Carbon pathways through the food web of a microbial mat from Byers peninsula, Antarctica

Microbial mats are complex communities that represent a large biomass fraction in non-marine Antarctic ecosystems. They confer structure to soils and constitute, by themselves, intricate microecosystems, where a great variety of microorganisms and microfauna contributes to the ecosystem functions. Although in recent years Antarctic microbial mats have been thoroughly investigated, trophic relationships within the communities remain unresolved. We therefore conducted a study of the trophic relationships of a microbial mat from Byers Peninsula, Antarctica, using DNA analysis and stable isotopes as trophic tracers. Our results suggested, based on a Bayesian mixing model, that at least four trophic levels are present within this microecosystem: primary producers (cyanobacteria and diatoms), primary consumers (rotifers and tardigrades), secondary consumers (nematodes) and decomposers (fungi). Nematodes would play a key role as top consumers of the community, connecting the two carbon inputs described into the system, as omnivores at the secondary trophic level. In addition, carbon pathways from primary trophic level to consumers take place quickly during the first 24 h after its incorporation in the primary producers, dispersing across all the trophic levels and reaching secondary consumers in less than 11 days. This suggests that, given the changing physical conditions and presumably short periods of activity, there is a fine temporal coupling among the organisms in the community, minimizing the redundancy in function performance among trophic level

Marine vertebrates impact the bacterial community composition and food webs of Antarctic microbial mats

The biological activity of marine vertebrates represents an input of nutrients for Antarctic terrestrial biota, with relevant consequences for the entire ecosystem. Even though microbial mats assemble most of the biological diversity of the non-marine Antarctica, the effects of the local macrofauna on these microecosystems remain understudied. Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, 13C and 15N stable isotopes, and by characterizing the P and N-derived nutrient levels, we evaluated the effects of penguins and other marine vertebrates on four microbial mats located along the Antarctic Peninsula. Our results show that P concentrations, C/N and N/P ratios, and δ 15N values of “penguin-impacted” microbial mats were significantly higher than values obtained for “macrofauna-free” sample. Nutrients derived from penguin colonies and other marine vertebrates altered the trophic interactions of communities within microbial mats, as well as the relative abundance and trophic position of meiofaunal groups. Twentynine bacterial families from eight different phyla significantly changed with the presence of penguins, with inorganic nitrogen (NH4 + and NO3 −) and δ 15N appearing as key factors in driving bacterial community composition. An apparent change in richness, diversity, and dominance of prokaryotes was also related to penguin-derived nutrients, affecting N utilization strategies of microbial mats and relating oligotrophic systems to communities with a higher metabolic versatility. The interdisciplinary approach of this study makes these results advance our understanding of interactions and composition of communities inhabiting microbial mats from Antarctica, revealing how they are deeply associated with marine animal

Biochemical diversity of carboxyl Esterases and Lipases from Lake Arreo (Spain) : a metagenomic approach

The esterases and lipases from the / hydrolase superfamily exhibit an enormous sequence diversity, fold plasticity, and activities. Here, we present the comprehensive sequence and biochemical analyses of seven distinct esterases and lipases from the metagenome of Lake Arreo, an evaporite karstic lake in Spain (42°46=N, 2°59=W; altitude, 655 m). Together with oligonucleotide usage patterns and BLASTP analysis, our study of esterases/lipases mined from Lake Arreo suggests that its sediment contains moderately halophilic and cold-adapted proteobacteria containing DNA fragments of distantly related plasmids or chromosomal genomic islands of plasmid and phage origins. This metagenome encodes esterases/lipases with broad substrate profiles (tested over a set of 101 structurally diverse esters) and habitat-specific characteristics, as they exhibit maximal activity at alkaline pH (8.0 to 8.5) and temperature of 16 to 40°C, and they are stimulated (1.5 to 2.2 times) by chloride ions (0.1 to 1.2 M), reflecting an adaptation to environmental conditions. Our work provides further insights into the potential significance of the Lake Arreo esterases/lipases for biotechnology processes (i.e., production of enantiomers and sugar esters), because these enzymes are salt tolerant and are active at low temperatures and against a broad range of substrates. As an example, the ability of a single protein to hydrolyze triacylglycerols, (non)halogenated alkyl and aryl esters, cinnamoyl and carbohydrate esters, lactones, and chiral epoxides to a similar extent was demonstrated.The Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (project CSD2007-00005), the European Community project MAGICPAH (FP7-KBBE-2009-245226), the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and the Government of Canada through Genome Canada, Ontario Genomics Institute, and Ontario Research Fund (2009-OGI-ABC-1405 and ORF-GL2-01-004). M.-E.G. thanks the CSIC for a JAE fellowship.http://aem.asm.org/am201

Biotic interactions in Antarctic lakes: research coming from the LIMNOPOLAR project in the Peninsula Byers

La estructura trófica de las comunidades planctónicas de los lagos antárticos se caracteriza por su sencillez, estando funcionalmente dominada por microorganismos. En estas cadenas tróficas el zooplancton, cuando está presente, ocupa generalmente la posición de consumidores superiores. Estos sistemas constituyen un marco muy adecuado en el que evaluar ciertos aspectos de la ecología trófica y funcional. Nuestro propósito ha sido valorar la aplicabilidad de una serie de teorías ecológicas, relativas a las relaciones tróficas, al flujo de energía y a la relativa importancia de los factores tanto abióticos como bióticos como elementos que expliquen el funcionamiento de estos ecosistemas en zonas polares sometidas a un fuerte control físico. Estudios experimentales llevados a cabo en lagos de la Península Byers (Isla Livingston) por nuestro grupo de investigación han puesto de manifiesto como determinadas interacciones bióticas, como la depredación, podrían ejercer este efecto estructurador, a pesar del fuerte control físico que supuestamente aleja a estas comunidades del equilibrio. De nuestros resultados se deriva la existencia de cascadas tróficas en el plancton con potencialidad de extenderse en el bucle microbiano. Especialmente relevantes resultan aquellas interacciones derivadas de la actividad del zooplancton. En particular, la presencia de éstos parece inducir un incremento en las densidades de las poblaciones del picoplancton vía disminución de los organismos bacterívoros. De nuestras investigaciones se deriva también la capacidad de este zooplancton para acelerar el reciclado de nutrientes, la cual debe contribuir en parte a sostener la productividad del sistema. Estas observaciones han permitido bosquejar un modelo conceptual del funcionamiento de la red trófica pelágica. El aumento progresivo de las temperaturas en áreas polares podría acrecentar las entradas de energía y activar el ciclo de nutrientes, siendo una de las posibles consecuencias, la intensificación de este tipo de interacciones biológicas.The plankton communities of Antarctic lakes show a simple trophic structure. These communities are functionality dominated by microorganisms. When zooplankters are present, they constitute usually the top predators. It is for this reason that these ecosystems results appropriate to undertake studies related with the trophic and functional ecology. Our purpose has been to validate some ecological concepts concerning trophic interactions, energy flows, and the relative role of abiotic and biotic factors as structural forces in polar ecosystems, which are submitted to a strong physical control. The experimental studies that we have performed in Byers Peninsula (Livingston Is.) put forward that some biotic interactions such predation might account for this structural role. In this sense, it can be deduced from our findings the occurrence of trophic cascades in the plankton that extends to the microbial loop. Particularly, are significant those interactions derived from the zooplankton activity. Thus, the occurrence of zooplankters induce a general increase of picoplankton abundances because the control of bacterivory. Our studies demonstrate also the capacity of this zooplankton for nutrients recycling, which is supposed to sustain in part the productivity of the system. These observations allows to outline a conceptual model for the pelagic food web functioning. The progressive increase of temperatures in polar regions might promote the energy inputs and also activate the nutrients turnover. A direct consequence of this warming could be the increasing role of the biotic interactions referred here.Los proyectos Limnopolar I y Limnopolar II han estado financiados por el Plan Nacional de I+D+i (Proyectos REN2000-0435-ANT, CGL2005-06549-CO2-01/ANT, CGL2005-06549-CO2-02/ANT)