Hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria enriched by the <i>Deepwater Horizon</i> oil spill identified by cultivation and DNA-SIP

Gutiérrez, Tony; Singleton, David R.; Berry, David; Yang, Tingting; Aitken, Michael D.; Teske, Andreas

doi:10.1038/ismej.2013.98

Cited by 266 publications

(275 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…They are also large bacteria with large genomes and are copiotrophic, with high specific metabolic activities. They can degrade and utilize a broad spectrum of organic substrates, including deep-sea recalcitrant organic matter (245,(250)(251)(252). Alteromonas produces and secretes a variety of extracellular enzymes that contribute to the hydrolysis of biopolymers, including polysaccharides (253)(254)(255)(256)(257), proteins (258,259), nucleic acids (260,261), and lipids (262), the major components of marine POM.…”

Section: Impacts Of Surface-associated Microbiota On Ocean Carbon Seqmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial Surface Colonization and Biofilm Development in Marine Environments

Dang

Lovell

2016

Microbiol Mol Biol Rev

870

636

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SUMMARYBiotic and abiotic surfaces in marine waters are rapidly colonized by microorganisms. Surface colonization and subsequent biofilm formation and development provide numerous advantages to these organisms and support critical ecological and biogeochemical functions in the changing marine environment. Microbial surface association also contributes to deleterious effects such as biofouling, biocorrosion, and the persistence and transmission of harmful or pathogenic microorganisms and their genetic determinants. The processes and mechanisms of colonization as well as key players among the surface-associated microbiota have been studied for several decades. Accumulating evidence indicates that specific cell-surface, cell-cell, and interpopulation interactions shape the composition, structure, spatiotemporal dynamics, and functions of surface-associated microbial communities. Several key microbial processes and mechanisms, including (i) surface, population, and community sensing and signaling, (ii) intraspecies and interspecies communication and interaction, and (iii) the regulatory balance between cooperation and competition, have been identified as critical for the microbial surface association lifestyle. In this review, recent progress in the study of marine microbial surface colonization and biofilm development is synthesized and discussed. Major gaps in our knowledge remain. We pose questions for targeted investigation of surface-specific community-level microbial features, answers to which would advance our understanding of surface-associated microbial community ecology and the biogeochemical functions of these communities at levels from molecular mechanistic details through systems biological integration.

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Section: Impacts Of Surface-associated Microbiota On Ocean Carbon Seqmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial Surface Colonization and Biofilm Development in Marine Environments

Dang

Lovell

2016

Microbiol Mol Biol Rev

870

636

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“…Upon release of crude oil, a significant increase in hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria is observed (5)(6)(7)41). Crude oil is a complex mixture of ∼20,000 compounds broadly grouped into four categories: saturated hydrocarbons, predominantly C5-C40 alkanes (40-60%), aromatic hydrocarbons (20-40%), resins (5-20%), and asphaltenes (1-10%) (8,34).…”

Section: Cyanobacterial Hydrocarbon Production Can Support Populationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Larger amounts may be associated with particulate matter <0.7 μm in diameter, because ocean concentrations are higher than the solubility of pentadecane and heptadecane, which is ∼10 pg/mL and 1 pg/mL, respectively (2). Populations of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria, referred to as hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria, including many species that cannot use other carbon sources, are present in marine systems and play an important role in turnover of these compounds (5)(6)(7)(8)(9). Because obligate hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria are found in waters without significant levels of crude oil pollution, these organisms must use an alternate hydrocarbon source (9)(10)(11).…”

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confidence: 99%

Contribution of cyanobacterial alkane production to the ocean hydrocarbon cycle

Lea‐Smith

Biller

Davey

et al. 2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

174

122

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Hydrocarbons are ubiquitous in the ocean, where alkanes such as pentadecane and heptadecane can be found even in waters minimally polluted with crude oil. Populations of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria, which are responsible for the turnover of these compounds, are also found throughout marine systems, including in unpolluted waters. These observations suggest the existence of an unknown and widespread source of hydrocarbons in the oceans. Here, we report that strains of the two most abundant marine cyanobacteria, Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus, produce and accumulate hydrocarbons, predominantly C15 and C17 alkanes, between 0.022 and 0.368% of dry cell weight. Based on global population sizes and turnover rates, we estimate that these species have the capacity to produce 2-540 pg alkanes per mL per day, which translates into a global ocean yield of ∼308-771 million tons of hydrocarbons annually. We also demonstrate that both obligate and facultative marine hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria can consume cyanobacterial alkanes, which likely prevents these hydrocarbons from accumulating in the environment. Our findings implicate cyanobacteria and hydrocarbon degraders as key players in a notable internal hydrocarbon cycle within the upper ocean, where alkanes are continually produced and subsequently consumed within days. Furthermore we show that cyanobacterial alkane production is likely sufficient to sustain populations of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria, whose abundances can rapidly expand upon localized release of crude oil from natural seepage and human activities.cyanobacteria | hydrocarbons | hydrocarbon cycle | hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria | oil remediation

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“…It has been estimated that between 4.2 and 4.9 million barrels of oil were released making it the largest accidental oil spill in history. [1][2][3] Numerous studies have examined the fate and impact of released Macondo oil within the plume [4][5][6][7][8] , on the surface of the Gulf 5,9,10 , buried in ocean sediments (either directly or as marine snow) 6,10 , in marshes [11][12][13][14] , and on beaches. 10,12,14-19 Not surprisingly, the environmental fate of the oil was influenced by many well documented weathering processes.…”

Section: Chapter 1 Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Photooxidation and Biodegradation on the Fate of Oil Spilled During the Deepwater Horizon Incident: Advanced Stages of Weathering

Harriman

Zito

Podgorski

et al. 2017

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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While the biogeochemical forces influencing the weathering of spilled oil have been investigated for decades, the environmental fate and effects of “oxyhydrocarbons” in sand patties deposited on beaches are not well-known. We collected sand patties deposited in the swash zone on Gulf of Mexico beaches following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. When sand patties were exposed to simulated sunlight, a larger concentration of dissolved organic carbon was leached into seawater than the corresponding dark controls. This result was consistent with the general ease of movement of seawater through the sand patties as shown with a 35SO4 2– radiotracer. Ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry, as well as optical measurements revealed that the chemical composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) leached from the sand patties under dark and irradiated conditions were substantially different, but neither had a significant inhibitory influence on the endogenous rate of aerobic or anaerobic microbial respiratory activity. Rather, the dissolved organic photooxidation products stimulated significantly more microbial O2 consumption (113 ± 4 μM) than either the dark (78 ± 2 μM) controls or the endogenous (38 μM ± 4) forms of DOM. The changes in the DOM quality and quantity were consistent with biodegradation as an explanation for the differences. These results confirm that sand patties undergo a gradual dissolution of DOM in both the dark and in the light, but photooxidation accelerates the production of water-soluble polar organic compounds that are relatively more amenable to aerobic biodegradation. As such, these processes represent previously unrecognized advanced weathering stages that are important in the ultimate transformation of spilled crude oil.

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Hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria enriched by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill identified by cultivation and DNA-SIP

Cited by 266 publications

References 53 publications

Microbial Surface Colonization and Biofilm Development in Marine Environments

Microbial Surface Colonization and Biofilm Development in Marine Environments

Contribution of cyanobacterial alkane production to the ocean hydrocarbon cycle

Impact of Photooxidation and Biodegradation on the Fate of Oil Spilled During the Deepwater Horizon Incident: Advanced Stages of Weathering

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