@article {413, title = {Microbial functional gene diversity with a shift of subsurface redox conditions during In Situ uranium reduction.}, journal = {Appl Environ Microbiol}, volume = {78}, year = {2012}, month = {2012 Apr}, pages = {2966-72}, abstract = {To better understand the microbial functional diversity changes with subsurface redox conditions during in situ uranium bioremediation, key functional genes were studied with GeoChip, a comprehensive functional gene microarray, in field experiments at a uranium mill tailings remedial action (UMTRA) site (Rifle, CO). The results indicated that functional microbial communities altered with a shift in the dominant metabolic process, as documented by hierarchical cluster and ordination analyses of all detected functional genes. The abundance of dsrAB genes (dissimilatory sulfite reductase genes) and methane generation-related mcr genes (methyl coenzyme M reductase coding genes) increased when redox conditions shifted from Fe-reducing to sulfate-reducing conditions. The cytochrome genes detected were primarily from Geobacter sp. and decreased with lower subsurface redox conditions. Statistical analysis of environmental parameters and functional genes indicated that acetate, U(VI), and redox potential (E(h)) were the most significant geochemical variables linked to microbial functional gene structures, and changes in microbial functional diversity were strongly related to the dominant terminal electron-accepting process following acetate addition. The study indicates that the microbial functional genes clearly reflect the in situ redox conditions and the dominant microbial processes, which in turn influence uranium bioreduction. Microbial functional genes thus could be very useful for tracking microbial community structure and dynamics during bioremediation.}, keywords = {Biodegradation, Environmental, Biota, Environmental Microbiology, Environmental Pollutants, Genetic Variation, Microarray Analysis, Oxidation-Reduction, Uranium}, issn = {1098-5336}, doi = {10.1128/AEM.06528-11}, author = {Liang, Yuting and Van Nostrand, Joy D and N{\textquoteright}guessan, Lucie A and Peacock, Aaron D and Deng, Ye and Long, Philip E and Resch, C Tom and Wu, Liyou and He, Zhili and Li, Guanghe and Hazen, Terry C and Lovley, Derek R and Zhou, Jizhong} } @article {444, title = {Expression of acetate permease-like (apl ) genes in subsurface communities of Geobacter species under fluctuating acetate concentrations.}, journal = {FEMS Microbiol Ecol}, volume = {73}, year = {2010}, month = {2010 Sep}, pages = {441-9}, abstract = {The addition of acetate to uranium-contaminated aquifers in order to stimulate the growth and activity of Geobacter species that reduce uranium is a promising in situ bioremediation option. Optimizing this bioremediation strategy requires that sufficient acetate be added to promote Geobacter species growth. We hypothesized that under acetate-limiting conditions, subsurface Geobacter species would increase the expression of either putative acetate symporters genes (aplI and aplII). Acetate was added to a uranium-contaminated aquifer (Rifle, CO) in two continuous amendments separated by 5 days of groundwater flush to create changing acetate concentrations. While the expression of aplI in monitoring well D04 (high acetate) weakly correlated with the acetate concentration over time, the transcript levels for this gene were relatively constant in well D08 (low acetate). At the lowest acetate concentrations during the groundwater flush, the transcript levels of aplII were the highest. The expression of aplII decreased 2-10-fold upon acetate reintroduction. However, the overall instability of acetate concentrations throughout the experiment could not support a robust conclusion regarding the role of apl genes in response to acetate limitation under field conditions, in contrast to previous chemostat studies, suggesting that the function of a microbial community cannot be inferred based on lab experiments alone.}, keywords = {Acetates, Bacterial Proteins, Biodegradation, Environmental, Fresh Water, Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial, Gene Library, Geobacter, Membrane Transport Proteins, Multigene Family, RNA, Bacterial, Uranium, Water Pollutants, Radioactive}, issn = {1574-6941}, doi = {10.1111/j.1574-6941.2010.00907.x}, author = {Elifantz, Hila and N{\textquoteright}guessan, Lucie A and Mouser, Paula J and Williams, Kenneth H and Wilkins, Michael J and Risso, Carla and Holmes, Dawn E and Long, Philip E and Lovley, Derek R} } @article {451, title = {Molecular analysis of phosphate limitation in Geobacteraceae during the bioremediation of a uranium-contaminated aquifer.}, journal = {ISME J}, volume = {4}, year = {2010}, month = {2010 Feb}, pages = {253-66}, abstract = {Nutrient limitation is an environmental stress that may reduce the effectiveness of bioremediation strategies, especially when the contaminants are organic compounds or when organic compounds are added to promote microbial activities such as metal reduction. Genes indicative of phosphate-limitation were identified by microarray analysis of chemostat cultures of Geobacter sulfureducens. This analysis revealed that genes in the pst-pho operon, which is associated with a high-affinity phosphate uptake system in other microorganisms, had significantly higher transcript abundance under phosphate-limiting conditions, with the genes pstB and phoU upregulated the most. Quantitative PCR analysis of pstB and phoU transcript levels in G. sulfurreducens grown in chemostats demonstrated that the expression of these genes increased when phosphate was removed from the culture medium. Transcripts of pstB and phoU within the subsurface Geobacter species predominating during an in situ uranium-bioremediation field experiment were more abundant than in chemostat cultures of G. sulfurreducens that were not limited for phosphate. Addition of phosphate to incubations of subsurface sediments did not stimulate dissimilatory metal reduction. The added phosphate was rapidly adsorbed onto the sediments. The results demonstrate that Geobacter species can effectively reduce U(VI) even when experiencing suboptimal phosphate concentrations and that increasing phosphate availability with phosphate additions is difficult to achieve because of the high reactivity of this compound. This transcript-based approach developed for diagnosing phosphate limitation should be applicable to assessing the potential need for additional phosphate in other bioremediation processes.}, keywords = {Biodegradation, Environmental, Fresh Water, Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial, Geobacter, Phosphates, Uranium, Water Pollutants}, issn = {1751-7370}, doi = {10.1038/ismej.2009.115}, author = {N{\textquoteright}guessan, Lucie A and Elifantz, Hila and Nevin, Kelly P and Mouser, Paula J and Meth{\'e}, Barbara and Woodard, Trevor L and Manley, Kimberly and Williams, Kenneth H and Wilkins, Michael J and Larsen, Joern T and Long, Philip E and Lovley, Derek R} } @article {459, title = {Influence of heterogeneous ammonium availability on bacterial community structure and the expression of nitrogen fixation and ammonium transporter genes during in situ bioremediation of uranium-contaminated groundwater.}, journal = {Environ Sci Technol}, volume = {43}, year = {2009}, month = {2009 Jun 15}, pages = {4386-92}, abstract = {The influence of ammonium availability on bacterial community structure and the physiological status of Geobacter species during in situ bioremediation of uranium-contaminated groundwater was evaluated. Ammonium concentrations varied by 2 orders of magnitude (< 4 to 400 microM) across th study site. Analysis of 16S rRNA sequences suggested that ammonium may have been one factor influencing the community composition prior to acetate amendment with Rhodoferax species predominating over Geobacter species with higher ammonium and Dechloromonas species dominating at the site with lowest ammonium. However, once acetate was added and dissimilatory metal reduction was stimulated, Geobacter species became the predominant organisms at all locations. Rates of U(VI) reduction appeared to be more related to acetate concentrations rather than ammonium levels. In situ mRNA transcript abundance of the nitrogen fixation gene, nifD, and the ammonium transporter gene, amtB, in Geobacter species indicated that ammonium was the primary source of nitrogen during uranium reduction. The abundance of amtB was inversely correlated to ammonium levels, whereas nifD transcript levels were similar across all sites examined. These results suggest that nifD and amtB expression are closely regulated in response to ammonium availability to ensure an adequate supply of nitrogen while conserving cell resources. Thus, quantifying nifD and amtB transcript expression appears to be a useful approach for monitoring the nitrogen-related physiological status of subsurface Geobacter species. This study also emphasizes the need for more detailed analysis of geochemical and physiological interactions at the field scale in order to adequately model subsurface microbial processes during bioremediation.}, keywords = {Carrier Proteins, DNA, Bacterial, Environmental Remediation, Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial, Gene Library, Geobacter, Nitrogen Fixation, Quaternary Ammonium Compounds, Time Factors, Uranium, Water, Water Pollutants, Radioactive}, issn = {0013-936X}, author = {Mouser, Paula J and N{\textquoteright}guessan, Lucie A and Elifantz, Hila and Holmes, Dawn E and Williams, Kenneth H and Wilkins, Michael J and Long, Philip E and Lovley, Derek R} } @article {457, title = {Proteogenomic monitoring of Geobacter physiology during stimulated uranium bioremediation.}, journal = {Appl Environ Microbiol}, volume = {75}, year = {2009}, month = {2009 Oct}, pages = {6591-9}, abstract = {Implementation of uranium bioremediation requires methods for monitoring the membership and activities of the subsurface microbial communities that are responsible for reduction of soluble U(VI) to insoluble U(IV). Here, we report a proteomics-based approach for simultaneously documenting the strain membership and microbial physiology of the dominant Geobacter community members during in situ acetate amendment of the U-contaminated Rifle, CO, aquifer. Three planktonic Geobacter-dominated samples were obtained from two wells down-gradient of acetate addition. Over 2,500 proteins from each of these samples were identified by matching liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry spectra to peptides predicted from seven isolate Geobacter genomes. Genome-specific peptides indicate early proliferation of multiple M21 and Geobacter bemidjiensis-like strains and later possible emergence of M21 and G. bemidjiensis-like strains more closely related to Geobacter lovleyi. Throughout biostimulation, the proteome is dominated by enzymes that convert acetate to acetyl-coenzyme A and pyruvate for central metabolism, while abundant peptides matching tricarboxylic acid cycle proteins and ATP synthase subunits were also detected, indicating the importance of energy generation during the period of rapid growth following the start of biostimulation. Evolving Geobacter strain composition may be linked to changes in protein abundance over the course of biostimulation and may reflect changes in metabolic functioning. Thus, metagenomics-independent community proteogenomics can be used to diagnose the status of the subsurface consortia upon which remediation biotechnology relies.}, keywords = {Amino Acid Sequence, Bacterial Proteins, Biodegradation, Environmental, Genomics, Geobacter, Molecular Sequence Data, Oxidation-Reduction, Peptide Mapping, Plankton, Proteomics, Uranium, Water Microbiology, Water Pollutants, Radioactive}, issn = {1098-5336}, doi = {10.1128/AEM.01064-09}, author = {Wilkins, Michael J and VerBerkmoes, Nathan C and Williams, Kenneth H and Callister, Stephen J and Mouser, Paula J and Elifantz, Hila and N{\textquoteright}guessan, Lucie A and Thomas, Brian C and Nicora, Carrie D and Shah, Manesh B and Abraham, Paul and Lipton, Mary S and Lovley, Derek R and Hettich, Robert L and Long, Philip E and Banfield, Jillian F} } @article {471, title = {Transcriptome of Geobacter uraniireducens growing in uranium-contaminated subsurface sediments.}, journal = {ISME J}, volume = {3}, year = {2009}, month = {2009 Feb}, pages = {216-30}, abstract = {To learn more about the physiological state of Geobacter species living in subsurface sediments, heat-sterilized sediments from a uranium-contaminated aquifer in Rifle, Colorado, were inoculated with Geobacter uraniireducens, a pure culture representative of the Geobacter species that predominates during in situ uranium bioremediation at this site. Whole-genome microarray analysis comparing sediment-grown G. uraniireducens with cells grown in defined culture medium indicated that there were 1084 genes that had higher transcript levels during growth in sediments. Thirty-four c-type cytochrome genes were upregulated in the sediment-grown cells, including several genes that are homologous to cytochromes that are required for optimal Fe(III) and U(VI) reduction by G. sulfurreducens. Sediment-grown cells also had higher levels of transcripts, indicative of such physiological states as nitrogen limitation, phosphate limitation and heavy metal stress. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR showed that many of the metabolic indicator genes that appeared to be upregulated in sediment-grown G. uraniireducens also showed an increase in expression in the natural community of Geobacter species present during an in situ uranium bioremediation field experiment at the Rifle site. These results demonstrate that it is feasible to monitor gene expression of a microorganism growing in sediments on a genome scale and that analysis of the physiological status of a pure culture growing in subsurface sediments can provide insights into the factors controlling the physiology of natural subsurface communities.}, keywords = {Colorado, DNA, Bacterial, Environmental Microbiology, Gene Expression Profiling, Geobacter, Geologic Sediments, Molecular Sequence Data, Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Uranium}, issn = {1751-7370}, doi = {10.1038/ismej.2008.89}, author = {Holmes, Dawn E and O{\textquoteright}Neil, Regina A and Chavan, Milind A and N{\textquoteright}guessan, Lucie A and Vrionis, Helen A and Perpetua, Lorrie A and Larrahondo, M Juliana and DiDonato, Raymond and Liu, Anna and Lovley, Derek R} } @article {488, title = {Gene transcript analysis of assimilatory iron limitation in Geobacteraceae during groundwater bioremediation.}, journal = {Environ Microbiol}, volume = {10}, year = {2008}, month = {2008 May}, pages = {1218-30}, abstract = {Limitations on the availability of Fe(III) as an electron acceptor are thought to play an important role in restricting the growth and activity of Geobacter species during bioremediation of contaminated subsurface environments, but the possibility that these organisms might also be limited in the subsurface by the availability of iron for assimilatory purposes was not previously considered because copious quantities of Fe(II) are produced as the result of Fe(III) reduction. Analysis of multiple Geobacteraceae genomes revealed the presence of a three-gene cluster consisting of homologues of two iron-dependent regulators, fur and dtxR (ideR), separated by a homologue of feoB, which encodes an Fe(II) uptake protein. This cluster appears to be conserved among members of the Geobacteraceae and was detected in several environments. Expression of the fur-feoB-ideR cluster decreased as Fe(II) concentrations increased in chemostat cultures. The number of Geobacteraceae feoB transcripts in groundwater samples from a site undergoing in situ uranium bioremediation was relatively high until the concentration of dissolved Fe(II) increased near the end of the field experiment. These results suggest that, because much of the Fe(II) is sequestered in solid phases, Geobacter species, which have a high requirement for iron for iron-sulfur proteins, may be limited by the amount of iron available for assimilatory purposes. These results demonstrate the ability of transcript analysis to reveal previously unsuspected aspects of the in situ physiology of microorganisms in subsurface environments.}, keywords = {Bacterial Proteins, Biodegradation, Environmental, Culture Media, Ferric Compounds, Ferrous Compounds, Fresh Water, Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial, Geobacter, Iron, Multigene Family, Phylogeny, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Repressor Proteins, Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction, Transcription, Genetic, Uranium, Water Pollution, Radioactive}, issn = {1462-2920}, doi = {10.1111/j.1462-2920.2007.01537.x}, author = {O{\textquoteright}Neil, Regina A and Holmes, Dawn E and Coppi, Maddalena V and Adams, Lorrie A and Larrahondo, M Juliana and Ward, Joy E and Nevin, Kelly P and Woodard, Trevor L and Vrionis, Helen A and N{\textquoteright}guessan, Lucie A and Lovley, Derek R} } @article {482, title = {Sustained removal of uranium from contaminated groundwater following stimulation of dissimilatory metal reduction.}, journal = {Environ Sci Technol}, volume = {42}, year = {2008}, month = {2008 Apr 15}, pages = {2999-3004}, abstract = {Previous field studies on in situ bioremediation of uranium-contaminated groundwater in an aquifer in Rifle, Colorado identified two distinct phases following the addition of acetate to stimulate microbial respiration. In phase I, Geobacter species are the predominant organisms, Fe(III) is reduced, and microbial reduction of soluble U(VI) to insoluble U(IV) removes uranium from the groundwater. In phase II, Fe(III) is depleted, sulfate is reduced, and sulfate-reducing bacteria predominate. Long-term monitoring revealed an unexpected third phase during which U(VI) removal continues even after acetate additions are stopped. All three of these phases were successfully reproduced in flow-through sediment columns. When sediments from the third phase were heat sterilized, the capacity for U(VI) removal was lost. In the live sediments U(VI) removed from the groundwater was recovered as U(VI) in the sediments. This contrasts to the recovery of U(IV) in sediments resulting from the reduction of U(VI) to U(IV) during the Fe(III) reduction phase in acetate-amended sediments. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences in the sediments in which U(VI) was being adsorbed indicated that members of the Firmicutes were the predominant organisms whereas no Firmicutes sequences were detected in background sediments which did not have the capacity to sorb U(VI), suggesting that the U(VI) adsorption might be due to the presence of these living organisms or at least their intact cell components. This unexpected enhanced adsorption of U(VI) onto sediments following the stimulation of microbial growth in the subsurface may potentially enhance the cost effectiveness of in situ uranium bioremediation.}, keywords = {Acetates, Adsorption, Bacteria, Colorado, Geologic Sediments, Oxidation-Reduction, RNA, Ribosomal, 16S, Sulfates, Uranium, Water Pollutants, Radioactive, Water Supply}, issn = {0013-936X}, author = {N{\textquoteright}guessan, Lucie A and Vrionis, Helen A and Resch, Charles T and Long, Philip E and Lovley, Derek R} } @article {493, title = {Subsurface clade of Geobacteraceae that predominates in a diversity of Fe(III)-reducing subsurface environments.}, journal = {ISME J}, volume = {1}, year = {2007}, month = {2007 Dec}, pages = {663-77}, abstract = {There are distinct differences in the physiology of Geobacter species available in pure culture. Therefore, to understand the ecology of Geobacter species in subsurface environments, it is important to know which species predominate. Clone libraries were assembled with 16S rRNA genes and transcripts amplified from three subsurface environments in which Geobacter species are known to be important members of the microbial community: (1) a uranium-contaminated aquifer located in Rifle, CO, USA undergoing in situ bioremediation; (2) an acetate-impacted aquifer that serves as an analog for the long-term acetate amendments proposed for in situ uranium bioremediation and (3) a petroleum-contaminated aquifer in which Geobacter species play a role in the oxidation of aromatic hydrocarbons coupled with the reduction of Fe(III). The majority of Geobacteraceae 16S rRNA sequences found in these environments clustered in a phylogenetically coherent subsurface clade, which also contains a number of Geobacter species isolated from subsurface environments. Concatamers constructed with 43 Geobacter genes amplified from these sites also clustered within this subsurface clade. 16S rRNA transcript and gene sequences in the sediments and groundwater at the Rifle site were highly similar, suggesting that sampling groundwater via monitoring wells can recover the most active Geobacter species. These results suggest that further study of Geobacter species in the subsurface clade is necessary to accurately model the behavior of Geobacter species during subsurface bioremediation of metal and organic contaminants.}, keywords = {Biodegradation, Environmental, Ecosystem, Ferric Compounds, Geobacter, Hydrocarbons, Aromatic, Molecular Sequence Data, Oxidation-Reduction, Petroleum, Phylogeny, Polymerase Chain Reaction, RNA, Ribosomal, 16S, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Uranium}, issn = {1751-7362}, doi = {10.1038/ismej.2007.85}, author = {Holmes, Dawn E and O{\textquoteright}Neil, Regina A and Vrionis, Helen A and N{\textquoteright}guessan, Lucie A and Ortiz-Bernad, Irene and Larrahondo, Maria J and Adams, Lorrie A and Ward, Joy A and Nicoll, Julie S and Nevin, Kelly P and Chavan, Milind A and Johnson, Jessica P and Long, Philip E and Lovley, Derek R} }