Comprehensive analysis of the microbial consortium in the culture of flagellate Monocercomonoides exilis

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216208%3A11310%2F25%3A10500485" target="_blank" >RIV/00216208:11310/25:10500485 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=XzHXzC3r8V" target="_blank" >https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=XzHXzC3r8V</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40793-025-00758-7" target="_blank" >10.1186/s40793-025-00758-7</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Comprehensive analysis of the microbial consortium in the culture of flagellate Monocercomonoides exilis

Original language description

Monocercomonoides exilis is a model species of the amitochondrial eukaryotic group Oxymonadida, which makes it a suitable organism for studying the consequences of mitochondrial loss. Although M. exilis has an endobiotic lifestyle, it can be cultured in vitro in polyxenic conditions alongside an uncharacterized prokaryotic community, while attempts to create axenic cultures have not been successful. In this study, we used metagenomic sequencing, transcriptomics, and metabolomics to characterize the microbial consortium that supports the growth of M. exilis. We assembled genomes for 24 bacterial species and identified at least 30 species in total. M. exilis accounted for less than 1.5% of the DNA reads, while bacterial species dominated the sequence data and shifted in abundance over time. Our metabolic reconstruction and differential gene expression analyses show that the bacterial community relies on organic carbon oxidation, fermentation, and hydrogen production, but does not engage in methanogenesis. We observed rapid depletion of amino acids, nucleotides, glyceraldehyde, lactate, fatty acids, and alcohols in the medium, indicating a reliance on external nutrient recycling. The nitrogen cycle in this community is incomplete, with limited nitrogen fixation and no ammonia oxidation. Despite detailed metabolic profiling, we did not find any direct biochemical connections between M. exilis and the prokaryotes. Several bacterial species produce siderophores to assist themselves and others in the community in acquiring iron. However, M. exilis does not appear to benefit directly from siderophore-mediated iron transport and lacks known iron uptake pathways. This indicates that M. exilis may rely indirectly on the iron metabolism of other bacteria through phagocytosis. Additionally, some bacteria synthesize polyamines like spermidine and phosphatidylcholine, which M. exilis may need but cannot produce on its own. As the culture ages, M. exilis shows changes in gene expression consistent with starvation responses, including the upregulation of carbohydrate storage pathways and processes related to exocytosis. These findings provide new insights into microbial interactions within xenic cultures and emphasize the complex nature of maintaining amitochondriate eukaryotes in vitro.

Czech name

—

Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

10606 - Microbiology

Project

<a href="/en/project/EF16_019%2F0000759" target="_blank" >EF16_019/0000759: Centre for research of pathogenicity and virulence of parasites</a><br>

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)<br>I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Environmental Microbiome

ISSN

2524-6372

e-ISSN

2524-6372

Volume of the periodical

20

Issue of the periodical within the volume

1

Country of publishing house

GB - UNITED KINGDOM

Number of pages

17

Pages from-to

97

UT code for WoS article

001538733600001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-105012093012