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Microbial ecology of deep-sea hydrothermal vents
Descriptive
TitleInfo
Title
Microbial ecology of deep-sea hydrothermal vents
SubTitle
physiology and cell-to-cell communication in anaerobic chemosynthetic bacteria
Name
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Pérez-Rodríguez
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Ileana
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1983-
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Ileana Perez-Rodriguez
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author
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Vetriani
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Costantino
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Costantino Vetriani
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Advisory Committee
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chair
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Barkay
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Tamar
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Tamar Barkay
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Advisory Committee
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internal member
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Häggblom
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Max
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Max Häggblom
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Advisory Committee
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internal member
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Bini
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Elisabetta
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Elisabetta Bini
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Advisory Committee
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outside member
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Rutgers University
Role
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degree grantor
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Graduate School - New Brunswick
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school
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Text
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theses
OriginInfo
DateCreated
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2012
DateOther
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(type = degree)
2012-01
Place
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xx
Language
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eng
Subject
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Topic
Ecology and Evolution
Subject
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Topic
Hydrothermal vents--Microbiology
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Rutgers University Electronic Theses and Dissertations
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ETD_3701
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electronic resource
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Extent
xi, 100 p. : ill.
Note
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Ph.D.
Note
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Includes bibliographical references
Note
(type = statement of responsibility)
by Ileana Pérez-Rodríguez
Abstract
(type = abstract)
The global influence of mid-oceanic ridges (MOR) first became apparent through continental drifting–its immanent force easily appreciated in today’s resulting continents. The role of MORs as a source of global-ocean chemistry is less apparent but equally immense. Key to these processes is fluid-rock reactions between circulating seawater and hot new basalt. With the discovery of hydrothermal vent ecosystems in the 1970’s, yet another important consequence of rock-fluid interaction was established in chemosynthesis. Early photographic descriptions of “frosted white and yellow precipitates” covering basalt rocks close to discharged hydrothermal fluids, with benthic communities emerging from them, referred to the now known
chemosynthetic biofilms that interact with hydrothermal fluids. These microorganisms have a pivotal role in transforming the geochemistry of Earth’s oceans. The main objectives of this dissertation are to study anaerobic chemosynthetic vent microorganisms, and to explore the molecular ecology of these biofilm communities. Initial approaches included isolation of anaerobic chemosynthetic microorganisms resulting in the description of two novel bacterial species: the epsilonproteobacterium Nautilia nitratireducens strain MB-1T, and Phorcys thermohydrogeniphilus strain HB-8T, a new genus in the Aquificales. Both bacteria are obligate thermophilic anaerobes, capable of hydrogen oxidation coupled to sulfur- and nitrate-reduction. Further investigation focused on mechanisms regulating vent biofilms, the dominant growth strategy in vent microbial communities. Quorum-sensing (QS), a mechanism relying on cell density and the production of extracellular signals for cell-cell communication, is used by many microbial species to regulate biofilm formation. One QS signal is Autoinducer-2, whose precursor is synthesized by the LuxS enzyme. To study QS in vent
environments, Caminibacter mediatlanticus and Sulfurovum lithotrophicum, cultured members of the well represented Epsilonproteobacteria, were used as model systems. The luxS gene and transcripts were detected in their genomes and during growth, respectively; these luxS-expressing cultures induced bioluminescence, a QS
response, in a Vibrio harveyi reporter strain. Detection of luxS transcripts in-situ, also indicated that QS is likely occurring in natural vent biofilms. This data demonstrates that vent Epsilonproteobacteria posses the luxS/AI-2 system for cell-cell communication. This work is relevant to our overall understanding of microbial phenotypic
plasticity in response to environmental factors.
chemosynthetic biofilms that interact with hydrothermal fluids. These microorganisms have a pivotal role in transforming the geochemistry of Earth’s oceans. The main objectives of this dissertation are to study anaerobic chemosynthetic vent microorganisms, and to explore the molecular ecology of these biofilm communities. Initial approaches included isolation of anaerobic chemosynthetic microorganisms resulting in the description of two novel bacterial species: the epsilonproteobacterium Nautilia nitratireducens strain MB-1T, and Phorcys thermohydrogeniphilus strain HB-8T, a new genus in the Aquificales. Both bacteria are obligate thermophilic anaerobes, capable of hydrogen oxidation coupled to sulfur- and nitrate-reduction. Further investigation focused on mechanisms regulating vent biofilms, the dominant growth strategy in vent microbial communities. Quorum-sensing (QS), a mechanism relying on cell density and the production of extracellular signals for cell-cell communication, is used by many microbial species to regulate biofilm formation. One QS signal is Autoinducer-2, whose precursor is synthesized by the LuxS enzyme. To study QS in vent
environments, Caminibacter mediatlanticus and Sulfurovum lithotrophicum, cultured members of the well represented Epsilonproteobacteria, were used as model systems. The luxS gene and transcripts were detected in their genomes and during growth, respectively; these luxS-expressing cultures induced bioluminescence, a QS
response, in a Vibrio harveyi reporter strain. Detection of luxS transcripts in-situ, also indicated that QS is likely occurring in natural vent biofilms. This data demonstrates that vent Epsilonproteobacteria posses the luxS/AI-2 system for cell-cell communication. This work is relevant to our overall understanding of microbial phenotypic
plasticity in response to environmental factors.
Identifier
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http://hdl.rutgers.edu/1782.1/rucore10001600001.ETD.000064161
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Graduate School - New Brunswick Electronic Theses and Dissertations
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rucore19991600001
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Identifier
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doi:10.7282/T3H13113
Genre
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ETD doctoral
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Rights
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The author owns the copyright to this work.
RightsHolder
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Name
FamilyName
Perez-Rodriguez
GivenName
Ileana
Role
Copyright Holder
RightsEvent
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Permission or license
DateTime
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2011-11-08 17:35:09
AssociatedEntity
Name
Ileana Perez-Rodriguez
Role
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Affiliation
Rutgers University. Graduate School - New Brunswick
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License
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Author Agreement License
Detail
I hereby grant to the Rutgers University Libraries and to my school the non-exclusive right to archive, reproduce and distribute my thesis or dissertation, in whole or in part, and/or my abstract, in whole or in part, in and from an electronic format, subject to the release date subsequently stipulated in this submittal form and approved by my school. I represent and stipulate that the thesis or dissertation and its abstract are my original work, that they do not infringe or violate any rights of others, and that I make these grants as the sole owner of the rights to my thesis or dissertation and its abstract. I represent that I have obtained written permissions, when necessary, from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis or dissertation and will supply copies of such upon request by my school. I acknowledge that RU ETD and my school will not distribute my thesis or dissertation or its abstract if, in their reasonable judgment, they believe all such rights have not been secured. I acknowledge that I retain ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use all or part of this thesis or dissertation in future works, such as articles or books.
RightsEvent
DateTime
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2012-01-31
DateTime
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2014-01-30
Type
Embargo
Detail
Access to this PDF has been restricted at the author's request. It will be publicly available after January 30th, 2014.
Copyright
Status
Copyright protected
Availability
Status
Open
Reason
Permission or license
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