Örverubíóta Peltigera fléttna: skimun erfðamengjasafns, stýrð einangrun og líflandafræði / The Peltigera microbiome: metagenomic analysis, targeted cultivation and biogeography - verkefnislok
Fréttatilkynning verkefnisstjóra
This project aimed to characterize the non-phototrophic microbiota of lichens, in particular that of the membranous dog lichen, Peltigera membranacea, and elucidate some of the roles the constituent bacteria play in the symbiotic association.
Although lichens are generally described as the symbiotic association of a fungus and an alga or cyanobacterium, species-specific communitites of other endolichenic bacteria, typically dominated by Proteobacteria, can also be found within the symbiosis.
This project aimed to characterize the non-phototrophic microbiota of lichens, in particular that of the membranous dog lichen, Peltigera membranacea, and elucidate some of the roles the constituent bacteria play in the symbiotic association. Lichen thalli from the foliose, terricolous lichen Peltigera membranacea were investigated using culture-independent techniques, as well as characterization of cultured isolates. Taxonomically, the majority of the bacterial associates were found to belong to the Alphaproteobacteria, although members of Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobia are also present.
Heiti verkefnis: Örverubíóta Peltigera fléttna: skimun erfðamengjasafns, stýrð einangrun og líflandafræði / The Peltigera microbiome: metagenomic analysis, targeted cultivation and biogeography
Verkefnisstjóri: Oddur Vilhelmsson, Háskólanum á Akureyri
Tegund styrks: Verkefnisstyrkur
Styrkár: 2012-2014
Fjárhæð styrks: 18,265 millj. kr.
Tilvísunarnúmer Rannís: 12022002
The metagenome yielded multiple hits on several genes involved in lichen secondary metabolite resistance, inorganic phosphate mobilization, biopolymer degradation and several other potentially important functions in thallus colonization and symbiosis. Bacterial strains isolated from
P. membranacea thalli were found to display several hydrolytic activities, as well as inorganic phosphate mobilization and nitrogen fixation activities. Scavenging of organic nutrients may also constitute an important role for
Peltigera-associated bacteria, with many of the strains producing strong biosurfactants and being able to degrade naphthalene.
These and other results from the project have been the subject of the following publications:
1. Grube, M., Berg, G., Andrésson, Ó. S., Vilhelmsson, O., Dyer, P. S. and Miao, V. (2013) Lichen genomics: prospects and progress. In Ecological Genomics of Fungi (Ed.: Francis Martin), pp. 191-212. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, UK. ISBN: 978-1-119-94610-6.
2. Sigurbjörnsdóttir, M. A., Andrésson, Ó. S., and Vilhelmsson, O. (2015) Analysis of the Peltigera membranacea metagenome indicates that lichen-associated bacteria are involved in phosphate solubilization. Microbiology 161, 989-996. doi: 10.1099/mic.0.000069.
3. Sigurbjörnsdóttir, M. A., and Vilhelmsson, O. (SUBMITTED) Culturable phosphate-mobilizing, biosurfactant-producing and biodegradative bacteria associated with a sub-Arctic, terricolous lichen, Peltigera membranacea. Submitted to FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. November 24th, 2015.
4. Vilhelmsson, O., Sigurbjörnsdóttir, M. A., Grube, M., and Höfte, M. (IN PRESS) Are lichens potential natural reservoirs for plant pathogens? Accepted for publication in Mol. Plant Pathol. Nov. 11th, 2015.
5. Sigurbjörnsdóttir, M. A., Andrésson, Ó. S., and Vilhelmsson, O. (SUBMITTED) Nutrient scavenging activity and antagonistic factors of non-photobiont lichen-associated bacteria. Submitted, as commissioned by the editor, to World J. Microbiol. Biotechnol. December 8th, 2015.
The project has also been presented at the following conferences, workshops and invited talks:
1. Sigurbjörnsdóttir, M. A., Friðjónsdóttir, H. B., Þorsteinsdóttir, G. V., and Vilhelmsson, O. (2015) Treasure tundra – Bioprospecting lichens, highland desert soils, and glacial river water for cold-active bioremediators. Líffræðiráðstefnan. Reykjavík. 5-7 November 2015.
2. Sigurbjörnsdóttir, M. A., Friðjónsdóttir, H. B., Þorsteinsdóttir, G. V., and Vilhelmsson, O. (2015) Naphthalene-degrading bacteria associated with terricolous lichens in Iceland. 6 th International Conference on Polar and Alpine Microbiology. České Budějovice, Czech Republic. 6-10 September 2015.
3. Vilhelmsson, O. (2015) Are lichens natural reservoirs for plant pathogens? 9 th International Conference on Pseudomonas syringae and related pathogens. Málaga, Spain. 2-5 June 2015.
4. Vilhelmsson, O. (2015) Treasure tundra: Bioprospecting unusual Arctic biotopes for cold-active biodegraders . Invited lecture at the School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading. 28 May 2015.
5. Sigurbjörnsdóttir, M. A., Vilhelmsson, O. (2015) Pseudomonas syringae and other plant pathogens in lichen-associated microbiomes. 9 th International Conference on Pseudomonas syringae and related pathogens. Málaga, Spain. 2-5 June 2015.
6. Vilhelmsson, O. (2014) Endolichenic actinomycetes and their role in the lichen symbiotic association. 17 th International Symposium on the Biology of Actinomycetes. Kusadasi, Turkey. 8-12 October 2014.
7. Vilhelmsson, O. (2014) The Peltigera membranacea metagenome suggests nutrient scavenging roles for endolichenic Proteobacteria. The 10 th International Mycological Congress. Bangkok, Thailand. 3-8 August 2014.
8. Sigurbjörnsdóttir, M. A., Andrésson, Ó. S., Vilhelmsson, O. (2014) Endolichenic actinomycetes and their role in the lichen symbiotic association. Society for General Microbiology Annual Conference 2014. Liverpool, U.K. 14-17 April 2014.
9. Vilhelmsson, O. (2013) Endolichenic bacteria – metagenomic and phenotypic analysis. Invited lecture at the School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading. 29 November 2013.
10. Sigurbjörnsdóttir, M. A., Friðjónsdóttir, H. B., Andrésson, Ó. S. and Vilhelmsson, O. (2013) Endolichenic Proteobacteria and their roles in Arctic lichen symbiotic associations. 5 th International Conference on Polar and Alpine Microbiology. Big Sky, Montana. 8-12 September 2013.
11. Sigurbjörnsdóttir, M. A., Jónsdóttir, A. R., Snæbjarnarson, V., Grube, M., Andrésson, Ó. S. and Vilhelmsson, O. (2013) Greining ljósóháðra sambýlisbaktería Peltigera fléttna. Vorþing Örverufræðifélags Íslands. Reykjavík. 6 March, 2013.
