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Osman JR, Castillo J, Sanhueza V, Miller AZ, Novoselov A, Cotoras D, Morales D. Key energy metabolisms in modern living microbialites from hypersaline Andean lagoons of the Salar de Atacama, Chile. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 937:173469. [PMID: 38788953 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Microbialites are organosedimentary structures formed mainly due to the precipitation of carbonate minerals, although they can also incorporate siliceous, phosphate, ferric, and sulfate minerals. The minerals' precipitation occurs because of local chemical changes triggered by changes in pH and redox transformations catalyzed by the microbial energy metabolisms. Here, geochemistry, metagenomics, and bioinformatics tools reveal the key energy metabolisms of microbial mats, stromatolites and an endoevaporite distributed across four hypersaline lagoons from the Salar de Atacama. Chemoautotrophic and chemoheterotrophic microorganisms seem to coexist and influence microbialite formation. The microbialite types of each lagoon host unique microbial communities and metabolisms that influence their geochemistry. Among them, photosynthetic, carbon- and nitrogen- fixing and sulfate-reducing microorganisms appear to control the main biogeochemical cycles. Genes associated with non-conventional energy pathways identified in MAGs, such as hydrogen production/consumption, arsenic oxidation/reduction, manganese oxidation and selenium reduction, also contribute to support life in microbialites. The presence of genes encoding for enzymes associated with ureolytic processes in the Cyanobacteria phylum and Gammaproteobacteria class might induce carbonate precipitation in hypersaline environments, contributing to the microbialites formation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study characterizing metagenomically microbialites enriched in manganese and identifying metabolic pathways associated with manganese oxidation, selenium reduction, and ureolysis in this ecosystem, which suggests that the geochemistry and bioavailability of energy sources (As, Mn and Se) shapes the microbial metabolisms in the microbialites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge R Osman
- Instituto de Geología Económica Aplicada (GEA), Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile.
| | - Julio Castillo
- University of the Free State, Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Vilma Sanhueza
- Instituto de Geología Económica Aplicada (GEA), Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Ana Z Miller
- Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (IRNAS-CSIC), Av. Reina Mercedes 10, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Alexey Novoselov
- Instituto de Geología Económica Aplicada (GEA), Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Davor Cotoras
- Laboratorio de Microbiología y Biotecnología, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad de Chile, Santos Dumont #964, Independencia, Santiago, Chile
| | - Daniela Morales
- Instituto de Geología Económica Aplicada (GEA), Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
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Acosta E, Nitsche F, Dorador C, Arndt H. Protist communities of microbial mats from the extreme environments of five saline Andean lagoons at high altitudes in the Atacama Desert. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1356977. [PMID: 38572231 PMCID: PMC10987879 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1356977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Heterotrophic protists colonizing microbial mats have received little attention over the last few years, despite their importance in microbial food webs. A significant challenge originates from the fact that many protists remain uncultivable and their functions remain poorly understood. Methods Metabarcoding studies of protists in microbial mats across high-altitude lagoons of different salinities (4.3-34 practical salinity units) were carried out to provide insights into their vertical stratification at the millimeter scale. DNA and cDNA were analyzed for selected stations. Results Sequence variants classified as the amoeboid rhizarian Rhogostoma and the ciliate Euplotes were found to be common members of the heterotrophic protist communities. They were accompanied by diatoms and kinetoplastids. Correlation analyses point to the salinity of the water column as a main driver influencing the structure of the protist communities at the five studied microbial mats. The active part of the protist communities was detected to be higher at lower salinities (<20 practical salinity units). Discussion We found a restricted overlap of the protist community between the different microbial mats indicating the uniqueness of these different aquatic habitats. On the other hand, the dominating genotypes present in metabarcoding were similar and could be isolated and sequenced in comparative studies (Rhogostoma, Euplotes, Neobodo). Our results provide a snapshot of the unculturable protist diversity thriving the benthic zone of five athalossohaline lagoons across the Andean plateau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Acosta
- Department of General Ecology, Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Frank Nitsche
- Department of General Ecology, Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Cristina Dorador
- Department of Biotechnology, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile
- Centre for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (CeBiB), Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Hartmut Arndt
- Department of General Ecology, Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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Saona LA, Villafañe PG, Carrizo D, Cónsole Gonella C, Néspolo RF, Farías ME. Geomicrobiological characterization of the evaporitic ecosystem in the hypersaline lake Laguna Verde (Andean Puna, Northwestern Argentina). Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e10931. [PMID: 38348017 PMCID: PMC10859677 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Laguna Verde's dome-shaped structures are distinctive formations within the Central Andes, displaying unique geomicrobiological features. This study represents a pioneering investigation into these structures, assessing their formation, associated taxa, and ecological significance. Through a multifaceted approach that includes chemical analysis of the water body, multiscale characterization of the domes, and analysis of the associated microorganisms, we reveal the complex interplay between geology and biology in this extreme environment. The lake's alkaline waters that are rich in dissolved cations and anions such as chloride, sodium sulfate, and potassium, coupled with its location at the margin of the Antofalla salt flat, fed by alluvial fans and hydrothermal input, provide favorable conditions for mineral precipitation and support for the microorganism's activity. Laguna Verde's dome-shaped structures are mainly composed of gypsum and halite, displaying an internal heterogeneous mesostructure consisting of three zones: microcrystalline, organic (orange and green layers), and crystalline. The green layer of the organic zone is predominantly composed of Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Cyanobacteria, while the orange layer is mostly inhabited by Cyanobacteria. The results of the study suggest that oxygenic photosynthesis performed by Cyanobacteria is the main carbon fixation pathway in the microbial community, supported by carbon isotopic ratios of specific biomarkers. This finding highlights the important role played by Cyanobacteria in this ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. A. Saona
- Facultad de Química y BiologíaUniversidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH)SantiagoChile
- Millennium Nucleus of Patagonian Limit of Life (LiLi)ValdiviaChile
- Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio)SantiagoChile
| | - P. G. Villafañe
- Instituto Superior de Correlación Geológica (INSUGEO), CONICET‐UNTTucumánArgentina
- GIUV2016‐303, Department of Botany and GeologyUniversitat de ValènciaValènciaEspaña
| | - D. Carrizo
- Centro de AstrobiologíaInstituto Nacional de Técnica AeroespacialMadridEspaña
| | - C. Cónsole Gonella
- Instituto Superior de Correlación Geológica (INSUGEO), CONICET‐UNTTucumánArgentina
| | - R. F. Néspolo
- Millennium Nucleus of Patagonian Limit of Life (LiLi)ValdiviaChile
- Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio)SantiagoChile
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y EvolutivasUniversidad Austral de ChileValdiviaChile
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Gorriti MF, Bamann C, Alonso-Reyes DG, Wood P, Bamberg E, Farías ME, Gärtner W, Albarracín VH. Functional characterization of xanthorhodopsin in Salinivibrio socompensis, a novel halophile isolated from modern stromatolites. Photochem Photobiol Sci 2023; 22:1809-1823. [PMID: 37036621 DOI: 10.1007/s43630-023-00412-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
A putative xanthorhodopsin-encoding gene, XR34, was found in the genome of the moderately halophilic gammaproteobacterium Salinivibrio socompensis S34, isolated from modern stromatolites found on the shore of Laguna Socompa (3570 m), Argentina Puna. XR-encoding genes were clustered together with genes encoding X-carotene, retinal (vitamin-A aldehyde), and carotenoid biosynthesis enzymes while the carotene ketolase gene critical for the salinixanthin antenna compound was absent. To identify its functional behavior, we herein overexpressed and characterized this intriguing microbial rhodopsin. Recombinant XR34 showed all the salient features of canonical microbial rhodopsin and covalently bound retinal as a functional chromophore with λmax = 561 nm (εmax ca. 60,000 M-1 cm-1). Two canonical counterions with pK values of around 6 and 3 were identified by pH titration of the recombinant protein. With a recovery time of approximately half an hour in the dark, XR34 shows light-dark adaptation shifting the absorption maximum from 551 to 561 nm. Laser-flash induced photochemistry at pH 9 (deprotonated primary counterion) identified a photocycle starting with a K-like intermediate, followed by an M-state (λmax ca. 400 nm, deprotonated Schiff base), and a final long wavelength-absorbing N- or O-like intermediate before returning to the parental 561 nm-state. Initiating the photocycle at pH 5 (protonated counterion) yields only bathochromic intermediates, due to the lacking capacity of the counterion to accept the Schiff base proton. Illumination of the membrane-embedded protein yielded a capacitive transport current. The presence of the M-intermediate under these conditions was demonstrated by a blue light-induced shunt process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta F Gorriti
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales y Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT, CONICET, Av. Belgrano y Pje. Caseros, San Miguel de Tucumán, 4000, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Christian Bamann
- Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Straße 3, Frankfurt am Main, 60438, Germany
| | - Daniel Gonzalo Alonso-Reyes
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Ultraestructural y Molecular, Centro Integral de Microscopía Electrónica (CIME, CONICET, UNT) CCT, CONICET, Facultad de Agronomía, Zootecnia y Veterinaria, Finca El Manantial, UNT, Camino de Sirga s/n (4107), Yerba Buena, Tucumán, Argentina
- Institute for Analytical Chemistry, University of Leipzig, Johannisallee 29, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Phillip Wood
- Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Straße 3, Frankfurt am Main, 60438, Germany
| | - Ernst Bamberg
- Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Straße 3, Frankfurt am Main, 60438, Germany
| | - María Eugenia Farías
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales y Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT, CONICET, Av. Belgrano y Pje. Caseros, San Miguel de Tucumán, 4000, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Wolfgang Gärtner
- Institute for Analytical Chemistry, University of Leipzig, Johannisallee 29, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Virginia Helena Albarracín
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Ultraestructural y Molecular, Centro Integral de Microscopía Electrónica (CIME, CONICET, UNT) CCT, CONICET, Facultad de Agronomía, Zootecnia y Veterinaria, Finca El Manantial, UNT, Camino de Sirga s/n (4107), Yerba Buena, Tucumán, Argentina.
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Miguel Lillo 205, San Miguel de Tucumán, 4000, Tucumán, Argentina.
- Facultad de Agronomía, Zootecnia y Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Centro Universitario Ing. R. Herrera (Ex Quinta Agronómica), Avda. Pte. N. Kirchner 1900., San Miguel de Tucumán, 4000, Tucumán, Argentina.
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Della Vedova M, Villafañe PG, Cónsole‐Gonella C, Bahniuk Rumbelsperger A, Fadel Cury L, Horta LR, Farías ME. Disentangling microstructure and environmental conditions in high-altitude Andean microbialite systems (Catamarca, Argentine Puna). ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2023; 15:92-108. [PMID: 36192831 PMCID: PMC10103866 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.13128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The study of microbialites development is a key tool to understand environmental pathways during deposition. We provide a detailed analysis of modern Central Andean microbialites from high-altitude lakes. The stratigraphic record of Turquesa Lake shows a significant short-term recolonization by microbialite-producing microorganisms during environmental stress. Far from a crisis paradigm, the coasts and paleocoasts of Turquesa lake exhibit three microbialitic buildups formed along different stages, providing a good study case of biological resilience of these systems in harsh environments. The MI and MII microbialite buildups occupied two paleocoasts. Both are composed of oncoids with micritic to microsparitic textures. Morphological, textural and mineralogical similarities between the two buildups suggest that they were formed at different times, but under very similar environmental conditions. The microorganisms that produced the microbialitic buildup MIII are currently colonizing the coast of this lake. The previous oncoid morphology change to a parallel micritic-spartic lamination. This remarkable changes in the microstructure can be explained by an important environmental change caused by the isolation of the Peinado Lake, and a subsequently microorganism adaptation. This microbialite structures can be proposed as an interesting modern analogue for environmental changes along the geological record.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micaela Della Vedova
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas en Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA)Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CONICETSan Miguel de TucumánTucumánArgentina
- Instituto Superior de Correlación Geológica (INSUGEO), CONICET‐ UNTYerba BuenaTucumánArgentina
| | - Patricio G. Villafañe
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas en Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA)Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CONICETSan Miguel de TucumánTucumánArgentina
- Instituto Superior de Correlación Geológica (INSUGEO), CONICET‐ UNTYerba BuenaTucumánArgentina
| | - Carlos Cónsole‐Gonella
- Instituto Superior de Correlación Geológica (INSUGEO), CONICET‐ UNTYerba BuenaTucumánArgentina
| | | | | | - Luis R. Horta
- Instituto Superior de Correlación Geológica (INSUGEO), CONICET‐ UNTYerba BuenaTucumánArgentina
| | - María E. Farías
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas en Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA)Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CONICETSan Miguel de TucumánTucumánArgentina
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Criado-Reyes J, Otálora F, Canals À, Verdugo-Escamilla C, García-Ruiz JM. Mechanisms shaping the gypsum stromatolite-like structures in the Salar de Llamara (Atacama Desert, Chile). Sci Rep 2023; 13:678. [PMID: 36635429 PMCID: PMC9837060 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-27666-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The explanation of the origin of microbialites and specifically stromatolitic structures is a problem of high relevance for decoding past sedimentary environments and deciphering the biogenicity of the oldest plausible remnants of life. We have investigated the morphogenesis of gypsum stromatolite-like structures currently growing in shallow ponds (puquíos) in the Salar de Llamara (Atacama Desert, Northern Chile). The crystal size, aspect ratio, and orientation distributions of gypsum crystals within the structures have been quantified and show indications for episodic nucleation and competitive growth of millimetric to centimetric selenite crystals into a radial, branched, and loosely cemented aggregate. The morphogenetical process is explained by the existence of a stable vertical salinity gradient in the ponds. Due to the non-linear dependency of gypsum solubility as a function of sodium chloride concentration, the salinity gradient produces undersaturated solutions, which dissolve gypsum crystals. This dissolution happens at a certain depth, narrowing the lower part of the structures, and producing their stromatolite-like morphology. We have tested this novel mechanism experimentally, simulating the effective dissolution of gypsum crystals in stratified ponds, thus providing a purely abiotic mechanism for these stromatolite-like structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joaquín Criado-Reyes
- grid.466807.bLaboratorio de Estudios Cristalográficos, IACT, UGR-CSIC, Av. Palmeras 4, 18100 Armilla, Granada Spain
| | - Fermín Otálora
- grid.466807.bLaboratorio de Estudios Cristalográficos, IACT, UGR-CSIC, Av. Palmeras 4, 18100 Armilla, Granada Spain
| | - Àngels Canals
- grid.5841.80000 0004 1937 0247Departamento de Mineralogía, Petrología y Geología Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias de La Tierra, Universidad de Barcelona, C/Martí i Franques s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristóbal Verdugo-Escamilla
- grid.466807.bLaboratorio de Estudios Cristalográficos, IACT, UGR-CSIC, Av. Palmeras 4, 18100 Armilla, Granada Spain
| | - Juan-Manuel García-Ruiz
- Laboratorio de Estudios Cristalográficos, IACT, UGR-CSIC, Av. Palmeras 4, 18100, Armilla, Granada, Spain.
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Oehlert AM, Suosaari EP, Kong T, Piggot AM, Maizel D, Lascu I, Demergasso C, Chong Díaz G, Reid RP. Physical, chemical, and microbial feedbacks controlling brine geochemistry and lake morphology in polyextreme salar environments. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 836:155378. [PMID: 35489513 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Despite the harsh environmental conditions in the world's oldest and driest desert, some salt flat or 'salar' environments in the Atacama Desert host standing bodies of water known as saline lakes. Evaporite minerals deposited within saline lakes result from the equilibrium of environmental, sedimentological, and biogeochemical processes that occur in the salar; consequently, these minerals are sensitive records of human activities and ecological, evolutionary, and geological changes. The objective of this study was to evaluate feedbacks between physical, chemical, and microbial processes that culminate in distinct trends in brine chemistry, saline lake morphology, and associated evaporite sediments. Using samples from the Puquios of the Salar de Llamara, Atacama Desert, northern Chile, an analysis of spatial gradients and vertical stratification of lake elemental chemistry and mineral saturation indices were integrated with a comprehensive analysis of lake morphology, including depth, slope gradient, substrate type, and mineralogy. Lake waters ranged from saline to hypersaline, and exhibited normal, well mixed and inverse stratification patterns, and results suggest a correlation with lake morphology in the Salar de Llamara. Saline to hypersaline lakes (>150 mS/cm) with stratified brines tended to have crystalline substrate and deep (>35 cm) and steep-sided lake morphologies, while unstratified lakes with lower electrical conductivity (<90 mS/cm and microbial substrates had gentle slopes and characteristically shallow depths (<30 cm). Differences in minor element chemistry (Mn and Sr) between saline lakes were observed on scales of meters to kilometers, and result in different accessory mineral assemblages. Quantification of the physical, chemical, and microbial feedbacks that produce the observed heterogeneity in these ecosystems provides key insight into the geochemical composition and lake morphology of saline lakes in extreme environments around the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Oehlert
- Department of Marine Geosciences, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33149, USA.
| | - Erica P Suosaari
- Department of Mineral Sciences, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, USA
| | - Tianshu Kong
- Department of Marine Geosciences, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33149, USA
| | - Alan M Piggot
- Bahamas Marine EcoCentre, Miami, FL 33156, USA; AP Research Inc, Miami, FL 33157, USA
| | - Daniela Maizel
- Department of Marine Geosciences, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33149, USA
| | - Ioan Lascu
- Department of Mineral Sciences, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, USA
| | - Cecilia Demergasso
- Centro de Biotecnología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Guillermo Chong Díaz
- Departamento de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - R Pamela Reid
- Department of Marine Geosciences, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33149, USA; Bahamas Marine EcoCentre, Miami, FL 33156, USA
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Community Vertical Composition of the Laguna Negra Hypersaline Microbial Mat, Puna Region (Argentinean Andes). BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11060831. [PMID: 35741352 PMCID: PMC9220024 DOI: 10.3390/biology11060831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The Altiplano-Puna region is a high-altitude plateau in South America characterized by extreme conditions, including the highest UV incidence on Earth. The Laguna Negra is a hypersaline lake located in the Catamarca Province, northwestern Argentina, where stromatolites and other microbialites are found, and where life is mostly restricted to microbial mats. In this study, a particular microbial mat that covers the shore of the lake was explored, to unravel its layer-by-layer vertical structure in response to the environmental stressors therein. Microbial community composition was assessed by high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing and pigment content analyses, complemented with microscopy tools to characterize its spatial arrangement within the mat. The top layer of the mat has a remarkable UV-tolerance feature, characterized by the presence of Deinococcus-Thermus and deinoxanthin, which might reflect a shielding strategy to cope with high UV radiation. Chloroflexi and Deltaproteobacteria were abundant in the second and third underlying layers, respectively. The bottom layer harbors copious Halanaerobiaeota. Subspherical aggregates composed of calcite, extracellular polymeric substances, abundant diatoms, and other microorganisms were observed all along the mat as the main structural component. This detailed study provides insights into the strategies of microbial communities to thrive under high UV radiation and hypersalinity in high-altitude lakes in the Altiplano-Puna region.
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Mineral Paragenesis Precipitating in Salt Flat Pools of Continental Environments Replicated in Microbial Mat Microcosms without Evaporation. MINERALS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/min12050646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Mineral precipitation can be observed in natural environments, such as lagoons, rivers, springs, and soils. The primary precipitation process has long been believed to be abiotic due to evaporation, leading to phase supersaturation. However, biotic interactions of microbial metabolism, organic compounds, and dissolved ions leading to mineral precipitation has been shown in laboratory studies using single-organism culture. The increase in pH inducing calcium carbonate precipitation due to oxygenic photosynthesis by Cyanobacteria and the release of ions due to organic matter decomposition by Firmicutes-inducing magnesium carbonate precipitation are recognized examples. As microbes do not live as pure cultures in natural environments but form complex communities, such pure culture lab studies do not reflect natural conditions. In this study, we grew natural complex microbial communities in microcosm conditions using filtered brine as water column and two types of natural gypsum substrates, and we replenished incubations to avoid evaporation. We monitored microbial communities through optical microscopy and analyzed mineral paragenesis in association with and without microbes, using different analytical techniques, such X-ray diffraction, and optical and field emission scanning electron microscopies. To detect changes throughout the experiment, small amounts of water column brine were extracted for physicochemial determinations. We were able to detect mineral paragenesis, avoiding evaporation, including major phases of chemical sedimentary rocks, such as gypsum, calcium carbonate, and some silicates in association to microbes. In addition, we evidenced that the use of natural substrates positively impacts growth of microbial communities, promoting the development of more biomass. This study can be seen as the first attempt and proof of concept of differentiating biotic and abiotic participation in evaporitic deposits, as they can form mineral paragenesis without evaporation. Future studies with microcosm experiments using microbial mats will be needed to establish mineral precipitation induced by micro-organisms and their extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), specifically to replicate mineral paragenesis sedimented from natural brines.
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Gómez-Silva B, Batista-García RA. The Atacama Desert: A Biodiversity Hotspot and Not Just a Mineral-Rich Region. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:812842. [PMID: 35222336 PMCID: PMC8865075 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.812842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Benito Gómez-Silva
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Biomedical Department, Health Sciences Faculty and Centre for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (CeBiB), Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Ramón Alberto Batista-García
- Centro de Investigación en Dinámica Celular, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, Mexico
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Vignale FA, Lencina AI, Stepanenko TM, Soria MN, Saona LA, Kurth D, Guzmán D, Foster JS, Poiré DG, Villafañe PG, Albarracín VH, Contreras M, Farías ME. Lithifying and Non-Lithifying Microbial Ecosystems in the Wetlands and Salt Flats of the Central Andes. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2022; 83:1-17. [PMID: 33730193 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-021-01725-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The wetlands and salt flats of the Central Andes region are unique extreme environments as they are located in high-altitude saline deserts, largely influenced by volcanic activity. Environmental factors, such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation, arsenic content, high salinity, low dissolved oxygen content, extreme daily temperature fluctuation, and oligotrophic conditions, resemble the early Earth and potentially extraterrestrial conditions. The discovery of modern microbialites and microbial mats in the Central Andes during the past decade has increased the interest in this area as an early Earth analog. In this work, we review the current state of knowledge of Central Andes region environments found within lakes, small ponds or puquios, and salt flats of Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia, many of them harboring a diverse range of microbial communities that we have termed Andean Microbial Ecosystems (AMEs). We have integrated the data recovered from all the known AMEs and compared their biogeochemistry and microbial diversity to achieve a better understanding of them and, consequently, facilitate their protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico A Vignale
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI)-CCT-CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN)-CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustina I Lencina
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI)-CCT-CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Tatiana M Stepanenko
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI)-CCT-CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Mariana N Soria
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI)-CCT-CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Luis A Saona
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI)-CCT-CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Daniel Kurth
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI)-CCT-CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Daniel Guzmán
- Centro de Biotecnología (CBT), Facultad de Ciencias y Tecnología, Universidad Mayor de San Simón (UMSS), Cochabamba, Bolivia
| | - Jamie S Foster
- Space Life Science Lab, Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Merritt Island, FL, USA
| | - Daniel G Poiré
- Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas (CIG), Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP)-CONICET, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Patricio G Villafañe
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI)-CCT-CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Virginia H Albarracín
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI)-CCT-CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
- Centro Integral de Microscopía Electrónica (CIME)-CCT-CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán (UNT), Tucumán, Argentina
| | | | - María E Farías
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI)-CCT-CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina.
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12
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Vignale FA, Kurth D, Lencina AI, Poiré DG, Chihuailaf E, Muñoz-Herrera NC, Novoa F, Contreras M, Turjanski AG, Farías ME. Geobiology of Andean Microbial Ecosystems Discovered in Salar de Atacama, Chile. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:762076. [PMID: 34777316 PMCID: PMC8581658 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.762076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The Salar de Atacama in the Chilean Central Andes harbors unique microbial ecosystems due to extreme environmental conditions, such as high altitude, low oxygen pressure, high solar radiation, and high salinity. Combining X-ray diffraction analyses, scanning electron microscopy and molecular diversity studies, we have characterized twenty previously unexplored Andean microbial ecosystems in eight different lakes and wetlands from the middle-east and south-east regions of this salt flat. The mats and microbialites studied are mainly formed by calcium carbonate (aragonite and calcite) and halite, whereas the endoevaporites are composed predominantly of gypsum and halite. The carbonate-rich mats and microbialites are dominated by Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria phyla. Within the phylum Proteobacteria, the most abundant classes are Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria and Deltaproteobacteria. While in the phylum Bacteroidetes, the most abundant classes are Bacteroidia and Rhodothermia. Cyanobacteria, Chloroflexi, Planctomycetes, and Verrucomicrobia phyla are also well-represented in the majority of these systems. Gypsum endoevaporites, on the contrary, are dominated by Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Euryarchaeota phyla. The Cyanobacteria phylum is also abundant in these systems, but it is less represented in comparison to mats and microbialites. Regarding the eukaryotic taxa, diatoms are key structural components in most of the microbial ecosystems studied. The genera of diatoms identified were Achnanthes, Fallacia, Halamphora, Mastogloia, Navicula, Nitzschia, and Surirella. Normally, in the mats and microbialites, diatoms form nano-globular carbonate aggregates with filamentous cyanobacteria and other prokaryotic cells, suggesting their participation in the mineral precipitation process. This work expands our knowledge of the microbial ecosystems inhabiting the extreme environments from the Central Andes region, which is important to ensure their protection and conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico A. Vignale
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT, CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
- Laboratorio de Bioinformática Estructural, Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN)-CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Daniel Kurth
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT, CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Agustina I. Lencina
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT, CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Daniel G. Poiré
- Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas (CIG), Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP)-CONICET, La Plata, Argentina
| | | | | | | | | | - Adrián G. Turjanski
- Laboratorio de Bioinformática Estructural, Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN)-CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María E. Farías
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT, CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
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13
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Villafañe PG, Cónsole-Gonella C, Cury LF, Farías ME. Short-term microbialite resurgence as indicator of ecological resilience against crises (Catamarca, Argentine Puna). ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2021; 13:659-667. [PMID: 34089237 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Microbialite-producing microorganisms that inhabit the Puna lakes are traditionally considered constituents of fragile microsystems, unable to resist important environmental variations. Nevertheless, this region has experienced significant climatic fluctuations during the Holocene, raising the unsolved issue on how microbialite-forming systems have been able to resist these changes. Turquesa lake, located within Quaternary Peinado lake-basin (Puna), faces a hydric crisis in the last decades, which modified their physicochemical conditions. However, there has been a rapid re-establishment of the microbialite systems once the main parameters were stabilized, which allowed the establishment of three new microbialite levels in the coast and paleo-coastline. The aim of this contribution is to report for the first time microbialite levels in Turquesa lake, providing a multiscale analysis, besides an accurate study of the physico-chemical context of the lake. This new record provided us the opportunity to demonstrate the short-term resilience capacity of these microbialite-producing microorganisms to climatic changes, offering a key approach to understand analogue processes throughout Earth history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricio Guillermo Villafañe
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas en Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CONICET, Av. Belgrano y Psje. Caseros S/N, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
- Instituto Superior de Correlación Geológica (INSUGEO), CONICET- UNT, Av Perón s/n, Yerba Buena, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Carlos Cónsole-Gonella
- Instituto Superior de Correlación Geológica (INSUGEO), CONICET- UNT, Av Perón s/n, Yerba Buena, Tucumán, Argentina
- Institute of Paleontology, Hebei GEO University, 136 East Huai' an Rd, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Leonardo Fadel Cury
- LAMIR Institute, Universidad Federal do Paraná (UFPR), Av. Cel. Francisco H. dos Santos 100, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - María Eugenia Farías
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas en Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CONICET, Av. Belgrano y Psje. Caseros S/N, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
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14
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Castro-Severyn J, Pardo-Esté C, Mendez KN, Fortt J, Marquez S, Molina F, Castro-Nallar E, Remonsellez F, Saavedra CP. Living to the High Extreme: Unraveling the Composition, Structure, and Functional Insights of Bacterial Communities Thriving in the Arsenic-Rich Salar de Huasco Altiplanic Ecosystem. Microbiol Spectr 2021; 9:e0044421. [PMID: 34190603 PMCID: PMC8552739 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00444-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial communities inhabiting extreme environments such as Salar de Huasco (SH) in northern Chile are adapted to thrive while exposed to several abiotic pressures and the presence of toxic elements such as arsenic (As). Hence, we aimed to uncover the role of As in shaping bacterial composition, structure, and functional potential in five different sites in this altiplanic wetland using a shotgun metagenomic approach. The sites exhibit wide gradients of As (9 to 321 mg/kg), and our results showed highly diverse communities and a clear dominance exerted by the Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes phyla. Functional potential analyses show broadly convergent patterns, contrasting with their great taxonomic variability. As-related metabolism, as well as other functional categories such as those related to the CH4 and S cycles, differs among the five communities. Particularly, we found that the distribution and abundance of As-related genes increase as the As concentration rises. Approximately 75% of the detected genes for As metabolism belong to expulsion mechanisms; arsJ and arsP pumps are related to sites with higher As concentrations and are present almost exclusively in Proteobacteria. Furthermore, taxonomic diversity and functional potential are reflected in the 12 reconstructed high-quality metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs) belonging to the Bacteroidetes (5), Proteobacteria (5), Cyanobacteria (1), and Gemmatimonadetes (1) phyla. We conclude that SH microbial communities are diverse and possess a broad genetic repertoire to thrive under extreme conditions, including increasing concentrations of highly toxic As. Finally, this environment represents a reservoir of unknown and undescribed microorganisms, with great metabolic versatility, which needs further study. IMPORTANCE As microbial communities inhabiting extreme environments are fundamental for maintaining ecosystems, many studies concerning composition, functionality, and interactions have been carried out. However, much is still unknown. Here, we sampled microbial communities in the Salar de Huasco, an extreme environment subjected to several abiotic stresses (high UV radiation, salinity and arsenic; low pressure and temperatures). We found that although microbes are taxonomically diverse, functional potential seems to have an important degree of convergence, suggesting high levels of adaptation. Particularly, arsenic metabolism showed differences associated with increasing concentrations of the metalloid throughout the area, and it effectively exerts a significant pressure over these organisms. Thus, the significance of this research is that we describe highly specialized communities thriving in little-explored environments subjected to several pressures, considered analogous of early Earth and other planets, that have the potential for unraveling technologies to face the repercussions of climate change in many areas of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Castro-Severyn
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Aplicada y Extremófilos, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Coral Pardo-Esté
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Aplicada y Extremófilos, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Katterinne N. Mendez
- Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jonathan Fortt
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Aplicada y Extremófilos, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Sebastian Marquez
- Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Franck Molina
- Sys2Diag, UMR9005 CNRS ALCEDIAG, Montpellier, France
| | - Eduardo Castro-Nallar
- Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Francisco Remonsellez
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Aplicada y Extremófilos, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
- Centro de Investigación Tecnológica del Agua en el Desierto-CEITSAZA, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Claudia P. Saavedra
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
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15
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Reid RP, Oehlert AM, Suosaari EP, Demergasso C, Chong G, Escudero LV, Piggot AM, Lascu I, Palma AT. Electrical conductivity as a driver of biological and geological spatial heterogeneity in the Puquios, Salar de Llamara, Atacama Desert, Chile. Sci Rep 2021; 11:12769. [PMID: 34140571 PMCID: PMC8211675 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92105-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Reputed to be the driest desert in the world, the Atacama Desert in the Central Andes of Northern Chile is an extreme environment with high UV radiation, wide temperature variation, and minimum precipitation. Scarce lagoons associated with salt flats (salars) in this desert are the surface expression of shallow groundwater; these ponds serve as refugia for life and often host microbial communities associated with evaporitic mineral deposition. Results based on multidisciplinary field campaigns and associated laboratory examination of samples collected from the Puquios of the Salar de Llamara in the Atacama Desert during austral summer provide unprecedented detail regarding the spatial heterogeneity of physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of these salar environments. Four main lagoons ('Puquios') and more than 400 smaller ponds occur within an area less than 5 km2, and are characterized by high variability in electrical conductivity, benthic and planktonic biota, microbiota, lagoon bottom type, and style of mineral deposition. Results suggest that electrical conductivity is a driving force of system heterogeneity. Such spatial heterogeneity within the Puquios is likely to be expanded with temporal observations incorporating expected seasonal changes in electrical conductivity. The complexity of these Andean ecosystems may be key to their ability to persist in extreme environments at the edge of habitability.
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Affiliation(s)
- R P Reid
- Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33149, USA.
- Bahamas Marine EcoCentre, Miami, FL, 33156, USA.
| | - A M Oehlert
- Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33149, USA
- Bahamas Marine EcoCentre, Miami, FL, 33156, USA
| | - E P Suosaari
- Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33149, USA
- Bahamas Marine EcoCentre, Miami, FL, 33156, USA
- Department of Mineral Sciences, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, 20560, USA
| | - C Demergasso
- Centro de Biotecnología , Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - G Chong
- Departamento de Ciencias Geológicas , Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - L V Escudero
- Centro de Biotecnología , Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - A M Piggot
- Bahamas Marine EcoCentre, Miami, FL, 33156, USA
- AP Research Inc., Miami, FL, 33157, USA
| | - I Lascu
- Department of Mineral Sciences, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, 20560, USA
| | - A T Palma
- FisioAqua, Las Condes , 7550024, Santiago, Chile
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16
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Osman JR, Viedma P, Mendoza J, Fernandes G, DuBow MS, Cotoras D. Prokaryotic diversity and biogeochemical characteristics of field living and laboratory cultured stromatolites from the hypersaline Laguna Interna, Salar de Atacama (Chile). Extremophiles 2021; 25:327-342. [PMID: 33993356 DOI: 10.1007/s00792-021-01232-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Stromatolites are organo-sedimentary structures found principally in seas and saline lakes that contain sheets of sediments and minerals formed by layers of microbial communities, which trap sediments and induce the precipitation of minerals.A living stromatolite from the alkaline Laguna Interna in the Salar de Atacama was collected and one of the fragments was deposited in an experimental aquarium for 18 months. We used Illumina sequencing of PCR-amplified V4 regions of 16S rRNA genes from total extracted DNA to identify the microbial populations. The chemical structure was studied using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and bench chemical methods. We found that members belonging to the Proteobacteria, Planctomycetes, Chloroflexi and Bacteroidetes phyla dominated the bacterial communities of the living and aquarium cultured samples. The potential metabolic functionality of the prokaryotic community reveals that sulfur, nitrogen, methane and carbon fixation metabolism functions are present in the samples. This study is the first to provide new insights into the prokaryotic community composition from this unusual aquatic desert site. Further studies will be helpful to obtain a better understanding of the biotic and abiotic mechanisms residing in stromatolites from Laguna Interna, as well as to have better knowledge about the formation of these biosignatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge R Osman
- Laboratorio de Microbiología y Biotecnología, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad de Chile, Santos Dumont #964, Independencia, Santiago, Chile. .,Instituto de Geología Económica Aplicada (GEA), Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile.
| | - Pabla Viedma
- Laboratorio de Microbiología y Biotecnología, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad de Chile, Santos Dumont #964, Independencia, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jorge Mendoza
- Laboratorio de Química de Suelos, Departamento de Química Inorgánica y Analítica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad de Chile, Sergio Livingstone 1007, Independencia, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gustavo Fernandes
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Michael S DuBow
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay Campus CNRS, Bâtiment 21, Avenue de la Terasse, 91190, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Davor Cotoras
- Laboratorio de Microbiología y Biotecnología, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad de Chile, Santos Dumont #964, Independencia, Santiago, Chile
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17
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Saona LA, Soria M, Durán-Toro V, Wörmer L, Milucka J, Castro-Nallar E, Meneses C, Contreras M, Farías ME. Phosphate-Arsenic Interactions in Halophilic Microorganisms of the Microbial Mat from Laguna Tebenquiche: from the Microenvironment to the Genomes. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2021; 81:941-953. [PMID: 33388944 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-020-01673-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Arsenic (As) is a metalloid present in the earth's crust and widely distributed in the environment. Due to its high concentrations in the Andean valleys and its chemical similarity with phosphorus (P), its biological role in Andean Microbial Ecosystems (AMEs) has begun to be studied. The AMEs are home to extremophilic microbial communities that form microbial mats, evaporites, and microbialites inhabiting Andean lakes, puquios, or salt flats. In this work, we characterize the biological role of As and the effect of phosphate in AMEs from the Laguna Tebenquiche (Atacama Desert, Chile). Using micro X-ray fluorescence, the distribution of As in microbial mat samples was mapped. Taxonomic and inferred functional profiles were obtained from enriched cultures of microbial mats incubated under As stress and different phosphate conditions. Additionally, representative microorganisms highly resistant to As and able to grow under low phosphate concentration were isolated and studied physiologically. Finally, the genomes of the isolated Salicola sp. and Halorubrum sp. were sequenced to analyze genes related to both phosphate metabolism and As resistance. The results revealed As as a key component of the microbial mat ecosystem: (i) As was distributed across all sections of the microbial mat and represented a significant weight percentage of the mat (0.17 %) in comparison with P (0.40%); (ii) Low phosphate concentration drastically changed the microbial community in microbial mat samples incubated under high salinity and high As concentrations; (iii) Archaea and Bacteria isolated from the microbial mat were highly resistant to arsenate (up to 500 mM), even under low phosphate concentration; (iv) The genomes of the two isolates were predicted to contain key genes in As metabolism (aioAB and arsC/acr3) and the genes predicted to encode the phosphate-specific transport operon (pstSCAB-phoU) are next to the arsC gene, suggesting a functional relationship between these two elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- L A Saona
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT, CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina.
- Department of Biogeochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstrasse 1, 28359, Bremen, Germany.
| | - M Soria
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT, CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - V Durán-Toro
- Hydrothermal Geomicrobiology Group, MARUM Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - L Wörmer
- Organic Geochemistry Group, MARUM-Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Leobener Str. 8, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - J Milucka
- Department of Biogeochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstrasse 1, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - E Castro-Nallar
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - C Meneses
- Centro de Biotecnología Vegetal (CBV), FONDAP Center for Genome Regulation, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - M Contreras
- Centro de Ecología Aplicada, Santiago, Chile
| | - M E Farías
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT, CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina.
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18
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Kurth D, Elias D, Rasuk MC, Contreras M, Farías ME. Carbon fixation and rhodopsin systems in microbial mats from hypersaline lakes Brava and Tebenquiche, Salar de Atacama, Chile. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0246656. [PMID: 33561170 PMCID: PMC7872239 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In this work, molecular diversity of two hypersaline microbial mats was compared by Whole Genome Shotgun (WGS) sequencing of environmental DNA from the mats. Brava and Tebenquiche are lakes in the Salar de Atacama, Chile, where microbial communities are growing in extreme conditions, including high salinity, high solar irradiance, and high levels of toxic metals and metaloids. Evaporation creates hypersaline conditions in these lakes and mineral precipitation is a characteristic geomicrobiological feature of these benthic ecosystems. The mat from Brava was more rich and diverse, with a higher number of different taxa and with species more evenly distributed. At the phylum level, Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Chloroflexi, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were the most abundant, including ~75% of total sequences. At the genus level, the most abundant sequences were affilitated to anoxygenic phototropic and cyanobacterial genera. In Tebenquiche mats, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes covered ~70% of the sequences, and 13% of the sequences were affiliated to Salinibacter genus, thus addressing the lower diversity. Regardless of the differences at the taxonomic level, functionally the two mats were similar. Thus, similar roles could be fulfilled by different organisms. Carbon fixation through the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway was well represented in these datasets, and also in other mats from Andean lakes. In spite of presenting less taxonomic diversity, Tebenquiche mats showed increased abundance and variety of rhodopsin genes. Comparison with other metagenomes allowed identifying xantorhodopsins as hallmark genes not only from Brava and Tebenquiche mats, but also for other mats developing at high altitudes in similar environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Kurth
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT, CONICET, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Dario Elias
- Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos, Oro Verde, Entre Ríos, Argentina
| | - María Cecilia Rasuk
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT, CONICET, Tucumán, Argentina
| | | | - María Eugenia Farías
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT, CONICET, Tucumán, Argentina
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19
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Gypsum Precipitation under Saline Conditions: Thermodynamics, Kinetics, Morphology, and Size Distribution. MINERALS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/min11020141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) is the most common sulfate mineral on Earth and is also found on Mars. It is an evaporitic mineral that predominantly precipitates from brines. In addition to its precipitation in natural environments, gypsum also forms an undesired scale in many industrial processes that utilize or produce brines. Thus, better insights into gypsum formation can contribute to the understanding of natural processes, as well as improving industrial practices. Subsequently, the thermodynamics, nucleation and crystal growth mechanisms and kinetics, and how these factors shape the morphology of gypsum have been widely studied. Over the last decade, the precipitation of gypsum under saline and hypersaline conditions has been the focus of several studies. However, to date, most of the thermodynamic data are derived from experiments with artificial solutions that have limited background electrolytes and have Ca2+/SO42− ratios that are similar to the 1:1 ratio in the mineral. Moreover, direct observations of the nucleation and growth processes of gypsum are still derived from experimental settings that can be described as having low ionic strength. Thus, the mechanisms of gypsum precipitation under conditions from which the mineral precipitates in many natural environments and industrial processes are still less well known. The present review focuses on the precipitation of gypsum from a range of aspects. Special attention is given to brines. The effects of ionic strength, brine composition, and temperature on the thermodynamic settings are broadly discussed. The mechanisms and rates of gypsum nucleation and growth, and the effect the thermodynamic properties of the brine have on these processes is demonstrated by recent microscopic and macroscopic observations. The morphology and size distribution of gypsum crystals precipitation is examined in the light of the precipitation processes that shape these properties. Finally, the present review highlights discrepancies between microscopic and macroscopic observations, and studies carried out under low and high ionic strengths. The special challenges posed by experiments with brines are also discussed. Thus, while this review covers contemporary literature, it also outlines further research that is required in order to improve our understanding of gypsum precipitation in natural environments and industrial settings.
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20
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Braissant O, Astasov-Frauenhoffer M, Waltimo T, Bonkat G. A Review of Methods to Determine Viability, Vitality, and Metabolic Rates in Microbiology. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:547458. [PMID: 33281753 PMCID: PMC7705206 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.547458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Viability and metabolic assays are commonly used as proxies to assess the overall metabolism of microorganisms. The variety of these assays combined with little information provided by some assay kits or online protocols often leads to mistakes or poor interpretation of the results. In addition, the use of some of these assays is restricted to simple systems (mostly pure cultures), and care must be taken in their application to environmental samples. In this review, the necessary data are compiled to understand the reactions or measurements performed in many of the assays commonly used in various aspects of microbiology. Also, their relationships to each other, as metabolism links many of these assays, resulting in correlations between measured values and parameters, are discussed. Finally, the limitations of these assays are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Braissant
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, University of Basel, Allschwil, Switzerland
| | | | - Tuomas Waltimo
- Department Research, University Center for Dental Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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21
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Shen J, Smith AC, Claire MW, Zerkle AL. Unraveling biogeochemical phosphorus dynamics in hyperarid Mars-analogue soils using stable oxygen isotopes in phosphate. GEOBIOLOGY 2020; 18:760-779. [PMID: 32822094 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
With annual precipitation less than 20 mm and extreme UV intensity, the Atacama Desert in northern Chile has long been utilized as an analogue for recent Mars. In these hyperarid environments, water and biomass are extremely limited, and thus, it becomes difficult to generate a full picture of biogeochemical phosphate-water dynamics. To address this problem, we sampled soils from five Atacama study sites and conducted three main analyses-stable oxygen isotopes in phosphate, enzyme pathway predictions, and cell culture experiments. We found that high sedimentation rates decrease the relative size of the organic phosphorus pool, which appears to hinder extremophiles. Phosphoenzyme and pathway prediction analyses imply that inorganic pyrophosphatase is the most likely catalytic agent to cycle P in these environments, and this process will rapidly overtake other P utilization strategies. In these soils, the biogenic δ18 O signatures of the soil phosphate (δ18 OPO4 ) can slowly overprint lithogenic δ18 OPO4 values over a timescale of tens to hundreds of millions of years when annual precipitation is more than 10 mm. The δ18 OPO4 of calcium-bound phosphate minerals seems to preserve the δ18 O signature of the water used for biogeochemical P cycling, pointing toward sporadic rainfall and gypsum hydration water as key moisture sources. Where precipitation is less than 2 mm, biological cycling is restricted and bedrock δ18 OPO4 values are preserved. This study demonstrates the utility of δ18 OPO4 values as indicative of biogeochemical cycling and hydrodynamics in an extremely dry Mars-analogue environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianxun Shen
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Centre for Exoplanet Science, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Andrew C Smith
- NERC Isotope Geosciences Facilities, British Geological Survey, Nottingham, UK
| | - Mark W Claire
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Centre for Exoplanet Science, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Aubrey L Zerkle
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Centre for Exoplanet Science, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
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Iniesto M, Moreira D, Reboul G, Deschamps P, Benzerara K, Bertolino P, Saghaï A, Tavera R, López-García P. Core microbial communities of lacustrine microbialites sampled along an alkalinity gradient. Environ Microbiol 2020; 23:51-68. [PMID: 32985763 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Microbialites are usually carbonate-rich sedimentary rocks formed by the interplay of phylogenetically and metabolically complex microbial communities with their physicochemical environment. Yet, the biotic and abiotic determinants of microbialite formation remain poorly constrained. Here, we analysed the structure of prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities associated with microbialites occurring in several crater lakes of the Trans-Mexican volcanic belt along an alkalinity gradient. Microbialite size and community structure correlated with lake physicochemical parameters, notably alkalinity. Although microbial community composition varied across lake microbialites, major taxa-associated functions appeared quite stable with both, oxygenic and anoxygenic photosynthesis and, to less extent, sulphate reduction, as major putative carbonatogenic processes. Despite interlake microbialite community differences, we identified a microbial core of 247 operational taxonomic units conserved across lake microbialites, suggesting a prominent ecological role in microbialite formation. This core mostly encompassed Cyanobacteria and their typical associated taxa (Bacteroidetes, Planctomycetes) and diverse anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria, notably Chloroflexi, Alphaproteobacteria (Rhodobacteriales, Rhodospirilalles), Gammaproteobacteria (Chromatiaceae) and minor proportions of Chlorobi. The conserved core represented up to 40% (relative abundance) of the total community in lakes Alchichica and Atexcac, displaying the highest alkalinities and the most conspicuous microbialites. Core microbialite communities associated with carbonatogenesis might be relevant for inorganic carbon sequestration purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Iniesto
- Unité d'Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, Orsay, France
| | - David Moreira
- Unité d'Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, Orsay, France
| | - Guillaume Reboul
- Unité d'Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, Orsay, France
| | - Philippe Deschamps
- Unité d'Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, Orsay, France
| | - Karim Benzerara
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Paola Bertolino
- Unité d'Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, Orsay, France
| | - Aurélien Saghaï
- Unité d'Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, Orsay, France.,Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Rosaluz Tavera
- Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, DF Mexico, Mexico
| | - Purificación López-García
- Unité d'Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, Orsay, France
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Ashfaq MY, Al-Ghouti MA, Zouari N. Functionalization of reverse osmosis membrane with graphene oxide and polyacrylic acid to control biofouling and mineral scaling. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 736:139500. [PMID: 32479964 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The polyamide reverse osmosis (RO) membrane was modified with graphene oxide (GO), followed by polymerization of acrylic acid (used as an antiscalant) for the reduction of both biofouling and mineral scaling. After functionalization, the water contact angle reduced from 41.7 ± 4.5° for unmodified RO membrane to 24.4 ± 1.3° for the modified RO membranes, which showed that membrane hydrophilicity was significantly enhanced, in addition to the improvement in surface smoothness. The modified membranes were tested for their anti-scaling and anti-biofouling characteristics. When the mineral scaling test was performed using CaSO4 solution as feedwater, the permeate flux was reduced by only 3% as compared to the unmodified RO membrane which encountered up to 22% decline in flux by the end of the experiment. After the scaling test, the membrane surface was characterized by Scanning electron microscopy - energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared, and X-ray diffraction techniques. The results showed that the unmodified RO membrane was fully covered with gypsum precipitates. Whereas, the precipitates were detected only at the highly saturated zones of the water channel i.e. towards the exit of water flow. Additionally, the anti-bacterial test was performed through bacteriostasis rate determination, which showed that the modified membranes inhibited the growth of nearly 95% of the bacterial cells. Further experiments were also performed to investigate the inhibition of both scaling and biofouling by modified RO membranes. Thus, it was found that the polymer-modified GO coated RO membranes were able to diminish both gypsum scaling and biofilm formation demonstrating their potential to control different types of membrane fouling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Y Ashfaq
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, State of Qatar, Doha, P.O. Box: 2713, Qatar
| | - Mohammad A Al-Ghouti
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, State of Qatar, Doha, P.O. Box: 2713, Qatar.
| | - Nabil Zouari
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, State of Qatar, Doha, P.O. Box: 2713, Qatar
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Physicochemical Parameters Affecting the Distribution and Diversity of the Water Column Microbial Community in the High-Altitude Andean Lake System of La Brava and La Punta. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8081181. [PMID: 32756460 PMCID: PMC7464526 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8081181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the low incidence of precipitation attributed to climate change, many high-altitude Andean lakes (HAALs) and lagoons distributed along the central Andes in South America may soon disappear. This includes La Brava–La Punta, a brackish lake system located south of the Salar de Atacama within a hyper-arid and halophytic biome in the Atacama Desert. Variations in the physicochemical parameters of the water column can induce changes in microbial community composition, which we aimed to determine. Sixteen sampling points across La Brava–La Punta were studied to assess the influence of water physicochemical properties on the aquatic microbial community, determined via 16S rRNA gene analysis. Parameters such as pH and the concentrations of silica, magnesium, calcium, salinity, and dissolved oxygen showed a more homogenous pattern in La Punta samples, whereas those from La Brava had greater variability; pH and total silica were significantly different between La Brava and La Punta. The predominant phyla were Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia. The genera Psychroflexus (36.85%), Thiomicrospira (12.48%), and Pseudomonas (7.81%) were more abundant in La Brava, while Pseudospirillum (20.73%) and Roseovarius (17.20%) were more abundant in La Punta. Among the parameters, pH was the only statistically significant factor influencing the diversity within La Brava lake. These results complement the known microbial diversity and composition in the HAALs of the Atacama Desert.
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25
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Saona LA, Soria M, Villafañe PG, Lencina AI, Stepanenko T, Farías ME. Andean Microbial Ecosystems: Traces in Hypersaline Lakes About Life Origin. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-46087-7_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
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26
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Perez MF, Kurth D, Farías ME, Soria MN, Castillo Villamizar GA, Poehlein A, Daniel R, Dib JR. First Report on the Plasmidome From a High-Altitude Lake of the Andean Puna. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1343. [PMID: 32655530 PMCID: PMC7324554 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Mobile genetic elements, including plasmids, drive the evolution of prokaryotic genomes through the horizontal transfer of genes allowing genetic exchange between bacteria. Moreover, plasmids carry accessory genes, which encode functions that may offer an advantage to the host. Thus, it is expected that in a certain ecological niche, plasmids are enriched in accessory functions, which are important for their hosts to proliferate in that niche. Puquio de Campo Naranja is a high-altitude lake from the Andean Puna exposed to multiple extreme conditions, including high UV radiation, alkalinity, high concentrations of arsenic, heavy metals, dissolved salts, high thermal amplitude and low O2 pressure. Microorganisms living in this lake need to develop efficient mechanisms and strategies to cope under these conditions. The aim of this study was to characterize the plasmidome of microbialites from Puquio de Campo Naranja, and identify potential hosts and encoded functions using a deep-sequencing approach. The potential ecological impact of the plasmidome, including plasmids from cultivable and non-cultivable microorganisms, is described for the first time in a lake representing an extreme environment of the Puna. This study showed that the recovered genetic information for the plasmidome was novel in comparison to the metagenome derived from the same environment. The study of the total plasmid population allowed the identification of genetic features typically encoded by plasmids, such as resistance and virulence factors. The resistance genes comprised resistances to heavy metals, antibiotics and stress factors. These results highlight the key role of plasmids for their hosts and impact of extrachromosomal elements to thrive in a certain ecological niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Florencia Perez
- Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Daniel Kurth
- Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
| | - María Eugenia Farías
- Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Mariana Noelia Soria
- Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Genis Andrés Castillo Villamizar
- Genomic and Applied Microbiology & Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Línea Tecnológica Biocorrosión, Corporación para la Investigación de la Corrosión C.I.C., Piedecuesta, Colombia
| | - Anja Poehlein
- Genomic and Applied Microbiology & Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Rolf Daniel
- Genomic and Applied Microbiology & Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Julián Rafael Dib
- Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.,Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia, Instituto de Microbiología, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
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Yanez-Montalvo A, Gómez-Acata S, Águila B, Hernández-Arana H, Falcón LI. The microbiome of modern microbialites in Bacalar Lagoon, Mexico. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0230071. [PMID: 32210450 PMCID: PMC7094828 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbialites are highly diverse microbial communities that represent modern examples of the oldest life forms, stromatolites (dated >3.7 Ga). Bacalar Lagoon, in Mexico, harbors the largest freshwater microbialite occurrences of the world; yet diverse anthropogenic activities are changing the oligotrophic conditions of the lagoon. The objective of this work was to perform a spatial exploration of the microbialites of Bacalar Lagoon, analyze their prokaryote diversity, following a high throughput sequencing approach of the V4 region of the 16S rDNA, and correlate to the environmental parameters that influence the structure of these communities. The results indicate the presence of microbialites throughout the periphery of the lagoon. The microbiome of the microbialites is composed primarily of Proteobacteria (40-80%), Cyanobacteria (1-11%), Bacteroidetes (7-8%), Chloroflexi (8-14%), Firmicutes (1-23%), Planctomycetes (1-8%), and Verrucomicrobia (1-4%). Phylogenetic distance analyses suggests two distinct groups of microbialites associated with regions in the lagoon that have differences in their environmental parameters, including soluble reactive silicate (in the north), bicarbonates and available forms of nitrogen (ammonium, nitrates and nitrites) (in the south). These microbialite groups had differences in their microbiome composition associated to strong anthropogenic pressure on water quality (agriculture, landfill leachate, lack of water treatment infrastructure and intensive tourism), which were related to a loss of microbial diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfredo Yanez-Montalvo
- UNAM, Instituto de Ecología, Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Yucatán, Sierra Papacal, Yucatán, México
- El Colegio de la Frontera Sur Unidad Chetumal, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico
| | - Selene Gómez-Acata
- UNAM, Instituto de Ecología, Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Yucatán, Sierra Papacal, Yucatán, México
| | - Bernardo Águila
- UNAM, Instituto de Ecología, Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Yucatán, Sierra Papacal, Yucatán, México
| | | | - Luisa I. Falcón
- UNAM, Instituto de Ecología, Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Yucatán, Sierra Papacal, Yucatán, México
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28
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Burganskaya EI, Bryantseva IA, Krutkina MS, Grouzdev DS, Gorlenko VM. Bacterial communities of the microbial mats of Chokrak sulfide springs. Arch Microbiol 2019; 201:795-805. [DOI: 10.1007/s00203-019-01648-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Revised: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Flexer V, Baspineiro CF, Galli CI. Lithium recovery from brines: A vital raw material for green energies with a potential environmental impact in its mining and processing. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 639:1188-1204. [PMID: 29929287 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.05.223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Revised: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The electrification of our world is driving a strong increase in demand for lithium. Energy storage is paramount in electric and hybrid vehicles, in green but intermittent energy sources, and in smart grids in general. Lithium is a vital raw material for the build-up of both currently available lithium-ion batteries, and prospective next generation batteries such as lithium-air and lithium sulphur. The continued availability of lithium can only rely on a strong increase of mining and ore processing. It would be an inconsistency if the increased production of lithium for a more sustainable society would be associated with non-sustainable mining practices. Currently 2/3 of the world production of lithium is extracted from brines, a practice that evaporates on average half a million litres of brine per ton of lithium carbonate. Furthermore, the extraction is chemical intensive, extremely slow, and delivers large volumes of waste. This technology is heavily dependent on the geological structure of the deposits, brine chemical composition and both climate and weather conditions. Therefore, it is difficult to adapt from one successful exploitation to new deposits. A few years of simulations and piloting are needed before large scale production is achieved. Consequently, this technology is struggling with the current surge in demand. At time of writing, only 5 industrial scale facilities are in operation worldwide, highlighting the shortcomings in this technology. Both mining companies and academics are intensively searching for new technologies for lithium recovery from brines. However, focus on the chemistry of brine processing has left unattended the analysis of the sustainability of the overall process. Here we review both the current available technology and new proposed methodologies. We make a special focus on an overall sustainability analysis, with particular emphasis to the geological characteristics of deposits and water usage in relation to mining processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Flexer
- Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Materiales Avanzados y Almacenamiento de Energía de Jujuy (CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Jujuy), Centro de Desarrollo Tecnológico General Manuel Savio, Palpalá, Jujuy, Argentina.
| | - Celso Fernando Baspineiro
- Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Materiales Avanzados y Almacenamiento de Energía de Jujuy (CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Jujuy), Centro de Desarrollo Tecnológico General Manuel Savio, Palpalá, Jujuy, Argentina
| | - Claudia Inés Galli
- Instituto de Ecoregiones Andinas - INECOA-CONICET, Av. Bolivia 1661, S.S. de Jujuy, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Salta, Avenida Bolivia 5150, 4400 Salta, Argentina
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30
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Ordoñez OF, Rasuk MC, Soria MN, Contreras M, Farías ME. Haloarchaea from the Andean Puna: Biological Role in the Energy Metabolism of Arsenic. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2018; 76:695-705. [PMID: 29520450 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-018-1159-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Biofilms, microbial mats, and microbialites dwell under highly limiting conditions (high salinity, extreme aridity, pH, and elevated arsenic concentration) in the Andean Puna. Only recent pioneering studies have described the microbial diversity of different Altiplano lakes and revealed their unexpectedly diverse microbial communities. Arsenic metabolism is proposed to be an ancient mechanism to obtain energy by microorganisms. Members of Bacteria and Archaea are able to exploit arsenic as a bioenergetic substrate in either anaerobic arsenate respiration or chemolithotrophic growth on arsenite. Only six aioAB sequences coding for arsenite oxidase and three arrA sequences coding for arsenate reductase from haloarchaea were previously deposited in the NCBI database. However, no experimental data on their expression and function has been reported. Recently, our working group revealed the prevalence of haloarchaea in a red biofilm from Diamante Lake and microbial mat from Tebenquiche Lake using a metagenomics approach. Also, a surprisingly high abundance of genes used for anaerobic arsenate respiration (arr) and arsenite oxidation (aio) was detected in the Diamante's metagenome. In order to study in depth the role of arsenic in these haloarchaeal communities, in this work, we obtained 18 haloarchaea belonging to the Halorubrum genus, tolerant to arsenic. Furthermore, the identification and expression analysis of genes involved in obtaining energy from arsenic compounds (aio and arr) showed that aio and arr partial genes were detected in 11 isolates, and their expression was verified in two selected strains. Better growth of two isolates was obtained in presence of arsenic compared to control. Moreover, one of the isolates was able to oxidize As[III]. The confirmation of the oxidation of arsenic and the transcriptional expression of these genes by RT-PCR strongly support the hypothesis that the arsenic can be used in bioenergetics processes by the microorganisms flourishing in these environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Federico Ordoñez
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales y Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT, CONICET, Av. Belgrano y Pasaje Caseros, 4000, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - María Cecilia Rasuk
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales y Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT, CONICET, Av. Belgrano y Pasaje Caseros, 4000, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Mariana Noelia Soria
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales y Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT, CONICET, Av. Belgrano y Pasaje Caseros, 4000, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Manuel Contreras
- Centro de Ecología Aplicada (CEA), Suecia 3304, 56-2-2741872, Ñuñoa, Santiago, Chile
| | - María Eugenia Farías
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales y Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT, CONICET, Av. Belgrano y Pasaje Caseros, 4000, Tucumán, Argentina.
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Genderjahn S, Alawi M, Mangelsdorf K, Horn F, Wagner D. Desiccation- and Saline-Tolerant Bacteria and Archaea in Kalahari Pan Sediments. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2082. [PMID: 30294305 PMCID: PMC6158459 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
More than 41% of the Earth's land area is covered by permanent or seasonally arid dryland ecosystems. Global development and human activity have led to an increase in aridity, resulting in ecosystem degradation and desertification around the world. The objective of the present work was to investigate and compare the microbial community structure and geochemical characteristics of two geographically distinct saline pan sediments in the Kalahari Desert of southern Africa. Our data suggest that these microbial communities have been shaped by geochemical drivers, including water content, salinity, and the supply of organic matter. Using Illumina 16S rRNA gene sequencing, this study provides new insights into the diversity of bacteria and archaea in semi-arid, saline, and low-carbon environments. Many of the observed taxa are halophilic and adapted to water-limiting conditions. The analysis reveals a high relative abundance of halophilic archaea (primarily Halobacteria), and the bacterial diversity is marked by an abundance of Gemmatimonadetes and spore-forming Firmicutes. In the deeper, anoxic layers, candidate division MSBL1, and acetogenic bacteria (Acetothermia) are abundant. Together, the taxonomic information and geochemical data suggest that acetogenesis could be a prevalent form of metabolism in the deep layers of a saline pan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffi Genderjahn
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, Section 5.3 Geomicrobiology, Potsdam, Germany.,GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, Section 3.2 Organic Geochemistry, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Mashal Alawi
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, Section 5.3 Geomicrobiology, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Kai Mangelsdorf
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, Section 3.2 Organic Geochemistry, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Fabian Horn
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, Section 5.3 Geomicrobiology, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Dirk Wagner
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, Section 5.3 Geomicrobiology, Potsdam, Germany.,Institute of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
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Sirisena KA, Ramirez S, Steele A, Glamoclija M. Microbial Diversity of Hypersaline Sediments from Lake Lucero Playa in White Sands National Monument, New Mexico, USA. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2018; 76:404-418. [PMID: 29380029 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-018-1142-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Lake Lucero is a gypsum-rich, hypersaline, ephemeral playa located on the southern part of the Alkali Flat at the White Sands National Monument (WSNM), New Mexico, USA. This modern playa setting provides a dynamic extreme environment that changes from a freshwater lake to a hypersaline dry desert during the year. We investigated the microbial diversity (bacteria, archaea, and microbial eukaryotes) of the Lake Lucero sediments using 16S- and 18S-based amplicon sequencing approach and explored the diversity patterns in different geochemical microenvironments. Our results indicated that similar microbial communities, in particular bacterial communities colonized, were remarkably consistent across our depth profiles. Therefore, these communities show a first-order relevance on the environmental conditions (moisture content, oxygen content, and mineral composition). We found that Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Gemmatimonadetes were the major bacterial phyla, while Cyanobacteria were present in relatively low abundances and appeared only at the surface. Genus level assessment reflected that Truepera, Delftia, and Pseudomonas were the predominant bacterial genera across all samples. Euryarchaeota was the major archaeal phylum in all the samples, while Candidatus Halobonum and Candidatus Nitrososphaera were the main genera. Diatoms were the dominant eukaryotic group in surface samples and Fungi, Ciliophora, Metazoa, and Nematodes were the other major groups. As expected, metabolic inference indicated that aerobic microbial communities were near surface colonizers, with anaerobic communities dominating with increasing depth. We demonstrated that these microbial communities could be used to characterize unique geochemical microenvironments enabling us to extrapolate these results into other terrestrial and possibly extraterrestrial environments with comparable geochemical characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kosala Ayantha Sirisena
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA.
- Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC, USA.
- Department of Zoology, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka.
| | - Steven Ramirez
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Andrew Steele
- Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Mihaela Glamoclija
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA
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Mlewski EC, Pisapia C, Gomez F, Lecourt L, Soto Rueda E, Benzerara K, Ménez B, Borensztajn S, Jamme F, Réfrégiers M, Gérard E. Characterization of Pustular Mats and Related Rivularia-Rich Laminations in Oncoids From the Laguna Negra Lake (Argentina). Front Microbiol 2018; 9:996. [PMID: 29872427 PMCID: PMC5972317 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Stromatolites are organo-sedimentary structures that represent some of the oldest records of the early biosphere on Earth. Cyanobacteria are considered as a main component of the microbial mats that are supposed to produce stromatolite-like structures. Understanding the role of cyanobacteria and associated microorganisms on the mineralization processes is critical to better understand what can be preserved in the laminated structure of stromatolites. Laguna Negra (Catamarca, Argentina), a high-altitude hypersaline lake where stromatolites are currently formed, is considered as an analog environment of early Earth. This study aimed at characterizing carbonate precipitation within microbial mats and associated oncoids in Laguna Negra. In particular, we focused on carbonated black pustular mats. By combining Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Laser Microdissection and Whole Genome Amplification, Cloning and Sanger sequencing, and Focused Ion Beam milling for Transmission Electron Microscopy, we showed that carbonate precipitation did not directly initiate on the sheaths of cyanobacterial Rivularia, which dominate in the mat. It occurred via organo-mineralization processes within a large EPS matrix excreted by the diverse microbial consortium associated with Rivularia where diatoms and anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria were particularly abundant. By structuring a large microbial consortium, Rivularia should then favor the formation of organic-rich laminations of carbonates that can be preserved in stromatolites. By using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy and Synchrotron-based deep UV fluorescence imaging, we compared laminations rich in structures resembling Rivularia to putatively chemically-precipitated laminations in oncoids associated with the mats. We showed that they presented a different mineralogy jointly with a higher content in organic remnants, hence providing some criteria of biogenicity to be searched for in the fossil record.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estela C Mlewski
- Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Tierra (CICTERRA), Cordoba, Argentina
| | - Céline Pisapia
- Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France.,Synchrotron SOLEIL, DISCO Beamline, Saint Aubin, France
| | - Fernando Gomez
- Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Tierra (CICTERRA), Cordoba, Argentina
| | - Lena Lecourt
- Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France
| | - Eliana Soto Rueda
- Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Tierra (CICTERRA), Cordoba, Argentina
| | - Karim Benzerara
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, UMR Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 7590, Sorbonne Université, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, IRD UMR 206, Paris, France
| | - Bénédicte Ménez
- Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France
| | - Stephan Borensztajn
- Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Emmanuelle Gérard
- Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France
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Dorador C, Fink P, Hengst M, Icaza G, Villalobos AS, Vejar D, Meneses D, Zadjelovic V, Burmann L, Moelzner J, Harrod C. Microbial community composition and trophic role along a marked salinity gradient in Laguna Puilar, Salar de Atacama, Chile. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 2018; 111:1361-1374. [PMID: 29744693 DOI: 10.1007/s10482-018-1091-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
The geological, hydrological and microbiological features of the Salar de Atacama, the most extensive evaporitic sedimentary basin in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, have been extensively studied. In contrast, relatively little attention has been paid to the composition and roles of microbial communities in hypersaline lakes which are a unique feature in the Salar. In the present study biochemical, chemical and molecular biological tools were used to determine the composition and roles of microbial communities in water, microbial mats and sediments along a marked salinity gradient in Laguna Puilar which is located in the "Los Flamencos" National Reserve. The bacterial communities at the sampling sites were dominated by members of the phyla Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Cyanobacteria and Proteobacteria. Stable isotope and fatty acid analyses revealed marked variability in the composition of microbial mats at different sampling sites both horizontally (at different sites) and vertically (in the different layers). The Laguna Puilar was shown to be a microbially dominated ecosystem in which more than 60% of the fatty acids at particular sites are of bacterial origin. Our pioneering studies also suggest that the energy budgets of avian consumers (three flamingo species) and dominant invertebrates (amphipods and gastropods) use minerals as a source of energy and nutrients. Overall, the results of this study support the view that the Salar de Atacama is a heterogeneous and fragile ecosystem where small changes in environmental conditions may alter the balance of microbial communities with possible consequences at different trophic levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Dorador
- Laboratorio de Complejidad Microbiana y Ecología Funcional, Instituto Antofagasta, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile. .,Departamento de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Recursos Biológicos, Universidad de Antofagasta, Angamos 601, Antofagasta, Chile. .,Centre for Biotechnology & Bioengineering (CeBiB), Santiago, Chile.
| | - Patrick Fink
- Workgroup Aquatic Chemical Ecology, University of Cologne, Cologne Biocenter, ZülpicherStraße 47b, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Martha Hengst
- Centre for Biotechnology & Bioengineering (CeBiB), Santiago, Chile.,Laboratory of Molecular Ecology and Applied Microbiology, Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Gonzalo Icaza
- Laboratorio de Complejidad Microbiana y Ecología Funcional, Instituto Antofagasta, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile.,Centre for Biotechnology & Bioengineering (CeBiB), Santiago, Chile
| | - Alvaro S Villalobos
- Laboratorio de Complejidad Microbiana y Ecología Funcional, Instituto Antofagasta, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile.,Marine Microbiology, GEOMAR Helmholtz, Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105, Kiel, Germany
| | - Drina Vejar
- Laboratorio de Complejidad Microbiana y Ecología Funcional, Instituto Antofagasta, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile.,Centre for Biotechnology & Bioengineering (CeBiB), Santiago, Chile
| | - Daniela Meneses
- Laboratorio de Complejidad Microbiana y Ecología Funcional, Instituto Antofagasta, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile.,Centre for Biotechnology & Bioengineering (CeBiB), Santiago, Chile
| | - Vinko Zadjelovic
- Laboratorio de Complejidad Microbiana y Ecología Funcional, Instituto Antofagasta, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Lisa Burmann
- Workgroup Aquatic Chemical Ecology, University of Cologne, Cologne Biocenter, ZülpicherStraße 47b, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jana Moelzner
- Workgroup Aquatic Chemical Ecology, University of Cologne, Cologne Biocenter, ZülpicherStraße 47b, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Chris Harrod
- Instituto de Ciencias Naturales Alexander von Humboldt, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Recursos Biológicos, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile.,Núcleo Milenio INVASAL, Concepción, Chile
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Berlanga M, Palau M, Guerrero R. Functional Stability and Community Dynamics during Spring and Autumn Seasons Over 3 Years in Camargue Microbial Mats. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:2619. [PMID: 29312277 PMCID: PMC5744480 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2017] [Accepted: 12/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial mats are complex biofilms in which the major element cycles are represented at a millimeter scale. In this study, community variability within microbial mats from the Camargue wetlands (Rhone Delta, southern France) were analyzed over 3 years during two different seasons (spring and autumn) and at different layers of the mat (0–2, 2–4, and 4–6 mm). To assess bacterial diversity in the mats, amplicons of the V1–V2 region of the 16S rRNA gene were sequenced. The community’s functionality was characterized using two approaches: (i) inferred functionality through 16S rRNA amplicons genes according to PICRUSt, and (ii) a shotgun metagenomic analysis. Based on the reads distinguished, microbial communities were dominated by Bacteria (∼94%), followed by Archaea (∼4%) and Eukarya (∼1%). The major phyla of Bacteria were Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Spirochaetes, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Cyanobacteria, which together represented 70–80% of the total population detected. The phylum Euryarchaeota represented ∼80% of the Archaea identified. These results showed that the total bacterial diversity from the Camargue microbial mats was not significantly affected by seasonal changes at the studied location; however, there were differences among layers, especially between the 0–2 mm layer and the other two layers. PICRUSt and shotgun metagenomic analyses revealed similar general biological processes in all samples analyzed, by season and depth, indicating that different layers were functionally stable, although some taxa changed during the spring and autumn seasons over the 3 years. Several gene families and pathways were tracked with the oxic-anoxic gradient of the layers. Genes directly involved in photosynthesis (KO, KEGG Orthology) were significantly more abundant in the top layer (0–2 mm) than in the lower layers (2–4 and 4–6 mm). In the anoxic layers, the presence of ferredoxins likely reflected the variation of redox reactions required for anaerobic respiration. Sulfatase genes had the highest relative abundance below 2 mm. Finally, chemotaxis signature genes peaked sharply at the oxic/photic and transitional oxic-anoxic boundary. This functional differentiation reflected the taxonomic diversity of the different layers of the mat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Berlanga
- Department of Biology, Environment and Health, Section Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Montserrat Palau
- Department of Biology, Environment and Health, Section Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ricardo Guerrero
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Antimicrobials, Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona - Institut d'Investigació Biomédica de Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain.,Academia Europaea-Barcelona Knowledge Hub, Barcelona, Spain
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36
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Mora-Ruiz MDR, Cifuentes A, Font-Verdera F, Pérez-Fernández C, Farias ME, González B, Orfila A, Rosselló-Móra R. Biogeographical patterns of bacterial and archaeal communities from distant hypersaline environments. Syst Appl Microbiol 2017; 41:139-150. [PMID: 29352612 DOI: 10.1016/j.syapm.2017.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Revised: 10/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Microorganisms are globally distributed but new evidence shows that the microbial structure of their communities can vary due to geographical location and environmental parameters. In this study, 50 samples including brines and sediments from Europe, Spanish-Atlantic and South America were analysed by applying the operational phylogenetic unit (OPU) approach in order to understand whether microbial community structures in hypersaline environments exhibited biogeographical patterns. The fine-tuned identification of approximately 1000 OPUs (almost equivalent to "species") using multivariate analysis revealed regionally distinct taxa compositions. This segregation was more diffuse at the genus level and pointed to a phylogenetic and metabolic redundancy at the higher taxa level, where their different species acquired distinct advantages related to the regional physicochemical idiosyncrasies. The presence of previously undescribed groups was also shown in these environments, such as Parcubacteria, or members of Nanohaloarchaeota in anaerobic hypersaline sediments. Finally, an important OPU overlap was observed between anoxic sediments and their overlaying brines, indicating versatile metabolism for the pelagic organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Del R Mora-Ruiz
- Department of Ecology and Marine Resources, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, UIB-CSIC), Spain.
| | - A Cifuentes
- Department of Ecology and Marine Resources, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, UIB-CSIC), Spain
| | - F Font-Verdera
- Department of Ecology and Marine Resources, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, UIB-CSIC), Spain
| | - C Pérez-Fernández
- Environmental Microbiology Laboratory, Puerto Rico University, Rio Piedras campus, Puerto Rico
| | - M E Farias
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT, CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - B González
- Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez - Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability, Santiago, Chile
| | - A Orfila
- Marine Technology and Operational Oceanography Department, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain
| | - R Rosselló-Móra
- Department of Ecology and Marine Resources, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, UIB-CSIC), Spain
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Farias ME, Rasuk MC, Gallagher KL, Contreras M, Kurth D, Fernandez AB, Poiré D, Novoa F, Visscher PT. Prokaryotic diversity and biogeochemical characteristics of benthic microbial ecosystems at La Brava, a hypersaline lake at Salar de Atacama, Chile. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0186867. [PMID: 29140980 PMCID: PMC5687714 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Benthic microbial ecosystems of Laguna La Brava, Salar de Atacama, a high altitude hypersaline lake, were characterized in terms of bacterial and archaeal diversity, biogeochemistry, (including O2 and sulfide depth profiles and mineralogy), and physicochemical characteristics. La Brava is one of several lakes in the Salar de Atacama where microbial communities are growing in extreme conditions, including high salinity, high solar insolation, and high levels of metals such as lithium, arsenic, magnesium, and calcium. Evaporation creates hypersaline conditions in these lakes and mineral precipitation is a characteristic geomicrobiological feature of these benthic ecosystems. In this study, the La Brava non-lithifying microbial mats, microbialites, and rhizome-associated concretions were compared to each other and their diversity was related to their environmental conditions. All the ecosystems revealed an unusual community where Euryarchaeota, Crenarchaeota, Acetothermia, Firmicutes and Planctomycetes were the most abundant groups, and cyanobacteria, typically an important primary producer in microbial mats, were relatively insignificant or absent. This suggests that other microorganisms, and possibly novel pathways unique to this system, are responsible for carbon fixation. Depth profiles of O2 and sulfide showed active production and respiration. The mineralogy composition was calcium carbonate (as aragonite) and increased from mats to microbialites and rhizome-associated concretions. Halite was also present. Further analyses were performed on representative microbial mats and microbialites by layer. Different taxonomic compositions were observed in the upper layers, with Archaea dominating the non-lithifying mat, and Planctomycetes the microbialite. The bottom layers were similar, with Euryarchaeota, Crenarchaeota and Planctomycetes as dominant phyla. Sequences related to Cyanobacteria were very scarce. These systems may contain previously uncharacterized community metabolisms, some of which may be contributing to net mineral precipitation. Further work on these sites might reveal novel organisms and metabolisms of biotechnological interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Eugenia Farias
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT-Tucumán, CONICET, Tucumán, Argentina
- * E-mail:
| | - Maria Cecilia Rasuk
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT-Tucumán, CONICET, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Kimberley L. Gallagher
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, Groton, Connecticut, United States of America
| | | | - Daniel Kurth
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT-Tucumán, CONICET, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Ana Beatriz Fernandez
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT-Tucumán, CONICET, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Daniel Poiré
- Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata-Conicet, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Fernando Novoa
- Centro de Ecología Aplicada (CEA), Ñuñoa, Santiago, Chile
| | - Pieter T. Visscher
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, Groton, Connecticut, United States of America
- Australian Centre for Astrobiology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Changes in the soil bacterial community along a pedogenic gradient. Sci Rep 2017; 7:14593. [PMID: 29109410 PMCID: PMC5674076 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-15133-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Current research on the influence of environmental and physicochemical factors in shaping the soil bacterial structure has seldom been approached from a pedological perspective. We studied the bacterial communities of eight soils selected along a pedogenic gradient at the local scale in a Mediterranean calcareous mountain (Sierra de María, SE Spain). The results showed that the relative abundance of Acidobacteria, Canditate division WPS-1, and Armatimonadetes decreased whereas that of Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria increased from the less-developed soils (Leptosol) to more-developed soils (Luvisol). This bacterial distribution pattern was also positively correlated with soil-quality parameters such as organic C, water-stable aggregates, porosity, moisture, and acidity. In addition, at a lower taxonomic level, the abundance of Acidobacteria Gp4, Armatimonadetes_gp4, Solirubrobacter, Microvirga, Terrimonas, and Nocardioides paralleled soil development and quality. Therefore, our work indicates that the composition of bacterial populations changes with pedogenesis, which could be considered a factor influencing the communities according to the environmental and physicochemical conditions during the soil formation.
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Bull AT, Asenjo JA, Goodfellow M, Gómez-Silva B. The Atacama Desert: Technical Resources and the Growing Importance of Novel Microbial Diversity. Annu Rev Microbiol 2017; 70:215-34. [PMID: 27607552 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-102215-095236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The Atacama Desert of northern Chile is the oldest and most arid nonpolar environment on Earth. It is a coastal desert covering approximately 180,000 km(2), and together with the greater Atacama region it comprises a dramatically wide range of ecological niches. Long known and exploited for its mineral resources, the Atacama Desert harbors a rich microbial diversity that has only recently been discovered; the great majority of it has not yet been recovered in culture or even taxonomically identified. This review traces the progress of microbiology research in the Atacama and dispels the popular view that this region is virtually devoid of life. We examine reasons for such research activity and demonstrate that microbial life is the latest recognized and least explored resource in this inspiring biome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan T Bull
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, United Kingdom;
| | - Juan A Asenjo
- Center for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile;
| | - Michael Goodfellow
- School of Biology, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, United Kingdom;
| | - Benito Gómez-Silva
- Biochemistry Laboratory, Biomedical Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Antofagasta, Chile;
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Saghaï A, Gutiérrez-Preciado A, Deschamps P, Moreira D, Bertolino P, Ragon M, López-García P. Unveiling microbial interactions in stratified mat communities from a warm saline shallow pond. Environ Microbiol 2017; 19:2405-2421. [PMID: 28489281 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2017] [Revised: 04/02/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Modern phototrophic microbial mats are complex communities often used as analogs of major Precambrian ecosystems. Characterizing biotic, notably metabolic, interactions among different microbial mat members is essential to gain insights into the ecology and biogeochemistry of these systems. We applied 16S/18S rRNA metabarcoding approaches to characterize the structure of archaea, bacteria and protist communities from microbial mats collected along strong physicochemical (oxygen, salinity, temperature, depth) gradients in a shallow pond at the salar de Llamara (Chile). All mats were highly diverse, including members of virtually all known high-rank eukaryotic and prokaryotic taxa but also many novel lineages. Bacterial candidate divisions accounted for almost 50% of sequences in deeper mats, while Archaea represented up to 40% of sequences in some mat layers. Molecular phylogenetic analyses revealed six novel deeply divergent archaeal groups, along abundant and diverse Pacearchaeota and Woesearchaeota. Multivariate statistical analyses showed that local environmental conditions strongly influenced community composition. Co-occurrence network structure was markedly different between surface mats located in the oxygenated zone and mats located in transition and anoxic water layers. We identified potential biotic interactions between various high- and low-rank taxa. Notably, a strong positive correlation was observed between Lokiarchaeota and the poorly known candidate bacterial division TA06.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélien Saghaï
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
| | - Ana Gutiérrez-Preciado
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
| | - Philippe Deschamps
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
| | - David Moreira
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
| | - Paola Bertolino
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
| | - Marie Ragon
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
| | - Purificación López-García
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
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Kurth D, Amadio A, Ordoñez OF, Albarracín VH, Gärtner W, Farías ME. Arsenic metabolism in high altitude modern stromatolites revealed by metagenomic analysis. Sci Rep 2017; 7:1024. [PMID: 28432307 PMCID: PMC5430908 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00896-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Modern stromatolites thrive only in selected locations in the world. Socompa Lake, located in the Andean plateau at 3570 masl, is one of the numerous extreme Andean microbial ecosystems described over recent years. Extreme environmental conditions include hypersalinity, high UV incidence, and high arsenic content, among others. After Socompa's stromatolite microbial communities were analysed by metagenomic DNA sequencing, taxonomic classification showed dominance of Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, and a remarkably high number of unclassified sequences. A functional analysis indicated that carbon fixation might occur not only by the Calvin-Benson cycle, but also through alternative pathways such as the reverse TCA cycle, and the reductive acetyl-CoA pathway. Deltaproteobacteria were involved both in sulfate reduction and nitrogen fixation. Significant differences were found when comparing the Socompa stromatolite metagenome to the Shark Bay (Australia) smooth mat metagenome: namely, those involving stress related processes, particularly, arsenic resistance. An in-depth analysis revealed a surprisingly diverse metabolism comprising all known types of As resistance and energy generating pathways. While the ars operon was the main mechanism, an important abundance of arsM genes was observed in selected phyla. The data resulting from this work will prove a cornerstone for further studies on this rare microbial community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Kurth
- Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales y Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT Tucumán, CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Ariel Amadio
- E.E.A. Rafaela, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), CCT Santa Fe, CONICET, Rafaela, Argentina
| | - Omar F Ordoñez
- Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales y Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT Tucumán, CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Virginia H Albarracín
- Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales y Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT Tucumán, CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Wolfgang Gärtner
- Max-Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
| | - María E Farías
- Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales y Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT Tucumán, CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.
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42
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Toneatti DM, Albarracín VH, Flores MR, Polerecky L, Farías ME. Stratified Bacterial Diversity along Physico-chemical Gradients in High-Altitude Modern Stromatolites. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:646. [PMID: 28446906 PMCID: PMC5388776 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
At an altitude of 3,570 m, the volcanic lake Socompa in the Argentinean Andes is presently the highest site where actively forming stromatolite-like structures have been reported. Interestingly, pigment and microsensor analyses performed through the different layers of the stromatolites (50 mm-deep) showed steep vertical gradients of light and oxygen, hydrogen sulfide and pH in the porewater. Given the relatively good characterization of these physico-chemical gradients, the aim of this follow-up work was to specifically address how the bacterial diversity stratified along the top six layers of the stromatolites which seems the most metabolically important and diversified zone of the whole microbial community. We herein discussed how, in only 7 mm, a drastic succession of metabolic adaptations occurred: i.e., microbial communities shift from a UV-high/oxic world to an IR-low/anoxic/high H2S environment which force stratification and metabolic specialization of the bacterial community, thus, modulating the chemical faces of the Socompa stromatolites. The oxic zone was dominated by Deinococcus sp. at top surface (0.3 mm), followed by a second layer of Coleofasciculus sp. (0.3 to ∼2 mm). Sequences from anoxygenic phototrophic Alphaproteobacteria, along with an increasing diversity of phyla including Bacteroidetes, Spirochaetes were found at middle layers 3 and 4. Deeper layers (5–7 mm) were mostly occupied by sulfate reducers of Deltaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, next to a high diversity and equitable community of rare, unclassified and candidate phyla. This analysis showed how microbial communities stratified in a physicochemical vertical profile and according to the light source. It also gives an insight of which bacterial metabolic capabilities might operate and produce a microbial cooperative strategy to thrive in one of the most extreme environments on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego M Toneatti
- Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales y Microbiológicos, Centro Científico Tecnológico - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y TécnicasSan Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Virginia H Albarracín
- Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales y Microbiológicos, Centro Científico Tecnológico - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y TécnicasSan Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.,Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo, Universidad Nacional de TucumánSan Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.,Centro Integral de Microscopía Electrónica, Centro Científico Tecnológico - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional de TucumánSan Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Maria R Flores
- Department of Earth Sciences - Geochemistry, Utrecht UniversityUtrecht, Netherlands
| | - Lubos Polerecky
- Department of Earth Sciences - Geochemistry, Utrecht UniversityUtrecht, Netherlands
| | - María E Farías
- Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales y Microbiológicos, Centro Científico Tecnológico - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y TécnicasSan Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
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Haferburg G, Gröning JAD, Schmidt N, Kummer NA, Erquicia JC, Schlömann M. Microbial diversity of the hypersaline and lithium-rich Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia. Microbiol Res 2017; 199:19-28. [PMID: 28454706 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2017.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 02/25/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Salar de Uyuni, situated in the Southwest of the Bolivian Altiplano, is the largest salt flat on Earth. Brines of this athalassohaline hypersaline environment are rich in lithium and boron. Due to the ever- increasing commodity demand, the industrial exploitation of brines for metal recovery from the world's biggest lithium reservoir is likely to increase substantially in the near future. Studies on the composition of halophilic microbial communities in brines of the salar have not been published yet. Here we report for the first time on the prokaryotic diversity of four brine habitats across the salar. The brine is characterized by salinity values between 132 and 177 PSU, slightly acidic to near-neutral pH and lithium and boron concentrations of up to 2.0 and 1.4g/L, respectively. Community analysis was performed after sequencing the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA genes employing the Illumina MiSeq technology. The mothur software package was used for sequence processing and data analysis. Metagenomic analysis revealed the occurrence of an exclusively archaeal community comprising 26 halobacterial genera including only recently identified genera like Halapricum, Halorubellus and Salinarchaeum. Despite the high diversity of the halobacteria-dominated community in sample P3 (Shannon-Weaver index H'=3.12 at 3% OTU cutoff) almost 40% of the Halobacteriaceae-assigned sequences could not be classified on the genus level under stringent filtering conditions. Even if the limited taxonomic resolution of the V3-V4 region for halobacteria is considered, it seems likely to discover new, hitherto undescribed genera of the family halobacteriaceae in this particular habitat of Salar de Uyuni in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Götz Haferburg
- Interdisciplinary Ecological Center, Environmental Microbiology Group, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Leipziger Strasse 29, 09599 Freiberg, Germany.
| | | | - Nadja Schmidt
- Institute of Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Gustav-Zeuner-Straße 12, 09599 Freiberg, Germany
| | - Nicolai-Alexeji Kummer
- Institute of Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Gustav-Zeuner-Straße 12, 09599 Freiberg, Germany
| | | | - Michael Schlömann
- Interdisciplinary Ecological Center, Environmental Microbiology Group, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Leipziger Strasse 29, 09599 Freiberg, Germany
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Ben Hania W, Joseph M, Bunk B, Spröer C, Klenk HP, Fardeau ML, Spring S. Characterization of the first cultured representative of a Bacteroidetes clade specialized on the scavenging of cyanobacteria. Environ Microbiol 2017; 19:1134-1148. [PMID: 27943642 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Revised: 11/26/2016] [Accepted: 12/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The anaerobic, mesophilic and moderately halophilic strain L21-Spi-D4T was recently isolated from the suboxic zone of a hypersaline cyanobacterial mat using protein-rich extracts of Arthrospira (formerly Spirulina) platensis as substrate. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA genes indicated an affiliation of the novel strain with the Bacteroidetes clade MgMjR-022, which is widely distributed and abundant in hypersaline microbial mats and heretofore comprised only sequences of uncultured bacteria. Analyses of the complete genome sequence of strain L21-Spi-D4T revealed a possible specialization on the degradation of cyanobacterial biomass. Besides genes for enzymes degrading specific cyanobacterial proteins a conspicuous transport complex for the polypeptide cyanophycin could be identified that is homologous to typical polysaccharide utilization loci of Bacteroidetes. A distinct and reproducible co-occurrence pattern of environmental 16S rRNA gene sequences of the MgMjR-022 clade and cyanobacteria in the suboxic zone of hypersaline mats points to a specific dependence of members of this clade on decaying cyanobacteria. Based on a comparative analysis of phenotypic, genomic and ecological characteristics we propose to establish the novel taxa Salinivirga cyanobacteriivorans gen. nov., sp. nov., represented by the type strain L21-Spi-D4T , and Salinivirgaceae fam. nov., comprising sequences of the MgMjR-022 clade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wajdi Ben Hania
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie IRD, MIO, Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Manon Joseph
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie IRD, MIO, Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Boyke Bunk
- Department Microbial Ecology and Diversity Research, Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Cathrin Spröer
- Department Central Services, Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Hans-Peter Klenk
- Department Microorganisms, Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Marie-Laure Fardeau
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie IRD, MIO, Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Stefan Spring
- Department Microorganisms, Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
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45
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Saghaï A, Zivanovic Y, Moreira D, Benzerara K, Bertolino P, Ragon M, Tavera R, López-Archilla AI, López-García P. Comparative metagenomics unveils functions and genome features of microbialite-associated communities along a depth gradient. Environ Microbiol 2016; 18:4990-5004. [PMID: 27422734 PMCID: PMC5477898 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2016] [Accepted: 07/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Modern microbialites are often used as analogs of Precambrian stromatolites; therefore, studying the metabolic interplay within their associated microbial communities can help formulating hypotheses on their formation and long-term preservation within the fossil record. We performed a comparative metagenomic analysis of microbialite samples collected at two sites and along a depth gradient in Lake Alchichica (Mexico). The community structure inferred from single-copy gene family identification and long-contig (>10 kb) assignation, consistently with previous rRNA gene surveys, showed a wide prokaryotic diversity dominated by Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and Bacteroidetes, while eukaryotes were largely dominated by green algae or diatoms. Functional analyses based on RefSeq, COG and SEED assignations revealed the importance of housekeeping functions, with an overrepresentation of genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism, as compared with other metabolic capacities. The search for genes diagnostic of specific metabolic functions revealed the important involvement of Alphaproteobacteria in anoxygenic photosynthesis and sulfide oxidation, and Cyanobacteria in oxygenic photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation. Surprisingly, sulfate reduction appeared negligible. Comparative analyses suggested functional similarities among various microbial mat and microbialite metagenomes as compared with soil or oceans, but showed differences in microbial processes among microbialite types linked to local environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélien Saghaï
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, Orsay, France
| | - Yvan Zivanovic
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative de la Cellule, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud Orsay, Université Paris-Saclay, France
| | - David Moreira
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, Orsay, France
| | - Karim Benzerara
- Institut de Minéralogie et de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - Paola Bertolino
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, Orsay, France
| | - Marie Ragon
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, Orsay, France
| | - Rosaluz Tavera
- Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, DF Mexico, Mexico
| | | | - Purificación López-García
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, Orsay, France
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Fernandez AB, Rasuk MC, Visscher PT, Contreras M, Novoa F, Poire DG, Patterson MM, Ventosa A, Farias ME. Microbial Diversity in Sediment Ecosystems (Evaporites Domes, Microbial Mats, and Crusts) of Hypersaline Laguna Tebenquiche, Salar de Atacama, Chile. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:1284. [PMID: 27597845 PMCID: PMC4992683 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2016] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
We combined nucleic acid-based molecular methods, biogeochemical measurements, and physicochemical characteristics to investigate microbial sedimentary ecosystems of Laguna Tebenquiche, Atacama Desert, Chile. Molecular diversity, and biogeochemistry of hypersaline microbial mats, rhizome-associated concretions, and an endoevaporite were compared with: The V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified by pyrosequencing to analyze the total microbial diversity (i.e., bacteria and archaea) in bulk samples, and in addition, in detail on a millimeter scale in one microbial mat and in one evaporite. Archaea were more abundant than bacteria. Euryarchaeota was one of the most abundant phyla in all samples, and particularly dominant (97% of total diversity) in the most lithified ecosystem, the evaporite. Most of the euryarchaeal OTUs could be assigned to the class Halobacteria or anaerobic and methanogenic archaea. Planctomycetes potentially also play a key role in mats and rhizome-associated concretions, notably the aerobic organoheterotroph members of the class Phycisphaerae. In addition to cyanobacteria, members of Chromatiales and possibly the candidate family Chlorotrichaceae contributed to photosynthetic carbon fixation. Other abundant uncultured taxa such as the candidate division MSBL1, the uncultured MBGB, and the phylum Acetothermia potentially play an important metabolic role in these ecosystems. Lithifying microbial mats contained calcium carbonate precipitates, whereas endoevoporites consisted of gypsum, and halite. Biogeochemical measurements revealed that based on depth profiles of O2 and sulfide, metabolic activities were much higher in the non-lithifying mat (peaking in the least lithified systems) than in lithifying mats with the lowest activity in endoevaporites. This trend in decreasing microbial activity reflects the increase in salinity, which may play an important role in the biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana B Fernandez
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas, Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos, Centro Científico Tecnológico, CONICET Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Maria C Rasuk
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas, Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos, Centro Científico Tecnológico, CONICET Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Pieter T Visscher
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of ConnecticutGroton, CT, USA; Australian Centre for Astrobiology, University of New South WalesSydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | | | - Daniel G Poire
- Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata-Conicet La Plata, Argentina
| | - Molly M Patterson
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut Groton, CT, USA
| | - Antonio Ventosa
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sevilla Sevilla, Spain
| | - Maria E Farias
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas, Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos, Centro Científico Tecnológico, CONICET Tucumán, Argentina
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47
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Aszalós JM, Krett G, Anda D, Márialigeti K, Nagy B, Borsodi AK. Diversity of extremophilic bacteria in the sediment of high-altitude lakes located in the mountain desert of Ojos del Salado volcano, Dry-Andes. Extremophiles 2016; 20:603-20. [PMID: 27315168 DOI: 10.1007/s00792-016-0849-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Ojos del Salado, the highest volcano on Earth is surrounded by a special mountain desert with extreme aridity, great daily temperature range, intense solar radiation, and permafrost from 5000 meters above sea level. Several saline lakes and permafrost derived high-altitude lakes can be found in this area, often surrounded by fumaroles and hot springs. The aim of this study was to gain information about the bacterial communities inhabiting the sediment of high-altitude lakes of the Ojos del Salado region located between 3770 and 6500 m. Altogether 11 sediment samples from 4 different altitudes were examined with 16S rRNA gene based denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and clone libraries. Members of 17 phyla or candidate divisions were detected with the dominance of Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes. The bacterial community composition was determined mainly by the altitude of the sampling sites; nevertheless, the extreme aridity and the active volcanism had a strong influence on it. Most of the sequences showed the highest relation to bacterial species or uncultured clones from similar extreme environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Júlia Margit Aszalós
- Department of Microbiology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gergely Krett
- Department of Microbiology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dóra Anda
- Department of Microbiology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Károly Márialigeti
- Department of Microbiology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Balázs Nagy
- Department of Physical Geography, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. sétány 1/C, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Andrea K Borsodi
- Department of Microbiology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117, Budapest, Hungary.
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Albarracín VH, Kraiselburd I, Bamann C, Wood PG, Bamberg E, Farias ME, Gärtner W. Functional Green-Tuned Proteorhodopsin from Modern Stromatolites. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0154962. [PMID: 27187791 PMCID: PMC4871484 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0154962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Accepted: 04/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The sequenced genome of the poly-extremophile Exiguobacterium sp. S17, isolated from modern stromatolites at Laguna Socompa (3,570 m), a High-Altitude Andean Lake (HAAL) in Argentinean Puna revealed a putative proteorhodopsin-encoding gene. The HAAL area is exposed to the highest UV irradiation on Earth, making the microbial community living in the stromatolites test cases for survival strategies under extreme conditions. The heterologous expressed protein E17R from Exiguobacterium (248 amino acids, 85% sequence identity to its ortholog ESR from E. sibiricum) was assembled with retinal displaying an absorbance maximum at 524 nm, which makes it a member of the green-absorbing PR-subfamily. Titration down to low pH values (eventually causing partial protein denaturation) indicated a pK value between two and three. Global fitting of data from laser flash-induced absorption changes gave evidence for an early red-shifted intermediate (its formation being below the experimental resolution) that decayed (τ1 = 3.5 μs) into another red-shifted intermediate. This species decayed in a two-step process (τ2 = 84 μs, τ3 = 11 ms), to which the initial state of E17-PR was reformed with a kinetics of 2 ms. Proton transport capability of the HAAL protein was determined by BLM measurements. Additional blue light irradiation reduced the proton current, clearly identifying a blue light absorbing, M-like intermediate. The apparent absence of this intermediate is explained by closely matching formation and decay kinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Helena Albarracín
- Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales y Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT, CONICET. Av. Belgrano y Pasaje Caseros. 4000- S. M. de Tucumán, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, 4000, S. M. de Tucumán, Argentina
- * E-mail: (VHA); (WG)
| | - Ivana Kraiselburd
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR - CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas (FBIOYF - UNR), Suipacha 590, 2000, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Christian Bamann
- Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Straße 3, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Phillip G. Wood
- Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Straße 3, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Ernst Bamberg
- Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Straße 3, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - María Eugenia Farias
- Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Straße 3, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Gärtner
- Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Stiftstrasse 34–36, D-45470 Mülheim, Germany
- * E-mail: (VHA); (WG)
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Canfora L, Vendramin E, Vittori Antisari L, Lo Papa G, Dazzi C, Benedetti A, Iavazzo P, Adamo P, Jungblut AD, Pinzari F. Compartmentalization of gypsum and halite associated with cyanobacteria in saline soil crusts. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2016; 92:fiw080. [PMID: 27090760 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiw080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The interface between biological and geochemical components in the surface crust of a saline soil was investigated using X-ray diffraction, and variable pressure scanning electron microscopy in combination with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. Mineral compounds such as halite and gypsum were identified crystallized around filaments of cyanobacteria. A total of 92 genera were identified from the bacterial community based on 16S gene pyrosequencing analysis. The occurrence of the gypsum crystals, their shapes and compartmentalization suggested that they separated NaCl from the immediate microenvironment of the cyanobacteria, and that some cyanobacteria and communities of sulfur bacteria may had a physical control over the distinctive halite and gypsum structures produced. This suggests that cyanobacteria might directly or indirectly promote the formation of a protective envelope made of calcium and sulfur-based compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loredana Canfora
- Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria, Centro di Ricerca per lo studio delle relazioni tra Pianta e Suolo, Rome, Italy
| | - Elisa Vendramin
- Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria, Centro di Ricerca per la Frutticoltura, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Giuseppe Lo Papa
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Italy
| | - Carmelo Dazzi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Italy
| | - Anna Benedetti
- Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria, Centro di Ricerca per lo studio delle relazioni tra Pianta e Suolo, Rome, Italy
| | - Pietro Iavazzo
- Dipartimento di Agraria, Università di Napoli Federico II, Portici, Italy
| | - Paola Adamo
- Dipartimento di Agraria, Università di Napoli Federico II, Portici, Italy
| | - Anne D Jungblut
- Natural History Museum, Life Sciences Department, London, UK
| | - Flavia Pinzari
- Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria, Centro di Ricerca per lo studio delle relazioni tra Pianta e Suolo, Rome, Italy Natural History Museum, Life Sciences Department, London, UK
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Albarracín VH, Gärtner W, Farias ME. Forged Under the Sun: Life and Art of Extremophiles from Andean Lakes. Photochem Photobiol 2015; 92:14-28. [PMID: 26647770 DOI: 10.1111/php.12555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2015] [Revised: 10/09/2015] [Accepted: 11/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
High-altitude Andean lakes (HAAL) are a treasure chest for microbiological research in South America. Their indigenous microbial communities are exposed to extremely high UV irradiation and to multiple chemical extremes (Arsenic, high salt content, alkalinity). Microbes are found both, free-living or associated into microbial mats with different degrees of mineralization and lithification, including unique modern stromatolites located at 3570 m above sea level. Characterization of these polyextremophilic microbes began only recently, employing morphological and phylogenetic methods as well as high-throughput sequencing and proteomics approach. Aside from providing a general overview on microbial communities, special attention is given to various survival strategies; HAAL's microbes present a complex system of shared genetic and physiological mechanisms (UV-resistome) based on UV photoreceptors and stress sensors with their corresponding response regulators, UV avoidance and protection strategies, damage tolerance and UV damage repair. Molecular information will be provided for what is, so far the most studied HAAL molecule, a CPD-Class I photolyase from Acinetobacter Ver3 (Laguna Verde, 4400 m). This work further proposes some strategies that make an appeal for the preservation of HAAL, a highly fragile environment that offers promising and ample research possibilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Helena Albarracín
- Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales y Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT, CONICET, Tucumán, Argentina.,Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Wolfgang Gärtner
- Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Mülheim, Germany
| | - María Eugenia Farias
- Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales y Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT, CONICET, Tucumán, Argentina
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