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Understanding the genetic factors that govern microbe-sediment interactions in aquatic environments is important for water quality management and reduction of waterborne disease outbreaks. Although chemical properties of bacteria have been identified that contribute to initiation of attachment, the outer membrane proteins that contribute to these chemical properties still remain unclear. In this study we explored the attachment of 78 Escherichia coli environmental isolates to corn stover, a representative agricultural residue. Outer membrane proteome analysis led to the observation of amino acid variations, some of which had not been previously described, in outer membrane protein A (OmpA) at 10 distinct locations, including each of the four extracellular loops, three of the eight transmembrane segments, the proline-rich linker and the dimerization domain. Some of the polymorphisms within loops 1, 2, and 3 were found to significantly co-occur. Grouping of sequences according to the outer loop polymorphisms revealed five distinct patterns that each occur in at least 5% of our isolates. The two most common patterns, I and II, are encoded by 33.3 and 20.5% of these isolates and differ at each of the four loops. Statistically significant differences in attachment to corn stover were observed among isolates expressing different versions of OmpA and when different versions of OmpA were expressed in the same genetic background. Most notable was the increased corn stover attachment associated with a loop 3 sequence of SNFDGKN relative to the standard SNVYGKN sequence. These results provide further insight into the allelic variation of OmpA and implicate OmpA in contributing to attachment to corn stover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of E. coli as an indicator organism in fresh water has led to numerous studies focusing on cell properties and transport behavior. However, previous studies have been unable to assess if differences in E. coli cell surface properties and genomic variation are associated with different environmental habitats. In this study, we investigated the variation in characteristics of E. coli obtained from stream water and stream bottom sediments. Cell properties were measured for 77 genomically different E. coli strains (44 strains isolated from sediments and 33 strains isolated from water) under common stream conditions in the Upper Midwestern United States: pH 8.0, ionic strength 10 mM and 22°C. Measured cell properties include hydrophobicity, zeta potential, net charge, total acidity, and extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) composition. Our results indicate that stream sediment E. coli had significantly greater hydrophobicity, greater EPS protein content and EPS sugar content, less negative net charge, and higher point of zero charge than stream water E. coli. A significant positive correlation was observed between hydrophobicity and EPS protein for stream sediment E. coli but not for stream water E. coli. Additionally, E. coli surviving in the same habitat tended to have significantly larger (GTG)5 genome similarity. After accounting for the intrinsic impact from the genome, environmental habitat was determined to be a factor influencing some cell surface properties, such as hydrophobicity. The diversity of cell properties and its resulting impact on particle interactions should be considered for environmental fate and transport modeling of aquatic indicator organisms such as E. coli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Navilawa caldera is the remnant of a shoshonitic volcano on Viti Levu, Fiji, and sits adjacent to the low-sulfidation Tuvatu epithermal Au–Te deposit. The caldera occurs along the Viti Levu lineament, approximately 50 km SW of the Tavua caldera, which hosts the giant low-sulfidation Emperor epithermal Au–Te deposit. Both calderas host alkaline rocks of nearly identical age (~5.4–4.6 Ma) and mineralization that occurred in multiple stages. The gold mineralization in these locations is spatially and genetically related to monzonite intrusions and low-grade porphyry Cu-style mineralization. Potassic, propylitic, phyllic, and argillic alteration extends from the Tuvatu Au–Te deposit towards the central, northern, and eastern parts of the Navilawa caldera where it is spatially associated with low-grade porphyry Cu–Au mineralization at the Kingston prospect and various epithermal Au–(Te) vein systems, including the Banana Creek and Tuvatu North prospects. Chalcopyrite, and minor bornite, occurs in quartz–calcite–(adularia) veins in the Kingston deposit associated with weak propylitic and phyllic alteration, whereas NE-trending epithermal gold veins at the Banana Creek and Tuvatu North prospects are associated with weak potassic alteration that is overprinted by propylitic and phyllic alteration. Gold is accompanied by chalcopyrite, galena, and sphalerite in quartz–pyrite veins that also have a Ag–As–Hg–Te signature. The temperature range for phyllosilicates in the phyllic alteration (chlorite ± smectite ± corrensite ± illite) is in good agreement with temperatures recorded from previous fluid inclusion studies of quartz at the Banana Creek Au prospect (~260 °C) and the nearby Tuvatu Au–Te deposit (205 to 382 °C). Sulfur isotope compositions of pyrite (−6.2 to +0.4‰) from the Banana Creek prospect indicate a likely magmatic source of sulfur. Oxidation of the ore fluids or a direct addition of volatiles to the hydrothermal fluids may account for the lighter isotopic values. The similarities of the igneous rock types and compositions, transition from porphyry- to epithermal-style mineralization, alteration assemblages, paragenetic relationships, and stable isotope data suggest a common origin for the porphyry- and epithermal-style mineralization within the Navilawa and between the Navilawa and Tavua calderas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]