Metagenomic analysis of the complex microbial consortium associated with cultures of the oil-rich alga Botryococcus braunii
Sambles, C; Moore, K; Lux, TM; et al.Jones, K; Littlejohn, GR; Gouveia, JD; Aves, SJ; Studholme, DJ; Lee, R; Love, J
Date: 28 June 2017
Article
Journal
MicrobiologyOpen
Publisher
Wiley
Publisher DOI
Abstract
Microalgae are widely viewed as a promising and sustainable source of renewable
chemicals and biofuels. Botryococcus braunii synthesizes and secretes significant
amounts of long-chain (C30-C40) hydrocarbons that can be subsequently converted
into gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuel. B. braunii cultures are not axenic and the effects
of ...
Microalgae are widely viewed as a promising and sustainable source of renewable
chemicals and biofuels. Botryococcus braunii synthesizes and secretes significant
amounts of long-chain (C30-C40) hydrocarbons that can be subsequently converted
into gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuel. B. braunii cultures are not axenic and the effects
of co-cultured microorganisms on B. braunii growth and hydrocarbon yield are important,
but sometimes contradictory. To understand the composition of the B. braunii
microbial consortium, we used high throughput Illumina sequencing of metagenomic
DNA to profile the microbiota within a well established, stable B. braunii culture and
characterized the demographic changes in the microcosm following modification to
the culture conditions. DNA sequences attributed to B. braunii were present in equal
quantities in all treatments, whereas sequences assigned to the associated microbial
community were dramatically altered. Bacterial species least affected by treatments,
and more robustly associated with the algal cells, included members of Rhizobiales,
comprising Bradyrhizobium and Methylobacterium, and representatives of Dyadobacter,
Achromobacter and Asticcacaulis. The presence of bacterial species identified by
metagenomics was confirmed by additional 16S rDNA analysis of bacterial isolates.
Our study demonstrates the advantages of high throughput sequencing and robust
metagenomic analyses to define microcosms and further our understanding of microbial
ecology.
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