Archaea synthesize membranes of isoprenoid lipids that are ether-linked to glycerol-1-phosphate (G1P), while Bacteria/Eukarya produce membranes consisting of fatty acids ester-bound to glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P). This dichotomy in membrane lipid composition (i.e., the ‘lipid divide’) is believed to have arisen after the Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA). A leading hypothesis is that LUCA possessed a heterochiral ‘mixed archaeal/bacterial membrane’. However, no natural microbial representatives supporting this scenario have been shown to exist today. Here, we demonstrate that bacteria of the Fibrobacteres–Chlorobi–Bacteroidetes (FCB) group superphylum encode a putative archaeal pathway for ether-bound isoprenoid membrane lipids in addition to the bacterial fatty acid membrane pathway. Key genes were expressed in the environment and their recombinant expression in Escherichia coli resulted in the formation of a ‘mixed archaeal/bacterial membrane’. Genomic evidence and biochemical assays suggest that the archaeal-like lipids of members of the FCB group could possess either a G1P or G3P stereochemistry. Our results support the existence of ‘mixed membranes’ in natural environments and their stability over a long period in evolutionary history, thereby bridging a once-thought fundamental divide in biology.

Strain JC164(T) was isolated from a water sample from a rice field at Jamdih, Mau, Uttar Pradesh, India. Colonies of strain JC164(T) were brown-yellow and cells were Gram-stain-negative. Catalase, oxidase and amylase were present. iso-C(15:0), iso-C(16:0), iso-C15 1 G, iso-C(15:0) 3-OH and iso-C(14:0) were the predominant fatty acids with minor amounts of iso-C(16:0) 3-OH, anteiso-C(15:0), C(16:0), iso-C(16:1) H, iso-C(14:0) 3-OH and iso-C(13:0). Strain JC164(T) contained phosphatidylethanolamine and a few unidentified lipids (L1, L3 and L6) as major polar lipids. Bacteriohopane derivative 1 (BHD1) and diplopterol (DPL) were the major hopanoids. β-Carotene was one among the several spirilloxanthin series carotenoids present in strain JC164(T). Genomic DNA G+C content was 39.6 mol%. 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons indicated that strain JC164(T) represents a member of the genus Flavobacterium (family Flavobacteriaceae, class Flavobacteriia). The most closely related taxa to strain JC164(T) were Flavobacterium sasangense YC6274(T) (98.5%), Flavobacterium cucumis R2A45-3(T) (98.1%), Flavobacterium cheniae NJ-26(T) (97.2%) and the novel strain possessed <95.1% sequence similarity with other members of the genus Flavobacterium. However, strain JC164(T) showed 12.5 ± 2, 13.6 ± 1 and 17.4 ± 2% genomic DNA association (based on DNA-DNA hybridization) with Flavobacterium sasangense KCTC 22246(T), Flavobacterium cucumis DSM 18830(T) and Flavobacterium cheniae CGMCC 1.6844(T), respectively. The distinct genomic difference and morphological, physiological and chemotaxonomic differences from the previously described taxa support the classification of strain JC164(T) as a representative of a novel species of the genus Flavobacterium, for which the name Flavobacterium aquaticum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is JC164(T) ( = KCTC 32196(T) = CGMCC 1.12398=LMG 27251(T)).

Members of the Psychrilyobacter spp. of the phylum Fusobacteria have been recently suggested to be amongst the most significant primary degraders of the detrital organic matter in sulfidic marine habitats, despite representing only a small proportion (<0.1%) of the microbial community. In this study, we have isolated a previously uncultured Psychrilyobacter species (strains SD5 T and BL5; Psychrilyobacter piezotolerans sp. nov.) from the sulfidic waters (i.e., 2000 m depth) of the Black Sea and investigated its physiology and genomic capability in order to better understand potential ecological adaptation strategies. P. piezotolerans utilized a broad range of organic substituents (carbohydrates and proteins) and, remarkably, grew at sulfide concentrations up to 32 mM. These flexible physiological properties were supported by the presence of the respective metabolic pathways in the genomes of both strains. Growth at varying hydrostatic pressure (0.1-50 MPa) was sustained by modifying its membrane lipid composition. Thus, we have isolated a novel member of the 'rare biosphere', which endures the extreme conditions and may play a significant role in the degradation of detrital organic matter sinking into the sulfidic waters of the Black Sea.

No abstract