Comparative integrated omics: identification of key functionalities in microbial community-wide metabolic networks

in Biofilms and Microbiomes (2015), 1(15007),

BACKGROUND: Mixed microbial communities underpin important biotechnological processes such as biological wastewater treatment (BWWT). A detailed knowledge of community structure and function relationships ... [more ▼]

BACKGROUND: Mixed microbial communities underpin important biotechnological processes such as biological wastewater treatment (BWWT). A detailed knowledge of community structure and function relationships is essential for ultimately driving these systems towards desired outcomes, e.g., the enrichment in organisms capable of accumulating valuable resources during BWWT. METHODS: A comparative integrated omic analysis including metagenomics, metatranscriptomics and metaproteomics was carried out to elucidate functional differences between seasonally distinct oleaginous mixed microbial communities (OMMCs) sampled from an anoxic BWWT tank. A computational framework for the reconstruction of community-wide metabolic networks from multi-omic data was developed. These provide an overview of the functional capabilities by incorporating gene copy, transcript and protein abundances. To identify functional genes, which have a disproportionately important role in community function, we define a high relative gene expression and a high betweenness centrality relative to node degree as gene-centric and network topological features, respectively. RESULTS: Genes exhibiting high expression relative to gene copy abundance include genes involved in glycerolipid metabolism, particularly triacylglycerol lipase, encoded by known lipid accumulating populations, e.g., Candidatus Microthrix parvicella. Genes with a high relative gene expression and topologically important positions in the network include genes involved in nitrogen metabolism and fatty acid biosynthesis, encoded by Nitrosomonas spp. and Rhodococcus spp. Such genes may be regarded as ‘keystone genes’ as they are likely to be encoded by keystone species. CONCLUSION: The linking of key functionalities to community members through integrated omics opens up exciting possibilities for devising prediction and control strategies for microbial communities in the future. [less ▲]

Community-integrated omics links dominance of a microbial generalist to fine-tuned resource usage

in Nature Communications (2014)

Microbial communities are complex and dynamic systems that are primarily structured according to their members’ ecological niches. To investigate how niche breadth (generalist versus specialist lifestyle ... [more ▼]

Microbial communities are complex and dynamic systems that are primarily structured according to their members’ ecological niches. To investigate how niche breadth (generalist versus specialist lifestyle strategies) relates to ecological success, we develop and apply an integrative workflow for the multi-omic analysis of oleaginous mixed microbial communities from a biological wastewater treatment plant. Time- and space-resolved coupled metabolomic and taxonomic analyses demonstrate that the community-wide lipid accumulation phenotype is associated with the dominance of the generalist bacterium Candidatus Microthrix spp. By integrating population-level genomic reconstructions (reflecting fundamental niches) with transcriptomic and proteomic data (realised niches), we identify finely tuned gene expression governing resource usage by Candidatus Microthrix parvicella over time. Moreover, our results indicate that the fluctuating environmental conditions constrain the accumulation of genetic variation in Candidatus Microthrix parvicella likely due to fitness trade-offs. Based on our observations, niche breadth has to be considered as an important factor for understanding the evolutionary processes governing (microbial) population sizes and structures in situ. [less ▲]

Bet-hedging strategy for substrate usage among single cells of Candidatus Microthrix parvicella?

Scientific Conference (2014, September 29)

Dynamic change of host gastrointestinal microbiome and immune status in relation to mucosal barrier effects during chemotherapy and immune ablative intervention in humans

Poster (2014, April)

The human gastrointestinal tract is colonized by communities of endogenous microbes, commonly referred to as the microbiome. Here, the microbiota are in close contact with the host intestinal mucosa and ... [more ▼]

The human gastrointestinal tract is colonized by communities of endogenous microbes, commonly referred to as the microbiome. Here, the microbiota are in close contact with the host intestinal mucosa and its innate and adaptive immune systems. The fact that certain stimuli induce an inflammatory response whereas others induce tolerance suggests, that the host immune system interacts with the microbiota and vice versa in different ways. However, the exact details of theses interactions remain largely unknown. It is known that cancer treatment can result in severe adverse effects like mucositis and in combination with allogeneic stem cell transplantation (Tx), in graft-versus host disease (GvHD). However, there is at present only sparse information available on the effects of chemotherapy on the intestinal microbiota and resulting changes in microbiome-immune system interactions. Almost no data exists on the effect of allogeneic stem cell Tx on the composition of the gastrointestinal microbiota. In this project, we are studying the complex interactions between the host and the intestinal microbiota after chemotherapy with or without allogeneic Tx and the occurrence of severe adverse side effects such as mucositis and GvHD. Using a systems biology approach including metagenomics and RNAseq, fecal samples and blood plasma samples from patients undergoing these treatments for malignancies will be analysed to identify the composition of the gastrointestinal microbiome and bacterial small RNAs. The main research hypothesis is that there are quantitative and qualitative changes in the gastrointestinal microbiome following chemotherapy and allogeneic Tx which are linked to the immune status of the patients and possible treatment side-effects, in particular mucositis and GvHD. We aim to provide knowledge on how the host's intestinal mucosa and immune system influence the gastrointestinal microbiome and on the role and involvement of the gastrointestinal microbiota in development in mucositis and GvHD. Importantly, this could help in the formulation of measures to prevent mucositis and GvHD development. [less ▲]

Systematic Design of 18S rRNA Gene Primers for Determining Eukaryotic Diversity in Microbial Consortia

in PLoS ONE (2014)

High-throughput sequencing of ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA) amplicons has opened up the door to large-scale comparative studies of microbial community structures. The short reads currently produced by ... [more ▼]

High-throughput sequencing of ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA) amplicons has opened up the door to large-scale comparative studies of microbial community structures. The short reads currently produced by massively parallel sequencing technologies make the choice of sequencing region crucial for accurate phylogenetic assignments. While for 16S rDNA, relevant regions have been well described, no truly systematic design of 18S rDNA primers aimed at resolving eukaryotic diversity has yet been reported. Here we used 31,862 18S rDNA sequences to design a set of broad-taxonomic range degenerate PCR primers. We simulated the phylogenetic information that each candidate primer pair would retrieve using paired- or single-end reads of various lengths, representing different sequencing technologies. Primer pairs targeting the V4 region performed best, allowing discrimination with paired-end reads as short as 150 bp (with 75% accuracy at genus level). The conditions for PCR amplification were optimised for one of these primer pairs and this was used to amplify 18S rDNA sequences from isolates as well as from a range of environmental samples which were then Illumina sequenced and analysed, revealing good concordance between expected and observed results. In summary, the reported primer sets will allow minimally biased assessment of eukaryotic diversity in different microbial ecosystems. [less ▲]

The sequential isolation of metabolites, RNA, DNA, and proteins from a single, undivided mixed microbial community sample

in Methods in Enzymology (2014)

Integrated omics of microbial consortia, comprising systematized metagenomic, metatranscriptomic, metaproteomic and meta-metabolomic analyses, allows in-depth characterization of organismal and functional ... [more ▼]

Integrated omics of microbial consortia, comprising systematized metagenomic, metatranscriptomic, metaproteomic and meta-metabolomic analyses, allows in-depth characterization of organismal and functional diversity in situ. To allow meaningful meta-omic data integration, truly systematic measurements of the typically heterogeneous sample biomass is required. Therefore, there is a need for analyzing biomolecular fractions obtained from single, undivided samples. Here, we share a methodological workflow for the reproducible isolation of concomitant polar and non-polar metabolites, RNA, DNA and proteins from samples obtained from a biological wastewater treatment plant. The methodological framework is applicable to other biological samples [1,2], is compatible with different kits for biomacromolecular isolation [1,2] with minimal tailoring, and represents an important first step in standardization for the emerging field of Molecular Eco-Systems Biology. [less ▲]

Systematic molecular measurements reveal key microbial populations driving community-wide phenotype

Poster (2013)

Natural microbial communities are heterogeneous and dynamic. Therefore, a major consideration for multiple omic data studies is the sample-to-sample heterogeneity, which can lead to inconsistent results ... [more ▼]

Natural microbial communities are heterogeneous and dynamic. Therefore, a major consideration for multiple omic data studies is the sample-to-sample heterogeneity, which can lead to inconsistent results if the different biomolecular fractions are obtained from distinct sub-samples. Conversely, systematic omic measurements, i.e. the standardised, reproducible and simultaneous measurement of multiple features from a single undivided sample, result in fully integrable datasets. Objective In order to prove the feasibility and benefits of such systematic measurements in the study of the respective contributions of different populations to the community-wide phenotype, we purified and analysed all biomolecular fractions, i.e. DNA, RNA, proteins and metabolites, obtained from a unique undivided sample of lipid accumulating microbial community (LAMC) from wastewater treatment plant and integrate the resulting datasets. Methods One time point of particular interest was first selected out of 4 LAMC samples for its high diversity and strong lipid accumulation phenotype. Then, the systematic measurement strategy was applied to the selected undivided LAMC sample and the purified biomolecules were analysed by high-throughput techniques. DNA and RNA sequencing reads were assembled at the population-level using different binning strategies. A database, containing predicted proteins, was constructed to identify the detected peptides. Finally, all biomolecular information was mapped onto the assembled composite genomes to identify the precise roles of the different populations in the community-wide lipid accumulation phenotype. Results Metabolomics and 16S diversity analyses were used to select the sample of highest interest for detailed analysis. The systematic measurements of the selected sample followed by data integration have allowed us to probe the functional relevance of the population-level composite genomes, leading to the identification of the LAMC key players. Conclusion As community phenotype is not the sum of the different partner phenotypes, understanding a microbial community system requires more than the study of isolated organisms. Even if both approaches are complementary, top-down systematic approached only provides a holistic perspective of micro-ecological processes. [less ▲]

Eco-Systems Biology of Natural Lipid-Accumulating Microbial Communities

Poster (2011, September 27)

Biological wastewater treatment represents arguably the most widely used biotechnological process on Earth. Due to its high organic load, wastewater represents a potentially interesting energy commodity ... [more ▼]

Biological wastewater treatment represents arguably the most widely used biotechnological process on Earth. Due to its high organic load, wastewater represents a potentially interesting energy commodity that is currently not exploited comprehensively. Molecules of particular interest for sustainable bioenergy production are lipids which represent up to 45 % of the organic fraction of wastewater. Within biological wastewater treatment plants, specific lipid accumulating organism (LAO) communities exhibit specialized phenotypes that might be harnessed for the concomitant treatment of wastewater and the production of biodiesel (long chain fatty acid (LCFA) methyl esters). Furthermore, due to the unusual high-density enrichments in the LAO communities, these represent ideal models for the development of relevant high-resolution ecosystems biology methodologies. The main aims are: determining the exact genetic inventories required for excess lipid uptake, storage and processing within lipid accumulating bacterial populations ; determining the metabolic fate of organic molecules (lipids) within LAO communities ; and determining the functional organisation in relation to genetic heterogeneity of lipid accumulating bacterial populations. [less ▲]