Dynamics of bacterial assemblages and removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in oil-contaminated coastal marine sediments subjected to contrasted oxygen regimes

To study the impact of oxygen regimes on the removal of polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in oil-spill-affected coastal marine sediments, we used a thin-layer incubation method to ensure that the incubated sediment was fully oxic, anoxic, or was influenced by oxic-anoxic switches without sediment stirring. Hydrocarbon content and microbial assemblages were followed during 60 days to determine PAH degradation kinetics and microbial community dynamics according to the oxygenation regimes. The highest PAH removal, with 69 % reduction, was obtained at the end of the experiment under oxic conditions, whereas weaker removals were obtained under oscillating and anoxic conditions (18 and 12 %, respectively). Bacterial community structure during the experiment was determined using a dual 16S rRNA genes/16S rRNA transcripts approach, allowing the characterization of metabolically active bacteria responsible for the functioning of the bacterial community in the contaminated sediment. The shift of the metabolically active bacterial communities showed that the selection of first responders belonged to Pseudomonas spp. and Labrenzia sp. and included an unidentified Deltaproteobacteria—irrespective of the oxygen regime—followed by the selection of late responders adapted to the oxygen regime. A novel unaffiliated phylotype (B38) was highly active during the last stage of the experiment, at which time, the low-molecular-weight (LMW) PAH biodegradation rates were significant for permanent oxic- and oxygen-oscillating conditions, suggesting that this novel phylotype plays an active role during the restoration phase of the studied ecosystem

Oil biodegradation in hypersaline environments

Ce travail a permis d’étudier la dynamique saisonnière des communautés microbiennes (cytométrie en flux et MiSeq ADNr16S) d'un étang sursalé thalassohalin. Malgré les variations de salinité (15,5 à 32 %), un core microbiome hautement stable (97,2± 2,1%) et dominé par Haloquadratum (40,3 à 57,4%) et Salinibacter (4,9 à 21,8%) a été décrit. De plus, des populations halotolérantes, capables de croitre rapidement, ont été détectées durant les épisodes de dilution des eaux. Dans un contexte physico-chimique contraignant où la biodégradation des hydrocarbures (HC) reste controversée, une première étude a été réalisée afin de comprendre le devenir d’un pétrole et son effet sur les communautés microbiennes actives de saumures proches de la saturation en sels (31%). Après biostimulation de ces communautés par l’ajout de matière organique labile et d'une température favorable (40°C), des phytolyptes actifs appartenant aux genres Haloarcula, Halobacterium et Halorubrum ont été détectés dans les microcosmes présentant de la biodégradation (12,8%) après 30 jours. Face aux limitations des processus d'autoépuration en contexte naturel (température plus faible), plusieurs approches de biostimulation testées (i.e. fertilisation minérale –NS ou organique –DS ; dilution) ont permis de forts taux d'atténuation des HC aliphatiques (97,8% et 54,5%) dans des saumures diluées (27,7 à 14%) et fertilisées (-DS et -NS). Dans ces mêmes microcosmes, des phylotypes actifs majoritaires appartenant aux genres Marinobacter et à la famille des Flavobacteriaceae (dont Psychroflexus) ont été détectés (MiSeq ADNr16S). L'opérabilité de ces traitements mériterait d'être testée à une plus large échelle.This work performed on a thalassohaline hypersaline lake firstly considered seasonal dynamics of microbial communities (flow cytometry and MiSeq on 16S rRNA). Despite salinity fluctuations (15.5-32 %), a microbiome core highly stable at the genus level (97.2 ± 2.1 %) and dominated by Haloquadratum (40.3-57.4 %) and Salinibacter (4.9-21.8 %) was described. Interestingly, some halotolerant phylotypes exhibited rapid growths during dilutions episodes. In a controversial context concerning high salinity effects on hydrocarbons (HC) biodegradation, a study was conducted on close to salts-saturation brines (31 %) to gain insight into the fate of oil and it effects on active microbial communities after 15- and 30-days incubations. Significant oil biodegradation (12.8 %) was detected only after a 30-days incubation in LOM-amended microcosms while phylotypes belonging to Halobacteriaceae (Haloarcula, Halobacterium and Halorubrum) appeared as major active phylotypes. However, these low rates suggested that oil biodegradation should be lower under in situ conditions (lower temperature). Thus, among biostimulation approaches (mineral (-NS) or organic (-DS) amendments; dilution) used to improve self-cleaning processus, DS- or NS-amendments added to diluted brines (27.7 % to 14.0 %) allowed high attenuation rates of aliphatic HC with 97.8 % and 54.5 % respectively. Bacterial phylotypes belonging to Marinobacter and Flavobacteriaceae (e.g. Psychroflexus) were detected in NS- and DS-amended microcosms in which petroleum biodegradation occurred. This strategy will have, however, to be tested in other hypersaline systems (natural or industrial) in order to test its operational efficiency

Relationships between bacterial energetic metabolism, mercury methylation potential, and hgcA/hgcB gene expression in Desulfovibrio dechloroacetivorans BerOc1

cited By 5International audienceThe proteins encoded by the hgcA and hgcB genes are currently the only ones known to be involved in the mercury methylation by anaerobic microorganisms. However, no studies have been published to determine the relationships between their expression level and the net/gross methylmercury production. This study aimed to decipher the effect of growth conditions on methylmercury production and the relationships between hgcA and hgcB expression levels and net methylation. Desulfovibrio dechloroacetivorans strain BerOc1 was grown under sulfidogenic conditions with different carbon sources and electron donors as well as under fumarate respiration. A good correlation was found between the biomass production and the methylmercury production when the strain was grown under sulfate-reducing conditions. Methylmercury production was much higher under fumarate respiration when no sulfide was produced. During exponential growth, hgcA and hgcB gene expression levels were only slightly higher in the presence of inorganic mercury, and it was difficult to conclude whether there was a significant induction of hgcA and hgcB genes by inorganic mercury. Besides, no relationships between hgcA and hgcB expression levels and net mercury methylation could be observed when the strain was grown either under sulfate reduction or fumarate respiration, indicating that environmental factors had more influence than expression levels