D. tibetensis Y620-1 from the reference strains. The genome of the deep ice core isolated strain contained the highest percentage of new genes. The definitive difference is that all genes required for the serine-glyoxylate cycle in one-carbon metabolism were only found in strain D. tibetensis Y620-1, but not in any of the reference strains. The placement of strain D. tibetensis Y620-1 in the root of the phylogenomic tree suggests that these new genes and functions are of ancient origin. All of these genomic features may contribute to the survival of D. tibetensis Y620-1 in the glacier.