Changes in the algal composition, bacterial metabolic activity and element content of biofilms developed on artificial substrata in the early phase of colonization

Changes in the algal composition and metabolic profiles of bacterial communities as well as the inorganic components were studied on artificial substrata during the early phase of biofilm formation under laboratory conditions in September 2002 and 2003. Sterile Perspex and polished quartz glass discs with a diameter of 3 cm were placed into a Perspex rack, which was immersed vertically in an aquarium containing water from a shallow soda lake. The temperature was kept constant and sufficient oxygen supply was provided. The samples were illuminated for 12 hours a day. Periphyton communities were sampled from 2 to 126 hours of exposure. In both experiments, the alteration of the number of algal species and cells as well as the carbon source utilization of microbial communities was logarithmic. In the two years, considerable differences were revealed in the magnitude of algal cell numbers. The proportion of benthic and planktonic algae showed an undulating pattern in the second experiment. One of the dominant benthic species was the diatom Achnanthidium minutissimum Kütz., while that of the planktonic, the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa Kütz. During the experiments an increase in the bacterial activities could be observed; the higher the microbial diversity and abundance that was detected, the more BIOLOG carbon sources were utilized. The examined element contents indicated interactions among algae and bacteria in the biofilms from the beginning of the colonization processes

Seasonal and Spatial Changes of Planktonic Bacterial Communities Inhabiting the Natural Thermal Lake Hévíz, Hungary

Lake Hévíz is a unique thermal spa located in Hungary. Owing to the thermal springs nourishing the lake, it has a relatively rapid water turnover. In spring 2011 a comprehensive embankment reconstruction was performed to preserve the water supply of the surrounding wetland habitats. The physical and chemical parameters as well as the planktonic microbial communities were studied with special respect to the effect of the disturbance of the water of Lake Hévíz. According to the abiotic components, both temporal and spatial differences were revealed with the exception of autumn samples. The reconstruction resulted in a short term but dramatic alteration of the total planktonic bacterial and cyanobacterial community structures as revealed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. In addition, greater seasonal than spatial differences of bacterial communities were also observed. Planktonic bacterial community composition of Lake Hévíz included mainly typical freshwater species within phylum Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Cyanobacteria and class Alpha-, Beta- and Gamma-proteobacteria. Most of them were aerobic or facultative anaerobic heterotrophic but chemolitotrophic (e.g. Thiobacillus) or photolithotrophic (e.g. Cyanobacteria and Chloroflexi) autotrophic microbes were also identified

Diversity and ecological tolerance of bacteria isolated from the rhizosphere of halophyton plants living nearby Kiskunság soda ponds, Hungary

Many halophytes and halophilic microorganisms are capable to adapt to the extremities of saline habitats. This study reveals the taxonomic diversity and ecological tolerance of bacteria isolated from the rhizosphere of three different halophytes (Bolboschoenus maritimus, Puccinellia limosa and Aster tripolium) living in the vicinity of Kiskunság soda ponds. Following a sampling in September 2013, altogether 76 bacterial strains were isolated using two different media. The strains were identified on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequencing following ARDRA grouping. Salt and pH tolerance of the strains were examined by measuring their growth in broths containing 0–15% NaCl (w/V) and characterized with pH 7–12 values. Among the strains genera of Anaerobacillus, Bacillus and Exiguobacterium (Firmicutes), Agromyces, Isoptericola, Microbacterium, Micrococcus, Nocardiopsis, Nesterenkonia and Streptomyces (Actinobacteria), Halomonas and Idiomarina (Proteobacteria) and Anditalea (Bacteroidetes) were identified. The Bolboschoenus and Puccinellia samples characterized with the highest pH and electric conductivity values were dominated by Bacillus, Halomonas and Nesterenkonia, respectively. The salt tolerance of the bacterial strains was strongly dependent on the sampling location and plant species. In contrast, growth of bacterial strains in broths with alkaline pH values was more balanced. The strains from the Puccinellia sample showed the widest salt and pH tolerance

Bacterial diversity in soils of different Hungarian karst areas

Karst areas have great environmental importance as sources of subsurface water and often maintain very sensitive ecosystems. In recent years, increasing number of microbiological studies focused on the bacterial communities of karst soils. In this study, diversity examinations on two distinct Hungarian karst areas, Aggtelek and Tapolca, were performed using parallel cultivation and molecular cloning methods. The phylogenetic affiliation of bacterial strains and molecular clones was determined based on their 16S rRNA gene sequences. Bacterial isolates were identified as members of the phyla Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. Besides the taxa identified by cultivation, members of the phyla Chloroflexi, Cyanobacteria, Acidobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, and Gemmatimonadetes were detected by the cloning. The difference in the composition of soil bacterial communities was related to geographic locations and soil types. Both the highest and the lowest bacterial diversities were detected in samples from Aggtelek National Park, characterized by Leptic Luvisol and Rendzic Leptosol soil types. The difference in the composition of bacterial communities between Rendzic Leptosol and Leptic Phaeozem soil types at Tapolca could be the result of human impacts

Efficiency of temporary storage of geothermal waters in a lake system: Monitoring the changes of water quality and bacterial community structures

Disposal of used geothermal waters in Hungary often means temporary storage in reservoir lakes to reduce temperature and improve water quality. In this study, the physical and chemical properties and changes in the bacterial community structure of a reservoir lake system in southeast region of Hungary were monitored and compared through 2 years, respectively. The values of biological oxygen demand, concentrations of ammonium ion, total inorganic nitrogen, total phosphorous, and total phenol decreased, whereas oxygen saturation, total organic nitrogen, pH, and conductivity increased during the storage period. Bacterial community structure of water and sediment samples was compared by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) following the amplification of the 16S rRNA gene. According to the DGGE patterns, greater seasonal than spatial differences of bacterial communities were revealed in both water and sediment of the lakes. Representatives of the genera Arthrospira and Anabaenopsis (cyanobacteria) were identified as permanent and dominant members of the bacterial communities

Unexpected consequences of bombing. Community level response of epiphytic diatoms to environmental stress in a saline bomb crater pond area

The spatial response of epiphytic diatom communities to environmental stress was studied in a moderately saline wetland area located in the plain of Danube-Tisza Interfluve, Hungary. The area is characterised by World War II bomb crater ponds and can be regarded as an excellent ecological model system where the dispersion of species is slightly limited by distance. To study the effect of environmental variables on the communities, canonical correspondence analysis was applied. Salinity, pH, total suspended solids, total phosphorous and depth proved to be significant environmental drivers in this analysis. The ecological status of the ponds was assessed with Ziemann's halobity index, as the trophity-depending metric cannot be applied to these habitats (due to the naturally high phosphorus content). Ponds in "good" ecological status significantly differed from those appertaining to water quality category of "not-good" ecological status considering characteristic of natural astatic soda pans (e.g. salinity, pH, ammonium, total phosphorous concentration, nitrogen:phosphorous ratio and turbidity). The differences between epiphytic diatom communities inhabiting the ponds were detected using non-parametric multidimensional scaling. The samples formed three groups according to the types of ponds ("transparent", "transitional" and "turbid") based on the width of the macrophyte belt around them. Indicator species related to the ecological status of the ponds and diatom communities contributing to the separation of groups of ponds were identified. One of the indicator species differed from species already described. Light and scanning electron microscopy features and phylogenetic analyses based on three genes (18S and 28S rRNA genes, rbcL) proved that it was a new species of Nitzschia genus, closely related to Nitzschia frustulum and Nitzschia inconspicua. Therefore, description of a new species, Nitzschia reskoi Acs, Duleba, C.E.Wetzel & Ector is proposed. We concluded that the increasing abundance of Nitzschia reskoi was a signal of the degradation of the intermittent saline wetlands