Comparative analysis of bacterial diversity in clouds and aerosols

Peguilhan, R.; Rossi, Florent; Rué, Olivier; Joly, Muriel; Amato, Pierre

doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2023.119635

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Nevertheless, given the large number of potential explanatory variables involved respect to the limited number of samples assessed, it would be highly hazardous to try explaining the variability observed between sampling dates, so such attempt is not proposed. A more complete assessment of the extended dataset in relation to environmental variables can be found in Péguilhan et al (2023).…”

Section: Replicate Sampling Allows Statisticsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental and methodological framework for the assessment of nucleic acids in airborne microorganisms

Péguilhan,

Rossi,

Rué

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Studying airborne microorganisms is highly challenging due to ultra-low and spread biomass, and great spatial and temporal variabilities at short scales. Aeromicrobiology is still an emerging discipline of environmental microbiology, and some of the basic practices (replication, control of contaminants,etc) are not yet widely adopted, which potentially limits conclusions. Here we aim at evaluating the benefits of such practices in the study of the aeromicrobiome using molecular-based approaches, and recommend the following: (i) sample at high airflow rate, if possible into a fixative agent, in order to be able to capture specific situations ; (ii) replicate sampling and process samples individually to enable statistical analyses ; (iii) check for contaminants at different steps of the analytical process, and account for their potential stochasticity in sequence decontamination methods ; (iv) include internal references to verify qualitative and quantitative aspects of the data, and (v) eventually investigate multiple analytical procedures to identify potential impacts on the data. In our study, samples were collected at a remote mountain site using high-flow rate impingers collecting airborne material into nucleic acid preservation buffer. As high of ∼75% of the sequences were shared between independent triplicates, gathering 28 to 38% of the richness observed at the ASV level at a given sampling date, which also emphasizes spatial heterogeneity at short scale due to rare taxa. Thanks to replicates, daily variations in the diversity of bacteria could be distinguished statistically, and the inevitable presence of contaminating sequences in controls could be accounted for using established statistical methods. This work opens new perspectives and notably paves the way to untargeted molecular methods in the exploration of aeromicrobiome’s composition and functioning.Graphical abstract

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Section: Replicate Sampling Allows Statisticsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental and methodological framework for the assessment of nucleic acids in airborne microorganisms

Péguilhan,

Rossi,

Rué

et al. 2023

Preprint

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“…), often covered by clouds, we carried out a comparative analysis of the functioning of the natural aeromicrobiome in cloudy and clear atmospheres. This, to our knowledge, is unprecedented and required many experimental and analytical developments (28,(35)(36)(37). Various atmospheric conditions were assessed through a combined untargeted metagenomics/metatranscriptomics approach to reveal differences linked to the presence of clouds (see Table 1 for information on sample acquisition and Supplementary text for details on the methods).…”

Section: A New Approach To Addressing the Guiding Questionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Clouds, oases for airborne microbes – Differential metagenomics/ metatranscriptomics analyses of cloudy and clear atmospheric situations

Péguilhan,

Rossi,

Joly

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Bacteria cells and fungal spores can aerosolize and remain suspended in the atmosphere for several days, exposed to water limitation, oxidation, and lack of nutrients. Using comparative metagenomics/metatranscriptomics, we show that clouds are associated with the activation of numerous metabolic functions in airborne microorganisms, including fungal spore germination. The whole phenomenon mirrors the rapid recovery of microbial activity in soils after rewetting by rain, known as the “Birch effect”. Insufficient nutrient resources in cloud droplets cause a famine that recycling cellular structures could alleviate. The recovery of metabolic activity by microorganisms in clouds could favor surface invasion upon deposition, but it may also compromise further survival upon cloud evaporation. In any case, clouds appear as floating biologically active aquatic systems.One-Sentence SummaryClouds activate metabolic processes in airborne microorganisms

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“…Extreme conditions such as high/low temperatures, high hydrostatic pressures, high salt concentration or high/low pH values define different types of extreme environments, suitable for extremophilic microorganisms [5]. The atmosphere, despite being the largest biome on Earth, remains one of the least understood environments in terms of microbial activity [6]. Due to radiation and temperature changes, it is one of the most extreme environments described so far.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microorganisms Isolated from Saharan Dust Intrusions in the Canary Islands and Processes of Mineral Atmospherogenesis

Navarro,

del Moral,

de Pablos

et al. 2024

Applied Sciences

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Global warming due to climate change has increased the frequency of sand and dust storms that affect air quality and ecosystems in general, contributing to air pollution. The Sahara Desert is the most potent emitter of atmospheric dust. The atmosphere is an extreme environment and microorganisms living in the troposphere are exposed to greater ultraviolet radiation, desiccation, low temperatures and nutrient deprivation than in other habitats. The Iberian Peninsula, and specifically the Canary Islands—due to its strategic location—is one of the regions that receive more Saharan dust particles annually, increasing year after year, although culturable microorganisms had previously never been described. In the present work, dust samples were collected from three calima events in the Canary Islands between 2021 and 2022. The sizes, mineralogical compositions and chemical compositions of dust particles were determined by laser diffraction, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. Particle morphology and biological features were also studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The mineral–bacteria interactions were described from microscopic observations, which revealed the presence of iberulites and small neoformed kaolinite crystals in association with bacteria. This article defines the term “mineral atmospherogenesis” and its variant, “mineral bioatmospherogenesis”, through microbial interaction. This is the first described case of kaolinite produced through mineral bioatmospherogenesis. The bacterial growth in atmospheric dust was illustrated in SEM images, constituting a novel finding. Twenty-three culturable microorganisms were isolated and identified by 16S rRNA sequencing. Members of the phyla Pseudomonadota, Bacillota and Actinomycetota have been found. Some of these microorganisms, such as Peribacillus frigoritolerans, have Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) properties. Potential human pathogenic bacteria such as Acinetobacter lwoffii were also found. The presence of desert dust and iberulites in the Canary Islands, together with transported biological components such as bacteria, could have a significant impact on the ecosystem and human health.

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Comparative analysis of bacterial diversity in clouds and aerosols

Cited by 4 publications

References 48 publications

Experimental and methodological framework for the assessment of nucleic acids in airborne microorganisms

Experimental and methodological framework for the assessment of nucleic acids in airborne microorganisms

Clouds, oases for airborne microbes – Differential metagenomics/ metatranscriptomics analyses of cloudy and clear atmospheric situations

Microorganisms Isolated from Saharan Dust Intrusions in the Canary Islands and Processes of Mineral Atmospherogenesis

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