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Jurado V, Martin-Pozas T, Fernandez-Cortes A, Calaforra JM, Sanchez-Moral S, Saiz-Jimenez C. Gypsum Cave Biofilm Communities are Strongly Influenced by Bat- And Arthropod-Related Fungi. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2024; 87:80. [PMID: 38829422 PMCID: PMC11147836 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-024-02395-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
The Gypsum Karst of Sorbas, Almeria, southeast Spain, includes a few caves whose entrances are open and allow the entry and roosting of numerous bats. Caves are characterized by their diversity of gypsum speleothems, such as stalactites, coralloids, gypsum crusts, etc. Colored biofilms can be observed on the walls of most caves, among which the Covadura and C3 caves were studied. The objective was to determine the influence that bat mycobiomes may have on the fungal communities of biofilms. The results indicate that the fungi retrieved from white and yellow biofilms in Covadura Cave (Ascomycota, Mortierellomycota, Basidiomycota) showed a wide diversity, depending on their location, and were highly influenced by the bat population, the guano and the arthropods that thrive in the guano, while C3 Cave was more strongly influenced by soil- and arthropod-related fungi (Ascomycota, Mortierellomycota), due to the absence of roosting bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valme Jurado
- Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiologia, IRNAS-CSIC, 41012, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Tamara Martin-Pozas
- Departamento de Biologia y Geologia, Universidad de Almeria, 04120, Almeria, Spain
| | | | - Jose Maria Calaforra
- Departamento de Biologia y Geologia, Universidad de Almeria, 04120, Almeria, Spain
| | | | - Cesareo Saiz-Jimenez
- Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiologia, IRNAS-CSIC, 41012, Sevilla, Spain.
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Martin-Pozas T, Nováková A, Jurado V, Cuezva S, Fernandez-Cortes A, Saiz-Jimenez C, Sanchez-Moral S. A Second Fungal Outbreak in Castañar Cave, Spain, Discloses the Fragility of Subsurface Ecosystems. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2024; 87:53. [PMID: 38507071 PMCID: PMC10954929 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-024-02367-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Castañar is a cave with strict visitor control measures since it was open to public visits in 2003. However, in recent years, the cave suffered two fungal outbreaks, the first in 2008 and controlled by cleaning the contaminated sediments and subsequent closure of the cave until 2014. The cave was reopened but limited to a maximum of 450 visitors/year. Despite these restrictions on visit, the cave experienced a second outbreak in 2021, originating from the installation of a steel grating walkway, aiming at protecting the ground sediments from the visitors' footsteps. Here, we conducted an analysis using Next-Generation Sequencing and culture-dependent techniques to investigate the fungal communities related to the second outbreak and compare with those present before the cave suffered the outbreak. The results show that the most abundant fungi involved in the 2021 outbreak were already detected in 2020, and even in 2008 and 2009, although the main species that originating both outbreaks were different, likely due to the different carbon sources introduced into the cave.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Martin-Pozas
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, MNCN-CSIC, 28006, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Biologia y Geologia, Universidad de Almeria, 04120, Almeria, Spain
| | - Alena Nováková
- Laboratory of Fungal Genetics and Metabolism, Institute of Microbiology of the CAS, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Valme Jurado
- Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiologia, IRNAS-CSIC, 41012, Seville, Spain
| | - Soledad Cuezva
- Spanish Geological Survey, IGME-CSIC, 28003, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Cesareo Saiz-Jimenez
- Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiologia, IRNAS-CSIC, 41012, Seville, Spain.
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Turrini P, Chebbi A, Riggio FP, Visca P. The geomicrobiology of limestone, sulfuric acid speleogenetic, and volcanic caves: basic concepts and future perspectives. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1370520. [PMID: 38572233 PMCID: PMC10987966 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1370520] [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: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Caves are ubiquitous subterranean voids, accounting for a still largely unexplored surface of the Earth underground. Due to the absence of sunlight and physical segregation, caves are naturally colonized by microorganisms that have developed distinctive capabilities to thrive under extreme conditions of darkness and oligotrophy. Here, the microbiomes colonizing three frequently studied cave types, i.e., limestone, sulfuric acid speleogenetic (SAS), and lava tubes among volcanic caves, have comparatively been reviewed. Geological configurations, nutrient availability, and energy flows in caves are key ecological drivers shaping cave microbiomes through photic, twilight, transient, and deep cave zones. Chemoheterotrophic microbial communities, whose sustenance depends on nutrients supplied from outside, are prevalent in limestone and volcanic caves, while elevated inorganic chemical energy is available in SAS caves, enabling primary production through chemolithoautotrophy. The 16S rRNA-based metataxonomic profiles of cave microbiomes were retrieved from previous studies employing the Illumina platform for sequencing the prokaryotic V3-V4 hypervariable region to compare the microbial community structures from different cave systems and environmental samples. Limestone caves and lava tubes are colonized by largely overlapping bacterial phyla, with the prevalence of Pseudomonadota and Actinomycetota, whereas the co-dominance of Pseudomonadota and Campylobacterota members characterizes SAS caves. Most of the metataxonomic profiling data have so far been collected from the twilight and transient zones, while deep cave zones remain elusive, deserving further exploration. Integrative approaches for future geomicrobiology studies are suggested to gain comprehensive insights into the different cave types and zones. This review also poses novel research questions for unveiling the metabolic and genomic capabilities of cave microorganisms, paving the way for their potential biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Turrini
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
| | - Alif Chebbi
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Paolo Visca
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
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Man BY, Xiang X, Cheng XY, Wang HM, Su CT, Huang QB, Luo Y, Zhang C, Cheng G, Ni YY, Shao XH. Deconstructing the Dimensions of Mycobiome Fingerprints in Luohandu Cave, Guilin, Southern China. Microorganisms 2024; 12:211. [PMID: 38276196 PMCID: PMC10818497 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12010211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Subterranean karst caves are windows into the terrestrial subsurface to deconstruct the dimensions of mycobiome fingerprints. However, impeded by the constraints of remote locations, the inaccessibility of specimens and technical limitations, the mycobiome of subterranean karst caves has remained largely unknown. Weathered rock and sediment samples were collected from Luohandu cave (Guilin, Southern China) and subjected to Illumina Hiseq sequencing of ITS1 genes. A total of 267 known genera and 90 known orders in 15 phyla were revealed in the mycobiomes. Ascomycota dominated all samples, followed by Basidiomycota and Mortierellomycota. The sediments possessed the relatively highest alpha diversity and were significantly different from weathered rocks according to the diversity indices and richness metrics. Fifteen families and eight genera with significant differences were detected in the sediment samples. The Ca/Mg ratio appeared to significantly affect the structure of the mycobiome communities. Ascomycota appeared to exert a controlling influence on the mycobiome co-occurrence network of the sediments, while Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were found to be the main phyla in the mycobiome co-occurrence network of weathered rocks. Our results provide a more comprehensive dimension to the mycobiome fingerprints of Luohandu cave and a new window into the mycobiome communities and the ecology of subterranean karst cave ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bai-Ying Man
- College of Life Science, Shangrao Normal University, Shangrao 334001, China; (X.X.); (Y.L.); (C.Z.); (G.C.); (Y.-Y.N.); (X.-H.S.)
- Key Laboratory for Regional Plants Conservation and Ecological Restoration of Northeast Jiangxi, Shangrao Normal University, Shangrao 334001, China
| | - Xing Xiang
- College of Life Science, Shangrao Normal University, Shangrao 334001, China; (X.X.); (Y.L.); (C.Z.); (G.C.); (Y.-Y.N.); (X.-H.S.)
- Key Laboratory for Regional Plants Conservation and Ecological Restoration of Northeast Jiangxi, Shangrao Normal University, Shangrao 334001, China
| | - Xiao-Yu Cheng
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China;
- State Key Laboratory of Geobiology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Hong-Mei Wang
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China;
- State Key Laboratory of Geobiology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Chun-Tian Su
- Institute of Karst Geology, CAGS/Key Laboratory of Karst Dynamics, MNR & GZAR, Guilin 541004, Guangxi, China; (C.-T.S.); (Q.-B.H.)
- Pingguo Guangxi, Karst Ecosystem, National Observation and Research Station, Pingguo 531406, Guangxi, China
| | - Qi-Bo Huang
- Institute of Karst Geology, CAGS/Key Laboratory of Karst Dynamics, MNR & GZAR, Guilin 541004, Guangxi, China; (C.-T.S.); (Q.-B.H.)
- Pingguo Guangxi, Karst Ecosystem, National Observation and Research Station, Pingguo 531406, Guangxi, China
| | - Yang Luo
- College of Life Science, Shangrao Normal University, Shangrao 334001, China; (X.X.); (Y.L.); (C.Z.); (G.C.); (Y.-Y.N.); (X.-H.S.)
- Key Laboratory for Regional Plants Conservation and Ecological Restoration of Northeast Jiangxi, Shangrao Normal University, Shangrao 334001, China
| | - Chao Zhang
- College of Life Science, Shangrao Normal University, Shangrao 334001, China; (X.X.); (Y.L.); (C.Z.); (G.C.); (Y.-Y.N.); (X.-H.S.)
- Key Laboratory for Regional Plants Conservation and Ecological Restoration of Northeast Jiangxi, Shangrao Normal University, Shangrao 334001, China
| | - Gang Cheng
- College of Life Science, Shangrao Normal University, Shangrao 334001, China; (X.X.); (Y.L.); (C.Z.); (G.C.); (Y.-Y.N.); (X.-H.S.)
- Key Laboratory for Regional Plants Conservation and Ecological Restoration of Northeast Jiangxi, Shangrao Normal University, Shangrao 334001, China
| | - Yu-Yang Ni
- College of Life Science, Shangrao Normal University, Shangrao 334001, China; (X.X.); (Y.L.); (C.Z.); (G.C.); (Y.-Y.N.); (X.-H.S.)
- Key Laboratory for Regional Plants Conservation and Ecological Restoration of Northeast Jiangxi, Shangrao Normal University, Shangrao 334001, China
| | - Xing-Hua Shao
- College of Life Science, Shangrao Normal University, Shangrao 334001, China; (X.X.); (Y.L.); (C.Z.); (G.C.); (Y.-Y.N.); (X.-H.S.)
- Key Laboratory for Regional Plants Conservation and Ecological Restoration of Northeast Jiangxi, Shangrao Normal University, Shangrao 334001, China
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