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Lake plastisphere as a new biotope in the Anthropocene: Potential pathogen colonization and distinct microbial functionality
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Researchers found that microplastics in Taihu Lake, China, harbor distinct microbial communities that differ from surrounding water, forming what they describe as a lake plastisphere. The study revealed that potential plant pathogens were significantly enriched on microplastic surfaces, and that plastisphere communities exhibited unique metabolic functions compared to free-living microbes.
The not-homogenous microplastics (MPs) distribution in freshwaters results in distinct microbial communities. Yet knowledge regarding plastisphere in metabolic pathways and element cycling behaviors remains limited. In this study, we collected MPs from 15 sampling sites in the Taihu Lake in China, and found that MPs were widely distributed in this freshwater lake, and dominantly composed of fibrous polyethylene terephthalate. Based on the metagenomic analysis, we found that MPs were colonized by Bacteroidia, Alpha-Proteobacteria, and Bacilli as a filter, but depleted in Verrucomicrobiae. Potential pathogens of plant eudicots and monocots were significantly enriched in plastisphere. Predicted functional profiles involved in the metabolism of other amino acids, biosynthesis of other secondary metabolites, and glycan biosynthesis and metabolism were overrepresented in plastisphere. Regarding elemental cycling, functional genes related to nitrogen fixation and nitrification showed 39.6% and 67.5% decline in plastisphere, whereas the genes involved in denitrification and nitrate reduction were significantly enriched. For sulfur cycles, the plastisphere exhibited higher sulfate reduction and sulfur oxidation system activities. Additionally, the taxonomic compositions and predicted functions in the plastispheres were mainly driven by the stochastic processes, while the deterministic processes were more important for the planktonic communities. The distinctions in the microbial composition, the predicted functionality, and the underly mechanisms between plastisphere and planktonic communities illustrated the unique ecology of the new anthropogenic-related plastisphere ecosystems.
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In Situ Investigation of Plastic-Associated Bacterial Communities in a Freshwater Lake of Hungary
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Researchers investigated plastic-associated bacterial communities on microplastic surfaces in a Hungarian freshwater lake, finding that the plastisphere harbored distinct microbial communities compared to surrounding water, including potential pathogens and plastic-degrading bacteria.
The ecology of the plastisphere: Microbial composition, function, assembly, and network in the freshwater and seawater ecosystems
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Researchers studied the communities of bacteria and fungi that colonize microplastic surfaces in freshwater and seawater, forming what scientists call the plastisphere. These microplastic-associated communities were distinctly different from those in surrounding water, and included a higher proportion of disease-causing organisms and species involved in pollutant degradation. The findings suggest that microplastics create new habitats that can harbor pathogens and alter natural microbial ecosystems in ways that may affect water quality and human health.
The plastisphere ecology: Assessing the impact of different pollution sources on microbial community composition, function and assembly in aquatic ecosystems
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Researchers studied the microbial communities living on microplastic surfaces (called the plastisphere) across four different aquatic sites and found that plastics host a distinctly different mix of microbes than the surrounding water, shaped by local pollution sources. These plastic-surface microbes also carry more antibiotic resistance genes and show greater potential for breaking down plastics, making the plastisphere both a health concern and a potential bioremediation resource.
Bacterial community structure of water, sediment and microplastics in Poyang Lake wetland.
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This study compared the bacterial communities living on four types of microplastics (film, foam, fiber, and fragment) in Poyang Lake wetland in China against the bacterial communities in the surrounding water and sediment. The microplastic surfaces hosted distinct microbial communities that differed from both the water and sediment, with foam microplastics supporting the least diverse communities. This "plastisphere" research is important because the unique bacteria colonizing plastic surfaces could spread pathogens or alter nutrient cycles in freshwater wetland ecosystems.
Plastisphere in lake waters: Microbial diversity, biofilm structure, and potential implications for freshwater ecosystems
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Using a combination of confocal microscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, and DNA sequencing, researchers characterized plastisphere biofilms on microplastics from lake water, finding distinct microbial communities on MPs compared to surrounding water including eukaryotic members not previously reported on lake plastispheres. The unique biofilm structure suggests freshwater MPs support specialized ecological niches.
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