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At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources
USGS2013

Comparison of filters for concentrating microbial indicators and pathogens in lake-water samples

Bacterial indicators are used to indicate increased health risk from pathogens and to make beach closure and advisory decisions; however, beaches are seldom monitored for the pathogens themselves. Studies of sources and types of pathogens at beaches are needed to improve estimates of swimming-associated health risks. It would be advantageous and cost-effective, especially for studies conducted on a regional scale, to use a method that can simultaneously filter and concentrate all classes of pathogens from the large volumes of water needed to detect pathogens. In seven recovery experiments, stock cultures of viruses and protozoa were seeded into 10-liter lake water samples, and concentrations of naturally occurring bacterial indicators were used to determine recoveries. For the five filtration methods tested, the highest median recoveries were as follows: glass wool for adenovirus (4.7%); NanoCeram for enterovirus (14.5%) and MS2 coliphage (84%); continuous-flow centrifugation (CFC) plus Virocap (CFC+ViroCap) for Escherichia coli (68.3%) and Cryptosporidium (54%); automatic ultrafiltration (UF) for norovirus GII (2.4%); and dead-end UF for Enterococcus faecalis (80.5%), avian influenza virus (0.02%), and Giardia (57%). In evaluating filter performance in terms of both recovery and variability, the automatic UF resulted in the highest recovery while maintaining low variability for all nine microorganisms. The automatic UF was used to demonstrate that filtration can be scaled up to field deployment and the collection of 200-liter lake water samples.

Michigan, New York, Ohio, Wisconsin↗
USGS1988

Microbial hydroxylation of quinoline in contaminated groundwater: evidence for incorporation of the oxygen atom of water.

Studies conducted in an aquifer contaminated by creosote suggest that quinoline is converted to 2(1H)quinolinone by an indigenous consortium of microorganisms. Laboratory microbial experiments using H 2 18 O indicate that water is the source of the oxygen atom for this hydroxylation reaction under aerobic and anaerobic conditions.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology↗
USGS1989

Hydrogen and formate oxidation coupled to dissimilatory reduction of iron or manganese by Alteromonas putrefaciens

The ability of Alteromonas putrefaciens to obtain energy for growth by coupling the oxidation of various electron donors to dissimilatory Fe(III) or Mn(IV) reduction was investigated. A. putrefaciens grew with hydrogen, formate, lactate, or pyruvate as the sole electron donor and Fe(III) as the sole electron acceptor. Lactate and pyruvate were oxidized to acetate, which was not metabolized further. With Fe(III) as the electron acceptor, A. putrefaciens had a high affinity for hydrogen and formate and metabolized hydrogen at partial pressures that were 25-fold lower than those of hydrogen that can be metabolized by pure cultures of sulfate reducers or methanogens. The electron donors for Fe(III) reduction also supported Mn(IV) reduction. The electron donors for Fe(III) and Mn(IV) reduction and the inability of A. putrefaciens to completely oxidize multicarbon substrates to carbon dioxide distinguish A. putrefaciens from GS-15, the only other organism that is known to obtain energy for growth by coupling the oxidation of organic compounds to the reduction of Fe(III) or Mn(IV). The ability of A. putrefaciens to reduce large quantities of Fe(III) and to grow in a defined medium distinguishes it from a Pseudomonas sp., which is the only other known hydrogen-oxidizing, Fe(III)-reducing microorganism. Furthermore, A. putrefaciens is the first organism that is known to grow with hydrogen as the electron donor and Mn(IV) as the electron acceptor and is the first organism that is known to couple the oxidation of formate to the reduction of Fe(III) or Mn(IV). Thus, A. putrefaciens provides a much needed microbial model for key reactions in the oxidation of sediment organic matter coupled to Fe(III) and Mn(IV) reduction.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology↗
USGS1991

Electron transport in the dissimilatory iron reducer, GS-15

Mechanisms for electron transport to Fe(III) were investigated in GS-15, a novel anaerobic microorganism which can obtain energy for growth hy coupling the complete oxidation of organic acids or aromatic compounds to the reduction of Fe(III) to Fe(II). The results indicate that Fe(III) reduction proceeds through a type b cytochrome and a membrane-bound Fe(III) reductase which is distinct from the nitrate reductase.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology↗
USGS1994

Microbial transformation of nitroaromatics in surface soils and aquifer materials

Microorganisms indigenous to surface soils and aquifer materials collected at a munitions-contaminated site transformed 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT), and 2,6-dinitrotoluene (2,6-DNT) to amino-nitro intermediates within 20 to 70 days. Carbon mineralization studies with both unlabeled (TNT, 2,4-DNT, and 2,6-DNT) and radiolabeled ([ 14 C]TNT) substrates indicated that a significant fraction of these source compounds was degraded to CO 2 .

Missouri↗
USGS1995

Analysis of factors affecting the accuracy, reproducibility, and interpretation of microbial community carbon source utilization patterns

We determined factors that affect responses of bacterial isolates and model bacterial communities to the 95 carbon substrates in Biolog microliter plates. For isolates and communities of three to six bacterial strains, substrate oxidation rates were typically nonlinear and were delayed by dilution of the inoculum. When inoculum density was controlled, patterns of positive and negative responses exhibited by microbial communities to each of the carbon sources were reproducible. Rates and extents of substrate oxidation by the communities were also reproducible but were not simply the sum of those exhibited by community members when tested separately. Replicates of the same model community clustered when analyzed by principal- components analysis (PCA), and model communities with different compositions were clearly separated un the first PCA axis, which accounted for >60% of the dataset variation. PCA discrimination among different model communities depended on the extent to which specific substrates were oxidized. However, the substrates interpreted by PCA to be most significant in distinguishing the communities changed with reading time, reflecting the nonlinearity of substrate oxidation rates. Although whole-community substrate utilization profiles were reproducible signatures for a given community, the extent of oxidation of specific substrates and the numbers or activities of microorganisms using those substrates in a given community were not correlated. Replicate soil samples varied significantly in the rate and extent of oxidation of seven tested substrates, suggesting microscale heterogeneity in composition of the soil microbial community.

Michigan↗
USGS1996

Microbial degradation of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (CHCl2F and CHCl2CF3) in soils and sediments

The ability of microorganisms to degrade trace levels of the hydrochlorofluorocarbons HCFC-21 and HCFC-123 was investigated. Methanotroph- linked oxidation of HCFC-21 was observed in aerobic soils, and anaerobic degradation of HCFC-21 occurred in freshwater and salt marsh sediments. Microbial degradation of HCFC-123 was observed in anoxic freshwater and salt marsh sediments, and the recovery of 1,1,1-trifluoro-2-chloroethane indicated the involvement of reductive dechlorination. No degradation of HCFC-123 was observed in aerobic soils. In same experiments, HCFCs were degraded at low (parts per billion) concentrations, raising the possibility that bacteria in nature remove HCFCs from the atmosphere.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology↗
USGS1967

Biodegradation of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane: Intermediates in dichlorodiphenylacetic acid metabolism by Aerobacter aerogenes

The final product of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) degradation by vertebrates is commonly considered to be dichlorodiphenylacetic acid, DDA (J. E. Peterson and W. H. Robison, Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 6:321, 1964). Recently, certain organisms (A. S. Perry, S. Miller, and A. J. Buckner. J. Agr. Food Chem. 11:457, 1963; J. D. Pinto, M. N. Comien, and M. S. Dunn. J. Biol. Chem. 240:2148, 1965) have been found to degrade further DDA to dichlorobenzophenone (DBP), but the possibility that such degradation was due to microbial action could not be excluded. Significantly, dichlorobenzhydrol (DBH), dichlorophenylmethane (DPM), and dichlorodiphenylethylene (DDE) have been tentatively identified in rats fed DDA (Pinto et al., J. Biol. Chem. 240:2148, 1965). Since DDA as well as DDT is degraded by the ubiquitous microorganism Aerobacter aerogenes (G. Wedemeyer, Appl. Microbiol. 15:569, 1967; J. L. Mendel, and M. S. Walton, Science 151:1527, 1966), it seemed reasonable that the intestinal microflora might be involved in DBP formation, DPM and DBH being intermediates in its pathway from DDA. Since DDA is a (3,y-unsaturated acid, ketone formation via an alkene and an alcohol would be expected (S. G. Waley, Mechanisms of Organic and Enzymatic Reactions, Oxford University Press, London, England 1962).

Applied Microbiology↗
USGS2021

Acetylene-fueled trichloroethene reductive dechlorination in a groundwater enrichment culture

In aquifers, acetylene (C 2 H 2 ) is a product of abiotic degradation of trichloroethene (TCE) catalyzed by in situ minerals. C 2 H 2 can, in turn, inhibit multiple microbial processes including TCE dechlorination and metabolisms that commonly support dechlorination, in addition to supporting the growth of acetylenotrophic microorganisms. Previously, C 2 H 2 was shown to support TCE reductive dechlorination in synthetic, laboratory-constructed cocultures containing the acetylenotroph Pelobacter sp. strain SFB93 and Dehalococcoides mccartyi strain 195 or strain BAV1. In this study, we demonstrate TCE and perchloroethene (PCE) reductive dechlorination by a microbial community enriched from contaminated groundwater and amended with C 2 H 2 as the sole electron donor and organic carbon source. The metagenome of the stable, enriched community was analyzed to elucidate putative community functions. A novel anaerobic acetylenotroph in the phylum Actinobacteria was identified using metagenomic analysis. These results demonstrate that the coupling of acetylenotrophy and reductive dechlorination can occur in the environment with native bacteria and broaden our understanding of biotransformation at contaminated sites containing both TCE and C 2 H 2 .

mBio↗
USGS1966

Tropical lakes, copropel, and oil shale

During a long-continued study of the lacustrine beds of the Eocene Green River Formation, I have tried to interpret past events from observation of present-day processes. After a search of some 40 years, four lakes have been found that are producing a kind of organic ooze judged to be a modern analogue of the precursors of rich oil shale. Two of the lakes are in central Africa and two are in Florida. All four are shallow. The ooze in all four is predominantly algal, entirely in the form of minute fecal pellets, and does not decay in warm, wet, oxidizing environments. Several of the most unusual, mummified microorganisms found in the oil shale of the Green River are illustrated as testament to the inference that the Eocene organic oozes also were resistant to decay. Studies to determine why these algal oozes do not decay are in progress, but as yet no satisfactory explanation is available. The ooze from Mud Lake, Florida, contains very few living bacteria but a great many bacterial spores, suggesting some active inhibitor. Gentle and slow anaerobic decay takes place in the ooze 1 foot or more below the mud-water interface. The algal ooze accumulates slowly. That at a depth of 3 feet below the mud-water interface has a C 14 age of 2280 ± 200 years. If compacted, this 3-foot layer would amount to a layer only about 0.5 inch thick. The air-dried algal mud (from Mud Lake) looks much like oil shale and has a C-H ratio essentially like that of the organic matter in oil shale. The oxygen of the mud, however, is roughly 5 times as high as in oil shale. The calorific value of dried Mud Lake algal ooze is about 6600 cal/g, whereas the organic matter from Green River oil shale averages about 9500 cal/g. Analyses show that the dried algal ooze from Mud Lake contains small quantities of higher fatty acids (C 12 –C 34 ), with C 16 being dominant. It also contains some unsaturated fatty acids and about 0.3 per cent of n-alkanes, predominantly odd carbons, with C 29 being dominant. A few qualitative analyses show that carotenoid pigments and terpenes are also present. A possible source of hydrocarbons is the long branched side chain of the chlorophyll molecule. Small crustaceans liberate this in the form of phytol, which, by dehydration, can go over into a series of saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons, including phytanc and pristane, both of which are common in Green River oil shale. Search for other precursors of hydrocarbons continues.

GSA Bulletin↗
USGS1973

Oil shale formed in desert environment: Green River Formation, Wyoming

The oil shale beds of the Wilkins Peak Member of the Green River Formation differ from most of the Green River oil shale of Colorado and Utah because very few of them have varves; they have numerous mud cracks and, locally, desiccation breccias. Many have a copropelic microstructure and contain labial plates and skin fragments of chironomid larvae. Microfossils of some of these oil shale beds include such normally perishable things as first instar midge larvae, a single spiral chloroplast of a green alga, and sporangia of aquatic fungi. Taken together, these features indicate that the oil shale originated from algal ooze that formed on the bottom of very shallow, spring-fed lakes. The algae (dominantly blue-greens) were not planktonic but grew on, and in, the flocculent ooze. At intervals, perhaps tens to hundreds of years, the lake levels fell enough to expose the algal ooze to the air and partial drying. In the resulting rubbery organic gel, the most delicate microorganisms were heat-fixed and thereby preserved as “mummified” tissue.

Wyoming↗
USGS1985

Carbonate concretions: an ideal sedimentary host for microfossils

Microfossils extracted from carbonate concretions tend to be better preserved, more abundant and diverse, and more likely to retain delicate and fragile structures than those extracted from the surrounding rocks. Enhanced preservation correlates with early diagenetic concretion formation at or near the sediment-water interface and with higher carbonate, organic material, and metallic cation content than in surrounding rocks. Early diagenetic growth is inferred by diverging sedimentary laminations and small-scale sedimentary structures in fossiliferous carbonate concretions. High initial concentrations of microorganisms or fecal pellets may commonly be responsible for incipient carbonate-concretion growth. Excellent preservation is demonstrated by radiolarians and palynomorphs extracted from a carbonate concretion from the Middle Jurassic Shelikof Formation, southern Alaska.

Geology↗
USGS2011

Utah's geologic and geomorphic analogs to Mars—An overview for planetary exploration

Utah offers spectacular geologic features and valuable analog environments and processes for Mars studies. Horizontal strata of the Colorado Plateau are analogous to Mars because the overprint of plate tectonics is minimal, yet the effects of strong ground motion from earthquakes or impacts are preserved in the sedimentary record. The close proximity of analog environments and lack of vegetative cover are advantages for field and remote-sensing studies. Dry, desert climate and modern wind processes of Utah are comparable to Mars and its current surface. Analogs in Utah include eolian, sabkha and saline bodies, glacial, lacustrine, spring, alluvial, fluvial, delta, and outflow channel depositional environments, as well as volcanic landforms and impact craters. Analogous secondary processes producing modification features include: diagenetic concretions, weathering and soils, sinkholes, sapping, knobs and pinnacles, crusts and varnish, and patterned grounds. Utah's physical and chemical environments are analogous to conditions on Mars where water existed and could support microorganisms. The development of Mars includes: ancient and modern depositional records, burial and diagenesis, uplift and tectonic alteration, and modern sculpting or weathering of the surface exposures. Recent satellite images are providing unprecedented details that rival the outcrop scale. Analogs in Utah are prime field localities that can be utilized in planning future robotic and human missions to Mars, and for teaching the next generation of planetary explorers.

Utah↗
USGS2004

Microbial precipitation of dolomite in methanogenic groundwater

We report low-temperature microbial precipitation of dolomite in dilute natural waters from both field and laboratory experiments. In a freshwater aquifer, microorganisms colonize basalt and nucleate nonstoichiometric dolomite on cell walls. In the laboratory, ordered dolomite formed at near-equilibrium conditions from groundwater with molar Mg:Ca ratios of <1; dolomite was absent in sterile experiments. Geochemical and microbiological data suggest that methanogens are the dominant metabolic guild in this system and are integral to dolomite precipitation. We hypothesize that the attached microbial consortium reacts with the basalt surface, releasing Mg and Ca into solution, which drives dolomite precipitation via nucleation on the cell wall. These findings provide insight into the long-standing dolomite problem and suggest a fundamental role for microbial processes in the formation of dolomite across a wide range of environmental conditions.

Geology↗
USGS2012

Climate change and climate systems influence and control the atmospheric dispersion of desert dust: implications for human health

The global dispersion of desert dust through Earth&rsquo;s atmosphere is greatly influenced by temperature. Temporal analyses of ice core data have demonstrated that enhanced dust dispersion occurs during glacial events. This is due to an increase in ice cover, which results in an increase in drier terrestrial cover. A shorter temporal analysis of dust dispersion data over the last 40 years has demonstrated an increase in dust transport. Climate systems or events such as the North Atlantic Oscillation, the Indian Ocean subtropical High, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, and El Nino-Sothern Oscillation are known to influence global short-term dust dispersion occurrence and transport routes. Anthropogenic influences on dust transport include deforestation, harmful use of topsoil for agriculture as observed during the American Dust Bowl period, and the creation of dry seas (Aral Sea) and lakes (Lake Owens in California and Lake Chad in North Africa) through the diversion of source waters (for irrigation and drinking water supplies). Constituents of desert dust both from source regions (pathogenic microorganisms, organic and inorganic toxins) and those scavenged through atmospheric transport (i.e., industrial and agricultural emissions) are known to directly impact human and ecosystem health. This presentation will present a review of global scale dust storms and how these events can be both a detriment and benefit to various organisms in downwind environments.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2006

Detection and quantification of Renibacterium salmoninarum DNA in salmonid tissues by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis

Renibacterium salmoninarum is an important salmonid pathogen that is difficult to culture. We developed and assessed a real-time, quantitative, polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay for the detection and enumeration of R. salmoninarum. The qPCR is based on TaqMan technology and amplifies a 69-base pair (bp) region of the gene encoding the major soluble antigen (MSA) of R. salmoninarum. The qPCR assay consistently detected as few as 5 R. salmoninarum cells per reaction in kidney tissue. The specificity of the qPCR was confirmed by testing the DNA extracts from a panel of microorganisms that were either common fish pathogens or reported to cause false-positive reactions in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Kidney samples from 38 juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in a naturally infected population were examined by real-time qPCR, a nested PCR, and ELISA, and prevalences of R. salmoninarum detected were 71, 66, and 71%, respectively. The qPCR should be a valuable tool for evaluating the R. salmoninarum infection status of salmonids.

Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation↗
USGS2009

Symbiotic lifestyle expression by fungal endophytes and the adaptation of plants to stress: unraveling the complexities of intimacy

The fossil record indicates that fungal symbionts have been associated with plants since the Ordovician period (approximately 400 million years ago), when plants first became established on land (Pirozynski and Malloch, 1975; Redecker et al., 2000; Remy et al., 1994; Simon et al., 1993). Transitioning from aquatic to terrestrial habitats likely presented plants with new stresses, including periods of desiccation. Since symbiotic fungi are known to confer drought tolerance to plants (Bacon, 1993; Read and Camp, 1986), it has been suggested that fungal symbiosis was involved with or responsible for the establishment of land plants (Pirozynski and Malloch, 1975). Symbiosis was first defined by De Bary in 1879, and since that time, all plants in natural ecosystems have been found to be colonized with fungal and bacterial symbionts. It is clear that individual plants represent symbiotic communities with microorganisms associated in or on tissues below- and aboveground. There are two major classes of fungal symbionts associated with internal plant tissues: fungal endophytes that reside entirely within plants and may be associated with roots, stems leaves, or flowers; and mycorrhizal fungi that reside only in roots but extend out into the rhizosphere. In addition, fungal endophytes may be divided into two classes: (1) a relatively small number of fastidious species that are limited to a few monocot hosts (Clay and Schardl, 2002), and (2) a large number of tractable species with broad host ranges, including both monocots and eudicots (Stone et al., 2000). While significant resources and research have been invested in mycorrhizae and class 1 endophytes, comparatively little is known about class 2 endophytes, which may represent the largest group of fungal symbionts. This is partially because the symbiotic functionalities of class 2 endophytes have only recently been elucidated and shown to be responsible for the adaptation of some plants to high-stress environments (Redman et al., 1999, 2001, 2002a; Arnold et al., 2003; Dingle and McGee, 2003; Ernst et al., 2003). In this chapter, we focus on symbiotic interactions between class 2 endophytes and a variety of monocot and eudicot host species. Specifically, we will discuss the ability of endophytes to express more than one symbiotic lifestyle, fungal taxonomy vs. lifestyle expression, the adaptive nature of symbioses, mechanisms of symbiotically conferred stress tolerance, and the evolutionary implications of adaptive symbiosis. We will refer to class 2 endophytes as fungal endophytes throughout the text.

Book chapter↗
USGS2015

Geomicrobial interactions with arsenic and antimony

Although arsenic and antimony are generally toxic to life, some microorganisms exist that can metabolize certain forms of these elements. Some can use arsenite or stibnite as potential or sole energy sources, whereas others can use aresenate and antimonite (as was discovered only recently) as terminal electron acceptors. Still other microbes can metabolize arsenic and antimony compounds to detoxify them. These reactions are important from a geomicrobial standpoint because they indicate that a number of microbes contribute to arsenic and antimony mobilization or immobilization in the environment and play a role in arsenic and antimony cycles. Recent reviews include five on prokaryotes and arsenic metabolism, a review with an arsenic perspective on biomining, and a series on environmental antimony, including one about antimony and its interaction with microbiota.

Book chapter↗