Microbial Resources

From Functional Existence in Nature to Applications

Ipek Kurtboke, Ipek Kurtböke

• Publisher: Academic Press
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9780128047651
• eBook ISBN: 9780128051405
• Topic: Medicine
• Subtopic: Medical Microbiology & Parasitology

Microbial Resources: From Functional Existence in Nature to Applications provides an exciting interdisciplinary journey through the rapidly developing field of microbial resources, including relationships to aspects of microbiology. Covers the functional existence of microorganisms in nature, as well as the transfer of this knowledge for industrial and other applications. Examines the economic perspective of revealing the potential value of microbial material and figuring it into socio-economic value; legal perspectives; and how to organize a fair allotment of socio-economic benefits to all stakeholders who have effectively contributed to the preservation, study, and exploitation of microbiological material.- Covers aspects of foundational information related to microbiology, microbial ecology, and diversity, as well as new advances in microbial genomics- Provides information on the utilization of microbial resources in biotechnology- Covers legislative issues and related law in biodiscovery- Fills a need for a very broad audience and is a good resource for microbiologists seeking to know the extent of microbiology approaches, the policies associated with microbiology, and potential career paths for researchers- Has significant added value due to the inclusion of comprehensive coverage of the biology, ecology, biochemistry and international legislation surrounding these applications

Chapter 1

Planctomycetes—New Models for Microbial Cells and Activities

John A. Fuerst The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia

Abstract

Planctomycetes are a unique divergent phylum of the domain Bacteria. Members display a number of unusual properties, such as cell compartmentalization among many species examined electron microscopically, the presence of unusual or unique lipids, such as sterols and ladderane lipids in some species, and unique physiology in some species, such as the anammox planctomycetes performing ammonium oxidation anaerobically. This chapter will outline their diversity, examine planctomycete cell compartmentalization as a new model for cell complexity and activities, and outline the potential of planctomycete species to be considered significant new microbial resources, including sources for new lipids and enzymes, and for new types of waste remediation technology on industrial scales utilizing the anammox process unique to planctomycetes.

Keywords

planctomycetes

anammox

ammonium oxidation

wastewater remediation

cell compartmentalization

enzymes

lipids

sterols

polyketides

synthetic biology

Introduction

Recent advances in genomics and metagenomics have revealed the exceptional breadth of the diversity of microorganisms, including those of domains Bacteria and Archaea, and within the Bacteria, there is a universe of species beyond the more familiar E. coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Streptomyces griseus to explore regarding new phenotypes and new genotypes. This implies many new opportunities for discovery in basic science and new types of application for biotechnology and industry. Within the Bacteria and its more than 29 extant phyla with cultured type strains (not to mention the probable thousand or more phyla from uncultured sequence data) (Yarza et al., 2014), the divergent phylum Planctomycetes is a good example of the resources both scientific and technological to be explored in a new region of Bacterial geography.

What are planctomycetes and what properties mark them out as unusual?

The planctomycetes comprise a distinct separate phylum of Domain Bacteria. Members of this phylum appear to be related more closely to members of several other Bacterial phyla than to members of other phyla, forming a PVC superphylum including phylum Verrucomicrobia, Chlamydiae, Lentisphaerae, and probably several other so far uncultured bacterial phyla, such as Candidatus Omnitrophica (OP3) as well as the Planctomycetes (Devos et al., 2013; Devos and Ward, 2014; Fuerst, 2013). They were originally described on the basis of rosette-forming budding morphotypes in freshwater habitats and enrichments [e.g., Planctomyces bekefii (Gimesi, 1924), the still uncultured type strain of genus Planctomyces], and were originally mistaken for fungi due to formation of noncellular stalks by some types which were interpreted as cellular mycelia before electron microscopy could be applied (for the history of their discovery see Fuerst, 1995; Jenkins and Staley, 2013). Budding reproduction and rosette formation are common in many cultured species, and some also produce stalks. There are now at least 23 genera with members in pure culture as well as 6 genera with Candidatus status so far not in pure culture but observed in either cocultures or from mixed culture bioreactors. Some genera with members in pure culture, such as Gemmata, Rhodopirellula, and...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Contributors
• Author Biographies
• Preface
• Chapter 1: Planctomycetes—New Models for Microbial Cells and Activities
• Chapter 2: A Flavor of Prokaryotic Taxonomy: Systematics Revisited
• Chapter 3: Bioactive Actinomycetes: Reaching Rarity Through Sound Understanding of Selective Culture and Molecular Diversity
• Chapter 4: Microbial Resources for Global Sustainability
• Chapter 5: Modern Natural Products Drug Discovery and Its Relevance to Biodiversity Conservation
• Chapter 6: Hydrocarbon-Oxidizing Bacteria and Their Potential in Eco-Biotechnology and Bioremediation
• Chapter 7: An Overview of the Industrial Aspects of Antibiotic Discovery
• Chapter 8: Accessing Marine Microbial Diversity for Drug Discovery
• Chapter 9: Cryptic Pathways and Implications for Novel Drug Discovery
• Chapter 10: The Nagoya Protocol Applied to Microbial Genetic Resources
• Chapter 11: Fungal Genetic Resources for Biotechnology
• Chapter 12: Industrial Culture Collections: Gateways from Microbial Diversity to Applications
• Chapter 13: An Overview of Biological Resource Center-Maintenance of Microbial Resources and Their Management
• Chapter 14: IP and The Budapest Treaty—Depositing Biological Material for Patent Purposes
• Chapter 15: Biosafety, Transport and Related Legislation Concerning Microbial Resources—An Overview
• Index