揭示了地下水中未知的病毒世界
Zongzhi Wu1,2, Tang Liu1,3, Qian Chen1,2
1Eco-environment and Resource Efficiency Research Laboratory, School of Environment and Energy, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, PR China.
Nature communications
|August 8, 2024
概括
这项研究揭示了中国庞大的未知的地下水病毒组,发现了数百万种新型病毒,并扩大了我们对微生物宿主相互作用和含水层中营养循环的理解.
科学领域:
- 环境微生物学环境微生物学
- 病毒学 病毒学
- 地质微生物学的生物.
背景情况:
- 病毒是关键的生物实体,但在地下环境中仍然不太了解.
- 地下水生态系统含有重要的,但在很大程度上未被描述的病毒成分.
研究的目的:
- 建立来自中国多种水层的首个全面的基因组地下水病毒组目录 (GWVC).
- 描述地下水病毒及其微生物宿主的新奇性和多样性.
- 研究病毒在营养循环中的作用和地下水中的微生物社区结构.
主要方法:
- 来自中国七个地理环境区的607个地下水井的病毒DNA的元基因组测序.
- 生物信息分析用于识别病毒物种,集群和潜在宿主.
- 与现有的全球病毒数据库进行比较分析.
主要成果:
- 地下水病毒组目录 (GWVC) 包含280,420种病毒物种 (≥5kb),将已知的全球地下水病毒组扩展约10倍.
- 超过99%的已识别的病毒和95%的病毒群是新型病毒,突出显示了大量尚未发现的病毒多样性.
- 病毒与宿主之间的相互作用在119个 prokaryotic 族群中确立,使地下水中已知的病毒感染微生物族群的范围翻了一番.
- 关键的超小共生体CPR细菌和DPANN古生物,在很大程度上被病毒感染.
- 确定了与甲,,硫和循环相关的病毒,揭示了它们在辅助新陈代谢中的作用.
结论:
- 这项研究揭示了地下水生态系统中一个庞大而在很大程度上是新的病毒世界.
- 地下水病毒在调节微生物群落和生物地化学循环方面发挥着关键作用,特别是在含水层中.
- 这项研究强调了地下病毒圈在全球病毒生态和微生物进化中的重要性.
相关概念视频
01:30Environmental Applications of Microorganisms
Microorganisms play a pivotal role in maintaining ecosystem balance by recycling essential elements such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, as well as supporting processes like bioremediation, wastewater treatment, and biofuel production.Microbes in Elemental CyclesIn the carbon cycle, microorganisms decompose organic matter, releasing carbon dioxide via aerobic respiration. This carbon dioxide is subsequently used by photosynthetic organisms to synthesize organic compounds, closing the...
01:25Microbial Mats
Microbial communities forming biofilms and mats represent complex, spatially structured ecosystems where metabolic processes are stratified according to light, oxygen, and nutrient gradients. Biofilms are initial colonization stages, only a few millimeters thick, while mature microbial mats can reach centimeter-scale thickness and display intricate vertical organization. Their structural and functional heterogeneity allows microorganisms to occupy distinct ecological niches within a few...
01:24Freshwater Microbial Ecology
Freshwater systems such as streams, rivers, and lakes exhibit distinct physical and biological characteristics that influence their microbial communities. These environments are broadly categorized into lotic systems—those with flowing waters like streams and most rivers—and lentic systems, which include still or slow-moving waters such as lakes, ponds, and marshes.In lentic systems, phytoplankton drive primary production, generating autochthonous organic carbon. In contrast, lotic systems...
01:25Microbial Bioremediation of Uranium
Microorganisms play a critical role in the transformation and immobilization of uranium in contaminated environments through four main pathways: bioreduction, biosorption, bioaccumulation, and biomineralization. These mechanisms reduce uranium’s toxicity and prevent its migration through groundwater systems, offering sustainable approaches for in situ bioremediation.Bioreduction of UraniumBioreduction is driven by anaerobic bacteria such as certain strains of Geobacter and Shewanella, which use...
01:26Microbial Bioremediation of Hydrocarbons
Bioremediation is an environmentally sustainable process that employs living organisms—primarily microorganisms—to degrade or neutralize pollutants from contaminated environments. In oil spills and hydrocarbon pollution, bioremediation involves the use of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria to transform toxic compounds into less harmful substances. This approach leverages natural microbial metabolic processes and is considered both cost-effective and ecologically favorable compared to physical or...
01:27Microbial Leaching
Microbial leaching, also known as bioleaching, is an environmentally favorable method for extracting metals from low-grade ores using specific microorganisms. This biotechnological approach is particularly valuable for mining operations targeting copper, gold, and uranium, where traditional extraction methods may be economically or environmentally impractical.Copper Leaching and Microbial CatalysisIn copper bioleaching, crushed ore is arranged into heaps and irrigated with a dilute sulfuric...