Biology subjects

Salcher, M. M.

Publications and source records attributed to Salcher, M. M..

10 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Genome-resolved biogeography reveals multidimensional structuring of freshwater giant viruses across global deep lakes

Giant viruses (GV) are increasingly recognized as important ecosystem regulators. While metagenomics has uncovered extensive GV diversity, the global distributions of individual species and the biogeographic processes driving the pattern remain poorly understood. Here, we reconstructed GV metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) from 35 globally distributed deep freshwater lakes spanning five continents, aiming to identify their biogeographic patterns. The resulting 1663 non-redundant MAGs significantly expanded the known freshwater GV diversity, with [~]84% lacking a previously reported species representative. These MAGs were grouped into cosmopolitan and geographically restricted lineages. We identified 27 cosmopolitan GV species spanning multiple viral lineages, including families of Imitervirales, Pimascovirales, and mirusviruses order Styxvirales. The cosmopolitan species were characterized by their larger genomes and expanded gene repertoires of host-interaction functions, which may facilitate interactions with diverse hosts and contribute to their global distributions. The presence of geographically restricted species and the stronger distance-decay in community similarity observed in freshwater than marine ecosystems suggest that physical connectivity between ecosystems is an important factor influencing GV dispersal. We identified 312 and 177 GV MAGs almost exclusively associated with the epilimnion and hypolimnion, respectively. This water-layer preference of individual MAGs was highly consistent across lakes, suggesting conserved vertical partitioning in association with the thermal stratification of the water column. Overall, our findings reveal that GV biogeography in deep freshwater lakes is structured by the combined influence of horizontal dispersal limitation, vertical partitioning, and lineage-specific evolutionary histories.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2024

Cellulose fermentation by the gut microbiota is likely not essential for the nutrition of millipedes

Millipedes are thought to depend on their gut microbiome for processing plant-litter-cellulose through fermentation, similar to many other arthropods. However, this hypothesis lacks sufficient evidence. To investigate this, we disrupted the gut microbiota of juvenile Epibolus pulchripes (tropical, CH4-emitting) and Glomeris connexa (temperate, non-CH4-emitting) using chemical inhibitors and isotopic labelling. Feeding the millipedes sterile or antibiotics-treated litter notably reduced faecal production and microbial load without major impacts on survival or weight. Bacterial diversity remained similar, with Bacteroidota dominant in E. pulchripes and Pseudomonadota in G. connexa. Sodium-2-bromoethanesulfonate treatment halted CH4 emissions and reduced the faecal mcrA copies in E. pulchripes after 14 days, but emissions resumed after returning to normal feeding. Methanogens in the order Methanobacteriales and Methanomasscilliicoccales associated with protists were detected using Catalysed Reporter Deposition Fluorescence In situ Hybridization (CARD-FISH) on day 21, despite suppressed CH4-emission. Employing 13C-labeled leaf litter and RNA-SIP revealed a slow and gradual prokaryote labelling, indicating a significant density shift only by day 21. In addition to labelling of taxa from orders well-recognized for their role in (ligno)cellulose fermentation (e.g., Bacteroidales, Burkholderiales, and Enterobacterales), others, such as members of Desulfovibrionales were also labelled. Surprisingly, labelling of the fungal biomass was somewhat quicker. Our findings suggest that fermentation by the gut microbiota is likely not essential for the millipedes nutrition. ImportanceMillipedes (Diplopoda) constitute the third most significant group of detritivores after termites and earthworms, yet they have been comparatively understudied. Traditionally, it was believed that millipedes gain energy from fermenting cellulose using their gut microbiota, similar to wood-feeding termites, but this belief lacks evidence. This study used two model millipede species, Epibolus pulchripes (large, tropical, and methane emitter) and Glomeris connexa (small, temperate, and non-methane emitter) to test this belief. We used chemical manipulation experiments, stable isotope labelling, and DNA sequencing to comprehend the microbiotas role in the millipedes nutrition. The findings suggest that cellulose fermentation by the gut microbiota may not be essential for millipede nutrition; instead, bacteriovory and fungivory might be the dominant feeding strategies of millipedes.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2024

Depth-dependent dynamics of protist communities as an integral part of spring succession in a freshwater reservoir

BackgroundProtists are essential contributors to eukaryotic diversity and exert profound influence on carbon fluxes and energy transfer in freshwaters. Despite their significance, there is a notable gap in research on protistan dynamics, particularly in the deeper strata of temperate lakes. This study aimed to address this gap by integrating protists into the well-described spring dynamics of [R]imov reservoir, Czech Republic. Over a two-month period covering transition from mixing to established stratification, we collected water samples from three reservoir depths (0.5, 10 and 30 m) with a frequency of up to three times per week. Microbial eukaryotic and prokaryotic communities were analysed using SSU rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and dominant protistan groups were enumerated by Catalysed Reporter Deposition-Fluorescence in situ Hybridization (CARD-FISH). Additionally, we collected samples for water chemistry, phyto- and zooplankton composition analyses. ResultsFollowing the rapid changes in environmental and biotic parameters during spring, protistan and bacterial communities displayed swift transition from a homogeneous community to distinct strata-specific communities. Epilimnion exhibited the prevalence of auto-, mixotrophic protists dominated by cryptophytes and associated with spring algal bloom-specialized bacteria. In contrast, meta- and hypolimnion showcased the development of protist community dominated by putative parasitic Perkinsozoa, detritus or particle-associated ciliates, cercozoans and excavate protists co-occurring with bacteria associated with lake snow. ConclusionsOur high-resolution sampling matching the typical dividing time of microbes along with the combined microscopic and molecular approach and inclusion of all the components of microbial food web allowed us to follow depth-specific populations successions and interactions in a deep lentic ecosystem.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2020

Microbial drama in four acts - Extreme rain events cause cyclic succession in plankton communities

Highly abundant, small waterbodies contribute substantially to global freshwater shoreline and surface area. They are strongly interlinked with the terrestrial surrounding, thus controlling the flow of energy, nutrients and organisms through the landscape. Disturbance events can have severe consequences for these ecosystems and the entire downstream freshwater network and require more attention in the context of global change-induced increases in weather extremes. Here we show that extreme rain events (floods) cause cyclic successions in microbial communities and the planktonic food web of a small forest pond. We analyzed the dynamics of nutrients and the entire plankton community during two flood events and subsequent quasi-stable conditions. Floods induced a repeated washout of resident organisms and hundred-fold increases in nutrient load. However, within two weeks, the microbial community recovered to a pre-disturbance state through four well-defined succession phases. Reassembly of phyto- and especially zooplankton took considerably longer and displayed both repetitive and adaptive patterns. Release of dissolved nutrients from the pond was associated with inflow rates and state of community recovery, and it returned to pre-disturbance levels earlier than microbial composition. Our study exemplifies extraordinary compositional and functional resilience of small waterbodies and presents the detailed mechanism of the underlying processes.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2020

Microdiversity and phylogeographic diversification of bacterioplankton in pelagic freshwater systems revealed through long-read amplicon sequencing

Freshwater ecosystems are inhabited by members of cosmopolitan bacterioplankton lineages despite the disconnected nature of these habitats. The lineages are delineated based on >97% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, but their intra-lineage microdiversity and phylogeography, which are key to understanding the eco-evolutional processes behind their ubiquity, remain unresolved. Here, we applied long-read amplicon sequencing targeting nearly full-length 16S rRNA genes and the adjacent ribosomal internal transcribed spacer sequences to reveal the intra-lineage diversities of pelagic bacterioplankton assemblages in 11 deep freshwater lakes in Japan and Europe. Our single nucleotide-resolved analysis, which was validated using shotgun metagenomic sequencing, uncovered 7-101 amplicon sequence variants for each of the 11 predominant bacterial lineages and demonstrated sympatric, allopatric, and temporal microdiversities that could not be resolved through conventional approaches. Clusters of samples with similar intra-lineage population compositions were identified, which consistently supported genetic isolation between Japan and Europe. At a regional scale (up to hundreds of kilometers), dispersal between lakes was unlikely to be a limiting factor, and environmental factors were potential determinants of population composition. The extent of microdiversification varied among lineages, suggesting that highly diversified lineages (e.g., Iluma-A2 and acI-A1) achieve their ubiquity by containing a consortium of genotypes specific to each habitat, while less diversified lineages (e.g., CL500-11) may be ubiquitous due to a small number of widespread genotypes. The lowest extent of intra-lineage diversification was observed among the dominant hypolimnion-specific lineage (CL500-11), suggesting that their dispersal among lakes is not limited despite the hypolimnion being a more isolated habitat than the epilimnion. Our novel approach complemented the limited resolution of short-read amplicon sequencing and limited sensitivity of the metagenome assembly-based approach, and highlighted the complex ecological processes underlying the ubiquity of freshwater bacterioplankton lineages.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2020

A freshwater radiation of diplonemids

Diplonemids are considered marine protists and have been reported among the most abundant and diverse eukaryotes in the world oceans. Recently we detected the presence of freshwater diplonemids in Lake Biwa, Japan. However, their distribution and abundances in freshwater ecosystems remain unknown. We assessed abundance and diversity of diplonemids from several geographically distant deep freshwater lakes of the world by amplicon-sequencing, shotgun metagenomics and CARD-FISH. We found diplonemids in all the studied lakes, albeit with low abundances and diversity. We assembled long 18S rRNA sequences from freshwater diplonemids and showed that they form a new lineage distinct from the diverse marine clades. Freshwater diplonemids are a sister-group to marine isolates from coastal and bay areas, suggesting a recent habitat transition from marine to freshwater habitats. Images of CARD-FISH targeted freshwater diplonemids suggest they feed on bacteria. Our analyses of 18S rRNA sequences retrieved from single cell genomes of marine diplonemids shows they encode multiple rRNA copies that may be very divergent from each other, suggesting that marine diplonemid abundance and diversity both have been overestimated. These results have wider implications on assessing eukaryotic abundances in natural habitats by using amplicon-sequencing alone.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2019

Evolution in action: Habitat-transition leads to genome-streamlining in Methylophilaceae (Betaproteobacteriales)

The most abundant aquatic microbes are small in cell and genome size. Genome-streamlining theory predicts gene loss caused by evolutionary selection driven by environmental factors, favouring superior competitors for limiting resources. However, evolutionary histories of such abundant, genome-streamlined microbes remain largely unknown. Here we reconstruct the series of steps in the evolution of some of the most abundant genome-streamlined microbes in freshwaters ( Ca. Methylopumilus) and oceans (marine lineage OM43). A broad genomic spectrum is visible in the family Methylophilaceae (Betaproteobacteriales), from sediment microbes with medium-sized genomes (2-3 Mbp genome size), an occasionally blooming pelagic intermediate (1.7 Mbp), and the most reduced pelagic forms (1.3 Mbp). We show that a habitat transition from freshwater sediment to the relatively oligotrophic pelagial was accompanied by progressive gene loss and adaptive gains. Gene loss has mainly affected functions not necessarily required or advantageous in the pelagial or are encoded by redundant pathways. Likewise, we identified genes providing adaptations to oligotrophic conditions that have been transmitted horizontally from pelagic freshwater microbes. Remarkably, the secondary transition from the pelagial of lakes to the oceans required only slight modifications, i.e., adaptations to higher salinity, gained via horizontal gene transfer from indigenous microbes. Our study provides first genomic evidence of genome-reduction taking place during habitat transitions. In this regard, the family Methylophilaceae is an exceptional model for tracing the evolutionary history of genome-streamlining as such a collection of evolutionarily related microbes from different habitats is practically unknown for other similarly abundant microbes (e.g., Ca. Pelagibacterales, Ca. Nanopelagicales).

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2018

A Swiftian Voyage from Brobdingnag to Lilliput: Freshwater Planctomycetes drifting towards the poles of the genome size spectrum

Freshwater environments teem with microbes. Currently, our apprehension of evolutionary ecology of freshwater bacteria is hampered by the difficulty to establish organism models for the most representative clades. To circumvent the bottlenecks inherent to the cultivation-based techniques, we applied ecogenomics approaches in order to unravel the evolutionary history and the processes that drive genome architecture in hallmark freshwater lineages from Planctomycetes phylum. The evolutionary history inferences showed that sediment/soil Planctomycetes transitioned to aquatic environments were, through processes mostly associated with reductive genome evolution, gave rise to new freshwater-specific clades. The most successful lineage was found to simultaneously have the most specialized lifestyle (increased regulatory genetic circuits; metabolism tuned for mineralization of proteinaceous sinking aggregates; psychrotrophic behavior) and to harbor the smallest genomes, highlighting a genomic architecture shaped by niche-directed evolution.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2018

The sunlit microoxic niche of the archaeal eukaryotic ancestor comes to light

Recent advances in phylogenomic analyses and increased genomic sampling of uncultured prokaryotic lineages brought compelling evidence in support of the emergence of eukaryotes from within the Archaea domain of life. The discovery of Asgardaeota archaea and their recognition as the closest extant relative of eukaryotes fuelled the revival of a decades-old debate regarding the topology of the tree of life. While it is apparent that Asgardaeota encode a plethora of eukaryotic-specific proteins (the highest number identified to date in prokaryotes), the lack of genomic information and metabolic characterization has precluded inferences about their lifestyles and the metabolic landscape that may have favoured the emergence of the hallmark eukaryotic subcellular architecture. Here, we use advanced phylogenetic analyses to infer the deep ancestry of eukaryotes and genome-scale metabolic reconstructions to shed light on the metabolic milieu of the closest archaeal eukaryotic ancestors discovered till date. In doing so, we: i) generate the largest Asgardaeota genomic dataset available so far, ii) describe a new clade of rhodopsins encoded within the recovered genomes, iii) provide unprecedented evidence for mixotrophy within Asgardaeota, iv) present first-ever proofs that the closest extant archaeal relatives to all eukaryotes (Heimdallarchaeia) have microoxic lifestyles with aerobic metabolic pathways unique among Archaea (i.e. kynurenine pathway) and v) generate the first images of Asgardaeota.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2018

Hidden in plain sight - highly abundant and diverse planktonic freshwater Chloroflexi

BackgroundRepresentatives of the phylum Chloroflexi, though reportedly highly abundant (up to 30% of total prokaryotes) in the extensive deep water habitats of both marine (SAR202) and freshwater (CL500-11), remain uncultivated and uncharacterized. There are few metagenomic studies on marine Chloroflexi representatives, while the pelagic freshwater Chloroflexi community is largely unknown except for a single metagenome-assembled genome of CL500-11.\n\nResultsHere we provide the first extensive examination of the community composition of this cosmopolitan phylum in a range of pelagic habitats (176 datasets) and highlight the impact of salinity and depth on their phylogenomic composition. Reconstructed genomes (53 in total) provide a perspective on the phylogeny, metabolism and distribution of three novel classes and two family-level taxa within the phylum Chloroflexi. We unraveled a remarkable genomic diversity of pelagic freshwater Chloroflexi representatives that thrive not only in the hypolimnion as previously suspected, but also in the epilimnion. Our results suggest that the lake hypolimnion provides a globally stable habitat reflected in lower species diversity among hypolimnion specific CL500-11 and TK10 clusters in distantly related lakes compared to a higher species diversity of the epilimnion specific SL56 cluster. Cell volume analyses show that the CL500-11 are amongst the largest prokaryotic cells in the water column of deep lakes and with a biomass:abundance ratio of two they significantly contribute to the deep lake carbon flow. Metabolic insights indicate participation of JG30-KF-CM66 representatives in the global cobalamin production via cobinamide to cobalamin salvage pathway.\n\nConclusionsExtending phylogenomic comparisons to brackish and marine habitats suggests salinity as the major influencer of the community composition of the deep-dwelling Chloroflexi in marine (SAR202) and freshwater (CL500-11) habitats as both counterparts thrive in intermediate brackish salinity however, freshwater habitats harbor the most phylogenetically diverse community of pelagic Chloroflexi representatives that reside both in epi- and hypolimnion.

microbiology↗