Microbial hitch-hikers of marine plastics: the survival, persistence & ecology of microbial communities in the Plastisphere

海洋塑料的微生物搭便车：生存、持久

• 批准号: NE/S004548/1
• 负责人: Peter Golyshin
• 金额: $ 62.33万
• 依托单位: Bangor University
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2019 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=NE%2FS004548%2F1
• 关键词: Microbial; hitch; hikers; marine; plastics

The most abundant form of litter in the marine environment is plastic, and the negative and detrimental consequences of plastic debris on fish, reptiles, birds and mammals are well documented. The hard surface of waterborne plastic provides an ideal environment for the formation of biofilm for opportunistic microbial colonisers; however, our knowledge of how microorganisms interact with microplastics and alter the dispersal behaviour of marine plastics in the environment is a significant research gap. Biofilm at the interface between the plastic surface and the environment has been termed the 'Plastisphere', and although plastics are extremely resistant to decay, variability in composition determines their specific buoyancy and surface rugosity, which will dictate the extent of microbial colonisation and their ability for long distance dispersal. Furthermore, because plastic debris can persist in the marine environment longer than natural substrates, e.g. feathers and wood, it offers an opportunity for the wider dissemination of pathogenic and harmful microorganisms. Microplastics from clothes, cosmetics and sanitary products are now common constituents of sewage systems and they frequently bypass the screening mechanisms designed to remove larger waste items from being exported to coastal waters. Microplastics entering aquatic systems from waste water treatment plants (WWTPs) come in close contact with human faeces, hence providing significant opportunity for colonisation by faecal indicator organisms (FIOs) and a range of human bacterial pathogens. Importantly however, there have never been any studies investigating the ability of enteric viruses binding to microplastics (or binding to the biofilm on the plastic surface), and this now needs critical evaluation in order to understand this potentially novel mechanism for the environmental dispersal of enteric viruses. Furthermore, there is growing evidence that the plastisphere can promote gene exchange, and so determining the potential of plastisphere biofilms for providing the surface for anti-microbial resistance (AMR) gene transfer is of the utmost importance. There is currently a lack of fundamental understanding about the mechanisms by which microorganisms, particularly pathogenic bacteria and viruses, can "hitchhike" on microplastic particles and be transported to beaches, bathing waters, shellfish harvesting waters and high benthic diversity zones. Consequently, it is not yet possible to determine the risk from these potential pathways, or establish environmental monitoring guidelines for informing future policy or environmental regulation. Therefore, the novelty of this project is to quantify the processes that are occurring within the plastisphere, and understand the potential for the vectoring of pathogenic viruses and bacteria. Previous research on chemical co-pollutants present on plastics often fails to consider the likely impacts of plastisphere communities. Microplastics in the environment are potential vectors for these chemicals, which often desorb when ingested by marine species, and can accumulate in the food chain. Microbes in the plastisphere may either mitigate this problem through biodegradation, or enhance it by increased biofilm binding; however, most laboratory-based studies are carried out with pristine non-colonised plastics, and ignore the pivotal role the plastisphere plays on defining the risk of microplastics in the environment. By understanding the multi-pollutant and multi-scale effects of microplastics, the "Plastic Vectors Project" will help to establish a more accurate risk assessment of microplastics by taking into consideration the effects of harmful plastic-associated microbes together with chemical co-pollutants. Therefore, the "Plastic Vectors Project" aims to quantify the significance and function of microbes in the 'plastisphere', and will deliver feasible solutions for reducing these multi-pollutant risks.

海洋环境中最丰富的垃圾形式是塑料，塑料垃圾对鱼类、爬行动物、鸟类和哺乳动物的负面和有害后果是有据可查的。水性塑料的坚硬表面为机会主义的微生物定居者提供了形成生物膜的理想环境；然而，我们对微生物如何与微塑料相互作用并改变海洋塑料在环境中的扩散行为的知识是一个重大的研究空白。塑料表面和环境之间的生物膜被称为“塑料圈”，尽管塑料具有极强的抗腐蚀性，但组成的变化决定了它们的比浮力和表面粗糙度，这将决定微生物定居的程度和它们远距离扩散的能力。此外，由于塑料碎片在海洋环境中的存留时间比自然基质，如羽毛和木材更长，因此为病原微生物和有害微生物的更广泛传播提供了机会。来自服装、化妆品和卫生产品的微塑料现在是污水系统的常见组成部分，它们经常绕过旨在将较大的废物出口到沿海水域的筛查机制。从废水处理厂(WWTP)进入水生系统的微塑料与人类排泄物密切接触，因此为粪便指示生物(FIOS)和一系列人类细菌病原体的定居提供了重要机会。然而，重要的是，从来没有任何研究调查肠道病毒与微塑料结合(或与塑料表面的生物膜结合)的能力，现在需要进行关键的评估，以了解肠道病毒在环境中传播的这一潜在的新机制。此外，越来越多的证据表明，塑料球可以促进基因交换，因此确定塑料球生物膜为抗微生物耐药性(AMR)基因转移提供表面的潜力是至关重要的。目前对微生物，特别是致病细菌和病毒可以搭乘微型塑料颗粒的“便车”，并被运送到海滩、洗澡水域、贝类捕捞水域和底栖生物多样性高的区域的机制缺乏基本的了解。因此，目前还不可能确定这些潜在途径的风险，也不可能为未来的政策或环境法规制定环境监测指南。因此，这个项目的新奇之处在于量化塑料圈内发生的过程，并了解病原体病毒和细菌传播的可能性。以前关于塑料上存在的化学共污染物的研究往往没有考虑到塑料圈群落可能产生的影响。环境中的微塑料是这些化学物质的潜在媒介，当海洋物种摄入这些化学物质时，这些化学物质往往会解吸，并可能在食物链中积累。塑料圈中的微生物可以通过生物降解来缓解这个问题，或者通过增加生物膜的结合来加强这个问题；然而，大多数基于实验室的研究都是用原始的非定植塑料进行的，而忽略了塑料圈在确定微塑料在环境中的风险方面所起的关键作用。通过了解微塑料的多污染物和多尺度影响，塑料矢量项目将有助于通过考虑有害塑料相关微生物和化学共污染物的影响，建立更准确的微塑料风险评估。因此，“塑料载体项目”旨在量化微生物在“塑料圈”中的重要性和作用，并将提供可行的解决方案，以减少这些多污染物的风险。

项目成果

The mobility of the cap domain is essential for the substrate promiscuity of a family IV esterase from sorghum rhizosphere microbiome

帽结构域的移动性对于高粱根际微生物组 IV 族酯酶的底物混杂至关重要

• DOI: 10.1101/2022.09.10.507389
• 发表时间: 2022
• 作者: Distaso M

Microbiome enrichment from contaminated marine sediments unveils novel bacterial strains for petroleum hydrocarbon and heavy metal bioremediation.

• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120772
• 发表时间: 2022-11
• 期刊: Environmental pollution
• 影响因子: 8.9
• 作者: Filippo Dell’Anno;Leonardo Joaquim van Zyl;M. Trindade;Emanuela Buschi;A. Cannavacciuolo;M. Pepi;C. San

Exploring regional coastal sediment pathways using a coupled tide-wave-sediment dynamics model

使用潮汐-波浪-沉积物动力学耦合模型探索区域沿海沉积物路径

• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: Continental Shelf Research
• 影响因子: 2.3
• 作者: Davies AG

Hydrocarbon-Degrading Bacteria Alcanivorax and Marinobacter Associated With Microalgae Pavlova lutheri and Nannochloropsis oculata.

与微藻pavlova lutheri和nannochloropsis oculata相关的碳氢化合物细菌和小杆菌。

• DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.572931
• 发表时间: 2020
• 期刊: Frontiers in microbiology
• 影响因子: 5.2
• 作者: Chernikova TN;Bargiela R;Toshchakov SV;Shivaraman V;Lunev EA;Yakimov MM;Thomas DN;Golyshin PN
• 通讯作者: Golyshin PN

Degradation of Hydrocarbons and Heavy Metal Reduction by Marine Bacteria in Highly Contaminated Sediments.

• DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8091402
• 发表时间: 2020-09-11
• 期刊: Microorganisms
• 影响因子: 4.5
• 作者: Dell'Anno F;Brunet C;van Zyl LJ;Trindade M;Golyshin PN;Dell'Anno A;Ianora A;Sansone C
• 通讯作者: Sansone C