Skip to main content

Targeted Genomics of Flow Cytometrically Sorted Cultured and Uncultured Microbial Groups

  • Protocol
  • First Online:
Environmental Microbiology

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1096))

Abstract

High throughput sequencing of genetic material recovered from environmental samples (i.e., metagenomics) is becoming the method of choice for either medical or environmental genomic studies. However, the large amount of data and complexity of the sequenced “biomes” present challenges for teasing meaningful results out of the mass. Here, we describe a targeted genomic pipeline which uses fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) in combination with multiple displacement amplification (MDA) of nucleic acids that allows to dissect a complex system into its component parts to facilitate high-quality single-cell, or targeted population, genomic reconstructions of microbial communities. This pipeline is presented with methods for collecting, concentrating, and preserving cells from aquatic and marine environments suitable for flow cytometric processing at a later date.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Protocol
USD 49.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Venter JC et al (2004) Environmental genome shotgun sequencing of the Sargasso Sea. Science 304:66–74

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Shendure J, Ji H (2008) Next-generation DNA sequencing. Nat Biotechnol 26:1135–1145

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Rothberg JM, Leamon JH (2008) The development and impact of 454 sequencing. Nat Biotechnol 26:1117–1124

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Tyson GW et al (2004) Community structure and metabolism through reconstruction of microbial genomes from the environment. Nature 428:37–43

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Cuadros-Orellana S et al (2007) Genomic plasticity in prokaryotes: the case of the square haloarchaeon. ISME J 1:235–245

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Tringe SG et al (2005) Comparative metagenomics of microbial communities. Science 308:554–557

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Li WKW (1994) Primary production of prochlorophytes, cyanobacteria, and eukaryotic ultraphytoplankton: measurements from flow cytometric sorting. Limnol Oceanogr 39:169–175

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Jardillier L et al (2010) Significant CO2 fixation by small prymnesiophytes in the subtropical and tropical northeast Atlantic Ocean. ISME J 4:1180–1192

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Cuvelier ML (2010) Targeted metagenomics and ecology of globally important uncultured eukaryotic phytoplankton. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 107:14679–14684

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Montoya JP et al (2004) High rates of N2 fixation by unicellular diazotrophs in the oligotrophic Pacific Ocean. Nature 430:1027–1032

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Howard EC et al (2008) Abundant and diverse bacteria involved in DMSP degradation in marine surface waters. Environ Microbiol 10:2397–2410

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Radajewski S et al (2000) Stable-isotope probing as a tool in microbial ecology. Nature 403:646–649

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Dumont MG, Murrell JC (2005) Stable isotope probing - linking microbial identity to function. Nat Rev Microbiol 3:499–504

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Chen Y, Murrell JC (2010) When metagenomics meets stable-isotope probing: progress and perspectives. Trends Microbiol 18:157–163

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Stepanauskas R, Sieracki ME (2007) Matching phylogeny and metabolism in the uncultured marine bacteria, one cell at a time. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 104:9052–9057

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Olson RJ, Zettler ER, DuRand MD (1993) Phytoplankton analysis using flow cytometry. In: Kemp PF, Sherr BF, Sherr EB, Cole JJ (eds) Handbook of methods in aquatic microbial ecology. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, FL, pp 175–186

    Google Scholar 

  17. Palenik B et al (2009) Coastal Synechococcus metagenome reveals major roles for horizontal gene transfer and plasmids in population diversity. Environ Microbiol 11:349–359

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Yilmaz S et al (2010) Fixation-free fluorescence in situ hybridization for targeted enrichment of microbial populations. ISME J 4:1352–1356

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Rivers AR, Jakuba RW, Webb EA (2009) Iron stress genes in marine Synechococcus and the development of a flow cytometric iron stress assay. Environ Microbiol 11:382–396

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Zubkov MV et al (2001) Linking the composition of bacterioplankton to rapid turnover of dissolved dimethylsulphoniopropionate in an algal bloom in the North Sea. Environ Microbiol 3:304–311

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Shi Y, McCarren J, DeLong EF (2012) Transcriptional responses of surface water marine microbial assemblages to deep-sea water amendment. Environ Microbiol 14:191–206

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Moore LR et al (2007) Culturing the marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus. Limnol Oceanogr Meth 5:353–362

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Marie D et al (1997) Enumeration and cell cycle analysis of natural populations of marine picoplankton by flow cytometry using the nucleic acid stain SYBR Green I. Appl Environ Microbiol 63:186–193

    CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Zhang K et al (2006) Sequencing genomes from single cells by polymerase cloning. Nat Biotechnol 24:680–686

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Mary I et al (2010) Metaproteomic and metagenomic analyses of defined oceanic microbial populations using microwave cell fixation and flow cytometric sorting. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 74:10–18

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Rocap G et al (2002) Resolution of Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus ecotypes by using 16S-23S ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer sequences. Appl Environ Microbiol 68:1180–1191

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Schäfer H et al (2002) Genetic diversity of ‘satellite’ bacteria present in cultures of marine diatoms. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 42:25–35

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Mazard S et al (2012) Multi-locus sequence analysis, taxonomic resolution and biogeography of marine Synechococcus. Environ Microbiol 14:372–386

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from the FP6 EU Marine Genomics Network and NERC grants NE/F004249/1 to DJS and MVZ and NE/D003385/1 to DJS.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

About this protocol

Cite this protocol

Mazard, S., Ostrowski, M., Holland, R., Zubkov, M.V., Scanlan, D.J. (2014). Targeted Genomics of Flow Cytometrically Sorted Cultured and Uncultured Microbial Groups. In: Paulsen, I., Holmes, A. (eds) Environmental Microbiology. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1096. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-712-9_16

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-712-9_16

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-62703-711-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-62703-712-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

Publish with us

Policies and ethics