Applied and Environmental Science
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceGeneration of Comprehensive Ecosystem-Specific Reference Databases with Species-Level Resolution by High-Throughput Full-Length 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing and Automated Taxonomy Assignment (AutoTax)High-throughput 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing is an essential method for studying the diversity and dynamics of microbial communities. However, this method is presently hampered by the lack of high-identity reference sequences for many environmental microbes in the public 16S rRNA gene reference databases and by the absence of a systematic and comprehensive taxonomy for the uncultured majority. Here, we demonstrate how high-...
Research Article | Applied and Environmental SciencePrebiotics and Community Composition Influence Gas Production of the Human Gut MicrobiotaPrebiotic fermentation in the gut often leads to the coproduction of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and gases. While excess gas production can be a potential problem for those with functional gut disorders, gas production is rarely considered during prebiotic design. In this study, we combined the use of theoretical models and an ex vivo experimental platform to illustrate that both the chemical composition of the prebiotic...
Research Article | Applied and Environmental SciencePhase Transitions by an Abundant Protein in the Anammox Extracellular Matrix Mediate Cell-to-Cell Aggregation and Biofilm FormationBy employing biophysical and liquid-liquid phase separation concepts, this study revealed how a highly abundant extracellular protein enhances the key environmental and industrial bioprocess of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox). Extracellular proteins of environmental biofilms are understudied and poorly annotated in public databases. Understanding the function of extracellular proteins is also increasingly important for improving...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceHeterologous Expression of the Unusual Terreazepine Biosynthetic Gene Cluster Reveals a Promising Approach for Identifying New Chemical ScaffoldsHere, we provide evidence that Aspergillus terreus encodes a biosynthetic gene cluster containing a repurposed indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) dedicated to secondary metabolite synthesis. The discovery of this neofunctionalized IDO not only enabled discovery of a new compound with an unusual chemical scaffold but also provided insight into the numerous strategies...
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceMicrobial Communities across Global Marine Basins Show Important Compositional Similarities by DepthMarine microbial communities are a vital component of global carbon cycling, and numerous studies have shown that populations of petroleum-degrading bacteria are ubiquitous in the oceans. Few studies have attempted to distinguish all of the taxa that might contribute to petroleum biodegradation (including, e.g., heterotrophic and nondesignated microbes that respond positively to petroleum and microbes that grow on petroleum as the sole...
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceInteractive Regulation of Formate Dehydrogenase during CO2 Fixation in Gas-Fermenting BacteriaMicrobial CO2 fixation and conversion constitute a potential solution to both utilization of greenhouse gas or industrial waste gases and sustainable production of bulk chemicals and fuels. Autotrophic gas-fermenting bacteria play central roles in this bioprocess. This study provides new insights regarding the metabolic regulatory mechanisms underlying CO2 reduction in...
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceQuantifying the Transmission of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus in Cattle via a Contaminated EnvironmentEffective control of a disease relies on comprehensive understanding of how transmission occurs, in order to design and apply effective control measures. Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is primarily spread by direct contact between infected and naive individuals, although the high levels of virus shed by infected animals mean that virus can also be spread through contact with contaminated environments. Using a series of transmission...
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceDeconstructing the Soil Microbiome into Reduced-Complexity Functional ModulesThe taxonomic and functional diversity inherent to the soil microbiome complicate assessments of the metabolic potential carried out by the community members. An alternative approach is to break down the soil microbiome into reduced-complexity subsets based on metabolic capacities (functional modules) prior to sequencing and analysis. Here, we demonstrate that this approach successfully identified specific phylogenetic and biochemical...
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceLateral Gene Transfer Drives Metabolic Flexibility in the Anaerobic Methane-Oxidizing Archaeal Family MethanoperedenaceaeAOM by microorganisms limits the atmospheric release of the potent greenhouse gas methane and has consequent importance for the global carbon cycle and climate change modeling. While the oxidation of methane coupled to sulfate by consortia of anaerobic methanotrophic (ANME) archaea and bacteria is well documented, several other potential electron acceptors have also been reported to support AOM. In this study, we identify a number of...
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceBacterial Secondary Metabolite Biosynthetic Potential in Soil Varies with Phylum, Depth, and Vegetation TypeMicrobes produce specialized compounds to compete or communicate with one another and their environment. Some of these compounds, such as antibiotics, are also useful in medicine and biotechnology. Historically, most antibiotics have come from soil bacteria which can be isolated and grown in the lab. Though the vast majority of soil bacteria cannot be isolated, we can extract their genetic information and search it for genes which...