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Functional characterization of two concrete biofilms using pyrosequencing data
Citation:
SANTO-DOMINGO, J. W., R. P. REVETTA, AND R. S. Matlib. Functional characterization of two concrete biofilms using pyrosequencing data . Presented at ASM 111th General Meeting, New Orleans, LA, May 21 - 24, 2011.
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public.
Description:
Phylogenetic studies of concrete biofilms using 16SrRNA-based approaches have demonstrated that concrete surfaces harbor a diverse microbial community. These approaches can provide information on the general taxonomical groups present in a sample but cannot shed light on the functional potential of microbial communities. Analysis of whole- metagenome pyrosequencing data was used to simultaneously determine microbial composition and functional genes associated with biomass harvested from crown (top) and invert (bottom) sections of a corroded sewer pipe. A total of 1,004,530 and 976,729 high quality reads averaging 366 and 423 base pairs were generated from DNA extracts for top and bottom sections, respectively. On average, approximately 11% of the sequencing data was associated with contigs of at least 500bp. Cation/multidrug efflux pump was the most abundant Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COG) for both samples, which is in agreement with concrete exposure to human fecal waste. Differences in the overall abundance of nearly 1400 COGs were indentified between these samples. For example, amongst the COG categories of known-function proteins involved in transport and metabolism (e.g., carbohydrate, lipid, secondary metabolites, amino acid, and nucleotide), signal transduction, cell defense, and cell motility showed the most significant differences. Of the 42 prokaryotic taxa identified using the phylogenetic distribution of COGs, the most abundant groups were Proteobacteria, Bacteriodetes, Actinobacteria, and Acidobacteria. Actinobacteria and alpha, beta, and gamma Proteobacteria COGs were more abundant in the crown biofilm. Bacteria implicated in concrete corrosion are present in some of these taxa. Bacteroidetes, Clostridia, and delta Proteobacteria were more abundant in the bottom section which may reflect the predominance of anaerobic lifestyles within submerged wastewater concrete biofilms. In general, the analysis of metagenomic data highlighted differences in community composition and function potential between top and bottom sections of wastewater concrete pipes biofilms. This information will help us better understand the genetic network and microbial members involved in microbial induced concrete corrosion.